A BID to create a drop-in centre for the homeless has been shelved in the face of protests from residents and traders.
The Salvation Army wanted to re-locate its "dry centre" to Clerk Street after the lease on its existing Bread Street facility ran out.
But more than 30 people objected to the plans amid fears it would make the area a focus for "undesirables".
The charity's East Scotland Divisional Commander, Major Robert McIntyre, today said the plan had been dumped and that it was now a race against time to find alternative accommodation for the facility.
It comes after Edinburgh's head of planning and strategy, Alan Henderson, called concerns over the new facility "a presumption" and recommended approval of the plans on the grounds that the centre would "benefit the economic viability and vitality of the area".
At a meeting of the planning committee earlier this month, councillors agreed to postpone their decision pending a site visit and a police report.
A council spokeswoman said: "There was a lot of discussion over safety around the site and the committee visited it.
"We have been awaiting the police report and as soon as this was received, the application would have been put forward for a decision.
"However, we can now confirm that the application has been withdrawn."
Major McIntyre said they will continue to look for a new site, and added: "Our only aim throughout this process has been to serve the homeless community in Edinburgh (but] from June 12, the Salvation Army's programme at Bread Street will itself be homeless, and we pray we find a solution very soon."
Campaigning resident Don Jardine, of St Leonard's Street, welcomed the news, and said: "It's good that they've eventually listened to our objections, but it took them a while to come round.
"Clerk Street was always an unsuitable choice of destination. The current SA drop takes 700 to 800 people a week, and this would have gone up to 1000 if the larger premises at Clerk Street would have gone ahead.
"It's sad that they've not managed to find alternative premises. During a meeting with the Southside Association they told us the council would help them find new premises, but so far they haven't come up with any answers."
Southside and Newington councillor Cameron Rose was one of those who visited the site.
He said: "Over the past six months the council has done a search of council owned and run premises to see if we can find something suitable, but to date this search has been unsuccessful.
"However, if an opportunity opens up in the future we will be in touch."
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http://www.salvationarmy.org.ukThe full article contains 460 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
