Marchmont and Sciennes Community Council
Minutes of Meeting held on January 25th, 2023 at St. Catherine’s Argyle
Church Hall
Present
Brian Gilmore - Chair, MSCC
Alison Service - MSCC Treasurer
Anne Laing - MSCC Secretary
Emma Willson - local resident
Nigel Ayton - Grange Association
Susie Agnew - MSCC
Jessica Eaton - local resident
Cllr. Tim Pogson
Apologies
Anthony Holmes - Thirlestane Lane Association
Douglas Rogers - MSCC
Kayleigh Gordon - MSCC Publicity
Liane Phillips - MSCC Publicity
Cllr. Ben Parker
Attending
Nora Flynn-McIver - Minutes Secretary
Meeting began at 7:37pm
Draft Minutes of November 23rd 2022 Meeting
- Alison moved to approve
- Anne seconded
- Minutes are approved
- Discussion on broken pavement outside of Marchmont
Hardware
- Cllr. is looking into this, Tim Pogson will
chase up
- Issue raised about dangerous pavement further
on
Publicity
- Nothing to report
Meadows and Bruntsfield Links (incl. FOMBL report)
- Public talk on 24th November
- Big success, two football clubs used to play on
the Meadows
- Born Free exhibition has been moved
- Temporary toilets removed, will hopefully be
returned for the summer
- Question raised about expense of moving them
rather than just closing them
- More tree planting happening in Feb and March
- Benches being repaired, additions to
children’s playground
- Alison will be attending the next FOMBL
meeting in February
- Need to find out who has replaced Mike Shields
as Parks Manager to invite them to meetings
- This will be found out at the FOMBL meeting
SE Community Police newsletter
- Acknowledgement of their newsletter as a
general overview
City Councillor report on topical local issues
(Cllr. Tim Pogson)
- Motion was passed at last council meeting to
found tenement task force
- Help ppl in tenements to be more energy
efficient, help combat rising energy costs
- Put in place over the next few months
- Council needs to fix budget for 23/24
- 8% cut in budget likely
- Need to decide which areas of budget to
reduce
- Education, social care unlikely to be cut,
bigger burden on other areas
- Need to consider how to save money using
current property portfolios, etc.
- Liberton High School proposal
- Possible GP practice in the high school
- Good use of property and money
- Trying to ensure that budget cuts only affect
internal operations rather than external aid to the community
- Short-term let licensing scheme
- Scottish Parliament decision, council
running it
- Pressure from industry, Scottish gov’t
trying to toe the middle line
- Introducing the new licensing scheme in
autumn (i.e. a delay of six months)
- Development around Quiet Route 6
- Cycling route from Meadows to Kings Buildings
- Trying to make cycling route safer
- Changes to parking, traffic, etc.
- The final crossing of the three on Grange
Road is now at the statutory TRO stage and open for comment.
- This involves the crossings at Cumin Place and
Tantallon Place.
- Creating easier/safer crossings into/from
Grange Rd
- Cumin Place will be closed to northbound
motor traffic at the exit to Grange Road (cyclists can go north in
these areas but cars can’t); Tantallon Place will be ‘no entry’ for
northbound motor traffic from Grange Road;
- Consultation closes Feb 10th
- Any comments should be submitted by then
- Question about reaction from ppl who live in
the areas (posed by Susie Agnew, answered by Nigel Ayton)
- Ppl have had their say about 6 years ago
during the initial consultation
- Some ppl don’t like specific details of the
schemes, but general consensus is that it is good for kids to be able
to safely get to school
- Susie thought that design for Lauder Rd is
worse than other roads as confusing both for cars/cyclists and for ppl
to cross
- King’s Theatre
- Subject for refurbishment
- Costs now increased by £9
million that the institution does not have
- Council talking with UK/Scottish gov’t to
try and make up the difference
- Good if individuals email MSPs/MPs, etc
about the issue if interested
- General idea that letting the theatre go should
be avoided
Christmas event
- Big success
- First time having the event in three years
- Made about £150 for Children 1st Scotland
- Thanks given to Alison Service for running the
event
- Next year’s event is already booked
- Sunday, 3rd December 2023
- Both schools are happy with the date
Sick Kids site
- The developers plan to have the student block
available to try and get students in by September
- Toilets “complete pods” arrived yesterday
- Douglas and Anne trying to meet with the developers of the affordable
housing section
- Housing association from Glasgow
- Planning on closing Sylvan Place for a while
- Square and Crescent has bought older houses, trying
to contact them as well
- Tim Pogson offered to help get in contact if
needed
- Emma Willson brings issue about Victorian building
demolished at end Sylvan Pl
- This is due to requirements/space needed for
affordable housing
Astley Ainsley Hospital Redevelopment
- No change
- Conversation with NHS & Planning Dept is now
happening
- Tim Pogson has been meeting with the NHS
- Trying to organize meeting with everyone
involved, should happen soon
Suggested Street Improvement Plan (proposed by Emma
Willson)
- Possible changes/improvements to
area once Scottish Water is done doing their work
- Goal is to make the area more
pedestrian-friendly
- Spoke to a local architect about what changes
could be made
- Scottish Water may have some additional money
available to make these changes
- Would be good for MSCC to show support/aid
discussion on any improvements
- Suggestions for the north Marchmont
Cres/Marchmont place area include:
- Widening pavements
- Changing roadways for less traffic – maybe
one-way only
- Narrowing roads to discourage driving
- Cycling lane down North Marchmont Crescent
- Tim says he can share suggestions with
applicable ppl
- Some traffic administrators could also be
brought into this
- Need concrete plans before going for
approval/funding
- Planning committee best ppl to do this
- Concern abt “20 minute” neighbourhood issue,
not necessarily a selling point bc Marchmont is already a “20 minute”
neighbourhood
- This might include reducing amount of parking
available, but this is less of an issue if focus is on pedestrians
- Susie raises question about how ppl on
Marchmont Crescent feel about idea of shutting down traffic in that area
- Younger ppl are a large part of the
community, may be more likely to support green-friendly initiatives
- Responses were largely positive, if wanting
more detail on impacts on personal lives
- Some elements of this are definitely easier
to do than others, but ideas are likely possible to get funding for
- General consensus that a lot of this is a good
idea, general sense of support
Planning Applications
- 30 Mansionhouse Rd application for new house in
garden has been withdrawn
- Still a local hot topic
- Ppl dislike that the house would take up the
garden, and makes more street parking
- Ppl also do not like the box-like architecture
- 24 Mansionhouse Rd application to redo top
floor and add a balcony
- Looks out at the rear onto houses in Lauder
Rd
- Contractors have been cutting down trees with
no notice
- Balcony would look into windows of houses
behind it, ppl are planning on registering complaints
- 10 Chalmers Crescent
- Turning it back into a family home from the
former NHS usage
- NHS building has big extension; new owner wants
to build onto it more and add sundeck
- This also looks into the windows of ppl
across Lover’s Loan in Mansionhouse Road
- This has been rejected but an appeal is
going to council in March
Grange Cemetery Update
- Grange Association did not approve request for
more money to resurrect monuments
- Too much money, about £6,000, total would
have been brought up to above £18,000 cumulative
- New committee coming in at AGM in March,
didn’t want to saddle them with that expense
- Looking for volunteers
- Planting bulbs, etc.
- Alison asked where money is coming from to
reopen catacombs, etc.
- Council is paying for it
Treasurer’s Report
- Total is £1782.08
- Need to encourage ppl to come forward with
local projects that MSCC can help with
- Defibrillator project is an example, have not
heard from the Mgr of The Earl of Marchmont who are trying to raise the
finance.
Meetings Attended
- No updates now
ACOB
- Nigel is stepping down from Grange Committee
at its AGM in March
- Donald Henderson is replacing him
- Will try to bring him along to next meeting
- Reports will continue from same ppl for the
most part
Date of Next Meeting
- 22nd of February
