The Edinburgh Royal Infirmary moved:

• From its site in Lauriston Place, across the road from Heriot's School in the centre of Edinburgh
• To a new purpose-built hospital at Little France in the southern suburbs of Edinburgh.

Plans have been announced by a partnership of developers, Southside Capital, for a £400m redevelopment of the 20 acre site at Lauriston Place. The site has been named 'Quartermile' because it is a quarter of a mile from Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile.

It is proposed to retain some of the existing buildings, and to create 650 homes, office space, a five-star hotel and restaurants with an open-air piazza.

Earlier plans for the site failed to gain approval in October 2002. The latest plans will be considered by the Council in late March 2003.

Further details of the proposed development appeared in the press in April 2003. It would take until 2010 to complete the project.

The proposal includes:

• Refurbishment of the Surgical Hospital as a Hotel with 220 rooms and shops on the ground floor.
• Offices and Restaurants in two central buildings with a piazza between them; the historic Red Home to be turned into restaurants and a bar.
• 7,000 sq m. of floorspace for shops.
• 60,000 sq m. of floorspace for offices.
• Almost 700 homes for private, shared, and rented ownership; seven infill blocks of flats, 12 stories high, to be built on the south side of the site facing the Meadows.

A new plan was announced on 18 July, including more affordable housing. However, the plans still propose buildings up to 12 stories high on the south side of the site facing the Meadows, despite protests from conservation bodies.

The plans were approved by Edinburgh's City Councillors on 24 July. It now only needs approval of the Scottish Executive before going ahead with a completion date of 2010.

Full Planning Application
Royal Infirmary, I Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, EH3 9EE
Development Quality Sub-Committee of the Planning Committee - 9th April 2003 (pdf)

A new plan was announced on 18 July, including more affordable housing. However, the plans still propose buildings up to 12 stories high on the south side of the site facing the Meadows, despite protests from conservation bodies.

The plans were approved by Edinburgh's City Councillors on 24 July. It now only needs approval of the Scottish Executive before going ahead with a completion date of 2010.

Full Planning Application 05/03894/FUL
Royal Infirmary, 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, EH3 9EF
Development Quality Sub-Committee of the Planning Committee

Despite the approval having been given by Edinburgh City Council in July, heritage groups still have concerns over the height of some of the buildings and would like to see more of the existing buildings retained. The Cockburn Association, World Heritage Trust and Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland are campaigning for a Public Inquiry to be held.

Historic Scotland has now lodged a formal objection to the planning application, expressing concerns over the impact of 12-storey high buildings on the Edinburgh skyline, and the scale of the proposed developments on the setting of the surviving A-listed buildings in the old Surgeon's Hall block.

The Scottish Executive are currently considering the planning application and the objections that have been raised. It is not yet clear when they will announce any decision, or whether or not there is likely to be pubic inquiry.

It was announced on 26 December that Scottish Ministers had approved the £400m development for this 20 acre site, despite the concern expressed by heritage bodies.

It is expected that building work will begin within the next few months and is likely to take seven years to complete.