Click to download: 2014_12_15 agenda
‘Highlights’ will include
Leith Central Community Council member Alex Wilson died from cancer last week.
LCCC wishes to express condolences to Alex’s family and his close friends. Alex became an elected member of LCCC in the 2013 Edinburgh CC elections, having previously served as Leith Business Association’s representative to LCCC. He brought his energy and wit to our proceedings ever since. Before that he had become a well kent face in the local community, widely appreciated for his ideas and desire to improve things locally. He chaired the Leith Business Association, played a crucial role in the reinstatement of a Lord Lyon sanctioned official Leith Flag and, latterly, became involved in the campaign to turn the Leith Custom House into a heritage centre.
LCCC members worked most closely with him on the long road to getting Edinburgh Council to fix the devastation wreaked on Leith Walk and Constitution Street when the tram works were abandoned so disastrously five years ago. He pursued this goal, along with many other campaigners, with passion and the dogged patience that this campaign seemed to require. While he saw the work completed in Constitution Street, it is perturbing to note that he died before Leith Walk has returned to any semblance of normality.
Leith Central’s planning subcommittee (PSC) is probing whether Edinburgh Council is using inaccurate maps in its consultation on Edinburgh Planning Guidance: Student Housing – Issues Paper. The PSC has asked the Edinburgh Councillors for Leith Walk to investigate some potential errors in maps used in the consultation paper:
LCCC does not want to delay matters, so it has asked for the maps to be amended without holding up the consultation.
There is a high correlation between the distribution of students (in the 2011 census) and the distribution of HMOs, according to Edinburgh Council’s own House in Multiple Occupation Market Review. The background to this is ‘transient pressure’ that might be created by HMOs being used as temporary housing for homeless people (including emergency cases, such as domestically abused women and their children; but also ex-prisoners). In Edinburgh, there are high densities of HMO properties in the Meadows and Bruntsfield links areas of the city, with notable concentrations at either end of the Marchmont area, Bruntsfield, Dalkeith Road, Leith Walk, the New Town and Pilrig.
LCCC is not against housing homeless people and does not cry ‘NIMBY!’ But it argues that its area is the mostly densely populated area of Scotland and any extra stress needs to be carefully assessed. If possible, it needs to be ameliorated or avoided, especially in the context of increased pressure on the dilapidated southern end of Leith Walk which may not be repaired for years to come. This dilapidation cannot be tolerated, in LCCC’s opinion.
Sheila Gilmore, Labour MP for Edinburgh East, has argued that Edinburgh Council may be taking an incorrect approach to limiting HMOs, noting that Dundee Council has adopted a policy that, in certain defined areas, more than 12·5 per cent of properties being HMOs is over-provision. Closer to home, Midlothian Council has approached homelessness/HMO issues by converting properties it already owns to house homeless people – and has saved money into the bargain.
Click to download: 2014_11_17 draft
Please note that these are draft minutes and so may change when considered at the next meeting. If there are any queries, please contact LCCC – see our contacts page.
Topics discussed included
(Please note that this statement was circulated by Alan Dean, CEC Partnership Development Officer (Stakeholder Liaison and Engagement) on 20 November 2014 at 16:37
Dear Stakeholders,
The programme remains on schedule to be finished by the planned completion date of 19 December
Section 8c East (Crown Street northwards):
In order to ensure work remains on schedule, the contractors will be carrying out weekend work on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 November 2014. This will involve footway work on Saturday and carriageway work on Sunday. The carriageway works will centre around the area at the Stead’s Place junction.
For the most up to date information regarding any bus diversions and any traffic delays affecting Leith Walk please visit either of the sites below:
Regards
Alan Dean BA (Hons) MSc PGDip I Partnership Development Officer (Stakeholder Liaison and Engagement) I Services for Communities I City Centre Neighbourhood Management Team I 1 Cockburn Street I Edinburgh I EH1 1BJ
Tel: 0131 529 7519 Mobile: 07739 188 438 alan.dean@edinburgh.gov.uk
