Wednesday March 4th 2026
Leith Toy Hospital has moved into a house in Musselburgh
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
An Edinburgh toy hospital has been granted permission to move into a former housing associations home in Musselburgh.
Leith Toy Hospital applied for retrospective planning permission for a change of use of the house on Millhill from a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO)to the toy hospital and puppet-making business after buying the property which had been run by Castle Rock Housing Association.
A report by East Lothian planning officers said the building had previously been run as an eight bedroom HMO by the association with a manager’s flat also in the property.
The new business, they said, involved no outside alterations and the manager’s flat would be retained for use by the applicant.
Leith Toy Hospital opened in Constitution Street in the Capital in 2017 and offers to provide soft toy repairs which “range from dog-mauled favourites to antique teddy bears” as well as restoring dolls in ‘various states of health’.
It It grew out of business Picture to Puppet – a custom puppet and toy making business started in 2012 – and currently employs 15 people, six full time, who work a mixture of at home and at the new business premises.
In the supporting statement for the hospital, its agent said: “The majority of the work is done by hand sewing or by using domestic sewing machines, and so there is no significant noise or pollution associated with the businesses.
“In the 10 years since the businesses have been operating, there have been no complaints about their impact.”
East Lothian planning officers granted retrospective permission for the change of use of the house saying they had received no public objections to the proposal.
They said the arrival of the business in Musselburgh had been welcomed by the council’s Inclusive Growth and Employability service manager who said it supported the local authority’s own ambition to create a “thriving, sustainable and inclusive, local economy rooted in community wealth building and place
based opportunity”.
The business will operate between 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday.
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