The planning applications for the redevelopment of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RHSC - "Sick Kids") in Sciennes Road have been submitted to the Council. The detailed applications can be accessed at:
Main planning application
Listed building consent (main hospital building)
Listed building consent (Millerfield Place houses)

The summary statements give a good indication of the plans and are available (in sections) here:
Sections 1 - 4
Sections 5 - 6
Sections 7.1 - 7.6
Sections 7.7 - 7.10
Sections 8.1 - 8.2
Sections 8.3 - 10

The applications followed three public exhibitions and consultation by the developers. The site lies just outside the Grange Association Area but the future of the site is of great significance to our members and we have lodged an objection concerning two areas and a copy of our objection is here:

The applications were approved by the Development Management Sub-Committee on 6 February 2019. A copy of the report that recommended acceptance is available here.

An application was submitted in January 2021 for Listed Building Consent for external alterations to the Category A Listed Mortuary Chapel. Details are available on the Council's planning portal with reference 21/00331/LBC.

The accompanying Method Statement includes:

• The proposed remedial works and protective measures can be separated into two categories:

- Remedial work to the exterior of the building to make it wind and watertight such that the building itself would continue to provide the protective shell to the murals – these works would be carried out as part of the downtaking of adjacent buildings and small extensions.
- Protective measures to the murals within the chamber to prevent damage or deterioration during the demolitions and construction works within the site.

• This method statement has been prepared to set out the work proposed with reference to specialist survey reports and advice. It has been prepared to accompany two applications to City of Edinburgh Council:

- A new listed building consent (LBC) application for external downtakings/alterations to the mortuary building as part of the demolition works for the wider site
- Approval for discharge of condition 8 on planning permission with reference to Application No: 18/02719/FUL – requiring that works to care and protect the murals are put into place in accordance with the related conservation report (supplementary addendum report "RHSC Mortuary Chapel (Edin.) - Phoebe Traquair Murals")

• The new LBC application is necessary to enable the construction works for the rest of the site and relate to the removal of a small amount of 20th Century hospital extensions/additions to return the mortuary building to a stand-alone building within the site. There are no internal buildings works or alterations proposed, nor change of use. The future of use of the building itself remains uncertain following the continuation of the listed building consent application for alteration of the building to enable its change of use to residential.
• The remedial works, protection and conservation measures provided in this method statement are deemed those that it is reasonable to expect the developer to carry out as part of the wider site development such that the special interest of the listed building is protected. Full (longer term) conservation and repair works to the murals are not proposed as part of the applications stated above as these would be carried out as part of a construction programme to change the use of the building and associated internal works.

The Grange Association has submitted this objection to 21/00331/LBC. The background and history are complicated and we have endeavoured to explain the position as follows:

Planning application 18/02719/FUL was considered at the meeting of the Development Management Sub-Committee (DMSC) on 6 February 2019. This included a proposal for the mortuary chapel to contain two residential flats, one on each of the ground floor and the first floor. Objectors considered that this proposal would threaten the long-term protection of the murals and unduly restrict public access to them. On a split vote of the Councillors present, the decision was taken to grant planning permission for the main site but with conditions including:

• ……..the proposed change of use of the mortuary chapel and subsequent alterations to the mortuary chapel are not approved;
• …....continue consideration of the application for Listed Building Consent relating to the Mortuary Chapel building for a period of three months to allow further discussions to take place with the applicants on the long-term preservation of the Phoebe Traquair Murals and use of the Mortuary Chapel.

The alterations to the mortuary chapel are the subject of Listed Building Consent application 18/02725/LBC which remains “Awaiting Decision”, notwithstanding that more than two years have passed since the DMSC meeting which mandated that the proposals be resolved within “three months”.

The planning report to the DMSC of 6 February 2019 acknowledged the objections from Historic Environment Scotland (HES) to the plans for the mortuary chapel, including HES’s proposed amendment:

• The proposed conversion of the building should, in our view, be reconfigured from two down to one residential unit that would occupy part of the building. This would allow space for additional support accommodation which would link through the existing doorway to the chapel. To protect the chapel, any revised proposal must ensure that the room space above it is kept free of water supply pipes, drainage or wet central heating pipework.

While the onus is on the developer to amend the proposals to allow application 18/02725/LBC to be granted, we consider that the HES proposal forms a good basis for acceptable amendments that would allow the murals to be preserved and made available for public access, with space for interpretation on the ground floor. We can see no good reason for the delay in proposing an amended design for the mortuary chapel and we are concerned that there is insufficient leverage on the developer to amend the proposals and to refurbish the chapel in a form that will allow public access to the murals and for the day-to-day management of the chapel then to be passed to a suitable amenity body. There remains a risk that the chapel is simply abandoned in its present state, with the delay in approving 18/02725/LBC cited as an excuse.

The official letter granting planning permission under 18/02719/FUL for the main site was not issued until 3 August 2020 and it included eight conditions, of which the final two (which have not been discharged) are:

7. Details of a management agreement relating to the Mortuary Chapel to allow continued public access by prior arrangement to the mortuary chamber containing the Traquair Murals shall be submitted to and approved by the Council, as planning authority, prior to the occupation of the residential units forming part of the converted mortuary chapel building. Public access will be afforded as reasonably practical thereafter (taking cognisance of the status of the site as a building site and any necessary health and safety requirements).

8. The care and protection of the murals in the RHSC Mortuary Chapel Building, before, during and after building works shall be carried out in accordance with the supplementary addendum report "RHSC Mortuary Chapel (Edin.) - Phoebe Traquair Murals" dated 27 July 2018.

The obligation on the developer to make public access available for the murals (condition 7 of 18/02719/FUL) must be enforced in a timely manner. The absence of an acceptable amendment to 18/02725/LBC for the internal redevelopment of the mortuary chapel must not be allowed to create a protracted hiatus in the work to restore the murals and provide public access.

The representations from other community bodies are consistent with our position:

• At a meeting of the Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council on 24 February 2021, this position paper was agreed.
• The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland has submitted this objection to 21/00331/LBC.

Divestment by Downing of all except student accommodation

Downing is offering the site for sale, with the exception of the student accommodation. The sale's brochure describes seven lots, comprising the main hospital building and the existing properties on Millerfield Place, Rillbank Terrace and Rillbank Crescent. It has termed the site "Royal Meadows".

Lot 1 is the main hospital building, including the former pharmacy store and the mortuary chapel. The brochure states:

"A Planning Application is submitted on the Mortuary Chapel to sensitively create two apartments that will be independently accessed.
"The Traquair murals are to be preserved, within the chapel itself, and controlled access to the public will be maintained."

We understand that this refers to 18/02725/LBC which is the application by Downing in June 2018 for conversion of the mortuary chapel to include two flats. This application was not approved by the Development Management Sub-Committee - as described at length two posts above here - and Downing has been asked to modify and moderate the proposals. No changes have yet been proposed and the application remains "Awaiting Decision" on the Council's planning portal.

We do not expect this divestment by Downing to alter any of the planning conditions and so the artists' impressions of the final site, viewed from the south and from the north, should be unaltered.