London Street – Serviced Apartments

Cockburn Response

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.