Heritage extends beyond the World Heritage Site, rooted in everyday communities
Heritage extends beyond the World Heritage Site, rooted in everyday communities
151st AGM followed by lecture on transforming Edinburgh’s city centre
Does Edinburgh still deserve World Heritage status?
Objects to conversion harming heritage, residential use, community balance
Objects to conversion harming heritage, residential use, community balance
The Cockburn Association objects to this application.
The proposal seeks listed building consent for the conversion of part of 39 London Street, an A-listed building within the New Town Conservation Area and World Heritage Site, to seven serviced apartments with integral manager’s accommodation. While the re-use of a vacant building is supported in principle, the current proposal raises significant concerns.
The primary issue is heritage impact. The level of internal subdivision required to deliver seven serviced units suggests a substantial intervention in the plan form and spatial hierarchy of the building. The application refers to restoration of original features, but does not demonstrate that the proposed alterations are conservation-led or that the significance of the building will be preserved. The justification advanced is largely functional and economic, which is not sufficient in the context of an A-listed building.
There are also concerns regarding the proposed use. The application relies on the argument that no residential use is being lost. However, this overlooks the importance of maintaining and supporting residential and mixed civic functions within the city centre. The introduction of intensive short-stay accommodation represents a shift towards transient occupation that does not contribute positively to community life.
The applicant suggests that previous concerns regarding amenity have been addressed through management measures, including 24-hour staffing. While these measures may assist operationally, they do not address the underlying issue of use intensity and compatibility with the surrounding residential context. The proposed approach to shared rear garden access further reinforces this concern. Restricting access to staff only, while relying on the garden for emergency egress, introduces a service-based and operational use of a semi-private residential space without providing any corresponding amenity benefit. It has not been demonstrated how this arrangement would be managed or how impacts on neighbouring residents would be mitigated.
Finally, the proposal must be considered in cumulative terms. The application refers to recent permissions for short-term lets nearby. In our view, this reinforces rather than resolves concern. The continued conversion of buildings within the New Town to visitor accommodation risks eroding the character and liveability of the area over time, including through incremental changes to how shared residential infrastructure is used and experienced.
For these reasons, the Cockburn Association objects to the application.
Positive shift, but design quality and place-making remain weak
Positive shift, but design quality and place-making remain weak
The Cockburn Association welcomes the redevelopment of this site and supports the continued transition of this part of Leith towards a predominantly residential neighbourhood.
In particular, we welcome the revised residential mix, including the reduction in purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) and the increase in mainstream and affordable housing. This represents a positive and policy-aligned shift. We also support the emerging approach to intergenerational living, which has the potential to contribute to a more balanced and sustainable community.
However, while these strategic changes are encouraging, the design quality of the proposal does not yet meet the standard expected for a development of this scale and prominence in Scotland’s capital.
The principal concerns relate to place-making and architectural quality. The scheme remains insufficiently distinctive, reading as a generic development rather than one grounded in the character and identity of Leith. The public realm offer is weak, with limited evidence of a generous and engaging street environment. The development appears inward-looking, with much of the amenity provision internalised.
The ground floor and street interface are underdeveloped, and the proposed active frontage lacks the clarity and robustness required to support a lively and attractive street. In addition, the architectural expression lacks depth and articulation, and does not yet demonstrate the richness of materiality and detailing expected in this context.
There are also outstanding environmental concerns, particularly in relation to air quality and the delivery of a healthy residential environment. The proposal does not yet demonstrate a sufficiently integrated approach to climate resilience and blue-green infrastructure.
In summary, while the direction of travel is supported, the scheme requires significant further design development to achieve the level of quality expected in Edinburgh.
The Cockburn Association would welcome further refinement and continued engagement to address these issues and to realise the full potential of this important site.
Supports continued cultural use with management of residential impacts and continued improvement
Supports continued cultural use with management of residential impacts and continued improvement
The Cockburn Association recognises that the proposal relates to a long-established Festival Fringe venue at the Pleasance Courtyard and supports the continued cultural use of this site.
The temporary and reversible nature of the development substantially limits its long-term physical impact and supports its acceptability in principle.
The Group welcomes the applicants’ extensive programme of community engagement and the operational improvements introduced in response to resident feedback, including reduced bar hours, revised programming and enhanced noise mitigation.
However, the evidence presented confirms that impacts on residential amenity, particularly in relation to noise and late-night activity, are ongoing and require active management.
Given that the proposal is both temporary and recurring, the Group considers that this raises important issues of cumulative impact. Temporary consent should not be regarded as static, but as enabling an evolving and responsive approach to design, management and community integration.
The Cockburn Association therefore supports the continued use of the site, while encouraging further refinement in the following areas:
Future iterations of the scheme should demonstrate measurable improvement in response to community feedback, ensuring that the venue contributes positively not only to the Festival Fringe but also to the everyday life of the surrounding neighbourhood.
