Caltongate not to happen?

Above a blast from the past in 2006, with our Canongate Coo in front of the Macrae tenements emptied for greedy property developer`s Mountgrange, who planted perspex cows all over the city with their name on it for the Cow Parade that year.

Word on the street is that the council are re-populating the empty council tenancies that they emptied on behalf on Mountgrange, so they could knock them down for their French run Accor Caltongate luxury 5 star hotel.

But now in these uncertain global economic times, it looks like they are listening to folk like us and housing the citys`s residents, which is their first priority, instead of pandering to London resident Manish Chande demands.

The council have still not answered a FOI request from October on the council tenancies at 221 and 227 Canongate. See Here

See SOOT`s 2008`s Hogmanay Protest outside empty homes

The "Caltongate" Five Star Hotel

The French hotel group Accor is to replace the Canongate Tenements which have 8 council tenancies as well as the flats bought by Mountgrange`s letting agents Rettie and Co. They will also have the conference centre that would replace the listed historical building the Canongate Venture on East Market St. It is very much a game of Monopoly

The hotel operator are prepared to go in and build their 5 star Sofitel hotel where historical buildings and homes should stay, just so they can have a sought after address on Edinburgh`s Monopoly board - The Royal Mile.

The founder of the Accor group has been in the news lately talking about his bike ride in Tibet

And it looks like Mountgrange wants to help spread SOOT all over the Auld Reekie once again, by having real fires in the exclusive rooms, so much for their green washing of it all with their underground heating source system paid by the British Taxpayer awarded by Alastair Darling.....(the social housing will not be served by it of course, now don`t be silly) They think that we don`t know that it is environmentally damaging to knock down sound stone buildings (emodied energy) and replace them with lumps of concrete and glass.....but hey, if they mention the words sustainability, underground source heating, Department of Trade and Industry giving grants!! then tee hee we will be fooled.

"Chande told Property Week: ‘The upper floors will have the “wow factor”, with stunning views over the Old Town and Calton Hill from the presidential suite. There are real chimneys, so guests can enjoy proper fires in their rooms. " Article