Spurtle has been studying heavily redacted emails which shed light on Edinburgh Council's struggle to find performance and events spaces in the city-central New Town.
Constraining factors include proprietors’ determination to reduce damage or disruption within St Andrew and Charlotte Square Gardens (Issue 260), partial closure of the Mound precinct during building works for the National Gallery of Scotland extension; a requirement to keep George Street clear for any traffic diverted by St James Quarter developments; and businesses’ and residents’ opposition to the wrong kind of creative hustle and bustle.
New venues
In January, CEC officials within Estates Services discussed build and de-rig timings and commercial aspects of an event proposed for Festival Square.
Council officials also discussed with Historic Environment Scotland using Holyrood Park in the summer. ‘The preference is for shorter-term use [there] that has minimal impact on the ground. Noise can be a source of complaint with local residents as it carries very easily within the park. Again, there is no lighting so [HES’s] preference is for daytime events.’
Spurtle can think of at least one July resident it would be awkward to irritate.
Feeling the squeeze
In the same month, CEC was in touch with Essential Edinburgh and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society on public-realm in George Street and Castle Street.
Redacted (presumably commercial) individuals thanked CEC’s City Centre Programme Manager for ‘gently guiding’ what was ‘potentially a very tricky discussion’ on 23 January at the Fringe Society offices concerning use of George Street in the summer.
As well as officials, that meeting was attended by representatives of Assembly, New Wee Theatre, the Chamber of Commerce, C Venues, Edinburgh International Book Festival, The Stand/Salt n’ Sauce, and Essential Edinburgh.
As early as December 2016, Essential Edinburgh had already approached the Council offering to coordinate a programme of activities for 2017, and to provide daily site management. We understand this would involve George Street blocks, particularly towards the west end where EE is keen to increase footfall. CEC liked this idea in principle, and aimed to finalise EE's role by January 2017. EE would then submit a proposal by March and CEC would issue approval, if appropriate, by April.
The effects of events staged in St Andrew Square Garden (and their associated structures) have disturbed surrounding proprietors who hold the head lease. They now want a toned-down approach to entertainment here.
Alternative locations for the Famous Spiegeltent venue were discussed by the promoter and CEC officials in early February.
It wouldn’t fit safely in Castle Street, and Festival Square frontagers were concerned about noise.
A different ‘concession’ was already negotiating access to the blaise area in West Princes Street Garden so that was ruled out. The Mound Precinct was discussed, but the level of redaction makes interpretation impossible.
Reading between extensively blocked lines, it appears that Spiegeltent promoters pulled out all the stops to find an alternative location. They promised to retain public permeability (except for ticketed shows) in a normally public space (Princes Street Gardens?), although drunks would be escorted through and away, and children would not be allowed around licensed areas. ‘[A]ny branding would be kept as low impact as possible.’
‘We are all Edinburgh residents,’ argued one anonymised correspondent, ‘and have a care for the city, not just our own pockets and we are enthusiastic about finding ways to work in collaborations especially where these can keep money circulating in the local economy … I am very grateful to the council for the assistance in this, and I understand the complexity of all the conflicting imperatives in runnning a city centre: but time is now so short […]’.
On 8 March, it was confirmed that ‘last-ditch’ appeals to retain the Spiegeltent in St Andrew Square had failed. It will not feature as an Edinburgh venue this year.
Spurtle breathed a sigh of relief. We love the Spiegeltent. We’ve enjoyed events inside it. But we love Edinburgh’s built-heritage environment more. It is, after all, what makes events and festivals here uniquely attractive in the first place.
What seems to be emerging is that the capital’s city centre is fast reaching full capacity for Fringe shows. But our cash-starved Council will move heaven and earth to accommodate as many as possible.
- Pessimistically, Spurtle fears Princes Street Gardens (East and West) risk being sacrificed as green, tranquil areas to accommodate loud, animating, money-generating Events (not least around a new, larger-capacity Ross Bandstand and an associated hospitality/catering structure).
- Based on their track record in St Andrew Square, we think allowing Essential Edinburgh to coordinate and manage events in city-centre public spaces is a terrible idea and an abrogation of the Council's responsibility.
- We’re concerned that Ironside Farrar’s far-sighted but expensive-to-implement George Street design principles will be shelved in favour of making Edinburgh’s jewel in the crown operate safely as an entertainment cash-cow.
- We would not be at all surprised if the admirably intentioned, already long-delayed City Centre Public Spaces Manifesto ends up being quietly dropped or watered down.
Demand answers
We all love the festivals and other special events in the capital. But if we're not to be devoured by these prodigious offspring, we need to draw a line.
In Spurtle’s non-party-political opinion, concerned voters in all Edinburgh wards should press candidates about issues affecting our city centre in the run-up to May’s local-authority elections.
Take a stand now. Make your views known. Before decisions are taken for you.
This article draws on responses to a Freedom of Information request (EDR:14030) to City of Edinburgh Council by The Ferret investigative journalism platform. We gratefully acknowledge their cooperation.
Got a view? Tell us at spurtle@hotmail.co.uk or @theSpurtle or Facebook
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