Edinburgh plans for homes and student accommodation at Ocean Point would create 'an Edinburgh Manhattan'

Plans for two new 15-storey blocks at Leith’s Ocean Point will create “an Edinburgh Manhattan” on a tiny area of land at the waterfront, residents have claimed.

The “Ocean Point 2” proposals, for 120 build-to-rent flats and accommodation for 404 students, come on top of plans which have already been approved for another development of 338 build-to-rent flats in four blocks on the next door “Dockside” site and an application to add another five storey to one of these blocks.

Patricia Morrish, who lives at nearby Rennie’s Isle, fears it means there will be more than 1,400 new residents in a very small area. “There seem to be plans to make an Edinburgh Manhattan on a postage stamp of reclaimed land at Dockside and Ocean Point. Where are the amenities to service this many extra people? There’s no green space for people –the nearest is probably Leith Links, which is about a mile and a half away. And they haven’t put in any parking – if you get an Amazon van, there won’t be anywhere for it to go.

"There’s no way that on that tiny plot of land there should be so many people. And it’s just next to Ocean Terminal where they want to knock down the car park and put flats in there as well.”

Harrison Developments, who are behind the Ocean Point 2 project – which will be built next to the existing Ocean Point office block – say the 120 build-to-rent homes will be a mix of studio, one-bed, two-bed and three-bed apartments, with 25 per cent affordable homes, and co-working space on the ground floor. A quarter of the flats will be three-bed apartments, designed for families. The 404 student bedspaces will be a mixture of cluster accommodation and studio bedrooms.

The residential building will be clad in a red/bronze material and the student building in brown/bronze, with the upper floors of both buildings being lighter in colour. The residential building will have parking provision for 244 cycles and the student building for 423. The developers say because of excellent public transport links – the new tram extension runs close by – car parking will be limited to three spaces.

Permission was granted for the Dockside development in November with the 338 flats in four blocks of 10 storeys, 14 storeys, 12 storeys and 10 storeys. But now the developers have submitted an application to increase the first block from 10 to 15 storeys, with 123 flats instead of 81.

A spokesperson for Harrison Developments said the development at Ocean Point 2 would regenerate a brownfield site and deliver much-needed housing, student accommodation, and co-working space. He said: “Building heights for this high-quality scheme have been carefully considered and complement neighbouring developments at the Dockside and Ocean Point 1, as well as the proposed redevelopment of Ocean Terminal.

“It should be noted that there is already planning permission for two buildings one of which, Ocean Point 1, has been built, with the other unbuilt. The permission for the unbuilt building means that it would actually be higher than what is currently being proposed, and also have half as much green space.

“The development exceeds the council’s open space requirement, with just under half of the overall site being usable open space. Bringing high-quality greenspace to a current brownfield site, this includes play spaces, community garden, student garden and woodland planting.

“Ocean Point 2 is very well connected to the faculties of the University of Edinburgh, Napier University as well as Edinburgh College, by walking, cycling and public transport. Delivery of the tram has greatly assisted in enhancing this accessibility, making Leith an increasingly attractive location for students to live, as evidenced by other developments either in operation or being progressed.”

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