Edinburgh thanks UNESCO

What a week it has been so far with everyone getting their tuppence worth in about Unesco had to say about how we here in the capital are looking after our piece of heritage for future generations of the world. Well I think if we are not to be laughed at or pitied then really we should agree that we have is worth cherishing and not to throw it under a bulldozer on the whims of a greedy speculator in what ever era we are living in, or at under the so called justification warcrys of "Progress" or "Money, money , money" "jobs, jobs, jobs"

We are all just passing through, visiting the earth and her wonders, whether human made or natural.

Thank you Unesco for having a voice for humankind, especially the little people..Edinburgh thanks you and future generations will do too.


Scotsman Piece here

Unesco deals blow to World Heritage Site development plans for Edinburgh

From the piece -"Its annual heritage summit in Seville has passed strongly-worded resolutions urging the City of Edinburgh Council and the Scottish Government to scale back plans for a 17-storey hotel at Haymarket and redraw a £300 million Old Town scheme."

Someone had painted this on the hoardingsof New St Site Nov 08 for visiting Unesco delegation to see

Read here what the pro development lobby are saying

The Canongate Macrae Tenements that were to be demolished for the project

and heres what Wilsons Weekly Wrap made of it all
So far the Scottish government has responded by saying that Unesco’s recommendations will be taken into account in the final planning inquiry decision, the developer has effectively said, bugger off, and Gordon Murray of gm + ad has exploded with rage at the very idea of any (external) body interfering with the right of (external) developers to completely knacker our cities in the name of mammon. Indeed Gordon has got himself into such a froth in the AJ’s daily bulletin as to lump Unesco, Prince Charles, the City of Bath Council into a huge conspiracy against local democratic processes.

The best bit of the tirade is when he cites Historic Scotland, the National Trust and the Royal Commission of Ancient and Historic Monuments as the agencies that provide us with the intellectual basis from which to appraise our own heritage, his point being, I think, that we don’t need Johnny Foreigner lecturing us on the value of our culture.

Haymarket Horror Hotel

Just a pity that none of the agencies he lists has ever been known to demonstrate any democratic instincts whatsoever. But then, Gordon appears to see the purpose of World Heritage Site status as an enhancer of tourism, a viewpoint the City of Edinburgh Council has certainly taken in the past, not having bothered to read the bit of the Unesco citation that conferred responsibility upon it for the future protection of the capital’s Old and New Towns. Time, lads to read the small print of the contract."

Unesco meet Seville

The World Heritage Committee is currently meeting for its 33rd session in Seville, Spain from 22-30 June. During the session, the Committee will consider requests for the inscription of new sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List and examine the state of conservation of sites already inscribed on the List. The Committee is chaired by H. E. Mrs María Jesús San Segundo, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Spain to UNESCO.

The World Heritage Committee consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, elected by the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention.

Remember this headline from earlier this month....

Unesco insists Capital must scrap £300m Caltongate scheme

in The Scotsman from the piece -

"A £300 MILLION development in Edinburgh's historic Old Town has been thrown deeper into chaos after Unesco inspectors demanded council leaders have the whole scheme returned to the drawing board.

Councillors are set to face international condemnation at a world heritage summit in Seville next month after a damning report urged wholescale changes be made to the Caltongate scheme – even though it has received final approval from the Scottish Government."

" Leaked documents obtained by The Scotsman reveal that heritage inspectors are demanding a reprieve for two listed buildings threatened with demolition, the scrapping of a modern building which would have blocked views from Jeffrey Street, and a full review of how the development would impact on views from Calton Hill."

"The council is expected to face a major dilemma over the future of the site if Unesco's world heritage committee approves the report's recommendations, as expected. The local authority has had two other major developments called in for public inquiries within the past few months, as well as having to deal with a Unesco investigation triggered last summer."

Remember this after the Unesco delegation visit Unesco slam city on Caltongate

UNESCO yesterday criticised Edinburgh council's handling of the Caltongate development and said the demolition of two listed buildings could have been avoided, The Scotsman can reveal.

Its European heritage chief, Dr Mechtild Rössler, condemned the council for allowing the London developer Mountgrange to draw up the initial blueprint for the huge Old Town site, by Waverley Station."

"Jim Lowrie, Edinburgh city council's planning leader, admitted the local authority could be left in a "tricky position" if the council's handling of Mountgrange was strongly criticised and asked for a response."

"However, Mountgrange has launched an attack on Unesco, the world heritage body, branding it an "irrelevance" and saying it is not interested in its views on the £300 million development." (did he really say that?)

The firm said it has no intention of postponing the start of work until after next summer's World Heritage summit, in Seville, discusses Edinburgh.

A spokesman Mark Cummings of Never Beaten PR said a "dangerous precedent" would be set if a major developer had to wait until Unesco had delivered its judgment, and insisted that Mountgrange had no intention of changing its scheme, even if key criticisms were made by Unesco." Mountgrange in administration

They will be discussing Edinburgh either tomorrow or Thursday.

Caltongate must be scrapped insist UNESCO

"Unesco insists Capital must scrap £300m Caltongate scheme"

The elephant in the room is of course Caltongate, no one utters the word in council corridors any more, we hear, they are hoping it will go away, but in sunny Spain this year it is to come back and , well, we all know what elephants do...Why did Caltongate not get a public inquiry?

In the republic we can`t help thinking that the Council have obviously not passed any exams in how to defend their decisions to approve bad developments, perhaps they should pay a visit to the Argument Clinic

With today`s headline -

Unesco insists Capital must scrap £300m Caltongate scheme

in The Scotsman they must be scratching their heads on what to say next

from todays piece -

"A £300 MILLION development in Edinburgh's historic Old Town has been thrown deeper into chaos after Unesco inspectors demanded council leaders have the whole scheme returned to the drawing board.

Councillors are set to face international condemnation at a world heritage summit in Seville next month after a damning report urged wholescale changes be made to the Caltongate scheme – even though it has received final approval from the Scottish Government."

" Leaked documents obtained by The Scotsman reveal that heritage inspectors are demanding a reprieve for two listed buildings threatened with demolition, the scrapping of a modern building which would have blocked views from Jeffrey Street, and a full review of how the development would impact on views from Calton Hill."

"The council is expected to face a major dilemma over the future of the site if Unesco's world heritage committee approves the report's recommendations, as expected. The local authority has had two other major developments called in for public inquiries within the past few months, as well as having to deal with a Unesco investigation triggered last summer."

Yes, they certainly do

This week plans to demolish the art deco Odeon Cinema approved by the council were called in by the Scottish Government, see here

and of course there is the public inquiry that ended yesterday on plans approved by council for the Haymarket Horror Hotel

Then there is the matter of the council not getting the money they are owed from developers...

Meggetland - "A NEW community hall is set to be mothballed after council officials failed to collect £200,000 to pay for it from a now defunct housebuilder". article here

Then there`s the rent from the council homes they emptied on behalf of Caltongate Developer`s Mountgrange

a council blinded by the pie in the sky promises from the big boys and the bling of it all...they think they are big business but in reality they have not a clue, how would they fair on the Apprentice we wonder...thing is though its a capital city and people`s lives they are playing with and its for real.