Welcome to Edinburgh's
Southside Community Council



Minutes of 54th meeting, held on Wednesday 8 March 2006, from 7pm - 9pm in the Nelson Hall, 5 Spittalfield Crescent, Edinburgh.

Abbreviations used as required
ASCC = Association of Scottish Community Councils; CA = Cockburn Association; CDP = City Development Dept; CEC = The City of Edinburgh Council; CPOL = Council Papers Online; CYP = Canongate Youth Project; EACC = Edinburgh Association of Community Councils; E&CS = Environmental & Consumer Services; HMO = House(s) in Multiple Occupation; LA = Licence Application; LCPP = Local Community Planning Partnership; LDC = Local Development Committee; L&BP = Lothian & Borders Police; LEEP = Lothian & Edinburgh Environmental Partnership; LHC = Late Hours Catering; PA = Planning Application; SCC = Southside Community Council; SE = Scottish Executive; SP = Scottish Parliament; TRO = Traffic Regulation Order; WREN = Waste Recycling Environmental; and other initials = members of the SCC.

PRESENT - Chairperson: Jo Scott; Elected Members: Jan Fraser (Treasurer); Nominated Members: Colin Christison (Secretary), Mary Devine, Jean Downie, and Robert Hodgart; Co-opted Members: Robert Beaton, Helen Butler, and Claire MacGregor (Tree Warden); South Side & Nelson Hall Community Centres Facilities Co-ordinator: Justine Stansfield; Community Education Officer: Iona Beaumont; Members of the Public: Two

1. Welcome, and apologies for absence

Jo Scott welcomed those present to the meeting. She introduced Miss Hatsuki Hayashi, a PhD student from Japan, who is studying partnership working and community councils in Scotland as part of her thesis, following a course at the University of Edinburgh two years ago, and who wished to observe and record proceedings of the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Linda Hendry (Vice Chairperson), Carol McHugh, Keith Smith, Cllr Cairns, Cllr Cunningham, and Sarah Boyack MSP.

2. Iona Beaumont, Waste Aware Edinburgh

Jo Scott introduced Iona Beaumont, Community Education Officer, Waste Aware Edinburgh (Environmental & Consumer Services), whose main activity is to improve communications between the City Council, and local groups and communities on matters of recycling and waste management, and she provided an illustrated talk on the subject.

The Waste Aware Scotland (which includes Waste Aware Edinburgh) initiative is funded by the Scottish Executive to improve the recycling structure, with a budget of £83.3M up to 2020. The national target for the recycling or composting of waste is 25% by 2006. It is currently 20% in Edinburgh (a year ago it was 17%, and 4 years ago just 4%). The community recycling sites at Braehead and Craigmillar are about to be redeveloped, while the revamped one at Seafield is up and running. The City Council is looking at 3 possible new sites. In addition to the usual materials, these sites will also take or be able to take furniture (some of this may be of use to the Edinburgh Furniture Initiative), car batteries, engine oil, scrap metal, electronic and electrical goods, solid wood, garden waste, and cardboard.

Iona discussed the many practical arrangements which are being developed to expand the recycling infrastructure and to engage householders in recycling activities. 120,000+ householders have multi-material boxes for kerbside collection. This is not available to those living in tenements as there are planning and safety issues involved, but there are currently 240 on-street multi-material recycling points, to which will be added a further 240. Planning permission is required for these containers.

The Waste Action Group Grant Programme liaises with community groups and organisations to help encourage local residents to reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, and dispose of waste. Ways in which people can help include subscribing to a mail preference service (www.mpsonline.org.uk) as 78,000 tonnes of unwanted mail (4 billion items) is produced in the UK per annum, with a third of it unread; run a ‘smart shopping’ campaign by buying goods with either no packaging or the minimum packaging; using ‘bags for life’, or reusing carrier bags; home composting schemes (kits are about £6); donating to charity shops (which co-operate with each other by transferring goods as required); scrap fabrics and card can be used again for craft ware; use of the bicycle station (located in Waverley station); LEEP terry nappy project (8 million nappies are discarded in the UK every day, and it is thought that these will take 200-500 years to degrade); and maternity and baby items exchange.

Some figures which emerged include - about 74% of the contents of an average bin can be reused or recycled. It is estimated that the present number of landfill sites in Scotland (100) will be down to about 20 by the year 2020. About 500 million carrier bags are made in the UK every week. Edinburgh produces 55,000 tonnes of waste per annum. At present there is just one battery recycling facility in the UK. 100,000 households have brown bins for garden waste, and it is hoped to recycle 14,000 tonnes of this per annum.

After a question and answer session Jo and the members warmly thanked Iona for her presentation.

3. Police Report

No police officer was able to attend.

4. Minutes of Meeting of 8 February 2006

Subject to the amendment at item 12.3 where it should state Hill Place and not Hill Street, the minutes were approved; proposed by JF, and seconded by MD.

5. Matters arising

None.

6. Secretary’s Report

6.1 The Secretary reported that he had received an acknowledgement from the SE of receipt of the SCC’s submission to the Community Council discussion paper.

6.2 He had received the CEC’s final revised version of the Community Council Scheme and boundary alterations; the SCC proposals referred to in the February minutes had been accepted.

6.3 He reminded members of the EACC meeting on 11 March at the Royal Overseas League.

6.4 He said that a short presentation from the SCOOSH (Southside & Central Out of School Hours) Club would be made at the April meeting.

6.5 He said that the Edinburgh Parks & Gardens Open Day (organised by the CA) would be on Saturday 6 May; more information would be forthcoming.

6.6 The next Edinburgh Civic Forum meeting would take place on 9 March, and JS would attend.

6.7 The South LDC special panel discussion on youth issues would be held at the Teviot Row SU Debating Hall on 20 March.

6.8 A summary of the CEC’s 2004/05 Annual Performance Report had been received.

6.9 He reminded members of the timetable for the 2006 Community Council elections.

7. Treasurer’s Report

JF reported that the bank balance stood at £906.57.

Members agreed to a suggestion from the Chairperson that the Community Council purchases a notice board for installation on the west exterior wall of the Nelson Hall at a cost of about £200. The proposed notice board would hold 6 A4 size notices, and the hall staff would maintain it.

8. Correspondence

Advertising material etc was circulated, and the following items read or circulated:

8.1 L&B Police ‘A’ Division February Newsletter.

8.2 Crags Sports Centre programme, including details of promotional discounts.

8.3 Spring Edition of the Friends of the Meadows & Bruntsfield Links Newsletter.

8.4 Centrepiece, February Newsletter from Edinburgh City Centre Management Co Ltd (containing details of the forthcoming ‘CowParade’). See www.cowparade-edinburgh.co.uk.

8.5 ‘The Local Column’, the newsletter of the Local Channel (Community Council website organisation).

8.6 CEC’s Leader’s February report.

8.7 CEC’s budget proposals for 2006-7.

8.8 Edinburgh Standards for Sustainable Buildings consultation; response by end of March.

9. Planning & Licensing Committee Report

P = Planning issue, L = Licensing issue, H = HMO issue.

9.1P CC said that the SCC had received an invitation to attend a seminar, hosted by Sarah Boyack MSP, entitled Making the Planning System Work for Edinburgh, to be held on 18 March; RB said that he would attend on behalf of the SCC.

9.2P A representation had been submitted on the PA for 49 flats at Viewcraig Gardens.

9.3P The PA for alterations to existing unit at 58 Newington Road (to which an objection had been lodged) had been granted.

9.4P The Planning Committee had decided not to object to any of the PAs for awnings outside various public houses in the area; it was noted that such PAs were being refused in other parts of the city.

9.5P The Planning Committee would examine the PA for a mixed development of retail units and student residencies at 36-40 Potterrow, as well as the PA for the demolition of the existing offices etc to clear the site, and also the PA to sub-divide a flat in South Clerk Street.

9.6L The Liquor LAs for the March court had been received; no action required.

9.7H Two HMO LAs had been received in the period.

10. Environmental Issues, including Tree Warden’s Report

10.1 Entry forms for the 2006 Keep Edinburgh Growing Gardening Competition had been received. There had been several local winners and runners-up in various categories in previous years.

10.2 CMacG said that the trees in Hill Square had been tidied up.

10.3 CMacG had received photographs of St Patrick Square as it looked in 1914. It was hoped that when the railings are reinstated they could resemble those of that time.

11. Request for support from Canongate Community Forum

The Masterplan by Mountgrange for the area known as Caltongate had just been published, and this would go to the City Council’s Strategic Planning Group to decide if it should be put out for public consultation.

Members considered that as the site was outside the SCC’s area it was not appropriate to become involved, but it was decided that the SCC would keep a watching brief on developments.

12. Reports from Meetings Attended:-

12.1 Southside Association (7 March)

Attended by CC, MD, JF, and JS. There had been a presentation from Victim Support Scotland, followed by routine matters. It was reported that Ronnie Dymond had returned to the South Side as Environmental Task Force Manager.

12.2 Southside Community Education Centre Management Committee (14 February)

CC made a brief summary of the meeting from the minutes.

12.3 Canongate Youth Project (20 February)

Attended by LH, who had sent a report saying that the financial shortfall was not so bad as previously thought, although bridging was still required, and that more information on the proposed move to St Ann’s Community Centre was required.

12.4 Transport Forum (23 February)

Held in the City Chambers, and attended by CMacG and JS, who said that the meeting (which discussed trams, buses, trains, rail link to the airport, cycling, parking, and pedestrianisation) was the start of a consultation process, and a questionnaire would be devised in due course.

12.5 Friends of the Meadows & Bruntsfield Links (27 February)

Held in the Orthodox Church of St Andrew, and attended by CC and JS, who said that Tim Duffy had given a talk on Biodiversity Options for the M&BL. Improvements to the cricket pavilion had been talked about, and there was an inconclusive discussion about the future of the Meadows Festival. The AGM will be held in the Meadows Croquet Club on 19 June at 7.30pm, and this will be followed by a guided tour of the Meadows led by the tree warden, Mike Walsh.

12.6 Central Area Housing Board

Held on 14 February, and attended by JS who said that although it was thought that there were no funds for improvements following the result of the vote on Housing Stock Transfer, some money will be available.

13. Any other Competent Business

13.1 CMacG wondered, as a point of general interest, if members of the SCC would like to have a visit to the new HQ of the Royal Bank.

14. Open Forum

14.1 Dr Gilmour said that following vandalism to cars in East Parkside, the police had recommended that the street lights be upgraded. All lamp posts had had new high-pressure sodium lamps fitted giving a better quality of light. He thought that others parts of the area could benefit from a similar exercise.

14.2 Justine said that she was investigating the possibility of having an induction loop system installed in the Nelson Hall.

15. Date of Next Meeting

Wednesday 12 April 2006, from 7pm - 9 pm, in the Nelson Hall, 5 Spittalfield Crescent, upstairs in the Gray Room.