Sir, Jack Pringle’s definition of the decline of City planning with the fall of the grand patron and the rise of the developer (letter, Aug 18) could not be further from reality.
Throughout the country grand patrons are commissioning projects which can be seen in many of our leading cities and, in particular, in London. They have all the skills of visionary architects and developers and give the community new places to use and enjoy.
Criticisms of the planning system need to be addressed to Mr Pringle’s organisation, RIBA. For some two decades this champion of architecture has failed us all in not being seen at the forefront of modern architecture in day-to-day activity. While it promotes competitions, RIBA remains an introverted member-protection organisation rather than one looking after the wider interests of the public.
When we hear of architects resigning from projects or RIBA criticising its members, we’ll know that it has moved from being a trade union to a wider interest group with a commitment to people.
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SIR STUART LIPTON
Chelsfield Partners LLP
London W1
Sir, Magnus Linklater (Comment, Aug 16) and I share a passion for Edinburgh. However, when he writes of “a financial centre [with] glass bound office blocks” he must mean the Exchange area, where there is not one glass building. There are also no “buildings whose height obliterates the views”. We have a firm “skyline policy”, which we are strengthening further.
He uses the tragic fire site in Cowgate, where to his dismay an old complex of nightclubs, offices, shops and bars may be replaced by “hotels, offices, shops and restaurants” as an example of how “the developers . . . produce the masterplans and the city . . . responds to them” despite that the council produced a planning brief for the site well before any developer became involved.
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Edinburgh was never achieved with central planning: even the famed Georgian New Town was the result of many hands, abandoned plans and dodgy builders. The “central vision” that he now craves has produced some less than perfect results, as a short trip to Cumbernauld might persuade him.
I prefer to rely on a multitude of talent, rather than a single central vision, and to push that talent to do better — the city was at the very forefront when we published our Edinburgh Standards for Urban Design and appointed Sir Terry Farrell as city design champion.
COUNCILLOR TREVOR DAVIES
Convenor, planning committee
City of Edinburgh Council