PLANS to turn the historic old Royal High into a new home for Scotland’s only independent music school have been recommended for approval.
The revamp of the A-listed Calton Hill site would mean the neoclassical masterpiece would be back into long-term, sustainable use and would be a “significant conservation gain”.
A report to go before Edinburgh City Council said there was a sensitive approach by architects.
Read more: Edinburgh council rejects luxury hotel plan for former Royal High School
It comes as a rival developer to turn the structure into a £75 million luxury hotel still holds a lease for the problematic council-owned site which has be derelict for decades.
Edinburgh councillors had rejected plans for the high school to be turned into a luxury hotel.
That bid was rejected by councillors in December last year, but they have appealed the decision to the Scottish Government.
The latest planning application, submitted by the Royal High School Preservation Trust (RHSPT), hopes to turn the site into a state-of-the-art base for St Mary’s Music School.
The council officials’ backing for the scheme could further complicate the debate around one of Edinburgh’s most iconic buildings.
Read more: Edinburgh council rejects luxury hotel plan for former Royal High School
In the 28-page report, officials said: “On balance, the proposals have no adverse impact on the architectural integrity and composition of the building ensuring that its special character is preserved.”
The officials continued: “The value of returning the main Hamilton Building to a long term future use cannot be underestimated.”
The report added: "The design, scale and layout of this generally low profile, sensitively designed extension safeguards the overall character and setting of the listed (Thomas) Hamilton building, the setting of surrounding listed buildings and monuments and the site's conservation area setting.
"In terms of the impact on neighbouring amenity, transport, archaeology, geology, surface water management and ecology, the development is acceptable or its impacts can be successfully mitigated with the use of relevant planning conditions."
Earlier, comedian, singer and television presenter Alexander Armstrong was among those to back the relocation of a leading music school to the former Royal High School building on Calton Hill.
Read more: Edinburgh council rejects luxury hotel plan for former Royal High School
Armstrong, known for being half of the Armstrong and Miller double act as well as presenting shows such as Pointless and Have I Got News for You, attended St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh.
Other musicians and composers have already signalled their support for the move, which is backed by the Royal High School Preservation Trust, including Dame Evelyn Glennie, the composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and Simon Frith, chairman of the Mercury Prize.
Other supporters of the plan include Richard Hillier, the headmaster of the Yehudi Menuhin music school, and Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Sir Peter, who was master of the Queen's music from 2004-2014, and is founder of the St Magnus Festival in Orkney, said he strongly supported the move, adding: "It is essential we continue to invest in the future of specialist music education in this country."
MSPs and business leaders were among those to speak at an earlier meeting at which it was claimed the hotel designs strayed from the original brief in a contest won by the developers, set out in a conditional 125-year lease for the building.
The latest plans for the £25m rival project have also been lodged to move the world famous music school across the city into the building .
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