Major events in West Princes Street Gardens consultation comments
Posted on: December 18, 2024
The Association does not support an increase in the number of major events at the Ross Bandstand in West Princes Street Gardens.
The Association does not support the proposed changes to the “4 major events” policy currently in place for the Ross Bandstand/West Princes Street Gardens. Put in place after a major public consultation exercise only two years ago, the proposed relaxation was rejected by a City Council Committee as recently as May 2024. We support the refurbishment of the bandstand and its use for community, “low impact” activities but resists any further increases in the commercialisation of this premier civic space.
Cockburn Response
The Cockburn Association appreciates the opportunity to respond to the City of Edinburgh Council’s consultation on the future of the Ross Bandstand and the proposed relaxation of the Major Events policy. We recognize the historical significance of the bandstand and fully support its refurbishment to preserve its heritage.
Additionally, we endorse its use for community and small-scale events, which align with the character and spirit of Princes Street Gardens.
However, we have significant concerns regarding the potential negative impacts of large-scale events at the Ross Bandstand on public access to Princes Street Gardens, the parkland and greenspace, and biodiversity. As such, we do not support the proposal to increase the number of major events in the Gardens. This policy was put in place only two years ago, following extensive public consultation and we can see no evidence that would support such a change, other than a desire to further commercialise the gardens. We appreciate the need for investment and the desire to support local community/school events in the gardens and bandstand. However, we feel that these two issues have been unnecessarily conflated and should not be; that is, for small community/local school events, it is not a requirement change the current “4 major events” policy.
Similarly, we feel that this consultation, and the previous report to the Culture & Communities Committee in May 2024, ignores the public value of the gardens. In surveys over the past few decades, its greenness and its tranquillity were cited as the top benefits for citizens . The continued pressure from the Council and others to turn West Princes Street Gardens and the Ross Bandstand into a major performance hub is not agreeable in this context.
Similarly, there are no concrete proposals available for the refurbishment and enhancement of the existing bandstand. These should be advanced first before any change on major events policy is considered. The separate Waverley Valley and Princes Street Strategy, which is out for consultation at the same, should be determined first, and it can help any further consideration of the intensification of commercial events in the gardens.
See our full response to the consultation here – https://www.cockburnassociation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cockburn-Association-Response-to-Ross-Bandstand-events-consultation-18-December-2024.pdf.