By Kevin Quinn

Copyright scotsman

Balfour Beatty Investments Limited submitted revised plans on September 1 for the demolition of the existing Causeway House building at 140 Causewayside, and erection of purpose-built student accommodation with landscaping, infrastructure, access, and associated works. The landmark building at 140 Causewayside was the home of the Scottish Law Commission until it moved to Parliament Square in 2023. It has been empty since. If approved, the six-storey development will consist of 172 student bed spaces comprising of a mix of 10 per cent studios and 90 per cent cluster units. It will be roughly the same size as the current building, but brought closer to the street. Additional shared internal amenity space would be provided on the ground floor level facing Causewayside which will provide an active street frontage. Further internal amenity space would be provided on the lower ground floor. Usable outdoor amenity space would be provided in two courtyards located to the north and south of the application site. A previous application was referred to the CEC Development Management Sub-Committee (DMSC) in June 2024, where it was narrowly refused by a 5–4 vote. The application was refused by DMSC for six reasons, including adverse impact on the setting of the adjacent C listed tenement, excessive concentration of student accommodation which results in an imbalanced community, and the adverse impact on amenity of adjacent residents and future occupiers. The decision to refuse permission was appealed to the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) by the applicant, with the appeal also rejected. Don’t miss out on the Capital’s biggest stories with our daily newsletter, which highlights the latest news. From breaking news to crime, business, local politics, sport and more. Submitting these revised plans for the site, the applicant said: “The proposal seeks to address the reason the DEPA Reporter dismissed the appeal – namely, the proposed mix of studio and cluster apartments. “The revised scheme now provides a mix of 90 per cent cluster apartments and 10 per cent studio apartment. “The proposed development will deliver a high-quality, modern addition to the area without restricting the development potential of adjacent sites. “The design has been carefully considered to respect surrounding land uses and ensure compatibility with the character and amenity requirements of neighbouring properties. “Overall, the proposal will improve the character of the area by replacing a dilapidated building that has little architectural merit and features an incongruent scale and proportions in relation to its surroundings. “The proposed design successfully defines the street edge and re-establishes continuity with the active frontages on either side of the site. “The new development will be of high quality and highly sympathetic to the character, form, and rhythm of the streetscape and surrounding built context. “Planning permission should therefore be granted unless there are other material considerations of sufficient weight to justify a departure from the Development Plan.” The planning application has already received four private comments on the City of Edinburgh Council’s online planning portal, three objections and one note of support. The application will now be decided upon by the planning department.