December 5 2023

A planned Edinburgh apartment block has made the switch from mainstream apartments to student residential despite obtaining planning consent.

83S Student Residential and One Foot Square Architecture & Design will retain the distinctive crescent design for 229 Willowbrae Road, subject to a succession of planning applications which have either been thrown out or abandoned.

The latest attempt to put spades in the ground benefits from prior consent, retaining the same external appearance of the CDA proposal while swapping out 48 flats for 138 student rooms. Including a ground-floor commercial space, bike hub and communal lounge the street-hugging block extends to a lower ground floor and amenity area to the rear, accessible by a ramp.

In a statement, the applicant wrote: "The proposed Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) application has adopted the design framework and essence of the consented scheme which was considered acceptable in terms of design, scale, height and density.

"The building’s crescent pattern closely follows the line of the street, but is set back with a margin of enclosed spaces forming a buffer between the building and the pavement. This buffer continues as a lightwell to the north of the building providing daylight to these studios at Lower Ground Floor level."

Pend access permits maintenance access to a rear telecommunications compound.

1 Comment

#1 Posted by Will B on 6 Dec 2023 at 11:01 AM

Never thought I would see the day when a CDA proposal looks like a better option...

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