Latest news with #MauriceMcCann
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Plan to demolish pub to make way for student flats approved
Plans for new student flats at the site of the former Murrayfield Sports Bar in Gorgie were approved by a committee in Edinburgh. The proposals will create 80 units of student accommodation for the area which has nearby amenities for students and a direct public transport link to Edinburgh University's main campus. The developer said the proposals 'can also help shift students out of flatted accommodation to free up much needed housing during a 'housing emergency''. The site. (Image: Fletcher Joseph/Google) Maurice McCann, development manager on behalf of EH1 Students Gorgie, said: 'I'm absolutely delighted to get the backing of Edinburgh's planning committee for our first student housing proposal in the city. We're determined to make this a development of which Gorgie and the city can be proud and one that will provide an outstanding living experience for the students who choose to stay here.' Tony Banks, chief executive at EH1, said: 'It is good to see planning approved for this development. It will be a great addition to the city's accommodation for students and free up capacity in the stretched housing system in Edinburgh. We welcome this positive step and look forward to continuing to invest in the city as the project progresses.' Harrods-owned H Beauty officially launches Silverburn store H Beauty has opened its second Scottish store with the brand officially launching its Silverburn shop.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Green light for plan to demolish pub for student flats
Plans for new student flats at the site of the former Murrayfield Sports Bar in Gorgie were approved by a committee in Edinburgh. The proposals will create 80 units of student accommodation for the area which has nearby amenities for students and a direct public transport link to Edinburgh University's main campus. The developer said the proposals 'can also help shift students out of flatted accommodation to free up much needed housing during a 'housing emergency''. Maurice McCann, development manager on behalf of EH1 Students Gorgie, said: 'I'm absolutely delighted to get the backing of Edinburgh's planning committee for our first student housing proposal in the city. We're determined to make this a development of which Gorgie and the city can be proud and one that will provide an outstanding living experience for the students who choose to stay here.' Tony Banks, chief executive at EH1, said: 'It is good to see planning approved for this development. It will be a great addition to the city's accommodation for students and free up capacity in the stretched housing system in Edinburgh. We welcome this positive step and look forward to continuing to invest in the city as the project progresses.' Harrods-owned H Beauty officially launches Silverburn store H Beauty has opened its second Scottish store with the brand officially launching its Silverburn shop.
The Herald Scotland
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Student flats developer to challenge council refusal
Edinburgh-based company EH1 Students Gorgie responded to concerns about the development of new Purpose-Built Student Accommodation at the site of the former Murrayfield Bar in Gorgie. 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. READ MORE: 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'.
Edinburgh Reporter
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Student flats developer says council is wrong about flood risk
The developers of the Murrayfield Sports Bar site in Gorgie say the council's concerns over the flood risk are wrong, and run contrary to other applications already approved in the same area. The planning application for Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) is on the list to be considered for the third time by the committee next Wednesday with a recommendation from officers that it should be refused partly on the basis of flood risk. The report states: 'The proposal for purpose-built student accommodation is at risk of flooding in a 1 in 200-year flooding event when climate change allowance is considered, and it is not compliant with the requirements of NPF 4 policy 22 as it cannot be considered as safe and flood-free and the development would create an island during such a flood event.' The council officers are also accused of using the wrong data and ignoring a detailed ground survey which was carried out by developers. Changes have been made to the plans which the developer says are 'major improvements'. And EH1 Students Gorgie, who plan to create the student flats on the site once it is cleared, say that the previous plans had less effective flood control measures. In the case of a separate site at 495 Gorgie Road, EH1 says the flood control measures were not as good as those proposed for the Murrayfield Sports Bar site, and that the flooding in that case was described as 'dangerous'. The developers have also pointed out technical errors to the Head of Planning in the report by officers which they take issue with. One significant demand is that Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) ask for a wall to be included as a flood wall (contrary to their own guidance). This would demand planning for a 'one in a thousand year river flow event'. 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. 'We have written to the Head of Planning to point out that an appropriate and policy compliant flood solution can be found, and that the information in the council report is demonstrably wrong. We have asked that the item be withdrawn from the agenda in order that more accurate information can be considered. 'We have a proposal that was recommended for approval when the flood management issues were not policy compliant, but now we have compliant proposals the recommendation has been changed. All we're looking for is for fair treatment and common sense. These proposals can help shift students out of flatted accommodation to free up much needed housing during a 'Housing 'Emergency'. 'Our proposals deliver flood safe facilities for a what is currently a one in a thousand-year river flow. Nobody should be asked to go beyond that as it would frankly be bonkers. We all want to see 'climate resilient' developments – and our proposals are climate resilient and we're building this to last. We're confident this can last for hundreds of years, but nobody knows what might happen in a thousand years. I don't want to trivialise the debate – these are serious issues, but there's every bit as much chance of there being student housing on Mars in a thousand years' time. This is just ticking the wrong policy boxes, without regard to common sense. 'My team stands ready to engage with the council's planning team to work through the details and deliver proposals that meet the council's policy objectives and help tackle the housing emergency.' The council report is below: Loading… Like this: Like Related
