New chairman of Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens project

John Campbell QC succeeds Norman Springford who resigned in February

A senior lawyer has been appointed the new chairman of a charity aiming to revamp Edinburgh's West Princes Street Gardens.

John Campbell QC succeeds Norman Springford as head of The Ross Development Trust.

The charity is working with City of Edinburgh Council to deliver the £25m Quaich Project and transform the 19th Century gardens.

The plan is to create an open-air arena to replace the Ross Bandstand.

It also aims to redevelop the gardens as an accessible public space.

Mr Campbell said: "I recognise my responsibility in ensuring the gardens remain as treasured and relevant to future generations as they are today."

The project's plan is to create an open-air arena to replace the Ross Bandstand

There has been criticism of the Quaich Project after reports that firms were being invited to sponsor parts of it in return for corporate branding.

Former chairman Norman Springford, who founded the Apex Hotels group, resigned from the project's board in February.

He said his motivations had been questioned and he had been accused of trying to privatise the park.

He said despite this being "completely untrue" it had "become a distraction to the project's ambitions".