Heritage chiefs are to hold a conference on preserving Edinburgh’s precious public spaces amid concerns over the creeping "commercialisation" of parks and gardens.

The Cockburn Association, the Scottish capital's heritage watchdog, said that the “increased use of public spaces is an issue” and concerns over gating off gardens and parks will be examined in the September conference.

The move comes as plans for the so-called commercialisation of much of Princes Street Gardens are being considered.

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Under the proposals half of Princes Street Gardens would move from public control to a new "arms-length" company when the privately backed £25m replacement for the Ross bandstand, funded by Norman Springford, the founder of Apex Hotels, is complete.

The new operator would decide how many events are held in West Princes Street Gardens, nestled in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, to create a "self-financing" model.

The Herald:

Terry Levinthal, Cockburn Association director, above, said experts will scrutinise the gardens plan and wider issues such as maintaining places of tranquility in Edinburgh while also keeping up the city's "buzz".

He said: "We were kind of caught off guard with the proposal to establish an arms length organisation under which the management of significant proportions of West Princes Street Gardens would be put.

"Our concern about that is that this is land held under the common good fund, the people of Edinburgh really need to have the right to have a say on it, rather than allow it to be organised behind closed doors between the council and a development trust.

"It is a point that due process has to be followed and we can’t just simply assume that shifting important parts of our public open space into management vehicles is the right way forward."

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Mr Levinthal also said: "From comments that we hear from our members and from others in the city the increased use of public spaces is an issue.

"Again we are not necessarily saying it’s a bad thing; it can create a good buzz.

"But we have seen problems with the question of when does something become 'permanently temporary'.

"It can ultimately exclude members of the public depending on the events you are trying to hold."