Student flats developer to challenge council refusal
The proposals are due to be considered by a City of Edinburgh Council committee on Wednesday. The proposals have been recommended for refusal 'despite the proposal's major improvements in the new proposals which improved on the previous scheme'. At one point the plan was recommended for approval.
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Maurice McCann development manager for EH1 Students Gorgie said: 'We were initially encouraged by our engagement with council officers who seemed to welcome the enhanced flood protection included in our new application, indeed we would not have made a planning application if they had responded negatively.
'After the application was submitted the attitude changed and we found we couldn't get a meeting with the council's flood team to address any concerns. The work we have done on this application shows very clearly that we can provide safe access and egress for what would currently be a one in a thousand-year flood event.'
He said the firm asked for the item to be withdrawn from the agenda.
Papers to go before councillors state: 'The revised proposal is similar to the previous scheme that was refused planning permission in terms of its design and layout, with the main difference in relation to flood risk being the introduction of a raised egress path to neighbouring land at Westfield Court which would be accessed by a proposed new gate at the mutual boundary to the south.
'The applicant also includes a proposed evacuation plan, which includes that a warning system would allow for evacuation of the building if necessary.
'The applicant identifies several planning appeal decisions in Edinburgh where the interpretation of development plan policies relating to flood risk have been important considerations and is of the view these are material considerations that should inform this assessment.'
The earlier application outlined plans for 87 bedrooms.
The council papers also said: 'It is recommended that this application be refused … as it cannot be considered as safe and flood-free and the development would create an island during such a flood event'.
It added that the proposal 'does not adequately future-proof the building against the effects of the climate emergency with regard to flooding'.
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