'Arts hotel' vision for Odeon rejected

THE future of a historic cinema building in Edinburgh city centre has been thrown into doubt after plans to turn it into an "arts hotel" were thrown out.

Councillors rejected a bid to demolish the listed main auditorium of the former Odeon, on South Clerk Street, despite claims by its owner that there is no other viable option for its future.

Edinburgh's planning committee had backed the same proposal for the B-listed building three years ago, only for the scheme by owners Duddingston House Properties to be called in and later rejected by the Scottish Government.

Community activists have since run a high-profile campaign against the proposed hotel development and have urged the firm to sell on the site.

However, Duddingston claims never to have received a bid anywhere near their current 2.9 million valuation, even though the firm paid just 1.5m when it was sold off by the cinema chain in 2003.

Heritage watchdogs also performed a U-turn over the firm's plans, insisting it had failed to properly explore alternatives to demolition.

Southside Community Council chairwoman Hilary McDowell said: "There wasn't a single person in the community that I spoke to that wanted anything other than a cinema. Nobody wants a hotel. The businesses don't, the locals don't.

"There was a lot of discussion to get to this decision, but we've got the right result."

Duddingston director Bruce Hare admitted he was "extremely disappointed" by the decision. and hinted the firm may appeal.