Expansion of Edinburgh's Christmas festival rejected as Santa experience moved to Princes Street Gardens

Festival organisers Unique Assembly had hoped to add eight new market stalls and two new attractions in the eastern part of the gardens.

But Edinburgh councillors voted on Wednesday to side with a recommendation by council officers suggesting the expansion would have an “adverse impact” on the landscape and the area.

The prominent attractions linked to the festival, including the ferris wheel, will still run, with the Christmas market keeping the same number of stalls it had over last winter.

And the Santa’s Stories event - a meet-and-greet for children with Father Christmas - is still set to move to Princes Street Gardens West, next to the funfair. The attraction had previously been held in St Andrew Square.

The rest of the festival is covered by a three-year planning permission agreement that started last year.

Unique Assembly co-director Alan Thomson said the firm was “disappointed” the permission had been denied.

He said: “We will therefore not be building any of those suggested additional stalls or attractions, which would have occupied the exact same footprint as last year. Instead, visitors will find the viewing platforms and photo opportunity, already within existing permissions.”

Council officer Elaine Campbell, who spoke at Wednesday’s development management meeting, said: “We consider that the design and appearance of these structures would disrupt key views within the designed landscape and historic gardens, and would thus harm the character and appearance of this setting.

“In previous years, it has been considered that on balance, the benefits are considered to outweigh the temporary adverse impact that the proposal will have on the historic gardens.

“However, the proposed alterations this year introduce a number of structures within the lower lawn, which has been resisted over the last number of years.”

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In response, SNP councillor David Key said: “I completely agree. It’s getting in the way of the natural design of Princes Street Gardens.

“Using that same argument, why have we given permission for the stalls on the upper level of the gardens? It has exactly the same effect, doesn’t it?”

Ms Campbell replied the council had historically accepted the temporary disruption to the gardens from the market stalls at the upper tier, but that development had not taken place in that part of the garden in the past.

Liberal Democrat councillor Hal Osler said: “It’s good we’ve had a chance to look at this properly, and it’s good there is an understanding about what is acceptable and what isn’t acceptable within the gardens.

“And hopefully the applicant will understand from what’s been submitted, and the reasons given for the refusal, about where we can put things and where it’s deemed to be acceptable on a temporary basis, and where it’s gone too far, et cetera.

“There is a desire, and obviously an understandable desire, to make sure the gardens is protected, and it doesn’t take so long to bring it back into public usage again.”