Julie Logan: Fresh start all built in for blighted Caltongate site

The very name Caltongate has unfortunately now become synonymous with bad planning, bad public engagement and the unsympathetic development within a World Heritage site.

Indeed this area of the Canongate has been blighted by the association as much as by the forced eviction of residents and businesses, leaving land and buildings neglected and derelict for five years.

This time, the new Caltongate developers have made a good start by meeting with local organisations to discuss how the community would like to be engaged. There are likely to be workshops where members of the community can contribute rather than the usual exhibition of draft plans which people can comment on. They have also demonstrated a cooperative approach by allowing the temporary use of the hoardings round the site to be used for street art, and encouraging other temporary “pop up” uses to enliven the site and bring people back to the area.

It is hoped that the new plans will take account of the issues that were raised by the community during the Canongate Project and a plethora of other recent planning consultations on the future development of the area.

The main objections to the original scheme, which was approved by the council, focused on a number of issues including the lack of affordable family housing, as well as a feeling that the statutory quota of affordable housing was being “ghettoised” off the main site on Calton Road. Concerns were also raised about the lack of space for community uses and poor pedestrian links across the site to the nearby St James Centre and Calton Hill.

The blocking of the historic views from Jeffrey Street by an oversized and unsympathetic building were another bone of contention.

Many people felt that too much space was being devoted to building new offices and an overly large hotel, while listed buildings and solidly-built homes on the Royal Mile were being demolished rather than integrated and reused.

The loss of affordable workspaces for start-up and creative industries also caused concern.

By reworking the Canongate and East Market Street areas of the plans it is hoped that many of these issues can be resolved.

A new proposal which takes account of the latest guidance on heritage, sustainability, economic resilience and place-making would be welcomed, particularly if the new developers continue to engage positively with the community.

In any case in the intervening period, the market has changed, there has been significant amount of additional student accommodation and hotel development constructed and approved in the Old Town area over the last five to ten years.

At the same time the need to provide affordable homes, workspaces and services for the permanent residents has become more acute than ever. A site like this provides a real opportunity to address those needs and create a truly sustainable development.

Whilst the developers have been clear that the new scheme needs to fulfil certain commercial requirements, it still remains to be seen if their willingness to engage with the community will really translate into new plans that address those needs and result in wider economic benefits for the Old Town.

We look forward to hearing from them at the Community Council meeting tonight at 7pm at the City Chambers, which is open to all.

Julie Logan is chairperson of the Old Town Community Council

Improvments deal worth £6.5m to city

WORK on the much delayed £300 million Caltongate project is expected to get under way this autumn.

Detailed plans for the site – that will see the construction of a five-star hotel, conference centre, offices, shops, cafes and 165 new homes – are now set to be drawn up but the project took a major step forward after the developer agreed public realm improvements with the city council. The deal to kick-start development on the Old Town gap site will inject more than £6.5 million into city improvements.

Guidelines indicated the council only required around £1.6m in public realm contributions but Artisan has agreed to provide around four times that after taking over the project in December from administration-hit Mountgrange Caltongate Ltd.

Artisan will fund enhancements to Calton Steps and Calton Road Railway Bridge – among other works yet to be disclosed – and pay towards increasing capacity at a secondary school, real-time bus information, a green travel plan and 645 square metres of business space, if the former North Canongate Infant School in New Street – now Canongate Venture – is redeveloped.