Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Luke Jackson
The UK’s largest, independently owned, furniture retailer, Furniture Village, has opened its first ever Scottish store in Midlothian’s Straiton Retail Park today. There will be exclusive opening offers including sale prices storewide and £50 off every £500 spent until 19th February.
The new store will be the family-run retailer’s 57th store in the UK and its first ever in Scotland. It will offer customers a total of 25,780 sq ft of creative home inspiration, set across two thoughtfully styled floors.
Customers will be able to shop for furniture and accessories for every room of the house, from stylish sofas and chairs to well-made beds, dining tables and storage along with a variety of lighting and accessories – everything you need to make a house a home.
As well as Furniture Village’s exclusive collections, there will be dedicated spaces from leading brands such as Duresta and G Plan and a bed studio featuring products from brands such as Tempur, Harrison Spinks and Hypnos. Customers can also shop innovative products, such as the Smart Sofas collections, which includes cinema sofas.
Furniture Village will bring its unique customer shopping experience, expert advice from a friendly and knowledgeable team, quick delivery lines and a lowest price guarantee to Scotland.
Charlie Harrison, Managing Director at Furniture Village, said: “We are thrilled to announce the opening of our first store in Scotland. Whilst Scottish customers have been able to shop our collections online, we have long wanted to bring our unique in-store experience to our Scottish customer base.
“After many months of searching for the perfect location, we found the space at Straiton Retail Park and knew it was the right fit for us. The new store is packed full of our distinctive furniture and accessories, and we are excited to throw open the doors to customers and help them transform their homes with our designs.”
The family-run business was awarded ‘Retailer of the Year’ in the 2024 Ideal Home awards, and named ‘Retail Family Business of the Year at the 2024 Family Business Awards. At the Best Companies Awards 2024, it was recognised as a ‘world class business to work for’ and has a Trustpilot rating of 5 stars.
Today there will also be a competition to win £1000 to spend in-store and complimentary coffee and freshly baked cookies will be served.
Furniture Village is planning to open several new stores in Scotland in 2025, with further details to be announced imminently.
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A family-run coffee shop in Melrose has been granted the go-ahead to add some “sophistication” to the town’s night life.
When members of Scottish Borders Council’s Licensing Board met on Friday, December 13, they agreed an application from Melrose Chambers Coffee House, located at the former Royal Bank of Scotland premises on the High Street, for a provisional premises licence to sell alcohol on site Monday to Sunday, 11am to 11pm, and off-site Monday to Sunday, 11am to 10pm.
Alcohol will be sold predominantly, but not exclusively, with food.
No objection to the application was received from either Police Scotland or the council’s Licensing Standards Enforcement Officer.
The application was submitted by Juliet, Maggie Anne and Lawrence Wilson.
Juliet told committee members: “I think our business provides something to Melrose that it doesn’t already have.
“Melrose has some wonderful restaurants and some very well-run pubs but we would like to offer in the evenings, a couple of evenings a week, more of a kind of wine bar offering, something maybe a bit more sophisticated than going to some of the local pubs but not quite stretching to hot foods and a three-course meal service either.
“My family and I have the business together and we are all experienced in the restaurant business and the licensing trade and we aren’t interested in competing with any of the pubs in Melrose, we want to offer a quieter offering.”
Tweeddale West Conservative Councillor Eric Small said: “It brings another usage for that building and there is a demand now for a light bite and a glass of wine.”
Councillor David Parker, Independent for Leaderdale and Melrose, added: “Great to see the business develop and I think it will be an excellent addition to Melrose.”
Hawick & Hermitage’s Conservative Councillor Jane Cox, a former resident of the town, said: “This is just what Melrose needs.”
Durty Brewing in Innerleithen.
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A cycle-friendly Innerleithen brewery’s hopes of tapping into longer opening hours have been dashed.
Durty Brewing Tap Room sells a variety of craft ales at 4 Traquair Road in Innerleithen.
Inspired by the trails and landscape of the Scottish Borders, the brewery was founded by Paul McGreal and Gordon Donald.
Its ‘life-affirming beers’ include ‘Angry Sheep’, ‘Escape Route’, ‘Repeat Offender’. ‘Helter Skelter’ and ‘End of the World’.
Last year a provisional premises licence was granted by Scottish Borders Licensing Board for a new taproom to showcase beers produced on site.
The brewery recently submitted a planning bid to SBC to extend the opening hours of an outside bar area to align with those of the internal taproom – from 10am to 10pm, in place of the existing closing time of 7pm, which the applicants say puts the business at a “commercial disadvantage”.
The bid had received the support of both local councillors and tourism organisations.
But the application has been refused after two neighbours raised objections over potential for noise and disturbance, one stating: “The original planning documentation submitted by Durty Brewing anticipated a maximum of around 20 visitors at any given time.
“However, it has since come to light that the premises are licensed for a total of 110 people, including 45 in the bar area and 50 in the outdoor seating area.
“This stark increase in capacity is in no way reflective of the low-impact business originally presented and creates a significantly higher risk of disturbance, particularly during the evening hours when residents are entitled to quiet enjoyment of their homes.”
A report refusing the application, from SBC lead planning officer Carlos Clarke, states: “I am unable to conclude that extending the use of the seating area to 10pm on all operating days would comply with planning policies designed to protect neighbouring amenity and that such impacts should be overridden by the needs of the business.”
A submission with the application stated: “The outdoor spaces at our premises are used as an off-street bike parking facility along with visitor seating.
“Our taproom is particularly popular with cycling visitors because it provides a space where they can safely keep an eye on their expensive bikes while enjoying some locally brewed refreshments.
“The fact that we can offer that off-street parking is a significant bonus for the community because it means that bikes are not being left propped up on the pavements of the town as happens with other establishments.
“It can be very difficult on the occasions when we have a nice evening and customers are enjoying the benefit of external seating to make the best of the weather and we then have to move them on or inside at 7pm.
“This is particularly disappointing when they can simply go next door, literally across the wall, and sit outside the neighbouring licensed premises which does not have any such restriction on time outside. In fact, to the best of our knowledge, we are the only premises in the town that is subject to such a curfew.
“The area is attractive, presentable, and well-maintained and is a positive addition to the facilities in Innerleithen.
“We wish to be able to play a role in supporting community initiatives such as the Innerleithen Music Festival and the Innerleithen Music Sessions.
“This would allow it to have business parity with the Traquair Arms next door where its customers are able to enjoy its facilities until 10pm. It is vital in a very small community like Innerleithen that our businesses are able to compete on a level playing field.”
In supporting statements, Tweeddale East councillors Julie Pirone and Robin Tatler both offered their support for the bid, saying that the taproom has been an “outstanding” addition to the area since opening in November last year.
Further support was offered from Go Tweed Valley and the Tweed Valley Tourism BID.
