Local residents hit back at claims a restaurant would have to leave their town if it was not allowed a car park telling planners they ‘would survive’ without it.
The owners of Gigi’s have lost their latest bid to create a car park across the road from their Bonnyrigg restaurant despite claiming they may have to move elsewhere without out it.
Midlothian Council planners said the proposal did not include enough disabled spaces or electric chargers and failed to outweigh the impact of losing the land.
The controversial plans were the latest application to use the land, which is designated as open public space, for parking for up to 12 cars which brought objections from locals.
The restaurant had previously been granted permission for a nine vehicle car park after appealing against officers refusal to the council’s Local Review Body and had confidently predicted that would happen again if their extended proposals were rejected.
In a statement to the council’s planning officers, their representative said: “Informal consultation has taken place with local councillors who have stated that the loss of such an important business to the locale would be severely detrimental to Midlothian.
“Councillors are of the view that this application should be approved in light of the aforementioned conditions being met and should not be refused, as it will only be overturned at Local Review Body, which would be a waste of public funds that can be far better spent on the areas that need them in these times of financial difficulty such as the current housing crises.”
However a report by planning officers said there had been 15 objections to the land being used as a car park with one claiming “Bonnyrigg will survive if Gigis relocates” and another adding that “numerous successful restaurants operate without a car park.”
The restaurant owners had argued the introduction of extended double yellow lines on the road outside the restaurant had made it difficult for customers to park.
Planning officers, however, said: “It is acknowledged the introduction of additional double yellow lines on Lothian Street has reduced on street parking in the area both for residents and restaurant users.
“However, it is not unusual that town centre uses do not have dedicated parking. The site is well served by public transport.”
They added: “There are two council run free public car parks in the town centre, approximately 500m away from the restaurant, with a total of 70 spaces.”
Rejecting the proposals the council said it was a “significant and unacceptable variation” to the approved nine car spaces adding it would be a “further loss of an attractive area of landscaped open space which adds interest and enhances the appearance of the surrounding area and is visually important on this main road in to the centre of Bonnyrigg.”
By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter
