Edinburgh Netflix TV show One Day plaque refused amid dozens of objections over "advertisement"

The TV streaming service had applied to erect a plaque with an outline of characters Emma and Dex kissing at the Vennel steps, off the Grassmarket, where the pair kissed in the hit television adaptation of the 2009 novel by David Nicholls.

The red circular plaque, 345mm diameter, 14mm thickness, manufactured from solid plastic, would have been fixed to the external stone wall using dowels.

The One Day plaque would have been installed here at the bottom on the right of the Vennel off the Grassmarket if it had been approved. | Kevin Quinn

However, the council’s chief planning officer David Givan refused permission on heritage grounds. He said: “The proposal fails to have special regard to the desirability of preserving the character of the building and would adversely impact on its special architectural and historic interest.

“The proposal represents an inappropriate and low quality addition to the listed building, failing to meet the statutory requirement of retaining its character. It would fail to preserve the character and appearance of the conservation area.”

The application received 38 objections in total, with many local residents and heritage organisations angry about placing such a plaque in a conservation area, saying that it would detract from the architectural setting and impact key Edinburgh views toward the castle, and it was seen by some as simply an advertisement by Netflix for people to watch One Day.

The planning documents show the One Day plaque which would have been placed at The Vennel in Edinburgh. | City of Edinburgh Council

Silke Schneider from Edinburgh World Heritage said: “The proposed plaque has nothing to do with the place or the city; it commemorates no historic or special person or event connected to the city of Edinburgh. It's purpose appears to be to mainly promoting or advertising Netflix.

“Allowing this plaque would set an unwanted precedent and in addition of this, the design and colour scheme does not appear suitable for the location of the World Heritage Site.”

John Rankin of Lister Housing Co-operative Ltd said: “This proposed plaque would negatively affect the appearance of the area, and will not be in keeping with the surroundings.

“There are many films and programmes filmed in this area, and it would not seem proportionate to set a precedent whereby those making such films and programmes in future might be given an expectation that an application for a plaque such as this would be approved in relation to their project.”

While, The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland said: “The proposed works do not respect the historic character of the area and fail to preserve or enhance the conservation area's character. Instead, they detract from the architectural setting and impact key Edinburgh views toward the castle, resulting in non-compliance with NPF4 Policy 7.

“The proposed works would undermine the site's integrity as a location of historic significance and interest. The sign detracts from key points of interest and disrupts the relationship between historic and architectural features, shifting focus from a neighbourhood of international historic renown to overstate a single aspect of the area's cultural significance.”

Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall as Emma and Dexter in the Netflix series, One Day, at the Vennel in Edinburgh. Pic. Contributed

And, The Old Town Association added: “The application does not fit the criteria for commemorative plaques; this is an advertisement. It is an egregious example of commercialising public space.

“If a plaque went up for every film shot in Edinburgh, the listed buildings in the city centre would be smothered in them!

“The Vennel is a popular spot for visitors because of the view of the Castle; Netflix should not be allowed to photobomb people's selfies.”

One Day follows Dexter and Emma who meet at university in Edinburgh and decide to meet every year on July 15 and see where they stand in life. Over a period of a few years, they feel that they have more to share in common than the people around them.

The plaque was installed at the site on July 15 this year to mark the One Day date, but these plans submitted on October 3 were to make it permanent.

The Vennel is already a popular walkway between the Grassmarket and Heriot Place/ Keir Street, providing a great photo opportunity of Edinburgh Castle, and is a popular walking route for local resident, Rebus author Ian Rankin, who regularly posts photos of the walkway on social media.