York developer builds on £150m Edinburgh pipeline with 394-bed student development

A York-based property developer has secured planning permission for its latest Edinburgh project as part of its expansion outside of its home region.

S Harrison has been given the green light to develop a new student accommodation scheme on a disused site near Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium.

Situated on the corner of Westfield Road and Westfield Avenue, the site is currently home to a vacant retail unit.

When complete, the development will comprise 394 bedrooms, including 48 studios and a range of cluster apartments, as well as secure cycle parking, landscaped grounds and communal space including breakout study rooms, a games area, gym, cinema, laundry and community suite.

The development is the latest Edinburgh-based project for the firm, which currently has a range of projects in the Scottish city as part of its expansion outside of Yorkshire including a hotel project in St Andrew Square in Edinburgh’s New Town, an office building in the Wester Coates area, and a 0.6 hectare site on Ocean Drive in Leith.

David Clancy, development director at S Harrison, commented: “Whilst we remain very active in our Yorkshire heartland, we’re continuing to develop relationships outside the region and particularly in Edinburgh, where we currently have five projects with a gross development value of approximately £150m.”

“We are clearly delighted to secure approval to redevelop this brownfield site into much-needed student accommodation.

“The development’s high-quality design will enhance the local streetscape, as well as bringing new residents into this part of Edinburgh, who are economically and socially active, which will add to the area’s vibrancy and demographic diversity.”

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