The Reporter acting for the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division has issued a Notice of Intention regarding the stalled New Town Quarter development between Dundas Street and King George V Park (PPA-230-2755).
Upholding the developer's appeal, Mr Declan King ‘is minded to grant permission’ subject to a Section 75 legal agreement being reached between Edinburgh Council and Izar V Lux S. à r. L and Fusion. Concerned parties were informed by email on Friday.
Planning consent, including the Reporter’s reasoning, will be issued once that Section 75 agreement has been reached and registered, probably within 3 months.
Section 75 details
Much of the detail around Section 75 arrangements has already been ironed out for the overall proposal (see Planning Authority Written Statement attached below, pp. 36–39).
Provisions include:
£647,956 towards additional primary-school capacity; £1,047,956 towards additional secondary-school capacity
£508,165 towards trams
footway and roadway improvements
requirement for 35 per cent affordable housing.
However, more recent non-statutory guidance on Developer Contributions (including towards health care) may now have to be considered.
Disappointment and delight
The overall scheme is for a mixed-use development comprising 315 residential units, purpose-built student accommodation for 591 individuals, office and other commercial uses, with associated landscaping/public realm, car and cycle parking, and access arrangements.
The Reporter's decision comes as a disappointment to the 447 individuals and organisations who provided written objections to the proposal, not least those who regard the switch to so much purpose built student accommodation as potentially disruptive for a balanced local community here. ‘It’s a sad day,’ a prominent local activist told the Spurtle.
The one person who expressed support (a resident in North West Cumberland Street Lane) will of course be thrilled.
Shocking decision popular with locals
Edinburgh Council’s Development Management Sub-Committee shocked some and delighted others when, by 7 votes to 4, it rejected officials’ advice and refused planning permission for elements of the New Town Quarter on 17 December 2025 (25/01899/FUL).
In their decision, DMS members argued that the proposal:
failed to meet the required number of housing units
did not meet the required amenity standards (adequate daylight and sunlight) in PBSA
was too dense and incompatible with the wider area’s characteristics.
For our detailed account of that meeting, visit here.
Unsatisfactory
The delay in being able to read the reasons for the Reporter's decision is unsatisfactory. The whole planning system is unsatisfactory.
To some it appears a sclerotic obstruction to economic development. To others it is grotesquely skewed in favour of developers and offers insufficient protection for the reasonable aspirations of affected individuals and neighbourhoods.
Got a view? Tell us at spurtle@hotmail.co.uk
