Marchmont & Sciennes
Community Council
Minutes of Marchmont &
Sciennes Community Council
Meeting of Wed 28th
September 2022, 7.30pm at St Catherine’s
Argyle
Present:
Brian Gilmore (Chair, MSCC), Alistair Langmuir (Minute Secretary),
Anne Laing (MSCC Secretary), Nigel Ayton (Grange Association),
Alison Service (MSCC Treasurer), Susie Agnew (MSCC), Cllr. Tim Pogson, Cllr. Marie-Clair
Munro, Douglas Rogers (MSCC), Kayleigh Gordon (MSCC Publicity), Liane Phillips
(MSCC Publicity).
Apologies: Mike Shields (CEC), Cllr. Ben Parker , Anthony
Holmes
Matters Arising:
Minutes from June’s meeting have been
circulated. Alison approved the minutes and Susie seconded.
Alison will enquire about a speaker for the November MSCC meeting
from Home Energy Scotland.
Friends of the Meadows:
History & Information panels – EWH have given a deadline
for completion of March 2023. The water
fountain : is expected to be completed in Spring 2023
Trees: Forestry to provide 20 new trees for planting late
Autumn. Plus 20 more on Meadows near Sciennes Primary. Sadly at least 5 trees
planted at end-21 have died despite tree watering throughout the year. Three
young rare Elms have been planted at the Links wildflower meadow.
Wildflower meadows: Unfortunately Council mowers cut the
whole of the Leamington Walk wildflower meadow in August; Mike providing
wildflower plugs to help make up. Links meadow doing well and a new rope’s been
fixed round it.
Benches – a community grant has been applied for to renovate
various old wooden benches. Mike Shields has agreed to provide a new bench at
the South Links playground.
Cycle stands – Fombl working on the provision of cycle stands at various
points around The Meadows.
Police report
None. Anne mentioned that the police had circulated a leaflet.
Marie Claire raised the issue of the use of nitrous oxide gas
canisters by youngsters in the neighbourhood. Neighbours are concerned for
their safety and the increasing litter, as the youngsters leave a great number
of these canisters on the road. Mari Claire is meeting a police officer soon
and will update the group on this matter.
Publicity Report
No updates.
Councillor report (1) Cllr.
Tim Pogson
Cllr. Pogson commented on a Council meeting last week. The
Scottish Parliament will be enacting the Tourist Tax legislation very soon (not
specified). There are two concerns. First, that this might mean that grants and
budgets to Edinburgh are reduced as it is considered to be supplementary
income. Second, that the Council should have capacity to decide on what that
income will be spent on. CEC to write to the Parliament to raise these two
concerns.
Cllr. Pogson also said that the previous Council decided on a
motion to promote “Warm and Welcoming Places” project. The aim is to have a
network of warm public spaces across the city for people who may be struggling
to heat their homes due to fuel poverty. Southside are keen on getting
involved. Concerns by members were that fuel poverty should not be allowed or
normalised by any means, but most think it is a good idea.
Meadows events. Tim reported that Mike Shields attended a meeting
with licensing companies. Council are keen to have events in the future, but they
must be limited in time and the number of attendees and be managed properly.
Scottish Widows Building renovation (A-listed building). The
application was submitted and soon will be publicly available in the website. The
front section will stay as it is and be used by various small enterprises as
offices. The rest will involve partially demolishing the interior of the
building to build five new accommodation blocks, two of them affordable.
Neighbours are concerned about the height of the new five-storey buildings and
raised formal complaints to the Council. Douglas asked about insulation and Tim
offered to put him in contact with developers.
Astley Ainslie Hospital site: The planning officers said they have
not had any communication with NHS, and Tim agreed to liaise. Nothing
will happen for several years at the very earliest and in all likelihood it is
anticipated that there will be no significant change for some years beyond
that’.
Councillor report (2) Marie-Clair
Munro
Cllr.
Munro attended a meeting last Saturday regarding the Midmar Paddock, in Midmar
Drive (which is outside the Community Council area). The meeting was very well
attended. Developers said they will start the work in three years. One 50-bed care
home is planned in the dip, plus 8 special needs self-contained apartments. The
rest will be 80 allotments, which have a long waiting list. In the south west
corner of the site, at the top of the hill,, two private houses will be built
next to the large Cala Home already there. The project also involves redoing
paths for pedestrians, cyclists and people with disabilities. It still has to
go through the planning process. The developer has threatened that, if the
community does not support these proposals, and the proposals are refused by
CEC, then it will appeal to the Scottish Government and submit a revised application for lots of new-build homes plus
some affordable housing, relying on the Government’s priority for new housing
to gain approval.
Transport: ‘Spaces for People’ has been redesignated as
“Travelling Safely” and is going through an 18 month-long consultation to
determine whether the schemes should remain in place. There are very vocal
opinions on both sides. The experimental traffic regulation will stay another
18 months. The closure of Sciennes Road
to motor traffic at the school will remain, and will be reviewed when the works
at the Sick Kids site are over.
Anne mentioned that the notices for road closures are
inappropriate and confusing, and there have been complaints, but nothing has
been done.
Cllr. Munro also said that 20 minutes neighbourhood project is
working to encourage people to source groceries and other goods within their
neighbourhoods. In Morningside, it has to be circulated.
Sick kids updates
Home
Group will be building the affordable housing block at the foot of Sylvan Place.
Douglas is organising a meeting with them, Cllr Flannery and Anne to establish
a good communication link. They will probably start works in May. Some homes
will be ‘mid-market range’, while others are classed as ‘affordable housing’.
Anne
said the rest of the site has been bought by Square and Crescent, an Edinburgh
based developer who specialises in converting Victorian properties. Anne and
Douglas will endeavour to establish a communication link with them as well.
Condition of pavements
Liane reports that there have been some serious falls on the pavement
and road at the junction of Roseneath Street and Chalmers Crescent by elderly
(and not so elderly) residents due to the extremely poor state of the
pavement/road. At least four people have ended up in hospital. The elderly living
in the local care home are not confident of using the pavement anymore. Even
one of the care workers suffered a fractured shoulder from a fall recently.
The local residents want to write a letter to the Council. In the
past, councillors have reported it, and though the pavement was inspected and
they said it had deteriorated, nothing has been done. Both Councillors offered
to help with contacts and letters.
Proposed defibrillator
Alison mentioned that the Earl of Marchmont, who started the fund
for defibs in the local area, have a link with a youth football group, and are
keen to raise enough to supply 2-3 defibrillators, in the Sciennes/Marchmont
area. Everyone is keen to know more, and Alison will continue to liaise with
the Pub owner and update the MSCC with how it is going.
Planning applications
All quiet.
Grange cemetery.
Report has been circulated. Open Doors Day was a big success with
lots of interest.
The Catacombs will be fully open next year, though there is still
a lot of work to be done.
Cllr. Marie-Clair reported that dog owners are now obliged by
Council regulation to have their pets on leads in all cemeteries.
Scottish Water
Liane Phillips went to the information gazebo and though helpful,
there is a general lack of information, and Scottish Water (SW) was not aware
of several key issues.
The major concern explained is that they have found bed-rock
bellow Marchmont Crescent, and that they will be drilling and working on that
road for sections for at least 6 to 9 months in order to renew and upsize the
sewer. The timeline is three month for every section, allowing extra time for
problems. Timings have been designed to suit businesses. According to Liane,
residents do not have enough information, for the leaflets and plans supplied
by SW are not clear or in plain language. They are however, offering free
surveys to all properties in Marchmont Crescent which is important as cracks
etc can be caused in properties by this work in the Crescent. The MSCC agrees
that is important to circulate that information and that further communication
with SW is necessary.
Another issue is that SW did not realise Marchmont Crescent was
not a through road.
They have promised a donation to the Community for the upheaval
caused.
They will suspend parking bays when working, and the machinery
will be kept at night in the secure site on the Links.
A concern raised by Alison is that the site is terribly muddy and
the surrounding area will be a mudbath.
It was suggested to do a campaign in social media to inform
people.
Another issue is that the 41 bus will have to be diverted, and this
is very difficult for our elderly residents who depend on it. SW said it is up
to the Community Council to liaise with Lothian Buses, but Douglas said that
was not right. SW did not know about the university bus either. Cllr Pogson
said he would look into this.
Liane is waiting for SW to contact her and will keep us and the
community informed via the noticeboards and other areas, including the fact
that residents of Marchmont Crescent are entitled to a free survey.
Scottish Water say they have sent an email, but people have not
read it, or has not reached them.
Anne proposed the MSCC contact Scottish Water to raise the concern
about the lack of information. Douglas thinks that peoples’ complaints help to
move things. Lianne and Kayleigh to further this with SW.
Treasurer’s Report
Monthly report was circulated. The EDC grant has been received
(£737) and the balance at end August 2022 stands at £1982.93.
Meetings attended.
Douglas
went to Dynamic Earth. Presentations ‘Warm works’ for insulation and heat pumps
to houses. Warm works does the survey. Many people can value from this.
Other
matters were hygiene projects, and the net zero will have a huge impact on the
city.
AOCB
Sat 3rd December is the date for the Community Christmas
Tree lighting and Carol Singing.
Alison to check if a large tree is coming from the Council
this year as the one in situ is very small.
Alison asked for ideas for the guest presenter for this year and
for the charity to benefit from the collection.
AOCB
Douglas wants to clarify what are acceptable and non-acceptable
changes to buildings. Listed buildings are regulated nationally. Permission
have not been granted in the past. People need to know what they need to ask
permission for and what not. Householder guidance is a good reference document.
To be followed on.
Anne: The Breakfast Bothy – police box near Pavilion. It is being
run by someone who is seeking to have charitable status. It provides breakfast
to homeless and are hoping to start serving soup at lunchtimes. Alison asked how
the Community Council can support this venture. Anne answered they want a
supply of scarfs and hats and gloves, so maybe posting an appeal in social
media would be a good idea.
Once they are a charity, things will be easier regarding funding -
but this could take a long time. They also want to have a small area of garden,
a community garden, alongside the Police Box..
Date of next meeting: Wednesday 26th October
at 7.30pm.
