SAVE OUR OLD TOWN CAMPAIGN
The Canongate Community Forum has been campaigning against plans to demolish listed buildings and people`s homes on the Canongate, the lower part of The Royal Mile in the World Heritage Site since October 2005. Caltongate is the name given to the controversial £300million project.
Scheme could cost Edinburgh its World Heritage status The Times July 17th 2008
** Do continue to let the council know that this will be their St James Centre and please SIGN THE PETITION and find out what else You Can Do
***News 27th Aug 2008 Council Rubber Stamps Plans once more see Blog for details***
www.independentrepublicofthecanongate.blogspot.com
Write to Scottish Ministers
Below is the letter that has been sent to all Scottish Ministers including First Minister Alex Salmond from The CCF. See How to Help to find out what you can still do to help.
The Canongate Community Forum
What will be lost
Affected buidlings
- 1930s Stone Tenements by E J McRae at 221-229 Canongate
Demolished to make way for road to link East Market Street with the Canongate and part of the 5 star 200 bed Hotel
- The Canongate Venture, 5 New Street. (formerly North Canongate Infant School) which is a Queen Ann Style Red Sandstone by Robert Wilson 1900-1901. Listed 13/08/1987
Completely demolished to make way for a conference centre and with a 4 storey bridge built over New Street to connect it to hotel (think Cumbernauld) creating a tunnel for cars to drive under, obscuring present view down New Street toward Calton Hill
- The Old Sailor's Ark building (formerly Maddocks Tie), 231 Canongate. Mountgrange who now own 75% of it , with the Ark Trust owning the remaining 25%, which they run their homeless service from. Listed 01/02/2000
Mostly demolished to make way for a 5 star, 7 storey 200 bed hotel
- The former Vegetable Market on East Market Street (known to be Common Good Land) To make way for a supermarket.
Other losses
- Jeffrey Street Wall, Vaults, Railing and Pier `C` listed 24/01/03 would be affected greatly by the building of the land mark office building, and change of use to upmarket retail and an artists quarter.
- The development layout would block existing views across the Waverly Valley, up to Calton Hill from Jeffrey Street, St Mary’s Street, The Royal Mile, Cranston Street and New Street, and obscure the spine of the Royal Mile from Calton Hill, North Bridge and Regent Terrace.
Other changes
In the masterplan, East Market Street will be renamed Parliament Way and a large area of the Canongate district will be renamed Caltongate.
- Private car parking is to be provided for all parts of the development.
