Cafe, cooking classroom and offices proposed for 18A Tennant Street

A commercial unit on Tennant Street in Leith could be reworked as a cafe, kitchen and cooking classroom, with office space added above.

The proposal concerns 18A Tennant Street, Edinburgh EH6 5ND, a site close to the dense residential and commercial streets around Leith Walk and the wider Leith area. If approved, the existing single-storey Class 4 business unit would change to a Class 3 cafe and kitchen use at ground-floor level, alongside a cooking classroom. A new first floor would be created for Class 4 offices, reached by an independent access stair.

The application is worth watching because it would shift the building from a largely workplace-style commercial use into a more public-facing mixed-use property. For neighbours and local businesses, the main practical change would be the introduction of food and drink activity at street level, combined with teaching space and separate office accommodation above.

What is proposed

The planning description sets out three main parts to the scheme:

• change of use of the existing single-storey commercial unit from Class 4 business use to Class 3 cafe, kitchen and cooking classroom on the ground floor;
• creation of Class 4 offices on a new first floor;
• an independent access stair for the upper office space.

Class 3 is the planning use class generally associated with cafes and restaurants, where food and drink can be consumed on the premises. Class 4 covers business uses such as offices and other activities that can normally operate in a residential area without causing significant disturbance.

In practical terms, the proposal would create a building with a more active ground-floor use than a standard business unit. A cafe and cooking classroom would be likely to bring visitors, learners or customers to the premises, while the first-floor offices would retain a business function on the site.

The current planning status is listed as “Awaiting Assessment”, so the application has been received and validated but no decision is recorded.

The site on Tennant Street

Tennant Street sits in Leith, an area where small commercial units, homes, workshops, hospitality venues and offices often sit close together. That mix means even relatively modest changes of use can matter locally, particularly where a unit becomes more public-facing or introduces food and drink activity.

The address for the application is 18A Tennant Street, Edinburgh EH6 5ND. The planning coordinates place it just north-east of the city centre, within the Leith urban area.

The proposal does not describe a major redevelopment of a large site. Instead, it is a targeted conversion and vertical extension of an existing commercial building. Its significance lies in the change in how the property could be used: from a business unit to a combined cafe, kitchen, classroom and office building.

Why it matters

For local residents, the most noticeable part of the plan would be the proposed ground-floor cafe and cooking classroom. A Class 3 use can make a building more visible and accessible to the public than a standard business premises. It can also change patterns of movement around a site, with customers, staff, pupils or visitors arriving during operating hours.

For nearby businesses, the proposal may add another food and drink destination to the local mix, while keeping employment space on the new upper level. The combination of a cafe, kitchen, teaching use and offices points to a hybrid commercial model rather than a simple shopfront conversion.

For planners and community groups, the application raises familiar local questions about mixed-use streets: how active commercial uses fit among neighbouring properties, how access is arranged, and how a new first-floor office level would sit within the existing building and streetscape. The independent access stair is an important detail because it separates the office entrance from the ground-floor cafe and kitchen use.

The application information does not name an operator, tenant or opening date. Those points should not be assumed at this stage. The planning question is whether the proposed change of use and physical alterations are acceptable in planning terms.

What happens next

The City of Edinburgh Council will assess the application through its planning process. Residents and other interested parties can view the application on the council’s planning portal, where plans and documents are available. The council’s planning pages state that portal registration is required to submit comments, while documents can still be viewed without registering.

Anyone commenting on a planning application should focus on planning matters, such as the proposed use, design, access, amenity, servicing or potential impacts on neighbouring properties. The council will decide the application after considering the submitted material, consultation responses and relevant planning policy.

The planning reference is 26/01746/FUL. The application address is 18A Tennant Street, Edinburgh EH6 5ND.