The operators of the Spiegeltent have been\u00a0accused of treating Edinburgh Council with \u2018contempt\u2019.<\/p>\n
The firm behind the popular Fringe attraction were criticised after they put up the St Andrews Square venue before planning permission was granted.<\/p>\n
While legal, the company\u2019s decision sparked outrage, and was seen by many as disrespectful to the planning process and the local community.<\/p>\n
Green councillor Ben Parker also said the company behind it has had \u2018blatant disregard and disinterest\u2019 in council policies.<\/p>\n
He has put forward a motion to the next full Edinburgh Council meeting calling for a review of the council\u2019s relationship with festival venues to \u201censure that planning applications are submitted in a timely fashion\u201d.<\/p>\n
And he also asked for a report to be prepared on the impact the tent has had on trees in St Andrews Square \u2013 and for the council leader to ask a representative of the company to be in attendance when that report is heard.<\/p>\n
The firm originally submitted a tree production plan to the council that was prepared by Unique Assembly, another festival operator.<\/p>\n
It has said it did not approve the use of its tree protection plan in that way, and that it did not give Spiegeltent International permission to include it in its planning application.<\/p>\n
At a recent council meeting, it was revealed that council officers had to expend great effort to work with the company to amend its plans to avoid damage to tree roots in the square.<\/p>\n
Councillors also heard that officers had to ask the firm to submit a second tree protection plan, citing a lack of detail in the first one.<\/p>\n
SNP councillor and group leader Simita Kumar also put forward a motion on the topic, calling for discussions to be held between the council and venue operators to make sure planning applications are filed in good time.<\/p>\n
It asks for organisers to be asked to have planning applications submitted by the start of April, which would give city officers more time to handle them.<\/p>\n
The owners of the Spiegeltent applied for planning permission on June 11, and began construction on June 30 \u2013 but permission was only granted on August 6.<\/p>\n
By that point, the venue had already hosted events for the Jazz and Blues Festival, and was hosting events for the Fringe.<\/p>\n
Cllr Parker\u2019s motion also asked for the councillor on the music festival\u2019s board to raise the council\u2019s concerns with the board, and for minutes of a board meeting where the Spiegeltent was discussed to be circulated to councillors.<\/p>\n
Under planning law, construction can be started with planning permission \u2013 but that comes with the possibility that the council could punish developers if the works are not greenlit.<\/p>\n
Councils can serve enforcement notices, levy fines, or in the most extreme cases order that a development be taken down, with the site returned to its pre-construction state.<\/p>\n
At the August 6 meeting where the development was approved, council officers said that they had been able to work with the company to amend their plans to avoid tree damage in the 19 days between the application\u2019s receipt and the start of construction.<\/p>\n
But they said that the council\u2019s tree officer still had concerns about the possible impact on tree life in the square.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, SNP councillor Amy McNeese-Meechan called the application \u2018cynical\u2019, which Cllr Parker agreed with.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cA balance, in this case, would be about finding a way to have events in our parks which still have the economic benefits which also work with our environmental policies.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think this application does this. I think this application rides roughshod over the tree protection zones we worked hard on making sure were included in the [city plan].\u201d<\/p>\n
A number of objections had been lodged against the tent\u2019s construction, with a community council and heritage group both raising concerns about the development starting without planning permission.<\/p>\n
At that meeting, councillors approved the tent\u2019s planning permission in a narrow 6-4 vote, with a requirement that it be subjected to regular inspections of the tree life around it.<\/p>\n
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter<\/p>\n