City gears up for fight over rulings on student housing

Published on Monday 21 April 2008 10:48

COUNCILLORS are set for a battle over their decision to refuse permission for a massive student housing complex – as they prepare to give the go-ahead to another scheme.

Plans by the Unite Group, which provides accommodation for thousands of students across the UK, to build new flats on Chalmers Street are set to be given the green light on Wednesday.

At the same time, councillors are expected to rubber-stamp their decision to throw-out a similar project by Unite for McDonald Road in anticipation that the company will appeal to the Scottish Government.

The Chalmers Street scheme, which would see rooms for around 250 students created on the former NCP car park by the old Royal Infirmary, has itself drawn waves of protest from local residents and community leaders who claim that the area is already over-populated with students.

The plans have also been kept in limbo for months by councillors, who have stalled their decision over the scheme on three separate occasions in order to carry out visits to the site and evaluate the impact the flats would have on local residents.

But, after months of behind-the-scenes wrangling and changes to the scheme, the plans are now set to get the final seal of approval.

The move comes a month after Unite was refused permission for its McDonald Road scheme.

It had originally been backed by officials and would have seen almost 300 student bedrooms built in a new complex on the street, but the plans were turned down by councillors after local residents argued that it would lead to an "over-provision" of student accommodation in the area.

Councillors are expected to give a final clarification over the reasons for refusing the scheme on Wednesday, which will be used to justify their decision on appeal.

Jim Lowrie, the city's planning leader, said: "The committee refused the McDonald Road scheme after a vote last month and, although the plans are now coming back to us again this week, that decision cannot be overturned. We will effectively be rubber-stamping the reasons that were given for refusing the scheme so that they can be used if – as is expected – Unite appeal against the decision.

"However, the company have made alterations to their other proposals for the Chalmers Street student flats. We will be discussing those and making a decision on that scheme on Wednesday."

Officials from Unite said they were hopeful of seeing the Chalmers Street plans approved and added they had made "significant changes" to both schemes over the past few months.

Mike Pottinger-Glass, design and planning director at Unite in Scotland, said:

"With the obvious shortage of student accommodation within Edinburgh, we are committed to raising the choice, standard, service and quality of student housing in the city."