Port of Leith Distillery (Ocean Drive next to Ocean Terminal)

Name/location Port of Leith Distillery (Ocean Drive next to Ocean Terminal)
Owner/developer Leith Distillery
Proposal New building to house a whisky distillery, including visitor experience/tasting area and shop, office and bar/restaurant. Development will involve moving the existing listed Paint Shed building to a new location.
Current status
  • Application being considered
  • Alcohol licence approved
  • Demolition of Steel Shed starts 31/10/19. Charles Hammond (Forth Ports) states may be identify site for it at Western Corner 26/10/19
  • Awaiting planning permission to erect hoarding that will have details of development and history of the site.
  • Alasdair Sibbald (Forth Ports) to investigate covered storage space facility for dismantled Steel Shed. It is currently at back of Ocean Terminal on ground near Royal Yacht Britannia covered with tarpaulin
  • Construction halted due to coronavirus March 2020
  • Plans being made to take ownership of Steel Shed, and move it to temporary storage in Leith docks
  • Phased construction restarts 13/6/20
Key dates
  • Planning to start dismantling Paint Shed beginning of February 2019 – to be stored at Ocean Terminal for one year or until new site identified.
  • Land deal was completed at the end of July 2019, which means they plan to be on site very shortly and should be open for business in the first quarter of 2021
  • Work started November 2019, Steel Shed to be stored discussions underway with Forth Ports
LHNCC POSITION Supported (see October 2017 minutes)
Benefits
  • New business
  • Will attract visitors to the area
  • Interesting and attractive design
Issues Involves moving the historic Steel Shed building (which had its listed building status removed)
Actions by LHNCC
  • Discussed with James Wall (Holder Planning) to see if any consideration being given to the Steel Shed in Resolution’s plan for Ocean Terminal, and spoke to CEC Case Officer but told not relevant to that application.
  • Meeting with Paddy McGrath and Ian Stirling (Port of Leith Distillery) to discuss progress arranged for 11/4/19. They have provided update report for Newsletter and copy will be on our Planning portal.
  • Keeping in touch with Leith Live re update.
  • A member of a group that supports restoration of the shed spoke on behalf of Leith Live at the April meeting with regard to seeking funding to keep the Shed and ensure its heritage is maintained by siting it in the dock area.
  • Future of site discussed at Civic Trust meeting 21/1/20 – Alasdair Sibbald, Estates Manager, Forth Ports. To investigate and report back
Future action
  • Investigate the de-listing (by Historic Environment Scotland in 2016) that means the Steel Shed can be removed from the site without permission; and the CEC Committee response that the proposal is acceptable in this instance ‘subject to a condition requiring that the applicant undertake a programme of works ensuring that a historic record of the building is kept.’
  • Forth Ports to be contacted about a potential new site for the Steel Shed.
Notes
  • Developer aims to start build in 2019. Ocean Terminal will store dismantled shed for 1 year
  • Steel shed to be deconstructed and stored on Ocean Terminal’s land, and Duncan Bremner of Out of the Blue is working on finding an alternative location for it in the future.
Further information developer website: https://leithdistillery.com
CEC reference/link 17/04428/FUL
Case officer Jane Iannarelli: jane.Iannarelli@edinburgh.gov.uk Tel 0131 469 3557.