This blog is where you will find community council information, including meeting times, minutes and agenda. Do please comment on postings.

Friday 27 September 2013

New development with Sainsbury's planning applications for Marchmont

According to a letter to Ian Murray MP, linked from the Myhood EH9 website, comments on the applications are again being accepted until 18 October. 



This is because the original council advertising of the applications had only part of the proposed site address (although the full address was on the documents available).

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Agenda for Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council Meeting - 7:30pm on We 25 Sep 2013

Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council will hold its September meeting on 25 September 2013 at 7:30pm, in our usual venue of St Catherine's Argyle Church halls. 


This will be our first meeting of 13/14.  Further meetings will be on the fourth Wednesday of October, November, January, February, March, April, May and June





A G E N D A

 1            Sederunt and apologies
 2               Minutes of last meeting, 26 June 2013 (draft until approved)
 3               Matters arising from the minutes 
      ·            delays to refuse collection
      ·            Marchmont Crescent Noticeboard (repairs)
      ·            Garden Competition
 4            Police Report

Items for discussion
 5             Induction of new Community Councillors
 6              Vacant Chair
 7              Plans for Royal Edinburgh Hospital and Astley Ainsley Hospital
             James Gillespie's High School and impact on neighbourhood/ TTRO
 9              HMOs (including case in Lauderdale Street) – Anne Laird
10              Edinburgh's Christmas - Decorate Edinburgh
11              Christmas Tree Lighting 7th December
12              Sainsbury’s in Marchmont

Items mainly for information
13              Planning matters
      ·            Cycle Parking Trial
      ·             Gillespie's Playing Field
14              Treasurer’s Report
15              Reports from Meetings
       ·            Meadows & Bruntsfield Links Advisory Group  (Alison Service)
       ·            Neighbourhood Partnership
16             Other Matters for noting

      ·            Review of Community Council Scheme

17             AOCB


18             Date of next meeting: 23rd October 2013

Approved SESplan Strategic Development Plan now published


On 17 September 2013 SESplan formally published the Approved SESplan Strategic Development Plan including the modifications, as approved by the Scottish Ministers. The SESplan Strategic Development Plan, as modified, is constituted as the Strategic Development Plan for the SESplan Strategic Development Plan Area from 27th June 2013.

Copies of the Approved Strategic Development Plan, the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Post Adoption Statement and Scottish Ministers decision letter approving the plan, as modified, are available on www.sesplan.gov.uk. They are also available for inspection at the SESplan offices in Claremont House, 130 East Claremont Street, Edinburgh EH7 4LB and all public libraries in the SESplan area. The documents are available for inspection for free during normal opening hours.

The Scottish Ministers decision letter advises that Scottish Ministers decision is final, subject to the right conferred by Section 238 of the above Act, of any person aggrieved by the Scottish Ministers' decision to apply to the Court of Session within six weeks from the date of publication of the plan (17 September 2013), as modified, whereby the Court may quash the plan (in whole or in part) if it is satisfied that it is not within the powers of the Act or that the applicant's interests have been substantially prejudiced by a failure to comply with any requirement of the Act.

The modifications include a requirement that SESplan prepares Supplementary Guidance to identify the individual housing requirements for each Local Development Plan area. The preparation of the Guidance is ongoing and further updates will be posted at www.sesplan.gov.uk.

Nominations to join Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council close next Monday

The closing date for nominations for the community council elections (link to previous postis Monday 23 September at 4 pm.    If an election is required it will be held on 24 October 2013. Individuals and groups can be nominated.


By joining your local community council you can make a real difference to your neighbourhood, meet new people, learn new skills and take action on issues that local residents raise.  Everyone has something to offer regardless of experience, interests and backgrounds.  Anyone 16 or over and on the electoral register can join.

A new video clip has been added to the Neighbourhood Partnership website  which  provides an insight into what’s involved in being a community council member and how community councils can make a difference.   

Friday 13 September 2013

Next meeting of MSCC is on 25 Sep at 7:30pm at St Catherine Argyle

The next meeting of the Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council will be on Wed 25 September 2013 at 7.30 PM at St Catherine's Argyle Church Halls, Beaufort Road.

All who live and work in the area are welcome to attend.

The agenda will be available next week and will be posted on this blog and in the local MSCC noticeboards.

Any queries to the secretary.

Tuesday 10 September 2013

Edible Edinburgh: a Sustainable Food City

The Edible Edinburgh initiative aims to inspire, motivate and connect everyone across the city in developing new relationships with food, choosing healthier and tastier food and bringing social, economic and environmental benefits for the whole community.

The Edible Edinburgh steering group has therefore drafted a consultation document to encourage everyone to join in the debate about our food. Edible Edinburgh: A Sustainable Food City initiates a collective conversation about how we re-imagine a new food system and culture for our city. You can get involved by completing a short survey once you’ve read the consultation document.

Edible Edinburgh is also hosting a Feed the 5,000 event in Bristo Square on Saturday 5th October. Go along for a free lunch, find out more about food initiatives in the city and have your say on how you would like to see Edinburgh develop as a sustainable food city.

Wednesday 4 September 2013

Your chance to comment on the Local Transport Strategy

After consideration of comments on the 'Issues for Review', a full Local Transport Strategy has now been drafted, and has been approved by the Transport and Environment Committee to be circulated for comment. 

A copy of the Committee report can be found online.

Key new initiatives include:
  • moving forward with improvements to the City Centre;
  • a major extension of 20mph speed limit areas;
  • developing proposals to extend parking controls on Sundays;
  • piloting an approach to close streets in the immediate neighbourhood around schools for short periods at school start and finish times;
  • consulting on options to reduce air pollution from traffic; and
  • developing a new travel planning service to work with Edinburgh's employers.
Please send your comments on the Local Transport Strategy to Lynda Haughney by mid October. It would be helpful if correspondents could specify which Chapter or Policy their comments refer to.

Comments will be considered, and then the final version of the document will be submitted to the Transport and Environment Committee early in 2014.

Tuesday 3 September 2013

Bin it and win it – student recycling campaign

The City of Edinburgh Council have launched a campaign to inform Edinburgh students about recycling and litter.  Students make up a significant proportion of our residents – there are more than 94,891 studying and living in Edinburgh.[1]

Although they are often are a transient population, students are a key group to engage about recycling to ensure that they know about services from the outset of their studying in Edinburgh. It's good to support their wish to have an active involvement in their community and help keep it clean, especially at the end of term time when the amount of waste collected increases as people move out of their accommodation.

The Council are running an online Facebook competition under the strap line of “bin itand win it”. Like the Facebook page and answer three easy questions on recycling to be in with the chance of winning. This competition is now live (from the 2nd of September) and will run until 18 October. 

For further info contact ryan.mcewan@edinburgh.gov.uk.


[1] Across the four Universities in Edinburgh, during the year 2011/2012 there were 57,850 students enrolled. In the years 2010/2011 there was 37,041 students enrolled in Edinburgh Colleges. This totals over 94,891 students.

Learn something new

If you’re looking to learn something new, brush up on your skills, meet new people or improve your job prospects then the Adult Education Programme is for you. The day, evening and weekend classes start up again in September with a range of subjects for adults aged 16 and over. The numerous classes include; art, crafts, creative writing history, computing, cookery, health and fitness, languages, music, drama, walks and talks and much more.

Our courses can help you to develop confidence and keep mentally and physically active as well as acquiring new skills. Research shows that people who are in lifelong learning are more likely to be employed, to remain in work and to be involved in their communities. It truly is about learning for life and it’s never too late to start.


For more information, visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk/adultcourses or phone 0131 556 7978 to get a brochure or pick one up from your local library, Community Centre or GP surgery.

Monday 2 September 2013

Nominations now open to become a local Community Councillor!

In case you hadn't received an e-mail or a tweet about this, or seen one of our posters...

Nominations are now open to become a Community Councillor. 

See previous post for more details or download a nomination form (scroll down to the bottom and click on elected member). 

Nominations need to be in by 23 September. The returning officer for Marchmont & Sciennes is Mark McInnes.