🔗 Share this article

Positioned on the most frequented avenues in the centre of Scotland's heritage-rich city centre looms a monolith of metal poles and platforms.

For five years, Radisson's G&V Hotel on the corner of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and a major bridge has been a plastic-wrapped eyesore.

Visitors are unable to reserve stays, walkers are squeezed through narrow walkways, and commercial tenants have abandoned the building.

Remedial work commenced in 2020 and was initially projected to last a short period, but now fed-up residents have been told the structure could stay in place until 2027.

Extended Timelines

The construction firm, the main contractor, says it will be "towards the end" of 2026 before the earliest portions of the frame can be dismantled.

A local authority figure a council official has called it a "negative feature" on the area, while conservationists say the work is "highly inconvenient".

What is going on with this notoriously protracted project?

Background Issues

The 136-bedroom hotel was constructed on the site of the former regional authority offices in 2009.

Projections from when it originally launched under the a fashion-branded banner, put the build cost at about thirty million pounds.

Remedial efforts began soon after the start of the global health crisis with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022.

Part of the road and a significant portion of footpath leading up to the intersection of the historic street have been rendered unusable by the project.

Pedestrians going to and from the a nearby area and Victoria Terrace have been forced in a line into a narrow, covered walkway.

Seafood restaurant a well-known restaurant quit the building and relocated to another city in 2024.

In a release, its operators said the ongoing project had obliged them to change the restaurant's appearance, adding that "customers deserved better".

It is also the location of dining franchise a pizza restaurant – which has hung large signs on the scaffold to remind customers it is still open.

Slipped Schedules

An report to the council's transport and environment committee in early this year suggested that the process of "revealing" the façade would start in February, with a complete dismantling by the year's end.

But the firm has said that is incorrect, citing "exceptionally intricate" building problems for the delay.

"We anticipate starting to dismantle portions of the scaffold near the finish of the coming year, with additional work ongoing after that," the company commented.

"Efforts are underway closely with all parties to ensure we create an better site for the public."

Community and Heritage Concerns

Rowan Brown, director of preservation association the Cockburn Association, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "slow" for construction projects.

She said those working on the project had a "public duty" to lessen disruption and should integrate the work into the city's streetscape.

She said: "It renders the pedestrian experience in that area of the city very hard.

"It is puzzling why there is not a try to incorporate it within the urban landscape or create something more aesthetic and innovative."

Project Response

A project spokesperson said work on "measures to aesthetically improve the site" was continuing.

They stated: "We understand the frustrations felt by local residents and enterprises.

"This constitutes a extended and complex process, highlighting the intricacy and size of the restoration required, however we are dedicated to concluding this necessary work as soon as is feasible."

The official said the local authority would "continue to put pressure" on those responsible to complete the project.

She said: "This framework has been a problem for years, and I understand the frustration of residents and local businesses over these ongoing postponements.

"However, I also recognize that the contractor has a responsibility to make the building safe and that this repair has been exceptionally difficult."