Portobello Boathouse: Updated plans for beach front bar causing anger amongst locals in Portobello

New plans for a beach front bar have received a ‘mixed reaction’ as owners reach out for public feedback.
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The Boathouse on Kings Place had started life as a pop up bar, when Edinburgh City Council ask that they apply for planning permission for their current structure.

The planning permission was refused due to the application being ‘contrary to the development plan’ that the council has in place for the area.

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These plans for the Boathouse are still subject to change before planning permission is applied for says owner.These plans for the Boathouse are still subject to change before planning permission is applied for says owner.
These plans for the Boathouse are still subject to change before planning permission is applied for says owner.
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Faced with the necessity to build a more permanent and in keeping structure for the business, the owner created an option that was received a negative local reaction.

Now, the Boathouse have said that they will not go ahead with the current planning application, though it has not been formally withdrawn from the council, and the owner is floating a new design with locals in order to get the community on side.

A spokesperson for the Boathouse has said that the feedback from the original design revealed concerns that it was too ‘corporate and office like’ and the hope is the new design will resonate more.

With the new design posted online, the business has said that they have faced an issue with “misinformation”, including that the owner, Harem Murdochy, is building a penthouse for himself as part of the structure, which they say is completely untrue.

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The building will contain several flats that the Boathouse claim will be holiday lets, and are necessary to make the expense of the construction viable.

There are also concerns raised by locals who live on Kings Place that the building will end up blocking their sea view or impede natural light, which is also contested by the company.

Their spokesperson confirmed that in their estimation, three flats will partially loose their views of the Forth out of their back windows and are hoping to be able to allay these fears in online consultations with locals.

A planning application for the new design will not be submitted at the moment claims the business, saying that there is still room for change should the public call for it and that the design is not yet set in stone.

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When planning applications are submitted to the council, the public has the right to place objections which are taken into account in the approval process.

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