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MERCHISTON COMMUNITY COUNCIL Minutes of Meeting held on Tuesday, 25 April 2006 at 7.00pm at the Eric Liddell Centre. 1.0 Chairperson’s Welcome Bridget Stevens (Chair) welcomed those present, who included Cllr Liz O’Malley and Cllr Sue Tritton and around 70 members of the public. Bridget Stevens welcomed Simon Lievesley, Senior Project Manager, Town Centre Improvement Scheme, City of Edinburgh Council, and John Thompson, Manager, and Helen Brookes, Personnel Manager, of the new Tesco Metro at Holy Corner to the meeting. They gave the following presentations: BRUNTSFIELD IMPROVEMENT SCHEME presented by Simon Lievesley Senior Project Manager, Town Centre Improvement Scheme City of Edinburgh Council This is just one of a number of town centre improvement schemes in the city, funded by the City of Edinburgh Council to underpin the attractiveness and economic viability of each area. One of the main aims of the schemes is to benefit pedestrians. The Bruntsfield Improvement Scheme will be designed by Gillespies Landscape Architects and will extend along the north side of Bruntsfield Place from Bruntsfield Post Office to Viewforth. Plans will be displayed at the Eric Liddell Centre for two weeks from 8 May 2006 and individuals are encouraged to submit their views. It is planned to re-position the pedestrian crossing points at the Boroughmuirhead Post Office junction to align them more with the main road and improve sight lines, which in places are severely restricted at present. A number of the traffic bollards will also be removed. Cllr Tritton suggested that the Council consult with the crossing attendant who works at this junction and knows how people use it. It was hoped that removing some bollards would not encourage people to park on the pavement. However, Mr Lievesley said that this is a city-wide problem. Cllr Tritton pointed out although driving on the pavement is an offence, parking on it is not. Mr Lievesley noted comments from the floor about the congestion caused by bus build-ups. He said he would consult with transport colleagues over the possible relocation of communal bins. It is also planned to build a zebra crossing on Bruntsfield Place, just to the east of the junction of Viewforth. Concern was expressed that school children will use it in such a way as to make crossing the road at that point even more dangerous than at present. Although there will have to be temporary road orders during the improvement work, parking will not be suspended for any longer than is necessary. Traders will be notified of any traffic orders at the beginning of June. A presentation on the improvement scheme will be given at the City Development and Transport Neighbourhood Group at the beginning of June. The work is due to start on 12 June 2006 and last for fourteen weeks. Contact details will be displayed on site. Although, as Mr Lievesley explained, the improvement scheme does not involve repair to the roads, it is hoped that some repairs will be made to the pavement and other side of Bruntsfield Place. Cllr Tritton invited people to write to her about any road repairs required. NEW TESCO METRO presented by John Thompson, Manager and Helen Brookes, Personnel Manager Tesco Metro, Holy Corner Q: When will the new store open? A: 22 May 2006 Q: What information do you have about recruitment for the new store? A: Recruitment is now well underway from a temporary office at Tollcross. Over 120 members of staff have already been recruited and are currently undergoing training. Staff are being recruited at all levels, with a total equivalent to approximately 36 full-time posts. Q: What contribution will Tesco Metro make to the neighbourhood? A: They will provide a lot of jobs, mainly to local people. They plan to stock a wide range of goods – approximately 6,800 lines, including many top brands - to appeal to everyone. They also intend to be good neighbours in the community. Q: What times will the store be open? A: 8.00am – 10.00pm Monday to Saturday 9.00am – 8.00pm Sunday Q: What facilities have been arranged for disabled customers? A: There will be parking bays for disabled people, and staff will be happy to help in any way they can. John Thompson hopes to provide some trolleys for disabled people. Q: What are the arrangements for deliveries to the store? A: There will be two deliveries each day, one for fresh produce and the other for other stock. Both will be made by the smaller type of delivery lorry. Deliveries will be at 6.00am and 7.00pm each day and care will be taken to make them as quiet as possible. Because of the lack of space, delivery lorries will have to use the pavement for a short time each time they unload. Delivery lorries will not park in Merchiston Avenue. John Thompson will monitor the situation carefully, but local residents should contact him if there are any problems. Q: What security arrangements have been made for the car park? A: There will be security lights in the car park, which will be turned off at 10.30pm each evening. There will be no gate, but there might be a chain across the entrance at night. There was a suggestion from the floor that, if the car park was left unlocked overnight, trouble could be expected from intruders. John Thompson will take this concern back to his colleagues. Q: What kind of lighting will there be inside the store? A: The internal lighting will be subdued, with back-lit windows. Q: Will the store provide shopping trolleys? A: Yes, the store will provide a number of small trolleys for their customers. They will be fitted with magnetic locks which should make them difficult to remove from the premises. There is no room to store the trolleys inside the shop, but they will be locked up at night. John Thompson will look into the arrangements for this. Q: Will there be recycling facilities in the car park? A: No. There will be a carrier bag recycling bin inside the store. Q: Why was the air conditioning unit erected on the roof and an external staircase built? A: John Thompson had contacted the developers who say that the air conditioning units were approved in the plan for the building. MCC pointed out that there was no permission to build the staircase, however. Q: How will you prevent people who are not shopping at the store from using your car park? S: Clear signs will be put up. Q: Where will your staff park their cars? A: Most of those who have been recruited do not have cars. Q: What measures will you take to monitor the anticipated increase in traffic your store will generate? It was suggested that a traffic assessment be carried out before and several weeks after the store opens. A: At similar stores, such as in St Andrew Street, there has been no significant increase in traffic. Q: Will the double yellow lines outside the building site be reinstated? A: Yes. Cllr Tritton will ask for this to be done. Q: What is Tesco’s policy on supporting local producers? A: Tesco aim to buy from local producers wherever possible. Q: Will the store sell sandwiches, and if so, what provision will they make to deal with the anticipated increase in litter? A: Yes, there will be sandwiches for sale. Tesco will provide extra litter bins outside the store if necessary. Tesco staff, and contract cleaners, will also clean up if necessary. Q: How many tills will be in the store? A: There will be seven express and five self-scan tills. A call-forward system will be in operation to minimise queues. Q: Will there be a cash machine in the store? A: No, there are no plans for this now. Q: What measures will Tesco take to deal with graffiti? A: Cllr O’Malley told John Thompson that anti-graffiti paint is available for sale from the City of Edinburgh Council. He will look into buying some. Q: Who is responsible for the maintenance of the store area? A: The developers are responsible for maintaining the area, and for the overall appearance of the buildings. The shop is only leased to Tesco. The Highways authority is responsible for the maintenance of the lay-bys. |
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