Luxury hotel plan revived for Edinburgh
Developers behind a controversial bid to turn Edinburgh’s Royal High School into a luxury hotel have pleaded with councillors to be given another chance to bring forward plans for the site.
They have asked for “fair consideration” to be given to a scaledback scheme at the historic site on Calton Hill and admitted previous proposals were “too ambitious.”
Developers behind a controversial bid to turn one of Edinburgh’s most prominent landmarks into a luxury hotel have pleaded with councillors to be given another chance to bring forward plans for the site.
They have asked for“fair consideration” to be given to a scaled-back scheme to breathe new life into the former Royal High School on Calton Hill and admitted previous proposals were “too ambitious.”
The developers have pledged to scale back a “west wing” extension weeks before councillors are due to decide whether to pull the plug on a contract for the hotel project following the rejection of previous plans by the Scottish Government in October.
Developers Urbanist Hotels and Duddingston House Properties have been urged to walk away after ministers said their plans “would result in considerable damage to the setting of one of the most important neoclassical buildings in the city.”
In an open letter to councillors, Urbanist Hotels director David Orr revealed that Rosewood, the planned operator of a 125-room “six star” hotel, has pulled out.
But Mr Orr has have told the council a “five -star boutique arts hotel” can still be delivered on the site. It is understood plans for a 75- room hotel will be brought forward if a reprieve is granted.
Mr Orr claims a rival scheme, which would create a new home for a specialist music school, will involve “far more radical intervention” in the building.
The A-listed neo cl as sical landmark has been lying largely empty since the school relocated in 1968.
Mr Orr’s open letter states: “Very soon the council will make a critical decision about one of the city’ s most important buildings. We would appeal to councillors to take this decision fairly based on the facts and evidence."
William Gray Muir, chair of the Royal High School Preservation Trust, which is pursuing an alternative scheme on behalf at St Mary’ s Music School, said :" I think many people will, like us, feel frustrated that the developers continue to choose to ignore the overwhelming support for the music school.
"They’ ve wasted £5 million promoting their failed hotel scheme, but not a penny of this has gone on the building.”