Edinburgh snooker hall to become four new homes under re-submitted plans following 2022 refusal

Corstorphine Snooker Company is looking to replace the Manse Club at 62 Manse Road with three one and a half-storey terraced units and one detached one and a half-storey cottage.

Plans to demolish the Corstorphine snooker hall and build five three-storey units were refused on December 23, 2022.

Corstorphine Snooker Company is looking to demolish the Manse Club to make way for four new three-bedroom homes. | Google Maps

The council’s chief planning officer David Givan said at the time: “The proposals would not preserve the character and appearance of the conservation area and the amenity of the proposed residential properties may be adversely impacted upon by the commercial premises to the north.”

The latest plans for the 650 sqm site on the west side of Manse Road, submitted on November 7, are for less intrusive homes, with four three-bedroom one and a half-storey houses and a substantial increase in rear garden space

In these latest planning documents, the applicant said: “In terms of the character appraisal, the application emphasises the retention of the village character and vernacular architecture, the varied grain of the area, the retention of the informal street layout and footpath network, the consistency in the use of traditional materials, including stone and slate, a mix of plot sizes, building types and forms, and the prevalence of residential uses.

“It advises that new development should strengthen the context of the existing conservation area and be sensitive to its historic character.

“Earlier proposals were rejected on the basis that they would not preserve the character and appearance of the conservation area and the amenity of the proposed residential properties may be adversely impacted by the commercial premises to the north.

“The revised design approach for the site has therefore taken these conclusions on board, and the proposals have been substantially altered to ensure that they enhance the character and appearance of the conservation area, and that the amenity of the new houses would not be affected by the adjacent hot food takeaway.

“These significant changes include reducing the number, scale and height of the new buildings; replacing the modern design approach with the use of traditional forms and materials; and changing the massing of the houses to reflect adjacent properties.

“These changes will ensure that the revised proposals would have a positive impact on the character and appearance of the conservation area, and meet the requirements of Section 64 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 and relevant policies set out in the Adopted LDP and NPF4.”

This planning document shows the rejected plans from 2022 and the new plans below. | City of Edinburgh Council

Situated in the Corstorphine Conservation Area, The Manse Club is a private members Billiard and Snooker club with nine full size Snooker tables, a lounge bar and a large beer garden operating from the premises.

The original building on site was purpose-built as a Billiard Hall in 1939 by Miller Construction and was commissioned by the then owners, W & W Maclauchlan.

Speaking about these current plans for the site, the applicant added: “The feedback received on the previous application and the earlier pre-application advice has been very useful and has helped guide and inform the design approach for the revised proposals for the site.

“The consideration of the earlier application, and the previous pre-application advice, has confirmed the policy support for the principle of the proposed redevelopment of the application site for new housing. The use of the site for housing is not therefore contested.

“Similarly, the demolition of the existing snooker hall building has been supported as it has no architectural merit and, as confirmed in the previous archaeology response, is a relatively ‘modern’ insertion into the historic village core.

“The current building on site also adds nothing to the character of the conservation area and its removal would provide an opportunity to remove a ‘bad neighbour’ development and reintegrate an appropriate form and scale of housing into this infill site.

“These earlier considerations have also confirmed that the application site is highly accessible and, due to excellent public transport links in the area, a development with zero car parking has been recommended and supported.

“The pre-application advice also confirmed that the development should be limited to two storeys to be compatible with the surrounding context, and should reflect the stone-built character and slated roof that is traditional to the area. It suggested that a traditional form with contemporary detailing, and perhaps a terrace of mews type buildings would fit the site better.

“To reflect this advice, and in recognition of the refusal of the earlier proposals, the design approach has been changed to limit the heights to one and a half storeys and to reflect the cottage character in the area.”

An artist's impression of the new homes currently proposed at the site of the snooker hall on Manse Road in Corstorphine, Edinburgh. | City of Edinburgh Council

The current owners acquired the premises in 1985, and a series of extensions and additions were made over a number years including a new toilet block and building extension which was added in 1988, and a new bar and lounge area which was installed in 1995.

Corstorphine Snooker Company added that due to its age and type of construction, the building suffers from high energy costs and is costly to maintain. Although the club continues to attract members, the membership is ageing and has been declining over a number of years, similar to snooker halls generally throughout Scotland.

This latest planning application for the site has currently received one objection, and will now be decided upon by the City of Edinburgh Council’s planning department.