28 St Andrew Square
Posted on: February 9, 2024
St Andrew Square is rapidly becoming the Russell Square of Edinburgh
Address: 28 St Andrew Square New Town Edinburgh EH2 1AF
Proposal: Change of use, alteration, and extension to former class 4 office to form class 7 hotel incorporating new restaurant and bar facilities
Reference No: 24/00257/FUL
Closing date for comments: Fri 23 Feb 2024
Determination date: Fri 15 Mar 2024
Cockburn Response
This application is a part of a continuing trend which sees the conversion of prime city centre office accommodation to hotel use. The commercial sector has indicated that there is a critical shortage of office accommodation and that this may curtail inward investment and business growth (EEN 12 January).
How the city centre is being used is increasingly determined by the interests of commercial market operators. The City of Edinburgh Council must seriously consider the implications of current trends favouring tourism and visitor related landuses of the city centre and on the move away from traditional (mixed) city centre landuses.
However, there is nothing inherently objectionable in this proposal. St Andrew Square is rapidly becoming the Russell Square of Edinburgh with several recent or pending office to hotel conversions. Access/ servicing provisions is more easily delivered in this location than in other parts of the First New Town because of the proximity of access hubs.