Edinburgh’s Christmas market has started construction – despite councillors being encouraged by officers to deny part of it planning permission at a meeting next week.
Works got under way earlier this week, with the Ferris wheel appearing to be substantially complete as of Wednesday evening.
But councillors at a development sub-committee meeting next week will be recommended to deny part of the market in Princes Street Gardens planning permission.
Much of the site is covered by a three-year agreement with the council that grants festival operators Unique Assembly planning permission.
However, this year, the firm wants to add several elements to their showing at East Princes Street Gardens, including a Dutch-inspired tent and 20 new market stalls.
It is not known if the parts of the market covered by the application have started construction.
But Unique Assembly has previously said construction on those parts would not begin until permission was granted.
They put in a planning application for the additions late last month, with required documents being submitted by Monday, September 22.
Council officers are recommending that the new elements be rejected by councillors, on the grounds that they will have an adverse impact on Princes Street Gardens.
Claire Miller, Green councillor for the city centre ward, said: “I was surprised to see the boards for the market being laid this week and the big wheel going up, while planning consent was still pending.
“Now that it turns out council planning officers are recommending that the permission is refused, I’m concerned about what will happen next.
“It’s incredible, after the controversies in previous years, that event planners haven’t submitted an application which meets all of the planning policies and requirements.
“I’ll be urgently contacting council officers to find out where the Christmas events can be held if not in the gardens.”
The new tent is set to host the Santa’s Stories event, which has previously been hosted at St Andrew Square.
It comes after the Spiegeltent Fringe venue began construction earlier this year without being granted planning permission – only getting it a month after works began.
In the intervening time, council staff had to scramble to limit the impact of the tent on the square, including arranging for support buildings to be moved to avoid damaging trees.
Councillors branded the firm’s planning application as ‘cynical’, and questioned why it was submitted so soon before construction, coming in 19 days prior to works beginning.
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
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