At the latest Development Management Subcommittee meeting, councillors upheld officers’ recommendations and refused planning permission for an annual spiegeltent and bar in St James Square [see Spurtle, Spurtle, 15 September; Council webcast].
The issues were complicated by the fact that the space served precisely this ‘proposed’ purpose in August, before the application could be processed.
However, on receiving complaints from neighbouring residents, officials visited the site and ascertained for themselves that noise levels here were indeed, as they had expected, excessive.
This was despite the fact that the rucus emanated from a live broadcast BBC show at 6.30pm – a controlled event which was likely to be at the lower end of the disruption scale for shows here.
Cllr McNeese-Mechan alone found merit in the application. She said there was a desire in Edinburgh for more events of this kind spread out across the city.
Cllrs Mowat and Gardiner said locals’ amenity had to be respected and this ‘venue’ was simply too close to them in a historic residential area.
St James Square forms part of the new St James Quarter. It constitutes public realm in private ownership. The public here have rights of way and access.
The latest decision by councillors will not necessarily affect the Bar Hutte booths which received planning permission for one year only at Christmas and Hogmanay 2021/22.
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