Tag: General

The community council elections are over; a long-winded process they were! GPCC made it over the line, with new members coming on board close to the deadline to ensure we passed the minimum quota required by the City Council.

We're in the process of handing over key authorities on the GPCC website and the accounts. We'll take a look at refreshing site format and content and we'll look to spruce up the Facebook account. It does take a little time for us to decide who does what but we're keen to get back on track.

Community councils have ambitions to do lots of things, but you can't get past the fact that they need people to do them. There is admin – councils in that respect have lots of Council rules to observe – and there is the core job; keeping you informed about and involved in your neighbourhood 'place' and 'space', in its amenity and well-being. Maybe you could join us to help us do that core job better? Have a little think about it.

GPCC meets up again onWednesday 21 May at 19.00, at Cameron House Community Education Centre,Prestonfield Avenue. The meeting is open to the public. If there is a topic you would like to raise for discussion, please come along or email the Secretary atsecretary@grangeprestonfieldcc.org.uk

The Friends of Midmar Paddock (FMP) are campaigning toensure that Midmar Paddock remains unbuilt on publicly accessible  open green space.

Midmar Paddock is privately owned and the owners have been seeking to sell Midmar Paddock (the Strutt & Parker sale particulars for Midmar Paddock have for some time shown "sale agreed") – so Midmar Paddock is at risk of being purchased for development.

FMP is looking to submit to CEC a local place plan seeking to ensure that  Midmar Paddock does remain unbuilt on publicly accessible open green space and retains in the Edinburgh City Plan 2040 the designations which Midmar Paddock has in the Edinburgh City Plan 2030 of green belt, a local nature conservation site, a special landscape area and open space.

You can help FMP by responding to the consultation on their website:https://www.midmarpaddock.org/consultation

Douglas Rogers of Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council continues to build his project to map a way forward to deliver Net Zero to Marchmont tenements and flats. This is a hugely ambitious endeavour; it's pathbreaking.

Douglas is working largely on his own, scoping the engineering challenges, looking at the legislative backdrop in the Scottish Parliament; beginning to lay out the sheer practicalities. Understandably, he'd really like some help here. You could swap notes from your own experience; help with some research; do some legwork.

Even if you just want to find out a little more, email him atnetzeromarchmont@gmail.com. He is planning a first public meeting in the next couple of months. He really merits support. There are more questions than answers at this stage, but that's the nature of ambitious projects.

Local police have let GPCC know that they have seen an increase of break-ins to sheds & garages in the South East area with several thousand pounds worth of bicycles stolen.

Information about garage security and the bike register is attached.

The 20 November 2024 GPCC Meeting: Cllr. Simita Kumar present.

(See the website report for more detail.)

1] Community Council Elections: Nominations for individual Elected Members will be open from 6th to 27th February 2025. The new term will run from 28 March. GPCC needs fresh energy. This is an opportunity for you to step in to join us.

2] Fireworks: The Police at St. Leonards are looking to step up their regular contact with Southside Councillors. Pressure is growing for a city-wide ban on unlicensed fireworks. The Council presently has in mind a control zone in four zones.

3] Proposed City Visitor Levy: The wide consultation close on 15 December. You have the opportunity to give your opinionhere.

4] Communal Bin Hubs: The long conversation on disquiet about some specific sites continues. With the Council now conceding on the merit of further discussion with city residents, the Dalkeith Road site decision may be reviewed.

5] EV Charging Points in Conservation Areas: Planning applications are mounting for the opening up of private driveways to host charging points, with a matching rise in neighbourhood objections. This is a delicate issue, with planning statute as it stands caught in the middle.

6] Broadband Access in the Blackett Area:  There are evident difficulties in getting full fibre broadband facilities into the heart of the locality. GPCC will look to find out more about the problems.

7] Newington Cemetery Working Group: Work on bedding-in the planters continues. Discussion on taking forward plans for two more planters and some bench seating. Leaflet display box has been damaged. Patrick Hickey led a well-attended ‘fungi foray’.

8] Proposed Tree Planting on Priestfield Road: This proposed roadway enhancement scheme is raising questions from some residents about possible overshadowing of solar panels, loss of daylight and maintenance. GPCC will look to follow up.

Other Matters:

Neighbourhood librariesare community lifeblood. A comprehensive review of the role of the city’s libraries in city life is due to close on 25 December. Against tight budget constraints, the objective is to widen access, draw in community participation. Take part in theOur Future Librariesconsultation if you can.

City Plan 2030is the local development plan for Edinburgh, formally adopted as of 7 November 2024. This is the template for the changing shape of the city over the next five years. There is a wealth of material on development policies and proposals; absolutely worth a look. Take a look at the detail here:City Plan 2030 – The City of Edinburgh Council. See more background on the GPCC website.

SoS: We need someone to guide us on local planning issues as they emerge. Are you interested in helping us out?

Date of next meeting = Wednesday 22 January 2025.

A wide-ranging Manual (updated September 2023) from Sustainable Scotland Network on the routes to better buildings and more energy-efficient homes.

To view, click on this link:

The Sustainable Scotland Network

This 2021 Technical Paper from Historic Environment Scotland describes retrofit measures which can be applied to improve energy efficiency in traditional buildings, working with the existing fabric and complying with building standards and the planning process.

Click on this link:

Guide to Energy Retrofit of Traditional Buildings | Hist Env Scotland(historicenvironment.scot)

GPCC have prepared a quick summary of the CEC Strategic Parking Review site in our area.

The next Communal Bin Review Update should be in November (CEC Transport Environment Committee Minutes, 15 June 2023, P26).

An update presented on 18 May by the Director of Place covered the anticipated implementation programme for Phase 4 of the project which is to include (among others) the Sciennes, Southside, St Leonard’s, Newington and Prestonfield areas. (Four public information events, from 6 to 13 July, offered indicative detailed site plans for proposed bin hub locations, as part of a ‘local engagement’ exercise.)

A number of the proposed locations require to go through the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process*, on account of existing parking restrictions. More generally, they should also reflect the ingathered “resident’s feedback” from the ‘local engagement’ events. (This TRO process itself includes a ‘statutory consultation’, to which residents and other interested parties can make submissions. The TRO timeline should be commencing around about now. We await more detail.)

At this point, all properties that use the communal bin service or are in the proximity of the proposed bin hubs should have received mailed information on what is intended for their immediate area. We now move forward into the consultation phase.

What happens if you have a strong objection to a specific proposed bin hub location that directly affects you?There is a Review Framework to meet ‘objections and comments provided by residents and groups’, but it is tightly structured within detailed road safety requirements and it is set to guard against ‘passing the parcel’ down the road.

You can get more information on this topic from GPCC or your local Elected Councillor.

(*”TROs are a process designed to encourage transparency, accountability and to ensure that affected stakeholders can become actively engaged in a process that legally requires Councils to consider their comments”. As a community resident, you are invited to become ‘actively engaged’.)

Reference: Agenda: Transport & Environment Committee, 18 May 2023, Item 7.3

https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=136&MId=6431&Ver=4

Visit the EVOC website

Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council (EVOC ) supports, develops and promotes the interests and work of voluntary and community organisations across the City.

EVOC facilitate a number of valuable forums and networks that support the voluntary sector in Edinburgh. Click the link below to see the range of forums available:

Forums & Networks

If you are interested in finding out more about their recent activity, click on one of their recent blog articles below:

Fair tax changes in Scotland could boost spending on key national priorities

Council Revenue Grants Programme for Children, Young People & Families in Edinburgh Update

New Project Supporting the Future of 41 Community Centres

• Fair tax changes in Scotland could boost spending on key national priorities
• Council Revenue Grants Programme for Children, Young People & Families in Edinburgh Update
• New Project Supporting the Future of 41 Community Centres