SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Minutes of meeting on Monday February 11th 2019, 6:45pm

The Gray Room, Nelson Hall, 5 Spittalfield Crescent, Edinburgh

Present: Joan Carter (JC), Kaaren Haughton (KH), Robert Hodgart (RH), Liz Logie (LL), Stuart Tooley (Edinburgh Uni) (ST), Tim Pogson (TP, Chair), David Wood (DW), Cllr Cameron Rose (CR)
Apologies received from Philip McDowell

Also Present: 5 Public Members

1. Welcome:
   A warm welcome note and formal introduction of Renu Yadav, appointed Minute Secretary.
   
   
2. Amendments to Previous MoM:
   
   
   • Slight amendment to January MoM 2019, Item 10 (Review of Community Council). CC had responded to pre-consultation. Will also respond to full consultation after discussion at future meeting.
   • Campaign for equal rights of appeal - Amendments will be introduced in Stage 3 of Planning Bill.
   
   
   
3. Graffiti Report (Cameron Rose)
   
   
   • Meeting with Chief Inspector Robertson was conducted and police are well aware of the issue.
   • A couple of weeks before the meeting, 2 graffiti offenders had been apprehended
   • Interest in US-based company software database for recording and managing graffiti and increasing charges of graffiti. Not sure if it will be implemented in the UK. Costing was discussed
   • Need to set up a further meeting with Chief Inspector (CI).
   • Organizing Graffiti Festival? - Suggestion by KH
   • Group work by authorized graffiti artists to do graffiti in murals/walls - Suggestion by JC. CR not keen
   
   
   Discussion:
   
   
   • Organising clean ups: Monuments and council buildings, graffiti should be reported and cleaning will be done. Elsewhere, chemicals and gloves can be provided to clean up
   • Clearly defined graffiti walls- questions of legality
   • As a group, Community Council could organise cleaning initiatives can be taken
   • A few drug activities reported near St Patrick Square
   • Homeless person issue was raised by LL



4. Treasurer’s Report
   
   
   • Last Payment was for FOMBL in December 2018
   • Balance on 11th Feb- May 2019- £2087.84
   • ‘Invoice’ email required for Minute Secretary salary.



5. Nicolson Square Meeting Report
   
   
   • Request to remove ads on Telephone boxes – require negotiation with BT
   • Signs to be put up regarding Dog fouling
   • Recent Report stated that air pollution along Nicolson Street corridor third highest in Scotland.
   • Spring clean soon- No date decided yet
   • New benches to be placed
   • Strong enforcement of no drinking caused displacement to St. Patrick Square
   • Community art project by UoE students on display
   • Next meeting in 12 weeks



6. Haddon’s Court Meeting Report
   
   
   • Antisocial activities
   • Poor lighting
   • British Heart Foundation charity shop - Lights in place
   • Bernado’s- Not yet in place because of cost
   • CCTV cameras to be installed but no suitable place available
   • CCTV vans in the evening to be operated
   • Impressive crimes reporting collated by the council



7. Community Planning Consultation Meeting (10 Jan)
   
   
   • Revise existing networks
   • 4 Citywide Partnership groups
   • Focus on local community outcomes
   • Further specific citywide networks focussing on:
     • Needs of children
     • Community safety
     • Community learning and development
   • Proposed Locality community planning and neighborhood network structures were discussed and concerns were raised regarding who should be represented on these groups and what their focus should be
   • Engage with groups of young people was one important point agreed and discussed



8. Planning and Licensing Applications
   
   
   • Food takeaway stall license is objected to at St Leonard’s Street. Partly on similar grounds to other similar applications based in shops, i.e., overprovision
   • Food stalls outside the University of Edinburgh, George square: waiting for response from University student association.



9. Enforcement of 20mph Speed limit
   
   
   • Rolled out in the entire city and feedback is requested. Discussion covered: Lack of education, redesign of roads, speed bumps, budget issues, proper enforcement.
   • Speed limit and effect on air pollution was discussed
   • Social media campaign, car club stickers, strong enforcement, and education were all supported by DW.



10. Public Issues-
    None raised



11. Summerhall Issue and Food waste Bins
    
    
    • Summerhall: condition of garden to front was discussed. An email would be sent to by TP.
    • Issue of food waste bins and recycling not being collected timeously, leading to problems even with vermin, had been raised with refuse officers and no response received.
    • Will be followed up with Waste Management Forum – JC/KH



12. Planning applications
    
    Planning applications now require twenty objections, from six, in order to be heard by Development Management Sub-Committee. To be raised with EACC.



13. Any other issues
    
    Mice infestation near Drummond Street was discussed – related to earlier discussion of overflowing bins.
    Running overflow from unoccupied flat near Starbucks on East Crosscauseway concerns were raised by LL. Further follow up will be done with CR.


Next Meeting: 11th March 2019