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Old Boroughmuir high school redevelopment

(53 posts)
  • Started 7 years ago by Fountainbridge
  • Latest reply from crowriver

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  1. Fountainbridge
    Member

    Plans are now online for the redevelopment of the old Boroughmuir high school

    https://goo.gl/IJsiFB

    Headlines:-

    Old building converted, outbuildings demolished and new Housing Association flats built in lower front corner.

    115 flats (inc 25 4+ rooms, 28 housing Assoc)

    Min Parking for site in city centre - 0
    Max parking - 140
    Proposed onsite parking - 95 (one each for private flats, 3 total for HA
    Also proposes 16 additional on-street parking places as part of resident / pay & display (their words - not sue if that's standard council permits or for residents of the building)

    242 Cycle Storage in the basement (access via stairs or lift.) 2 Per flat, plus 0.1 per flat for visitors

    5 On street parking for motorcycles.

    boroughmuir high school - plan by Paul fae Fountainbridge, on Flickr
    boroughmuir high school - cycle by Paul fae Fountainbridge, on Flickr

    Posted 7 years ago #
  2. Klaxon
    Member

    The building layout looks really nice. Reminds me of the Beresford in Glasgow with the interior balconies for access. No garden, though, king car given the whole playground. That said CALA's Brunswick Rd flats are 1.5x local market so I can forget buying one. 1 bed flats round Bruntsfield can easily run close to the 200k mark if they're in fully refurbished condition.

    Regards the on street parking, what they're saying is because the school no longer requires the restriction of the single yellow line there's 'space' for 16 bays. It'll make the street rather narrow and ruin the really quite nice views of the building...

    Posted 7 years ago #
  3. David Hunter
    Member

    Living Streets Edinburgh has objected to this application on the grounds of excessive parking provision. We think it is an ideal site for a car-free development. It would be great to have more objections on these grounds (deadline 11 November) https://www.facebook.com/LivingStreetsEdinburgh/

    Posted 7 years ago #
  4. chdot
    Admin

    "We think it is an ideal site for a car-free development."

    Indeed.

    Of course the locals would complain about (the potential for) clogged up streets.

    I wonder how many central Edinburgh developments have that much parking - and if the spaces are used by residents.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  5. Fountainbridge
    Member

    Redevelopment of Donaldson's school will have 380 car parking spaces!

    Developers also have been able to argue that the 400 odd cycle parking is excessive for day one, so has been able to convince council they only need to install something like 100, and monitor usage.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  6. Klaxon
    Member

    If you read the transport statement, the developer is asserting that the development is a net reduction of vehicles to the area due to no school run. In fact their entire justification for so much parking hinges on the fact it's less traffic volume than before.

    They completely disregard that the new school is also being built on Viewforth, just 400m down the road, so school run habits won't be changing at all.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  7. chdot
    Admin

    "so school run habits won't be changing at all"

    Well you never know...

    But 'less traffic' is quite a bizarre claim from the developers, I'm sure people will be pointing this out to the planners.

    Still, it's not like the good old days when Viewforth was a key route for S&N beer tankers (so no chance of a pedestrian crossing).

    Posted 7 years ago #
  8. chdot
    Admin

    What might have been -

    "

    The council will decide this summer whether to refurbish or relocate the school but architect-led teams have been invited to tender for either of two separate lots now.

    "

    https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/competitions/architects-sought-for-boroughmuir-high-school-revamp-edinburgh/8624498.article

    Was refurb ever a serious option??

    Posted 7 years ago #
  9. chdot
    Admin

    "

    LS Edinburgh (@LivingStreetsEd)
    23/10/2016, 21:25
    LSE object to excessive car parking (95 + 16) in Boroughmuir High School planning application (16/04581/FUL) http://www.livingstreetsedinburgh.org.uk/2016/10/23/objection-to-redevelopment-of-boroughmuir-high-school-excessive-car-parking/

    "

    http://pic.twitter.com/DituW72YTJ

    Posted 7 years ago #
  10. neddie
    Member

    What a waste of a good school building. They'll carve it up into flats with ridiculous proportions, no doubt having levels inside that don't even match with the windows.

    Architects that cut windows in half with new floors should be ashamed of themselves.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  11. neddie
    Member

    The deadline for objections to this is tomorrow. (Friday 11th)

    Posted 7 years ago #
  12. fimm
    Member

    "I wonder how many central Edinburgh developments have that much parking - and if the spaces are used by residents."

    Here's the view out of the window of our flat over the car park at White Park:

    20161110_160456 by f_m_m, on Flickr

    20161110_160448 by f_m_m, on Flickr

    I don't know how many spaces per flat it is, but it is never full.

    (It would be better if I waited till all the leaves were off the trees.)

    Posted 7 years ago #
  13. neddie
    Member

    Last chance to object

    Posted 7 years ago #
  14. neddie
    Member

    I wish to object to application because of the amount of land dedicated to car parking (95 spaces).

    1. The site is in a very central location. There are excellent public transport links, and many facilities are within walking and cycling distance, including supermarkets, food shops, service shops, etc. It should be possible to live here very comfortably and conveniently without car ownership. There is also the City Car Club available, with numerous bays in the area, where residents could hire a vehicle as needed.

    2. The car parking completely takes over the entire frontage of the building, creating an "ugly mass" of cars and ruining the amenity of the area. The area to the front of the buildings would be better used as a communal garden and play-park, to encourage families to the area.

    3. The council's own targets are to reduce car trip form 43% in 2010 to 31% by 2020. Adding more parking to this area will not help to achieve these desirable targets.

    4. The developer's statements about the traffic not being impacted "because the school is moving out" are clearly false. The school is moving less than 400m away and therefore traffic patterns relating to the school will remain largely the same. Adding 95 parking spaces to the area is going to increase traffic by 95 cars every morning and every evening.

    I would be prepared to withdraw my objection if the number of parking spaces is reduced such that vehicles are not parked in front of the building and the front area of the building is converted to garden space.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  15. UtrechtCyclist
    Member

    Petition to close Viewforth bridge to through traffic apart from pedestrians, cyclists and mobility scooters,

    https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/forms/form/410/en/safety_first_-_close_the_bridge

    Posted 7 years ago #
  16. UtrechtCyclist
    Member

    The petition opened today, and already has more signatures (thirteen) than the anti-20mph petition, which has managed to collect an impressive eight signatures since August...

    Posted 7 years ago #
  17. LaidBack
    Member

    Quite widespread support as too much traffic gets in the way of Horne Place access with lights on bridge. Lots of cars down there in McNeil St etc. Also double parking is much easier on closed street. When Argyle Place was closed shops really liked it. ;-)

    I support it though - have spoken with some locals. Shop wise it makes no difference. Some buyers moan if they can't park at the door. Others will walk, cycle or bus to shop.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  18. Klaxon
    Member

    Signed, but I doubt my drive-everywhere mum who lives just around the corner is going to be doing the same. She's been complaining for months about it being shut and now dislikes having to stop at the lights to cross the bridge.

    I've so far been entirely unsuccessful in even getting her to try my bike :[

    Posted 7 years ago #
  19. crowriver
    Member

    Signed. Hope you get up to 200, the Holyrood Park petition (late of this parish) stalled at 171: so near and yet so far...

    Posted 7 years ago #
  20. chdot
    Admin

    The council needs a petition to do something???

    Posted 7 years ago #
  21. chdot
    Admin

  22. Fountainbridge
    Member

    Melanie Main‏ @melaniemain · 18m18 minutes ago

    Hearing agreed for Boroughmuir old School Development application #edinburgh residents will have a voice. @LivingStreetsEd @MerchistonCC

    Posted 7 years ago #
  23. SRD
    Moderator

    Application was not approved today, according to a tweet from Melanie main.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  24. chdot
    Admin

    "

    But despite winning the backing of five councillors on the committee, the remaining seven voted against the plans amid objections from the Viewforth Local and Bruntsfield Conservation Area support group.

    Cycling campaigners from Spokes had also warned that the density of planned private parking on the site was “excessive” given the area is well-served with public transport links.

    SNP councillor Alex Lunn, who voted against the scheme, said: “I think the site has a fantastic potential to be a sustainable and car-free site.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/city-chiefs-reject-homes-plans-for-boroughmuir-site-1-4430648

    Posted 6 years ago #
  25. Klaxon
    Member

    Appeal case to ScotGov reporter has been refused

    https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/Document.aspx?id=465867

    There is no straightforward summary but much reference to the newbuild proposed block replacing the D+T annexe in the lower car park

    Reporter makes it quite clear that he disagrees that the council's view that the plans represented an over provision of parking.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  26. chdot
    Admin

    Cala lost an appeal against the decision but has now put in a new application for a reduced development.

    And it has made a revised offer of a guaranteed minimum of £11.7m, which the council’s finance committee voted to accept – despite calls to pause the sale.

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/education/old-boroughmuir-school-sale-gets-go-ahead-despite-price-fall-of-almost-3m-1-4609710

    Posted 6 years ago #
  27. chdot
    Admin

    Centred around an open courtyard, Cala Homes said they listened to community feedback to come up with a new design which addresses concerns over height and mass of a new-build affordable housing block.

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/bruntsfield/bruntsfield-courtyard-at-heart-of-boroughmuir-school-site-plans-1-4750028

    Posted 5 years ago #
  28. neddie
    Member

    What looks like a new planning application has been submitted by CALA (with comments/objections on the previous application deleted, of course):

    https://citydev-portal.edinburgh.gov.uk/idoxpa-web/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=P9LM2UEWFPW00

    Still HUGE amounts of parking, including almost all of the front courtyard. This courtyard should really be a garden for residents to enjoy, with parking "contained" around the back only.

    Please comment / object if this concerns you.

    Previous planning application for reference

    Posted 5 years ago #
  29. Frenchy
    Member

  30. chdot
    Admin

    Revised proposals to redevelop a former city school into housing has been recommended for approval by council officers – but a row has emerged over affordable homes.

    ...

    The new proposals would see 104 residential units made available, along with 98 car parking spaces and 223 cycle spaces.

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/row-over-100-home-development-at-former-boroughmuir-high-school-1-4797257

    Posted 5 years ago #

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