News and Events
Kings Theatre revamp, plans for McEwan's brewery in Fountainbridge and Cala flats in Trinity
21st Oct 2010
Kings Theatre refurbishment
A major revamp of the King's Theatre is a step closer, with plans submitted to planners this week. The
council wants to repair and restore parts of the 1905 Edwardian Baroque
style building's roofing and walls, replace seating in the stalls and
dress circle, reconfigure the box office area and install a new access
lift to the stalls. Improved access to all areas appears to be a key
theme of the plans.
Leith-based Smith Scott Mullan Associates have been appointed as the architects by the City of Edinburgh Council, which bought the building in 1969. The council now leases it to the Festival City Theaters Trust.
The project design brief is "to undertake a programme of essential repair and improvement works to the theatre to allow it to continue to remain operational." Theatre bosses hope the work will be completed by August 2012.
See the planning papers, including some historic original plans from 1905, by clicking here.
Trinity flats
Cala Homes has applied to build 68 semi detached and terraced houses and one block
of 13 flats within existing walled grounds at South Trinity Road. The
flats would replace the now demolished NHS building, Trinity Park House.
The company is holding two public consultation events to test local opinion on their plans. They are inviting people to see the plans at the site itself on 12 and 13 November.
Fountain Brewery
As we mentioned in this morning's round up, plans have been submitted for the derelict Fountain Brewery site. Cityheart Limited is planning to build student residences, shops,
a library and a public park on the land south of Dundee Street,
opposite the Fountainbridge leisure complex. See the planning documents here.
The documents are marked "approved" but that doesn't mean the plans
have the green light. Planners have simply given approval to the very
first step of notification that plans will be submitted.
The development has a long way to go before being finalised and developers say they have sent letters asking to meet with Tollcross and Merchiston community councils as well as the South West Neighbourhood Partnership. They will also put a display in Fountainbridge Library for one week and offer briefings to local politicians.
Further consultation plans include an advert in the Evening News on 11 November and three drop in sessions for the public to view an exhibition of plans in the Best Western Bruntsfield Hotel on 18, 19 and 20 November.
Dave Marwick, a senior planner with real estate advisors CB Richard Ellis, said:
"What goes in there will be dictated by the market, so there aren't final plans to show just yet. At the public consultation we will put together our master plans, which will be very much for indicative purposes and to let people get a feel for what we want to do there."
We will publish further plans as and when we get them.
The area's famous son Sir Sean Connery recently said he didn't recognise the Fountainbridge streets he grew up in as they had changed so much.
Let us know what you think. Do you think the new plans sound like a good way to use the space in Fountainbridge? You can comment below.
Other plans in brief:
Phone company O2 wants to replace its 10m high phone mast with a new 15m mast at Drum Brae South.
The McNeil Trust has applied to demolish a bungalow and build a new two storey house at Kinellan Road.
Lothian Buses want to partially demolish the existing building at Murrayburn Road in Longstone and build a new engineering workshop.
The owners of Scruffy Murphys pub in Melville Place have applied for permission to put up two flambeaux torches outside the bar's entrance.
A Ms Campion has asked for permission to use 13 Edina Place as a yoga studio.
Carrick Motorcycles of Queen Charlotte Street has applied to develop a storage unit at 21 McDonald Place for a new motorcycle sales and service.
Source: The Guardian
