Historic Scotland have applied for planning permission to erect an 8m-high 'saltire flagpole' in Edinburgh Castle (Ref. 12/00749/FUL).
If consented, it would fly from one of the highest parts of the landmark, on ground next to the whisky shop on the northern side of St Margaret's Chapel. It will be visible from Princes Street, Calton Hill, Waverley Station, and large parts of Broughton.
Why the capital needs yet another flagpole and yet another saltire is not explained in the application. It is vaguely reminiscent of those compulsive types who can't stop having themselves tattooed.
However, Historic Scotland elsewhere make clear that the idea is to help tourists photograph each other in front of the flag, which has not been possible before in the Castle owing to high standards.
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[img_assist|nid=2816|title=|desc=|link=node|align=right|width=179|height=200]The City of Edinburgh Council has submitted plans (Ref. 12/00785/FUL) for the major overhaul of Bonnington Primary School as a 'Gaelic centre' (Spurtle understands no name for the school has yet been finalised).
Among several eye-catching proposals is the stripping out and replacement of the school's main metal stair.
Pupils, it seems, will require good breath control: notes on the floor plans repeatedly state that 'The inflitration of air into the building must be limited as far as is reasonably practicable'.
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The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has been granted permission to erect a semi-permanent marquee 'adjacent though not attached' to the Caledonian Hall (Ref. 12/00117/FUL).
Presumably this is to accommodate profitably the wedding celebrations of couples entering semi-permanent unions in various degrees of adjacency and attachment.
After-dinner speakers and entertainers may wish to note the comment of a Council officer for Environmental Assessment, Services for Communities: 'This Department does not have any noise complaints on record associated with the Caledonian Hall or associated previous temporary marquee use, and such operations are likely to be controlled by licence which will include a condition requiring music and vocals to be inaudible.'
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[img_assist|nid=2817|title=|desc=|link=node|align=right|width=200|height=149]Permission has (again) been granted for a new mews dwelling behind 4a Fettes Row (Ref. 12/00173/FUL) despite the objection of a neighbour on Cumberland Street.
He was against the plan on several grounds, including loss of privacy (he could already see what other mews dwellers were watching on TV), noise, and incongruous architecture with an industrial-type steel channel running along the front between the floors. He would no longer be able 'to see any green vegetation from a window'.
The reasons for City Planners approving the scheme are not currently available online. See also Breaking news (20.9.11).