WESTFIELD ROAD
Development of a purpose built student accommodation at Westfield Road site (21/00988/PAN)
By Cllr Ashley Graczyk | Independent Councillor for Sighthill/Gorgie
Host Student Housing Ltd, have submitted a Proposal of Application Notice (21/00988/PAN) for a purpose built student accommodation development at 36 - 44 Westfield Road site. The PAN was presented to the Development Management Committee on 9th February.
“The purpose of this report is to inform the Development Management Sub-committee of a forthcoming application for full planning permission for student accommodation (up to 303 bedrooms) including communal amenity space and allotments/green space along with ancillary facilities.”
Background
The application site is located west of the city centre at Westfield Road. The site is currently occupied by vacant office buildings which are two storey and face Westfield Road. Two residential cottages with associated outbuildings are located in the southern part of the site. Vehicular and pedestrian access is taken from Westfield Road. An area of parking and hard standing is located to the rear of the existing office buildings at the site. Other features in the area include a large supermarket with associated petrol station, a railway bridge crossing over Westfield Road and various business, industry and retail land uses.
To highlight the impact of recent planning issues in my ward, Sighthill/Gorgie. Out of 17 wards in Edinburgh, Sighthill/Gorgie has the 4th highest student beds, a total number of 1,460 so far - all mostly based in Gorgie, Dalry and Westfield area. Now we have this PAN proposal for yet more student accommodation.
To make matters worse, there is already a planning proposal for a purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) at the former Tynecastle High which consists of a huge, 1.6 hectares area - a hectare is equal in size to about two rugby pitches. To put this into perspective, another site just a 11 minute walk away at 24 Westfield Road, is a 394 PBSA currently being built, covers 0.31 hectares.
Unfortunately, there is likely to be more planning proposals forthcoming because our area is being relentlessly targeted by PBSA developers when we desperately need more affordable housing. I have lost count of the amount of times local residents tell me they cannot afford the inflation-busting, private rent, or are priced out of mortgage, and some are even being priced out of the area they have been brought up in or consider as their home - read a story of one example here.
Another unfortunate reality is that these private PBSA developers are not interested in providing the housing our capital City really needs because they are driven by profit margins, not public service; and so, they want to push to build PBSA ad infinitum – even when they know everyone else in the community with housing needs are being excluded, including students who are married and/or have children.
The Housing Activism initiative was launched because Edinburgh desperately needs more affordable housing and we are concerned that these private PBSA developments are being prioritised over sustainable, genuinely affordable accommodation, which could be open to both students and non-students. We believe students also need and desire affordable, habitable, rent-controlled housing.
The local Gorgie Dalry community have put a lot of time and immense effort into challenging private PBSA planning proposals, including Scotmid Gorgie Road and Richmond Terrace, which was withdrawn after strong community opposition. But the local community also knows that all the developers need to do is make tiny tweaks to their planning proposals and appeal should local Councillors vote their proposals down, and the fight starts all over again, including submitting comments on the planning portal despite having already done so.
Or if the appeal fails, sometimes developers go running off begging to the Scottish Government Minister (who doesn’t even represent or live in Edinburgh) or to a Special Reporter with zero accountability to the electorate, who sometimes decides to ignore the democratic vote of elected councillors. We also have no Equal Rights of Appeal, or any new community empowerment in the planning process. This urgently needs to change in the next new parliament.
People are in desperate need of being represented by politicians motivated by public service as so many people do not have the luxury to wait years for MSPs (who are not priced out of mortgages or high rent) to accelerate the building of more public and social housing, introduce planning policies to disincentivise private PBSA development, reform short-term lets and review rent control; which should have been addressed and implemented by now.
Also, much more needs to be done in policy to encourage developers to put forward planning proposals that will prioritise the needs of local people and communities rather than maximising profits at the expense of other people’s misery in struggling to make ends meet to afford their own homes.
Housing Activism Campaign Plan
While the Council have received the official Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) for the Westfield Road site, at this time the Council have no indication of when an application will be submitted on the site, which means the application it is still currently at pre-application stage. We have requested the City of Edinburgh Council keep us informed of all developments regarding this site and we plan to publicise this to ensure the whole community is aware - the more people engage, the better. Below are some of our action plans with more to be added once the application has been submitted.
For further information on the planning application process, from Pre-Application Stage of Planning Proposals to Appeals & Reviews, can be viewed here.
Pre-Application Stage of Planning Proposals
There is a statutory process for commenting on national and major development proposals at pre-application stage. There is not a formal process for local developments but this does not stop the developer liaising with the local community to gauge views. The definition of a national or major development is set out in the Planning hierarchy and developers must consult with the local community as part of this process.
At least 12 weeks before submitting a formal planning application, the developer must send a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) to the Council and the local Community Council setting out how the local community is going to be consulted. At least one public event must be held. You can find out more about this public consultation process on the Council's community engagement page.
Commenting on Proposal of Application Notices
The pre-application stage provides an opportunity for individuals and the community to give their views on a proposal before a formal planning application is submitted. The applicant can then decide whether to amend the proposal in line with these comments.
Comments should be made directly to the applicant or their named agent. This can be done either individually, at the public meeting or through your community council if you prefer. The applicant’s contact details will be available with the publicity. The development team can be contacted via email. Any comments the Council receives at this stage will be passed directly to the applicant. Please be aware that any comments made at pre-application stage are NOT representations on any subsequent planning application which is then submitted and fresh comments must be submitted for this.
Online Consultation
An online public consultation is to follow in April as stated in the PAN documents (the exact date is still to be confirmed), with a decision on the redevelopment plans likely to be made by the summer (again, the date is still to be confirmed).
A Public Exhibition has been launched from 6th April 2022 till 10th May 2022. The project website – www.westfieldroad.consultation.co.uk – is currently live.
A live interactive chat session took place on their website on Wednesday 13th April between 3-7pm and they are also hosting a second consultation event on Tuesday 3rd May between 5-7pm, again this will take the form of a live interactive chat session via their website. Members of their development team will be available to answer questions and provide further information about these proposals.
We plan to publicise this to ensure the whole community is aware - the more people engage, the better.
Murrayfield Community Council
Community councils (in this case, it is Murrayfield Community Council) are statutory consultees for planning applications, so contact your community council to find out if they are objecting to the planning application. If timing permits, ask to go along and speak at a meeting (currently online) so you can outline your concerns and ask for the support of the community council - they are there to represent the views of the community.
While at this stage we have no detailed plans to discuss from the PAN, Murrayfield Community Council will be inviting the developers to one of their upcoming meetings for them to provide more information for us and for residents to raise any questions or comments directly to the developers. Email Murrayfield Community Council if you wish to to be added to their mailing list for updates.
View & Comment on Planning Applications
This is for the Planning Application stage, when a planning application has been submitted by the applicant with full details of the proposal and when public comments on planning applications must be made within 21 days of the validation date, advert date or neighbour notification date, whichever is the later.
Housing Activism believes in amplifying the voices of local people for the benefit of local communities. We are passionate about getting more people interested and involved in local decision making as part of the local democratic process.
The Council's guide to commenting on planning applications outlines how to ensure you make a valid comment, in other words, invalid comments are not accepted. See further information on our Planning page.
You can also directly contact your local MP, MSPs, Councillors, local community council and local organisations, to let them know of your views on any local planning issues.
Finally, if you would like to receive updates from Housing Activism or get involved, please email us!
Housing Policies
Here are some of our policy ideas that we believe will go a long way in addressing some of the PBSA issues.
Private PBSA (Purpose Built Student Accommodation)
As the current planning policy states, local authorities should seek an affordable housing contribution from developers of new housing developments of a certain size, where there is a shortage of affordable housing in the area, but this does not apply to PBSA, therefore, private PBSA developers are able to charge high rents without having to provide any affordable housing within their developments.
One area of policy we believe needs to be urgently addressed is private PBSA developers should have to supply a percentage of affordable housing units within their developments, or make a financial contribution towards affordable housing development in the public or social sector as with any other type of housing. To require new developments of PBSA should include provision for affordable student housing amounting to 25% of the total.
PBSA providers should reinvest a proportion of profit into student wellbeing and mental health, and prioritise student and community needs over greater profits.
There should be also a much lower limited cap on PBSA development, especially in Edinburgh.
Build More Public and Social Housing
Accelerate the building of more public and social housing, rent it out for affordable prices for public benefit. This will undercut the private rental sector and address the wealth and equality gap. Underused derelict land and brownfield sites should be developed where possible, with the developer financing any land remediation works where feasible.