Plans for 289 student rooms in Edinburgh’s New Waverly Masterplan

The plan to build a new purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) complex in the heart of Edinburgh's city centre is in full swing. The Edinburgh student accommodation has been lodged as part of the New Waverley masterplan development. 

The envisioned Edinburgh student accommodation development between Calton Road and Shoemakers Square will feature a total of 289 bedrooms. This includes 65 bedrooms organised within four and five-bed clusters and 224 self-contained studio bedrooms. Furthermore, the plans encompass the inclusion of three affordable housing units designed as three-bed townhouses. Additionally, a ground floor space spanning 277 square meters is allocated for either commercial or community use.

The Edinburgh student accommodation project is spearheaded by Vita Group, an organisation committed to revolutionising student accommodation in the UK and fostering conducive environments for students' personal growth. The Vita Group have successfully developed several Edinburgh student accommodation complexes across the UK, including the PBSA at Fountainbridge. Notably, the upcoming Leith location in Edinburgh is set to open next month.

As per the student housing news, the original blueprint, which initially featured designs for 87 residential units (comprising three-storey townhouses), a single commercial unit, and an underground car park with space for 25 cars, has been revised. The new plan shifts the focus towards a more substantial concentration of student accommodations with a dedicated block of affordable housing units. 

The Edinburgh student housing news mentions the car parking plan that has been removed from the proposal to accommodate an increased capacity for bicycle storage, with space for 229 bikes. The plan is also to create a private and secure outdoor courtyard designated for student use. The planning statement that accompanied the application stated: “Given the accessibility of the site by active travel modes and public transport, and the characteristics of the predominant proposed use (student accommodation) the ‘car free’ nature of the proposals is considered to be appropriate.”

Although the proposal site spans an area of 0.245 hectares, slightly below the council’s Student Housing Guidance criteria mandating sites larger than 0.25 hectares to allocate at least 50% of new build housing for residential purposes, the application aligns with the broader New Waverly £240 million regeneration initiative. This initiative has already yielded 102 residential units, comprising a mix of 36 affordable and 66 private residences.