Report comment

There are major concerns about the entire planning process for Caltongate - not really to do with height but to do with bulk and overall suitability of this large commercial development amongst other things. Many feel that the democratic process and community consultation was a farce stage managed by Mountgrange. Legitimate objections were ignored. The City of Edinburgh Council is not considered able to deal properly with applications of this magnitude. It has not the staff or councillors with a great deal of idea. Developers have almost a free hand to do as they wish it seems to many. Not only will Caltongate see a huge development of what many regard as bland and unsuitable clone town architecture by hardly international names, it spills out of the original bus garage site as Mountgrange, the developer, demanded more land so the council has sold a listed building, the Canongate School, for demolition, and other council property including on the Royal Mile. None of this was offered to any other bidder and was not identified as redundant land. The listed Sailor's Ark (a former hostel) and stone council tenements in an Outstanding Conservation Area will (ironic really) be gutted and made into the facade of the five star Sofitel Hotel. Terrible conservation. The Edinburgh World Heritage Trust objected throughout to the plans – Mountgrange and the council refused to listen, yet the council and Historic Scotland are signatories to the WHS Management Plan. Indeed, the Planning Convenor (who pushed through the plans) is on the Board of Directors of EWHT. Under international agreements, a development of this scale should have been referred to UNESCO early in the planning process – somehow this seems to have been overlooked in the claimed rigour of the planning process! Not the only planning oversight by any means. Historic Scotland appears to informed observers scared to be seen to be standing in the way of development or face the wrath of government cuts. Its role is worrying. It no longer seems to be keen to protect the wider heritage beyond Grade A listed buildings. Sir Terry Farrell, Edinburgh Design Champion had some interesting things to say on Scottish BBC Radio yesterday about the whole development process in Edinburgh, claiming it was developer driven and there was no real masterplanning suitable for a WHS. Murphy is talking through his rear - Mr Matsuura's visit has been totally misreported in the overheated Scottish press, and I doubt Murphy actually spoke to him. Mr Matsuura was not on a visit to inspect any development. It's not his role. I would suggest that some research is carried out by Murphy before he spouts again so rudely and ignorantly about a high ranking international visitor to the City: about UNESCO, about World Heritage Status. Possibly he could call ICOMOS-UK for a chat before mouthing off further? Its VP is Edinburgh architect James Simpson OBE. However, Historic Scotland has asked UNESCO to visit, as is protocol, (Bath will also be visited) and UNESCO International Committee at the World Heritage Conference last month discussed the state of conservation report and agreed to visit. The St James’ (WHS) and Leith Docks (buffer zone) developments are on the agenda as well as Caltongate. UNESCO has in the past expressed concerns regarding the rate and suitability of new development in the WHS. The Murphy Haymarket Tower, hugely contentious commercial tall development in the WHS buffer zone, will certainly alter the historic skyline and may be deemed to set a bad precedent. However, it has so far not been identified by UNESCO as forming part of its inspection as it has only just (yesterday) received final council planning consent, and then has to be referred to Ministers Clearly, there is a huge anti-heritage lobby in Edinburgh at the moment, as of course the restrictions that so many listed buildings and conservation areas bring means the snouts in the trough of making development cash isn’t a total free for all. Many critics feel is what is happening is not high quality development suited to a WHS – much built and in the planning stage by Caltongate masterplanner Allan Murray (see Magnus Linklater in the Times recently on that subject). The UK has signed the 1972 UNESCO Convention. UNESCO World Heritage Centre is not some cosy little club, it is part of an international organisation, one which exists to try to protect for all time, for all the peoples of the world, places of outstanding cultural value to mankind, by inscribing them on the World Heritage list. The UK government identifies and puts forward places for inscription. It additionally signs agreements that it will protect those sites. That does not of course mean that living cities cannot develop, but that any development should be carefully considered, retain the outstanding universal values, and be of the highest quality. Caltongate should be called-in and a public inquiry should be held. It should be halted until UNESCO’s international team of experts’ visit. To continue with the demolitions and constructions until UNESCO has made its decision regarding the suitability of these developments for a WHS, in one of the world’s most beautiful cities, would be an act of such arrogance and folly that it beggars belief. For more details read www.eh8.org.uk and the linked blog: http://www.independentrepublicofthecanongate.blogspot.com/