Edinburgh Princes Street: New vision for premier street, including Ross bandstand and Waverley footbridge

It also proposes increased pedestrian zones, high quality benches, new access ramps into Princes Street Gardens and an upgrade for the Ross bandstand.

The draft Princes Street and Waverley Valley Strategy, which is due to go out for consultation later this autumn, sets out how the council wants to improve the famous street and offers planning guidance for future developments.

The strategy sets out guidance for future developments in Princes Street

The strategy endorses the changes to planning guidance made in 2020 to encourage a greater mix of uses in the city centre, allowing cafes, restaurants and leisure uses alongside retail on Princes Street. Up to one third of the total number of units on each block can now be in non-shop use at ground floor.

And developers are encouraged to have temporary pop-up uses for premises, or building wraps and hoarding artwork to avoid the “negative perception” of empty units on the street.

The strategy proposes public realm improvements in three phases - upgrades at key points along Princes Street, costing up to £1 million; improved access to the Gardens, with a price tag of up to £5m; and better pavements, costing up to £3m per block.

In West Princes Street Gardens, the two existing steep ramped paths from Princes Street would be replaced with more gently sloping paths, along with steps to provide an alternative.

The document proposes a short-term upgrade for the Ross bandstand in Princes Street Gardens, to create a better equipped facility, with power and data supply, but minimising generator use, and continuing to use temporary stages to extend the venue for key events like Hogmanay.

A £25 million project for a new pavilion, welcome centre, café and events spaces collapsed some years ago due amid funding problems, but the strategy document says options will be considered for new or upgraded facilities which “create an amphitheatre space that is usable and welcoming throughout the year, replacing the concrete terraces with a mix of paved and landscaped seating”.

Around Waverley station, the document envisages “new civic spaces” and street trees in East Market Street, highlights the opportunity for a “commercial-led mixed use development” in the New Street car park and proposes a new north-south bridge for walking, wheeling and cycling to the east of the station.

The Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens would get a short-term upgrade.

The key locations in the first phase include the West End, where a redesign of the junction is due as part of a project to improve Lothian Road, but where in the interim the strategy document suggests there is an opportunity for “high quality, re-usable seating” to be installed.

In Castle Street, where street traders already hold markets, the strategy proposes to extend the pedestrian zone at its junction with Princes Street, creating a more open space to provide for “new generous benches, for sitting, socialising, picnic lunches and admiring the views to the Castle”. It also proposes “a small, managed performance space for solo, unplugged performers” and additional cycle parking capacity.

The documents notes that The Mound precinct is used frequently for festival activity and events, but suggests new high quality moveable benches to provide “a dwell space” outwith events and festivals.

And at the East End, it says the use of the Waverley Market roof terrace for events and activities could “animate” the street. “However, as part of any redesign this would need to be carefully managed to avoid adding to crowded conditions on street.”

It also proposes tree-planting and “greening” on the roof terrace to align it with the East Princes Street Gardens. It says this would be “a contemporary response to the markets historic rooftop garden” and would help increase biodiversity. It also suggests widening the pavement on the south side of Princes Street to ease crowding and provide more space for pedestrians.

And it urges consideration of new taxi/loading arrangements at the East End, along with footway widening and measures to improve cycle safety, as well as improved space for north-south pedestrian crossing linking to Leith Street and West Register Street in front of the Balmoral Hotel.

The strategy includes upgrading the north end of Waverley Bridge at the junction with Princes Street, including “new, generous benches, for sitting, socialising, picnic lunches and admiring the views to the Old Town and simple interpretation”.

There would be more benches outside General Register House to create a “rest point” to the west of the Wellington statue, and the installation of a continuous footway at the junction of Princes Street and West Register Street.

The third and final stage of the proposals would see pre-cast concrete paving on Princes Street replaced with durable, high quality, sandstone flagstones and whin kerbs. And bespoke seating for Princes Street would be installed to reinforce the street’s identity.

City planning convener James Dalgleish said: “This plan is a great opportunity to protect our World Heritage Site and by doing that we will be investing in Princes Street.

“We know from residents and businesses that there has been some room for improvement and we hear that loud and clear. This masterplan gives us an opportunity to up the standards that we’d expect of a premium street in Scotland’s capital city.

“And I think this plan has the potential to breathe new life into Princes Street and the surrounding area, make sure it’s cared for and invested in for many years to come.”