New plans for historic Edinburgh snooker hall and bar to be demolished for homes

Proposals to demolish a historic Edinburgh snooker hall and replace it with a row of homes have been submitted after previous plans were refused.

In September 2023, Edinburgh Council planners rejected proposals to bulldoze The Manse Club in Corstorphine for five homes due to concerns over the impact on the conservation area and the "unacceptable level of residential amenity for the future occupier.".

Corstorphine Snooker Company has now returned with revised proposals for four homes to be built on the site following the demolition of the club, bar and event space.

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The club, known as The Manse Club, 62-68 Manse Road, first opened in 1939. The building remains in operation as a private members snooker club with nine full size tables, a lounge bar and large beer garden.

However, the applicant claims the membership is aging and has been declining over a number of years as well as the building being expensive to maintain.

Following feedback on initial proposals, the revised development would provide four three-bedroom homes with "substantial" rear garden space and private amenity space.

The houses have also been reduced in scale from three storeys to one and a half storeys in height as a planning statement confirms: "It should also be noted that the bulk of the site is currently taken up by a large snooker hall building with various ad-hoc extensions.

"The snooker hall dominates the neighbouring residential properties and is a “bad neighbour” development with a late night licence. Its removal and replacement with four modest 1 ½ storey houses with private rear gardens will, in our opinion, significantly enhance and improve the local environment and enhance the existing residential amenity of adjoining properties.

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"For these same reasons, the removal of the existing building and its replacement with this modest scale of new housing will not adversely affect daylighting and sun lighting in compliance with the requirements of the Edinburgh Design Guide."

The proposals can be viewed on the council's online planning portal here.

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