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MERCHISTON COMMUNITY COUNCIL DRAFT Minutes of Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday, 17 May 2005 at 7.00pm at the Eric Liddell Centre. (The meeting followed presentations on The Proposed Extension to the 20mph Zone in Merchiston, and Friends of Harrison Park – reports attached. Also see follow-up from Andrew McBride. Around 60 memPresentation on Friends of Harrison Park By Kay Smith (Management Committee member) Friends of Harrison Park was an initiative of Merchiston Community Council which held an open meeting in November 2003. The following April an inaugural meeting was held which resulted in a steering group being set up. The group drew up a constitution and held an inaugural AGM in June 2004 at which a management committee was elected. Key facts about the park are that it covers a mere 17.5 acres yet has a population of over 20,000 living no more than ten minutes walking distance away. It is at the same time heavily used by football teams. Pressure on space is therefore, at times, acute. According to its constitution the main objectives of FOHP are: 1. to foster community involvement with the park 2. to further the enjoyment of the park 3. to promote, encourage and secure the educational value of the area 4. to conserve, enhance and improve the landscape, biodiversity and sustainable use of the area for the benefit of both the public and wildlife. The committee hold regular meetings which are attended by the City of Edinburgh Council’s Parks Development Officer for the area. Representatives of the British Waterways Board, the Police and City of Edinburgh Council Leisure Department have also attended meetings to share ideas and information with the committee. Residents are urged to contact the Police about any disorder issues so that it can allocate resources accordingly. Developments FOHP have been involved in include: 1. saving hedging around the former bowling green area in East Harrison Park together with basic landscaping to make the green suitable for public use 2. new play area in West Harrison Park 3. new benches and paving in West Harrison Park 4. plans to plant, with the help of local schools, 30,000 bulbs in November 2005 5. consultation with local residents over plans to upgrade the play area in East Harrison park and successful representation to the Council to extend the range the play area can serve. The work of the British Waterways Board in maintaining the canal path which lines the park and educating cyclists on safe practice was acknowledged. A plea was made to the City of Edinburgh Council to assess trees on an annual basis to ensure they were safe, and, if not, be felled – in the light of two trees coming down during a winter gale. FOHP is in the process of developing a website which can be viewed on www.harrisonpark.org.uk. Comments and questions can be made emailed to secretary@harrisonpark.org.uk. The site also has a link to Merchiston Community Council’s website. To aid communications with the local area the committee is currently in negotiation with Merchiston Community Council over the development of a notice board to be sited in the park. Members of the public can also contact management committee member Councillor Donald Wilson at his City Chamber’s Office on 0131 529 3267. FOHP’s next AGM is to be held in on Tuesday, 27 September 2005 at Craiglockhart Primary School. Guest speaker is to be local resident, writer and broadcaster (and Chairman of the Scottish Arts Council) Richard Holloway, who will talk on the theme of “Sharing Space.” May 2005 bers of the public were present for this part of the evening.) For Merchiston Community Council Annual General Meeting 17 May 2005 Chairperson’s Report on activities since AGM 2004 • Regular MCC meetings (7) with speaker presentations • Responses to numerous consultation documents on a wide range of topics incl. Edinburgh’s Civic Code; Proposed Changes in Services for Older People; Fountainbridge Development Brief; ‘A’ Division Police Review; Operation Capital • Contacts/correspondence with huge number of organisations and individuals, including MSP’s, City Councillors, other Community Councils, the City of Edinburgh Council (various departments), NHS Lothian, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Civic Forum, Scottish Water, Association of Scottish Community Councils, the Scottish Office, Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, Lothian & Borders Police, University of Edinburgh, Napier University, Cockburn Association, local media • Attendance at meetings (a) regular, formal – eg Local Development Committees (Edinburgh South, Central, Pentlands); Merchiston Environmental Forum; City Development Department Neighbourhood Group; Edinburgh Association of Community Councils, South Edinburgh Crime Prevention Panel (Bridget Stevens); West End Crime Prevention Panel (ColinYoung) and (b) occasional eg Friends of Harrison Park (Desmond Hodges); the Canal Society (Derek Ainsley, Desmond Hodges,); All-Edinburgh Neighbourhood Watch Forum (Bridget Stevens), plus miscellaneous conferences, workshops incl. Common Purpose Governance & Decision-making Programme, Scottish Mediation Network workshop on community planning; Scottish Executive Workshop on Local Authority Planning Processes (all Bridget Stevens). There was also a visit to the new NHS 24 Centre at South Queensferry (Frances Hawarden & Bridget Stevens) • Scrutiny of and response to Planning and Licence Applications incl. appearances before Licensing Court (Chris Sharman, Desmond Hodges, John Lennie, Robin Morris, Bridget Stevens) • Upgrading of MCC website & enlargement of circulation lists (Janice Laxton) • Establishment of Publicity & Communications Group (Desmond Hodges, Jim Geekie, Fiona Mitchell, Robin Morris, Bridget Stevens) Distribution & re-printing of MCC Bookmark version two • Creation of Neighbourhood Watch in six Merchiston streets (Bridget Stevens) • Entry into Calor Gas Competition • Representation at Opening of Lochrin Basin (Derek Ainsley, Robin Morris & Bridget Stevens) • Representation at James Tait Black Prize-giving (Bridget Stevens) • Adoption of Friends of Harrison Park and Canal Society as Representative Bodies within MCC • Endorsement of Eric Fevre as Tree Warden for Merchiston • Joint Noticeboard – MCC, FHP, Canal Society, CEC • Training in use of Graffiti Kits (Robin Morris) • Joint Meeting with Morningside Community Council (NHS 24) • Death of Merchiston Community Councillor Diana Dunthorne – discussion of tree memorial • On going: Churchill Theatre re-furbishment, Royal Ettrick Hotel, Gillsland Gate, Fountainbridge developments, Holy Corner Garden Centre, community council boundaries, Napier University (parking) Many thanks to local Councillors, especially Sue Tritton, Liz O’Malley and George Hunter, to Secretary Robin Morris, Treasurer Derek Ainsley, Minutes/Website Secretary Janice Laxton and to those other MCC colleagues who have been willing to share in the tasks of meeting attendance, report-writing etc. Bridget M. Stevens MERCHISTON COMMUNITY COUNCIL CASH FLOW 2004-5 Opening Bal £5,387.87 04.04 Bank Int £5.00 £5,392.87 Stationery & phone calls 67 20 £57.71 £5,335.16 Web Costs 68 21 £50.00 £5,285.16 05.04 Treasurers Exps 69 1 £10.00 £5,275.16 Salary 70 £75.00 £5,200.16 Chairmans Exs 71 3 £18.46 Bank Int £5.76 Photo Copying 72 4 £15.00 New Sign Board 73 5 £3,429.24 Rent 74 6 £12.00 Bookmarks 75 £282.00 Auditor 76 8 £25.00 Fit Notice Board 78 9 £695.60 06.04 Friends Harrison 79 10 £30.00 Gdns Rent 80 11 £54.43 Cockburn Ass. 81 12 £30.00 Grant £902.37 Bank Int £3.83 07.04 Bank Int £1.21 £1,521.60 08.04 Chairman's Exs 82 13 £29.95 Chairman's Exs 83 14 £21.47 Bank Int £1.33 £1,471.51 09.04 Rent 84 15 £29.61 Photo Copying 85 16 £25.52 Rent 86 17 £36.28 Bank Int £1.21 10.04 Bank Int £1.10 £1,382.41 11.04 Sub Canal Soc. 87 18 £15.00 Rent 88 19 £65.89 ED Ass Comunity 89 20 £10.00 Cou Bank Int £1.21 £1,292.73 12.04 Salary 90 21 £90.00 Rent 91 22 £45.36 Chairman's Exs 92 23 £91.59 Bank Int £1.06 £1,066.84 01.05 Grant Litter Bins £293.00 Rent 93 24 £79.46 Bank Int £1.02 £1,281.00 02.05 Bank Int £0.93 £1,282.33 03.05 MinSec Exps 94 25 £12.87 Salary 95 26 £80.00 Printing Book Mrks 96 27 £329.00 Rent 97 28 £36.28 Web Site 98 29 £60.00 Treasurers Exs 99 30 £29.08 Photocopying 0 31 £30.00 Secretary's Exps 51 32 £28.00 Rent 52 33 £41.50 £635.60 Bank Int £0.94 £636.54 Treasurer 1.0 Chairperson’s Welcome Bridget Stevens (Chair) welcomed those present: Derek Ainsley (Treasurer), Robin Morris (Secretary), Atholl Stewart (Vice Chair), Alistair Cant, Ian Clement, Bob Cohen, Alison Elwell-Sutton, Terese Fernandes, James Geekie, PC Alan Hopper, Desmond Hodges, Frances Hawarden, Cllr. George Hunter, Inspector Graham Jones, Cllr Sue Tritton, William Mykura, Karl Naylor, Chris Sharman, Kay Smith, Robert Stewart, A Sterling, Colin Young, and Janice Laxton (Minutes Secretary), and around 10 further members of the public. Bridget Stevens welcomed Inspector Jones, who has replaced Inspector Nisbet on his retirement. 2.0 Apologies for Absence Eric Fevre, Nigel Griffiths MP, John Lennie, Cllr MacLaren, Charlie Morrison, Mike Pringle MSP, Cllr Shiels, Cllr Wilson. 3.0 Minutes of AGM held on 18 May 2004 Adoption of these minutes was moved by and seconded by with the following amendments: 6.5 replace ‘Security Panel’ with ‘Scrutiny Panel’. 9.0 replace ‘the topic will’ with ‘the topic will be’ 4.0 Matters Arising 4.1 Communications Group Desmond Hodges reported on the work of this group which was established during the year. MCC Bookmarks have now been distributed to every house in the area. MCC was grateful to the City of Edinburgh Council for their grant which enabled this to be done. The MCC website has been further developed and has proved an effective means of communication. The need to keep it updated was stressed. Fliers had been distributed by volunteers to individual homes for this meeting and had resulted in a good turnout. It was suggested this could be done for future meetings and talks, with, in addition, more fliers distributed to local shops. Also that the programme of meetings for the year be posted in the MCC notice board outside the Eric Liddell Centre. 4.2 Youth Café Project in Bruntsfield This project was not developed, but the new youth worker based at the Eric Liddell Centre has organised a programme of events for young people over the summer. Bridget Stevens will contact her to invite her to speak at a future MCC meeting. 4.3 Chairperson’s Report on Activities since May 2004. A list of the activities MCC has undertaken during the last year was circulated. Bridget Stevens thanked everyone who has helped during this time for all their work. Although largely invisible, it is very much appreciated. 5.0 Committee Elections Bridget Stevens and Robin Morris indicated their willingness to remain in office for a further year, when the structure of Community Councils will be reviewed. Alison Elwell-Sutton proposed and Atholl Stewart seconded their re-election as Chair and Secretary respectively. Although he would have preferred to stand down, Atholl Stewart kindly agreed to remain as Vice Chair for a further year if no one else wants to replace him. Bridget Stevens thanked him warmly for his support. She also extended a big thank you to Derek Ainsley for all the work he has done as Treasurer over the past years, and for his willingness to continue for a further year while Frances Hawarden ‘shadows’ him. The Committee is very grateful to her for offering to take over this job. 6.0 Treasurer’s Report Derek Ainsley distributed copies of the annual accounts, which Jennifer Gibb will again be asked to audit. They showed a balance of £636.54, which will soon be cleared once the invoice for distribution of the bookmarks has been received. The CEC now require a third signature on all cheques. 7.0 Other Reports 7.1 Police Report Inspector Jones introduced himself and invited members of the public to contact him or PC Hopper at any time over any issues which concern them. Contact numbers are in the May Police Bulletin for Merchiston which PC Hopper distributed. Other numbers, which the public can call out of hours, are also included in it. PC Hopper explained that, following the restructuring of the Police Force in Lothian, he will now be based in Merchiston the whole time, apart from two weeks at the beginning of July, when, like all other Police officers, he will be drafted to the G8 Summit. He acknowledged continuing problems with the Polwarth Tavern, and has already spoken to the manager. It was noted that licensing hours are now normally until 1.00am, not 11.00pm. MCC may object to a renewal of this licence when it expires. PC Hopper said he would pass on a comment about cyclists failing to observe the ‘No Cycling’ notices in the Links. In response to another complaint about children cycling on the pavement he explained that this was only an offence if it were done ‘recklessly’. He also noted that some streets included in Merchiston Community Council area were not covered by the Ward 45 Newsletter. He would ensure that copies of the Ward 46 issue (North Morningside/Grange) were provided as well in future. 7.2 South Edinburgh Local Development Committee Minutes of their last meeting will be available at the MCC meeting on 21 June 2005. Their next meeting will be held on 30 May 2005 at 7.00pm at Liberton High School. The topics will be NHS 24 and Policing in the Region. Everyone is welcome to attend. 8.0 Planning and Licensing Applications Chris Sharman said that it would be really helpful if a hard copy of the planning and licensing report could be made available to himself as well as to Desmond Hodges. Bridget Stevens explained that she has been in discussion with CEC to organise this. Enforcements, Merchiston Avenue & Merchiston Crescent Planning refusals are in the process of being enforced. Cllr Tritton pointed out that the Council will only pursue enforcements if they receive a complaint from the public. 9.0 AOCB 9.1 Proposal to Create a Conservation Area in Bruntsfield Alistair Cant reported that a group of residents in the Hartington Gardens area of Bruntsfield are keen to have it designated as a conservation area, and distributed a leaflet setting out this proposal. Bridget Stevens congratulated Alister Cant for his part in this initiative. It was agreed to look into this proposal and discuss it further at the June meeting. Alistair Cant will distribute leaflets to houses in the proposed area. 9.2 People Against Litter Francesca Saunders has produced a leaflet, asking people to commit to picking up at least one piece of litter per week, and also to recruit at least one other person onto the scheme. Copies were distributed at the meeting. 9.3 Canal Issues A message was read out from Cllr Shiels, requesting suggestions for improvements to the amenity of the canal. 9.4 Local Plan The Planning Department intends to produce some information on this topic within the next four weeks. 9.5 Development Plans for the South Side of Fountainbridge There is a conflict between the recent plans produced for this land, which used to belong to Scottish and Newcastle, and those originally produced by the CEC. MCC intend to hold a joint meeting with Tollcross Community Council to discuss this topic some time after the summer. 9.6 Vote of Thanks to the Chair Frances Howarden proposed a vote of thanks to Bridget Stevens for all the work she does as Chair. It was enthusiastically endorsed. 10.0 Date and Information of Next Meeting Tuesday, 21 June 2005 at 7.00pm at the Eric Liddell Centre. Topics would be The City Plan and the Bruntsfield Conservation Area Project. PRESENTATION on PROPOSED EXTENSION TO 20MPH ZONE IN MERCHISTON by Andrew McBride and Duncan Fraser Strategic Services/Transport CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL Research has shown that speed is a major cause of accidents on roads of all kinds. For that reason, the City of Edinburgh Council has instigated a programme of traffic calming to limit the speed of traffic in the city. For logistic reasons the city has been divided into zones, each of which is considered separately. Individual streets within zones are prioritised according to the number of accidents which have occurred in them. The Council has consulted much more widely than was legally required of them. Not only have leaflets been distributed to every house in the affected streets, public meetings like this one have been organised. Full details of the proposal have also been posted on the Council website, which has had an extremely high response, with approx. 14,000 visitors to date. In addition, the Council has consulted closely with the emergency services and bus companies. Different forms of traffic calming are used to control speed. One of the main methods proposed for Merchiston is to build speed cushions on major roads. These are not as high as traditional speed bumps, but wider, and can be straddled by wide-axled vehicles, including ambulances, thus minimising discomfort or distress to the passengers. This design prevents vehicles of any kind from having to slow down, but allows them to maintain a steady speed of 20mph (which, incidentally, has been found to have the least impact on air pollution). Several concerns were raised from the audience, including: 1. In London, where 20mph zones have been in place for several years, some reports show that this has led to an increased number of deaths due to ambulances not being able to get to the hospital in time. 2. Although the Director of Planning claimed that this proposal is ‘in response to local demand’, this demand was never gauged. Andrew McBride confirmed that the proposal was actually in response to a statutory requirement. 3. Concern was expressed that streets adjoining those in the 20mph zone will become rat runs. 4. Donald Fraser emphasised that imposition of a 20mph zone should not have any impact on parking. It is quite possible to park over a speed cushion or bump. After implemention of the 20mph zone, the situation will be carefully monitored and reviewed. Further comments are invited from all members of the public, the best way of contacting the Department being by e-mail, through their website: www.edinburgh.gov.uk. May 2005 18 May 2005 Dear Bridget, Thank you for inviting myself and Duncan along to speak at yesterday evening's AGM meeting. The opinions from the floor largely reflected what we have found in the consultation correspondence and other meetings that we have attended- that there are strong views held with regard to both sides of the argument. In this regard please note that in addition to the consultation information emailed to you by Andrew Brown on the 11 May that there have been 73 responses forms filled in to date on the Website. Of this small number of respondents there is an approximate 50% split strongly in favour/strongly against traffic calming (question 5 on the response form). If you wish a breakdown of the responses to all the questions please let me know and I will arrange for a copy to be forwarded to you. We are grateful to you for chairing the meeting so effectively as at some other meetings we have attended to discuss this programme it has been very difficult to present the Council's case without interruption. The discussion regarding Merchiston Avenue was anticipated and I enclose for possible inclusion with your minutes a comparison of the accidents on the 2 sections of the 'rat-run' route between Dundee Terrace and Colinton Road (which is included in both the Merchiston North and Merchiston South areas). As stressed by Duncan the 20mph road safety programme is an area based programme -given the fact that over time accidents tend to be distributed widely over any given area- however this spreadsheet gives some indication that the most recent injury accidents are concentrated on the section of this route in the Merchiston North area. I would re-iterate that the Merchiston South area remains in the priority list (currently at rank 70 of around 200 areas -with around the top 35 in the list being constructed this year) and, dependant on funding provision and the continuing commitment of the Council to this road safety programme, will be considered for mandatory 20mph zoning at a future date. I can confirm that my colleague has contacted the gentleman who indicated that he had been unable to get a reply on the helpline. I have now arranged for a voice mail to be activated on this helpline to avoid future difficulties of this kind. I did discuss the consultation process at the end of our presentation with your Secretary who expressed concerns with regard to this and, specifically, with regard to the time given for the Community Council to respond to the consultation. I am concerned that the letter to your organisation did take a week to reach you and am investigating if we can take steps to avoid this problem in the future. It is however the case that the leaflets are usually received only just prior to distribution and any letter sent to a Community Council without the consultation leaflet will have less value. Please note that the plans as included in the leaflets do not differ substantially from those displayed at Central/South LDC held last June. With regard to the level of consultation I would like to restate that the Council has far exceeded the statutory requirement which a Roads Authority must conform to prior to constructing traffic calming features on it's roads. As detailed at the meeting this included additional advertising on parking tickets and free issue bookmarks as well as the development of the consultation website. Having said that this Council is committed to continually improving it's consultation procedures and I can confirm that I will discuss this matter with the senior management team. Once again thank you for giving us the opportunity to address your meeting. Please contact me on either of the undernoted numbers if I can be of any further assistance. Regards Andrew McBride Project Manager Strategic Services/Transport City of Edinburgh Council 0131 469 3511 07748196995 |
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