Old Royal High School developers to launch fresh appeal for hotel project

A DEVELOPER is to appeal a council’s decision to refuse planning permission for a hotel at the site of the old Royal High School in Edinburgh.

Duddingston House Properties and Urbanist Hotels, the co-investors and developers behind the revised Rosewood Hotel scheme have announced that they are to appeal the decision. It was prompted by the City of Edinburgh Council’s planning permission refusal for the firm’s proposals.

David Orr, co-founder of Urbanist Hotels said: “In line with our contractual agreement with City of Edinburgh Council, 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.

The building has been largely unused since 1968.

“We fully recognise the importance of Hamilton’s old Royal High School building on a national level and our revised proposals guarantee the future of Hamilton’s masterpiece, both architecturally and financially.

“As such, we have advised the planning and

environmental appeals division of the Scottish Government it is our intention to appeal the council’s committee decision.”

Built by Thomas Hamilton in 1829 and owned by the local authority, it has been largely unused since 1968. NURSERIES and other childcare providers will “likely” recruit new staff from other parts of the care sector as the industry expands in a bid to meet a flagship target, a report has warned.

The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the number of hours of free childcare eligible youngsters receive from the current total of 600 to 1,140 by the end of this parliament. But the Care Inspectorate has warned the expansion of staff working in early years needed to achieve this could impact on other parts of the care sector.

While it said the childcare industry had “coped well” with the increase to 600 hours of funded care for all three and four-yearolds, as well as vulnerable two-year-olds, it said