News

Planning application approved for Edinburgh’s New Town Quarter

Turley helps secure approval following one of the largest public consultations ever carried out in Edinburgh.

Proposals for New Town Quarter in Edinburgh, one of the largest and most important brownfield developments in the city centre for a generation, have been approved (subject to conditions) by the City of Edinburgh Council.

Acting on behalf of Ediston and Orion Capital Managers, and working closely with 10Design and OPEN, we delivered planning, heritage, townscape and visual impact assessment services for the scheme; as part of one of the largest public consultations ever delivered for an Edinburgh city centre development.

The six-acre New Town Quarter site, formerly the headquarters for the Royal Bank of Scotland, will now be transformed into a landmark mixed-use development which will create 350 new homes and 80,000 sq ft of much-needed prime office space for Edinburgh city centre, together with gym facilities, restaurants, cafes and bars.

The development is poised to bring significant economic benefit to the local area, and the wider Edinburgh economy. The operational phase of the development would create more than 700 full-time jobs whilst generating an annual GVA (Gross Added Value) economic uplift of £35.5 million to the local and regional economy.

The construction phase alone would create a further £27.7 million GVA at a regional level, creating a further 60 full time jobs. Many of the area’s local businesses – including bars, restaurants, cafes and shops - are also set to benefit from the huge amount of business and activity that development is set to generate during construction and beyond.

Work on site will begin shortly and the New Town Quarter development could be completed as early as 2024. 

Welcoming the planning approval, Ross McNulty, Development Director at Ediston said: 

“This is the right time to deliver significant and urgently needed investment right in the heart of the Capital.

“Our design has been driven by a thorough understanding of the heritage issues associated with being adjacent to Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site - to open up the area, breathing life and activity into what is currently a redundant brownfield part of the city.

“We have worked hard with key stakeholders and the local community to deliver proposals that are consistent with planning policies and our aspirations to create a new high-quality and sustainable addition to the local area and to the city centre.

“This has included the largest consultation exercise ever carried out in this local community and, as a result, we have made many changes and improvements based on the feedback we have received. And I would like to thank all of the organisations and residents who gave their time and feedback to the consultation process. It has made a huge contribution to refining and improving the final proposals.

He added: “New Town Quarter is now set to become one of the one of the best places to live and work in one of the world’s finest cities. We are now looking forward to turning our vision into a reality.”

25 February 2021