Funds boost set to allow Rooms' improvement

THE multi-million-pound revamp of Edinburgh's flagship festival venue has been handed a boost after it secured funding from two public bodies.

Original plans for a 12 million revamp of the Assembly Rooms had to be scaled back after a bid for 2.7 million of lottery funding was rejected.

Now the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has now agreed to back a reduced 9.3m project, which is due to get under way in January.

The HLF has agreed to provide 471,000 for the project, while Historic Scotland has pledged around 318,000.

The council will also raise 6m through prudential borrowing, invest 2m of pre-agreed fundsand spend 250,000 from its city regeneration plan budget.

Councillor Deidre Brock, the city's culture and leisure leader, said: "HLF clearly recognise how important the Assembly Rooms are to Edinburgh's cultural, architectural and social heritage, as well as their real potential to become one of the city's premier venues.

"We are currently awaiting consideration of the refurbishment plans by the planning committee. If the project is given the go-ahead, we're well placed to begin work in 2011."

A funding shortfall of just under 300,000 already exists, based on the estimated project cost. But council chiefs are hopeful that ongoing talks with bodies including Scottish Enterprise and Creative Scotland will have a positive outcome.

The final cost of the project will only be known when a deal is struck with a contractor later this year.

A joint report by Dave Anderson, the council's director of city development and Jim Inch, director of corporate services, said: "The resources required to deliver the re-scoped project are now realisable."

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, retail units on the ground floor and a new restaurant.

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

Plans to fit secondary glazing in the ballroom have also been dropped, and materials to be used for floors and specialist decorations have also been reviewed to strip out costs.

A spokesman for HLF confirmed that the council's outline proposals had been endorsed for 471,000 of funding. He said: "The project will have three strands of work, which will include addressing the seriously damaged interior and exterior of the building, improving general access and upgrading the interior to bring it up to modern standards."

A spokeswoman for Historic Scotland said: "The application for grant aid for the works to the Assembly Rooms was successful in securing a commitment of 318,000. This was based on the eligible works - Historic Scotland building repair grants are restricted to repair works to the existing historic fabric and can not be used for additions or new build."