A DEVELOPER has vowed to continue to push for a hotel in one of the Scottish capital's most famous buildings despite unanimous rejection and the design being described by a planning chief as "almost universally reviled".
READ MORE: 'Universally reviled' plan for one of Scotland's oldest schools is rejected
David Orr, chairman of the joint developer Urbanist Hotels and Duddingston House Properties, indicated he will press on with the proposal, which it is thought would mean an appeal to Holyrood, despite its second rejection in two years by Edinburgh City Council.
The news came as planning convener Lewis Ritchie was scathingly critical of the £75 million plan to turn the Thomas Hamilton masterpiece on Calton Hill into a luxury hotel.
He said: "Speaking quite plainly I think that this building and this design is one of the most abhorrent and the most ugly buildings that I’ve ever seen.
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"The only proviso to that is that at least it is an improvement on what came before, but only a very slight improvement."
VIDEO: Early view of how old Royal High School in Edinburgh would look as a concert hall
He continued: "I think it is beholding on us to take what our officers have said, to look very carefully at the very well put arguments that they’ve proposed and to conclude that Edinburgh would to forgive us for giving planning permission to this building.
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"It is not of the right standard, it is not of the right calibre, it does not befit that setting in which it aims to stand.
"It is almost universally reviled by everyone who happens to look upon it and I could not in all conscience approve such a building."
VIDEO: Early view of how old Royal High School in Edinburgh would look as a concert hall
The plan was rejected after a six hour hearing.
The committee accepted the authority's planning officials' recommendation for rejection amid wider concerns over the impact the hotel would have on the city's Unesco World Heritage Site status.
VIDEO: Early view of how old Royal High School in Edinburgh would look as a concert hall
Mr Orr defended earlier criticism of versions of the plan, saying that "we are not trying to create Necker Island on Calton Hill, nor are we putting Mickey Mouse ears on the building".
READ MORE: 'Universally reviled' plan for one of Scotland's oldest schools is rejected
He said: "We are naturally disappointed although not especially surprised that councillors have taken the decision not to approve our proposals."
VIDEO: Early view of how old Royal High School in Edinburgh would look as a concert hall
He indicated that he would appeal the decision through Scottish Ministers and added that a contract based on gaining planning permission had already been signed with the council, adding "we will continue to fulfil our contractual obligation with the council to revive a building which has been allowed to slip into a state of disrepair and neglect for more than 50 years".
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Mr Orr said: "Our revised proposal discussed today is the culmination of 18 months’ intensive work and resources involving an investment of more than £3 million.
ABOVE: Concerns were raised the earlier image instead of the scaled back version, top, was used by heritage group
"During this time we have taken time to listen to a wide range of stakeholders and heritage experts and taken their views and feedback on board, with heritage and conservation central to our plans."
READ MORE: 'Universally reviled' plan for one of Scotland's oldest schools is rejected
He continued: "We produced a design solution which not only protects and promotes the magnificence of Hamilton’s centrepiece building but also has a viable and long-term investment plan in place to maintain it as part of the city’s living and breathing heritage.
VIDEO: Early view of how old Royal High School in Edinburgh would look as a concert hall
“We need to be very clear that, despite what we have heard today, our scheme is the only proposal on the table that can realistically guarantee the future of the Hamilton building – both architecturally and financially.
READ MORE: 'Universally reviled' plan for one of Scotland's oldest schools is rejected
"Without it, we are facing a very real risk of another 50 years of disrepair and misuse, which would be catastrophic for both the building and the city.
ABOVE: Hotel plan
“We remain 100 per cent committed to delivering this, or another scheme in line with our agreement with the council, which runs until 2022."
The rival £35m proposal to move St Mary's Music School across the city to the neoclassical structure was granted planning permission last year.
READ MORE: 'Universally reviled' plan for one of Scotland's oldest schools is rejected
William Gray Muir, chair of the Royal High School Preservation Trust which is behind the music school move, said it "looks forward to pursuing its exciting, positive vision for the building as soon as the way is clear".
VIDEO: Early view of how old Royal High School in Edinburgh would look as a concert hall
The city planners’ conclusion was that “the benefits to the city’s economy and to tourism by bringing an at-risk building into a suitable long term sustainable use are not outweighed when taking into account the impacts on the listed building the conservation areas, the World Heritage Site and the protected landscape”.
ABOVE: Music school plan
Green Lothian MSP Alison Johnstone was the only Holyrood parliamentarian to address the meeting. She said: "The assertion that this proposal protects and promotes this precious example, exemplar of Greek Revival style is clearly at odds with professional planners, the planners we’ve heard from this morning, at odds with the views of Historic Environment Scotland, Edinburgh World Heritage, the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland and many, many more.
VIDEO: Early view of how old Royal High School in Edinburgh would look as a concert hall
“It appears that the developers failed to grasp the unique requirements of this incredibly special site."
READ MORE: 'Universally reviled' plan for one of Scotland's oldest schools is rejected
Gordon Dewar, of Edinburgh Airport, said the site commanded one of the best panoramas in the world but it is under-used, backing the hotel plan.
He said: "The message it (rejection) sends out in terms of this being a risky place to carry out development I think could be really, really damaging".
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