Edinbrugh Assembly Rooms plans approved

A CONTROVERSIAL plan to sell off large chunks of the ground floor of one of Edinburgh's best-known Fringe venues has been given the green light.

The 9.3 million refurbishment of the Assembly Rooms on George Street, which will see the popular venue shut down for 18 months, is set to start within weeks.

The decision came despite opposition from Assembly Theatre, which runs the Fringe venue within the building every summer, attracting 11,000 supporters.

It opposed the plans to introduce two shops and a fine dining restaurant on the ground floor.

Sandy Ross, director of the Assembly Theatre, said: "We believe the proposals will fundamentally alter the nature of the Assembly Rooms."

Cllr Deidre Brock, the city's culture and leisure leader, said it was "an exciting new chapter" for the venue.