CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

GSR - 1,500 Housing Estate - Planning 6th Nov Deadline

(163 posts)

  1. crowriver
    Member

    "It'll be a real shame if she loses her seat next year."

    No reason for that to happen. Local councillors elected by Single Transferable Vote, so good prospects for good local candidates.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  2. crowriver
    Member

    Oh I've been through that pedestrian underpass on a bike, on the way to Jupiter Artland. Fine during the day, very quiet. Wouldn't fancy it in the dark, but again it's really quiet so...

    Alas the new development will ruin that tranquility. However if you were working in Edinburgh Park and living in the 'Garden District' you'd be mad not to walk/cycle through there. Reckon though that once the local crims realise more people are using it, the muggings will start. Will the developers pay for CCTV? Probably not.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  3. HankChief
    Member

    What you'll probably get is those that work on Edinburgh Park parking in the new development and walking through the underpass each day.

    I imagine the double car families will be upset at other people parking in their estate.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  4. chdot
    Admin

    "I imagine the double car families will be upset at other people parking in their estate."

    NIMBYS

    Posted 7 years ago #
  5. acsimpson
    Member

    "I imagine the double car families will be upset at other people parking in their estate."

    There should be space after the residents have moved their cars to Murrayfield and walked into town.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Digging into the objections about the Garden District application

    "

    http://www.theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2016/06/digging-into-the-objections-about-the-garden-district-application

    Posted 7 years ago #
  7. Snowy
    Member

    There are two underpasses that I know of. The southern one carries the Gogar burn plus a bike/pedestrian path. The northern one is barely used since the earthen path over the field, while a public right of way, is barely passable.

    The northern underpass could conceivably be used for vehicle traffic for the new development. Thing is, it pops out on Edinburgh Park's private roads. And the thing about Edin.Park and the Gyle is that (for cars) there are actually only two public exits from the whole area..Gogar Roundabout, or the T-juntion at Makro.

    The third exit is direct from Edinburgh Park over a bridge to Hermiston Gate roundabout andstraight onto the M8, but it's barrier controlled and not open to the public - Edin.Park provide keyfobs to paying businesses.

    From the viewpoint of reducing traffic on GSR, perhaps the development should be allowed to utilise the northern underpass to access Edinburgh Park, and perhaps CEC should ask Edin.Park to allow these residents to use the exit to Hermiston Gate. The plus is a positive impact on cyclists in the vicinity, but the downside is that it doesn't discourage car use.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  8. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I believe the northern underpass only actually exists because of the right of way. I find it quite amazing that they went to the engineering cost and effort of building it back in the day because of the legalities of maintain the RoW (this was well before Edinburgh Park was built), but a proper, joined-up pedestrian crossing was never considered.

    Was it part of the planning consent for Edinburgh Park that the rear exit onto the M8 can't be used for general traffic? South Gyle Broadway to the Gogar Roundabout is pretty chronic each evening yet a good deal of the traffic is trying to get onto the M8 but is routed out via SGBW and the Gogar Roundabout only to turn back up the Bypass to get to Hermiston Gait.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  9. I tried to get to the northern underpass from the west side, after going for a lunchtime ride and seeing the 'Footpath to Edinburgh Park' sign. But the nettles were voracious, and the path narrow to the point of virtual non-existence, so I carried on past the hideous battery chicken farm and through the southern underpass (where an office worker had cycled to in order to practice his saxophone and I listened as I spent 5 minutes trying to will a distant buzzard closer for photo purposes).

    Posted 7 years ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

  11. fimm
    Member

    You can see the giant hogweed from the train at the chicken farm. I've always wondered why it is never properly dealt with.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  12. kaputnik
    Moderator

    @fimm it might have given people ideas about using the land. Also, there's no obligation to remove it from unused land however there would be if the land were being used. So leaving the land abandoned and covered in Hogweed is the cheap solution for land speculators who are simply waiting until they finally get permission to develop the land. They can then pay once for removal. If they had done it previously they would have had to continue to pay for control as it would likely get re-infested after initial removal.

    Giant Hogweed is terribly nasty stuff, but eradication is much easier and straightforward than Knotweed which can persist in the soil like nobody's business. An intense course of Glyphosate (aka Roundup) can knock it right back but is unlikely to entirely eliminate it. Digging it out is a good solution, but the roots an go down about 10 feet, and even a few inches left at the bottom will rapidly re-propagate. So you either do it painstakingly by hand to ensure complete removal or just remove everything with excavators. Then you have to work out what to do with the soil you have dug out, it's classified as controlled waste and incineration or baking it in steam are options to kill the plants in the soil.

    It's hard to "snuff" it out by starving it of light as the stems are sharp and like bamboo so will pierce their way through most membranes. Even pouring a slab of concrete over the top doesn't work as it will find any tiny weaknesses or cracks and force its way through.

    Wikipedia quotes a figure of $130m for Knotweed removal on the site of the 2012 Olympics velodrome and aquatics centre. If the Knotweed problem is as bad as its made out, good luck to Murray Estates getting funding for the construction; some lenders won't go near sites that aren't remediated.

    Interesting Knotweed fact; all Japanese Knotweed in the UK is genetically a single female clone. They can reproduce sexually or asexually but only a single female ever found its way to Kew Gardens and it's all subsequent plants descend directly from her by asexual reproduction. Never mind Nicola Sturgeon, Fallopia japonica is the UK's most dangerous woman.

    Both species incidentally spread up water and railway corridors.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  13. "You can see the giant hogweed from the train at the chicken farm. I've always wondered why it is never properly dealt with."

    As I was trying to find the route yesterday there was a confused looking chap on a phone who asked me if I knew where the hogweed was as he was going to be taking some photos!

    Posted 7 years ago #
  14. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Vote Leave for proper British Knotweed.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  15. gembo
    Member

    Imagine a world of Nicola sturgeon clones spreading up railway and water corridors

    Posted 7 years ago #
  16. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @gembo

    THAT IS EXACTLY THE WORLD WE LIVE IN.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  17. HankChief
    Member

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15987591.Sir_David_Murray__39_s___450m_Edinburgh_village_plan_called_in_by_Ministers/?ref=appshr

    "Royal Bank of Scotland, which owns the adjacent Gogarburn Campus, is supportive of the development after Murray Estates agreed to minimise disruption to the 6000 people who work at the bank’s HQ.

    It paves the way for ministers to consider a proposal which carries the substantial support of city councillors and is set to deliver up to 1,350 new homes of various types, including 330 much needed affordable homes."

    Posted 6 years ago #
  18. chdot
    Admin

    "

    But plans may now be given the go-ahead when they are presented to ministers later this month after SASA reached an agreement with Murray Estates in October 2017.

    "

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/d-day-as-msps-decide-on-david-murray-garden-district-plan-1-4687412

    Posted 6 years ago #
  19. HankChief
    Member

    "the immediate priorities for the business are our sites in West Edinburgh – the Edinburgh Garden District and the International Business Gateway.

    The West of Edinburgh is a strategically important development area for the whole Scottish economy given the importance of the city, the airport, the university, and the pressing need for quality homes. We are working with partners to secure support for a very significant investment in housing, commercial property, and civic amenity and enhancement."

    https://www.theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2018/07/murray-capital-group-report-steady-growth/

    As an aside: we are due to hear this month* whether the Garden District is going ahead or not...

    *it has already been put back several times so who knows...

    Posted 5 years ago #
  20. HankChief
    Member

    "*Case Update 21 October 2019* The report for this case was submitted to Scottish Ministers on 6 February 2019. The application has been returned to DPEA for further process and the case will be re-opened with a view to providing a further recommendation to Ministers. The re-opening of the case will be focused on housing land supply, including up to date information published through the City of Edinburgh Council housing land audit. The appointed reporter has invited further submissions from key parties."

    http://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/CaseDetails.aspx?id=117562

    Posted 4 years ago #
  21. HankChief
    Member

    It has been approved according to the reporters Report...

    No extra overbridge of the A8 :-(

    "8.8 I note that the conditions agreed between the applicant and the council require further investigation of the Lesser Millburn, and that further details of the north-south cycle route are required. I have concluded in Chapter 5 that an active travel overbridge would not
    be a reasonable requirement, and accordingly such a condition would not meet the test of necessity or reasonableness."

    Posted 3 years ago #
  22. HankChief
    Member

    This is good as it makes them take control of the rough track to the Southern underpass which they don't currently own.


    5. No development shall take place on the development site until full details of a scheme of work for provision of the cycle route to and through the development, starting north of the M8 overbridge on Gogar Station Road, have been submitted to and approved by the Council. Those works shall thereafter be implemented in full and be available for use on or
    before the occupation of the first residential property within the development herebyapproved. These details shall:

    a) Include a cycle path heading North East across the field immediately to the North of the M8 overbridge on Gogar Station Road and connecting with the Eastern end of the Gogar Station Road spur, near the distribution warehouse and continuing from there over the railway to the Southern Underpass;

    b) Include details of connection points from the new route into the existing cycle networks to the north and south of the site so as to demonstrate how it will provide a genuine alternative
    to Gogar Station Road, and beyond that, onto RBS Gogarburn (including the RBS Business School); and

    c) Demonstrate that there is control over all land required for the works

    Reason: In order to ensure that there is a suitable means of cycle access to and through the development site that provides a genuine alternative to Gogar Station Road prior to the first occupation of any part of that development."

    Posted 3 years ago #
  23. HankChief
    Member

    I can't see anything on the widening of GSR's Pavement South from Gogarburn which is a shame...

    Posted 3 years ago #
  24. HankChief
    Member

    I should say a big thank you to @greenroofer & Spokes for sticking with this campaign over the years and getting significant concessions for Active Travel. Bravo.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  25. HankChief
    Member

    Hmmm. Now reading the rest of the 112page report (which I assume will be put on the DPEA website shortly) and we now get this comment by the Reporter about the rough track

    "5.72 In regard to active travel routes, I have noted in the previous chapter that the site is well located to take advantage of nearby pedestrian and cycle routes. The proposal would provide for linkages to those routes, and would include the provision of a north-south active travel route through the site. Part of that route outwith the site, linking to Gogar Station Road, is not in the applicant’s control, meaning that there is no certainty that its surface could be improved. In my experience that would not deter walkers and some cyclists. For others there would remain the option of cycling along Gogar Station Road."

    That seems at odds with the condition in 5a above

    I'm going to take "continuing" in this condition to mean they have to make the path of continuous quality.

    "connecting with the Eastern end of the Gogar Station Road spur, near the distribution warehouse and continuing from there over the railway to the Southern Underpass;"

    Posted 3 years ago #
  26. HankChief
    Member

  27. Frenchy
    Member

    I can't parse condition 5a in any way other than "You need to make sure a cycle path is built on the bit of land currently outwith your control."

    Posted 3 years ago #
  28. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Buy field, get planning permission, sell development site, trouser cash.

    https://twitter.com/andywightman/status/1256171320699686918

    Posted 3 years ago #
  29. gembo
    Member

    Anyone know what the field top of balerno on the A70 bend is all aBOUT. THEY have been up there years landscaping but nowt else. Actually have smashed into their own gate. Stream runs off the site down a70. Has roads now but made of rubble

    Posted 3 years ago #
  30. Frenchy
    Member

    @gembo - does this link work? And is it where you mean?

    https://citydev-portal.edinburgh.gov.uk/idoxpa-web/caseDetails.do?caseType=Application&keyVal=Q4I1Z8EWG6N00

    Posted 3 years ago #

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