Former chapel at 5 Piershill Place could be converted into a flat

A former chapel at 5 Piershill Place in Edinburgh could be converted for residential use under plans now with the City of Edinburgh Council.

The proposal focuses on creating a flat inside the building, with most of the work taking place internally. The external changes are limited to the rear elevation, where a small section of wall would be removed and an existing doorway would be altered to form a window for a bedroom.

The listed building consent application is one to watch because it concerns the conversion of a place of worship into a home, and because even modest changes can matter when a building has listed status.

What is proposed

The application seeks listed building consent for alterations at 5 Piershill Place, EH8 7EH.

The works include:

• changing the internal layout to create a flat;
• removing a small section of wall on the rear elevation;
• altering an existing doorway to form a window to bedroom 2.

A related full planning application describes the wider proposal as the change of use of the existing church, Victory House Chapel, and conversion to create a two-bedroom flat. That related case is listed under reference 26/01917/FUL and is also awaiting assessment.

The listed building consent case deals with the effect of the proposed works on the listed building. The separate full planning application deals with the change of use and conversion in planning terms.

The site

The property is at 5 Piershill Place, in the Piershill area of Edinburgh, east of the city centre.

Piershill sits between the wider Meadowbank, Restalrig, Willowbrae and Portobello Road areas, with a mix of residential streets, local services and routes linking towards Leith, Abbeyhill and the east of the city.

The proposal concerns an existing church building known in the related planning application as Victory House Chapel. The plans would move the building from a former place-of-worship use into residential use, subject to the council’s assessment of the applications.

Why it matters

Small chapel and church buildings often play a visible role in neighbourhood streets, even where their original use has ended or changed over time. A conversion can bring a building into active use, but it can also affect its character, layout and relationship with neighbouring properties.

In this case, the most visible physical changes appear to be at the rear rather than the street-facing side. The alteration of a doorway into a window is a relatively contained change, but it is still part of a listed building consent application because the building’s special architectural or historic interest has to be considered.

For neighbours, the main points of interest are likely to be the residential use, the internal subdivision into a flat, and any effect on the rear elevation. For heritage watchers, the interest is how the former chapel fabric is adapted for domestic use.

The related full planning application identifies the proposed home as a two-bedroom flat. The listed building consent description itself focuses on the physical works: internal alterations, a small rear wall removal, and the doorway-to-window change.

Listed building consent and planning permission

Listed building consent is separate from ordinary planning permission. It is required where works could affect the character of a listed building, including internal alterations as well as external changes.

That is why this proposal appears in two related council cases:

• 26/01951/LBC: listed building consent for the physical alterations;
• 26/01917/FUL: full planning application for the change of use of the existing church and conversion to a two-bedroom flat.

Both are recorded as awaiting assessment.

The council will consider the listed building consent application against heritage policies and the details shown in the submitted plans. The full planning application will consider the proposed residential use and associated planning matters.

What happens next

The application was registered on 6 May 2026. A site notice was posted on 15 May 2026, and the public consultation period for comments runs until 5 June 2026.

Residents and other interested parties can search the City of Edinburgh Council planning portal using the site address, 5 Piershill Place, or the listed building consent reference 26/01951/LBC. The related full planning application is reference 26/01917/FUL.

The council has not yet issued a decision on the listed building consent application.