Zonal Retail Data Systems (ZRDS) seek planning permission at 14–16 Union Street (Refs 12/02591/FUL; 12/02598/LBC; 12/02599/CON) to demolish an existing 2-storey structure and to construct a 'new traditional' 3.5-storey office development in its place (see artist's impression right).
ZRDS's head office and research and development facility are already situated in 6 townhouses around 24 Forth Street, and the new building would tie into these premises to allow room for 50 additional staff over the next 3–5 years.
'The southern elevation of the building has been carefully designed so as to ensure that the existing residential properties occupying the upper floors of Nos. 28–30 Forth Street will not have their amenity levels compromised in any material manner. The finished roof level which ties in with the existing R & D Building is situated considerably below the windows of the upper floor of the properties on Forth Street. The proposed office building is sufficiently distant from the windows on the floor below ... so as to ensure that issues of potential overshadowing or loss of light will not feature.'
[img_assist|nid=3243|title=|desc=|link=node|align=right|width=200|height=127]Most locals would welcome the removal of the poor-quality, empty and increasingly tatty modern building now at 14–16 Union Street (see right). Broughton would benefit from the arrival at its heart of so many new workers, and the erection of a 'new traditional' structure broadly in keeping with the design of its Georgian surrounds strikes Spurtle as unobjectionable.
However, there is a major snag. In ZRDS's pre-application discussions with Council Planning, it emerged that officials feel any redevelopment here should match the scale and mass of the existing building and repeat its atypical modernity with a contemporary design. The developers' planning consultants say the Council's reason is that the existing building does not follow the normal pattern of development found in the New Town Conservation Area/World Heritage site i.e. the historic relationship between the house, garden and its ancillary buildings'.
Quite why Council officials should wish to retain these aberrant aspects of such an unlovely structure escapes us. What is clear is that any such stipulation would not allow ZRDS to expand its workforce here, and that it would therefore reluctantly consider moving the entire business elsewhere. That would entail a loss of 150 jobs currently based in Broughton, and a local spend estimated by company director James McLean at £500,000 per year.
ZRDS don't want to leave – they recognise their current Broughton location is key in attracting top-grade staff. They are already writing to politicians and others soliciting support.
Unaccustomed as we are to siding with developers, on this occasion Spurtle suggests that Zonal's plans are in important respects preferable to both the status quo and a Council vision based on theoretical niceties. A pragmatic response is required.
What do readers think? Send us your views.
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Responses by Twitter, Facebook and email (in reverse order)
As we understand it, there are now 5 strands to the argument: (1) City of Edinburgh officials want to retain current size/massing/modernity of any development. Why is not clear. (2) Built-heritage purists (or 'people with an eye for good design') oppose what they consider piss-poor Georgian pastiche architecture as an abomination. (3) Economic pragmatists prioritise re-use of site, even if design is not perfect. (4) Other people enjoy and admire modern architecture, and do not see why it should not have its place amid older and contrasting neighbours. (5) Some argue that adequate, vacant Broughton office space already exists, but have yet to establish where.
Tom Parnell @urbanrealm not that I'm passing any sort of comment whatsoever ;-) Each profession, umm, good at what they do.
Urban Realm @ArchHist Thanks Tom - I've made the distinction.
@urbanrealm I don't think D2 are architects... They're described as 'architectural designers.' Quite an important (& legal) difference...
Planners reject D2 Architects faux Georgian New Town plans : http://www.urbanrealm.com/news/3684/Planners_reject_faux_Georgian_New_Town_plans.html
And I know you've got Broughton at your heart. I'm speaking of an ex-resident for 12 years on Broughton St and frequent visitor.
... Edinburgh every day and am around town frequently, there is a tonne of space needing used rather than building something...
I a n M o @sodascone Not necessarily in Broughton, but all over Edinburgh, eg Next to Ocean Terminal, behind Telford College. I commute out of ...@sodascone Would like more detail about plenty empty office space. In centre of Broughton? Quantity? Quality?
... designed, contemporary structure. There is plenty of office space lying empty, why do we need more??
I tried to buy this building about 3 years ago and wanted to turn it into a single dwelling similar to the 'steel house' on...
papa was a rodeo 
Nikki MacLeod @jazznikki Yes cld be improved..but Ed filled with new bland, samist, ugly crap. Surely this is soo much better
Nicola Fleming This looks like it's in keeping with the Broughton surroundings and heritage. What is the issue??? I don't get it!
Perhaps should have used 'inoffensive' rather than 'unobjectionable' (which it clearly won't be). See the stramash at: http://bit.ly/99jeuR
Dear Spurtle,
The current building at 14/16 Union Street is an eyesore and serves no purpose whatsoever. The proposed Zonal development can only have benefits, including extra council/business rates. For our Council to have objections just shows how out of touch, nay stupid, they are at times.
Ken Currie (CAPDM Ltd, 22 Forth Street)
@theSpurtle @greenerleith @dked @konishigaffney @Daveybot @thecockburn don't doubt it. But good quality design needn't stymie.
@ArchHist @greenerleith @dked @konishigaffney @Daveybot @thecockburn Seemingly not that easy, flitting round the corner at drop of a hat.
@theSpurtle @greenerleith @dked @konishigaffney @Daveybot @thecockburn & my argument was that there's lots of office space v locally!
greenerleith @thecockburn @dked @konishigaffney @Daveybot @thespurtle Sorry for using "incorrect" language. Probly best you architect guys just decide.
Broughton Spurtle @theSpurtle
@ArchHist @greenerleith @dked @konishigaffney @Daveybot @thecockburn Ouch! Unfair. Local focus inevitably prioritises keeping v local jobs.
@theSpurtle @greenerleith @dked @konishigaffney @Daveybot @thecockburn that's just twisting what I said... How very Evening News.
Caroline Hall I think it looks good and a great deal better than the derelict eyesore that's there at present. Going ahead with this should be a no-brainer.@ArchHist @greenerleith @dked @konishigaffney @Daveybot @thecockburn Piffle? 180 jobs matter to embattled Broughton St.
@greenerleith @dked @konishigaffney @Daveybot @thecockburn @thespurtle & jobs argument is piffle. Plenty of vacant office space nearby.
@thecockburn @dked @konishigaffney @Daveybot @thespurtle but maybe @greenerleith accepts second best ;-)
@greenerleith @dked @konishigaffney @Daveybot @thecockburn @thespurtle since when was it extremist to expect quality?!
Cockburn Association @thecockburn
@Daveybot @greenerleith @dked @konishigaffney @thespurtle the applicant argues that the rear gardens are compromised so lets worsen it.
David Keddie @konishigaffney @Daveybot @thecockburn @greenerleith - surely material point is jobs. it wd be better if planners engaged with designers.
@greenerleith @dked @konishigaffney @Daveybot @thespurtle its not "ultra traditional". it's the correct use of an architectural language
@dked @konishigaffney @Daveybot @thecockburn @thespurtle Yes design cld be improved, but baffled by ultra modern/ultra traditional zeolotry
Dave Morris @greenerleith @dked @konishigaffney @thecockburn @thespurtle The key thing is to to do it WELL. Weakness is, well, weak.
Kieran Gaffney @Daveybot @thecockburn @greenerleith +1 from me, this is rubbish architecture no doubt with cheap materials that won't last a generation
Fraser Cook thats ridiculous! i am all for protecting our newtown, but we are not living in museum, and we need people living and working here to make it a real living breathing place. Also from any perspective tearing down an eyesore and putting up a decent looking building can only be a good thing. We cant rely on Standard life and RBS and the odd supermarket to be the only business based here.
R O B B M C R A E 'unobjectionable'? @Daveybot @thecockburn @greenerleith - do the people @thespurtle have eyes? It's a shocker. Mean, ugly and regressive.
@greenerleith @theSpurtle and if ZRDS expand again and move they will leave the former townhouses with very compromised amenity.
Duncan Gammmie @greenerleith @theSpurtle planners should try and remember they are planners and not designers.
Interesting conundrum here for Broughton residents and city planners: http://bit.ly/P9oumV What do you think? via @thespurtle
@greenerleith @thespurtle it's not "new traditional", it's bad imitation Georgian without the correct proportion.