Alumno Group has been granted planning permission for a purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme on London Road in Edinburgh following a successful appeal.
The development in the Jock’s Lodge area of the city, which was designed by Edinburgh-based architect Stallan-Brand, will house 191 students in a mix of single bedrooms with shared kitchens and larger studio-style bedrooms. On-site amenities will include a ground floor lounge, study, gym, communal spaces and laundry.
A new local food and drink store will replace the neighbouring Limelight public house. Local businesses on the site all agreed to its sale because current facilities were no longer commercially viable.
The Scottish Government Reporter gave the go ahead for the project following a community engagement programme organised by Alumno and planning consultants Stantec.
Colin Lavety, planning director at Stantec, said: “This included two public consultation events and one online, together with our attendance at a local fair. All comments were carefully considered and fed back into the final submission. This included reducing the proposed number of storeys from eight to seven and shortening the parapet in response to concerns over the building’s height.”
David Campbell, managing director of Alumno, added: “We are very pleased with the Reporter’s decision. We are now focused on delivering a development that we believe will contribute to the overall improvement of the local area, and we remain committed to engaging with the community as we move forward.
“I’d like to thank the local community for their valuable input to date, along with our partners Stantec and Stallan-Brand for their hard work and commitment to the project. It will provide much-need local PBSA and help rejuvenate this historic site economically and socially.”
