Cockburn Response

The Cockburn Association recognises the value of bringing this long-vacant, Category B-listed building back into active use, and we accept that a hotel conversion may be appropriate in principle at this central location. However, we object to the current proposal on several significant grounds.

This scheme would entail the complete removal of the building’s surviving historic internal features, including the chapel-style auditorium structure, balcony arrangement, and original architectural detailing. These elements form a critical part of the building’s listed status and cultural significance, not merely its external sandstone façade. Retaining only the outer walls offers a lesser conservation benefit and contributes to a broader trend of façade-only preservation in the city, which the Cockburn Association has consistently opposed. This practice results in the irreversible loss of interior heritage, especially within sensitive areas such as the New Town Conservation Area and World Heritage Site.

Moreover, the loss of the existing theatre use is unwelcome and unmitigated. The Rose Theatre is one of the few remaining independent performance venues in Edinburgh’s city centre and has supported local and festival-related programming. Its conversion to a hotel, even with a rooftop bar and café, would result in the permanent loss of a valuable cultural space at a time when such infrastructure is increasingly under pressure. This undermines Edinburgh’s international reputation as a festival city.

We are further concerned by the absence of a Heritage Statement or a conservation-led approach to the building’s interior, particularly given its listed status and prominent location. We urge the applicant and the planning authority to explore revised proposals that retain or meaningfully integrate a cultural function and demonstrate a commitment to preserving both external and internal heritage in line with city policy and conservation best practice.