CHARITY Sight Scotland and property developer S Harrison Developments have jointly submitted a planning application to redevelop the site of the charity’s former HQ on Gillespie Crescent in Edinburgh, into student homes.
The funds released by the sale of the site will enable Sight Scotland, a charity dedicated to meeting the challenges of visual impairment, to expand its reach and support more people living with sight loss within existing services such as the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh.
It will also provide future services for the city as well as expanding its ability to fund medical research to tackle the root causes of sight loss.
Sight Scotland occupied the building for nearly a century and continue to repair and maintain it, despite vacating the facility in 2021 as it was no longer fit for purpose prior to taking the decision to sell it.
Staff were relocated to modern offices in Gorgie, allowing them to work alongside the Scottish Braille Press Service.
Proposals include demolition of the existing vacant building and erection of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) and associated amenity space, landscaping and infrastructure. 145 bedrooms are proposed, with additional amenities including a cinema/multimedia room and gym. There will 100% cycle parking provision
The development will feature green roofs, solar panels, air source heat pumps (ASHP), a rain garden and permeable paving. A shared, publicly accessible green space will offer an area in front of the building for people to walk, sit and rest. The existing trees will also be retained.
A spokesperson for S Harrison Developments said, “We are in a housing crisis, with a need for all types of housing. Demand for student accommodation greatly outstrips supply, and this is placing significant pressure on traditional family housing stock, with students occupying homes that would in many cases have previously been occupied by families.
“This proposed development on a brownfield site, if approved, will respond to this increasing demand, housing students in a central location with easy access by active travel and public transport to universities and delivering significant investment into the local community.”
Davina Shiell, director of marketing, communications and engagement for Sight Scotland, added, “The funds released by the sale of the site, if consented, will enable us to further expand our reach, and support even more people living with visual impairments within existing services such as the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh. It will also allow us to provide new future services for the city, as well as expanding our ability to fund medical research to tackle the root causes of sight loss.”
