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| Ministers asked to intervene in Edinburgh luxury hotel dispute | Ministers asked to intervene in Edinburgh luxury hotel dispute |
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| The developers hoping to build a luxury hotel in one of Edinburgh’s most famous buildings have asked Scottish ministers to intervene after their plans were rejected by councillors. | |
| Urbanist Hotels and Duddingston House Properties want to build a “six-star” hotel in and around the former Royal High School, a grade A-listed neoclassical building on Calton Hill regarded as a jewel of Edinburgh’s world heritage site landscape. | |
| After their proposals to erect two large modern wings on either side of the old school were rejected unanimously by city councillors in late August, the developers confirmed on Tuesday they had asked ministers to order a full planning inquiry. | After their proposals to erect two large modern wings on either side of the old school were rejected unanimously by city councillors in late August, the developers confirmed on Tuesday they had asked ministers to order a full planning inquiry. |
| David Orr, the co-founder of Urbanist Hotels, said: “We remain wholly committed to delivering an outstanding scheme for the old Royal High School, reviving a building which has been allowed to slip into a state of disrepair and neglect for nearly 50 years.” | David Orr, the co-founder of Urbanist Hotels, said: “We remain wholly committed to delivering an outstanding scheme for the old Royal High School, reviving a building which has been allowed to slip into a state of disrepair and neglect for nearly 50 years.” |
| Their appeal sets the scene for a battle between Edinburgh’s powerful conservation lobby and developers over the integrity and preservation of the city’s world heritage site, which was granted by the UN in 1995 in part because of the school. | Their appeal sets the scene for a battle between Edinburgh’s powerful conservation lobby and developers over the integrity and preservation of the city’s world heritage site, which was granted by the UN in 1995 in part because of the school. |
| The developers, who have teamed up with Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, claim there is an unmet need in Edinburgh for a luxury hotel catering for rich visitors. The city’s other luxury hotels are full during high season and the festivals. | The developers, who have teamed up with Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, claim there is an unmet need in Edinburgh for a luxury hotel catering for rich visitors. The city’s other luxury hotels are full during high season and the festivals. |
| They claim the 127-room hotel will generate £35m a year for the Scottish economy, and provide as many as 850 jobs. Their opponents accuse the developers of exaggerating its economic value in an attempt to strong-arm ministers into over-riding objections. | They claim the 127-room hotel will generate £35m a year for the Scottish economy, and provide as many as 850 jobs. Their opponents accuse the developers of exaggerating its economic value in an attempt to strong-arm ministers into over-riding objections. |
| The scheme is being opposed by architecture and conservation bodies, including Edinburgh World Heritage Trust (EWHT), the official guardian of its UN listing, the government agency Historic Scotland, the Cockburn Association and the Scottish Civic Trust. | |
| Cliff Hague, chair of the Cockburn Association and professor emeritus of planning at Heriot-Watt University, said the hotel proposal breached planning and local development policies designed to protect the world heritage site. | |
| “Probably more than any other building, it symbolises the Edinburgh Enlightenment. It is a neo-Grecian school and it was designed as a school; it is a temple to learning,” Hague said. | “Probably more than any other building, it symbolises the Edinburgh Enlightenment. It is a neo-Grecian school and it was designed as a school; it is a temple to learning,” Hague said. |
| “So to diminish that for a building which could be in Croydon – no offence to Croydon – but which is not definitive of that tradition but definitive of a global hotel brand, is just not appropriate.” | “So to diminish that for a building which could be in Croydon – no offence to Croydon – but which is not definitive of that tradition but definitive of a global hotel brand, is just not appropriate.” |
| Designed by Thomas Hamilton, the Royal High School was opened in 1829 and occupied by the school for 130 years, but after it relocated to a new greenfield site on the city’s western outskirts in 1968 the building fell into disuse. | Designed by Thomas Hamilton, the Royal High School was opened in 1829 and occupied by the school for 130 years, but after it relocated to a new greenfield site on the city’s western outskirts in 1968 the building fell into disuse. |
| Close to the Scottish government’s grade A-listed headquarters at St Andrew’s House, the Royal High was mooted as the ideal home for the new Scottish parliament. After the site was deemed unsuitable, in 2009 the council granted Duddingston House Properties a long lease to take over and develop it after an open competition. | Close to the Scottish government’s grade A-listed headquarters at St Andrew’s House, the Royal High was mooted as the ideal home for the new Scottish parliament. After the site was deemed unsuitable, in 2009 the council granted Duddingston House Properties a long lease to take over and develop it after an open competition. |
| Under intense pressure from objectors, city councillors and the council’s planning officials have effectively reversed that 2009 decision by opposing both the consortium’s original hotels plans and the scaled-down proposals rejected earlier this month. | Under intense pressure from objectors, city councillors and the council’s planning officials have effectively reversed that 2009 decision by opposing both the consortium’s original hotels plans and the scaled-down proposals rejected earlier this month. |
| To the consortium’s alarm, councillors, city planners and conservationists have meanwhile backed a rival scheme for the site to house St Mary’s music school, one of the most prestigious in Scotland, with £20m in funding from a wealthy trust, the Dunard Fund, which has received planning consent. | To the consortium’s alarm, councillors, city planners and conservationists have meanwhile backed a rival scheme for the site to house St Mary’s music school, one of the most prestigious in Scotland, with £20m in funding from a wealthy trust, the Dunard Fund, which has received planning consent. |
| Adam Wilkinson, the director of EWHT, said that was a powerful reason for the Scottish government to reject the hotel application. | Adam Wilkinson, the director of EWHT, said that was a powerful reason for the Scottish government to reject the hotel application. |
| “We objected to the hotel scheme because the proposal was entirely inappropriate for a building and landscape of such cultural and historical significance, and represented a threat to the outstanding universal value of the world heritage site,” he said. | “We objected to the hotel scheme because the proposal was entirely inappropriate for a building and landscape of such cultural and historical significance, and represented a threat to the outstanding universal value of the world heritage site,” he said. |
| “There is now a fully funded viable alternative for the whole site, which this authority has given planning and listed building consent to, and which we judged to have no negative impact on the world heritage site.” | “There is now a fully funded viable alternative for the whole site, which this authority has given planning and listed building consent to, and which we judged to have no negative impact on the world heritage site.” |
| Conservationists fear they will be out-spent by the hotel’s developers, who plan to spend £75m on the site, but are considering public funding appeals to help meet the legal costs of the planning inquiry. | Conservationists fear they will be out-spent by the hotel’s developers, who plan to spend £75m on the site, but are considering public funding appeals to help meet the legal costs of the planning inquiry. |
| In 2015, they lost a battle against a luxury retail centre on the site of the St James’s centre being built on the opposite side of Calton Hill, a short distance away, which features a hotel nicknamed “the Turd” due to its dramatic, bronze-coloured, bulbous and spiralling design. | In 2015, they lost a battle against a luxury retail centre on the site of the St James’s centre being built on the opposite side of Calton Hill, a short distance away, which features a hotel nicknamed “the Turd” due to its dramatic, bronze-coloured, bulbous and spiralling design. |
| Hague said money should not be allowed to win this time. The Hamilton building “is so exceptional you can’t judge it against any other normal measure”, he said, even the promise of “high rollers who wouldn’t come otherwise and who will spend, spend, spend”. | Hague said money should not be allowed to win this time. The Hamilton building “is so exceptional you can’t judge it against any other normal measure”, he said, even the promise of “high rollers who wouldn’t come otherwise and who will spend, spend, spend”. |