Wednesday February 25th 2026
Claremont Crescent, Cononmills
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan
Planning permission has been granted for a former hotel in Canonmills to be converted into serviced apartments.
A council committee voted on Wednesday to make the change, which would authorise the establishment of seven serviced apartments in the property, by a vote of six to four.
Until it closed in 2022, the property operated as the Claremont Hotel, accommodating 50 guests in 18 rooms.
Several locals and the area’s community council objected to the plans, instead wishing the property’s new owners would proceed with earlier plans to turn the hotel into flats.
The property is part of a terrace on Claremont Crescent, which consists of a number of flats, as well as office space for the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre.
Under proposals put forward by the developers, the serviced apartments would each have a capacity of four people, meaning up to 28 guests could stay in the property at any one time.
Developers S1 had previously been granted planning permission to convert the property into flats.
But as works had not been completed, and residential use of the property had not been established, the property was considered to still be a hotel for planning purposes.
Councillors on the Development Management Sub-Committee were sympathetic to the concerns of locals.
Some were opposed to the conversion, with Green councillor Ben Parker saying: “I think the changes we are looking at do introduce an additional level of concern when it comes to amenity.
“And given the sensitive setting of this site, not just in terms of residential but the nature of the operations in the area, I think that we do need to think quite seriously how appropriate it is to facilitate this change in planning terms.”
But several councillors noted that there were no grounds to refuse the conversion of the property to serviced apartments.
SNP councillor David Key said: “My heart is with the idea it should be turned back into residential, but my planning head says it is quite straightforward in this case I’m afraid.”
Convener and Liberal Democrat councillor Hal Osler said: “I fully appreciate and understand the concerns of individuals.
“I think we have to be thoughtful as to what is within our gift to do and not within our gift to do.”
Multiple councillors also noted that the use of the property as serviced apartments might be less impactful than its former use as a hotel, due to there being less guests and the former hotel’s amenity space and bar being removed.
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