SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY COUNCIL (SCC)
Monday 11 January 2016, at 7pm
The Gray Room, Nelson Hall, 5 Spittalfield
Crescent, Edinburgh
MINUTES
Present: Philip
McDowell (PMcD, chair), David Benyon (DB), Joan Carter (JC), Kaaren Haughton
(KH), Robert Hodgart (RH), Barbara O’Loughlin (BOL), Theodora Lola-Luz (D L-L,
Southside Association), Councillors Burgess and Orr
Apologies
for absence: Svetlana Repanova, Gloria Lo, Tim Pogson
Police Report
PC Neil McKay reported decreased antisocial
behaviour events during the holiday season, compared with the previous year. He
also described increased police patrols in Morningside as there have been
episodes of fire raising.
The minutes of the 14 December 2015 meeting were approved.
Matters arising
1.
Trade bins: If bins have not been removed, this
should be reported to Kathy Evans (see http://www.sccedinburgh.org.uk for her phone
number and email address).
2.
Bike storage: Councillor Orr has contacted the council
officer Alan Tinto, but has not had a reply.
3.
Bus shelters: There is a regulation that at least 1.4
m space from a wall is required, unless a narrower space has been approved for
a specific reason. The shelter in Buchleuch St. is to be removed. For
complaints about other problems, please contact Councillor Orr.
4.
Dangerous traffic light: the pedestrian traffic light in S. Clerk
St. at the corner of Lutton Place has been noticed as dangerous, as motorists
have been seen going through red lights. Similar problems may affect the
pedestrian traffic light at Rankeillor St and Gifford Park. DC will contact the
council’s Road
Safety Officer to ask them to inspect
these traffic lights and suggest improvements to the safety. It is hoped that
introduction of the 20 mph speed limit will allow motorists to notice these
pedestrian lights better than at present, and that the problems will decrease.
5.
Wider participation of the community in
the Community Council:
5.1. Jonny Ross-Tatam, president of the
Edinburgh University student union attended the meeting and provided his email
address for future contacts. He will attend meetings when possible, and it was
agreed to co-opt him as a member of the Community Council so that he has access
to the papers for meetings and other communications. The union will consider
including electing student representatives to the CC in their election system.
5.2. JC has contacted Oliver Escobar to ask if
any of his students would be interested in participating.
5.3. DC will contact the mosque and ask if they
would like one of their members to become part of the Community Council or liaise
with us in some way.
Councillor’s report. Councillor Burgess reported on the proposed
cuts in funding for many non-statutory functions, including cuts now needed due
to a further loss of £16.7 million, recently announced by the Scottish
Government. A budget will be published on January 15th,
and final decisions will be taken on the 21st. Many functions
important for the Southside will be affected. Questions were asked about two of the specific cuts.
·
The loss of free musical instrument tuition: Councillor Burgess explained that funds will
be available so that tuition for children from the poorest families will be
supported. Consequently, the worst affected children will be those from
families whose incomes are above that level, but who may not feel that they can
fund this tuition. Means-testing is an inevitable consequence of this cut.
·
The loss of
the unit to deal with noise at night. It was noted that if the area is known
for noise problems. It will lead to owner-occupiers leaving, and the proportion
of transient residents increasing. The low effectiveness of the present
measures to combat noise nuisance was discussed. Councillor Burgess explained
that persistent complaints can lead to landlords of HMOs being refused renewal
of their HMO licence. The CC requested information about the council officer to
whom to make complaints about landlords (or, in cases when students prove to be
responsible, the student union officer who can help contact the students in
question to try and resolve the problems).
Cllr. Orr mentioned a report by Inspector Nisbet
(St.Leonards) on the police success in confiscating new psychoactive substances
(NPS).
Chairman’s and Secretary’s reports PMcD will meet Rob Arthur, the operations
director of the cinema division of G1, who are renovating the Odeon. Several
meetings have been announced, and will be attended by CC members. KH will
attend a meeting about the new Localities scheme. Jo Scott (of the Southside
Association) is a member of a group involved in the plans for redevelopment of
the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Morningside, and has sent the minutes. BOL will
attend future meetings of this group, to represent the Southside CC. D L-L will
attend a grant application workshop. PMcD and KH will attend the information
evening about the proposed distillery in St. Leonards. DC will contact the
Southside Association to coordinate a community response to the LED street
lights.
Treasurer’s report: The CC’s constitution has been ratified
and a bank account will open soon.
Communications committee:
BOL and DW
will attend a meeting with Ian Sharman to view possible logo designs for the
CC.
The planned Community Day
will probably involve a table near Tesco, rather than in St. Patrick Square. It
should take place after in the Scottish Parliamentary elections, which are on
the first Thursday in May.
Other business.
1. Two visitors from the SNP attended, and
introduced themselves, Roz Currie, Senior Parliamentary
Assistant, Office of Tommy Sheppard MP, and Alison Dickie, The SNP candidate
for Edinburgh Central.
2. RH gave members copies of a paper he has
written.
3. Cllr. Burgess announced a talk about the
climate change meeting in Paris (January 18th, Appleton Tower, 7.30
pm).
Date of next meeting: February 8th 2016