Very early proposals for new residential building on the B&Q site at 13 Warriston Road have been displayed today and will be again tomorrow.
The ‘Canonmills Garden’ plot is now owned and being developed by the Artisan Group, itself a shareholding partnership between the Sanlam Group and Argosy & Salt Properties Ltd. They have appointed Sheppard Robson as architects.
As you’d expect at this stage, the exhibition boards are long on aspiration and short on detail. They will be available to view online here from Monday.
Here’s what we’ve gleaned so far:
- The number of units has not been resolved.
- The height of the blocks would probably vary between 4 and 6 storeys, matching the buildings adjacent. Ground floors would be above the level that would be affected in the event of a 1-in-200-year flood overtopping or penetrating the defences opposite.
- The development would be set back from Warriston Road, and include private gardens and a publicly accessible green link to Powderhall Road.
- The developers must preserve the view from Warriston Path across the site towards Calton Hill, but they’re also mindful of other views southward across the city centre.
- There is considerably emphasis on biodiversity-friendly landscaping, with extensive planting of native species and grassed roofs.
- ‘Our proposal focuses on maintaining pedestrian and cycle routes and minimising the appearance of vehicles’. If our understanding is correct, car parking spaces would be in an out-of-sight undercroft.
- The developers estimate that the total number of car journeys in and out of the site per day would be lower in residential use than at present, or as a supermarket. B&Q – 195; Supermarket – 166; Residential – 120.
First thoughts
It's much too early to come to any settled judgement, but an initial impression of the proposal was broadly favourable.
Very few will miss the aesthetic contribution of the B&Q shed or its yard or its car park. A new and higher structure here will take some getting used to, but what’s outlined so far did not appear disproportionate in terms of massing.
The as yet unresolved number and density of units proposed are the elephants in the room.
We like the development’s porous through route, its position set back from the road, and its emphasis on ecologically sound planting.
We hope to see a range of residential options included in the final scheme, including affordable housing and family homes.
We would welcome some part of the development being set aside for local community infrastructure; for example, a new general practice surgery.
Those behind the scheme appear to understand and respect this area, its historic and current context between the river and Beaverhall. We think they could go further by contributing to restoration and maintenance of Warriston Cemetery, and improvement of access to it.
More developed and detailed plans will be exhibited after the summer, probably in September.
For now, observations are invited to arrive by 12 August. Send them to enquiries@canonmillsgarden.com or post online at www.canonmillsgarden.com or mail to CBRE Limited, 7 Castle Street, Edinburgh EH2 3AH.
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