Drum reduces height of proposed Leith Walk development

Drum Property Group has submitted revised design proposals in support of its planning application to transform a major section of Leith Walk in Edinburgh.The revised proposals follow detailed discussions with the City of Edinburgh Council’s planning team after the main planning application was submitted in August this year.Drum’s £50 million proposal for the 2.9-acre Stead’s Place site, near the foot of Leith Walk, is for a mixed-used scheme combining high quality, affordable housing for local people and post-graduate student accommodation – as well as a hotel, restaurant, café and retail units.The most significant changes of the updated scheme include:the reduction of one storey to the elevation on Leith Walk with a reduction of 52 student rooms, which will keep the height of the building in line with the surrounding traditional tenement buildinga more defined and distinct line of sandstone retail units facing on to Leith Walk, including first-floor feature windows immediately above the ground floor unitsa dedicated three-metre wide cycle/pedestrian route connecting to Pilrig Park, with 110 cycle spaces.It is expected that the revised planning application will be discussed at the City of Edinburgh Council’s planning committee early in the New Year.