3 and 5 Clerk Street – I submitted an objection to a change of use application for these two properties to restaurant. A decision is due 12 October.
Forrest Road to George Street Travel Improvement Scheme – along with David W and Bob, I attended this consultation event on 13 September. It was an interesting presentation and discussion. I think the thinking in part is to pedestrianise or part-pedestrianise George IV Bridge, but it’s a long-term project with construction slated for 2022.
Clerk Street Bus Stop opposite end Montague Street – I was contacted by an Evening News journalist to provide a comment on the removal of this bus stop. I don’t know whether it has appeared in print.
Deborah – following discussion at our last meeting, I was very happy to write to Deborah thanking her for all her hard work with the Community Council both in its present form and the previous form also.
Airbnb – I had a further reply, from Miles Briggs, to my email, drafted by Joan, which I sent to our Lothian MSP’s seeking their support for legislation allowing the control of short term lets. He let me know that all Edinburgh MSP’s, save the SNP representatives, had signed a letter to the Government requesting that such legislation be brought forward. Miles’ office subsequently forwarded me a copy of the letter. I think this development may at least in part have been prompted by our email.
Southside Association – I met with Colin Christison on 5 October to discuss closer working between our organisations. Since our last meeting, Philip has been nominated as the link member between the two organisations. Colin and I agreed that it would be good to cc in appropriate SA members when we were emailing on issues concerned with planning, Colin himself and Jo Scott, and environmental issues, Hilary McDowell. We also discussed changing the meeting day of one of our organisations so that they aren’t in adjacent weeks or even on some occasions the same week.
Employed Minute-Taker – I asked Brian, chair at Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council, how they had come by their employed minute-taker (who doesn’t want to take on any further responsibility unfortunately). He told me they had gone through the Edinburgh University Students’ Association. I contacted the EUSA Vice-President for Communities, Georgie, to ask about this. She wasn’t aware that the EUSA provided this service but has promised to look into it and get back to me.
St Peter’s – I wrote an email to Laura at St Peter’s in support of their Climate Challenge Fund application. She let me know that the deadline for this application was the end of November so I am sure she will be back in touch if she needs anything more from us on this.
Licensing Policy Review – I submitted a response to this consultation on 30 September.
Cityplan 2030 - several of us, Joan, Nick, Philip, myself, attended a consultation on 27 September on the long-term development planning of the City Council. The next stage of this process of developing a new plan will be the publication of a Major Issues Report for consultation in January. The eventual long-term development plan will be adopted in May 2021.
Local Mobility Plan Workshops – I attended one of these consultation events on 2 October. There are four of these in total, so others may have attended/be attending others of them. The Council is consulting on their mobility strategy, central Edinburgh transformation and Low Emission Zones – see here. This was a very good event. I had the impression that officers were genuinely interested in our views and were being responsive. The report of these event outcomes will go to Committee in January.
Tim
October, 2018