LEITH LINKS COMMUNITY COUNCIL



LEITH LINKS COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Meeting of Leith Links Community Council

Duncan Place Community Centre

Monday 25 August 2014, 7pm to 9pm

Present: - J Scanlon, G Clapton, Senga Bethune, Caroline Anderson, Alex Wilson, Jan Brown, Ian Dick, Evie Murray, Angus Armstrong, Eric McLennan, Polly Griffiths, Adam Cheyney, Councillor Chas. Booth, Ian Barrett, Sally Millar, PS. Chris Johnstone

Apologies: Malcolm Chisholm, Mark Lazarowicz, Angus Miller, Councillors Gordon Munro, & Adam McVey,

2. Welcome: Gail Clapton in the Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. Jim Scanlon, who is currently both Chair and Secretary, wishes to introduce a new format that gives all Community Councillors more opportunities/experience e.g. in the Chair on a rotating basis, and representing the Community Council at more of the many meetings to be covered.

3. Minutes of last meeting – accepted as accurate and complete.

4. Police Report: PC Chris Johnstone summarised recent activity and issues.

Re Prostitutes: 15 calls received, 4 warnings issued. The driver of a white transit van was warned but not charged. There appear to be new women working in the area, possibly Romanian, which may exacerbate the existing situation. Prostitute Liaison Officers Margo and Nicole are arranging for a plain-clothes operation later in the autumn/winter. The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow had reduced the number of police officers available in the area earlier in the summer.

Re Mela next weekend: Plans are going smoothly. As usual, parking will be an issue that police will be keeping their eyes on.

Police Survey questionnaire – handed out for completion. It is really important to stress the need for community policing, as it is somewhat under threat due to stretched resources – already more reactive now than proactive, only responding to phone calls, not actively engaging in the area.

5. Chair / Secretary Report

Jim gave an update on the Leith Neighbourhood Partnership Forums (some of which had been better attended and more active than others, but even then had been a bit more talk than action) which are now being restructured / relaunched as ‘Action Groups’ feeding back to the Council. The new Action Groups are: Clean Green Leith Action Group; Leith Economy (Employment) Action Group; Health Leith (NHS Scotland) Action Group; Safer Leith; Young Leithers. Each of these Action Groups needs a Chair that could be e.g. a local support officer, or Council official, or could be a Community Councillor; a Champion (a Councillor); and members. Jim asked Community Councillors to consider if they had a special interest and could commit time to Chairing or representing the Community Council on any of these Action Groups? The question was raised - is a CC representative ESSENTIAL at each of these groups?

Sally has been active on the £eith Decides Steering Group, helping to make the event even more accessible and inclusive in future, e.g. for children, people with literacy difficulties, and people whose first language is not English, by making all the written material shorter, clearer and easier to read, so that voting will hopefully be easier and fairer. Applications are being invited as of now, from projects seeking funding. Organisations will be able to submit a maximum of two projects each. The event itself will be on 15th February.

The Local Development Plan – the latest version (‘Second Proposed Edinburgh Local Development Plan’) has just come out, and can be viewed at local libraries or at .uk/localdevelopmentplan Comments / representations (use the form provided) have to be in by 3rd October, 5pm., as do written comments on the Environmental Report, Action Program, and other supporting documents. In Leith, most new development for housing will be on brownfield sites but it will be important to examine plans for these and submit ideas/comments.

6. Leith Links Regeneration Steering Group / Crops in Pots

Gail and Senga had had a constructive meeting with Evie and Julie of CiP. Agreed on many points (& agreed to disagree on the issue of moving the benches). All agree that there must be open access to the Community Croft at all times – and there is, for pedestrians (3 gates). Evie advised that it was the Council – not CiP - that had locked the access gate, at night (then unlocked it again 3 days later). However, the vehicle gates are padlocked when not in use, to prevent unauthorised vehicles entering / parking.

Senga advised that the monthly meetings of the Steering Group are not getting anywhere fast, and it is now time to get stricter with demands for action. Recent issues include: putting closed down without consultation; no money and no bulbs so far forthcoming (had been agreed that bulbs would be provided from bond money paid by event organisers); plan being floated – without consultation - to remove all bins from the Links and replace these with by big ones around the edges of the links (easier to access by vehicles, for emptying. We disagree: other parks have plenty bins. Sundial properties (developers of the old Academy building) have now asked to redirect a path and the Council seems likely to approve this, again without consultation. (NB car park exit straight out to roundabout seems to be going ahead – dangerous – although Councillors had earlier obtained assurances that it wouldn’t.

There is a feeling that prioritisation and funding is going to special projects while the ‘ordinary’ park is being badly neglected. For example - who authorised money for the scrollwork on the gates to CiP on Johns Place? How much will the John Rattray statue cost to install, keep secure, and maintain? Polly and Adam thought that less money is spent on Leith Links than on other parks in the city. Some of the recent new developments, while much welcomed, may take not only funds but also land away from the main body of the Links, e.g. children’s orchard, Rattray statue, and possible further developments on Links Gardens. There should be a cycling link between Water of Leith pathway and the cycle path on the Links. There has been a suggested plan for a safe crossing, which involves widening the pavement on the Links side of Links Gardens for pedestrians and cyclists, by eating into the park. Overall, there is a large gulf between what people and Councillors want to see done, and what the Council officials do (or don't do). Council officials seem to deliver too many ‘faits accomplis’ without consultation, and at the same time do nothing about other matters that have been agreed for a long time. Blaming lack of funds won’t suffice as an excuse when there seems to be money for special projects. Senga proposed submitting a list of highly specific questions to meeting in 2 weeks time, for example (for starters):

• Precisely how much money in the budget for Leith Links?

• When will we get the bulbs?

Gail suggested sending these questions in advance, so that council representatives could come to the meeting with the answers. Chas. advised sending the questions to Councillors, so they could pass them on and give backing. Eric felt maybe a more radical approach might be needed. Alex suggested that LLCC could ask that money from the bonds with event organiser companies come direct to the Leith Links Community Council directly and that WE then pay the Council (or someone else) to do what WE want them to do, in the park. Jim wasn’t sure that would be compatible with the Terms of Reference of the Community Council.

Crops in Pots

Evie reported many positive and successful outcomes already from the Community Croft.

Regeneration includes: lots of positive activity and education taking place; children learning about and eating vegetables; older people perhaps lonely, and disenfranchised were enjoying taking part; a thriving sense of community developing. Good feedback from Community. Jim had been impressed, on a walk through, to see things really coming on. Logo now finished, new signs on gate with opening times etc. are helpful. Carbon Targets have been reached, which will be reported to the Climate Challenge Fund and to the Scottish Parliament. Only downsides - CiP is concerned about safety, for the kids, as glass bottles, lager cans and other detritus gets thrown over the hedge (from benches). CiP are keen to get a water source (will talk to football guys who have water in clubhouse). Senga warned that outdoor water could get contaminated by recent upsurge in rats, and mice in the area.

Members of Edinburgh Volunteer Service are involved. Disclosure Scotland authorisation has been obtained, for volunteers to work with P1 and P 6 in Leith Primary. Leith Community ‘Carboneers’ &‘JuniorCarboneers’ project looking at food waste; CiP want to develop a big three-tier farm size/style compost system. Will be blogging and creating a buzz on social media, also flyers etc. Next steps include possible application for funding to Community Zero Waste Scotland.

7. Planning Issues:

Update – 7 East Restalrig Ter. The owner is now properly licensed as a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) for 5 people. We / neighbours have no right of appeal against this. (The owner is, apparently, being pursued by Planning Enforcement (slowly) for earlier breach of Planning Regulations (had multiple tenants before the licence was granted.)) Planning and licensing are two separate issues.

The owner has now appealed against the earlier refusal by the Planning Committee of her application for Planning Permission for Change of Use, to accommodate 8 people. The case is now in the hands of the independent Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA). They have asked for further information about the number of HMOs in the location. This is a chance to make the point again that we do not consider that the few streets that make up the ‘census area’ is not wide enough to amount to ‘the location’. Sally will reply on behalf of LLCC with information about HMOs in the wider Links area. If the owner’s appeal is successful, ultimately, the owner will have to apply again for a new HMO licence, for over 5 people (i.e. up to 8).

This matter is of concern in case it sets a precedent, and more properties in these residential streets are awarded HMO licences. There is already an over-supply of HMO properties in the Links area overall, many used as hostels for homeless people not only by City of Edinburgh Council but also Midlothian and /or East Lothian, and often associated with anti-social behaviour. (In many cases, properties are owned by the same landlord/or the same family, with reports of poor management of HMOs). In this case, Council officials had said they would ask that the Emergency Homeless would not use the property / Temporary Accommodation Dept. but this may not be a binding assurance.

Giant Biomass Plant in Leith Docks – In some ways, the threat of a new biomass plant proposal may seem remote: SSE have pulled out of the partnership with Forth Ports, and even those plants that HAVE got planning permission (in Grangemouth and Rosyth) are not being built, as Forth Ports don’t have the finance. Everyone is waiting for clear info on subsidies (EU, Westminster, Scottish Government). BUT Forth Ports might well find a new partner and a new proposal may very likely be put forward once again, as the new Local Development Plan designates the east docks very firmly for industrial development, and the new access road will be going ahead. We need to monitor this closely.

8. Mela: 29-31 August- Chair encouraged all to attend and enjoy this exciting event.

9. Future of CC – Jim was happy to see more people attending this month, and is always trying to get people more engaged. He continues to attend many meetings - e.g. the other community councils. While this is not ‘obligatory’ it is important in case larger issues arise e.g. new biomass, development proposal? that affect all three Community Councils that must then work together. Meanwhile, 86 people are regularly circulated with information, on the email list, and hits on the LLCC website continue to rise.

10. Open Floor:

Ian Dick – his first attendance at LLCC, has realized he was not as aware as he thought he was re events and issues in Leith; Question – Does anyone know about possible changes / developments to the ‘Poetry Stones’ at Coalhill, on Water of Leith Walkway? Nobody did – will try to find out. Polly has been before to Community Council meetings, can't make Mondays easily, but likes getting the emails, and keeping in touch.

AOCB:

Eric – suggested Community Council could try fund-raising, and offered to help with this as he has experience – there is big money potentially available, are there any obstacles? Evie agreed that funded projects could bring jobs to the community/area. Gail says we need to have an idea first – Eric suggested the outdoor exercise station / mini gymn that had impressed the Chair, at Silverknowes. () Very appropriate as ‘legacy’ from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Jan is keen to see the Kirkgate renovated. First step might be to install a LH&NCC glass notice board - is hoping to get money from Lidl for this. Jim pointed out that – closer to home - the Community Council could apply for a community funding grant.

Councillor Chas. Booth reported back from City of Edinburgh Council discussions, re purchase of the Leith Custom House for a Leith Museum, from the Common Good Fund. On transport – consultation on 20mph limit coming up. There is a revised Parks Manifesto, which will cap the number of large events on the Links at 4, with an increased period of time between each, to allow turf to recover. Restitution / repairs needed would be agreed with the events company on the day before they leave the site.

Seafield sewage – A new report on Seafield has just gone to full Council meeting (following a long correspondence and series of meetings with LLRA (Rob Kirkwood), and 2 recent meetings – 1 with Council Officials and 1 with Lesley Hinds, MSP Malcolm Chisholm and Leith Councillors, with expert consultant Professor Rob Jackson present at both) culminating in a very robust instruction to Scottish Water to improve their practice in order to avoid further breaches of the Code of Practice. The Council is stopping short of taking Scottish Water to court, but taking a much firmer stand than before.

Evie - Parent Council at Leith Primary – school is at maximum capacity. Have been trying to get safe access to the Links for ages – it has been agreed but they would like to know what is holding things up. Money? Councillor Chas Booth will take this up.

Meeting closed by Chair.

Date of Next Meeting: 29 September 2014, 7 pm

Update – as Duncan Place Resource Centre will be closed, the next meeting will be held in the Port of Leith Housing Association Headquarters, 108 Constitution Street.

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