{"id":18965,"date":"2018-05-11T16:17:31","date_gmt":"2018-05-11T15:17:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ihbconline.co.uk\/newsachive\/?p=18965"},"modified":"2018-05-11T16:17:31","modified_gmt":"2018-05-11T15:17:31","slug":"crowdjustice-platform-pioneered-to-crowdfund-coalition-of-opposition-to-edinburghs-old-royal-high-school-hotel-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=18965","title":{"rendered":"CrowdJustice platform pioneered to \u2018crowdfund\u2019 coalition of opposition to Edinburgh\u2019s Old Royal High School hotel plans"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"buildings\"<\/a>Plans for a new hotel on the site of Edinburgh\u2019s Old Royal High School, on iconic Calton Hill, are being opposed by the city and national institutions, but with a new appeal in place following two refusals a coalition of heritage bodies opposing the plans need more funds, so the Cockburn Association \u2013Edinburgh\u2019s Civic Trust – is exploring a new platform to secure additional crowdfunded resources, \u2018CrowdJustice\u2019.<\/h3>\n
image:\u00a0Calton Hill and Old Royal High School, Edinburgh, Courtesy Cockburn Association<\/em><\/h6>\n

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Cockburn Association Director Terry Levinthal said: \u2018As well as the more usual channels, like newsletters, etc.<\/em>, we want to crowd source funding, as we know that over 3,000 individuals lodged objections to the proposals to convert the former Royal High School into a luxury hotel.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018CrowdJustice, a dedicated service for supporting legal and quasi-legal issues, had added benefits for users.\u00a0 The site verifies the validity of ask with the legal professionals cited as helping the campaign.<\/p>\n

\u2018Of course this in itself doesn\u2019t guarantee success.\u00a0 Huge amounts of marketing and social media pressure are always needed to drive people to the crowd fund site, but at least it offers another plank in the fundraising strategy.\u2019<\/p>\n

The Cockburn Association writes:<\/p>\n

\u2026 Thomas Hamilton\u2019s Royal High School, built between 1825-9, is one of the most important Greek Revival buildings in Europe and was one of the buildings to inspire the moniker of \u2018Athens of the North\u2019.\u00a0 It is composed of a powerful symmetrical grouping of principal Doric temple-pavilion, flanking colonnades and subsidiary temples, fully exploiting a prominent elevated site.<\/p>\n

\u2026\u00a0 developers are proposing to convert the building into a luxury \u20186-star Art Hotel\u2019, which will include two massive bedroom wings that will swamp the careful composition of the Category A-listed former Royal High School buildings, and seriously affect the setting of not only this building, but of Calton Hill, one of the most important landscape features in the City.<\/p>\n

A Coalition of Edinburgh-based organisations are opposing the hotel plan and are committed to fighting this scheme at the upcoming appeal.\u00a0 The Coalition includes Edinburgh World Heritage, a charity responsible for the conservation and promotion of the city\u2019s World Heritage Site; The Cockburn Association, founded in 1875 to preserve and promote Edinburgh\u2019s heritage and landscape; and the New Town & Broughton Community Council, representing residents\u2026.<\/p>\n

Funds will be used to pay for this legal representation which supports the preparation of Appeal documents, precognitions of witnesses, and the critical cross-examination of the developer’s professional witnesses in the formal inquiry sessions.<\/p>\n

Crowdjustice writes:<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re taking legal action to create change for yourself, a family member, your community or even your entire country, CrowdJustice is here to support you. Our tools make fundraising for your case or legal project simple:<\/p>\n