A new purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) at 140 Causewayside in Newington was approved for construction last Wednesday at a City of Edinburgh Council meeting, replacing an abandoned office building.
The development will consist of 172 beds, 17 of which are studio flats. A previous planning application was rejected in June 2024 because it featured too many studios.
According to recently updated planning guidance, new PBSA developments may only consist of 10 per cent studio flats. The guidance states that shared-facility flats “foster social relationships among students, improving overall wellbeing.”
The development is causing some controversy because it seems to add to an already oversaturated concentration of student accommodation in Newington.
The University of Edinburgh manages its Sciennes, South Clerk Street, and Pollock Halls of Residence accommodation in the area, while multiple PBSA developments are also situated on Causewayside.
A local resident and bartender at Brass Monkey Grange, a pub situated near the planned development, told The Student: “We have a big student demographic, but the majority of our customers are locals.
“We like the mix but don’t want to become a student pub.”
Having grown up on the same road, she added that while students bring a unique vibrancy to the area and contribute to the economy, PBSA developments tend to be soulless and bland.
Photo by Kami Aksel for The Student.