Proposed Housing Development at Fun Park

[Kevin]

We have received notice that there is to be an application made for housing to be built on the Fun Park site.

As neighbours to this site we are opposed to any housing development on this site as we will be subjected to loss of view and the privacy we currently enjoy in our home.

We would appreciate your support in our objection to the proposal.
Kevin.

[angigael]

We have received notice that there is to be an application made for housing to be built on the Fun Park site.

Can you clarify for me exactly where the Fun Park is? I think I know but would like to check for sure.

Do you know what sort of building(s) they are proposing?

Angi

[Gemini]

Hi Kevin,

No right to a view but right to light! The privacy angle will be difficult, article 8 of ECHR 'peaceful enjoyment of one's property' is a tough one to prove, more especially when the Council will quote Statues,Guidelines,Polilcies Local or otherwise. It will be interesting to see the proposed plans! hope you don't have to wait too long, because by the time you do see them the ball will be rolling - Harry Lauder Road, Scottish Power HQ and maybe even foot of Bath Street scenario springs to mind.
Good luck and keep us informed.

[Susan]

Hi,

The Fun Park is situated on the Promenade at Pipe Street.
It is one of the oldest fixed site Funfairs in the UK.

Portobello attracts visitors from all over and the Fun Park is in itself an attraction to many. I know that the owners have not had the support from the Council enjoyed by many fixed site owners in other seaside locations.

The Council declares that it wants to upgrade the seaside in Portobello and have invested some money to this over the last few years, although there is a long way to go. Allowing part of this site to be turned over to housing contradicts the aims of the Council.

Instead of allowing this proposal to go ahead the Council's representatives should encourage more leisure use of the grounds and see what could be achieved by talking to Melvin Strand at the Fun Park and encouraging his enterprising ideas for Portobello.

There should be a resounding NO to housing on this site.

Susan

[Susan]

Hi,

I have been talking to a few folk about this development proposal.

My understanding is that it is only part of the site and not the amusement arcade, etc., that the proposal refers to.

Susan

[chris]

I might be swimming against the tide here but I'd be delighted if the fun park was demolished. And the arcades. The seaside doesn't have to be tacky.

But that's just my opinion.

[Susan]

Hi Chris,

I don't agree with you about the Fun Park.

I think Portobello seafront needs the commercial activity provided by the arcades and Fun Park.

Many people find these established seaside businesses a complementary activity to a day at the seaside. Drawing visitors to Portobello who circulate and spend in the shops is what makes Portobello a financially viable proposition for the towns business community, without the extra business of the summer months many would not survive the winter months.

I don't know where the word tacky applies to these establishments, they are well run and have had huge financial investment by their private owners.

Susan

[kevin]

I agree with Chris and would like to see amusement arcades and fun parks removed from the promenade.
Portobello promenade would be more attractive for visitors and locals alike if it had good toilet facilities and maybe even a decent cafe or visitor centre.
Every time I walk past these arcades your peace and quiet is spoilt by bingo callers or some horrible piped music played onto the prom,and there's always folk hanging about outside dropping litter from their burgers or chips onto the promenade.

Musselburgh promenade doesn't have these tacky facilities and is a good example of what our Porty prom should look like, eg clean,decent seating,nice flower displays etc etc..
I'm sure that businesses on the high street would also benefit from visitors going there if required for refreshments after a stroll on the prom.

kevin.

[Guest]

Susan may not like the term ‘tacky’ but I think it’s fair to say that most local people regard this end of the Prom as being rather ‘downmarket’. The burgers, bingo and booze formula is undeniably still one that attracts a certain clientele but other than making a profit for the owners of these establishments I’m not convinced that there is much there of value to the wider community and I don’t think many people will shed a tear when the bulldozers move in. It always depresses me to see people wasting their money in slot machines and as a parent I worry about the type of person who hangs around in these places. Of course we want to celebrate and capitalize on our seaside heritage but there are some bits that are long past their sell by date and are probably best left in the past. The ‘Golden Days’ of Portobello as a seaside resort are a distant memory and we now have to address the challenge of how we re-invent ourselves, but since I am now straying off-topic (and risking another rebuke from Chris) I’ll resume this on a new thread.

[chris]

Drawing visitors to Portobello who circulate and spend in the shops is what makes Portobello a financially viable proposition for the towns business community

It depends who is being drawn here - I doubt very much if the business being generated extends beyond the arcades themselves.

As for the word 'tacky'... OED: showing poor taste or style
...seems about right.

[Susan]

Hi,

Portobello had a theatre before it had a church. The town was built round visitor entertainment. So perhaps it's origins are tacky. We now have no theatres and only a few of the original chuches. Things have changed.

Portobello has invited visitors to come to the town. They do and they support the local businesses.

I wonder what the ideal Portobello is for Bob and Chris?

I gather from their views given that they would like all the commercial activity on the Promenade closed, except those businesses selling alcohol and providing beer gardens. (There is no alcohol on sale at either amusement arcade or at the Fun Park, I don't think children and alcohol should be together anyway.)

Would their idea be a better scheme for the Promenade?

There would be those that would like it, I've no doubt but what about all the people that bypass Cramond, Longniddry, Gullane and Musselburgh, to come to Portobello for something different. It wouldn't be that wee bit different anymore and they'd just head for Burntisland and take their custom with them.

Then all the shops on the High Street could be turned into houses as well and we would all be living in a nice big housing scheme with a few local pubs!

Susan







Do they really believe this would make the Promenade better?

[Kirstielove]

I agree with Susan.

The prom would benefit from investment but not by knocking down the funpark/amusements and building flats.

To attract visitors it would need more than seats and flower beds - I didn't know Musselburgh had a prom.

Kirstie

[chris]

Susan you seem to have misunderstood...

I gather from their views given that they would like all the commercial activity on the Promenade closed,

Of course not... I don't see how you came to this conclusion.

Then all the shops on the High Street could be turned into houses as well and we would all be living in a nice big housing scheme with a few local pubs!

Now that's just silly.

You seem to have ignored what I said and replied to what you thought someone said... or something... I'm really not to sure what you were doing. Anyway...

It depends who is being drawn here - I doubt very much if the business being generated extends beyond the arcades themselves.

So tell me, what business do the people who go to the arcades bring to porty (beyond the arcades)?
Walking along the beach in front these place at the end of a day when they've been busy is sickening. I hate to see Whimpy wrappers, empty cans and all manner of crap left on the beach and the visitors to these places seem to be the worst culprits. The owners of the arcades have so little regard for their surroundings they make no effort to clean up (even Macdonalds employs staff to clear up the mess their customers leave behind).

Porty could well do without these visitors... let them go to Burntisland - I never will. Have you ever stopped to think why Portobello attracts large large gangs of kids in the evening? Ah - that would be the visitor entertainment. Still at least it makes Porty a thriving community.

Portobello had a theatre before it had a church. The town was built round visitor entertainment. So perhaps it's origins are tacky. We now have no theatres and only a few of the original chuches. Things have changed.

I didn't say its origins were tacky - I said the arcades were. Yes, things have changed - I don't see how that supports the fun park. Portobello's history reached back beyond 'visitor entertainment'. It was (was it not) a spa town at one time - why not build on that? There's no need to focus on it's 'Hi-De-Hi' history.

*rant over*

[Susan]

Hi,

Sincere apologies to Chris but I thought you were the same Chris that wrote you'd be delighted if the Fun Park and the Arcades were demolished on 25th May. I also thought you were the same Chris that wrote elsewhere on the forum that you enjoyed the beer garden on a sunny day.

If you demolish the Fun Park and the Arcades, what other commercial activity, apart from Liquor Licensed premises, are left?

That's where I drew my conclusion from.

The High Street shops have a tough time surviving on the immediate local trade. Before you jump at me about that comment I suggest you go back to when the buses were re routed along the Sir Harry Lauder Road, when Brighton Place was closed. If the High Street shops were not affected by visitors why did the Deli, the Butcher, the Fishmonger and others have such a drop in trade as was reported in the Evening News at the time?

You may dislike the arcades and the people that use them but there are a lot of decent, law abiding citizens who pass an hour or so there before heading up the road, browsing and buying what's on offer in the local shops.

I see teenagers from all areas surrounding Portobello gathering in groups. As long as they are well away from their own front doors they are not a problem, must be the attitude. I don't see how closing the Fun Park would have any bearing on this particular problem. A firmer policing policy would.

Things have changed.
Once, not so long ago, there were enough businesses surviving in this town to provide for every need of the community. Suppling furniture, clothing, shoes, schoolwear and much more. There was a Promenade lined with Hotels and businesses. There was a tide of change in the eighties and we lost many of the long established Hotels and businesses. My pondering thought was if we get rid of the last remaining Promenade businesses - will the rest survive?

Susan

[Guest]

HI i read about housing in fun park site that made me that it planned to remove it and buliding housing. it is should not another building another housing at prom as it should enough as it already at bath street.
i dont support it and people still coming into fun park to enjoying themselves also thier children and if they removed funpark and build new housing it will look not good at prom as they are destorying Portobello's history that is for sure.but it is not nice of them as i do like see the funpark stays there for ever to keep our history.
robert

[bert]

Hi,

my first post on here and I do have a little bit of an interest in one of the Amusement Arcades on the prom so I may be a bit biased but...

I think it is unfair to say that the two Arcades on the prom attract the wrong sort of people,
as far as I am aware both of the businesses have a policy of not allowing under 18's onto their premises unless accompanied by an adult, so the problem of youths converging in Portobello is not due to them being attracted to the Arcades, in fact I have noticed far more youths hanging about on the High Street outside the police station than anywhere else!

As for the litter problem, a bit more could maybe be done by the proprietors but it was not too long ago when the Council reduced the size and number of litter bins on the Promenade and the vans picking up the litter don't seem to be along as frequently as before.

Another thing which has been raised is to why we cannot have a promenade similar to that of Musselburgh, good point, but in fact we do!
We have a quiet promenade with parks, benches and lovely views at the Joppa end but we also have the benefit of other attractions such as ice cream and candy floss a mere ten minute walk away at the Portobello end.

I do see the views of those who think that Amusement Arcades are the source of all of Porty's ills, but I cannot agree to it!

The Arcades and attractions were in Portobello before the majority of us and I for one hope they are here a long time after!

Thanks..

[Cairns]

If you don't like them don't go in, I don't see bouncers dragging passers by in.
My children would rather spend there £1 on 2p machines lasting up to an hour and enjoying family time, instead of a can of juice and a packet of sweets hanging about the street.
After a 20 min walk its nice to wander in and enjoy the atsmosphere, making for a pleasant afternoon outing.
The prom has a lot to offer to diferent tastes lets keep it that way.

[Emma]

I'm really concerned about the destruction of the character of this area. There are more plans for development . this time in front of the pretty white cottages between Bath Street and the play park. I've created a separate topic called 'More development planned for Prom green space'. If you care about this issue please get involved.

[Guest]

Not entirely sure about the merit of the replacement flats but in their favour they do have some stone facing. Can't see any developer producing Regency buildings anymore

Thank you Marya... finally the voice of reason. Actually (whispers) I quite like the designs I've seen.

I live in a Victorian tenement built onto the side of a Georgian house... I wonder what the residents of the house thought at the turn of last Century about this new upstart architecture. And I wonder whether, in a Century, the new block will be viewed as affectionately as Victorian tenements today?

[gillsmith]

Yes, I have to agree with Marya too, although I do feel for the people who are losing their view. Although it's not much consolation to them, I believe that there was originally a tenement on the site - does anyone know for sure? Granny's Attic was a dank, mouldy old place (you should have smelt it when they demolished it!) with not much going for it at all architecturally and I do think the new building will improve the area. They will have their own parking too, so we can't complain about that.

[fresian]

What sort of flats are they proposing. Hopefully not tenements. otherwise Diana Cairns will set herself up as spokesperson for Portobello Against New Tenements (PANTS), now that she has some spare time on your hands.

[magbagpuss]

I thought tenements were flats ?

[fresian]

Magbagpuss, they are, however PANFS doesn't have the same ring to it. You know how DC likes to have an acronym for all her little protest groups.