A fire that destroyed the roof and top floors of the former Debenhams department store on Edinburgh's Princes Street has been described as 'upsetting' by the city council leader. The blaze broke out in the early hours of Thursday, causing significant damage to the B-listed building, which has been disused for some time.
Council Leader's Response
Jane Meagher, leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, told Press Association Scotland that the main priority now 'has got to be safety'. She said: 'It's personally upsetting to see another historic building being destroyed. I've lived in this city for over 50 years and I love it. As do very many people, and that's why so many people come to visit us.'
Ms Meagher added: 'We hope that this disruption to local residents and businesses will be as short as possible. The main priority is people's safety.'
Building Condition and Safety
The roof and top floors of the building have been destroyed, and the interior is blackened and charred. The council leader emphasised that the condition of the building is extremely important to assess before any decisions can be made about reopening Princes Street. 'Until we know what the condition is, we can't make any decisions about when to resume normal business on Princes Street,' she said.
She indicated that the timeline for removing cordons and resuming business as usual is 'as soon as possible', acknowledging the importance of getting everything back to normal quickly.
Responsibility for Historic Buildings
When asked about responsibility for protecting historic buildings, Ms Meagher stated that it 'lies very, very firmly with the owners and with the contractors'. The council will work with the fire service to determine whether the building is structurally safe, but it is not the council's responsibility to keep it safe and secure.
