Gay pride flagpoles are for the chop at Leith pub

Published on 20/02/2013 12:00

A PUB landlord who put up gay pride flags at his Leith bar is being forced to take them down after council chiefs demanded the removal of 
flagpoles from the C-listed building.

The rainbow flags were erected around three months ago by the landlord at Mother Aitken’s on Seafield Place, a 19th-century building with public and lounge bars.

The landlord, who asked not to be named, put flagpoles on the building to promote the bar as 
“gay friendly”.

He said: “I’ve talked to the brewery and I’m going to apply for permission to put up the flagpoles.

“I’ll have to take them down while I make the application.

“I wanted to show that the place is gay friendly to try and improve business.”

A city council spokeswoman said: “This is a category C-listed building and therefore work to attach flagpoles to the building requires listed building 
consent.

“No such consent has been obtained for the work.”