Minutes of New Town & Broughton Community Council’s ordinary meeting, held at Broughton St Mary’s church on Monday 9 June 2025 at 8pm

Actions and decisions are red italic. ND (‘no dissent’) means that no-one spoke or voted against a decision.

URLs have been added by the minutes secretary.

1 Welcome and apologies

1.a Attendance

Fiona Banatvala	NTBCC	Joe McAdam	NTBCC	Peter Williamson	NTBCC
Michael Birch	NTBCC	Susan MacInnes	NTBCC	Cllr Jo Mowat	City centre ward
Pierre Forissier	NTBCC	Richard Price	NTBCC	Cllr Jack Caldwell	Leith Walk ward
Stephen Hajducki	NTBCC	Nicholas Reid	NTBCC	Alan McIntosh	Broughton Spurtle
Shaun Hodge	NTBCC	David Renton	NTBCC	At least 3 residents/visitors
Simon Holledge	NTBCC	Vanessa Roëves	NTBCC
Ken Lochrie	NTBCC	Gerald Wells	NTBCC

1.b Apologies

Stuart McAllister

NTBCC

Cllr Hal Osler

Stockbridge and Inverleith ward

2 Declarations of interest

• Item 9.2: M Birch is member of EBUG.

3 Approval of minutes of May 2025 meeting and matters arising

Approved subject to deletion of a throwaway remark by G Wells in item 9.a

3.a Actions from May meeting

Item	Actor	Action	Status
3	M Birch	follow up on gaps in CEC’s response about governance/CC election issues	In progress. NTBCC to provide written feedback on CC election process via CEC survey (M Birch to forward it to members)
3	M Birch	ask Cllr Jenkinson to report on progress of his actions	Complete but the Cllr will not meet with ELS residents. MB to ask local cllrs to ask him to change his mind.
4.a	A resident M Birch	Resident to forward his email to M Birch M Birch to forward it to the mailing list	complete
5.a.i	M Birch	Put S Hodge and J Buckley in contact.	complete
7.a	M Birch	share my response to what was said in the communal bins briefing with NTBCC members	complete
7.c	M Birch	circulate TEC meeting papers when they become available	complete
8.a	M Birch	Forward to A Gaillard correspondence about the Royal Terrace aparthotel issues.	complete
9.a	S Hodge	Work on next steps for NTBCC’s engagement, based on Napier project findings	complete
9.b	M Birch	Inform Cllr Mitchell about tables and chairs issues	complete

4 Police report

• No report was received. The next opportunity for police to come to an in-person meeting is September. This is because police cannot use Zoom.
  • There should be a report to CEC culture and communities on policing before that NTBCC meeting.

5 Chair’s report

• none

6 Planning matters

6.a Planning Local Review Body decision – 12 Blenheim Place (R Price, A Gaillard)

• NTBCC has submitted a formal complaint, which is now at stage 2. However, it is unlikely that the original decision will be overturned. One of NTBCC’s concerns here is that a novice member spearheaded the decision. Another is the short time between submission of NTBCC’s complaint and the stage 1 decision.
  • The Cllr about whom NTBCC had most concerns regarding the original decision is no longer on the review body, following the CEC AGM in May.
  • Cllr Mowat: relevant Cllrs should receive at least refresher training each year.
• NTBCC needs to decide whether/how to pursue a decision change in the next few weeks. This could be expensive.
  • A relevant precedent is that an appeal over a shop-front sign has been taken to the Court of Session.
  • Action: NTBCC to hold a separate meeting to decide how to proceed.

6.b Royal London pre-consultations: Thistle Street/Henderson Row (R Price)

• The developers have asked NTBCC for opinions prior to submitting planning applications.
• For Henderson Row, they have offered a Teams meeting this Wednesday at 6pm. (Action: R Price to circulate details.)

6.c Former RBS site – Dundas St – new application lodged: 25/01899/FUL

• This long-awaited application is to change plans from offices to residential, purpose-build student accommodation and one commercial premise. Comments can be submitted to 4 July. NTBCC has obtained statutory consulteeship.
  • Action: NTBCC to organise a separate meeting.
  • K Lochrie: permission for short-term lets has been granted for 22-24 Dunedin St. NTBCC should ask developers for honesty about the RBS site. (Action: R Price/K Lochrie to discuss how to raise this.)

6.d Overview of tools to access planning information (R Price)

• Action: R Price to write a website post about a new tool: CityScope

6.e Recent planning applications and appeals (R Price)

• There are now revised documents for 7 Baxter’s Place. (NTBCC objected to the plans for serviced apartments here.)

7 Licencing matters (A Gaillard)

• There have been no concerning alcohol license applications. The statement on overprovision of alcohol is awaited.
• A ban on aircraft flypasts has been deemed impossible: CEC has no relevant powers over the military.

8 Culture and communities matters

8.a Report of C&C Committee meeting held on 5 June 2025 (S Holledge)

• There were three interesting motions:
  • A motion against testing arms on the Braid Hills did not pass, so such testing will continue.
  • A motion for a scheme for annual grants for friends of parks passed.
  • There was also motion about busking, but this did not fit with legislation.
  • M Birch: the ‘future libraries’ motion passed. There will be reductions to hours and services but no actual closures.

9 Transport and environment matters (M Birch)

See also report on NTBCC website.

9.a Communal bin review phase 6 consultation update

• CEC has written to residents stating that some areas’ services will not change but others will. However, these cannot be the final decisions because it has not yet gone to committee. The letters state that there will not be hybrid service, but CEC had not previously clarified this. Hence NTBCC should submit a deputation. CEC has stated that further information can only be obtained via a Freedom of Information request.
  • P Williamson: NTBCC should question how decisions were made. I have drafted a relevant letter.
  • F Banatvala: CEC is ignoring the positive results from the gull-proof sacks trial.

9.b City mobility plan capital investment plan – NTBCC deputation

• This was submitted. However it appears that the relevant council officer had not seen it. (Action: M Birch to write to this officer to clarify NTBCC’s position.)

9.c Cycle hire scheme

• There will be a two-year trial of dockless, GPS-tracked hire cycles. It is planned that this will not be a cost for CEC.

9.d Trams to Newhaven – issues list and actions

• See report.

9.e Edinburgh Bus Users Group AGM

• See report.

9.f Clean air day

• This is on 19 June, but it is not clear what will take place. (The TEC convenor is not aware what is planned.)

10 Any other business

• V Roëves. Do CEC’s street-cleansing plans include weeding? Currently, this service is intermittent.
  • M Birch: I have asked for clarification.
  • Action: Cllr Mowat to investigate.
• Action: G Wells to compare NTBCC’s current and previous constitution.