In the last post I wrote about the lovely new Earthy shop down the road, and how they’d tidied up the empty plot where the Job Centre used to be, next to their new shop.
Old Job Centre
Above is what the empty plot was like before being tidied up.
The bad news balancing up the good news about Earthy, is that the City of Edinburgh Planning people are ‘Minded to grant’ an application (10/02971/FUL) to build 23 flats in the space where the Job Centre used to be.
23! They’ll be packed in like sardines. Some of these flats are so small that they could fit into our living room. Already it’s very difficult to get parked around here, and it will become impossible once 23 new flats have been built. The proposed new flats also overlook all the existing houses at the back, in ways that the existing houses don’t, because the new development will jut out by about 50 feet. Just about everyone in the street protested about the proposed new development. The previous development proposal was for 10 flats in the same place, which was fine. But 23?
The Planning Department people’s solution to the growing parking problem, which will be severely exacerbated when the new flats are occupied, is for the developers to build ‘a cycle store and racks’ as part of the proposed plot!
The most recent document states:
The initial scheme proposed a number of private balconies to serve residential flats to the rear of the property on first, second and third floor level. It was considered that these provisions would result in an unreasonable loss of privacy for properties to the rear of the application site and following discussion, subsequently been removed.
and:
It is not considered that the proposal will give rise to an unreasonable degree of overlooking, privacy or overshadowing and that the amenity of neighbouring, residential, properties will be maintained.
If that was the case, then why did every house in the vicinity object to the proposal?
The previous report, from 28 Apr 2011 is ‘…damaged and could not be repaired’, so I don’t know what it said.
It makes you wonder. It totally makes you wonder how the planning people can be so inconsiderate of the needs and wishes of the existing residents.
This is not a case of being a Nimby. 10 flats would be fine, a ghetto of 23 flats is 13 too many.
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