Royal Mile landmark set to lose council funding

ROYAL Mile landmark the Tron Kirk is set to have funding pulled due to a cash crisis.

The 17th-century former church has been used as an exhibition centre and has been run by Edinburgh World Heritage since 2018.

Until 1993 it was the site of the city’s Hogmanay celebration.

It is on the Buildings at Risk Register, but the City of Edinburgh Council has said it is under too much financial pressure due to the pandemic to put funds into it.

Terry Levintha, a director of heritage body the Cockburn Association, said: “The announcement that Edinburgh World Heritage has pulled out of its lease and project proposals for the Tron Kirk is a huge blow for the heritage of Edinburgh.

“The Tron is a Category A-listed building that sits in the heart of the Old Town and World Heritage Site. Its’ deteriorating condition and lack of a long-term use finds it placed on the Buildings at Risk Register.

“The Tron provided the opportunity to invest in the historic fabric of the city, which would also reinforce the city’s tourism offer, given that the vast majority of people visit Edinburgh because it is a historic city.

“It is ironic that £800,000 goes to the organisers of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay but nothing to save this iconic building.”

Councillor Rob Munn, convener of the Finance and Resources Committee at Edinburgh Council, said: “After carefully considering our options last December, the committee decided allocating the funding requested would put too much stress on our budget, which has many competing pressures, including those due to the health pandemic.

“We’re bringing a report to the city in May on options for the short and longer-term future of this historic and important building.”