Balfour Beatty Investments, owned by Balfour Beatty, brought forward an application last year to deliver almost 200 student flats on the site of the Scottish Law Commission building at 140 Causewayside.

The development has been designed by jmarchitects to provide a mix of studio and cluster apartments and address a well-documented increasing demand in the capital.

Balfour Beatty in its application: “The site at Causewayside, on the A700, is a suitable location for PBSA in terms of access to higher education facilities, active travel and public transport services.

“This exciting proposal will regenerate the current site and is being brought forward by a developer who has an exceptional record in the city, including the delivery of an award-winning postgraduate student scheme at Holyrood for the University of Edinburgh.”

Edinburgh planning officials wrote: “The proposal will make a positive contribution to the city’s accommodation provision for those undertaking further and higher education and is acceptable in this location.

“The development plan encourages well-designed, compact urban growth that is sustainable and allows for 20-minute neighbourhood principles to be delivered.”

They added: “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 in this regard.

“The proposal is not considered to have a significantly adverse impact on surrounding residents and will provide an acceptable amount of indoor and outdoor amenity space for future residents.”

In a report set to go before councillors at a meeting on Wednesday, Edinburgh planning officials wrote: “The proposal will make a positive contribution to the city’s accommodation provision for those undertaking further and higher education and is acceptable in this location.

“The development plan encourages well-designed, compact urban growth that is sustainable and allows for 20-minute neighbourhood principles to be delivered.”

They added: “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 in this regard.

“The proposal is not considered to have a significantly adverse impact on surrounding residents and will provide an acceptable amount of indoor and outdoor amenity space for future residents.”

The site was once home to the Causewayside School, which was demolished in 1966 and the existing structure built.

The Scottish Law Commission has since moved to Parliament Square.