Portobello Amenity Society
Portobello Amenity Society started in 1979 as the Abercorn Amenity Association, which was formed by residents who lived round Abercorn Park. It was felt that areas of special architectural merit in Portobello needed safeguarding from unwelcome or imappropriate development. The group soon started campaigning to protect other areas of Portobello and expanded to become the Portobello Amenity Society in 1981.
The Society welcomes anyone who lives, works, or has an interest in Portobello to attend meetings and participate in its activities. The Society concerns itself with the whole of Portobello, from Kings Road to Eastfield and from the shoreline to Asda. It aims to stimulate public interest in and care for the beauty, history and character of Portobello. For example, the Society distributed the Council's Town Scheme Grant leaflets to all businesses and offices on Portobello High Street a few years ago and recently distributed copies of the revised leaflet to all of the houses between the High Street and the Promenade.
It also works to improve general amenity and to promote high standards of architecture and town planning in proposed developments.
In 1999 and 2000 the Society helped the Planning Department to produce the Portobello Conservation Area Character Appraisal, against which all new developments in the Portobello area should be measured. This hopefully will give the Conservation Area greater protection from unsuitable developments. All planning applications for the Portobello and Milton areas are monitored by the Society and responded to if necessary.
The Society has over 250 members, both households and local businesses. It has planted trees, shrubs and bulbs each year throughout Portobello and maintained a series of hanging baskets on the lampstandards in the High Street.
The Society has published a Heritage Trail Guide to Portobello which has sold over 4,000 copies and is available in many local shops.
In a joint project with the Portobello Community Council, the Society has erected a series of information boards along the sea front. These cover a wide range of topics, from birds, the natural history of the beach and the geology of Joppa Rocks to Portobello Pottery, the history of Portobello as a seaside resort and two horizon boards.
A series of historical building plaques has been erected to commemorate Portobello's first two town halls,
(now the Baptist Church and the Police Station ); Hugh Miller, geologist; David Laing, historian and antiquary; William Speirs Bruce, artic explorer; Russell Flint, artist - all of whom lived in Portobello/Joppa at some time.
The Society has meetings once a month, and an AGM in May/June. Members of the public are welcome to all meetings. For further details, please phone John Stewart, 0131 669 6466. The Society is also represented on Portobello Community Council.