The Situation with Edinburgh's Plastic-Shrouded Hotel?

Positioned on the busiest tourist streets in the heart of Scotland's ancient city stands a monolith of metal poles and platforms.

For five years, Radisson's G&V Hotel on the junction of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and the adjacent bridge has been a covered eyesore.

Tourists cannot book rooms, pedestrians are squeezed through narrow walkways, and establishments have left the building.

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

Extended Timelines

Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the lead company, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the first sections of the scaffold can be taken down.

The city's political leader a council official has described it as a "eyesore" on the area, while heritage campaigners say the work is "very troublesome".

What is happening with this apparently perpetual project?

A Problematic Past

The sizeable hotel was built on the site of the old local government offices in 2009.

Estimates from when it initially debuted under the a designer banner, put the cost of construction at about a significant sum.

Remedial efforts got underway shortly after the start of the Covid pandemic with the hotel itself shut for business since 2022.

A lane of traffic and a significant portion of pavement leading up to the junction of the tourist drag have been closed off by the project.

Walkers going to and from the an adjacent district and another locale have been required single-file into a narrow, covered walkway.

A dining establishment a popular spot departed from the building and moved to another city in 2024.

In a release, its owners said the ongoing project had forced them to change the restaurant's facade, adding that "patrons merited more".

It is also home to popular eatery Pizza Express – which has displayed large notices on the scaffold to notify customers it is still open.

Missed Deadlines

An communication to the a local authority committee in January this year indicated that the process of "uncovering" the frontage would commence in February, with a total takedown by the year's end.

But SRM has said that is not the case, citing "exceptionally intricate" building problems for the setback.

"We expect starting to dismantle portions of the framework towards the end of the coming year, with additional work proceeding afterwards," the company commented.

"We are working closely with everyone involved to ensure we provide an better site for the public."

Local and Conservation Frustration

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

She said those involved in the project had a "public duty" to reduce disruption and should blend the work into the city's design.

She said: "It renders the walking experience in that part of town very hard.

"It is puzzling why there is not an effort to integrate it into the urban landscape or develop something more aesthetic and avant-garde."

Continued Work

A official statement said work on "solutions to enhance the appearance the site" was continuing.

They continued: "We understand the irritations felt by local residents and shops.

"This constitutes a extended and complex process, highlighting the complexity and scale of the restoration required, however we are committed to concluding this necessary work as soon as is practicable."

Ms Meagher said the local authority would "maintain pressure" on those accountable to wrap up the project.

She said: "This scaffolding has been a blight for years, and I echo the exasperation of locals and local businesses over these ongoing postponements.

"Nonetheless, I also acknowledge that the firm has a responsibility to make the building safe and that this remediation has been exceptionally difficult."