Comment requested on Edinburgh Planning Guidance: Student Housing

Comments are invited on draft guidance prepared to support local plan policy dealing with purpose-built student accommodation. When approved in its final form it will be used by the Council to assess planning applications.  Please respond by 11 May 2010 to kenneth.bowes@edinburgh.gov.uk.

James Gillespie's Primary School Council Blog

A James Gillespie's Primary School Council Blog is now live. 

This includes a link to their most recent newsletter (PDF).

Note of March EACC Question Time about Policing

(Unapproved) minutes of the March EACC Question Time about Policing are now available at the Edinburgh Association of Community Councils website

Draft Open Space Strategy: consultation till 21 May 10

Between May and July last year City of Edinburgh Council consulted on an open space audit. They received over 900 comments in addition to almost 700 completed questionnaires and as a result of these the audit was updated and approved in its final form in December 2009. A summary of the comments will be made available at locations listed below by 2 April and an interactive online audit will be updated shortly.

The next stage involves the preparation of the Open Space Strategy itself.  The draft strategy was approved for consultation by the Council’s Policy and Strategy and Planning Committees in February 2010.  The purpose of the strategy will be to ensure that a coordinated approach is taken to meeting Edinburgh’s open space needs and protecting and developing the city’s network of open spaces. As part of this, the strategy sets out standards for the provision of different types of open space in Edinburgh.  It is also supported by 12 action plans, one for each neighbourhood partnership area.

Consultation on the draft strategy runs for a period of eight weeks from 26 March to 21 May.

During this time, comments on the draft strategy and the accompanying environmental report can be made to Finlay Martin at OpenSpaceStrategy@edinburgh.gov.uk.  Comments made will be taken into account when preparing the final strategy.

Copies of the draft strategy, action plans, list of public events and environmental report will be available at the following locations by 2 April:

• Planning and Building Standards Reception, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street (opening hours: Monday to Thursday 8:30 am to 5.00 pm, and from 8:30 am to 3.40 pm on Friday)
• all Council Libraries during normal opening hours.

In the meantime these documents are available on the Council’s website at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/openspacestrategy. 

Results reported from CEC Annual Neighbourhood Survey

The results of the most recent City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) Annual Neighbourhood Survey (ANS) have been reported to the Policy & Strategy Committee and are now available at Annual Neighbourhood Survey Findings 2009.  The ANS is the Council's largest survey of its residents and focuses mainly on services which support Services for Communities key objectives which are to make Edinburgh Clean, Green, Safe, Well-housed, Well-maintained, Well-informed and Well-engaged.  

The report reveals that over the three years the ANS has been running, satisfaction with most services has increased substantially. Satisfaction with neighbourhood management has increased and satisfaction with neighbourhoods as a place to live remains high.  Satisfaction with the overall service provided by neighbourhood offices and aspects of customer care has also remained consistently high over the past three years.

Findings from the report will be used to continually improve local service delivery across the city. Analysis of findings at the Neighbourhood Partnership level will be communicated through the NP website and from your local Neighbourhood Teams from early April 2010 onwards.

EUSA Community Guide

The Edinburgh University Students Association Community Living Guide can be found at the EUSA website .  


Each Edinburgh University student with a room in an HMO should have received a copy.  

for comment: draft planning guideline on Change of Use in Residential Properties

The City of Edinburgh Council are seeking views on a draft planning guideline: Change of Use in Residential Properties. 

This has been prepared to support local plan policy dealing with changes of use in residential properties.  It will replace existing guidelines on: Guest Houses (1998); Private Day Nurseries (1999); and Working from Home (2006). 

When approved in its final form, the guideline will be used by the Council to assess planning applications for change of use in residential properties.

Comments are invited by Tu 13 April to rachel.gillen@edinburgh.gov.uk.

for consultation: planning guidance on Biodiversity, and Landscape and Development

Draft planning guidance has been produced to advise on good practise when considering Biodiversity and Landscape issues. Comments are now requested on:


*  Edinburgh Planning Guidance – Biodiversity (PDF, 2mb)
*  Edinburgh Planning Guidance – Landscape and Development (PDF, 2.5mb)


Please respond to naturalheritage@edinburgh.gov.uk before 23 April 2010.

City of Edinburgh Community Councils Newsletter & office-bearers

The most recent edition of the Edinburgh Community Council Newsletter (PDF) and a list of CC Office-bearers  (.doc) are now available at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/communitycouncils. 

Comments requested by 10 May: Developer Contributions for Public Realm

A Draft Developer Contributions for Public Realm Guideline  is now the subject of a consultation. This follows on from The Public Realm Strategy, which focuses on providing developers and practitioners with an understanding of the Council’s aspirations for a consistent and high quality approach to public spaces. The Public Realm Strategy states that funding for public realm projects can no longer be considered solely the responsibility of the public sector.


Whilst comments are welcome regarding any aspect of the guide, the Council would be particularly interested to hear your views regarding the following:


- Is the principle of developer contributions a good way of delivering public realm?


- Should the area of contribution be limited to the Central Area?


- Is the level of contribution acceptable?


Comments are requested by Monday 10 May 2010 to craig.wood@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Work proceeds to close off Meadow Place

Work proceeds to close off Meadow Place and realign the cycle path running across the triangle bounded by Marchmont Road, Melville Drive and Meadow Place.

Agenda: meeting of Community Council on We 10 Mar 2010 at 7:30pm

The next meeting of the Community Council will be held on On March 10th 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.


Hearing loop available.

Tea/ Coffee will be available beforehand

A G E N D A


1] Welcome and introductions


2] Minutes of the meeting of 10th February


3] Matters Arising
     a) Community Group Event 24th February


4] Police Report


5] Sub Group reports:
     a) Planning Group (Sarah Sandow)
     b) HMOs Group (Ann Laird)
     c) Parking Group (Susie Agnew)
     d) Garden Competition (Tina Cumming


6] External Meetings
     a) Friends of the Meadows (Alison Service)
     b) Children and Young People’s Forum (Alastair Philp)
     c) Environmental forums – Road/pavement improvements for 2010/11
     d) EACC question time: police (Tina Cumming)


7] Meeting Schedule for next 12 months


8] Publicity


9] Any other business


10] Date of next meeting April 14


Papers will be linked from this agenda as they become available

Edinburgh World Heritage Newsletter

Edinburgh World Heritage have circulated the latest edition of their newsletter. 


Details of the topics that it covers are available on their website and include:


* Scotland Street Tunnel wall comes tumbling down 
* Twelve Monuments Project Update
* Extra stars for the Nelson Monument
* EWH Energy Efficiency Officer appointed
* World Monuments Fund visits Edinburgh

Inside Letting - link with landlords - Winter '10 edition

Issue 22 of Inside Letting - Edinburgh's link with landlords - has been circulated.


Among other items this edition carries an item which confirms that the whole of Edinburgh is a Smoke Control Area and that tenants should be aware that burning wood in an open fire may result in a fine of £1000.

Draft for consultation: Antisocial Behaviour Strategy (2010-13)

A draft 3-year Antisocial Behaviour Strategy (2010-13) for Edinburgh is now available for public consultation.  This has been jointly prepared by the City of Edinburgh Council and Lothian and Borders Police.  Comments are welcome; please respond to antisocialbehaviour@edinburgh.gov.uk by 9 March 2010.

A paper copy is available from the MSCC secretary.

Earth Hour 2010 – Edinburgh – 27 March

On Saturday 27 March 2010 at 8.30pm, individuals, communities and businesses around the world will turn off their lights for one hour in support of WWF’s Earth Hour.

Edinburgh is again supporting this year’s event by switching off the lights at the City Chambers, Waverley Court, the Scott Monument, Princess Street Garden monuments including Edinburgh Castle Rock, the Burns Monument, City Arts Centre and Calton Hill.  In 2009 other landmarks joined in too, with Edinburgh Castle, the Forth Rail Bridge, St John’s Church and the Caledonian and Scotsman hotels all flicking the switches to dim the lights.  

WWF are encouraging people & organisations to take part in this event.  If you would like to take part or are interested in finding out more, please contact Kirstie Shirra, Earth Hour Co-ordinator for WWF.

Sick Kids is 150

The Evening News today has a piece about the 150th anniversary of the Sick Kids Hospital including a little history and some details on the new hospital due to open in 2013 at Little France.


Many of the details are those which Colin Briggs (Service Manager for Children's Services in NHS Lothian) gave us in his presentation to the MSCC meeting on Wed 10 Feb.


Cameron Rose has also posted a short note of some of the key points from Colin's talk.

Grange Association AGM: 7pm on We 24 Feb at Marchmont St Giles

The Grange Association will hold their Annual General Meeting (followed by a talk:“A Capital Story: Edinburgh’s history in a nutshell” by Dr Graeme Cruickshank on Wednesday 24 February at 7.00pm at Marchmont St Giles Church Hall, Kilgraston Road. 


Both Grange Association members and visitors are welcome.  


Please note that a MSCC Community Engagement event is on the same evening at that time in the German Speaking Church on Chalmers Crescent.

Proposed changes to controlled parking: views now sought

As reported a month ago on this blog City of Edinburgh Council are proposing to alter the regulations governing controlled parking zones (CPZ) in the city. [TRO/09/76]

Detailed information about the draft order, plans and relevant documentation can be found here. 

Most properties in the Marchmont and Sciennes area should now have received a letter about this through their door.  


MSCC discussed this at our meeting on 10 Feb 10 and now propose to object to the proposals for Fingal Place and Sylvan Place.  Other responses to the proposals are invited by 2 Mar 2010, to trafficorders@edinburgh.gov.uk.  

Agenda: meeting of Community Council on We 10 Feb 2010 at 7:30pm

The next meeting of the Community Council will be held on We 10 Feb 2010 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.


Hearing loop available.


Tea/ Coffee will be available beforehand


A G E N D A


1. Welcome and introductions
       a. The ‘Sick Kids’ Hospital - Presentation


2. Minutes of the previous meeting
       Approval of minutes from December 9th


3. Matters Arising:
     a. Dec 9th:
          i.  Nomination of Pat Masters as Community Councillor
          ii. Tina Cumming proposed as MSCC Rep on Edinburgh Association of Community Council
     b. January email


4. Police Report


5. Sub Group reports:

• Planning Group (Sarah Sandow)
• HMOs Group (Ann Laird) (Scot Parl Petition; further SP papers; briefing)
  
• Parking Group (Susie Agnew)
• Garden Competition (Tina Cumming)

6. External Meetings

• Meadow and Bruntsfield Links Advisory Group held 20 January: (Dorothy Ryle/Alison Service)
• Neighbourhood Partnership meeting held 11 January (Alastair Philp)
• Environment Forum (Fiona Savage)

7. Community Group Event 24th February

8. Any other business


9. Date of next meeting March 10th