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Thursday, 27 October 2022

MSCC Minutes for September 2022

 

mscc_logo_crop.jpgMarchmont & 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.

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