Grand plan for Old Town blaze site is unveiled

Published on Monday 31 March 2008 10:18

It is five years since inferno razed businesses to the ground but £40m scheme could be worth wait.

MORE than five years after a major fire ripped through the Old Town, detailed plans were today finally revealed for the future of the derelict Cowgate site.

Developers have launched a major consultation in their bid to create a "vibrant city district", with new pends and steps linking the historic South Bridge and Cowgate, as well as Chambers Street and Guthrie Street.

The 40 million scheme – dubbed SoCo – also includes two cafe-lined courtyards, and developer Whiteburn is in final talks with a major operator for a hotel with 165-plus rooms.

&#149 Click here to see a graphic of the lower levels of the development, showing the new pends, courtyard and steps

A planning application for the 10,000sq metre area, in the heart of Edinburgh's World Heritage Site, is now expected to be submitted to the city council later this year – and the project could be completed within two years.

But the fresh proposals will cause controversy, having scrapped both the possibility of housing on the site, or creating a new public venue – such as a cinema or concert hall. Instead, developers want restaurants and shops, creating around 100 jobs

It also emerged today that the owner of the La Belle Angele nightclub, which burned down, has finally agreed to sell up – but only in return for the creation of a new building suited to a club

City architect Allan Murray, who is designing the scheme, said: "SoCo will be a wonderful addition to Edinburgh's Old Town, with the steps and courtyards re-connecting Chambers Street and South Bridge directly from the Cowgate."

John Shepherd, chief executive of Whiteburn, added: "SoCo will become a destination for people to stay, work and relax within a vastly improved environment, providing jobs and hopefully kick-starting the regeneration of the area."

The December 2002 fire – blamed on a faulty fuse box – took 150 fire crews 52 hours to extinguish, and caused millions of pounds of damage.

In 2005, Whiteburn struck a deal to buy out eight site owners whose property was destroyed, including Edinburgh University, amusement arcade Leisureland, the Bridge Jazz Bar and nightspots Loca and Living Room. Only Hafid Mahboubi, of La Belle Angele, initially refused to sell.

The legal process took 18 months, and Whiteburn has since investigated a variety of different options – including housing and student residences – before settling on the plans revealed today.

The development's centrepiece would be a three or four star hotel. Discussions have been held with hotel operators, and the selection of the preferred firm is imminent. And a glass dome on the corner of Chambers Street and South Bridge is under consideration.

Up to three shops are planned for South Bridge, with another two outlets on Cowgate.

No pubs are proposed, but restaurants are in the pipeline.

The design includes new pends from South Bridge and Chambers Street, new steps opposite Blair Street on the Cowgate, and new links from Guthrie Street and a re-paved Hastie's Close. John Richardson, of Ripping Records on South Bridge, said: "I am delighted that after five years, a proposal has been drawn up.

"I am particularly pleased there will be a link between South Bridge and the Cowgate. This link will give an extra dimension to the bridges in the evening and the Cowgate during the day."

But Bill Cowan, spokesman for the Old Town Association, said: "This is a sensitive environment set in an historical context. Housing should be included for sustainability issues – people living and working in the same place."

He also raised concerns about problems on South Bridge with coachloads of hotel guests arriving, and said disabled access needed to be considered.