Welcome to Edinburgh's
Southside Community Council





Minutes of 61st meeting, held on Wednesday 13 December 2006, from 7pm - 9pm in the Nelson Hall, 5 Spittalfield Crescent, Edinburgh.

Abbreviations used:
ASCC = Association of Scottish Community Councils; CEC = The City of Edinburgh Council; CYP = Canongate Youth Project; DEG = Dumbiedykes Environmental Group; EACC = Edinburgh Association of Community Councils; HMO = House(s) in Multiple Occupation; LA = Licence Application; LDC = Local Development Committee; L&BP = Lothian & Borders Police; LHC = Late Hours Catering; PA = Planning Application; SCC = Southside Community Council; SE = Scottish Executive; SP = Scottish Parliament; and other initials = members of the SCC, as below.

PRESENT - Chairperson: Robert Beaton {RB}; Elected Members: Colin Christison (Secretary) {CC}, Robert Hodgart {RH}, Hilary McDowell {HM}, Jo Scott {JS}, Justine Stansfield (Treasurer) {JSt}, and Liz Walker {LW}; Local Interest Groups’ Nominated Members: Margaret Bagan {MB}, and Liz Mulligan {LM}; Co-opted Members: Jean Downie {JD}, Carol McHugh {CM}, and Keith Smith {KS}; City of Edinburgh Council: Cllr Robert Cairns {RC}; Lothian & Borders Police: PC Ben Merrick; Members of the Public: Three.

1. Welcome, and apologies for absence

Robert Beaton welcomed those present to the meeting. Apologies for absence were received from Linda Hendry {LH} (Vice Chairperson), Mary Devine {MD}, Kathleen Newis, George Pitcher, and Sarah Boyack MSP. Liz Walker thanked members for the decision to fund her taxi fares during the winter months.

2. Police Report

PC Merrick said that the new temporary Divisional Commander was George Simpson. He described various actions which had resulted in arrests of local criminals. Although crime overall is down in the area, violent crime is up.

3. Minutes of meeting of 8 November 2006

Approved; proposed by JS and seconded by JSt.

4. Matters arising

4.1 Item 2 - there had been no feedback from Edinburgh Leisure and RB would contact them in the New Year.
4.2 Item 6.6 - LDC Grant Application for a laptop computer was ongoing.
4.3 Item 11.4 - the revival of the Meadows Festival would not take place in 2007, but possibly in 2008, and the planning had now started. It was noted that a Food Festival will take place on the Meadows on 10 and 11 June 2007.
4.4 Item 12.4 - JSt had sought advice from the Nelson Hall architects about soundproofing/insulating the Gray Room. It was made clear that this possibility would be difficult and expensive, with estimates of £20,000 to insulate the timber boarded surfaces, £10,000 for new double-glazed roof lights, and £5,000 to strengthen the roof. It would be cheaper to create a suspended ceiling below the roof trusses with integrated light fittings to make up for the loss of natural light, but all the roof features would be hidden and the character of the space would change completely. It was decided to continue experimenting with the Induction Loop and PA systems in the meantime.
4.5 Item 12.5 - CC had written to Shona Robison MSP about fireworks nuisance; she had suggested that the SCC could consider submitting a public petition to the SP. Since two MSPs had already put forward a motion to ban the sale of fireworks to the public, it was decided that HM would investigate supporting this motion.
4.6 Item 13 - see Item 5.7 (below).

5. Secretary’s Report

5.1 The Secretary circulated information from the Electoral Commission on registering to vote, and applying for a postal vote.

5.2 A progress report on establishing neighbourhood partnerships in Edinburgh had been received. There will be 12 of the these partnerships each corresponding to one or two of the new multi-member wards which will become effective in May 2007. Community representation will be drawn from Community Councils.

5.3 A booklet and CD Rom entitled Keeping the Peace - the Landlord’s Guide to managing Antisocial Behaviour had been received from letwise, the City Council’s advisory organisation for private tenants and landlords.

5.4 He said that he had received proposed amendments to the controlled parking scheme; the local streets which had slight amendments to public parking definitions are Roxburgh Street, Richmond Place, and West Adam Street.

5.5 He said that the numbers of visits to the website were rising slowly.

5.6 Information on the involvement of service users in the City Housing Strategy had been received.

5.7 He had received a copy of the CEC’s main report on the proposed scheme of parking permits for business drivers and tradespeople within controlled parking areas in certain circumstances.

5.8 The Caltongate Liaison Group had sent information on their local consultation programme.

5.9 A request had come from NHS Lothian for a lay member (Patient Representative) for their Pharmacy Committee. JS/JD to take forward.

5.10 He had received a reply from the CEC’s Housing and Regeneration Section of the Services for Communities Department to his enquiry about improving the low rise flats in Dumbiedykes/Viewcraig. No grants will be available at present for this work. A copy of the letter is available on request. There was a discussion about the subject.

6. Treasurer’s Report

JSt said that the bank balance at 31 October 2006 was £1013.63. An invoice for £75 for election publicity expenses would be issued by the CEC. £63 for public liability insurance had been deducted from the annual grant.

7. Correspondence

The following items had been received:- Minutes of Tollcross Community Council’s October and November meetings, Scottish Water’s Winter Warmer Campaign 2006-2007 literature, Postwatch Scotland’s Newsletter issue 15, Centrepiece November and December issues, and Tramtime October/November edition.

8. Planning & Licensing Committee Reports

Planning

The Planning Department have moved from Cockburn Street to Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street. 8.1 Objection lodged to PA for alterations to flat at 23 St Leonard's Bank.

8.2 Representation lodged to PA for alterations and change of use from religious building to form bedroom accommodation at Potterrow: considered material.

8.3 Objection lodged to PA for erection of a two-storey house at 15 Dumbiedykes Road: considered material.

8.4 The review of Edinburgh’s Affordable Housing Policy Practice Note had been completed, and a copy received.

8.5 Dr Gilmour gave a resume of his recent efforts to get the Planning Department to consider using ‘lamppost swap-out’ as an alternative to installing telecommunications masts. Vodafone had been granted permission to erect a mast outside the Royal Commonwealth Pool earlier in the year; this mast would have been substantially screened by some trees, which would also have lessened the visual impact of the pole and mast. However the trees had been removed as they were infected with Dutch elm disease, and the pole would now stick out like a sore thumb. He fully understood the need for contractual maintenance for lampposts which would be shared by the telecoms company and the City Council, and felt strongly that not enough effort was being made to find a solution. In this case Vodafone were ready and willing to use a nearby lamppost. Dr Gilmour had contacted the Leader of the Council in a last minute attempt to get some help, mentioning out that he had support from local Councillors Mackenzie and Cairns, as well as the Community Council, and pointing out that this system is increasingly being used elsewhere. Afternote - the new pole was installed a couple of days later.

Licensing

8.6 Seven copy HMO Licence applications had been received since the November meeting.

9. Environmental Matters

9.1 It was noted that improvement work to the street lights in Dumbiedykes had started on 11 December.

10. Reports from meetings, conferences, and seminars attended

CC said that a member had suggested that written reports of meetings be submitted by those who had attended them; after some discussion it was agreed to continue giving verbal reports, as it was felt that people had enough to read already and that they were more likely to pay attention to verbal reports. Members would not always have time to write reports. It was stressed that such reports should be succinct, and also that reports of a major or significant nature could or should be submitted in writing for distribution.

10.1 Friends of the Meadows & Bruntsfield Links (13 November)

Attended by JS and HM. It was reported that in order for Edinburgh to attain Green Flag status, more community involvement was a requirement, including establishing more ‘Friends of Parks’ groups.

10.2 Integrated Public Transport for 21st Century Edinburgh (8 December)

Attended by LH, and RH, who gave a brief summary of the seminar. A range of speakers had been heard, and there was a strong theme on making cities more sustainable in the context of global warming. It was considered that the deregulation of buses which puts an emphasis on competition was an obstacle. Comparisons were made with the tram network in other cities, including Nottingham. RH said that it had emerged that there was funding for capital costs of projects, but funding for running costs was not so readily available.

There followed a lengthy discussion about Lothian Buses Service 60 (Forrest Road-Dumbiedykes), and its recent curtailment of journeys.

10.3 Letwise (16 November)

Attended by RB, who said that this was an information gathering meeting for private landlords.

10.4 NHS Lothian South Public Partnership Forum (13 November)

Attended by JS, who said that the consultation on people’s views on the local health service was continuing, and she distributed leaflets on the subject. There will be a public meeting in January on the local health service proposals.

10.5 Single Transferable Vote & Young People (2 December) - No-one from the SCC was able to attend.

10.6 South Local Development Committee (4 December)

Attended by HM, and JS who said community planning was once again the main topic.

10.7 South Side Community Education Centre Management Committee (14 November, 12 December)

Attended by MB, CC, MD, CM, JS, JSt, and KS who reported that the quality service review which had taken place in July was very positive, and that the CEC’s Children and Families Scrutiny Panel had made a very favourable response. Work on the development plan for 2007 was under way. The 20th anniversary of the Community Centre is in May 2007, and a range of activities including an exhibition would take place.

10.8 Southside & Old Town Crime Prevention Panel (28 November)

Attended by MB, MD, JS, and CC who said, on behalf of MD, that the Panel had visited the CEC’s closed circuit television monitoring centre, where they had been given a presentation on the activities there, and had observed cameras in action, as well as historic footage.

10.9 Canongate Youth Project

Attended by LH. CC said on her behalf that she had been on the panel which chose the winners of the award presented to young people at the CYP’s Annual Report Launch on 1 December, and that she had attended a training event by Fastforward for CYP volunteers on Drugs, Alcohol, and Young People.

11. Any other competent business

11.1 HM expressed her long-held concerns about the efficiency of ‘Clarence’ and illustrated this with an example of procrastination, buck-passing, and a lack of action by CEC officials over five months about a large pothole in the Royal Mile which posed a danger to cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians. It was decided to ask a representative of the Council to attend a meeting in the near future so that procedures could be explained to the Community Council. RC said that it was estimated that there are 27,000 holes of various proportions in city roads per annum, and that 40% of these are defective in that they have not been reinstated properly by the utility companies or their contractors. He said that fixed penalties (currently an inadequate £150) can only be imposed on these companies for a breach of procedures, and not for substandard work, but the SE is examining the subject, with utility companies being approached at board level, and it is hoped to establish a code of conduct, Ideally, proper notices should be displayed at work areas, showing exactly which company is operating, and giving contact details. HM said that she understood that ‘Clarence’ is to be improved, and by March 2007 a better reporting system should be in place, with the opportunity for updates on progress.

11.2 JD referred to a new publication called ‘Out and About in Newington’ which had been produced by the City Council, and aside from some inaccuracies which it contained, wondered why there wasn’t such a publication for the whole Southside area (like the one produced for Morningside and Bruntsfield). RC said that the strong traders’ association in Morningside and Bruntsfield had pushed for their publication following the major road works.

11.3 JD mentioned the new hotel at 10 Hill Place, and suggested that an enquiry should perhaps be made to see if members could visit it, or hold a meeting there.

11.4 CC said that LH was in the early stages of writing a paper about Youth Representation and the Community Council Scheme, probably for submission to the EACC and the ASCC.

11.5 CC reported that LH had attended the Volunteer Awards Ceremony in the City Chambers on 6 December, and she had attended in the morning of 13 December a meeting entitled ‘Making Our Voices Heard’ for black and ethnic minority people.

12. Open Forum - None.

13. Date of next meeting

Wednesday 10 January 2007, in the Nelson Hall, from 7pm until 9pm.