Edinburgh shopping centre to get mini-golf, arcades & 10-lane bowling alley after Waverley Market plans pass

The plans for Waverley Market, which were submitted by the city centre shopping centre’s owners Moolmoor (Waverley) Limited in January, were for a change the use of unit L23 at Waverly Market from retail to “assembly & leisure with an associated restaurant / licensed bar”.

Plans to add new leisure facilities to Waverley Market Shopping Cetnre in Edinburgh have been approved. | Scott Louden

The proposals for the new leisure facilities at the large two-floor unit, which covers 1824.9m2 of floorspace, were approved by the council’s planning department this month.

Chief planning officer David Givan said: “The proposals are acceptable with regard to Section 64 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Area (Scotland) Act 1997 and have no adverse impact on neighbouring residential amenity. There are no material considerations which outweigh this conclusion.”

The plans for the lower level show the bowling alley, mini golf and bar at Waverley Market. | City of Edinburgh Council

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Under the plans, the lower floor at this large Waverley Market unit will get a 10-lane ten-pin bowling alley and a nine-hole mini-golf course, as well as a bar area with four pool tables and three darts boards.

The upper floor, situated at ground level, will soon have a large 335.7m2 arcades area and a Tinderbox coffee bar at the Waverley Bridge entrance to the shopping centre.

These plans for the upper level show an arcades centre and Tinderbox coffee bar. | City of Edinburgh Council

The lower level is currently empty having been previously occupied by Jobcentre Plus, while the upper floor is occupied by an NHS Scotland vaccination clinic, which offers flu jabs and Covid-19 boosters.

The shopping centre now has three years to implement the change of use and carry out the required alterations in the plans, which received no objections or notes of support on the council’s planning portal website.