THREE years to the day after Edinburgh's historic Old Town was hit by a massive fire, heritage advocates, business owners and politicians have united in calls to speed up regeneration of the Cowgate.
Despite initial excitement around plans to rebuild the site, a formal planning application to the city council has yet to be submitted for the area which lies in the World Heritage area, a council spokesman confirmed yesterday.
A large crater of
debris still marks the area consumed by the 52-hour blaze, which began on 7 December 2002 and destroyed 12 properties in the heart of the Old Town.
Sources close to the process say rebuilding has stalled because of squabbling among the joint-owners of the fire-ravaged site. In an attempt to reach a resolution, the council considered buying the site through a Compulsory Purchase Order, but rejected the idea because legal proceedings could have dragged on even longer, sources said.
The area is now at least a year away from regeneration, as any planning application must pass through the council's lengthy review process.
David McDonald, a director of Edinburgh preservation group the Cockburn Association, said: "This is a vital part of the World Heritage Site to redevelop in a sympathetic manner.
"It is also an incredibly complex site to introduce a new building in, as I believe there are at least nine different owners involved and diverse interests, including the heritage concerns. It is in the interest of the city to avoid a generational gap-site in the Cowgate and everyone must pull together to get this right".
The council's planning department has outlined guidelines for development. An initial proposal for a tall office tower was rejected in a unofficial meeting with the council earlier this year, sources within the council said.
Bill Cunningham, the Labour councillor who represents the Cowgate area, said: "Obviously no-one is happy with a large gaping hole in the middle of the Old Town. We have made it clear what would be acceptable to us and the site owners have got to get it together".
Mr Cunningham said any acceptable development will be likely to contain a mix of office space, restaurants, affordable housing and University of Edinburgh student housing. The University owns the largest piece of land in the fire-ravaged area. He said no new pubs, clubs or bars would be accepted.
He said: "We will allow as many pubs or bars as was destroyed in the fire, but no more."
Jenny Dawe, the city's Liberal Democrat group leader, said: "Three years does seem a very long time. Plans should have begun when demolition was still going on."
Local business owners said yesterday swift regeneration of the site is crucial to the overall viability of the historic area.
Jacqueline Mackie, owner of the Blackfriars News said: "Obviously, the look and feel of the area is important for our sales. For the last year and a half I've heard different things, but nothing has materialised. It's becoming a real eyesore".
However Director of City Development, Andrew Holmes, said he was hopeful of a proposal in the coming weeks.
He said: "We have issued a planning brief and have been in discussion with site owners and at the moment we believe a development solution will be emerging shortly".
Construction is currently taking place in the Cowgate, but it is the restoration of a footway and has nothing to do with the fire site, the council said.
The owners of the fire-hit site include Raymond Codona, owner of the former Leisureland amusement arcade; Hafid Mahboub, owner of La Belle Angele nightclub; Forbes Leslie, owner of the Gilded Balloon building; and Edinburgh University.
The group's spokesman was not available for comment yesterday.
The full article contains 649 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
