Annual Conference: Association of Scottish Community Councils - Saturday 14th November at the Scottish Parliament

The 2009 ASCC Annual National Conference will be held on Saturday 14th November at the Scottish Parliament from 10am to 4pm. All Community Councillors in Scotland are welcome but priority will be given to member Community Councils. Speakers include:

* Jim McKinnon (Scottish Government Director of the Built Environment and Chief Planner for Scotland) - New planning laws and how they affect Community Councils.
* John Mayhew (Director, Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland) - The rural agenda for Community Councils
* Dr Evelyn Silber (Glasgow CC Empowerment Pilot Project) - The Glasgow Pilot - You can too!
* Henry Shanks (Solicitor, Retired CCllr ) - The legalities of CCs & Of Common Good
* Dr Nicola Welsh (National Development Officer) - Dialogue with Comm Cllrs

Tree Warden Scheme

The Tree Warden Scheme is a national initiative to enable people to play an active role in conserving and enhancing their local trees and woods. Tree Wardens are volunteers, appointed by Friends of Parks groups, Community Councils or other community organisations who gather information about their local trees, get involved in local tree matters and encourage local practical projects to do with trees and woods. A Tree Warden Scheme has been run in Edinburgh since 2004 and there are nearly 25 volunteers who help look after the trees and woods in their area.

The City of Edinburgh Council's Parks and Greenspace Forestry Service has taken over the running of the Tree Warden Scheme in the city and are now looking for new volunteers to get involved. A series of events have been arranged for the next year, including tree identification and tree planting. The Calendar of events gives the full programme. If you are interested in becoming a Tree Warden please contact steven.webley@edinburgh.gov.uk with your name, contact details, the group you represent and the training event you would like to attend.

News from Edinburgh World Heritage

A newsletter has arrived from Edinburgh World Heritage with items of news about the Edinburgh World Heritage site.

These include: Doors Open Day; Shandwick Place restored to its past glory; Nelson and Burns Monuments; international interns' and Edinburgh's historic graveyards added to Watch list - Occtober 2009

Quartermile Square almost open

The public square at the middle of the Quartermile development is reaching completion but none of the surrounding buildings seem yet to be occupied.

Anything for PC Yocksan Bell

Unfortunately Yocksan Bell, the local community beat police officer, could not attend tonight's community council meeting. He asks anyone with a query or concern to contact him directly.

PC Yocksan Bell
CBO - St Leonards
662 5022

yocksan.bell@lbp.pnn.police.uk

New office bearers

At this evening's community council meeting the following were nominated and (there being only one candidate for each office) appointed as office bearers. The blog contact details have been altered accordingly:

Chair: Melanie Main

Vice-chair: Sarah Sandow

Treasurer: Sarah Marchbank

Secretary: Alastair Philp

AGM of Meadows Festival Association - Tollcross Community Centre at 19:30 on 12 Nov

The Annual General Meeting of the Meadows Festival Association will be held at Tollcross Community Centre (Tollcross Primary School, 117 Fountainbridge Edinburgh EH3 9QG) on Thursday 12 November 2009 at 7.30 p.m.

The Meadows Festival is run by a small group of local people who are the members of the Association. It can't happen without community support. They have started planning a 2010 Festival, but always welcome new help and new blood.

If you use Facebook you can signal your intention to attend by visiting the event page for the meeting.

Next MSCC meeting is on We 14 Oct at 7:30 at St Catherine Argyle on Grange Road

The next MSCC meeting is on We 14 Oct at 7:30 at St Catherine Argyle on Grange Road.

Agenda:

1. Sederunt and Apologies.
2. Minutes of Meeting held 9 September 2009
3. Matters Arising
4. Police Report.
5. HMO update

6. Neighbourhood partnership update
7. Lunch club
8. The Future/election of office bearers
9. A.O.C.B.
10. Next meeting Wednesday 11^th November, 7.30pm

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

The next meeting of the City of Edinburgh Council South Central Neighbourhood Partnership will be held on Mo 12 Oct 2009 at the City Chambers Business Centre.

Papers will shortly be available and I will post a link on this blog entry. I imagine that the agenda will feature reports from the sub-group on HMOs and an update on the Meadows Manifesto.

update (20:42 on Tu 6 Oct 09) - links to papers added below. There will also be a presentation on the Edinburgh Trams Project

agenda

Previous Minute 10.08.09

Report - Neighbourhood Partnership Review - Update	Report - Fairer Scotland Fund Progress Report Dumbiedykes	Report - Meadows and Bruntsfield Links Group	Report - Tollcross Regeneration update - Proposed Shop Front Improvements	Report - Southside Corridor Environmental Improvement Plan
Report - Neighbourhood Partnership Community Grants Fund	Report - Temporary Greening of Development Sites	Report - A City for All Ages - Edinburgh's Joint Plan for Older People - Progress Report	Report - Public Question Form

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.