The 1960s office block, once home to the Scottish Exam Board and later the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, has stood empty since 2023 following the Law Commission’s move to Parliament Square.

Balfour Beatty Investments, working with jmarchitects, lodged plans to clear the site and deliver 172 purpose‑built student flats over six storeys.

Planning officials had advised councillors to grant permission, noting that the project would not have an adverse impact on neighbouring residents or the setting of nearby listed buildings. They also highlighted its alignment with compact urban growth principles and the city’s ambition to support 20‑minute neighbourhoods.

Council documents stated: “It is recommended that this application be granted.

“The impact of development on the setting of nearby listed buildings, character and appearance of the adjacent Conservation Areas and the wider townscape has been considered and is acceptable.

“The proposal will make a positive contribution to the city’s accommodation provision for those undertaking further and higher education.”

The papers also said: “The development plan encourages well-designed, compact urban growth that is sustainable and allows for 20-minute neighbourhood principles to be delivered. The proposal is compatible with these principles.”

The proposals have been accepted at a third attempt, after an earlier application and appeal were rejected.

A committee heard that the plans were initially refused and then rejected at the appeal stage, around issues related to the detail of how the interior would be set out, and that this had now been addressed.

The Causewayside plot has a long history, dating back to the 16th century. It later housed the former Causewayside School, which was demolished in 1966 to make way for the current office building now earmarked for redevelopment.