Former school set to book a place at heart of city's literary quarter

A FORMER Victorian school at the centre of the campaign against the doomed Caltongate development in Edinburgh's Old Town is being lined up as the city's latest arts centre.

Council leaders have admitted the former North Canongate Infant School, just off the Royal Mile, has been saved from demolition following the collapse of the controversial Caltongate scheme last week.

The Scotsman can reveal the building, in New Street, would become a publishing, literacy and writer's centre under plans put forward by a new development trust.

Senior councillors say an arts centre is the most likely use for the C-listed building, latterly known as the Canongate Venture building, which had been due to be demolished to make way for a five-star hotel and conference centre at the heart of the Caltongate scheme.

Although the council was approached several months ago about bringing the building, converted into office space in 1968, back into use after lying empty for several years, those plans were put on hold while the local authority attempted to rescue Caltongate after its original developer went into administration.

It emerged last week that the council had withdrawn a number of its assets, including the Canongate Venture building, from any future development after talks to revive Caltongate collapsed.

The old school building, which dates back to 1901, is now set to be promoted as a hub for publishers, literary organisations, writers and illustrators, and performing artists. A reading and rehearsal room is envisaged, as well as a cafe and bookshop.

• Origins of historic Scottish school examined

Its backers hope it will become a key part of the city's booming literary quarter - which already includes the Scottish Storytelling Centre, publisher Canongate, and the Scottish Poetry Library.

Jim Lowrie, Edinburgh city council's planning leader, said: "Basically, all the previous proposals for the sites we owned which were part of Caltongate are now dead. We know there is a lot of support in the local community for doing something with the Canongate Venture building, and an arts centre would be a good use."

Proposals submitted to the council by the Old Town Development Trust state: "The building is the only one of its type in the Canongate area and has great symbolic and historic value to the local community. When in use it was maintained in good condition but has suffered from some neglect since letting ceased."

Trust spokeswoman Catriona Grant said: "Everything to do with this building has been on hold while the council were trying to revive Caltongate, but now that has collapsed hopefully we will start to see things moving quite quickly."

Arts impresario Richard Demarco said: "It's a lovely building and I'm glad it has been saved.The trouble with Caltongate was the architecture looked as if it could've been in any big city in the UK."