An Edinburgh city centre restaurant is locked in a dispute with planners about hardwood decking it installed without planning permission on a World Heritage Site.
The owner of La Piazza in Shandwick Place, an area with historic stone buildings, has applied for retrospective permission to keep the £5,000 decking, but planning officers are recommending refusal.
A report by council head of planning John Bury describes the decking as an “alien material in this location”.
“The decking and vertical boarding distracts the eye and draws attention to the contrast between the existing town fabric and the incongruity of the use of such a large swathe of timber,” he said.
“Normally used in suburban and rural locations, the timber decking diminishes the urban townscape and the formal architecture of the area.”
As well as decking, timber has been used to clad part of the lower walls and trees.
The report recommends that councillors refuse the retrospective application and initiate enforcement action to have the decking removed.
