Sketch of Calton Square proposals

Calton Square

Proposals are being put forward by Ardstone Capital to refurbish and upgrade the current Calton Square office building, located at the top of Leith Walk.

Fronting onto Leith Street, Greenside Row (the pedestrian street along the Omni frontage) and Greenside Place, the intent is to create a best-in-class office building. Comparable to the best in Europe, with the lowest possible carbon footprint, this upgraded building will bring significant benefits to the immediate locality. Whilst not formally classed as a major development, and therefore not requiring statutory consultation prior to the submission of a planning application, we consider that proper engagement with the public and other key groups is important especially given the building’s prominent location in the city centre.

Background

The current occupier of Calton Square is moving out in April 2025, and the building, which dates from the 1990s, needs updating and no longer meets prime occupier standards and requirements. To refurbish the building will require significant remodelling and intervention. However, as much of the structure will be retained as possible, including the frame, with materials re-used where able. Sustainability and net zero objectives are a key consideration for the building owner, delivering first class energy and environmental performance standards.

FEEDBACK AND CONTACT

If you want to make comments on the proposals you may do so using the feedback form below, by email to hello@caltonsquare.com or by post to Orbit Communications, 42 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4HQ. Please note that comments submitted at this stage are not representations to City of Edinburgh Council. There will be an opportunity to make representations to the Council if a planning application is made. For further information, please contact 0131 202 3259.

Please note that the deadline date for comments is Friday 1st March.

Q&As

Why change what’s there?

The current office building is now more than 20 years old. It was a good design that reflected modern occupiers requirements in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Much has changed since then and the building is showing signs of its age and it would not meet modern occupier requirements or current building standards. The reception lobby is very small with changes in levels up and down that restrict access for all users.
It no longer meets best in class standards and there is an opportunity to extensively refurbish and upgrade when the current occupier vacates the building next year.

Are you proposing to demolish the existing building?

No. The proposal is to refurbish and upgrade it completely. This will involve carefully stripping the building back to its frame, setting aside stonework and re using it wherever possible in the new building.

Will there still be green roof terraces?

The new design will incorporate more green roof spaces and terraces. This will improve environmental performance, drainage and rainwater collection; in addition to providing more effective points of access to the roof whilst also enhancing views from Calton Hill.

Will the building get bigger?

Yes, slightly, but not significantly. By better utilising the site in plan form, providing better configuration of the floor plates and adding areas at some of the upper terraces it will be possible to create more office floor space. The most significant increase in gross floor space will be the creation of an enclosed atrium in the existing courtyard. The building will be no higher than the existing tallest part of the building (in fact the highest part will sit marginally lower) and will not impact on the city skyline or protected city views due to upper areas being stepped back.

How much parking will be provided?

The existing 30 spaces will reduce to 8 and will include EV charging and accessible parking. Cycle parking will also be significantly enhanced and provided to Council standards including cargo bike stands and the addition of shower and changing facilities.

What is the environmental impact of the proposal?

As part of the design process our aim is to minimise energy demand and improve environmental performance by incorporating into the design better operational environmental performance. The new building will be all -electric.

Currently the glass to solid ratio is around 30%/70%. We propose that this is reversed to more like 60% stone to 40% glazing.

We are actively promoting occupant wellness by providing different amenities and a high quality environment with improved cycle storage and end of journey facilities to encourage active commuting.

We will also reduce embodied carbon by utilising the existing building frame and specifying carefully selected, low carbon materials inside and out.

The new facade will reduce operational energy use through a ‘fabric first’ approach to optimise passive design measures such as air tightness, sunlight for heat, orientation, glazing position and specification, cross-ventilation and passive cooling.

Do we need more office space in the city centre?

This will be possibly the best office building in Edinburgh – which will attract top occupiers. There is demand for top quality super-prime office space that is not provided elsewhere in the city centre at present and there is limited new stock coming to market over the next few years.

In addition, the stock of secondary space and Grade A offices in sub-prime locations have started to be converted to other uses which has also diminished supply.

Edinburgh needs to maintain ‘best in class’ product in core accessible locations – we believe this location is ‘super prime’.

Why can’t other uses be included such as housing?

The building cannot be readily adapted to residential use. Also, it would be prohibitively expensive and would mean that any housing product would be at a very high cost. There is demand for employment / office use in the city centre with the location extremely accessible by foot, rail, tram and bus and the mix of surrounding uses is complementary. It also provides a good balance with other core office locations at Haymarket and is entirely appropriate for a key city centre site.

How long will the construction last?

Probably around 24 months from start to finish including fit out. This will be very carefully co-ordinated as a city centre site and would include a full Construction Management Plan in the usual manner. Construction, subject to planning etc, could start in the second half of 2025.

Where can the building be seen from?

Largely from local streets around the site – for example the views from Princes Street down Leith Street and up and across from Picardy Place are both very important. There are fewer, glimpsed, views from elsewhere or the building appears a small object in a much wider cityscape or panorama, for example from the Castle Ramparts.

Another key elevated viewpoint is from Calton Hill. There will be a myriad of different individual viewpoints from there but the overall massing and height will not break the backcloth of the St James Quarter or obscure any views to it or the city skyline/roofscape.

The important viewpoints are assessed in detail by a Townscape Impact Assessment and Heritage Assessment as part of the design process.

Will there be another consultation event?

We do not plan to have another public event because the proposal is not classed as a ’major’ application and does not involve complete demolition and redevelopment or any change of use. In fact there is no statutory obligation to have any sort of public consultation event in this instance but we believe it is the right thing to do given the prominence of the site and the interest it might generate so we have also engaged with a number of local bodies and interested groups.

Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

We are committed to handling your personal data in a responsible and transparent way and in accordance with the law. This privacy notice explains how we collect and process any personal data you share with us when you interact with us.

2. Who are Orbit Communications?

Orbit Communications – which we’ll refer to using “we”, “us” or “our” in this document.

3. How can you contact us?

Address: Orbit Communications, 42 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4HQ Email: hello@caltonsquare.com Telephone: +44 (0)131 603 8996

4. Data Protection Officer

Our Data Protection Officer can be contacted via the details above.

5. The legal bases on which we rely

We will collect and process your personal data only if one of the following applies:

  • You have consented to us doing so (‘consent’), for example by opting in to receiving email newsletters.
  • We need to do so to comply with our obligations under a contract with you (‘contractual obligation’), for example to communicate on a day-to-day basis with our clients.
  • We need to do so to comply with a legal obligation (‘legal compliance’), for example to cooperate with a law enforcement investigation.
  • We have a legitimate interest (‘legitimate interest’) in doing so which might reasonably be expected as part of running our business and which is not overridden by your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms. Such legitimate interests could include the provision of services by us, or administrative or operational processes, or marketing.

6. What information do we collect, how do we collect it and what do we use it for?

The kinds of personal data we may collect include your contact details (such as your address, email address and telephone number) and information such as your job title and organisation name which we will request from you. In addition, we collect the personal data you choose to provide to us, for example if you contact us by letter, telephone, email, website form or any other means of electronic or personal communication. We will use your personal data to deliver our services to you or the organisation for which you work or act. We may also use your personal data to inform you about our news, event, reports, services and marketing. We may also use your personal data for other purposes specified clearly at the point at which you provided your consent to us collecting and processing your personal data. Please note that we may use or disclose your personal data if we are required by law to do so or if we reasonably believe that use or disclosure is necessary to protect our rights and/or to comply with judicial or regulatory proceedings, a court order or other legal process.

7. What we may need from you

We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access personal data or to exercise any of your other rights. This helps ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it.

8. Accuracy of information

It is important that the personal data we hold about you is accurate and current. Please let us know if your personal data changes during your relationship with us.

9. Anonymisation of data

There may be circumstances in which we anonymise your personal data so that it can no longer be associated with you, in which case it is no longer personal data.

10. With whom will we share your information?

When using your personal data for the purposes and on the legal bases described above we may share your personal data with trusted third-party service providers with which we work, for example IT companies who support our website, business systems and electronic communications. Where we do so:

  • We provide only the information they need to perform their specific services.
  • They may only use your data for the purposes we specify.
  • We work closely with them to ensure that your privacy is respected and protected.
  • If we stop using their services, any of your data held by them will either be deleted or irreversibly anonymised. We may also share your personal data with other organisations specified clearly at the point at which you provided your consent to us collecting and processing your personal data.

11. Exercising your rights

You have rights as an individual which you can exercise under certain circumstances in relation your personal data that we hold. These rights are to:

  • Request access to your personal data and request information in relation to its processing;
  • Request rectification of your personal data;
  • Request erasure of your personal data;
  • Request the restriction of processing of your personal data;
  • Make an objection to processing of your personal data.

If you would like to exercise one of these rights, please contact us at: hello@caltonsquare.com. You will in general not have to pay a fee to exercise any of the rights mentioned above. However, we may impose a reasonable fee if your request to exercise your rights is manifestly unfounded or excessive, or if we have previously responded to the same request.

12. Right to withdraw consent

Where you have provided your consent to the collection, processing and transfer of your personal data, you have the right to fully or partly withdraw your consent. To withdraw your consent please contact hello@caltonsquare.com. In such cases we will no longer process your personal data for the purposes to which you originally consented unless there are compelling legitimate grounds for further processing which override your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms.

13. How long will we retain your information?

We will only retain your personal data for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected and processed. To determine the appropriate retention period for your personal data, we will consider the amount, nature and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements. Upon expiry of the applicable retention period we will securely destroy your personal data.

14. How we protect your personal data

Keeping your personal data secure matters to us. We will treat your personal data with the utmost care and take all appropriate steps to protect it.

15. Complaints

You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) via www.ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

16. Changes to this privacy notice

We may need to update this privacy notice from time to time and will make an updated copy available on our website.