EDINBURGH'S main heritage watchdog today launched a stinging attack over the way the massive Caltongate scheme is being handled by the city council.

The Cockburn Association has made a formal complaint over Mountgrange Capital's plans to transform parts of the Old Town amid claims its has been allowed to abuse the planning process.

The association is furious council planners have allowed the company to chop up its scheme into sections and make a series of changes to live applications.

Mountgrange has also been accused of frustrating efforts to examine its plans, breaking promises to carry out "meaningful" public consultation, and promoting "biased" opinion polls.

Senior figures in the heritage group have signed a letter to the council's head of planning, Alan Henderson, demanding a clamp-down against the developer.

The association claims it has been unable to view the plans for the scheme as a whole because the development is being handled in pieces, and has been overwhelmed by the "complexity and sheer volume" of information lodged.

It has also criticised the developer for failing to alert a community liaison group to a series of major changes to the scheme.

The letter states:
"We have consistently welcomed regeneration in this area.

"At every stage, however, our substantial and informed concerns, regarding proposals to demolish listed and sound un-listed buildings, the scale and quality of the proposed new buildings, the impact on views and the inadequate public consultation have been ignored or dismissed.

"The timescales allocated for the assessment of such a complex scheme are too congested to allow for proper consideration and the developer-led processes do not engender greater transparency and trust in decision making.

"We are in no doubt that best practice in achieving the highest standards of informed development implies a very high level of understanding and give-and-take between local planning authority, developer and the community. Sadly this has so far been conspicuously missing in the processing of the Caltongate proposals."

Mountgrange spokesman Thomas Docherty said the Cockburn Association had been involved with the project at the masterplan and application stages. He said:

"We have consistently responded positively to invitations from the Cockburn Association and we have provided application information direct to them to assist their consideration of the proposals.

"Our application strategy was discussed and agreed with the council at an early stage. By reaching agreement on certain elements of the project it will be possible to achieve early delivery of significant enabling works.

"We support bringing forward the majority of the applications for a single determination by the council."

A spokesman for the council's planning department said: "We fully recognise the high level of interest in this complex development, which is why the proposals have been subject to extensive consultation, not only at the masterplan stage but also on specific applications.

"We have tried to be flexible with opportunities for people to make their views known. We have also gone beyond the legal requirements in making simplified information available as well as the complete details."

Former leader nets top PR job
FORMER city council leader Donald Anderson has landed a top job with Mountgrange's public relations firm.

He is to be the new Scottish director of PPS, one of the UK's biggest lobbying and PR companies, which is also promoting plans for a hugely-controversial giant waste depot in Portobello.

However, Mr Anderson will have no involvement in the Caltongate scheme.

He said: "I have supported job creation and economic growth throughout my career and I am keen to continue that work across Scotland.

"Scotland needs new jobs and homes and we all need to play a part in that."

Stephen Byfield, managing director of PPS, also said former PPS director Mark Cumming will continue overseeing Caltongate.