THE article by Rosemary Goring (“City hungry to embrace right kind of change”, The Herald, September 14) was a salutary wake-up call to the damage being inflicted on our built heritage by insensitive planners –and architects. Whilst her article focussed on Edinburgh, and such incongruous building developments as the so-called Walnut Whip hotel, Ms Goring could unfortunately have found many similar examples throughout Scotland.
It is vital that concerned citizens get involved in what is happening to their own areas, but often they are not clear what practical steps they can take to make their views known.
One step might be to join The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS), a long-established charity which campaigns to promote the study and protection of Scotland’s historic built environment. The society is unique in being the only such organisation which has a national network of volunteers throughout Scotland, who, on a weekly basis, assess planning applications, and engage constructively with local authorities.
Ms Goring mentioned the proposed Royal High School development in Edinburgh: as an example of the society’s current activities, the Forth and Borders group is leading a campaign to prevent inappropriate hotel development at Thomas Hamilton’s Royal High School, Calton Hill.
Details of joining the AHSS can be found on the website, hss.org.uk. The more members the society has, the more the unsuitable developments can be scrutinised. The aim is not to stop sensitive progress, but to preserve the best of our environment for future generations to enjoy.
Hamish McPherson,
13 Beech Avenue, Dumbreck, Glasgow.
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