Student accommodation at 27-31 Ratcliffe Terrace EH9 1SX

[Grange PlanningKeymaster]

There is a proposal to build Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) at 27-31 Ratcliffe Terrace, opposite the BP petrol station.  The site is just outwith the Grange Association area. The plans are available on the Council’s planning portal at 24/01092/FUL.  These include this visualisation of the proposed streetview. The proposal is for 59 rooms.  Comments can be submitted on the Council’s portal until 14 April 2024.

 

 

[Grange PlanningKeymaster]

This application was withdrawn by the applicants on 26 April 2024. The report to the Council’s Development Management Sub-Committee is available here and had recommended refusal of permission. Its analysis concluded:

“Overall, the proposals fail to accord with the Development Plan and associated guidance. The proposals are not an appropriate scale and density for the location and there will not be an acceptable level of amenity achieved for occupiers. There are no material considerations which outweigh the proposal’s failure to accord with the Development Plan.

Reasons for Refusal:-

1. The proposals fail to comply with LDP Policy Hou 8 (Student Accommodation) as they would fail to provide cluster flats and a mix of proposed accommodation types.

2. The proposals fail to comply with NPF4 policy 23 as the Agent of Change principle would apply to the development as a noise sensitive use, adjacent to existing commercial premises, and insufficient justification has been shown how this would be addressed.

3. The proposals fail to comply with NPF4 Policy 7 (Historic Assets and Places) as the proposals would fail to preserve or enhance the setting of the adjoining Blacket Conservation Area and fail to show the impact that the proposals would have on key views over the conservation area.

4. The proposal fails to comply with NPF 4 policies 2 (Climate Mitigation and Adaptation) and 9 (Brownfield, Vacant and Derelict Land) as no analysis has been provided on the suitability of conversion of the existing buildings on site and how lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions are to be minimised.

5. The proposed development would be overly conspicuous in local and city views and fails to comply with LDP policy Des 11 (Tall Buildings).

6. The proposal fails to comply with LDP policy Des 3 (Incorporating and Enhancing Existing and Potential Features) as the development has not demonstrated that existing characteristics and features worthy of retention on the site and in the surrounding area, have been identified, incorporated and enhanced through its design.

7. The design and the proposed materials fail to comply with LDP policy Des 1 (Design Quality and Context) and Des 4 (Development Design – Impact on Setting)  as the overall design concept fails to draw on the positive characteristics of the surrounding area.

8. The proposed development would fail to provide an adequate standard of accommodation for future occupiers and fails to comply with LDP policy Des 5 (Amenity).

9. The proposed cycle parking fails to comply with LDP policy Tra 3 (Private Cycle Parking) as the proposed layout of the cycle store will prevent user friendly access to storage racks and does not allow for provision of non-standard bike storage.

10. The proposal fails to comply with NPF policy 22 and LDP policies Env 21 (Flood Protection) and RS 6 (Water Supply and Drainage) which seek to ensure sustainable water management is in place for new development

11. The proposed development consists of a flat roof to be finished in a single ply membrane with no integrated blue/green infrastructure or SUDS. The proposal fails to comply with NPF 4 policy 20 (Blue and Green Infrastructure).”

 

[Grange PlanningKeymaster]

There is now a new proposal 25/02904/FUL for purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) on the site at 27-31 Ratcliffe Terrace.  This is for 66 student beds in studios (8%) and clusters (92%) of 4-6 bedroom units. The developers have set out their proposals in this Design Statement.  It shows the current site:

and the proposed frontage on Ratcliffe Terrace:

Note that there is another application, for more PBSA (115 beds) by a different developer, for the adjacent site at 33-41 Ratcliffe Terrace, as described in this thread on our forum.  The developers for 27-31 Ratcliffe Terrace have included this visualisation of the combined frontage on Ratcliffe Terrace if both applications are granted and both sites are developed:

Comments can be submitted on the Council’s planning portal until 18 July 2025.

[FindhornParticipant]

Historic Environment Scotland is now considering the listing of the former Causewayside Lads Club, but the deadline for the application to demolish is sooner than the deadline for the listing proposal.

[FindhornParticipant]

HES have confirmed that the Causewayside Lads Institute would merit category C listing but due to there being a live planning application they won’t list it unless the council serve a building preservation notice. The council has refused to do so.

[Grange PlanningKeymaster]

The proposals for the northern site (27-31 Ratcliffe Terrace) were refused planning permission on 3 October 2025.  The Council’s reasons for refusal are:

1. The proposal has failed to have adequate regard to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the conservation area. The proposal is unacceptable with regards to Section 64 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

2. The proposals fail to comply with LDP policy Env 14 (Conservation Area Development) and NPF4 Policy 7 (Historic Assets and Places) as the proposals would fail to preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the Blacket Conservation Area.

3. The proposals fail to provide adequate open space at ground level for future occupiers, with the inclusion of roof terraces to justify the shortfall not adequately justified. The proposals fail to comply with LDP policy Env 31 (Useable Open Space in New Development).

4. The proposals fail to provide adequate internal daylight levels for future occupiers and do not meet the required amenity standards. The proposals fail to comply with LDP policy Env 33 (Amenity)

5. The proposal fails to comply with LDP policy Env 3 (Incorporating and Enhancing Existing and Potential Features) as the development has not demonstrated that existing characteristics and features worthy of retention on the site and in the surrounding area, have been identified, incorporated and enhanced through its design

6. The design and the proposed materials fail to comply with LDP policy Env 1 (Design Quality and Context) and Env 4 (Development Design – Impact on Setting) as the overall design concept fails to draw on the positive characteristics of the surrounding area

7. The proposals fail to comply with LDP policy Env 7 (Sustainable Developments) as the demolition and replacement of existing buildings has not been adequately justified in terms of the whole life carbon footprint.

8. The proposals fail to comply with LDP policy Env 2 (Co-ordinated Development) as they have not demonstrated that they would not compromise the effective development of adjacent land.

 

However, the application for permission to demolish the buildings to the rear, which are partly in the Blacket Conservation area, was granted. This is 25/03712/CON, now posted against 4 South Gray Street EH9 1TB, an address in the conservation area, unllike Ratcliffe Terrace.

[Grange PlanningKeymaster]

Notwithstanding the refusal of permission to redevelop the site for student accommodation, the developers have submitted an application 25/05235/CLP for a Certificate of Lawfulness (CLP) for the demolition of the buildings fronting Ratcliffe Terrace.  These are not in a conservation area, so demolition does not require permission. This CLP seeks confirmation of that legal position. CLP applications do not admit comments from the public.

The developers included this covering letter in their submission.

Note that this application is separate from 25/03712/CON, which is an application to demolish the buildings at the rear of the site at 4 South Gray Street EH9 1TB.  Those buildings are in the Blacket conservation area and so do require permission for demolition.

Note also that there is an application for ‘Prior Notice’ 25/05240/PNT by a telcoms operator seeking to replace the telcoms antennae on the roof at the rear of the building – presumably unaware of the proposal to demolish the building.

[Grange PlanningKeymaster]

The application 25/05235/CLP for a Certificate of Lawfulness, for the demolition of the buildings on Ratcliffe Terrace, was refused on 1 December 2025.  The application sought confirmation that demolition could proceed without planning permission because demolition outwith a conservation area is “permitted development”.

The refusal is based on a procedural matter, whereby an application for “Prior Approval” should be made by the developer, because the buildings to be developed adjoin other residential properties, and no such application has been made. The refusal makes no reference to any architectural or historic value of the buildings to be demolished.

Specifically, in refusing the certificate, the Council’s planners noted:

“The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 (GPDO) as amended, identifies where works may be development, but are permitted  development under this order and do not require planning consent.

“However, under part 3 where the demolition is demolition of a qualifying building a
number of separate criteria apply. A qualifying building can include “a building having a mutual wall with, or having a main wall adjoining the main wall of a dwellinghouse or a building containing one or more flatted dwellings.” At this location, the eastern side of the site proposed for demolition adjoins existing residential properties on Middleby Court. The submitted location and floor plan shows the sites adjoin.

“Under part 3 (b) of Class 70 of the GPDO a number of steps are required for demolition of a qualifying building including “the developer shall, before beginning the development apply to the planning authority for a determination as to whether the prior approval of the authority will be required to the method of the proposed development and any proposed restoration of the site.”

“No submission has been made to the Council for a request to determine whether prior approval is required in line with the terms under part 3 (b) of Class 70. Therefore this certificate cannot be issued as the required steps under the GPDO have not been carried out.”

 

[Grange PlanningKeymaster]

The developers have lodged an appeal against the refusal of planinng permission in the June-2025 application 25/02904/FUL (refused on 3-Oct-2025). The appeal is to the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA), with case reference PPA-230-2686. The period for interested members of the public to make representation to DPEA ends on 23 December 2025.

 

[FindhornParticipant]

Will the Association be making a representation?

[Grange PlanningKeymaster]

The Grange Association submitted no comment on the June-2025 application 25/02904/FUL. The site is not in the Grange Association’s area. The West Blacket Association did submit an objection.  The rear of the site, at 4 South Gray Street, is in the Blacket conservation area.

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