Item no Report no Edinburgh Canal Strategy: Draft for consultation Planning Committee 19 May 2011 1 Purpose of report 1.1 To seek the Committee's approval of the draft Edinburgh Canal Strategy for consultation. 2 Summary 2.1 The Council and British Waterways (Scotland) (BWS) have prepared a draft Edinburgh Canal Strategy (ECS) for consultation purposes. The draft ECS identifies on and off canal moorings sites, opportunities for complementary canal-side developments and opportunities to ensure that the recreational potential of the canal is fully maximised for the benefit of canal user groups and the wider community. 2.2 The strategy has been prepared following a consultation exercise and it is proposed that a further consultation exercise is undertaken on the consultative draft over the summer. The finalised strategy will be reported to Planning Committee later in the year. 3 Main report Background 3.1 In early 2010, the Edinburgh Canal Development Group initiated the preparation of a strategy for that part of Union Canal that lies within the City’s administrative boundaries. A series of focus group meetings followed with local and community councillors, the canal community user groups and stakeholder bodies such as SEPA and Sustrans, which led to the to preparation of an Edinburgh Canal Strategy Consultation Document in September 2010. The purpose of the Consultation Document was to discuss opportunities to make the canal into a recognisable place whilst identifying issues to be taken forward in the Strategy. The consultation document was approved by the Planning Committee on 30 September 2010. Following the consultation, the draft Edinburgh Canal Strategy was prepared and is now attached as Appendix 1 to this report. 1 Pre–draft consultation 3.2 The aim of the pre-draft consultation exercise was to explore the relevant canal opportunities and issues with a range of stakeholders prior to the development of the draft ECS whilst promoting community involvement in the current and future use of the Union Canal. The ECS Consultation Document set out a series of opportunities for development and proposes a development strategy based on five ‘hubs’. 3.3 Between October and December 2010 a number of consultation events were held in Ratho (3 November), Wester Hailes (17 November), Polwarth (22 November) and Tollcross (24 November) as well as drop in session on the Re- union Canal boat at Lochrin Basin and Harrison Park (20 November). These sessions were attended by local communities, local and community councillors, key interest groups, including St Andrews Boat Club, Reunion and Spokes, and stakeholder bodies such as SEPA and Sustrans. 3.4 Approximately 500 letters were distributed to a range of individuals, businesses, community, amenity, equalities and heritage groups, Neighbourhood Partnerships, MSPs, MPs, local councillors and statutory consultees, inviting comments on a series of set questions. Hard copies of the consultation document were made available on request. 3.5 The consultation was advertised on the Council’s website and via Twitter as well as a number of external websites that included: • City Cycling Edinburgh Forum • Spokes • Marchmont and Sciences Community Council • Morningside Community Council • The Flower Colonies • Friends of Harrison Park • Guardian Edinburgh • The Edinburgh Reporter • Scottish Canals 3.6 26 responses to the consultation document were received from: • Art in Architecture • The Coal Authority • The Cockburn Association • Craiglockhart Community Council • Historic Scotland • The National Trust for Scotland • Murray Estates • Peter Scott Planning Services • Scottish Natural Heritage • Scottish Water • Spokes • St Andrew Boat Club • Sustrans 2 • Tollcross Community Council and, • 11 local residents. 3.7 The comments received are summarised in Appendix 2 with the recommended response. A note of the workshops held in Ratho, Wester Hailes, Polwarth and Tollcross is also provided in Appendix 3. These responses have formed the basis of the draft Edinburgh Canal Strategy. Partners 3.8 BWS has collaborated with the Council to produce the draft ECS. The draft ECS has also benefited from an input from a number of key partners including Architecture and Design Scotland and Sustrans. The draft Edinburgh Canal Strategy 3.9 The draft ECS is split into five parts: • Introduction and background; • A current context section which sets out the canal’s history and heritage, planning and development policies, movement and connectivity and existing community and tourism resources; • A series of proposed opportunities which will make the canal into a recognisable place whilst addressing issues that may impair its potential; • A Hub and Waterway Strategy within which canal moorings, canal-side and canal-related development will be focused; and • The proposed consultation. Opportunities 3.10 The proposed opportunities identified within the draft ECS address the whole length of the canal and cover issues such as access, lighting, canal moorings, public art and renewable energy. The proposed opportunities have been grouped into four sections: • Access and the canal environment; • Waterway, development, and environment; • Recreation, tourism and heritage; • Infrastructure, drainage and climate change. 3.11 Under each opportunity topic heading a number of projects have been set out for discussion as part of the consultation. These opportunities include projects such as: • A canal user management strategy; 3 • Towpath capacity management including designation of additional cycle routes and a commuter and tourist taxi boat service; • Towpath access improvements and a ‘pinch point strategy’ (see appendix 1 to the draft strategy); • Canal development and canal environment principles as well as a number of proposed canalside development sites; • Interpretation, public art and lighting; • The development of canalside community facilities; and • Surface water, grey water and renewable energy, heating and cooling. Hubs and Waterway Strategy 3.12 The draft ECS is developed around a series of ‘hubs’ within which canal moorings, canal-side and canal-related development can be focused. Through the development of ‘hubs’ it should be possible to create a desirable and sustainable waterway corridor, stimulating waterway and waterside use. Each hub has a proposed function related to its current character and future proposed use. The aim is to create five successful and sustainable places. The Strategy has identified five hubs at: • Ratho • Wester Hailes • Meggetland • Harrison Park • Lochrin Basin 3.13 The draft ECS also recognises the canal’s links with Bathgate and Linlithgow within West Lothian and their role in facilitating use of the Union Canal within Edinburgh. 3.14 In terms of the waterway strategy, the draft ECS has been designed to ensure that boaters are presented with a suitable waterway infrastructure that enables and promotes the enjoyment of the full length of the Union Canal into the City. To encourage waterway activity along the Union Canal into Edinburgh it is proposed that a key objective of the draft ECS is to make Lochrin Basin the obvious destination for waterway traffic. The reason for this is to ensure that the full length of waterway corridor is animated by waterway traffic, ensuring that the waterspace at Lochrin Basin is populated and animated by a healthy waterway community. Consultation 3.15 It is proposed to undertake a public consultation exercise based on the draft ECS. The aim of the consultation exercise is to: • develop further ideas on how to improve the use of the canal as an asset of the city through the opportunities outlined within the Strategy; 4 • identify whether consultees agree/disagree with the proposed Hub Strategy and consider the hubs in are the right place, have the right objectives and the potential to develop as places; • gather views on increasing the use of the water space along the canal through increased moorings (of all types including residential); • gather thoughts on the canal-side development proposals identified within the draft strategy; • consider whether key problem access points along the canal have been identified correctly; and, • consider whether anything is missing from the Strategy or should be removed. 3.16 Consultation events will be held throughout June and July 2011 and include: • Presentations to the local Community Councils in Ratho (20 June), Wester Hailes (tbc), Longstone (8 August), Craiglockhart (31 May), Merchiston (tbc), and Tollcross (8 June); • Display stands at a number of community events including the Edinburgh Canal Festival (9 July), and the Meadows festival (4/5 June); the Edinburgh Bike Breakfast (22 June) and the Central Scotland Green Network forum (14 June); and, • Further community meetings within the five hubs (Lochrin Basin, Harrison Park, Meggetland, Wester Hailes and Ratho) and with relevant stakeholders (dates to be confirmed) and on a canal boat (if possible). 3.17 A full list of consultation dates and events will be made available online via the Council’s website. It is anticipated that a finalised Edinburgh Canal Strategy, together with the results of the consultation exercise will be reported to Planning Committee by the end of 2011. Strategic Environmental Assessment 3.18 A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the draft Edinburgh Canal Strategy is required under the SEA Directive. This is intended to provide for a high level of protection of the environment and to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations