Watchdog warns new girls' dorm at Fettes will be blot on landscape

ONE of Scotland's leading private schools has come under fire over plans to create a modern all-girls boarding house in its grounds, because of fears it will ruin views of its famous 19th century main building.

Fettes College, which is said to have inspired JK Rowling to dream up her gothic vision of Hogwarts, is having to turn away girls because of a lack of boarding accommodation.

But a proposed 3 million development, which would accommodate up to 60 girls, has been criticised for harming the view of the 1870 building, designed by David Bryce.

Edinburgh's main heritage watchdog is trying to block plans for the modern three-storey building, which would replace four small staff houses to the west of the main Bryce building.

The Cockburn Association has warned the city council that the scheme is too prominent for the site and prove "highly damaging" to the A-listed landmark and its historic grounds.

Fettes boasts several Victorian and Edwardian boarding houses, to the south and east of the main building, although one modern one was created four years ago, near East Fettes Avenue. All are shielded by mature trees.

Glasgow-based architects Park and Park - whose projects have included the Maggies Centre in Inverness, the Lighthouse Centre in Glasgow, and the Lomond Shores complex at Loch Lomond - drew up the plans for the proposed new Fettes boarding house.

But the Cockburn Association said it was "very concerned" about the plans and has demanded that the proposed boarding house is moved to another part of the grounds.

Marion Williams, the group's director, said: "The existing Victorian and Edwardian boarding houses to the south of the main school building are all located within clearings in the trees and as such do not impact on the setting of the school or grounds in a significant way.

"It is most important that this approach should continue in the future.

"We believe that the design proposed and its setting in the landscape is highly damaging to the category A-listed building and the environs in which it is placed. We strongly object to these applications being granted permission in their present form."

Councillor Lesley Hinds, who represents the area and sits on the Edinburgh City Council's planning committee, said: "I know Fettes has been consulting for some time over these plans and I'm aware of the concerns of the Cockburn Association.

"This is obviously a very historic site and I'm sure the planning committee will do all it can to ensure any development fits in well with the existing landscape."

The new girls boarding school would be built to the west of Fettes' grounds, near to Westwoods, its leisure centre, which is open to the public.

Papers lodged with the city council claim the new boarding house will have "little impact" on the main building due to the screening of trees, a hedged tennis court and a fenced sports pitch between the proposed development and main building.

Peter Worlledge, bursar at Fettes, said: "Due to the continuing high demand for places at Fettes College and the finite numbers that can be accommodated in our existing boarding facilities, we are proposing the creation of a new boarding house. We have been turning pupils away as we simply don't have the available accommodation.

"We have gone to great lengths to make the consultation process, which started in December, as open and informative as possible.

"We take seriously our role as the keepers of this historically important building and site."