Apart from Imrie Place losing part of its view, Penicuik is losing its view of part of Imrie Place - one of the few remaining vaguely attractive or interesting parts of Penicuik.

I might be dead wrong about this, Pitsgate, but I've got it in mind from an earlier attempt to prevent an atrocity, that "loss of amenity" turns out to be an invalid reason for objection. The project's ugliness, the loss of a a "view" and even (except in very extreme circumstances) the loss of daylight count for nothing.

Loss of amenity can be a consideration in planning; loss of a view as such is not. I believe that under Scots law a "right to light" is not automatic (experts can correct me on that, but preferably by quoting a legal authority for their view ).
I think there are some views that ought to be maintained and the view of Imrie Place, especially with the car park access opened up from Kentigern Way, might well have been one of them.
I wonder what would have happened if the old Burgh Council or the District Council had developed Hays Park insyead of creating a pedestrian precinct. I suspect that the views from Imrie Place would have been lost an awful lot sooner and there would never have been a view of Imrie Place at all.
Difficult call.

I see that the Co-op have taken over Somerfield. http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?Sainsburys_expands_with_%A383m_buyout_deal&in_article_id=567654&in_page_id=34
I wonder if the one in Penicuik might become a Sainsburys though.

interesting, that would be great if it was going to be a Sainsburys but Penicuik can't be that lucky - a Lidl and a Sainsburys within a stones through from each other, I can't cope !

I've just seen the new layby that they have created for the buses. It's a very tight squeeze for buses that try to pass each other

Another source of fun at the new bus stop is when drivers don't know which stop to use and let you off at the first stop then have to stop again at the next one to pick up passengers - seems like Lothian Buses don't like to tell them about changes!

yeah, that stop is pretty tight for them, if they dont know its there they are having to break and swing out to get into the lane. Last night I was dropping off in the island between the main road and the bus stop as the 141 and 15 were sitting in the bus lane and my driver didn't have enough time to slow down and get in the lane. I am amazed there hasnt been an accident yet! between that and the roundabout that I am still seeing people use wrongly!!

It looks like they are putting zebra crossings either side of the Lidl roundabout (once they finally finish it!) which should create some fun situations since most drivers and pedestrians are not used to them. If they put one outside the post office as well then that should really cause chaos in the town - anyone heard of an opening date for the new store?

Yeah, I noticed yesterday that they were putting zebra crossings up, there is a lot of old people cross that road to get to the doctors surgery so I wonder how long it will take before someone gets knocked down. I have had help serveral old people cross this road since the the lights have been out. Very worrying!

The store was suppose to be open at the end of February but they are no where near ready yet, the inside is just a shell and the roof and external walls are still not finished yet.

Does anyone know when (or if) Lidl is going to open. At the moment, nothing seems to be happening there except for some tidying up in the completed car park.
Have they decided not to bother or is it just a delay until the official opening (no doubt with Monty in attendance to get his pic in the paper!)

I heard it was suppose to open a couple of weeks ago and someone said to me at the weekend it was this THursday it was due to open but there is no way it will be Thursday as they don't even have the fridges/freezers in yet or there signs up. With all the heavy rain we had last week I think they also had a problem with the roof leaking as there were roofers vans in the car park a few days ago. I was having a look on Midlothian Councils website the other day and a planning application was submitted on 26th March by Lidl for there signs to go up but the application just has 'pending' next to it as it is apparently a conservation area, bit late for worrying about what the area looks like now, I doubt a few lidl signs will hide the building!! considering they were suppose to be on penalty clauses they aren't in any hurry. at one point they were aiming for mid July but it might all come down to when our local celeb is available for his photo shoot, maybe hes away having a nice wee holiday at the moment and thats holding everything up

and what is happening with the big hole in the ground at the new trees next to the Health Centre ... pond, swimming pool, diamond mine ?

I've heard that Lidl are going to open the shop in August, probably in time for the Christmas period.

Very odd that they are taking so long to open the Lidl store - the only reason I can see is that they may have to finish both car parks to cope with the number of shoppers.
I cannot wait as the other two supermarkets are going from bad to worse. Someone I know who works at a different supermarket in Edinburgh was amazed at how bad T**** was with empty or mis-stacked shelves and surly staff who would not even move out of the way!
I forsee big changes in the future

It's amazing all the different stories you hear.... I heard there is a major problem with the roof being too high, breaching planning regulations.