Edinburgh WHS - news today

[Nemesis]

Plenty of news reporting yesterday and today from Edinburgh about the UNESCO mission (see people - ordinary folk protesting can have some effect) with the Save Our Old Town campaign featuring strongly. Some of the TV and news coverage was only in Scotland, but national BBC TV this morning had a short item and lunchtime news a much longer one, which included Sally Richardson from SOOT speaking sense and Neil Baxter from RIAS sounding bland and a rather silly attempt to undermine UNESCO.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7723840.stm

It will probably be repeated on this evening's BBC news, worth watching as no shots of the ghastly developments such as Quatermile and the Omni, or indeed the new council offices, no shots either of the listed buildings to be demolished on the Royal Mile for a nasty Sofitel hotel and horrid new retail/office'conference'flats scheme by Mountgrange (Caltongate). Simply a beautiful historic city and World Heritage Site looking magnificent despite the council and greedy developers' attempts to spoil it.

http://www.eh8.org.uk

and the blog.

 

[Nemesis]

Links to several reports via the blog, here's a shortened version of that TV news:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7724924.stm

previous:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7493612.stm

Sally Richardson, of the Save Our Old Town Campaign, said when the city had applied for World Heritage status 13 years ago it had signed up to Unesco's criteria for protecting and enhancing.

"We welcome Unesco's visit - they're coming here to offer international experience," she said.

"We're not fighting against development; we're fighting for the right development.

"My children and the children of the Royal Mile Primary School will see buildings on their street demolished to make way for retail-led development that's not going to add to the story of their city."

 

[Nemesis]

Scotsman today:

City centre buildings 'pose threat' to world heritage site


13 November 2008
By Brian Ferguson
TOWERING new buildings, large-scale developments and modern schemes out of keeping with their historic surroundings risk damaging Edinburgh's world heritage site, Unesco chiefs warned yesterday.

The city council and the business community have been warned the whole "integrity" of the Old and New Towns will be in doubt if developments are allowed to proceed unchecked.

On the opening day of an official visit which could see Scotland's capital stripped of its world heritage status, Mechtild Rössler, Europe and North America chief at Unesco's world heritage centre, said it was vital for Edinburgh to guard against development that was "incompatible" with its surroundings. She said it was particularly crucial that key views of the city centre, including from the main approaches to the city, were not ruined.

Dr Rössler dismissed claims that Edinburgh's world heritage status risked holding back development and instead warned the city's economy could suffer long-term damage if widescale change in the heart of Edinburgh was accepted. She spoke out as details emerged of a damning report to Unesco from a key advisory body, warning that the scale of developments planned for Edinburgh city centre could have a dramatic impact on the city's world heritage site.

Dr Rössler, who is accompanied by Professor Manfred Wehdorn, of the International Council on Monuments, in Edinburgh this week, said: "We are well aware of the strength of the debate in Edinburgh. We have received hundreds of letters and the arguments have been very passionate.

"It's important to remember that world heritage status was awarded to Edinburgh based on its historic buildings and street patterns. We are not arguing that cities should be maintained like museums.

"It's totally false for anyone to suggest that, but development has to be compatible with what is there, whether it is a tall building or a modern new development in an historic location.

"It's very important that existing views are maintained for the citizens of Edinburgh and great care should be taken to ensure that new developments are in keeping with what is already there."

Can't say we didn't warn them...