Rear building at 73 Ferry Road proposed for demolition

A rear building behind 73 Ferry Road in north Edinburgh could be demolished under a new conservation area consent application now with the City of Edinburgh Council.

The proposal concerns the back part of the property at 73 Ferry Road, EH6 4AQ. The street-facing block is listed and would be retained, while the single-storey rear hall building is the part identified for demolition.

The application is one to watch because it sits alongside wider plans to convert and redevelop the site for residential use, with new flats, landscaping, parking, cycle parking and bin storage also proposed through a related planning application.

What is proposed

The current application is for the demolition of the rear building at 73 Ferry Road.

In practical terms, the visible change would be at the back of the site rather than to the main listed frontage on Ferry Road. The proposal is not for full demolition of the property as a whole.

The key points are:

• the rear building at 73 Ferry Road would be demolished;
• the listed street-facing block would be retained;
• the site is in a conservation area, so demolition requires conservation area consent;
• a related full planning application proposes residential use, with five new flats and associated works.

The linked full planning application is described as a change of use to residential use, providing five new flats, new landscaping, car parking, cycle parking, bin storage and other associated works, alongside demolition of the rear building.

The site on Ferry Road

73 Ferry Road sits on one of the main routes through north Edinburgh, connecting the Leith, Goldenacre, Trinity and Inverleith areas with the wider city.

Because the property includes a listed street-facing building and lies within a conservation area, changes to its built fabric are more sensitive than they would be on an ordinary, unlisted site. Demolition behind the frontage may still affect the setting, layout and character of the property, even where the main building remains in place.

For neighbours, the most immediate interest is likely to be the potential change at the rear of the site. Rear buildings can affect outlook, boundary conditions, servicing, parking arrangements and the way a site is accessed or used.

For the wider area, the application matters because it is part of a broader pattern familiar across Edinburgh: older commercial, institutional or mixed-use buildings being adapted for housing while councils, applicants and communities weigh heritage, design, amenity and transport impacts.

Why it matters

Demolition applications can look narrow, but they often unlock larger site changes.

Here, the demolition proposal is directly linked to a residential redevelopment scheme. The related application for 73 Ferry Road proposes a change of use to residential use and five new flats, with landscaping, car parking, cycle parking, bin storage and associated works.

That means residents and interested parties may want to look at both the demolition consent and the full planning application together. The demolition application deals with whether the rear building can be removed in a conservation area. The full application gives the broader picture of what would happen on the site afterwards.

The earlier related applications on the same site are also relevant background. They include a conservation area demolition case and a full planning application for part demolition and change of use to six new residential flats. Both are listed as awaiting assessment.

The current linked scheme refers to five new flats, rather than six in the earlier related description.

Planning status

The application is currently marked as awaiting assessment by the City of Edinburgh Council.

That means no decision is recorded for the conservation area consent application at this stage. The council will assess the proposal against relevant planning policies and conservation considerations before issuing a decision.

Residents, businesses and other interested parties can search for the case on the City of Edinburgh Council planning portal using the address or reference number.

Related applications

There are several linked planning cases for 73 Ferry Road:

• 26/02360/CON — demolition of the rear building.
• 26/02361/FUL — change of use to residential use, providing five new flats, landscaping, car parking, cycle parking, bin store and associated works, including demolition of the rear building.
• 25/02902/CON — substantial demolition in a conservation area.
• 25/02903/FUL — part demolition and change of use to six new residential flats, landscaping, car parking, cycle parking, bin store and associated works.

The current demolition application should therefore be read as part of a wider set of proposals for the property, not as an isolated site-clearance case.

What happens next

The council will continue its assessment of the demolition application and the related full planning case. Any decision will be recorded on the City of Edinburgh Council planning portal.

Anyone wanting to follow the application should search the portal for 73 Ferry Road Edinburgh EH6 4AQ or the planning reference 26/02360/CON.