Scottish Parliament to consider petition on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)

As many know, HMOs is a cause of major concern in the Marchmont and Sciennes Area. MSCC are involved in a Short Life Working Group set up through the South Central Neighbourhood Partnership by City of Edinburgh Council. The working group has highlighted the conflict through regulation between planning and licensing. This is a national problem and MSCC have also been cooperating with Sustainable Communities Scotland (Suscoms) on a petition to the Scottish Parliament (PE1261):

"Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to promote better regulation of houses in multiple occupation by (a) giving licensing authorities clear powers to refuse to grant HMO licences where this will affect the amenity of the local area or breach planning policy or the requirement for planning permission; (b) ensuring planning permission is a prior condition for all HMO licensing; and (c) introducing more rigorous enforcement of penalties for illegally operated HMOs including powers of closure and substantial financial penalties to contribute towards the cost of enforcement. "

The Petitions committee will consider this petition on Tuesday 6 October at 2pm. Anyone interested can book a place on the Petitions Committee from today (29 Sep 09) by e-mailing emailing sp.bookings@scottish.parliament.uk or contacting the visitor centre at 0131 348 5200. It will also be broadcast on the internet (www.holyrood.tv/committee.asp). Seats will be limited.

Further details on MSCC objectives on HMOs as background to this petition are available.

James Gillespie's High School to be rebuilt

The Scottish Government has announced today that James Gillespie's High School will benefit from a "new £1.25 billion school building programme which will, with £800 million of Scottish Government capital investment, deliver 55 new schools for Scotland".

The slide show to the left is from the School's website and shows the current buildings, some of which are in need of serious attention.

Meadows festival: AGM on 12 Nov

Tollcross Community Centre is booked for this year's Annual General Meeting on Thursday 12 November 2009 at 7.30 p.m. Put the date and time in your diary if you would like to be involved with the proposed 2010 Meadows Festival. More details (for Facebook users) at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6219629357

update: John Simon

The Edinburgh Evening News published an appreciation of John Simon on Thursday 17 Sep. As previously reported, he died last Saturday.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday at 11am at St Mark's Unitarian Church, on Castle Terrace. All are welcome.

W Savile Terrace/ Mayfield Road traffic light proposal

City of Edinburgh Council are currently consulting on a proposal to install traffic lights at the junction of West Savile Terrace at Mayfield Road. Cameron Rose's newsblog carries further details. The MSCC secretary (acting) has a paper copy of the plans if anyone wishes to peruse them.

Views will be welcomed. Add them to Cameron's blog entry, or send them to iain.peat@edinburgh.gov.uk and copy to Cameron Rose.

Update: community council elections

As fewer than 14 nominations were received from candidates for election to Marchmont and Sciennes Community Council, an election will not be required. The following will serve as community councillors:

• Susan Agnew
• Fiona Cumming
• Anne Laird
• Melanie Main
• Masood Malik
• Sarah Marchbank
• Alastair Philp
• Dorothy Ryle
• Sarah Sandow
• Fiona Savage
• Alison Service
• Linda Smith

Congratulations!

Sad news: John Simon

Sad news came through this evening: John Simon, who was a community councillor for Marchmont for many years died last Saturday.

A notice will appear in The Scotsman and the Evening News on Thursday. A funeral service is scheduled for next Tuesday (22nd) at 11am at St Marks Unitarian Church on Castle Terrace.

We fondly remember his concern for our community, most recently representing the community council on the Meadows Short-Life Group.

Our condolences to Audrey and his family.

Edinburgh Planning Guidance: Consultation on Gardens and Designed Landscapes

Gardens and Designed Landscapes contribute in many ways to the value of the historic city centre, suburbs and rural hinterland of Edinburgh. A wide range of types of designed green space contribute to visual and natural diversity and provide valued recreational assets.

A draft Edinburgh Planning Guideline has been produced to advise on good practise when considering development or alterations to gardens and designed landscapes. This is now the subject of a consultation.

Comments may be submitted by email to naturalheritage@edinburgh.gov.uk and should be received no later than 16 October 2009. A summary of consultation responses will then form part of the final report to Planning Committee later in the year.

Update: community council elections - 16 and 17 year old candidates

After recent changes to the rules governing Community Councils 16- and 17-year olds can stand for election to Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council.

Although the nomination forms imply that you must be on the local electoral role, Eileen Hewitt, the Community Council Liaison Officer at the City Council informs us that identity for 16- and 17-year olds can be "confirmed by other means such as school registration, passport, youth passport or letter from parents."

If you have further questions about the nomination process please contact the returning officer Cllr Steve Burgess.

Agenda: meeting of Community Council on We 9 Sep 09 at 7:30pm

The next meeting of the Community Council will be held on WEDNESDAY 9 September 2009 at 7.30pm in St Catherine’s Argyle Church Community Hall, Grange Road

All who live or work or are active in the area are welcome.

A G E N D A

1. Sederunt and Apologies.

2. Minutes of Meeting (word.doc) held 10 June 2009.

3. Matters Arising.

4. Community Council nominations

5. New Chair

6. Summer updates incl.

• HMO’s
• Parking
• Lunch club
• The Meadows
• South Neighbourhood partnership

7. Christmas Tree Lighting

8. Any other business

9. Next meeting Wednesday 14 October 2009

Consultation on Built Heritage Strategy: comment by 14 Oct

A draft Edinburgh Built Heritage Strategy (PDF) is currently out for consultation, until 14 October.

This strategy "maintains and extends the Council’s commitment to the conservation of the built heritage by providing a statement of the Council’s strategic aims for the built heritage, and establishing comprehensive and integrated principles"

For more details and to make comments please contact Jack Gillon.

MSCC Accounts 2008/09

The audited accounts (PDF) for 2008-09 are now available.

Comments invited on Draft Public Realm Strategy (by 16 Oct)

The City of Edinburgh Council is consulting on a Draft Public Realm Strategy.

Public Realm is defined as - ‘the parts of the city (whether publicly or privately owned) that are available for everyone to see and use without charge 24 hours a day, including streets, squares and parks.’ The city has an excellent track record in delivering public realm, but many key areas are yet to be improved. Undertaking these public realm improvement works will be critical to maintaining and enhancing Edinburgh's economic success as a place to live, work and do business.

The Strategy focuses on providing developers and practitioners with an understanding of the Council’s aspirations and vision for a consistent and high quality approach to public realm. It also highlights funding requirements to progress the implementation of this Strategy.

Before finalising the Edinburgh Public Realm Strategy the Council is making the draft strategy available for comment: please contact gina.bellhouse@edinburgh.gov.uk by 16 October 2009.

Ideas for publicising Community Council Elections?

Has anyone any better suggestions for publicising the Community Council Elections than traipsing round the area wearing an improvised sandwich board?!

We have posters up in our noticeboards (including the Meadows one) and will add some in local shops over the next few days.

Suggestions for good sites (windows with lots of passing traffic or noticeboards) very welcome: please contact the Community Council Secretary.

Remember nominations open tomorrow and close two weeks later.

Update: Nomination Forms for Community Council Elections now available

Nomination Forms (PDF) for becoming a Community Councillor from Oct 2009 are now available from the City of Edinburgh Council's Community Council pages:

• Elected Member
• Nominated Member (Local Interest Group)

See previous post for more background.

Community Council elections

Your local Community Council is committed to dealing with issues that affect you and your community. We are looking for new members, so why not get involved and make sure that the issues we are dealing with are the ones that matter to you.

Nominations to become a community councillor open next Monday (31 August). Nominees must be 16 or over and on the electoral roll.

More details are available from the City of Edinburgh Council's website. Nominations close on 14 September. If there are more candidates than places an election will be held on 15 October 2009.

Nomination forms are available from the returning officer Cllr Steve Burgess or (from Mo 31 August) at the Community Council pages of the City Council website. Cameron Roses's newsblog has a good overview.

Breaking news: Events on Meadows restricted to 4 weeks?

Breaking news: The full Edinburgh Council today debated the manifesto on events on the Meadows.

Unconfirmed reports are coming in by e-mail (from Friends of the Meadows & Bruntsfield Links) that the council voted to restrict events to a four week duration.

More details will be posted as they become available.

Update (22:23): BBC News carries confirmation of the 4 week limit.

Midmar Allotments Open Day

Midmar Allotments are holding their third Annual Open day and Barbeque on Saturday 22 August between 1pm and 4pm. Afternoon tea will be available in the communal cabin.

Blackford Hill Festival on 13 September from 1-4pm

This is the first festival on Blackford Hill (PDF). An afternoon packed with history, activities and fun for all the family, including your dog!

Meet: Blackford Hill, use Observatory Car Park. Drop in 1pm to 4pm.

Next South Central Neighbourhood Partnership meeting will be on Mo 12 Oct 09 at 7pm

The next meeting of the South Central Neighbourhood Partnership will be on Mo 12 Oct 09 at 7pm. The location has not yet been advised.

I imagine that the agenda will feature reports from the sub-group on HMOs and an update on the Meadows Manifesto.