Developer forced to think again on 'skyscraper'

Published on Thursday 13 December 2007 12:04

DEVELOPERS behind plans for an 18-storey tower block beside Ocean Terminal have been sent back to the drawing board.

City council officials ruled that the plan for a massive "bow-shaped" building containing 222 flats was too big and would spoil views of the Firth of Forth.

They recommended city councillors refuse to grant permission, leading Ocean Point Developments to withdraw the planning application before it reached the planning committee.

The developers had originally planned to build the tower to tie-in with a wider regeneration of the Leith shoreline, next to a nine-storey office block designed by Sir Terry Farrell on Ocean Drive.

Nigel Pacey, associate director of AWG Property Limited, which represents the applicants, said that they would now discuss revised plans with the council.

He said: "After reading the comments of the officials, who recommended that the application be refused, we have decided to withdraw it.

"We are now keen to enter into dialogue with the council and work with them on creating a new scheme which they would be satisfied with.

"Their comments have been beneficial to us, as it has informed us of their views and what their reservations are over the scheme.

"We can now take the plans back to the drawing board and come up with something that they are happy with."

Officials had said that, although the use of the land for a block of flats was acceptable, they were concerned about the height of the new building.

They added that, as a list of Edinburgh's key protected views had not yet been drawn up under the council's skyline study, they were reluctant to recommend the scheme for approval.

Other concerns raised over the plans included the fact that no retail or office space had been designated on the ground floor of the new building, and there would be insufficient parking spaces created for residents in the block. Fears had also been raised that public areas surrounding the building had not been sufficiently well-planned and could compromise the safety of residents.

The developers are now planning to discuss the proposals with the council within the coming weeks and a new application is likely to be submitted next year.

Community leaders in Leith said they had been concerned about the size of the proposed block of flats.

Stewart Blaik, the chairman of Leith Central community council, said: "At 18 storeys high, you are looking at a skyscraper building and that is just too high for that area.

"Some big blocks of flats have only recently been pulled down there, so they shouldn't be looking to replace them with something similar."

• www.edinburgh.gov.uk

• www.awgproperty.co.uk

• cpol.edinburgh.gov.uk/getdoc_ext.asp?DocId=106065