Controversial plans to demolish a building within an Edinburgh conservation area and replace it with an apartment block are finally set to go ahead following numerous delays.
The proposals in question, for 50 Pilrig Street, were the subject of a public uproar after initially being presented in 2021. A development management and sub-committee meeting on Wednesday, March 1, ruled that the development may now go ahead.
This comes after the developer agreed to pay a sum of £25,000 towards the tram network in the area following the application previously being granted in January 2022, subject to such legal agreement being secured as well as planning conditions and informatives.
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The two-storey house in question was built in the 1940s and will be demolished and replaced with an apartment block, containing nine flats. The developers say the house is out of fitting with the rest of the area, and creating an apartment block would be more in keeping with the other four-story properties in the local conservation area.
However, Edinburgh Live previously reported how furious locals rejected the plans due to the impact on the conservation area, as well as traffic and parking concerns.
Several residents also noted that one of the capital's iconic viewing points, Arthur's Seat, would no longer be visible to them.
A planning statement reads: "The proposal is to demolish the existing dwelling and to replace this with an apartment block incorporating 9 residential units. The scale of the development has been the subject of pre-application discussion with planning officers and the comments during this process have been taken into account in the final submitted plans."
The plans received over 100 comments of rejection and one resident, who has lived on the street for over 20 years, previously described the apartment block as a "monster."
She added: "Looking out our kitchen window for 21 years, we have enjoyed simply looking along rows of beautiful houses and workshops and a distant glimpse of Arthur Seat. This will simply just disappear by someone building onto most of their garden, six flights up, after excavating plenty of earth to build nine flats holding up an enormous penthouse with balconies and roof terraces."
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