New Planning Guidance

A series of new and revised non-statutory planning guidance to provide additional information on the policies of City Plan 2030 and National Planning Framework 4 is now live.

They were approved by Planning Committee on 10 September 2025 and replace any previous versions of the guidance.

The guidance is provided to assist those considering proposals for development and will be used as a material consideration in the determination of planning applications.

The new guidance is listed below:

Edinburgh Design Guidance – this should be used for the planning and design of new development proposals and for street design.

Guidance for Householders  – this is for people considering altering or extending their home, and for professionals involved in the application process.

Guidance for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas – this is for anyone considering repairing, altering or extending a listed building or an unlisted building in a conservation area.

Student Accommodation Guidance – this is for professionals and developers involved in the provision of purpose-built student accommodation including new build, change of use and conversion.

Developer Contributions and Infrastructure Delivery Guidance – this will be used to assist in assessing planning applications including the provisions to include legal agreements requiring contributions towards delivering infrastructure associated with development.

You can see all our Planning Guidance and Planning Quick Guides here

Have your say on new draft planning guidance for purpose built student accommodation (PBSA)

Photograph shows an example of student housing. Modern, new looking two-storey building next to green space and a small tree on a sunny day.

Our consultation is now open for draft planning guidance for purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) in Edinburgh. 

The draft guidance has been prepared to support City Plan 2030 policy dealing with PBSA. It sets out the Council’s expectations and provides guidance for developers and planning officers. It also seeks to ensure the provision of good quality PBSA in appropriate locations whilst protecting the character of existing areas. 

It applies to all types of PBSA developments, including new build, change of use and conversion. To support the health and wellbeing of students, it is essential that they are provided with appropriately located, high quality accommodation. While many students will choose to live in other forms of accommodation, PBSA is a key part of the available accommodation in the city.

We want the guidance to help people understand what we require from the development of PBSA. To do this, we want to make sure the content is clear, helpful, and balanced.

When approved in its final form it will be used by the Council to assess planning applications.

You can read the draft guidance and give us your views in our online survey by Friday 23 May 2025.