Interesting details have emerged as Turner Townsend seek prior approval for erection of a tramstop and associated street furniture at York Place (Ref 12/00915/PA). The work would also involve repositioning of two overhead line equipment (OLE) poles, revised kerb lines, repaving of footway, and relocation of bus shelters.
This prior approval application supplements a previous one (Ref. 08/01879/PA) and so planning approval for the building fixings and/or wall-mounted lighting is already in place.
The design of the tramstop becomes clear-ish on pages 18-20 of the Design Statement (see foot of page). It will be in the centre of the carriageway, joining onto an enlarged traffic island at the junction of Broughton Street, Picardy Place and York Place. Access to trams will be on one side only.
It will be 40m long, 3m wide, and 300mm high. It will comprise a 7.2m long shelter, benches, bins, passenger information displays, ticket machines, CCTV, Public Announcement system, tramstop name/logo signs, and more information displays. There is a stated determination on the part of designers to provide uniformity of design across all tramstops, to position and fit them in a manner sympathetic to their built environment, and to avoid unnecessary clutter.
OLE poles will be 8m high, and situated centrally.
Plans, elevations and illustrations appear in the final part of the Design Statement attached below.
Revised plans for the junction of Princes Street and South St Andrew Street can be found by following this link (Ref. 12/00917/PA).
So far as Spurtle is aware, plans have not yet been finalised or consented for the problematic junction at North St Andrew Street.
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[img_assist|nid=2832|title=|desc=|link=node|align=right|width=143|height=200]PPG Metro 39 Ltd want to replace the turf on top of Princes Mall at Waverley Bridge and replace it with a 'high quality synthetic surface', i.e. fake grass (Ref. 12/00874/FUL). They also propose doing away with the existing 'poor quality trees' (about 8) and replacing them with 'new sculptural planting'.
By way of explanation, the owners' agent states that 'The existing trees that back onto the area of grass at the North West are now over 30 years old. They have suffered from years of neglect and a historically poor maintenance regime on the centre's roof.
'The trees are all dramatically different in size in terms of both height and girth, and are in differing levels of health'. Much the same could be said of security staff at Princes Mall but there are no plans to replace them that we know of.
The idea is to introduce new trees – 11 pinus sylvestris fastigiata ('Scots sentinel pines') which will provide some architectural uniformity as they soar upwards to a majestic 250 cms. Beside them will be 'new hebe "white gem" low level planting', complemented by 'stainless steel clad totem features. They will frame a proposed replacement for the '1980s triangular signage feature' which graced this part of the rooftop plaza before its removal in 2006 during essential works.
Having looked at the plans with some care, Spurtle thinks the new layout sounds utterly forgettable: the kind of lazily thought out, easily maintained, wind-blown litter-trap you'd expect to find around any out-of-town supermarket carpark. Surely PPG Metro 39 should aspire to something less banal for this city centre site?
Who wants to contemplate a row of dwarf conifers? Who wants to sit on plastic grass? Ah ... perhaps that was the whole point.
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[img_assist|nid=2833|title=|desc=|link=node|align=right|width=102|height=200]Logie Green Developments Ltd have received planning consent for a change of use in their development at 26, 28a, 29, 32, 33 Beaverbank Place and 11 Logie Green Road (Ref. 11/04124/FUL).
Some 299 sqm formerly designated for Class 4 office use in Block C on Beaverbank Place (Ref. 08/01365/FUL) will instead be used as a gym and fitness centre.
The developers have already experienced difficulty in finding occupiers for the site's office accommodation, and in September 2011 sought permission to convert some 9 per cent of it to additional student accommodation (Ref. 11/00475/FUL). The conversion of further space to a gym reflects ongoing problems caused by the economic recession.
Planners recommended consent despite the proposal representing 'a minor departure' from Policy Emp 4 of the Edinburgh City Local Plan.
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[img_assist|nid=2834|title=|desc=|link=node|align=right|width=200|height=150]Aviva Propery Investors Property Trust seek permission to change the Theme Bar in the Omni Centre from a nightclub to a restaurant (Ref. 12/00857/FUL).
In summarising the case in favour of the change of use, Aviva's agent Ryden suggests 'The proposed use of the subject property as a restaurant bar would be wholly compatible within the existing and established uses of the Omni Centre and will add to the vitality and vibrancy of the Omni Centre and the wider Edinburgh City. Furthermore, the planning policy context fully supports this proposal.'
It then concludes with the following peculiar lack of respect: 'Against this background, it is respectively requested that this application be approved'.
Although the area is already amply provided for in terms of restaurants, Spurtle has no objection to the proposal. Indeed, if approved, we hope it may result in a better class of weekend vomit along Greenside Row.