Student Accommodation in Manderston Street Bingo Hall?

This is not technically in the Leith Links Community Council area, but it sits right on the boundary.

Developers are proposing to redevelop the old Bingo Hall in Manderston Street into purpose built student accommodation. (The current Bingo operators Club 3000, will move to new premises in Ocean Terminal, summer 2024.)

The building is not a historical listed building, but it is part of the Leith Conservation Area, and is an iconic building and local public institution.

Is student accommodation what we need in this location? If not, what does the Leith community need / want to see there?

Please go along to the public exhibition this Wednesday 17th January, between 4pm and 7:30pm to hear and see what the developers are proposing. And please make your views known to them, at this early stage, before they actually put in a formal planning application. This is what they have to say:

Former Leith bingo hall to be redeveloped – Public Consultation Event – Wednesday 17th January, at McDonald Road Library

Developer Longstone Limited has unveiled plans to conserve and redevelop the existing bingo hall on Manderston Steet into new student homes. This is in response to a local desire to preserve the building, located in the Leith Conservation Area, and address a chronic undersupply of student accommodation in the capital.  

The existing building is in poor condition and is extremely energy inefficient. 

The conservation and retention of the property does restrict its uses and following the building’s inclusion in the Leith Conservation Area, the potential to use the site for housing was explored.

However, the building is not well-suited to a residential conversion and a viable scheme would fail to comply with many of the Council’s planning policies for new housing (for example, dual aspect dwellings and minimum open space requirements). If housing were to be delivered, it would require the demolition of the building.

The proposed use as student homes allows for the creation of a high-quality development that complies with the Council’s student housing policies, while also retaining and enhancing the elements of the building that contribute to the surrounding Conservation Area.

The use of the space for student homes, will also serve to free up residential properties that otherwise would have been used by students, whose numbers in Edinburgh’s universities have grown by over 25% between 2016/17 and 2021/22 (Cushman & Wakefield Student Needs Assessment, July 2023).

While a public consultation event is not a statutory requirement, a newsletter promoting this has been circulated locally and can be accessed here. This consultation event will take place on Wednesday 17th January 2024 between 4:00pm and 7:30pm in McDonald Road Library, 2-8 McDonald Road, Edinburgh EH7 4LU. 

Exhibition boards detailing the project will be available at the event, as well as from the project website (www.manderston-street.co.uk) on the day of the event. 

Orbit Communications

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Some previews of their plans are available elsewhere:

https://www.urbanrealm.com/news/10814/Historic_Leith_bingo_hall_to_declare_a_full_house_.html

https://www.scottishconstructionnow.com/articles/student-accommodation-planned-at-former-leith-bingo-

Dalton Metal Recycling ,52-66 Salamander Street planning application

As you are aware, Dalton Metal Recycling is seeking to redevelop its scrapyard site at 52-66 Salamander Street for a proposed mixed-use development, comprising purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), residential (build-to-rent), retail/commercial space and associated works.

The site has been operated as a metal scrapyard for over 30 years. During this period much of the surrounding land has been transformed from industrial to residential, with recently constructed residential properties now encircling the site.

Dalton is now seeking to have the site redeveloped as a mixed-use development. This will provide high-quality living accommodation including PBSA and residential (build-to-rent), as well as retail/commercial space, serving to compliment neighbouring residential-led developments.

A second public consultation event outlining these proposals will be held on Wednesday 18th October 2023 from 3pm to 7pm at Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road EH6 4AE.

This follows an initial consultation event held on Wednesday 20th September, and will aim to update the initial proposals and incorporate relevant feedback from the first event.

A flyer promoting this event is attached, and please feel free to circulate it as you see fit. This is in the process of being distributed in the local area neighbouring the site.

A project website can be viewed at www.daltonregen.co.uk.

Consultation material, detailing the proposed development, will be available to view on the website from 9am on Wednesday 18th October.

Leith Links Community Council, Monday 25 September, 6:30pm, online – re Daltons Scrapyard plans

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be held on Monday 25 September at 6:30pm. This meeting will be online (MicroSoft Teams).

The meeting will be held jointly with Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council and the main business of the evening will be a presentation from Orbit Communications, Scott Hobbs Planning and 56three Architects about the proposed redevelopment of Daltons Scrapyard ((52/66 Salamander Street, EH6 7LA) into a ‘mixed use development comprising purpose built student accommodation, residential (build to rent), retail/commercial space and associated works’

This is part of the preliminary consultation that developers are obliged to hold prior to lodging an actual Planning Application. (The Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) was lodged on 7th August and there is a 12 week minimum consultation period following that, so we can expect to see the full application around October.)

Members of the local community are welcome to attend this meeting, so please email contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk to request, and you will be sent the link nearer the time.

In the meantime, you can also attend a public display presented by Scott Hobbs Planning

at Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Rd., Edinburgh EH6 4AE

20th September 2023 (15:00 – 19:00)
and/ or
18th October 2023(15:00-19:00) 

Leith Links Community Council next meeting Monday 28th February 6:30 online

Hello

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be held on Monday 28th, February at 6:30pm, online (Microsoft Teams)

Papers for the meeting can be found here:

1 Agenda 28 February 22

2 January 2022 LLCC Minutes draft

 

(These are also stored for access at any time in our online Library.)

If you have any questions  / issues about the communal bins near you, that you would like to raise with our local Councillors (and, hopefully, a relevant Council official), please email these in advance to contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk

As always, our meetings are open to interested members of the public. If you wish to attend, please email contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk and you will be sent an invitation / link for the meeting.

You’re invited to join a Microsoft Teams meeting

Title: Leith Links Community Council
Time: Monday, 28 February 2022 18:30:00 GMT

Join on your computer or mobile app
Click here to join the meeting

Leith Links Community Council next meeting Monday 28th February 6:30 online

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be held on Monday 28th, February at 6:30pm, online (Microsoft Teams)

The Agenda for the next meeting and minutes of January’s meeting will be issued shortly

As always, our meetings are open to interested members of the public. If you wish to attend, please email contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk and you will be sent an invitation / link for the meeting.

Thank you for your support

Some Questions to ask Manse about their Seafield Road Plans

Are you going to tune in to the online consultation by Manse (Seafield ) LLP, 3-7pm Thursday 28th January?

https://seafieldroad.scot

You are of course entirely free to ask whatever you want, but here are some examples of the sort of questions we think are appropriate – please download and have a read to get ideas, and feel free to use or adapt any you feel hit the spot: Possible Questions for Manse28 Jan

Please note – At this stage, Manse is presenting a PAN (Pre-Application Notice) not an actual planning application. So their proposal is very broad-brush and lacking in specifics – this is standard, for a PAN. So there is not much  point in asking them very specific questions about eg. exactly how many parking spaces etc.

Apart from the fact that they won’t answer them anyway, going straight to specifics gives this PAN status it doesn’t have. We think it is better at this stage to highlight some of the strategic issues of design such as……maintaining and enhancing the quality of the Prom and beach, avoiding overshadowing, and negative spaces, safety on Seafield road, the need for co-ordination and delivery of social/green/transport and other infrastructure etc…..

 

Is this the right way to develop along Seafield Road?

There is an online public consultation event on Thursday 28th January, by  Manse (Seafield) LLP, between 3pm and 7pm. You can attend and give your views.

https://seafieldroad.scot

Manse are proposing to submit a planning application for the Peter Vardy Vauxhall site, at 22-25 Seafield Road, where they want to build 2 very large blocks of flats. This is not strictly speaking in the Leith Links area, but it borders on it. Any new development along there will undoubtedly impact upon the Leith Links area. We would urge you to look not only at the plans Manse bring forward, but to think about them in the wider context of what the whole Seafield Road area could become.

Is developing individual segments like this the right way to go? Or could this proposal be be seen as leading to uncoordinated piecemeal development?

Overall, Seafield is a huge site stretching from the Sewage works right along to the erstwhile bus garage at the Portobello end. We all want to see new homes built, but do we want just any old blocks of flats, or could we aspire to more, for this unique seaside site?

» Read more

Annual Report 2019/2020 published

We are pleased to present our latest annual report which provides us with an opportunity to update our community & other interested parties on some of our work over the last year.

The annual report highlights some of our work in various areas such as planning, licensing, greenspaces and of course Seafield odour/noise matters.

Commenting on the annual report Community Councillor Michael Traill, the Community Councils Engagement Officer said;

This Annual Report highlights just how busy our Community Councillors are and I am sure many people will be surprised to see that breadth of work we are involved with. And I fully expect the upcoming year to be just as diverse & busy!

Community Councillor Jim Scanlon MBE who serves as Chairperson said;

When you read the Annual Report it highlights the amount of work as volunteers Community Councillors do.

I’m immensely proud of Leith Links CC’s hard working team who do their best to represent the local community.

To view the report click on the image or click here.

Leith Links Community Council respond to Scottish Government consultation on regulation of Short Term Lets

The Scottish Governments latest consultation on Short Term Lets gathers final views on proposed new legislation for the regulation of Short Term Lets in Scotland.Scottish Government publishes Debt Advice Routemap for Scotland | Money Advice Liaison Group

Their proposals include a mandatory licensing scheme to ensure that all Short Term Lets are safe and to address issues faced by neighbours. The regulations, if passed by the Scottish Parliament, would come into force by April 2021.  These would also give councils powers to manage pressures created by the use of whole properties as short-term lets.

The consultation closes on Friday 16 October 2020. Click here to view the consultation on the Scottish Government website.

In response to the consultation Leith Links Community Council has now submitted its response, which is available below for citizens to view. We would recommend reading our response alongside the consultation papers (available via the link detailed above) otherwise it may not make much sense!

We have went went a bit deeper that the three simple questions apparently ask. This was a very conscious decision in order to make sure the Scottish Government are clear of our position in expectation that the Short Term Let industry will be working to challenge the strength of any new regulation.

There are two principles which run throughout the consultation response;

  1. The regulation should be clear and simple to understand by public authorities, citizens and the Short Term Let industry. The legislation should not afford opportunities for it to be open to interpretation. This is problematic for everyone involved.
  2. The cost of the regulation should be entirely borne by the Short Term Let industry.  This legislation is required because the industry has failed to self regulate. Application charges should be set at a level which takes account of all costs incurred by local authorities (and other public bodies such as Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service). The public purse is under significant pressure and none of it should be diverted to regulation of Short Term Lets.

Leith Links Community Council is encouraging citizens to submit their own responses to the consultation via the Scottish Governments website. The consultation closes on Friday 16 October 2020. Click here to view the consultation on the Scottish Government website.

» Read more

Short Term Lets: Consultation on a licensing scheme and planning control areas in Scotland. A consultation by Scottish Government

The Scottish Governments latest consultation on Short Term Lets gathers final views on proposed new legislation for the regulation of Short Term Lets in Scotland.Scottish Government publishes Debt Advice Routemap for Scotland | Money Advice Liaison Group

Their proposals include a mandatory licensing scheme to ensure that all Short Term Lets are safe and to address issues faced by neighbours. The regulations, if passed by the Scottish Parliament, would come into force by April 2021.  These would also give councils powers to manage pressures created by the use of whole properties as short-term lets.

Leith Links Community Council is encouraging citizens to submit their own responses to the consultation via the Scottish Governments website. The consultation closes on Friday 16 October 2020. Click here to view the consultation on the Scottish Government website.

We are currently working on our response, which we will publish on this website next week. If you have any comments in relation to the consultation, which you feel we should take into consideration please submit them to us commenting below no later than 6pm on Tuesday 13 October 2020.

 

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