The Site and Surroundings
The site extends to approximately 0.167 hectares and is within the New Town Conservation Area and close to the Edinburgh World Heritage Site. The site is currently occupied by two office buildings at numbers 108-114 and number 116 Dundas Street.
These offices were designed and constructed in the 1980s as two separate developments, and like several office developments in the local area, there is now a lack in demand for this type of accommodation. The former RBS offices to the east of the site fronting Dundas Street and Fettes Row are to be redeveloped as a residential-led, mixed-use scheme. The wider surrounding area is predominantly residential, with a range of amenities close by, including shops, offices, cafes, restaurants, bars, and art galleries.
The site is close to areas of public open space, including King George V Park, the Water of Leith Walkway, the Royal Botanical Gardens, and Inverleith Park.
The site is also well connected to public transport with bus connections are available a short walk from the site on Dundas Street. Tram connections are available a fifteen-minute walk from the site at St. Andrews Square, while Edinburgh Waverley Station is a twenty-minute walk from the site, providing rail connections across the UK.
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Historical Context
1849
The approach to development has been informed by the historic context of the site, including the historic maps for the area.
The 1849 map shows the area to the application site and the area to the north as being vacant, with Fettes Row leading into Royal Crescent defining the edge of the Edinburgh city boundary. At that time, Dundas Street was called Pitt Street.
1879
By the time of production of the 1876 map, the vacant land either side of Pitt Street to the north of Fettes Row has seen a scattered and informal pattern of development. This contrasts to the formal layout of the New Town to the south. Within the application site, a new frontage has been partially developed along Pitt Street, which follows the Victorian building line of development to the north.
1893
The 1893 map shows the application site as being further developed, with frontages now along both Pitt Street and Fettes Row. To the rear of the site, the previously scattered development has been amalgamated and expanded, with an early indication of the streets which became Henderson Place appearing.
1946
The map from 1946 indicates further development to the buildings along Fettes Row to the west of the application site. In addition, Henderson Place to the rear is now clearly delineated and identified.