‘Arms-length’ operator bid for revamped Princes Street Gardens on hold
0 The Cockburn Association’s Terry Levinthal called for delay to hand over control of part of Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh to a new “armslength company” when a new £25 million concert arena has been completed have been put on hold following the intervention of councillors.
A property developer’s bid to create a new operator to “manage” the historic park beneath Edinburgh Castle as a “pre- requisite” for helping to bankroll new concert facilities will now be subject to a full public consultation.
The Ross Development Trust, instigated by Apex Hotels founder Norman Springford to realise a longheld vision of a concert arena, had previously put fundraising and design work on the project on hold until it reached agreement on who would be running the new-look garden.
However, heritage bodies, environmental organisations, event organisers and community groups are all expected to now get a say on how the gardens should be run in future as a result of the plans for a “selffinancing” operator of the gardens being put on ice.
The plans were put on hold after the Cockburn Association, the city’s long-running heritage body, said it was alarmed that they were drawn up without any input or involvement of “civic society.”
The association’s director, Terry Levinthal, told the council’s culture committee: “West Princes Street Gardens is the heart of the city. It is crucial as an open space and formal gardens, and is as important to the international image of the city as the castle. Whilst the philanthropic gift is welcome and in the best tradition of the city, it cannot be used as justification for the erosion of public assets or public accountability.”
Councillors have demandplans ed more time to scrutinise various options for the future management of the gardens.
Culture convener Donald Wilson said: “This will give us time to speak to speak to community community councils, heritage organisations and other interested groups.
David Ellis, managing director of the Ross Development Trust, said: “We were looking for confidence that the council was prepared to look at a new way of managing the gardens.”