Edinburgh plans to turn former Portobello Police Station into a new community hub approved
Plans to turn a former Edinburgh police station into a new community hub have been approved by the council.
Action Porty’s plans to make community use of the landmark former Portobello Police Station building on the High Street, were submitted in November and approved on January 20, with the council accepting a change of use application from the local community action group.
The plans show the new community hub would include offices, public function rooms, art studios and gallery, and private office let/ retail space.
Action Porty chair Justin Kenrick said: “We are delighted to to have received planning permission for Stage Zero of our plans for the former police station building in Portobello.
"This iconic building in the heart of our community deserves to be brought back to life and buzz with community group offices, artist studios and activities for young people.
"We are calling this first phase Stage Zero because we plan to make no immediate changes to the building, but to simply spruce it up and bring it to life to help enable a more vibrant high street, a financially viable project.
“And build towards the more substantial changes the community has identified and will have the time to refine in the light of what seems possible with the building.
“The key point for us is that we want to save the building for the community to be able to use, and to decide how to use over generations, rather than lose this crucial community building forever, probably to high-end unaffordable housing.”
The community use would evolve over time but is expected to contain a mix of community offices, community public function and events spaces, day centre, community arts studios and gallery and ancillary private office lets, cafe and retail space. The publicly accessible spaces would be on the ground floor with more quieter private spaces located on the upper floors.
Approving the plans, the council’s chief planning officer David Givan said: “The proposal is acceptable in principle. It is acceptable in terms of the sustainability, listed buildings, conservation area and heritage assets policies.
“The proposed use would be conditioned to ensure the necessary ventilation and noise/odour control is managed sympathetically to the listed building and to ensure amenity for neighbouring residents is not adversely affected.
“Identified material considerations have been assessed above and do not raise issues which outweigh the conclusion in relation to the Development Plan. Indeed they support the proposed change of use. Therefore this proposal is acceptable.”
The plans received one public comment on the council’s online planning portal, from Portobello Amenity Society, which supported the proposals.
The group said: “The society believes that there is a very strong need within the community for spaces that can be used by community groups for offices for community organisations.
“There is also a need for public function space, exhibition space and space for artists' studios.”
The group also spoke about a lack of NHS provision and banking facilities in the area, before adding: “The former police station, which occupies a prime site in the centre of Portobello, could therefore be of great use to the community and to community organisations in a large number of ways. For all of the above reasons, Portobello Amenity Society supports this application.”
The two-storey with central tower building fronts onto Portobello High Street on the corner with Ramsay Place and is a prominent building within Portobello Conservation Area.
It was previously the town council building prior to being occupied by Police Scotland, and has been out of operational use by Police Scotland for almost 10 years.
Action Porty now has three years to begin work at 118 Portobello High Street.
While, conditions have been added to approval that no hot food is to be sold from the premises until details of the proposed ventilation, odour control and noise measures are submitted to and approved by the council’s planning department. And, further details of the hours of operation and noise measures in the function room are also to be submitted to and approved by planners.
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