Music matters

The letter from Urbanist Hotels ("Old Royal High”, 13 January) completely ignores what has happened over the past ten years. I think many people will, like us, feel frustrated that the developers continue to choose to disregard the overwhelming support for the music school on the site of the Old Royal High School in Edinburgh.

Urbanist has wasted £5 million promoting their failed hotel scheme, but not a penny of this has gone on the building. No wonder they are desperate to keep some kind of hold on the site to try to recover this wasted investment. And let’s remember, it is their failure to deliver on their promises which has led to the building being held hostage to increasing decay for over ten years.

In terms of the Royal High School Preservation Trust' s (RHSPT) funding they know perfectly well that the funding is in place, in the form of a cash deposit held by Dunard Fund. By contrast, the city has no such guarantees from the hotel developers, whose original partner, Rosewood, has walked away. So, they offer nothing other than vague promises.

The Idea that their proposal was better for the building Is risible. The RHSPT scheme had the support of every major heritage stakeholder, Including Historic Environment Scotland, the Cockburn Association, the Scottish Civic Trust, the New Town and Broughton Community Council and the city's own planning and listed building department. It was unanimously granted consent by the planning committee.

The fact is, if asked to proceed, we have ever y thing in place to create a new cultural asset for the city and its residents, with public gardens and concert facilities, at no public cost. This latest desperate attempt to maintain a hold on a building against a backdrop of nearly ten years of failure would be laughable if It wasn't so depressingly predictable.

WILLIAM GRAY MUIR

Chair, Royal High School Preservation Trust, c/o Charlotte Square, Edinburgh