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"Pressure on green belt as 10,000 homes to be built"

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    More on previous (not Edinburgh, not just houses!)

    "

    She’s passionate about tennis, and tennis for all. Having absolutely no interest in perpetuating the image of a middle-class sport best learned in Daddy’s spacious garden, she rails against public courts being neglected, shut down or sold off.

    Park of Keir, she stresses, is a grassroots project, not a centre of excellence or tennis academy, but geared to growing the game. “Future generations are relying on this one to make good decisions, to invest in sport and health and put down the foundations from which they can build champions like Andy and Jamie,” she says.

    She sounds very persuasive, but then I don’t live there.

    "

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/aidan-smith-legacy-the-aim-for-murray-s-tennis-centre-1-4234792

    Posted 8 years ago #

  2. chdot
    Admin

    "

    We need to talk about housing. While Edinburgh and Scotland as a whole have an undeniable and unmet need for housing, there’s something deeply troubling about how our city’s leaders seek to meet that challenge in the Capital.

    Last week the council published its intention to adopt its local development plan and with it will come a rampant proliferation of new developments in my constituency of Edinburgh Western.

    At a stroke, huge swathes of much-loved and ancient green belt, at Cammo and in rural land around Queensferry and Kirkliston will be lost to the bulldozers. Whilst this would be tragic in and of itself, the pressure these new homes will place on arterial routes and essential services will prove utterly unsustainable.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/alex-cole-hamilton-we-need-to-build-communities-not-just-houses-1-4233926

    Posted 8 years ago #

  3. kaputnik
    Moderator

    huge swathes of much-loved and ancient green belt

    I'd argue that the green belts may be many things, but they're certainly not ancient.

    Otherwise, he makes a good point.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  4. acsimpson
    Member

    Odd to illustrate it with a picture of land which will remain untouched after the proposed developments are completed.

    "the escalation of gridlock at Barnton and Maybury, two of the most congested stretches of road outside the M25, will reach biblical proportions."

    I know that Joshua took 6 days to go round Jericho 6 times and that Moses took 40 years to get from Egypt to Israel. But seriously as far as adjectives go using biblical for anything traffic related seems a little unbalanced.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  5. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Community leaders previously raised concerns that the scheme was not included in the Local Development Plan (LDP), the council’s city-wide planning blueprint, and represented an unnecessary intrusion into the greenbelt.

    ...

    Officials estimate the Capital still needs an extra 15,034 new homes by 2019, with more than 25,000 extra houses required by 2026.

    The Hatton Village public consultation events will be held in the Cedar Room at Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton, tomorrow and Thursday between 5.30pm and 9pm. A further event will take place at Ratho Community Centre next Monday between 4.40pm and 8pm.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/proposal-for-1200-homes-in-west-edinburgh-submitted-to-council-bosses-1-4235309

    Posted 8 years ago #

  6. chdot
    Admin

    "

    “This is green belt which we would like to protect. We feel we are being swamped in this area with the amount of housing going in.”

    ...

    A spokesman for H&H said the development would help meet a housing shortfall of more than 10,000 units by 2024 and was expected to generate 130 vehicle trips at peak periods, which he said was less than a five per cent rise in traffic.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/residents-will-object-to-plan-for-new-200-home-village-1-4285839

    Posted 8 years ago #

  7. chdot
    Admin

    "

    The LDP paves the way for tens of thousands of homes to be built across the Capital in the coming years, many of them on greenbelt land.

    It was passed by councillors last year amid huge controversy, before being sent to the Scottish Government’s planning reporters to scrutinise.

    Mr Stewart’s letter confirms the government will not intervene and that the plan can go ahead, but insists “this decision has not been made lightly”.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/government-minister-lays-into-council-over-housing-plan-1-4290168

    Posted 8 years ago #

  8. chdot
    Admin

    This might reduce some pressure on Green Belt, but create other 'local' issues.

    "

    Edinburgh alone needs to build more than 25,000 extra houses by 2026, according to official estimates, with much of the rest of the region, including Midlothian, East and West Lothian facing pressures as populations rise. The market is “failing to deliver enough new homes to meet demand”, city officials are warning.

    “This is a housing crisis affecting not only Edinburgh,” they say in a report on the issue, “but also the neighbouring local authorities, as rising inequality and cost of living impacts on households in Edinburgh and other parts of the region.”

    The report says it is “essential” public sector landowners such as the NHS, Police Scotland and Ministry of Defence make land available for “accelerated development of low cost and affordable homes”.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/60-000-new-homes-planned-for-lothians-in-city-deal-1-4303691

    Posted 7 years ago #

  9. Greenroofer
    Member

    I have just spent an evening wading through the 250+ documents on the ScotGov planning and appeals site for the East of Milburn Tower development.

    In summary, the developer says 'it will all be fine, we should just build it', the council says 'it will all be fine, you should just build it', RBS says 'we think the council has got this all wrong and we're talking to our lawyers' and SASA says 'this is all wrong and they shouldn't be allowed to build it'.

    In terms of treatment of cyclists, there are lots of fine words and some nice pictures of happy people on bikes, but no actual firm commitments.

    (Oh, the developer says they will pay to upgrade the Gogar roundabout to make it better for pedestrians and cyclists, but don't seem to have done any traffic modelling yet...)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  10. Stickman
    Member

    Murrayfield Community Council tonight were expressing grave concern about the additional traffic that could come from any development at Cammo.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  11. chdot
    Admin

    "In summary, the developer says 'it will all be fine, we should just build it', the council says 'it will all be fine, you should just build it' "

    Well you can see the vested interest in the first view. I hope CEC's Planners have a very convincing argument for "fine"...

    Posted 7 years ago #

  12. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @Greenroofer

    Some familiar names in the objections. Well done!

    I'll be interested to see how this pans out. I've commuted Gogar Station Road two hundred times and been both delighted and terrified. This really does feel like the 'nipping through the traffic in my 4x4' fantasy crashing headlong into the bus, pedestrian and cyle borne reality.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  13. Stickman
    Member

    West Edinburgh Transport Appraisal Refresh

    Posted 7 years ago #

  14. crowriver
    Member

    6.2 Cycling
    The following projects are recommended as part of a package to enhance cycling in the West Edinburgh area, connecting existing communities and future developments near Edinburgh Airport, whilst also integrating the airport itself into local and regional cycle infrastructure. These have been developed building from the relevant policies and studies referred to in the earlier cycling section and following very useful discussions with appropriate officers within CEC and West Lothian Council and the Working and Steering Groups.

    6.2.1 Cycle paths
    Off-Street
    · Fill gaps along the A8 between Gogar and Newbridge Roundabouts, on both sides of the road
    · Path from Newbridge Roundabout north to Kirkliston and towards Dalmeny
    - Widen and repave; improve level crossings with high quality dropped kerbs and roadway markings; remove any impediments in the pathways
    · Improvement of pathways and/or on-street lanes in Newbridge to access A89
    · Cycle connection from A8 to Edinburgh Airport
    · New pedestrian / cycle bridge over Edinburgh – Aberdeen railway line linking West Craigs and Edinburgh Gateway station / The Gyle
    · Segregated cycle lane between Gogar and Airport included as part of new link road
    On-Street or Off-Street
    · Improved access from East Craigs area to A8 cycle paths
    · Newbridge-Dalmeny Cycle Path – Associated road or pathway improvements to provide a quality connection
    from the north end of this pathway to Queensferry cycle network
    · Newbridge-Dalmeny Cycle Path – Access to this pathway from Kirkliston along Main Street / Sterling Road or Station Road / Station Terrace
    · Improved access between Ratho Station and A8 along Station Road (designated cycle route)
    · Improved access between Station Road and Harvest Road along Harvest Drive / Queen Anne Drive
    (designated cycle route)

    6.2.2 Crossings / Junctions
    · Gogar Roundabout - improved crossings for bicycles and pedestrians at multiple locations
    · Improved crossings at Turnhouse Road and Maybury Road for designated cycle path
    · New at grade toucan crossing at A8/Station Road, Ratho

    Posted 7 years ago #

  15. HankChief
    Member

    They all sound great. When will we get them?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  16. chdot
    Admin

    When indeed.

    AND WHY do we (presumably) have to wait for some nice developers to pay for some/all of this?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  17. chdot
    Admin

    http://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/14952070.New_plans_for_housing_at_Goshen

    Posted 7 years ago #

  18. chdot
    Admin

    http://www.lgiu.org.uk/report/small-is-beautiful-delivering-more-homes-on-small-sites

    Posted 7 years ago #

  19. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Labour's Barry Sheerman argues that if there were brownfield sites fit to use they would have been built on already.

    He urges the government to have the courage to build on greenfield sites.

    Sajid Javid does not agree arguing that Madrid is a "beautiful, well-designed city" despite having four times the density of London.

    "

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-38879557?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=5899cafce4b0e4560c048d28%26Have%20the%20courage%20to%20build%20on%20greenfield%20sites%20-%20Labour%20MP%26&ns_fee=0#post_5899cafce4b0e4560c048d28

    Posted 7 years ago #

  20. chdot
    Admin

    "

    The Government argued that greater use should be made of “brownfield” sites and that high-density schemes should get the go-ahead in urban areas.

    “When people picture high-density housing, they tend to think of unattractive tower blocks, but some of the most desirable places to live in the capital are in areas of higher density mansion blocks, mews houses and terraced streets,” the white paper said.

    It repeated ministers’ long-standing opposition to allowing building on the Green Belt, saying schemes would only be approved in exceptional circumstances.

    "

    https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/politics/help-renters-buyers-plans-tackle-broken-housing-market

    Presume this 'policy' doesn't directly affect Scotland.

    There are many aspects to the "housing crisis". Building on the GB (or not) is one that clearly arouses strong feelings, but a bigger problem is perhaps the type of houses the main housebuilders choose to provide.

    They say (with some justification) that 'people want a front door and a bit of garden'. Sometimes Governments find it easier to give people what they say they want.

    Sometimes they ought to try harder to change what people expect.

    Edinburgh of course has a long history of 'high rise' - look UP next time you're on The Mound!

    Posted 7 years ago #

  21. chdot
    Admin

    "

    The six-storey block of 10 two-bedroom and one three-bedroom flats would have space for shops on the ground floor.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/morningside/bog-standard-design-for-new-flats-to-replace-toilets-1-4359035

    Posted 7 years ago #

  22. Frenchy
    Member

    Edinburgh of course has a long history of 'high rise' - look UP next time you're on The Mound!

    Including, I believe, the first eleven storey building in the world.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  23. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Councillor David Walker said: “Most people accept and acknowledge that the former Standard Life site is a good fit for development and welcome the housing to some extent, as do I.

    “I support the housing here but have raised objections to the density levels, height of the buildings and lack of information relating to traffic volume.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/half-of-portobello-residents-object-to-new-homes-plan-1-4365081

    Posted 7 years ago #

  24. chdot
    Admin

    (Aberdeen)

    "

    Chairman Fergus Hood said: “The main issue is that the stadium is planned for green belt land and we also don’t think the site has good connectivity to the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. We feel there could be noise issues given it is a 20,000 seater stadium and there were also concerns that the local roads will be unable to cope with match day traffic.”

    "

    http://www.scotsman.com/regions/aberdeen-north-east/aberdeenshire-councillors-recommend-refusal-of-dons-stadium-1-4374039

    Posted 7 years ago #

  25. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Labour's Barry Sheerman argues that if there were brownfield sites fit to use they would have been built on already.

    He urges the government to have the courage to build on greenfield sites.

    There are plenty of brownfield sites that haven't been built on because either they want someone else to pay remediation costs (e.g. Granton gasworks) or they are sitting on the land until market conditions make their original speculative investment pay off (e.g. Western Harbour). It's easier to make a big profit by building on a field next to Corstorphine at the sort of prices that "aspirational homes" there will make, than it is to put smaller, mid-low-market flats in Granton and Leith.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  26. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Aberdeen FC have an average attendance of 12,186 this season in a stadium with a capacity of 22,199.

    There is a large land-value rat running around the Cock O' The North.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  27. chdot
    Admin

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/hundreds-of-new-homes-planned-for-leith-1-4390131

    Posted 7 years ago #

  28. chdot
    Admin

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/councillors-back-plans-for-1300-homes-in-brunstane-1-4423202

    Posted 7 years ago #

  29. Stickman
    Member

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/business/plans-for-1400-homes-near-edinburgh-airport-are-rejected-1-4423638?kl

    Posted 7 years ago #

  30. acsimpson
    Member

    More details here: http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17035#post-247464

    Posted 7 years ago #

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