Fairmilehead Community Council

Minutes of meeting held on Tuesday 1 September 2015 in Fairmilehead Parish Church

Present: Dennis Williams (Chair); Sandy Macpherson (Vice Chair); Norman Tinlin (Secretary); Fiona Simon (Treasurer); Colin Anderson; Barbara Dick (Buckstone Association); Alison Elfick; Carol Lonie (Buckstone Youth); Audrey Ryan; Tom Strathdee

Ex Officio: Councillors Elaine Aitken and Richard Lewis, PC Graeme Howie

28 members of the public

Apologies: Johanna Carrie; Councillor Rust; Ian Murray MP; Joyce and Bruce Beveridge; Ann McCutcheon

1. Police Report PC Howie introduced himself and said that along with WPC Sonja Kaiser they were the 2 Council funded officers for Ward 8.

Copies of the August and September reports were circulated. These showed a marked decrease in crime, particularly housebreakings, in the area.

PC Howie concluded by informing the meeting that there was a Police Surgery on Wednesdays between 1700 and 1800 hours at Oxgangs Library.

2. Proposals For Housing Development, Winton Gardens Lesley McGrath, Holder Planning introduced herself, Arthur Mann of Millers and Alex Sneddon.

Mr Mann gave some background to the application – Millers had owned the land since 1965 and the proposals were in regard to a 13 acre element. He was aware the proposed site was in the green belt and a conservation area. Millers were founding their argument on wording in the appeal decision that was dismissed in respect of 15 houses in late 2012.

Of the 27 comment forms received at the exhibition held the previous week there had been one in favour of the development and all the rest were against.

Questions/points raised included: Why now – why not wait till LDP and SESPlan are approved; Accommodation in schools; Will comments from residents be taken on board; Will affordable housing be built; Will houses have gardens; As not building on whole site will you come back later for the remainder; What is the mix of houses; Why are millers so keen to use this field.

The Chair thanked the speakers for coming along to the meeting.

The boards displayed at the meeting and the exhibition can be found here: http://www.fairmileheadcc.org.uk/Planning/Winton%20Proposals/PAN_Exhibition%20Boards.pdf

Colin Anderson informed the meeting that it was essential as many persons as possible give comments/objections to the agents as all comments require to be included in the consultation report submitted along with any planning application.

The Chair asked for a show of hands of those in support of the proposals and those against. 3 persons were for the proposal but a large majority was against the proposals. It was agreed that the Community Council would submit comments against the application.

1 © Fairmilehead Community Council 2015 3. Minute Of Meeting Held On 5 May 2015 These were approved by the meeting.

4. Matters Arising: a) Scottish Water Site Colin Anderson circulated copies of the update report from Gavin Pope of CALA.

General 1. The date for the construction of the pathway connecting the site to Buckstone Howe is dependent on the completion of plots adjacent to the pathway. As part of the works CALA and Barratt have agreed to provide a new storage container. The order / delivery time, along with organising for the cabins to be removed has taken slightly longer than anticipated. The proposal is that the new cabin will be ordered w/c 31st August. In addition to the above we are seeking approval to undertake the works as soon as possible from CEC/Buckstone Primary School – the current agreement requires these works be done during a school holiday, however, we are keen to see if this can be accelerated. This is very much an ongoing matter; therefore we will ensure that if updates occur between FCC meetings these are issued directly to you. In line with previous correspondence we anticipate that the works will take 3‐4 weeks to complete. 2. To date a total of 133 (CALA 75 / David Wilson Homes 58) private properties have been occupied across the site. At this time I am awaiting up to date figures in relation to the affordable units, once I have this I will be able to update the total site numbers. 3. The Consortium has now paid the first two Planning Gain contributions relating to Education. The last payment was made in April 2015. Planning 1. Clearance of Conditions completed with the exception of those relating to on‐going monitoring. Transport 1. Yellow lining on Buckstone Terrace is now complete following approval of the Traffic Regulation Order. 2. With regards to the signalised junction per previous correspondence the consortium have made payment (December 2013) to CEC to progress with the works. As we are not involved in the process directly we unable to provide an update on this matter.

In regard to the pedestrian crossing Cllr Aitken said that the exact location was still to be resolved as some of the frontages had objected to previous suggested location. It was hoped that the new plans would be out for consultation soon. b) Calderstones Colin Anderson reported that Midlothian Council had just granted permission in principle for this development. However the grant was subject to 14 conditions one of which is that the 3 proposed “house” plots were not approved. Each of the three plots can only be used as self-catering tourist accommodation or staff accommodation. This condition may make the project unviable as the sale of these three houses was to fund a lot of the other work on the site. Details of the decision can be found at: https://planning- applications.midlothian.gov.uk/OnlinePlanning/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=NJI2EHK V08B00 c) School Streets The Secretary informed the meeting that on behalf of the community council he had lodged objections to the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order. Although Buckstone Primary was not on the initial list all the conditions on the existing Order would be imposed in this area. He had pointed out in his objections that, amongst other matters, there would be problems for carers/healthcare workers accessing their clients; difficulty of persons getting to medical appointments, train station or airport during the appropriate times.

He had received the usual response rebutting all the points put forward but stating that permits would be supplied for any workers providing care at home on behalf on the Council. It was also

2 © Fairmilehead Community Council 2015 stated “that those without a blue badge wishing to be picked up during the restrictions will need to move beyond the zone boundary, a maximum distance of 320 metres or 350 yards.” The report that went to the transport Committee can be read at: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/meetings/id/47963/item_718_- _school_streets_phase_1_consultation_-_final

Cllr Aitken said that there were parking problems at all schools and school streets was one way to try and alleviate the problem. As far as Buckstone was concerned it is hoped that a pupils initiative to get parents to sign a pledge may be a better option as there were too many streets surrounding the school to have an effective scheme.

It was also raised that with the existing yellow lines a period of concentrated strong enforcement may also assist the situation. There are already parking problems in Buckstone Loan and Circle and this would only get worse if the scheme went ahead. d) Newsletter The Secretary stated that he and the Chair would look at costings for production and delivery and would bring further information to a future meeting. The intention was to try and tie this in with information relating to the community council elections next September. Once the figures were known it may be possible to apply to the neighbourhood partnership for a grant.

5. Correspondence a) Licensing Board - Liquor licence applications for July and September Board meetings. (None in area) b) Scottish Government – Scottish Resilient Communities Conference – 23 September 2015 c) Road Traffic Orders – DYLs for cul-de-sac in Buckstone terrace opposite Scottish Water d) Proposals for Car Club parking space in Pentland View near to Buckstone Terrace e) Fairmilehead Church – Invoice for £48 advert in Crossroads magazine (Passed for payment) f) T in The Park – Information on Annual event and Fun dog show – 5 September g) NHS Inform – Information on Seasonal Flu vaccinations h) Edinburgh Tenants Federation – 2014/15 Annual Report; Information on 25th Anniversary; Tenants Voice magazine i) Invest in Edinburgh magazine – July to September 2015 edition

6. Councillors’ Reports Councillor Aitken distributed copies of her report:

 Refuse Collection Over the summer, I received numerous complaints about missed collections of all bins but mainly food waste. Reasons given included new crews and high volume of garden waste.  Path to Buckstone Howe A new storage container has been ordered by Cala for use by the football teams. Once it is in situ, the equipment will be moved into it and the old containers removed. This will then enable the work on the path to start. The installation should take 3 to 4 weeks.  SGN Works The works have been causing disruption. The expected project completion date 30/11/2015.  Bank Closures Both The Bank of Scotland and The Royal Bank of Scotland have intimated that they are closing their branches at Fairmilehead. This will result in a major loss of amenity to our area. Certain RBS transactions can be done at Post Office branches but removal of the ATMs will be the main loss. Both are hoping to relocate their machines to neighbouring outlets.  Parking in Fairmile Avenue A number of drivers are parking their vehicles on the pavement at Fairmile Avenue. I have brought this to the attention of the Roads Officer and the police. It is currently not illegal to park on footpaths but dangerous parking is a matter for the police.  Pavement in Oxgangs Road

3 © Fairmilehead Community Council 2015 The poor state of the pavement from Fairmile Avenue to the traffic lights was brought to my attention. I asked that it be assessed and it has now been scored by the capital team and I am just awaiting confirmation of where the score places it on the 3 year programme.  Path from Winton Grove to Biggar Road The path was in need of maintenance. I asked Forestry to undertake the necessary work.  Parking at Queen Margaret Close The double yellow lines on the corners with Frogston Road West have been installed but were shortened. An accident happened at the end of June which involved a vehicle hitting parked cars. I have been assured by the police that the parked cars did not cause the accident but residents are still experiencing problems exiting QMC. Our Roads Officer has arranged for the parking to be monitored again to see if further action is required.  Pedestrian Crossing in Biggar Road Recently, there have been two accidents involving pedestrians and vehicles in Biggar Road. I have asked that the area be assessed for a possible crossing.  Buckstone Primary School Meetings were held before the summer break and a further meeting took place at the start of this term to discuss the Section 75 contribution. The scope of the project will be agreed shortly and designs will be prepared. The school is still investigating other ways to alleviate the inconsiderate and illegal parking at the school before any decision is taken on the Safe Schools pilot. The Transport & Environment Committee agreed that one pass per school should be allocated to be used at the discretion of the Head Teacher and that carers providing care on behalf of the Council should be exempt.  Parking at Pentland Primary School This will be assessed again now that the double yellow lines have been installed in Oxgangs Green.  Traffic Island in Braid Road This has now been installed and parking too close to the island has been an issue. The H bar markings appeared to be too short so I reported this problem and received this response: “We have contacted the section who Project Managed this work and they have confirmed that they were aware that the white H bar marking at the Island was not the length that was required. While on site they did notice that there seemed to be vehicles parking to close to the Island and so when issuing the contractor the defect notice they requested the H bar be extended further. Hopefully this will alleviate the concerns raised”.  Former Hunter’s Tryst School Site Following the closing date for the sale of the former Hunter’s Tryst Primary School site in Oxgangs Green on 10th July, preferred bidder status has been awarded to Hopefield Partnership. Hopefield’s proposal is for the development of 79 houses for affordable tenure, in conjunction with a housing association. Six bids were received at the closing date, all for residential developments. Two of the six bids offered a mix of affordable and private housing however both of these bids were based on a lower number of units and consequently at a substantially lower potential receipt than that offered by Hopefield. Legal discussions to conclude a missive for the development of the site, which will contain strict timescales on the developer in terms of site investigations, submission of planning application etc, are ongoing.  Pentland View Close Support Unit The closing date for offers for the property has passed and 18 offers were received, all for residential use. Officials are now carrying out a best value analysis and the preferred bidder should be known in a few weeks.  Proposed Boundary Changes Information on the issues will be in a draft letter circulated by Councillor Rust.  Domestic Security Event Following the success of previous events, another event was held on Tuesday 16th June 2015 at Firrhill High School.  Crime Prevention Panel Our Community Police Officers will take over responsibility for the panel.

4 © Fairmilehead Community Council 2015  Visit to Buckstone Primary School Norman Tinlin and I visited the school to give a talk to the P3’s about the Community Council, the community and history of the area. The pupils asked interesting questions and listened intently.  Braidburn Valley Park The Friends of BVP are holding their annual event in the park, Tea in the Park, on 5th September from 2-4.30 pm.  Oxgangs Gala The Gala was a great success and a number of children from Fairmilehead were involved in the dance performances and football tournament. Discussions have started for next year’s event following a debrief.

Points raised were the loss of the two local banks, Bank of Scotland and Royal Bank. There would also be the loss of ATM facilities in the area. The Secretary mentioned that it likely that an ATM would be installed in one of the shops in Buckstone terrace. Confirmation had also been received that RBS had arranged for the Buckstone Terrace Post Office to handle some transactions on their behalf.

Note: Subsequent to the meeting it was ascertained that an external free to use 24 hour ATM was being installed at the Currency King premises in Buckstone Terrace.

The lack of lighting in Buckstone Drive at st Fillans was raised but Cllr Aitken was still awaiting answers. Mention was also made of the sorry state of the grass in the Pentland Drive area and parking in Mounthooly Loan and difficulty egresses onto Frogston Road West.

Councillor Lewis distributed copies of his report.

Remit Council has been in recess for the past month but I’ve provided a few updates below Summer Festivals Anyone who has visited the High Street or City Centre over the last few days will be aware that this year’s summer festivals are now in full swing.

The Edinburgh International Festival got off to a great start with the spectacular Harmonium Concert and Project at the Usher Hall. This was a unique collaboration to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus involving a performance of John Adams’ mesmerising choral work Harmonium playing to a series of digital animations that were projected onto the Usher Hall. The event attracted an audience of 20,000 people.

The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival and the Edinburgh International Film Festival have both taken place with reports of another successful year and increased ticket sales. The Fringe Festival is now underway and we have the Book Festival and MELA to look forward to over the next few weeks.

International Kodály Symposium - Award Presentation I was delighted to attend the above award presentation and concert last week at Merchiston Castle School, Colinton. The National Youth Choir of Scotland hosted the International Kodály Symposium 2015 with delegates from as far afield as Australia, Japan and USA. The purpose of the Award is to commemorate the worldwide contribution to the music education of young children made by Katalin Forrai during her lifetime, and encourage, inspire and reward teachers in Early Years, Nursery and Kindergarten settings throughout the world who are contributing to her legacy through their work with children and teachers today.

Constituency Co-op extension planning application, Bridge Road – Colinton I was in contact with my fellow ward councillors about the above planning application and we all submitted objections to this application. Subsequently, at its meeting on 29th July 2015, the

5 © Fairmilehead Community Council 2015 Development Management Sub-Committee rejected the Co-op’s application to extend its Bridge Road premises.

In the absence of Councillor Rust the Secretary distributed copies of his report. 1. The City Council has decided to retain one place in every class at primary school level for possible future catchment pupils i.e. 3 primary one school classes, of 20, 18 and 19 pupils each. The three spaces cannot be filled by out-of-catchment pupils. 2. The next meeting of Pentlands Neighbourhood Partnership is Tuesday 29th September at Gibson Craig Hall, Currie. 3. The site of the former Hunters Tryst Primary School now has a preferred bidder and negotiations are underway. Hopefield Partnership has a proposal for the development of 79 houses for affordable tenure, in conjunction with a housing association. I have raised with Estates the importance of an access through the site from the Oxgangs Green side to the shops and also discussed the wellheads with them. 4. Interviews for the new Firrhill High School Head Teacher are due to take place in September 2015.

7. Pentlands Neighbourhood Partnership The Secretary reported on the Funding Panel that had been held two weeks previously when 7 applications had been considered. One application had been declined and a total of £9030 was awarded to the other applicants. There was approximately £25,500 left for allocation he reminded organisations to submit applications for grants.

8. Planning and Environment Colin Anderson reported as follows: Cala, Frogston Road West – They had lodged an appeal against this decision and about 130 had been lodged. The Reporter was going to make an unaccompanied site visit. The papers can be found at: https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/CaseDetails.aspx (The case reference number is PPA-230-2150) There was a consultation on Developer Contributions which closed at the end of the month. The George Street Experimental order had expired that day and George Street would be returning to normal traffic. There was going to be a public engagement survey undertaken and a presentation on the survey at the Civic Forum meeting on 15 September.

9. Transport The Secretary reported that a Parking Action Plan was due to come out for consultation. One of the proposals was to charge for parking in the city centre on Saturdays and Sundays as well as extending the times in the evening. He would promulgate details once they were available.

10. Consultations a) SESPlan - http://www.sesplan.gov.uk/assets/publications/MIR/ERG.pdf Closing date – 30 September 2016. Colin Anderson gave a brief background to this consultation which cover the Borders, East, west and Mid Lothian, Edinburgh and parts of Fife. SESPlan was the strategic planning authority for these areas and this was a consultation on the Main Issues Report. It covered, amongst other matters, housing land supply and its location within the area. b) Local Government Boundaries Commission – Closing date 22 October 2015 http://www.lgbc-scotland.gov.uk/reviews/5th_electoral/edinburgh/ Cllr Aitken gave some background to this subject and how it affected Ward 8. It was proposed that part of Colinton Village be transferred into Ward 2 – Pentlands. The Secretary circulated for information a letter which had been submitted to the Commission by Cllr Rust. A copy is attached as Appendix B. This item would be put on the agenda for the next meeting so that members had an opportunity to read Cllr Rust’s submission.

6 © Fairmilehead Community Council 2015 c) Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership Draft Strategic Plan – Closing date 31 October 2015 https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/hsc/edinburgh-health-and-social-care-partnership- draft/consult_view The Secretary drew the meeting’s attention to this consultation. The Health and Social Care Partnership was a new statutory body being set up to deal with the integration of the Council’s Social Care Services and the Edinburgh Community Health Partnership particularly in relation to the elderly and children. Although the draft plan was a long document there was an easy read version available and there was an online survey. They can be found at: https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/hsc/edinburgh-health-and-social-care-partnership- draft/consult_view

11. AOCB In response to a question regarding any possible timescale in regards to the Winton proposals the response was that this all depended no if a and when a planning application was submitted.

12. Date Of Next Meeting

This was arranged for Tuesday 6 October 2015 in Fairmilehead Parish Church.

Forthcoming Meetings:

Tuesday 3 November 2015 Tuesday 1 December 2015 Tuesday 5 January 2016

Contacts: e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.fairmileheadcc.org.uk

7 © Fairmilehead Community Council 2015 Appendix A

Community Council Meeting CPT Colinton - Fairmilehead Ward

Date: August 2015

August 2015 - Fairmilehead Community Council

Date August 2015 Rank / Name of Officer Attending

HOUSEBREAKING

During July 2015, there were 7 houses and 1 further shed broken into or forced entry attempted.

Wednesday 1st July – Sunday 5th July 2015

Beat PF 56 Beat PF 57 Beat PF 58

Monday 6th July – Sunday 12th July 2015

Beat PF 56 Beat PF 57 Beat PF 58

Monday 13th July – Sunday 19th July 2015

Beat PF 56 – HB @ Swanston Park; HB @ Frogston Gardens; HB @ Buckstone Neuk; Beat PF 57 Beat PF 58

Monday 20th July – Sunday 26th July 2015

Beat PF 56 – HBWI @ Swanston Avenue; HB @ Buckstone Rise Beat PF 57 Beat PF 58

Monday 27th July – Friday 31st July 2015

Beat PF 56 – HB @ Buckstone Court; HB @ Buckstone Avenue Beat PF 57 Beat PF 58

Operation RAC, an initiative to target housebreakings in Edinburgh, is still continuing. Numerous offenders have been charged with housebreaking offences and reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

We are working hard to reduce the number of housebreaking through prevention, gathering of intelligence and enforcement.

Please continue to report any suspicious activity to the police.

8 © Fairmilehead Community Council 2015 13. Assault There were no violent crimes recorded for PF 56 in the month of June.

14. Road Safety

There were 17 reported road traffic incidents on A720 City Bypass

15. Theft

There was 1 reported theft from a vehicle at Pentland Gardens.

There was a report of a bogus salesman trying to sell an AGA cooker to a resident of Biggar Road.

A Citroen car stolen from West Camus Road was recovered on 19th July in Buckstone.

Building materials stolen from Buckstone Circle.

Please be vigilant and remember to make sure that your house and car are secure at all times.

9 © Fairmilehead Community Council 2015 Date: 1st September 2015

2015 – Fairmilehead Community Council Date of Meeting Tuesday 1st September 2015 Rank / Name of Officer Attending PC 4179 E Graeme Howie HOUSEBREAKING There was one Housebreaking and one attempted Housebreaking with Intent to Steal

Saturday 1st – Sunday 2nd

Beat PF 56 Beat PF 57 Beat PF 58

Monday 3rd – Sunday 9th

Beat PF 56 Beat PF 57 Beat PF 58

Monday 10th – Sunday 16th

Beat PF 56 Beat PF 57 Beat PF 58

Monday 17th – Sunday 23rd

Beat PF 56 Beat PF 57 Beat PF 58

Monday 24th – Sunday 30th

Beat PF 56 – HBWI @ Winton Terrace; HB @ West Camus Road Beat PF 57 Beat PF 58

Monday 31st

Beat PF 56 Beat PF 57 Beat PF 58

Operation RAC, an initiative to target housebreakings in Edinburgh, is still continuing. Numerous offenders have been charged with housebreaking offences and reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

We are working hard to reduce the number of housebreaking through prevention, gathering of intelligence and enforcement.

Please continue to report any suspicious activity to the police.

16. Assault

There were no reports of any assaults or crimes of violence during the month of August.

10 © Fairmilehead Community Council 2015 17. Road Safety

There were no major road safety issues reported during the month of August.

18. Theft

A daytime theft was reported from a driveway at an address in Camus Place East on 16th August.

A vehicle was broken into on Comiston Springs Avenue overnight 14th / 15th August.

19. Hate Crime

There were no Hate Crimes reported during the month of August.

11 © Fairmilehead Community Council 2015 20. Crime Trends/Miscellaneous Information Housebreakings - Operation RAC, a Police Scotland initiative to target housebreakings in Edinburgh, is continuing.

This involves dedicated Housebreaking Team officers, supplemented by uniformed officers and plain clothed officers working in key locations at key times of day. Roads Policing (Traffic) officers are also being utilised for their advanced driving skills.

Numerous offenders, both adult and juvenile, have been charged with housebreaking offences and reported to the Procurator Fiscal or Childrens’ Reporter.

Forensic evidence, obtained from housebreakings or recovered stolen vehicles, is now being fast-tracked to obtain quicker DNA results.

Police Scotland is working hard to reduce the number of housebreaking through prevention, gathering of intelligence and enforcement.

Please report any suspicious activity to the police.

Ward 8 comprises 3 Policing Beats, with 2 Council Funded Officers, PC 4179E Graeme Howie and PC 11550 Sonja Kaiser:

PF56 (Fairmilehead, Buckstone, Swanston),

PF57 (Oxgangs, Firrhill), and

PF58 (Colinton and Bonaly).

Policing

The Community Policing Team Inspector covering Wards 2, 8 and 9 is Inspector Liz Duthie.

The CPT Sergeants covering wards 2, 8 and 9 are: -

Team 1 - Sgt.Paul Anderson, (based at Wester Hailes Police Station), Team 2 - Sgt.Graham Watt, (based at Oxgangs Police Station), Team 3 - Sgt.Donna Kane, (based at Wester Hailes Police Station), Team 4 - Sgt.George Richardson, (based at Oxgangs Police Station), and Team 5 - Sgt Alan Healey, (based at Wester Hailes Police Station).

The CPT consists of 5 teams of community-facing Constables, and the emphasis will be on community working, in a bid to solve local issues.

In non-emergencies, should you wish to contact us, please do not hesitate to do so.

You can contact us by email at [email protected] or by telephoning the national non-emergency number 101. You can also follow us on Twitter @PentlandsPolice.

Police Surgery – Wednesdays between 1700 hours - 1800 hours at Oxgangs Library.

12 © Fairmilehead Community Council 2015 Appendix B

Letter from Cllr Rust to Boundaries Commission

Date 4 September 2015

Dear Sirs

THE CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL - COLINTON/FAIRMILEHEAD WARD 8

I have represented Colinton on The City of Edinburgh Council for the past 11 years, since October 2004 as member for Colinton (Ward 43) and since 2007 for the multimember ward of Colinton/Fairmilehead ward 8. I also serve as Convener of Pentlands Neighbourhood Partnership.

I strongly oppose the current proposals put forward by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland in relation to the re-drawing of the western boundary of ward 8 and eastern boundary of ward 2 (Pentland Hills). As you are aware, The City of Edinburgh Council has already requested the Commission review its proposals for ward 2 in relation to Spylaw and Clovenstone per the then Chief Executive's letter to you of 11 May 2015. The current ward of Colinton/Fairmilehead makes sense and is a good fit.

My objection to the proposal is based on the following reasons:

1. The character of present day Colinton has been shaped by hundreds of years of history and there is a clear historic connection between Hailes and the remainder of Colinton with a number of footbridges and road bridges within ward 8 traversing the Water of Leith linking parts of Colinton. Early inhabitants were attracted to this area by a fording place over the Water of Leith at the foot of what is now Spylaw Street. Added importance was given to the locality by the founding of the first church in the 11th century on the sheltered elbow of land adjoining the river. The settlement became known as Hailes, but by the beginning of the 14th century the name had been changed to Colbanestoun; subsequently this was contracted over the years to Colinton. The current "Welcome to Colinton" sign is situated in Gillespie Road, part of the area to be removed.

I would assert that Colinton is a neighbourhood and community with a proud tradition and has a completely different feel to it from Clovenstone and Wester Hailes.

2. The Hailes and Spylaw districts of Colinton have for electoral purposes been part of Colinton ward in its various forms for decades. The proposals would cause local confusion and result in much to-ing and fro-ing between members of the respective wards as residents in the areas to be removed from ward 8 would naturally assume that ward 8 was their ward.

3. The Hailes and Spylaw areas are identified by City of Edinburgh Council as being part of the same "Natural Neighbourhood" as the remainder of Colinton. Natural Neighbourhoods mean something to the people who live there and the current set of Natural Neighbourhoods for the city was updated and approved in September 2014. These were defined by the local communities which make up the city. The boundaries are to be used to plan services, consultations and inform policy and strategy development. This proposal for a hotch potch of community interests is therefore at odds with the approved Natural Neighbourhood of Colinton and goes against the aim of strategic planning and clear policy development. Hailes and Spylaw are a natural fit for Colinton/Fairmilehead Ward.

4. The Spylaw area including part of Hailes is within the boundary of Colinton Conservation Area, which is well established. I would suggest it would be preferable were this conservation area to remain within one ward. Planning, conservation and village matters are frequently the cause of resident contact in the Hailes and Spylaw areas, as with the rest of Colinton.

13 © Fairmilehead Community Council 2015 5. The proposals remove Colinton Parish Church and Manse out of the Colinton/Fairmilehead ward, as well as Colinton War Memorial and Colinton Cemetery and a church hall which is well utilised by the local Colinton community. The other hall operated by the Church of Scotland is in Dreghom Loan which would remain in Colinton/Fairmilehead ward. The strong church connection with Colinton and the community around the church would be affected by this artificial splitting of the neighbourhood.

6. The Robert Louis Stevenson (RLS) statue erected as a result of RLS's association with Colinton and Swanston and part of the RLS heritage trail championed and largely funded by Colinton Community Conservation Trust (CCCT) would both be removed from Colinton/Fairmilehead Ward. Incidentally, the CCCT has its registered office in Pentland Avenue, one of the streets proposed to be removed from Colinton/Fairmilehead Ward.

7. Spylaw Park, the main green space in Colinton, acquired as a public park in 1911, is removed from Colinton/Fairmilehead Ward by the proposal, as is the historic Spylaw House which has long been identified as part of Colinton and can only be accessed by vehicle from Spylaw Street. This Park is well used by local families and children from Colinton Village and a key access point from Colinton to the Water of Leith. It is also where Colinton Village Events Group hosts the annual Art in the Park, which is Colinton's main community fair and an important event in the local village calendar, well attended by residents in the Hailes and Spylaw areas.

8. There is a lack of connection between the Hailes and Spylaw areas on the one hand and Clovenstone and Wester Hailes on the other hand. Residents in the former make use of Colinton library, Colinton Post Office, Colinton Pharmacy, Colinton GP and Dental Practices. Residents play at Colinton Bowling Club. A number of children from Hailes and Spylaw are pupils at Bonaly Primary School or attend clubs there. There is a path direct from Pentland Avenue to Spylaw Bridge at the start of the parade of shops in Colinton Village, which are the local shops for residents in the area to be removed from ward 8. In Contrast residents effectively require a vehicle to access the shops at Westside Plaza, Wester Hailes (and to negotiate roundabouts and dual carriageway) which are far less easy to reach. The synergy between the Hailes and Spylaw areas is to Colinton and the east and virtually non-existent to Wester Hailes and Ratho, with poor links. Local businesses in Colinton are concerned about the splitting of the community and in terms of larger supermarket, residents in Hailes and Spylaw are more likely to shop at Colinton Mains Tesco, Morrisons Hunters Tryst, Waitrose Morningside or shops in the City Centre or The Gyle than any shopping outlets in ward 2.

9. "There is a lack of consistency in the current proposal in using the Water of Leith as a dividing line for some parts of the community and not others. The existing boundary along the north side of Lanark Road is in contrast a natural boundary. In the past number of years the only real overlap of issues between 'Nards 2 and 8 has been in relation to the Woodhall Mains area, much further South and there has been no overlapping interests between Hailes and Spylaw and the developments of ward 2.

10. 'he communities of ward 2 are separate to Colinton. The area between Lanark Road (current ward 8) and Clovenstone (current ward 2) has only recently been confirmed for enhanced green space and following many representations plans for future housing designation there were shelved to ensure there is not a continuous belt of housing between the two extremely distinct areas.

11. Looking at physical numbers in the future, the neighbouring Pentland Hills (ward 2) has a number of areas zoned in the local plan for housing development and only in the past month a Reporter overturned a City of Edinburgh Council Development Management Sub Committee refusal to allow 120 units in Ravelrig, Balerno. There has also been a Proposal of Application Notice submitted in connection with Newmills, Balerno (for up to 250 units in "the Local Development Plan), Curriehill Road, Balemo and Cockburn Crescent, Balerno. The longstanding Garden District also remains an issue for ward 2.

The potential for increased development will enlarge the electorate in Pentland Hills Ward further and the new developments will lack any connection with the long established communities in Hailes and Spylaw. In contrast due to the nature of Colinton there is limited prospect for further residential

14 © Fairmilehead Community Council 2015 larger development in the coming years. The physical numbers on the electoral register for the Wester Hailes polling districts may also understate the actual occupation and franchise with fewer registered to vote than are eligible in contrast to Colinton.

12.There is a great deal of concern in the local community regarding this proposed split of Colinton. I understand that Colinton Community Council will be making a submission to you objecting to the proposals, as well as Colinton Amenity Association (CAA) which has served the Colinton area since 1927. Members of CAA Executive Committee reside in the part of Colinton to be removed from ward. It is clear from representations made to me locally that there is no desire to see the Hailes and Spylaw areas separated from the remainder of Colinton. There would be a lack of co- terminosity between the proposed boundary and the boundaries of both of those local organisations and whereas they currently have 3 councillors as ex officio members, there would be the potential of 7 if these changes go ahead.

I trust that these points will be seriously considered as you further review the ward boundaries for City of Edinburgh Council area and that Hailes and Spylaw will be retained in the Colinton/Fairmilehead Ward containing the rest of Colinton to which they historically and currently belong, thereby avoiding splitting a community.

Yours faithfully

COUNCILLOR JASON RUST (Colinton/Fairmilehead Ward)

15 © Fairmilehead Community Council 2015