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 inappropriate 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. It aims to stimulate public interest in and care for the beauty, history and character of Portobello.
It also works to improve general amenity and to promote high standards of architecture and town planning in proposed developments.
In 1999 the Society helped the Planning Department to produce the Portobello Conservation Area Character Appraisal, against which all new developments in the Portobello area are 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 180 members, both households and local businesses. It has planted trees, shrubs and bulbs throughout Portobello. 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, Antarctic explorer; Russell Flint, artist; Helen Hopekirk, pianist and composer and Ned Barnie, Channel swimmer – all of whom lived in Portobello/Joppa at some time. A plaque has also been put on Rock Cottage in Joppa, commemorating the salt manufacture which took place there and a further plaque will be erected explaining the history of the Tower.
In 2007, with the aid of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Society restored and re-erected the three Coade Stone columns which now form the focus of the Community Garden on the Promenade at the foot of John Street. These early 19th Century pillars used to stand in the grounds of Argyle House in Hope Lane but had to be removed when an extension to the house was built. New tops to two of the pillars to match the one existing original top have been skilfully made by local potter Alison Robinson. The Society also erected the adjacent information board detailing the pillars’ history.
The Society has meetings once a month, and an AGM in 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.