Leader comment: We should all share in Edinburgh's success

SO another big name is moving into St Andrew Square with the plans lodged for a new Gleneagles hotel and restaurant.
Plans for the Gleneagles Club - Edinburgh
in the old Bank of Scotland in St. Andrew SquarePlans for the Gleneagles Club - Edinburgh
in the old Bank of Scotland in St. Andrew Square
Plans for the Gleneagles Club - Edinburgh in the old Bank of Scotland in St. Andrew Square

The plans we reveal today have been approved by planners and are now set to go before the city council for discussion. It’s another coup for that end of town as the St James revamp continues apace, and the new concert hall is debated.

All of which seems like very good news for the east end of the city centre.

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Not everyone will be thrilled at the news of yet another hotel of course and the ongoing stooshie of the tourist tax will likely be given new fuel.

But it is difficult not to welcome development and investment in the city centre, especially when it is bringing mothballed buildings back to life.

What city politicians must remain conscious of is ensuring that the city works for the most important people in all this. That’s not the high-end tourists but us, its residents. So while all this development is positive, it must be accompanied by benefits for the Edinburgh taxpayer whether that is through improved services or investment in local amenities.

We should welcome the buzz around the Capital right now - and we should all share in its success.

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