Leisure scheme for Palais site goes to inquiry

Rank Group, operators of the Mecca bingo hall in Fountainbridge - once the home of the famous Palais de Danse dance hall - have confirmed plans to relocate to the nearby Fountainpark complex. But the company’s proposals to erect a two-storey building on the site for a leisure complex have fallen foul of community leaders and city planning officials. The site of the bingo hall is on a key parcel of land in a major city centre regeneration area and sits directly next to Edinburgh Quay - the new waterfront office, residential and leisure development. The company - which runs casinos and Hard Rock Cafe bar-restaurants throughout the UK, as well as the chain of Mecca bingo halls - has refused to divulge exactly what it has planned for the Fountainbridge site. But locals fear they may end up with more drunken behaviour to contend with, while the council’s planning experts believe the firm’s plans represent a huge missed opportunity for the site. Rank has triggered a public inquiry by lodging an appeal with the Scottish Executive saying that the council has taken too long to rule on its planning application. The Palais de Danse became firmly established as one of Edinburgh’s best-known ballrooms after opening in 1921. The venue, which attracted royals like Prince George and the Prince of Wales, as well as a young Sean Connery, was a hugely popular fixture in the city’s social scene until 1967, when it was closed down for a refurbishment. However, it never reopened and several years later was brought back to life as a bingo hall. The city’s planning officials have already voiced their opposition to the development, which would see the new leisure facility created on two floors, four retail units built facing on to the canal at the Lochrin basin, and a 106-space underground car park. Councillors will next week be asked to confirm the authority’s stance against the planning application, which was lodged in August, 2003. Objectors include Napier University, which has halls of residence next to the bingo hall and Tollcross Community Council, which has been running a campaign against the number of licensed premises in the area. Alan Henderson, the council’s head of planning, said there were no parking facilities available on the current site, which is already well served by public transport. "Amendments have been made to the design of the building in an attempt to address concerns about how it appears in context and relates to the canal basin. "However, the proposal essentially remains a large ‘shed’ filling the entire site and not contributing to the architectural or environmental quality of a revitalised area. "In all, the proposal represents a missed opportunity to address both Fountainbridge and the canal basin, to contribute to an area where buildings of quality are being erected with a view to increasing the recreational potential of the Union Canal and the vibrancy of the area as a whole," he said. Rank’s director of investment relations, Peter Reynolds, said the company was reluctant to comment on its application for the Fountainbridge site in advance of the public inquiry. However, he said the company was planning to open a brand new bingo hall in one of the currently vacant units at the Fountainpark leisure complex, which already boasts a cinema, health club, bowling alley and restaurants. The former Arena nightclub and Waikiki beach bar have been deserted at Fountainpark since closing over a year ago. David Rintoul, chairman of Tollcross Community Council, said: "The problem with Rank’s proposal is that it’s no real improvement on what’s there just now. "It seems very strange that they’re not saying what they want to do other than talking about creating a new leisure facility and our worry is that they may be planning some kind of superpub or casino. That’s the last thing we want in the area."