Canongate Redevelopment

That the Parliament welcomes the regeneration of the Canongate area but notes serious concerns about the current proposals and believes that the master plan put forward by Mountgrange fails to respect the very special character of Edinburgh’s Old Town; further notes that the Royal Mile acts as a main artery for the city with narrow closes and wynds flowing left and right, towering buildings rising on either side and sloping sharply downhill; believes that this “herring-bone” pattern has been established over many centuries, and makes a powerful and lasting impression; further believes that this historic scale, pattern and architecture must be used to set the parameters of the development; considers that the master plan fails to recognise this and also believes that it constitutes a risk of becoming a bland development which could exist anywhere instead of at the heart of a World Heritage site; notes three main concerns over the current master plan: firstly, the proposal to demolish buildings on the Canongate in order to provide a new road is simply not justified, noting that the existing continuous line of buildings along the Canongate is a vital ingredient in the special character of the Old Town as they add to the streetscape and were thoughtfully designed to match the style of architecture in the Canongate; secondly, the proposal to demolish listed buildings in other parts of the site is not justified as these buildings are listed because of their architectural merit and because they add to the character and setting of the Canongate, noting that the master plan proposes to demolish then replace them with buildings of inappropriate size and scale which will change the character of the area, further noting that reusing existing buildings avoids not just the cost but the energy required to create new buildings and believing that there is no justification for demolition other than for short-term economic gain; thirdly, notes that the street layout and size of buildings proposed do not complement the historic pattern and scale that the Old Town of Edinburgh is rightly famous for; considers that the proposed streets are not of a domestic scale and do not create a people-friendly environment; believes that the proposed buildings do not reflect the narrow and tall designs so typical of the area and do not respect the shape of the valley that separates the old and new towns; concurs with the Cockburn Association and Edinburgh World Heritage that, with more thought and recognition of the significance of the Old Town within the World Heritage Site, a better master plan can be developed which respects the special character of the Canongate and the aspirations of the local community as well as the aims of the city council and developer to regenerate the city, and resolves to assert that Edinburgh is a unique and special place and that its character must be preserved and celebrated.