Save Assembly

Save Assembly

The most important issue facing Assembly is the Edinburgh City Council plan to develop the Assembly Rooms. We entirely support the need to upgrade the building. However, the new scheme has been devised in such a way that it would preclude our viable operation during the festival. For Assembly this means that we will probably have two more festivals to operate in the Assembly Rooms before the work commences, but after our 30th festival in 2010 we will have to close.

The upgrade is estimated to cost £12 million pounds.  The Council plans to raise half of this finance through fundraising and to borrow the other half off itself to be repaid from the rental achieved by turning the ground floor of Assembly Rooms into shops and a restaurant.

We inevitably believe there is a case that as a historic building the Assembly Rooms should be maintained in its current format and question whether George Street needs any more shops. We also believe something of this import to the festival deserves proper consultation and consideration, which it has not had to date.

If you would like to support Assembly or have a view on this please Send a message to Assembly.