August 1 2019

CALA Homes have obtained partial planning consent from the City of Edinburgh Council to convert and extend the C-listed former Royal Blind School at Craigmillar Park for residential use after the authority backed the planned interventions save for the replacement of timber windows.

This would see all 20th-century additions stripped back allowing the original north and west elevations to be reinstated although the authority is unable to prevent uPVC windows from being specified for the main building as these were already present when first listed in 1997.

Timber windows do survive within the gate lodge however and these must be repaired or replaced like-for-like.

Outlining their decision the authority wrote: “With the exception of replacing the existing timber windows on the gate lodge, the works will not have an adverse impact on the character of the listed buildings. They will not detract from the character and appearance of the conservation area. The replacement of the windows on the gate lodge does not have regard to the desirability of preserving the building as one possessing special interest. A mixed decision is therefore appropriate.”

Revised plans drawn up by Michael Laird Architects depicted the main school building converted into 21 flats together with the conversion of an existing gate lodge building and demolition non-listed structures to allow 30 new build properties to be built.

4 Comments

#1 Posted by a long-standing observer on 2 Aug 2019 at 07:25 AM

Edinburgh Evening News:

City Planners hit their true forte in preventing uPVC windaes in lieu of timber wans.

Outlining their decision, Franz Kafka of the local authority wrote - character blah appearance blah conservation blah does not have regard to blah, whereas we can ride a coach and horses through our policies elsewhere but here ... blah.

#2 Posted by once I was a believer on 2 Aug 2019 at 10:09 AM

where's the 'like' button #1 :D

#3 Posted by Walt Disney on 5 Aug 2019 at 10:15 AM

Always amazed at planners who champion single glazed, draughty, S&C windows. Yes, you can refurb them but the heat loss is still immense.

I remember when CALA did the city hospital phase 1, the council required sash and casement windows, but didn't request samples....Lots of uPVC sash and case windows. How we laughed.

#4 Posted by StyleCouncil on 5 Aug 2019 at 16:55 PM

#3 why do s&c have to be single glazed...?
The upvc windows on this look rank. Shows CALAs class or lack thereof. They seem to think they are a ‘premium’ developer... they are not, far from it.

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