Garden vision

With reference to Bill Veich’s vision for Princes Street Gardens (Letters, 1 April) I would suggest that the gardens could be improved much further.

With any property, what do you not want at the foot of the garden? A rail line, especially one as busy as Princes Street, would reduce the amenity and value of any asset. Why do we have one in the centre of our city?

If the gardens area was roofed over at street level – lifting some of the trees, the monuments and pathways to the same level, think of the advantages – we could create a city square to rival any in the world, the redeveloped Ross Theatre could be positioned further against the Castle Rock (incorporating an escalator up the Castle esplanade?) and the fences on the street itself could be removed and the entire area to the south of Princes Street opened up to pedestrians.

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One, maybe two, floors could be created under the new ground level gardens and car parking spaces created. It may be that soon Edinburgh Council will accept that the car is part of modern life, and has to be catered for.

Access from the Mound and by King’s Stables Road/Castle Terrace would be possible. Perhaps a line of underground shops where the shelters are at present, a wider roadway to separate buses and trams, any number of improvements could be envisaged.

Ah, but no, this is Edinburgh. The idea of developing the city centre for the new century will never happen unless someone can make a profit out of it.

Wilson Rider

Myreside Road

Edinburgh

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