Assembly Rooms to finally get overhaul

Plans for a massive revamp of the council-owned venue - one of the mainstays of the Fringe - have suffered a series of funding problems since they were unveiled in 2006.

The 12 million project was hit by a major blow when it failed to win 2.7m of lottery funding earlier this year.

But council chiefs held crisis talks to find a way of getting work going and have now downsized the plans.

The new proposals - due to be submitted to planners this week - will cost 9.3m and funding is in place.

Council chiefs have also started the hunt for a contractor to carry out the work.

Work is due to start in January - with potentially lengthy asbestos removal one of the first tasks - and council officials insist it is "essential" the work is completed by June 2012, to allow the city to play an important part in the government's "cultural olympiad", which will run alongside the 2012 Olympic Games.

Councillor Deidre Brock, the city's culture and leisure leader, said: "The sad truth now is that the Assembly Rooms are in desperate need of full refurbishment in order to guarantee their future.

"The plans which have been submitted for planning approval will do just this."

Among the features of the original project to be dropped to save money is the replacement of the balcony in the music hall, with the existing balcony now to be refurbished.

Plans to fit secondary glazing in all windows in the ballroom have also been dropped, and materials to be used for floor finishes and specialist decorations have also been reviewed to strip out costs. An extension on to Rose Street that would have seen an existing toilet replaced by a kitchen has also been scrapped.

Most of the major parts of the original scheme are still included in the new proposals, including plans for better acoustics and new seating in the main Music Hall, new bars throughout the building, new lifts and a fine dining restaurant in the existing Supper Room.

Opposition councillors welcomed the news, but warned that delays and overspends must be avoided.

Councillor Gordon Buchan, culture and leisure spokesman for the city's Tories, said: "We had a step back by not getting the full funding but it is encouraging to know that there is a way to get some enhancement, even if it is disappointing that we can't get the full scheme.

"If there is a reduced spec, it is important to ensure that the project does not overrun and that the budget remains fixed."