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NTBCC meeting full agenda Monday 11 September 2023, and convenor reports

NTBCC ordinary meeting: via Zoom, on Monday 11 September, starting at 7:00pm

To access the meeting, please use the Zoom link here.

  1. Welcome / Introductions / Attendance
  2. Approval of the minutes of the ordinary NTBCC meeting held on 14th August 2023 (To approve)
  3. Matters arising from previous minutes (and not included on agenda below) (To discuss)
  4. Police report (if received) and update on format of police report (To note/discuss)
  5. Culture and Communities (no convener’s report)
    • George Street & First New Town Stakeholder meeting update, including possible attendance of a representative from the Edinburgh Access Panel (To discuss/agree next steps)
  6. Planning (convener’s report to follow)
    • 108 – 118 Dundas Street (22/05886/FUL &22/05884/CON) 23 August Hearing outcome (To note)
    • New applications at 72 – 74 Eyre Place (Former Jewsons yard) (23/04808/FUL) (To note/discuss)
    • Latest proposal for the Royal High School/National Centre for Music – see Spurtle summary
  7. Environment (convener’s report)
  8. ‘Conservation and adaptation’
  9. Licensing (convener’s report)
    • Updated ‘Statement of Licensing Policy’ and upcoming consultation (To note)
    • STL Licensing (To note)
    • Licensing applications (1 Gayield Square) (To note)
  10. Transport (convener’s report)
  11. Councillors’/residents’ open forum
  12. AGM
    • to be held on 9 October (in person) and committee reports

Please note: before or during the meeting, names and email addresses may be recorded. Email addresses are held and used for circulating information about NTBCC but may also be used to seek residents’ views on local issues.


Transport convenor’s report

Key topics for the month :

  • East London Street petition as submitted to the 17 August Transport & Environment Committee with over 160 signatures was accepted and approved (including an amendment by Cllr Finlay Macfarlane).
  • Dundas Street roadworks – repairs / improvements to the east and west side footways commenced in early September. Although there was no formal notification to NTBCC upfront, a helpful response was received from CEC following contact from NTBCC. However, it would have been helpful to have the information prior to the start of the works.
  • Picardy Place Freedom of Information (FOI) request – still awaiting the detailed drawings for this although the construction is now 95% complete. We did however receive information from the CEC Project contact about the unveiling of the Conan Doyle statue on 13 September and the plans for planting the green spaces there later in the Autumn.
  • Tram project outstanding works on Leith Walk – there appears to be a lack of clarity on the CEC organisation to manage the outstanding works. ; unclear how this is to be progressed.
  • Participation Request  – following discussion in August, the intent is to organise a further meeting to assess alternate options to the current informal discussion with Council transport officers.

Environment convenor’s report

Over the summer there have been no major initiatives under the heading of ‘environment’ taken forward for update/consultation/decision by the Council. A small number of ‘environment’ issues are currently under consideration by the Council’s Transport & Environment Committee (TEC) as reported at its meeting on 17 August. These are as follows:

  1. A review of reliance on chemical applications to weeds with a view to reducing it is being undertaken. There is to be a report back to the TEC on 14 September.
  2. The TEC agreed in May to a temporary three-month extension to development of the Litter Bin Siting Policy while a workshop was held with officers and councillors. The workshop was to explore whether the policy is too restrictive for delivering the Council’s aims for reducing littering and to consider options and associated costs for expanding the criteria for the positioning of litter bins. A report on this is to go to the TEC on 14 September.
  3. >Updates were reported to the Policy and Sustainability Committee on the Council’s approach to Climate Change on 17 October 2022. A further report is scheduled for the same Committee in October.
  4. A planned update on bin hub locations in phases 1, 2 and A of the Communal Bin Review Update is to be reported when available with an expected completion date of 23 May 2024.
  5. Further work is to be undertaken on the George Street and First New Town Operational Plan. This is to entail: additional engagement with residents, businesses and stakeholders prior to finalising specific detailed designs and operational changes relating to North Hanover Street, Frederick Street and North Castle Street with the final proposals reported to the TEC for approval with an expected completion date simply stated as 2023; and to continue dialogue on licensed taxi access for people with disabilities with any related decisions to be paused until an update is provided to the TEC at its meeting on 14 September. Discussions regarding taxis will draw upon the experiences of disabled people accessing similar streets and areas elsewhere in the UK.
  6. Following a previous consultation on a proposed Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill, the Scottish Government has subsequently published the Bill (which is at Stage 1 of the parliamentary process) in advance of seeking parliamentary approval. Prior to approval, the Scottish Government carried out a further consultation on the published Bill which ran from 30 June until 20 August 2023. The Council’s response to the consultation was included as an appendix to the report to the TEC’s August meeting. Not all parts of the Bill are relevant to local government. The measures which will impact upon local government were set out in a separate appendix of the report. The measures relevant to councils include the setting of specific statutory recycling targets for Councils, revising and giving statutory status to the existing voluntary Code of Practice for Household Waste and Recycling, changes to the fly-tipping and littering legislation to enhance the ability of local authorities to take enforcement action on waste crimes and littering from vehicles. The Council is broadly supportive of the Bill. The Council however suggested that there should be a re-ordering of priorities, e.g. on disposable vapes and action to address issues with student accommodation.

Peter Williamson

Convenor, NTBCC Environment Committee

6 September 2023

Licensing convenor’s report

NTBCC Licensing Report – September 2023

Culture and Communities convenor’s report

no report this month

Planning convenor’s report

to follow