109 Princes Street

Cockburn Response

The Cockburn Association welcomes the opportunity to comment on this application.

Princes Street is one of Edinburgh’s most important civic frontages, forming part of the World Heritage Site and the New Town Conservation Area. Proposals in this location require a high degree of sensitivity to context, architectural character and townscape coherence.

The proposed scaffold-mounted advertisement, incorporating a full-height façade wrap, raises significant concerns. By replacing the architectural expression of a listed building with a large-scale graphic surface, the proposal results in a clear loss of character and legibility. Even as a temporary intervention, its scale and prominence introduce a level of visual impact that is not proportionate to its stated purpose.

The inclusion of illumination further intensifies this effect, contributing to visual intrusion and altering the character of the street, particularly in evening conditions.

The cumulative impact of such proposals is of particular concern. Scaffold advertising on Princes Street has become increasingly frequent, with successive temporary consents creating a pattern that risks becoming established over time. This proposal reinforces that trajectory and contributes to the gradual erosion of the street’s distinctive qualities.

While the practical requirements of building maintenance are understood, the approach taken here does not demonstrate a sufficiently sensitive or contextually grounded response to this highly significant location.

We object to this application in its current form.