MSCC - Minutes for January 2023

 

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