Signs don't look good for ex-shop owners' cafe bid

THE owners of a former Happit store in Morningside have hit a stumbling block in their bid to transform it into a cafe.

Ashford & Thistle Securities have applied to change the former Happit discount retail store and neighbouring defunct gift shop Scaramouch, at 360-364 Morningside Road, into a cafe.

However, the council has refused to allow the company to install a single sign spanning the three units with the new, as yet unnamed, cafe's name on it, as they say it would affect the area's character.

Head of Planning John Bury said: "It is desirable to retain three individual shopfronts and their architectural features such as the existing pilaster, rather than merging three units into one contemporary shopfront which is not characteristic of the area.

"The shop front will adopt a conformed approach to achieve unity for the individual unit, however, traditional architectural features of the original shopfronts will be lost."