"SERIES of public meetings are to be held to gather views on a new strategy to improve the quality of "open space" in the Capital."
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/Meetings-will-discuss-citys-open.6187394.jp
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
"Meetings will discuss city's open spaces"
(15 posts)-
Posted 14 years ago #
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Nice find, Chris. There are some proposals in there, especially in the Edinburgh South West plan, that would be really, really good if they happened (edit: such as the Yeaman place access that SRD mentioned earlier elsewhere). Dates duly added to my diary!
Posted 14 years ago # -
oooh! they do include harrison park east in possible new allotments. I've thought for ages that that would be a great use of the space that is currently not used. nifty! (sorry, not strictly a cycling related point, except for that there are some nifty pictures of it being used as a cycle race track too)
Posted 14 years ago # -
"nifty pictures of it being used as a cycle race track too"
Where?
Sounds like Cycle Speedway
Posted 14 years ago # -
Not sure that there will be much of Inch park left soon. Kings Inch school has been demolished and what they are building in its stead is enormous and stretches from near the front gated entrance to the playing fields, and a part of it to me it looks like it will be a double storey car park too, marvellous. I have had a problem with cars being allowed to drive through the park to gain access between the Gilmerton and Old Dalkeith Road, let alone now having a private car park built. There is already a nursery in the park which provides, I believe, a great many plants for the rest of the public gardens in Edinburgh, so some allotments will further reduce the size of the park. There was also talk about them running the tram lines through a corner of the park, diminishing it's size further. Also the cricket pavillion was burnt down and it is alleged that some rugby club are hoping to build a new clubhouse, with bar and gym facilities etc. Don't know why they bother really having a park may as well just build over the lot of it I reckon, sell it all off. Never seen any parkies or wardens ever in all the years I have lived here, so it is not like it is costing a lot, other than cutting the grass from time to time, and cutting down the trees, which were allegedly diseased, but looked perfectly healthy to me, and left standing what are clearly dead trees due to waterlogging. It is a shambles and a disgrace.
Posted 14 years ago # -
Further on the development in Inch park currently under construction, there was never any paperwork posted through doors relating to this, nor as far as I am aware any public discussion either. I am sure that the local MPs would have been up in arms and that this most certainly would have been highlighted in the blurb they regularly post through doors. Unlike the plan to have a segregated bus lane along the Old Dalkeith Road, now I did have paperwork about that, but this proposal was scrapped.
Posted 14 years ago # -
Liz,
That sounds really grim. Is there a community council?
Your concerns re allotments eating up your park sound quite plausible, but I hope we don't get similar complaints re Harrison Park East!
Posted 14 years ago # -
There are several local community groups which local MP's attend, as well as the Police etc. I also think that there might be a friends of the park, however, the council ride roughshod over many objections and they behave clandestinely, best not to advertise unpopular schemes. We endured three years of the "urban dam" as the man from Carillion put it being built, the flood defence in the park, which also meant a trench several feet deep and some 100 ft long being left open for over two years by the side of the road that runs past Inch house, which they have finally filled in, only six months later than the man from Carillion said they would, and as I had not seen a single workman/woman there for almost 18 months would have said very long overdue, and as to why they had to build some concrete structure at the point is beyond me. There was a mountain of earth from the trench on the opposite side of the road which has gone down somewhat but not as low as it was previously burying all the daffodil bulbs, and almost one very old tree, and they have also, surprise, surprise not sorted the tarmac on the road which they ruined at that point. There are no pavements I might add at either side of the road which is wide enough for one vehicle only forcing pedestrians to walk in the mud at the side. It is sad. The park belonged to the Gilmour family many, many years ago, as did Inch house, and I expect it was bequeathed the the council for the people of the area. Great landlords eh? Treated in the same way as Niddrie and Edmonstone, with utter lack of respect for local history or culture.
Posted 14 years ago # -
The lack of allotment space in Edinburgh is dire. There are a couple of thousand people on the waiting list and the waiting list for some sites is 7 years. Meanwhile, some people still have more than one plot.
Posted 14 years ago # -
I've just phoned CEC about the disappearance of the hyperlinks to the neighbourhood partnership area Action Plans, from Chris' second link at the top. Since the timetable has also disappeared, the rundown is:
- Pentlands @ Oxgangs Library 27/4/10
- South west @ St Bride's Centre 28/4/10
- Craigentinny/Duddingston @ Northfield Community Centre 29/4/10
- Western @ St Ninian's Parish Church 4/5/10
- Almond @ Davidson's Mains Parish Church 5/5/10
- Portobello/Craigmillar @ Portobello Library 12/5/10
- Forth @ Telford College rm8/9 12/5/10
- Liberton/Gilmerton @ Gilmerton Community Centre 19/5/10
All are 18.30-20.00. Kenny Bowes mentioned that he was trying to get the hyperlinks reinstated asap.
Posted 14 years ago # -
Edit: hyperlinks to strategy and neighbourhood plans now available again!
I was at the Pentlands meeting yesterday and the South West meeting today. "Allot" of discussion centred around allotments and Dovecot Park in yesterday's meeting, so much so that the group discussion didn't get as far as the strategic actions set out in the plan, and in particular Covenanter's Wood (which I understand is still under threat of housing developments). The general feeling (albeit not held by everyone...) was that CEC's proposed standards for small and large open space areas vs walking distance were possibly too restrictive.
Today's meeting was excellent, good debate and well facilitated. CEC Planning made lots of notes about biodiversity and cycle/walking access, and the will seemed to be there for the proposed Yeaman Place/Union Canal and Dalry-Duff St-Roseburn Path route developments especially - but the lack of current funding ability by CEC and the issue of privately owned land coming up for sale (development strategy requirements) means that they could be a long time coming.
Posted 14 years ago # -
Arellcat, Thanks for the update. I wasn't well and missed the meeting. Had sent in some written comments though. Your account sounds most positive.
Also wrote in to the allotment strategy people, and have been assured that when new allotments are created, local people do usually get some of the spaces, alongside those from elsewhere who are on the wait list.
For those interested in the neighbourhood, there is also a consultation process just on Harrison Park East - on the Re-union canal boat moored near Ashley Terrace, the afternoon of
May 6, and between 12-3 of Sunday May 9. (this is from memory, I've misplaced the teeny leaflet that came through the post yesterday and there appears to be nothing on the web!)ADMIN EDIT
Precise details herePosted 14 years ago # -
SRD, sorry we missed you and I hope you're feeling better today! I hadn't heard about the Harrison Park consultation until one of the yesterday's group mentioned it. I've left the leaflet at home, but the times you noted sound the same as those I was told, although I had the impression one of the meetings was this coming Sunday. I probably have it wrong, though!
Posted 14 years ago #
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