Fred Mackintosh QC successfully represented the Cockburn Association, the New Town and Broughton Community Council Town and the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, at a Public Inquiry into the appeals submitted by developers against the decisions by the City of Edinburgh Council to refuse their applications for planning permission and Listed Building Consent to convert the Royal High School, a category A listed building of international importance prominently sited on the southern slope of Calton Hill and within the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site, into a luxury hotel.

The inquiry and hearing sessions took place between 18th September 2018 and 23rd October 2018.  In their decision letters the Scottish Ministers accepted the recommendations of the Reporters and reached a number of conclusions including that: the prominence and dominance of the Royal High School in certain views would be spoiled by the overwhelming scale of the extensions proposed; that the proposed development would cause harm to the qualities which justified the inscription of the World Heritage Site, contrary to Policy Env 1 of the Edinburgh Local Development Plan and that the various adverse impacts would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits when assessed against the wider policies in Scottish Planning Policy (SPP).

DPEA Case Refs: PPA-230-2213,  PPA-230-2178,  LBA-230-2076 and  LBA-230-2118.