Breaking news

Drum Property Group has appealed to the Scottish Government against Edinburgh Council’s refusal of planning consent to develop student housing, hotel and retail at 106–162 Leith Walk (Refs 18/04332/FUL, 18/04349/CON). 

As part of that appeal process (PPA-230-2274, CAC-230-2004), in the last few days a joint submission opposing the proposal has been made by Leith Central, Leith Harbour, Leith Links, and Leith Harbour & Newhaven Community Councils. 

Have you been out and about in today's weather? Are you completely sodden and downhearted? 

Cheer up! Stockbridge & Inverleith Community Council have contacted us about a traffic-free, activity-packed (and, no doubt, sun-drenched) event they will be hosting later this month. 

Unpack your sombrero and read on for details …

The Stockbridge Summer Solstice will take place on Sunday 23 June from noon till 4.00pm on Raeburn Place.

Police in Edinburgh issued the following statement this morning.

Meet Hugh Topping, the person in charge of overseeing the conversion of a Category A-listed Swiss cheese at Blenheim Place into Edinburgh’s newest bookshop. 

The family-run firm of Topping & Company Booksellers was founded in 2002. 

It already had branches in Bath, Ely, and St Andrews, and had been looking for appropriate premises in Edinburgh for some time, when the chance came up last year to lease Nos 2–3A Blenheim Place. 

After 18 months’ determined lobbying behind the scenes, Leith Central Community Council has succeeded in getting the riverside pathway reopened in Bonnington. 

The section between Newhaven Road and Anderson Place had been closed because of an unstable wall adjoining the Miller Homes construction site. 

Work even to begin fixing the problem took much longer than anyone thought possible (apparently due to some mix of institutional inertia at the Council and corporate awkwardness at Miller), but is now sufficient advanced to allow pedestrians to pass with care. 

Locals distracted by yet another round of roadworks on Broughton Street may not have noticed that Nom de Plume has the builders in. 

In fact, this is more than a simple refurbishment. The much-loved café has now closed, with the owners leaving to concentrate instead on their Regent Bar at Abbeyhill. 

Moving in at No. 60 is Pickles, the winebar/purveyor of prestigious preserves, pickles, port and pies, currently at No. 56A. Pickles will move out of the basement on 22 June and reopen upstairs and downhill about three days later.

As reported in Issue 285, the Cockburn Association has recently issued a list of 10 buildings that ‘define’ Edinburgh. 

Spurtle is never too proud to pinch a good idea when we see one, so here’s our provisional list of 10 buildings that – for good or ill – define Broughton. 

As you read this, team members in sundresses, sandals, and sombreros are already wading across the barony with the latest sizzling copies of the Broughton Spurtle. 

This month’s issue begins on Page 1 with bollards, moves on to a public rift, detours via unusually sized body parts, and concludes with a new Place for Edinburgh communities. 

Planning permission in principle is sought for the demolition of Smithie’s Bar on Eyre Place, and its replacement by a 3-storey housing block with attic and basement (Ref. 19/02460/PPP). 

The applicant is Lindsay John McArthur, one of two directors for the public house and bar company L & K McArthur Ltd, registered at 49–51 Eyre Place since 2017. 

In February this year, Cornerstone Property Development made an unusual application (unusual to our eyes) to use an existing residential property at 8 Baxter’s Place as short-stay commercial visitor letting ‘by people living together as a family’ (Ref. 19/00932/CLP).