Edinburgh Council's Development Committee today discussed Caltongate again, and duly ignored both UNESCO and the Scottish Green Party. At least we're in good company. The Council stuck to their untenable position, and this abomination is being forced through despite complete local opposition and despite the threat to remove World Heritage status. There's even an EU complaint pending, but this lot are impervious to reason.
The only person speaking sense was Green Councillor Steve Burgess, whose motion to hold the decision until UNESCO have visited failed because not a single other councillor on the Committee was prepared to second it.
If you want a strange illustration of what the anger looks like, incidentally, check out this Evening News article. Three comments approved, then nine hundred and ninety-seven rejected. It looks like a vast amount of thoroughly legitimate swearing has gone on here, directed no doubt at the complacent councillors from the four larger parties.
Anyway, two days ago Robin Harper, Margo MacDonald and Shirley-Anne Somerville wrote to John Swinney, who is now the last person who can save the heart of historic Edinburgh. I've been critical of Shirley-Anne over this (second letter here), much to Malcolm's annoyance. Fair play, though, she signed up to the letter, and hopefully Swinney will listen to her. But if she couldn't even persuade her local councillor colleagues to back Steve's motion, is there much hope?
