Those pressing for a new Pilrig Conservation Area are less than impressed by Edinburgh Evening News coverage of the subject yesterday.
The article's 'misleading' headline ('Council chiefs say no to Pilrig conservation area') has come in for particular criticism on the grounds that 'nobody has yet said "NO" to anything'.
This was later confirmed by a Council source who commented that whilst officers may currently consider the case for a Pilrig Conservation Area to be 'marginal', the matter has by no means been settled. If councillors vote in favour tomorrow, the whole question will go out for public consultation. At that stage, further and stronger arguments in favour of new conservation areas often emerge.
'Needless to say, the Evening News report was completely wrong,' our Council source concluded.
Local critics have hightlighted the Evening News statement that 'Campaigners also pointed to Plewlands, near Morningside, which was given conservation status in 2009 and said it was not dissimilar to Pilrig in terms of architecture'.
One has described it as nonsense: '[T]he only similarity with Pilrig is that they both begin with P.'
Previous coverage of this issue by Leith Central Community Council can be found here. The most recent draft of the Pilrig Conservation Area Appraisal, and the Council officer's response, appear as pdfs below. Coverage by the Spurtle can be found at Breaking news (6.2.12; 2.4.12).
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On a matter of detail emerging from yesterday's Evening News coverage, Spurtle last night reflected widespread consternation at the tabloid's apparent historical exclusive. Pilrig House, EN asserted, is 'a former residence of Robert Louis Stevenson'. It is not. One reader helpfully responded with additional well-researched nuggets of her own:
@theSpurtle @yonmei Pilrig House moved stone by stone from Heriot Row by the Cockburn Society in 1963.Greyfriars Bobby designed the garden.
@theSpurtle @yonmei They have John Knox's original flush toilet in one of the bathrooms too. Do you people know nothing?
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Update: 28 February 2013
City of Edinburgh Council's Planning Subcommittee has approved the Pilrig Area Appraisal (which was tabled at their meeting this morning) as a basis for consultation.
Officials said the consultation would provide 'an opportunity to generate additional input on the historic and architectural importance of the area and therefore strengthen the case for designation. It would also allow the consideration of issues such as a different boundary or including parts of the area in adjoining conservation areas. In addition, it important that the local community is supportive of any conservation area status designation.'.
Details of the public consultation process – which could last up to 4 months – will be released later.
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Reactions on Twitter
Cockburn Association @thecockburn
@theSpurtle There is another similarity with Plewlands: the conservation area status was instigated by the community.
Broughton Spurtle @theSpurtle
@thecockburn But, 'not dissimilar to Pilrig in terms of architecture' is bit of an eyebrow-raiser.
@theSpurtle see orange [Canongate] cobbles story for further spin. No plan, not orange.