Tron Kirk restaurant plan anger

Published on Thursday 24 August 2006 12:15

CONTROVERSIAL plans to turn a historic Old Town church into a plush new restaurant have attracted more than 300 letters of protest.

The Old Town Information Centre, which currently leases the Tron Kirk, has been inundated with letters from residents, tourists and historians, opposing plans to redevelop the building and the adjoining Hunter Square public toilets.

The city council believes the move would turn the Tron Kirk into the a vibrant hub for the area. But many people would rather see it remain as an information centre, or given another role. Jan-Andrew Henderson, 43, who has managed the centre for the past four years, is set to pass the letters on to the council.

In his own letter he argued the proposal would damage the historic fabric of the building, as well as Edinburgh's oldest paved street - Marlin's Wynd.

Mr Henderson wrote: "I'm a historian and I truly love the building. The Tron has become more than just a place of business to me. While I would wholeheartedly welcome renovation, I share the local community's feeling that converting part of the Tron into a restaurant is an ill-advised idea.

"Every year a new proposal comes out because the council are desperate to do something with the Tron.

"The story is always that the Tron is not being utilised enough, but it's being utilised brilliantly."

Mr Henderson is concerned that visitors to the city could lose their only source of tourist information in the Old Town. The centre attracts more than 300,000 visitors every year who come to find out more about the city's historic Old Town.

Although a new restaurant would not necessarily mean the end for the centre, Mr Henderson fears it would jeopardise its future. He said:

"The building definitely needs a cash injection, but I can't see how converting part of it into a restaurant would be of benefit.

"The Royal Mile is already chock-a-block with cafes that open up then close down because there are too many of them."

Many of the letters of objection handed in to the centre have included other proposals for the Tron, including a space for artists and craftsmen to display their work - or a market for local produce.

Other people said they wanted to see improvements to the information centre, such as the installation of internet terminals.

But the council claims its plans will revitalise the building. Councillor Brian Fallon, city property and business leader, said: "The plans to revitalise the Tron Kirk will make it another hub for the Old Town. It will transform a great Edinburgh landmark into a modern attraction."