We wish you a Merry Christmas and health and happiness in 2011

... while the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even ...

... in the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone ...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!         All the very best for 2011

NHS Lothian: Health link newsletter - Winter 2010 edition

The winter 2010 edition of NHS Lothian's Health Link newspaper has now been published. It contains features on the 'Keep Well' campaign, vaccinations against 'Flu and Human Papilloma Virus, and how to comment on the Sexual Health Strategy (to be supported by the refurbished Chalmers Sexual Health Centre on Lauriston Place).

MSCC meeting on We 8 Dec is ON!

Despite the weather the next meeting of the Community Council will be held on Wednesday 8th December at 7.30pm in St Catherine’s Argyle Church Community Hall, Grange Road


A G E N D A


1.  20 mph Zone and Quality Bike Corridor Consultations  (Cllr Gordon Mackenzie, Convener Transport Committee and Phil Noble CEC)

2. Minutes of the meeting of 10th November and matters arising

3.  Police Report : oral report & questions


4.  Edinburgh University Student Assocation (EUSA) campaigns (Stuart Tooley)

5.  Sub Groups

  a. Planning Group (Sarah Sandow)

  b. HMOs Group (Ann Laird) Report from 20th October meeting

  c. Parking Group (Susie Agnew) (report)

  d. Christmas Lights and Carol Event (report)

6. External Meetings reports

  a. Meeting membership

  b. Neighbourhood partnership meeting (report)

7. Any other business

Reports available on blog in advance will include any recommendations that the CC will discuss and agree:  http://marchmontandsciennes.blogspot.com/


All who live or work or are active in the area are welcome.  Hearing loop available – please request in advance.

CANCELLED: Marchmont Christmas Tree Lighting and Concert

The Gillespie's choir is unable to make Saturday and given the continuing weather and conditions we are not going ahead with the inside concert.  The Christmas Tree lighting has already been cancelled by City of Edinburgh Council due to the weather.

The scheduled MSCC meeting next week is also in doubt - it looks very unlikely if this current weather continues.  If anyone knows of a decision we need to make before the new year can they let us know.

Thanks

Melanie Main (Chair)

Concert on Friday 26 Nov at 7pm: Edinburgh Revelation Rock-Gospel Choir

The Edinburgh Revelation Rock-Gospel Choir are organising a fundraising concert on Friday at 7pm in the Teviot Debating Hall of the Edinburgh University Students Association on Bristo Square. It is open to all.  All funds raised will go to the Bethancy Christian Trust.

Changes to Garden Waste pick-up dates

The garden waste recycling service will move to new pick-up dates from December.  Garden waste wheelie bins will be collected every 4 weeks during December, January and February.

You can find out when your garden waste will be picked up by:

·        entering your post code at www.greenboxday.co.uk

·        e-mailing waste@edinburgh.gov.uk

·        telephoning 0131 529 3030.

For those with real Christmas trees to recycle, please cut your tree into 5 feet lengths and place it beside your garden waste bin on your January pick up date

Help please!

UPDATE, 1 Dec: Sadly this event has been cancelled


Helpers are required for the Christmas Tree lighting on December 4th.  


We need people to steward, shepherd and look after the crowd, make mulled wine and distribute songsheets.  


If you'd be able to help please could you get in touch by e-mail.

Agenda: meeting of Community Council on We 10 Nov 2010 at 7:30pm

The next meeting of the Community Council will be held on Wednesday 10th November at 7.30pm in St Catherine’s Argyle Church Community Hall, Grange Road


Please note that the Energy Efficiency talk has been postponed until 2011






1. Minutes of the meeting of October 13th and matters arising (Update - 14 Nov: now corrected)


2. Police Report : oral report & questions


3. 20 mph zone consultation (report)


4. Sub Groups
    a. Planning Group (Sarah Sandow)
    b. HMOs Group (Ann Laird) Report from 20th October meeting
    c. Parking Group (Susie Agnew) (report)
    d. Christmas Lights and Carol Event (report)


5. External Meetings reports
     a. Meeting membership
     b. Neighbourhood partnership meeting (report)
     c. Neighbourhood partnership student meeting (report)


6. Any other business:
     a. Ideas for next meetings.
     b. The future of our Neighbourhood partnership


reports available on blog in advance will include any recommendations that the CC will discuss and agree; http://marchmontandsciennes.blogspot.com/


All who live or work or are active in the area are welcome.


update: 15 Nov, report on NP meeting added

South Central Neighbourhood Partnership Meeting - 8 Nov 10 at 7pm

The South Central Neighbourhood Partnership will meet in public on Monday 8 November 2010 at 7pm (till 9pm) in the Business Centre, City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh. 

For more information please contact: Donald Burgess (Partnership Development Officer). The MSCC rep on the neighbourhood partnership is Alastair Philp.

Papers will shortly be available

· Go to Council Papers online.

· Click on "go to committee search"

· Pick "South Central Neighbourhood Partnership" as committee name and "8 November 2010" as date.

· Click "search"

Consultation on a Edinburgh Canal Strategy: comments invited by 17 Dec

update: image (c) http://www.sharingtravelexperiences.com/

Since its re-birth as part of the Millennium Link Project, the Union Canal has come a long way from a derelict backwater to one of Edinburgh 's most important assets.  The Union Canal is now enjoyed on a daily basis by people for a variety of uses such as boating, rowing, walking, cycling and fishing.  The Canal is also a focus for new development, particularly at Fountainbridge, for new moorings, marinas and canal-focused community activities. However, as the Canal is developed, its special environment must also be protected with its benefits shared by the wider community.  To ensure that this happens The City of Edinburgh Council and British Waterways Scotland are preparing a Strategy for the Union Canal within the Edinburgh area.  

An Edinburgh Canal Strategy Consultation Document has now been approved by the City of edinburgh Council Planning Committee for consultation purposes. A supporting planning committee report is also available.  The consultation will run from Monday 11th October - Friday 17th December 2010.

A number of public workshops will be held during the consultation period including:

• Monday 22 November - Polwarth Parish Church - 6pm
• Wednesday 24 November - Tollcross Community Centre - 6pm
• Saturday 20 November - Reunion Canal Boat - Edinburgh Quay from 10am - 12pm,  Harrison Park from 12.30 - 2.30pm. Feel free to take the trip down the canal between 12 and 12.30 or at 2.30pm

If you wish to be involved with the consultation contact Kate Hopper for more details.

Quality bike corridor

A consultation on a quality bike corridor proposal from the city centre to Newington to Kings Buildings and the Royal Infirmary is about to start.  Leaflets about the scheme will be distributed along the corridor in the first 2 weeks of November. There will be a public exhibition of the plans at Newington library from 15-29 November and they will also be available on the Council website (link from www.edinburgh.gov.uk/consultations). 

Council officers involved with the design of the scheme will be at public drop-in sessions at St.Catherine's Argyle Church Hall on the 1st and 2nd of December (5-8pm) to discuss the scheme in detail. The leaflets will include a small feedback form - additional comments can be sent to a Freepost address or emailed to qualitybikecorridor@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Redevelopment of James Gillespie's High School

 A consultation report on proposals for the decant of James Gillespie's High School will be presented to the City of Edinburgh Council's  Education Committee on 9th November.  

To enable the secondary school works to go ahead the existing primary school nursery and gym hall will be relocated, by building new structures.  Further details will be shared with parents of primary school children shortly.

Architects (jmarchitects) are now working on initial designs for the new secondary buildings. These design concepts are drawing on the existing educational design brief.  They will be shared with the school and community before long.  A further pre-planning consultation is expected to start in early 2011.

Survey on residential bike storage

(c) Flickruser cirrus29.rm 2008

Spokes, the Lothian Cycle Campaign, is currently running a project on tackling residential bike storage. They have been awarded a grant from the Climate Challenge Fund to develop information and guidance materials for use by individuals, stairs, developers, councils and others who are looking for the best way to accommodate bikes for every-day use. They hope this will be a starting point to stimulating actual practical storage improvements, to reduce stair problems and to help people to use bikes for their routine local journeys. 


Last month, Spokes ran a short online survey which generated some very useful responses on this subject, but most of the respondents were existing cyclists. They are now very keen to hear from NON-cyclists / very infrequent cyclists, particularly if you are annoyed by parked bikes and/or if you would consider cycling, or cycling a bit more, if it was easier to do so.


Please complete their short online questionnaire (just 9 questions, and the chance to win a set of Spokes maps to help get you cycling more). For any problems, queries or follow-up comments, please email spokesbikestorage@tusks.org.uk.

Agenda: meeting of Community Council on We 13 Oct 2010 at 7:30pm

A G E N D A


The next meeting of the Community Council will be held on October 13th at 7.30pm in St Catherine’s Argyle Church Community Hall, Grange Road


At 7.30pm


Living together in Marchmont and Sciennes: A meeting to explore the issues, anxieties and pleasures of 'tenement life'


* JENNIFER JONES, Edinburgh City Licensing Department
* DEREK BROWN, Homeworks
* RICHARD PONTET, Edinburgh Stair Partnership
This part of the meeting will be chaired by Cllr Ian Perry.


Normal Business from 8.30
1. Draft minutes of the meeting of 8 September and matters arising


2. Police Report : questions


3. Sub Groups
    a. Planning Group (Sarah Sandow)
    b. HMOs Group (Ann Laird)
    c. Parking Group (Susie Agnew)
    d. Christmas Lights and Carol Event (Melanie Main) 


4. External Meeting


5. Any other business
 -- Proposal for mobile phone mast at Whitehouse Loan/ Thirlestane Road


All who live or work or are active in the area are welcome.  Hearing loop available – please request in advance

Date for your diary: Christmas tree lighting 4:30pm on 4 Dec 2010

The Marchmont & Sciennes Christmas Tree lighting ceremony will be on Sa 4 Dec this year. 4:30pm at the tree (outside Scotmid at Warrender Park Road and Marchmont Crescent) and then afterwards at the German-speaking church on Chalmers Crescent.

Autumn Eco Festival - Sa 9 October at 11-3 at South Morningside Primary School

Family Funday in aid of Pakistan Floods Appeal

A Family Funday in aid of the Pakistan Floods appeal will be held on Su 10 October from 2-5pm at Marchmont St Giles Church.  There will be a climbing frame, face painting and bouncy castle for children. And asian snacks, tea and coffee for adults. There will also be a raffle, a silent auction and gifts stalls.  Entrance: adults £1 - kids £0.50.  Tickets are for sale on the gate. For further details and make a donation contact Nadia Aslam

Large scale 20 mph zone passed by City of Edinburgh Council

A proposal for a 20mph speed limit on roads across Marchmont, Sciennes and the Edinburgh South Central Area was approved today at the City of Edinburgh Council Transport Committee.

EACC meeting on planning

A note of the Edinburgh Association of Community Councils meeting (11 Sep) on strategic aspects of planning is now available.

Fundraising Concert of Sacred and Secular music at Marchmont St Giles on Su 3 Oct

Marchmont St Giles church choir & friends invite you to their Fundraising Concert of Sacred and Secular music on Su 3 Oct at 7:30pm in the church on Kilgraston Road.  


The concert will support victims of recent natural disasters. Proceeds will be shared between survivors of the Chilean earthquake in February and the people of Pakistan affected by the recent flood.  Entry is by donation.

Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places

The City of Edinburgh Council must ensure that all electors have reasonable facilities for voting and that arrangements are as realistic as possible. We must also make sure that, as far as is reasonable and practicable, the polling places are accessible to all electors including those with disabilities.


The Council has a statutory duty to review all polling districts, places and stations every four years. The last review was in 2007. There has recently been a review of the constituency boundaries for the Scottish Parliament and the opportunity is being taken to undertake another review, so that the new electoral register, which will be published on 1 December 2010, reflects these new boundaries.


A consultation on the revised proposals started yesterday. Any interested person or body can submit suggestions for change.  Public access to the information is available at the City Chambers and can be accessed on-line at any Library in the City. Please submit your comments (to polling.consultation@edinburgh.gov.uk) by 1 October 2010.


If you have any general questions about the review, or the maps, please contact Mairi Cruikshank in the first instance.

Chalmers Sexual Health Centre

NHS Lothian Family Planning & Well Woman services (currently in Stockbridge) will integrate at a refurbished Chalmers Sexual Health Centre (on Lauriston Place) early next year with the Genitourinary Medicine clinic currently housed at the Lauriston Building.  


Further information will be available closer to the time, including detailed leaflets.  

Draft Management Plan for the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage site

A draft management plan for for the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage site has been prepared and comments are requested, by 31 Oct 2010 to Jack Gillon.  


Comments are particularly sought on the way the Statement of Outstanding Universal value is interpreted; the vision, whether the objectives and actions are appropriate and achievable, and whether the proposed management structure is appropriate.

Consultation on Revised Edinburgh Standards for Sustainable Building - responses requested by Fr 15 October

A revised version of the Edinburgh Standards for Sustainable Building is out for consultation until Fr 15 Oct 2010.  The aim of the standards is to "promote sustainable development that mitigates against climate changes caused by carbon emissions".  


Please send your comments to Kate Hopper.

Regeneration of tenement common gardens in Marchmont

Contributed article by Fiona Savage

The buildings in Marchmont are almost exclusively four-storey early Victorian  tenement buildings and are mainly pink sandstone in a Scottish baronial style. Behind these building lies a substantial piece of land which can be up to 5 acres in size. This land is divided up into common gardens. This term common gardens is often misunderstood.  These gardens are only common to those who own them!

Some ground and basement properties that have their own private garden do not necessarily have access to the common garden owned by the stair. Again title deeds need to be checked.

There is an increasing interest in regeneration of gardens. However before embarking on such a project some research and clear consultation needs to be undertaken.

Under the Tenement (Scotland) Act 2004 the maintenance of a tenement garden or back green should be shared by all owners in the block UNLESS it says otherwise in the title deeds.   READ MORE...

City of Edinburgh Community Councils Newsletter (Sep 10)

 The most recent edition of the Edinburgh Community Council Newsletter (PDF) is now available. 

A G E N D A for meeting of the Community Council on We 8 Sep at 19:30

The next meeting of the Community Council will be held on September 8th at 7.30pm in St Catherine’s Argyle Church Community Hall, Grange Road


At 7.30pm: Marchmont and Sciennes Gardens and Garden Issues


Speakers:
* Edinburgh Garden Share Scheme - Mandy Rathjen*
* Green Banana Gang - Anne Leith
* CEC Parks Dept - Mike Shields.


This part of the meeting will be chaired by Cllr Mark McInnes.




Normal Business from 8.30


1. Minutes of the meeting of 9 June (corrected draft) and matters arising


2. Police Report : questions


3. Sub Groups
    a. Planning Group (Sarah Sandow; inc response to SESplan)
    b. HMOs Group (Ann Laird)
    c. Parking Group (Susie Agnew)
    d. Events: Garden Competition (Tina Cumming)


4. External Meetings
    a. Neighbourhood Partnership (Alastair Philp)


5. Any other business
    a. Christmas Tree Lights Ceremony
    b. City of Edinburgh Budget consultation meeting on 23 Sep


All who live or work or are active in the area are welcome.  Hearing loop available – please request in advance