You can't trust beauty to fussy planning rules

THE physical development of Edinburgh is at a crucial juncture – with plans being floated for various sites around the city and some, such as Caltongate, off the Royal Mile at New Street, already well advanced and awaiting their final decisions.

If there's one thing about planning decisions that you can be certain about, it is that there will always be someone left unhappy. Often the cry is made for more regulations and more restrictions, such as rights of appeal for objectors.

Yet when one considers how beautiful Edinburgh's built heritage is, it is seldom recognised that the vast majority of it was built before planning laws existed.

Before the town and country planning acts swept across Britain in 1948, our town planning was determined by private feudal rights (an unfortunate name that made them sound like a relic of the past – though they were anything but).

Owners of land could, when selling it for development, make certain stipulations (called burdens) about the appearance, the height and the materials used for the buildings.

They could influence the number of properties built and the developers, in selling them on, could add further stipulations that might protect the coherence of the design of, say, a whole block of tenements and ensure the general upkeep to the benefit of all the tenants.

These contractual arrangements provided a complex interdependent network where individuals and communities sought good, attractive and lasting development.

It was this system that ensured the south side of Princes Street was never built upon (the feu charters of the residents on the north side said development would not be allowed and they went to court to defend their undisturbed views of the Castle). With the introduction of the town and country planning acts, this voluntary system was essentially nationalised and put in the hands of political committees – councillors advised by officials. The result in Edinburgh was for many beautiful stone buildings on Princes Street and elsewhere to be pulled down and replaced by concrete monstrosities that would previously have been unthinkable.

What the Luftwaffe couldn't achieve and the feudal system prevented, our city fathers managed in a generation.

It was planning that allowed and often encouraged the St James' Centre, the rape of George Square by the university, Argyll House at West Port and soulless flats on periphery estates.

It was the feudal system that gave us the world class New Town developments, the wonderful Victorian tenements, such outstanding public buildings as the Bank of Scotland on the Mound, St Andrew's House on Regent Road and the many beautiful school buildings across the city.

We cannot return to the days of the feudal system, for too much has been undone – but we could begin to ease the restrictions on development and stop making impositions that encourage cost-cutting and the use of poor materials.

We should stop insisting on a quota of affordable homes in all large developments, because it either prevents development altogether or results in poorer buildings – without solving the lack of low-cost homes.

We should slacken the green belt in specific areas where there is no loss of amenity and encourage development of brown field sites by offering to make them "planning free".

Edinburgh is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, if not the world. To trust its future appearance to a committee of councillors with a record for cultural ignorance in the past is to invite disaster.


I'd have a punt on Meadowbank hounds

SO, there's to be an attempt to bring greyhound racing back to Edinburgh by private businessmen installing, at their own cost, an extra surface surrounding Meadowbank's athletics track? I, for one, would go along to watch and have a punt. It's a wonderful spectacle, a good night out and a fun way to relieve yourself of a small amount of money, although the odds are far better than the Lottery.

Greyhounds are bred to run and to race. Those concerned about animal rights should recognise that if there were no race tracks there would be far, far fewer greyhounds (or whippets). Indeed, such is the exercise they need, few people would want to keep them and greyhounds could become a threatened breed.

Still, I do foresee problems. Anyone who remembers the nights out at Powderhall will no doubt recall with great fondness the supper in a basket followed by trays of foaming ales and continental lagers brought to your warm, comfy seats - none of these attributes can one associate with the cold, damp stand that is Meadowbank Stadium. Such is the howling wind chill factor blowing off the Queen's park that you wouldn't need ice in your rum and coke.

If greyhound racing is to prosper at Meadowbank they will need to think about installing some removable bars and sofas under the stand for use between each race – but mutton pies can't be allowed. Punters will always be tempted to throw one the way of the four-legged favourite, so spoiling the race for the bookies who will put the money up in the first place!


Burns Night cocktail is perfect blend

THAT'S another round of Burns suppers over for this year and I've had a ball; or should that be a baw, or even ba'?

Done badly they can be a real tedious bore after the nosh-up, with only the lashings of whisky to console oneself if an immortal memory becomes all too immortal– and as for that Holy Wullie, well, I usually want to pan his face in if only there wasn't a queue.

But done well, a Burns supper is a great occasion for humour, comradeship, haggis and cocktails! Cocktails, what cocktails you may ask? Well, at my last Burns supper, held at the very welcoming Monteith's Bar (no relations, unfortunately) in Monteith's Close (where else?) in the Royal Mile last Friday, each course was served up with a different whisky cocktail that set the heart racing. What a splendid idea. I'm sure Rabbie would have approved.

Maybe it should be repeated at future Burns suppers, with whisky cocktails named after his verse or poems? And to those that say the only thing they like in their whisky is more whisky, I say wake up! If it were not for people across the world mixing their whiskies, many of the distilleries whose drams we cherish would have closed a long time ago.