Edinburgh Princes Street: Summit called to draw up vision after council strategy rejected as ‘dull’
Edinburgh Princes Street: Summit called to draw up vision after council strategy rejected as ‘dull’.
Following the rejection of a council masterplan for Princes Street, a summit will be held to develop a vision for the area’s future.
The Princes Street and Waverley Valley Strategy, released in September of last year, proposes expanded pedestrian zones, tree planting on the roof of Waverley Market, improved access ramps into Princes Street Gardens, and a footbridge across the Waverley Valley. However, it was criticised for failing to provide a more detailed vision for the future of the Capital’s primary street.
According to a joint statement by the New Town & Broughton, Old Town, and West End community councils, Princes Street has become “an embarrassment” to residents and visitors alike, and is “urgently in need of a plan for ongoing regeneration and restoration”.
However, it stated that the approach lacked any vision to recover its status or build on his legacy and was “nothing more than a shopping list of generic urban planning measures”.
When Edinburgh’s planning committee was asked to endorse the strategy, councillors instead voted not to adopt it at this stage and agreed to bring together council officials, elected members, and those with transport, culture, heritage, and placemaking expertise to come up with a “more ambitious and exciting strategy”.
Kevin Lang, a Lib Dem councillor who initiated the summit, stated: “I believed it would be inappropriate to endorse a policy that people had agreed was inadequate.
And I felt it was worthwhile to make another attempt to bring together the people who care the most and have the most to give the discourse about Princes Street in order to produce a more ambitious and inventive proposal.”
Many of Princes Street’s most well-known shops have closed in recent years, with many transferring to the nearby St James Quarter, leaving the street with empty units, while new hotels and developments are planned for several of the abandoned buildings.
Cllr Lang stated: “Princes Street will look considerably different in the future. It will never be about reviving Princes Street as a retail destination.
What factors will make this location a desirable place to visit and spend time? It is appropriate to take more time to ensure that the vision is correct. Otherwise, we risk making the incorrect decisions, which will prevent us from altering this street.”
He mentioned that Edinburgh architect Richard Murphy had developed alternate plans for Princes Street when the official vision was challenged.
These included removing the gates from Princes Street Gardens, making the space open 24 hours a day, extending the walkways, and lowering the number of traffic lanes from four to two. Cllr Lang continued:
“He was talking about a big increase in the footways and circulation space, where people could meet and you could have markets and stalls, rethinking Princes Street Gardens, making them open for more of the time, and making all these safe and welcoming green spaces.” There are others that have incredibly great ideas, but our method was a little dull.”
“I’m not suggesting you would just take Richard’s plan and implement that, but he’s done something that is really interesting, really ambitious and I think it helps to achieve the thing which we want Princes Street to be – a place you want to come to and spend a lot of time in.” It questioned some of the conventions and provided a proper reinvention of what Princes Street is and could be.
That kind of thought is required if this is to be the dynamic, pounding heart of Edinburgh once again.”Joan Griffiths, convener of planning, said:
“We’re committed to taking forward a workshop to progress the strategy to allow us to realise the city’s aspirations for Princes Street and come back to committee with a revised version for approval in late 2026.”
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