Midlothian restaurant appeals car park refusal after battle with locals

A Midlothian restaurant, which faced a battle with local residents over plans to create a customer car park on public land, is launching an appeal.

The owners of Gigi’s wanted to create a 12-space car park on the land across the road from their Bonnyrigg restaurant, warning that without it, they may have to move out of the town.

However, planners raised concerns about the impact on the area, the lack of disabled spaces and electric chargers in the proposals, while local residents objected, telling the restaurant the town ‘would survive’ without it.

Owners of the restaurant have lodged an appeal with the council’s Local Review Body, which two years ago overturned a decision to refuse a similar proposal for a smaller car park on the site.

They are urging councillors to overturn their planning officers’ refusal, pointing to their previous approval, adding the proposals are “policy compliant, proportionate, and responsive to both community needs and environmental considerations”.

Planners received 15 objections from local residents arguing that the land being proposed for the car park was a safe route for pedestrians to use, which would be lost. And they warned that the community is willing to take the council to court if they back it with a judicial review being considered.

The restaurant had previously been granted permission for a nine-vehicle car park after appealing against the officers refusal to the council’s Local Review Body, and in their most recent application confidently predicted that it 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 at the time of refusing the plans 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 that 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 that 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.”

The Local Review Body will meet to discuss the appeal next week.