Will it still be here next Christmas?

The George in Portobello, most recently a Bingo Hall and before that a cinema. A symbol of the failings of the current local planning regime. Planning seems to be all about the architectural details of buildings and how they fit into the urban landscape. As long as something 'fits' then that seems enough to give it approval. There doesn't appear to be sufficient thought put into what it is that 'fits'. New houses bring extra people which means extra pressure on a whole range of local services including transport, education, health services, leisure, employment opportunities and public space. Wouldn't it be straightforward to have an easily accessible local plan that documented all the current housing and facilities and decided on the balance between the different land uses? Any new proposal that came along would be judged in those terms. Something that didn't change the number of residents wouldn't have any further obligations but any development that increased the number of residents in an area would also include an obligation to contribute to the various local services that support life in the community. A fund would be built up toward building the new school or the new doctor's surgery that the new people need, on a site already earmarked in the plan. Planning permission would depend on the contributions to the wider community. Maybe this is how it is currently supposed to work but if so it doesn't seem to be working. This week plans were published for another 483 houses in Porty, the  doctors surgery is closed to new patients, the local primary school is full, and already has a catchment area that fails to include many pupils for whom it is the closest school. Public spaces and potential places of employment (so you can walk to work) are being lost. Which is why when there is something else about a building, such as architectural listing, it gets used as a lever to try and ensure the planning system provides a more balanced outcome instead of always building more houses. Yes, the alternative proposal is for a commercial venture, just like the current owners' plans is a commercial venture - building houses for profit. But the alternative will provide ongoing employment and facilities for the local community while the current plan only provides a very short term place of work, a big chunk of profit for the developers and potential future private profits for the house owners while adding to the pressure on local services and removing the range of local facilities. I'm probably being over simplistic here, but it just feels like there should be a better way and the pattern of local government we currently have is failing us.
 
Later we went out for a meal to celebrate a friend's birthday. It was a surprise party as she thought she was just going for a meal with her husband but a dozen of us were waiting in the restaurant. Fortunately it was a good surprise and she didn't turn round and leave! It was a Mexican place on Rose Street - think I went there years ago - it says it first opened in 1991. They had a poster on the wall from Vera Cruz which made me think of the night time football match in Monterrey with the non-stop drumming from the Vera Cruz supporters.