Planning permission granted for ‘major’ Edinburgh hotel scheme

Planning permission has been granted for a new hotel on Osborne Terrace in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The transformational scheme will see Osborne House, an old 1970s office building within the Wester Coates area, just West of Edinburgh’s city centre, converted into a new 157 bedroom hotel, with a restaurant and bar on the ground floor.

York-based property developer S Harrison acquired the four storey building in 2018 and the development is one of five that the firm is currently working on in the capital, which have a total gross development value of £140m.

Designed by modernist architecture studio Morris and Steedman, Osborne House is located close to the Haymarket tram stop and only a short walk from Princess Street.

Ann Scott, S Harrison’s managing director, said: “It’s the ideal location for a hotel. Osborne House has a prominent corner position and benefits from excellent transport connections.

“We will be retaining the current structure and facades of Osborne House but repairing and refurbishing the entire building as well as creating a new top floor, which looks out over West Coates. The new high quality glazed façade will create a lightweight feel, and we are confident the development will blend in with the surrounding environment.”

She added: “We will also be replacing a single storey building on Devon Place with a new extension at the back of Osborne House that will have an aluminium-clad façade, with projecting narrow fins, to provide a modern interpretation of what’s already in place.

“With soft landscaping and planting at the front and rear of the hotel, we will be improving the current street scene, creating a welcoming entrance with a taxi-drop off area. There will also be disabled parking, a cycle storage area for employees and guests, and a dedicated service bay for deliveries.”