Stone lions plan causes uproar

Published on Tuesday 18 December 2007 09:19

RESIDENTS and businesses in the New Town are up in arms over plans to erect two stone lions.

A restaurateur wants the ornamental beasts to stand guard at the entrance to his planned China Town venture on Atholl Place.

But angry neighbours have complained that the proposals will be "out of keeping with the rest of the prestigious street".

The new Chinese restaurant – in the former Indian Cavalry Club building – would also be fitted with Oriental-style window blinds and new brass plaques. It is the latest row to surround the B-listed former home of one of the city's best-known curry houses, which moved to nearby Coates Crescent in May.

Derek Gibb, director of Atholl Place-based property managers firm James Gibb Ltd, said: "I strongly object to the placing of two ornamental standing lions adjacent to the entrance door.

"These lions will detract from the existing clear plinths that are a feature of the New Town of Edinburgh.

"Should businesses be allowed to start placing ornaments all over their front plinths, then this could escalate and detract from the local architecture."

In a letter submitted to the council's planning department, neighbours Christopher Creegan and Allan Turnbull also objected to the two ornamental lions.

They added: "We are concerned that various things have been done in the past, such as the painting of the external stonework, which should not have been allowed and which we believe are detrimental to the street environment."

Heritage chiefs have also urged caution about the plans, although they did not object to the scheme.

Officials at Historic Scotland stressed that the council must ensure the lions were not physically attached to the building's stonework.

Earlier this year, lawyers representing restaurateur Thomas Chan had to assure residents that there were no plans to create an outside eating area at China Town following concerns over the licence.

Neither Mr Chan or Format Design, the architects behind the scheme, were available for comment about the latest plans.

The relocation of the Indian Cavalry Club to a former solicitors' office on Coates Crescent sparked protests when it was announced last year, with scores of residents arguing that it would lead to excessive noise and create bad smells.

The outcry even forced owner Shahid Chowdhury to withdraw his original application, and create more detailed plans in a bid to convince residents that the restaurant would not have an adverse effect on their quality of life.

The scheme was eventually granted permission last summer, although heritage body the Cockburn Association said that it would set an "undesirable precedent" for other properties in the West End.

Mr Chan has now won plan-ning permission to reposition a stone wall at the Atholl Place building.

However, he also needs separate listed building consent before work can begin on the new restaurant.