Welcome to Edinburgh's
Southside Community Council
Minutes of 82nd meeting, held on Wednesday 14 January 2009, from 7pm until 9pm, in the Nelson Hall, 5 Spittalfield Crescent, Edinburgh.
PRESENT:
Chairperson: Robert Beaton {RB};
Elected Members: Colin Christison (Secretary) {CC}, Linda Hendry (Vice-Chairperson) {LH}, Bob Hodgart {BH}, Hilary McDowell (Environmental Spokesperson) {HM}, Jo Scott (Planning & Licensing Convenor) {JS}, and Justine Stansfield (Treasurer) {JSt};
Local Interest Groups’ Nominated Member: Kathleen Newis {KN};
City of Edinburgh Council: Councillor Cameron Rose {CR};
EUSA: James Garforth;
Lothian & Borders Police: PC Tom Hopper and PC Ben Merrick;
Members of the Public: Three.
1. Welcome, and apologies for absence
Robert Beaton welcomed those present to the meeting. Apologies for absence were received from Liz Walker, Mary Devine, George Pitcher, Carol McHugh, Keith Smith, Margaret Bagan, Liz Mulligan, Stewart Reid, and Sarah Boyack MSP.
2. Police Report
PC Merrick introduced PC Hopper, who had taken up his duties as Community Beat Officer for Southside and Newington on 5 January. Tom said that previously he had been working as a CBO in the Prestonfield area, and so while familiar with his role, was not yet quite so familiar with his new area, and he looked forward to getting to know the local residents.
The Secretary had received a copy letter, sent to the Police, from the proprietor of a house in Haddon’s Court, about the most recent instance of rubbish piled up and then set on fire next to the front elevation of No 6. There is great concern about the threat to people’s safety. (There had also been examples of bins being set on fire, in Pleasance, Howden Street, Blackwood Crescent, and West Newington Place, over the holiday period.). It was agreed that a greater presence by the police was required to deter vandalism, fire-raising, and other criminal behaviour.
3. Minutes of meeting held on 10 December 2008
Approved; proposed by JS and seconded by HM.
4. Matters arising
Item 4 (1) - JS had completed the Cockburn Association’s survey.
Item 5.1 – A draft letter had been prepared by JS.
Item 11.5 – the next meeting of the Friends of the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links will be held on Monday 16 February at 7.30pm, in the Greek Orthodox Church. The local historian, Graeme Cruickshank, will give a talk.
5. Secretary’s Report
5.1 Review of Community Council Scheme – consultation underway. It was felt that as the SCC had commented on the preliminary consultation no further comment was required.
5.2 The next Old Town and Southside Crime Prevention Panel meeting is on 20 January. There will be three guest police officers present.
5.3 Future SCNP meetings are on (Mondays) 23 February, and 11 May.
5.4 Causey 2 Project – it was agreed that a short film of the workshops with young people should be shown at the SCC’s February meeting. JS would ask the SCNP manager for guidance about the SCC grant application on behalf of the West Crosscauseway Association.
5.5 Invitation from Sarah Boyack MSP to meeting on Sunday 25 January, from 2.30pm until 5pm, at St George’s West Church, on tackling climate change.
5.6 List of 2009 SCC meetings dates distributed.
6. Treasurer’s Report
JSt reported that the bank balance at 15.12.08 was £1280.43.
7. Correspondence
The following items had been received: The Rock Report (Castle Rock Edinvar Housing Association) Issue 14; Letter from Michael Russell MSP regarding the consultation on forestry provisions in the Scottish Climate Change Bill (also available at www.forestry.gov.uk/fcsclimateconsultation); Working Capital Issue 19; Tenants’ Voice Issue 70; short guide to the Scottish Natural Heritage Corporate Strategy 2008-2013 (see www.snh.org.uk) ; ‘A vision for the Home Care Service in Edinburgh’ leaflet from the CEC; and information from NHS Scotland on Community Health Nursing.
8. Planning and Licensing Committee Report
Planning
8.1 Engagement with Community Councils (report to Planning Committee) papers were available, and the new arrangements for Community Councils to borrow plans from the planning office were outlined.
8.2 42-76 Pleasance: extension to UoE’s existing centre for sport and exercise (08/03896/FUL) – objection lodged as new fenestration is incompatible with existing building, as is the proposed facing on the new building, and sedum roof suggested. Objection was considered material.
Licensing
8.3 Street Trader Food LA. Crichton Street had been granted. It was felt that it was a waste of time to object to such LAs as consent was invariably granted.
8.4 LA for ‘Locomotive-Scotland Ltd and Peter Palinkas for Street Trader Non Food with employees One Year in Edinburgh City Centre/Southside, Mon to Sun 0930-1630’ – More info had been requested from the Licensing Dept, and the papers indicate that this is a little "sight seeing train" which the applicant wishes to operate around the city streets. The application which the regulatory committee will have to consider includes four suggested routes. The tours will be in three languages.
This LA highlights again the lack of information on the form, and even the further information was not enough to allow members to judge whether or not to object. Cllr Rose would make further enquiries.
8.5 HMO LAs – seven received since last meeting.
9. Environmental Report
HM submitted the following report -
“The Clarence reporting system is now up and running, 0800 232323; ask for a reference number, so that you can get updates or pursue issues. The two gas stopcocks on South Clerk Street were properly fixed on 24 December. The street lights opposite the former Odeon are working. I have asked some Freedom of Information questions to try to find out why they were dark for four months. The Council said they wouldn’t treat as FOI, but as a complaint. I said no, FOI please.
About 8 street lights outside the Informatics building have been dark for months, and there is no promise of an expected date to sort them. There is a dispute with a contractor. Newington Road has had a month of digging by Scottish Gas. There was a leak from a gasket on the main, and it took about four weeks to track it down. One shop still has its floor up and the business next door still has a large hole in the car park. This may have also been a problem with gas, but there is speculation that there was a spill of solvent. The hole on the corner of Salisbury Road is as a result of Scottish Water damaging another gas pipe.
The Meadows – The 5th meeting looking at Meadows management was this morning, 14th Jan 2009. We have spent most of the time up to now looking at the background. In view of the long delayed Events Strategy document still not being in the public domain it is proving impossible to discuss the topic of greatest concern to the CC, i.e. major events on the Meadows. Until we can see what is proposed I do not believe there is any point in continuing these meetings. When I have suggested there should be a presumption against such events on the Meadows I am told this is not within our remit.”
HM said that she had resigned from the Meadows management group that morning. CR said that the Events Policy and Strategy document should be out at the end of February, after a lot of hard work by officials, and he understood that user groups had been shown options other than the Meadows. The Moonwalk would be based in Inverleith Park this year. During the ensuing discussion, JS said that the whole matter was handled very badly, leaving uncertainty, concern, and anxiety for all involved. It was agreed to find out if the other Community Council (Tollcross and Merchiston) representatives on the Meadows Management Group were prepared to continue before taking further action.
CC reminded members that the next Environmental Forum 2 meeting is at 7pm on 28.1.09 in the Society Room, Nicolson Square Methodist Church. Mins of 26.11.08 meeting are available.
‘Proposed Landscape and External Environment survey of the Southside Corridor’ – this will be undertaken on behalf of the City Council by Ironside Farrar, who would contact the Secretary in due course to ask for names of people who could contribute to the survey. Ideas mentioned included looking at railings, poles, and locations for recycling facilities.
10. Suggestions for Environmental Week of Action in March
The Week of Action on the Nicolson Street / Newington Road corridor is scheduled for 16 to 20 March. The side streets will also be included in a “deep clean” and gully clean. All businesses in the area will be visited to check their waste contracts etc. Road defects, graffiti and gum removal, etc. will also be carried out in a rolling program starting in the North and moving South. It is hoped that the Kings Hall will be a temporary office for the programme. The streets will be full of Police and Council staff in high visibility vests. There are four members of the public on the planning group, which is now meeting fortnightly. Issues should be channelled through HM or JS.
11. Reports from meetings attended
11.1 South Central Neighbourhood Partnership (15 Dec)
Attended by LH, HM, and JS, who gave a resume of items covered, including the draft community plan, environmental forum, urban centre funding, information on local grants. Minutes available.
11.2 South Side Community Education Centre Management Committee (13 Jan)
Attended by JS, and CC, who reported that both centres were in use most of the time. He was acting in a supervisory and support role on behalf of the committee with the café and its staff.
11.3 Southside Association (6 Jan)
Attended by CM, JS, CC, GP. The forthcoming week of action had been discussed in depth, and many suggestions for improvement were made. Other routine business was handled.
11.4 Canongate Youth Project (12 Jan)
Attended by LH, who reported that the training services section was doing well, with targets being exceeded, but that funding for helping people to move into tenancies was diminishing.
12. Public Question/Comment Time
12.1 James Garforth said that the EUSA had received a grant to conduct a survey on the impact of students in the area, and how they are viewed by other residents and so on. A street survey would take place in due course, and he requested ideas and suggestions for questions to be featured in the survey.
12.2 Caroline Barr observed that a number of utility toby covers were missing from around the area. It was hoped that these would be noticed during the Week of Action, if not before.
12.3 She also reminded the SCC of the lack of a drop kerb outside the Braidwood Centre. It was suggested that she makes a list of other kerbs which had not been dropped.
12.4 James Gilmour said that a tree surgeon had removed five trees from Holyrood Park, next to the footpath adjacent to the Maltings Buildings. This would allow light into ground and first floor flats there, as the shading was excessive, even in the winter.
13. Any other business
None.
14. Date of next meeting
Wednesday 11 February 2009, from 7pm until 9pm.
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