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Harrison Park Public Consultation

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Started 14 years ago by chdot
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chdot
Admin

As first mentioned elsewhere

"Local residents are invited to contribute to the design proposals for Harrison Park East. The Waterways Trust Scotland, British Waterways Scotland and Edinburgh City Council are hosting a consultation about the new proposals for regeneration in the park.

The event will take place on board the Re-union Barge that will be berthed at Ashley Terrace on Tuesday the 4th of May 2010 at 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. and on Sunday the 9th of May 2010 at 12.30 p.m.- 3 p.m.

The new Harrison Park proposals by LKMK will be on display and comments and feedback will be used to influence the final design.

Light refreshments will be served on board."

No doubt last sentence will attract LOTS of cyclists...

"For further information please contact Christine Donnelly at the Waterways Trust Scotland on 01324 677821 or e mail christine.donnelly@thewaterwaystrust.org.uk."

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Posted 14 years ago #
spytfyre
Member

I can see my house from here
(Sorry, couldn't resist)

Posted 14 years ago #
recombodna
Member

Yeah My house is also in this picture....

Posted 14 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Moi aussi!

Posted 14 years ago #
spytfyre
Member

I knew you guys would join in ;)

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"My house"

Well you'll be up for the "light refreshments" then.

Tea party??

Posted 14 years ago #
spytfyre
Member

park party?
Sunday canal cycle to Ratho en masse?
that is the day after (shameless plug) the Harrison Playgroup Wine Tasting Fund Raising Evening (£5 per ticket plus quiz plus raffle plus bar @ Phoenix club 8pm tickets available via me ;)

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Sunday canal cycle to Ratho en masse?"

Won't the towpath be worn out after this Saturday's ride?

Posted 14 years ago #
spytfyre
Member

if anyone shows up and if the weather is clement

Posted 14 years ago #
recombodna
Member

There was a bike speedway track here years ago (before my time). What this park needs is a floodlit polo court ;-)

http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_edin_t/0_edinburgh_transport_cycling_harrison_park.htm

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"What this park needs is a floodlit polo court"

Why HP - apart from the fact that it's your local?

Are tennis courts not suitable?

Posted 14 years ago #
recombodna
Member

Purely selfish reasons....so I've got somewhere to practise when the kids are playing in the park..

Also there are no floodlit courts in edinburgh that aren't astroturf. Tennis courts not Ideal as they tend to be full of tennis players and have a big net across the middle....

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Tennis courts not Ideal as they tend to be full of tennis players and have a big net across the middle...."

Only during Wimbledon...

What about in terms of size - compared with tennis court?

What's wrong with Astroturf? What is the optimum surface?

Posted 14 years ago #
recombodna
Member

In terms of size tennis courts are good. Astroturf and gravel are too too slippy for the bike and the ball doesn't react well. The best surface is tarmac. The Inverleith courts are great except the ball keeps going out under the fence. There is one near Lidl in Dalry but it's always full of yoof.

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Anyone go yesterday?

Canal too -

"Rankin gets on board for canal festival"

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Rankin-gets-on-board-for.6272927.jp

Posted 14 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Nope. Saw the boat going back to its mooring and realized I missed it. But should get along on Sunday.

Posted 14 years ago #
Arellcat
Moderator

I missed the meeting too, but I did watch as the boat navigated Leamington lift bridge, which spends most of its time at road level now that the canal isn't quite the hive of activity it once was.

Posted 14 years ago #
spytfyre
Member

I went along, clever idea to use the barges, I think they will become more popular with the decent weather and the new building to come when the brewery site is clear...

The options were all pretty much the same with ramps down from canal to new path leading to W Bryson Road AND Watson Place (which is nice),
option A path runs too close to football when it is on
option B requires making a gap in the hedge to allow the path to W Bryson to run behind the hedge and away from the footballers
option C the new stairs are not linked to the new ramp and path which is stupid

I voted option B

There is still plans to have allotments (24 I think) perhaps in the very corner near the industrial building at the very South East corner of the park and there is a proposed meeting of the Friends of Harrison Park soon

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"I went along"

How was the "Light refreshments will be served on board."

Posted 14 years ago #
spytfyre
Member

I had a cup of tea, I avoided the biscuits

I actually had some interesting conversations with many people there that were anti bike... My old Art Teacher from Armadale was one too...
Me standing with my pannier bag, helmet and high vis jerkin on I couldn't really avoid it...

"Oh do we have to have cyclists on the path to W Bryson" they were saying...
and
"The canal path is just that, a path"

I felt I had to point out it is National Cycle Route 75

I also asked the woman of Re-Union boats if the 6mph speed limit was for us or them, apparently it is for us!

6mph until beyond the bypass?? it would take me hours!

Posted 14 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

"also asked the woman of Re-Union boats if the 6mph speed limit was for us or them, apparently it is for us! 6mph until beyond the bypass?? it would take me hours!"

I mailed her (assume it is the same person), last time we discussed this. Just got a reply the other day, saying she had forwarded it to British Waterways, but nothing back from them or her yet.

Last time I was on the barge, one of the guys actually claimed that he though 'motorized boats like barges had right of way over smaller ones like rowboats and kayaks'. Needless to say, all us small boat people immediately chorused "steam gives way to sail" in horror.

But was rather surprised they didn't know this....and that they couldn't answer speed question themselves. My take is that Re-union is more 'community regeneration that happens to take place on a boat/canal' rather than boat/canal-centred community regeneration initiatives.

Posted 14 years ago #
spytfyre
Member

I'm tempted to hire one of the barges for my next party...

Posted 14 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Discovered that the 'regeneration' of harrison park east is completely distinct from the open spaces consultation and the allotments consultation. And, I think, potentially hostile to them.

Not in principle - everyone was keen to say 'tell us what you want in the park' (the main consultation is about access, not use).

But the council guy responsible for the area was distinctly lukewarm about using the space as allotments, said that elsewhere local people had not wanted allotments in parks, because they restricted access.

My reading of this (remember, I'm a social scientist) is that their goal is to maximize the numbers of people using the park, rather than to diversify the types of uses and types of users. (which, if I were feeling really cynical, would lead me to conclude football trumps gardens).

But, the process does seem quite open and hopefully they will take on board the range of interests/input not just the majority (a bit like first-past-the post voting versus PR eh?)

Posted 14 years ago #
spytfyre
Member

Next Friends of Harrison park Meeting
Thursday 20th May
Caley Sample Room
7.15 pm
Agenda:
East Park Plans
Possible Allotments

See you there SRD?

Posted 14 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Yes Sir!

(If I'd known they met there I'd have joined ages ago :) ...actually have been meaning to find out how to join, so many thanks for this).

Posted 14 years ago #
spytfyre
Member

http://www.harrisonpark.org.uk/

The allotments map

Is out of line with the plans to add the cycling ramps to and from the canal and Watson Cres have replaced this idea:

and look like this:

this:

and this:

The second option looks best to me and still leaves space in the bottom right corner (South East) for some allotments, option three has no point as the existing stairs are effectively left abandoned and option one runs a path too close to the football pitches goalmouth
I accidentally found out who paints the football lines (one of the janitor guys at North Merchiston ~~Boys~~ club who is a nice guy and very passionate about his work) and he spoke about being asked to "move" the pitches 50 feet west from the hedges (which a woman was very vocal about not being cut down, more on her later) which would put the west goal mouth inside the Glazing company garages...

However it is interesting that the council and the FOHP seem to have differing ideas and agendas.

I read that there is a 10 year wait for an allotment in Edinburgh and believe they wanted to create 24 in the entire "ex-bowling green" area but like the other plans show there is demand for more family orientated space and some "nice wee benches for quiet reflection"...

SRD I'll give you the heads up at the meeting when the "not-over-my-dead-body" woman pipes up about changing one single blade of grass in "her" park... she really is a hoot!

Posted 14 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Everyone on the boat when I was there agreed that it was all very confusing. But I also thought option 2 seemed the most flexible/plausible.

Re " not changing one single blade of grass ". this is my problem with 'conservationists' - they have no sense of history. We know there was a cycle track, but according to the council guy there may have also been allotments there previously too. (he may regret telling me that!).

But then I am infamous in my home town for vocal protests against attempts to build a 4 lane ring road through a park, so this may be kettle/pot territory, (in my defence I would point out that it was a semi- wilderness area, the 2nd largest urban park in Canada, intensively used for skiing, orienteering, boy scouts, berry picking, etc etc and extensive wetlands as headwaters of rivers that flowed through city, and part of the city's water supply....)

Posted 14 years ago #
cb
Member

Cyclestreets will use Harrison Park for the quiet route option. E.g.http://edinburgh.cyclestreets.net/journey/143394/

Posted 14 years ago #
spytfyre
Member

Wow - there is a dotted line on that map when there shouldn't be...

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Rival-plans--for-revamp.6298942.jp

Posted 14 years ago #