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Next NTBCC meeting, contacting NTBCC, coronavirus information

Next NTBCC meeting

The next meeting will be on Monday 8 February 2021 at 7:00pm. Following Edinburgh Council guidance, this will again be a ‘virtual’ meeting using the Zoom platform.

The agenda for this meeting will be posted on the website at least 7 days in advance.

Members of the public are very welcome to sign up for this meeting. Registration will be via Eventbrite: we will post the Eventbrite link here as soon as it’s available.

We continue to take account of current Covid-19  guidance and  the logistics / availability of a suitable venue to resume in-person meetings at some point in the future. These may be held either in the Drummond Room, Broughton St Mary’s Church, Bellevue Crescent or at another nearby location that would ensure that all participants could adhere to the physical distancing requirements at that time.

The Drummond Room at Broughton St Mary’s is a DDA-compliant venue – enter by ramp at right side of church, which is suitable for wheelchairs.

At meetings, email addresses are only collected for circulating information about NTBCC and seeking residents’ views on local issues. If you wish to be removed from this circulation list, please email minsec@ntbcc.org.uk.

Contacting NTBCC

Any member of the public who would like to raise an issue for any meeting can use the contact form on this website or send us a message via @NTBCC on Twitter.

General coronavirus information

 

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Shelter: Questions about coronavirus and housing rights?

 

Shelter leaflet, with link to http://shelter.org.uk/get_help

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help.

We’ve seen a big increase in demand for our services since the coronavirus pandemic began. We’re here with the latest information and advice for people whose housing has been impacted by COVID-19, such as people who’ve accrued rent arrears due to losing their jobs, or are threatened with illegal evictions.

Signpost clients with housing problems to Shelter’s free online housing advice for:

  • reliable and updated information
  • step by step advice guides
  • access to a webchat adviser
  • an emailed copy of the chat

Visit shelter.org.uk/covid19 or search ‘Shelter housing advice’.

For people in urgent housing need (if they’re homeless or likely to be homeless within 8 weeks; or are at risk of harm), please signpost them to our emergency helpline at shelter.org.uk/get_help.

For an overview of which Shelter services to signpost to when, please see their Signposting Guide. (Click the image above to see the full PDF.)

 

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NTBCC minutes – Monday 14 December 2020

Minutes of New Town & Broughton Community Council’s ordinary meeting, held via Zoom, on Monday 14 December 2020 at 7pm Continue reading →

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NTBCC January meeting summary – Mike Birch, Transport convener

Another well attended virtual meeting – peaking at 47 attendees including yet another excellent turnout of NTBCC members as well as local City of Edinburgh Councillors Mowat, Osler and Mitchell and our MP, Deidre Brock – their presence, as always, very much appreciated. It was a time to say farewell to one of our long-standing Community Councillors, Jonathan Finn, who has recently served as both Treasurer and Licencing Convenor. We also welcomed Ken Lochrie, who was formally adopted as a new Associate member as a temporary representative for the Drummond Civic Association.

After the problems that some people had accessing the meeting last month, we were all relieved that normal Zoom service returned. As always the agenda was very packed but due to the excellent marshalling of our Chair, Carol Nimmo we managed to finish the discussion within two minutes of the scheduled time!

The Police Scotland report highlighted several burglaries of business premises and further cases of vandalism occurring within the New Town as well as their continuing efforts to respond to reports of Covid-19 breaches but no details of the number of fixed penalty notices were provided. There was also mention of Operation Watchnight for Hogmanay, which was unsurprisingly reported as being the quietest in many years.

Much of the meeting was taken up with Planning issues. Richard Price, who as always is on top of all matters to do with Planning in our area, provided an excellent summary of the status of the key planning applications.  We also had a brief presentation from the team responsible for the plans to develop 12-14 Picardy Place into a new 67-bedroom hotel with an enclosed rear courtyard bar and restaurant (incorporating The Outhouse bar). This presentation coincided with   the formal submission of the  planning applications but the developers had already presented to the NTBCC Planning committee in late October but it was helpful that a wider audience  got an early sight of the final plans and the opportunity to ask the developers questions about the impact on neighbours and the environment.

Continue reading →

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NTBCC meeting – January 2021 Transport / Planning Committee Reports (Draft)

Transport Committee Report (January 2021)

Spaces for People

London Road – The initial work required to create a segregated cycle lane along London Road between Easter Road and Leith Walk has been completed with the removal of the parking bays and the addition of new road markings. Further work will be required to put the temporary bollards in place and provide new signage. Following the discussion at the last Community Council meeting I have written to Leith Central Community Council seeking their support for improvements to the Leopold Place pedestrian crossing.

Broughton Street – together with Jenni Inglis, I met with David Hunter from Living Streets for a walkabout around our area and Broughton Street in particular. We highlighted some of our concerns about pedestrian access and it was agreed that we would arrange a formal street audit in January. No date has yet been set. Better Broughton made a presentation at our December meeting and have submitted their proposals for changes to Broughton Street to the Spaces for People team; some of which are aligned with our own thoughts. It is important that we develop our own more detailed proposals based on our previous submission to the Council. We have received no further contact from the Spaces for People team regarding the suggested pre-proposal discussion.

Tram Works

Regular monthly meetings of the affected Community Councils with the Trams Team will resume at the end of this month with both the draft Traffic Regulation Orders (still not issued for public consultation) and follow up to the Traffic Modelling data review on the agenda. Tram works that were shutdown over the Christmas and New Year period resumed on 5 January.

Mike Birch January 2021

Planning Report (January 2021)

Major Applications – Current  

‘New Town Quarter (NTN)’ – Initial application submitted at the end of August for redevelopment of the former RBS site on Dundas Street – incl.  144 ’Build to Rent’ (BTR) residential units, 117 private residential units and 88 Mid-Market Rent (MMR) = 349 residential units in total. The 88 MMR units meet the 25% ‘affordable units’ requirement on site – in addition, incl. with office space, retail / leisure space & a 116 room hotel.

Main application was 20/03034/FUL accompanied by an application for ‘Complete Demolition in a Conservation Area’ (20/03661/CON).

A 3rd application specifically covered the access from the development into King George V Park (20/03655/FUL) – ‘Formation of Path & Associated Landscaping’. Proposed removing 5 trees (3 defined as viable) to allow a wide split entrance into the park in the south-west corner, for pedestrians (steps) & cyclists / ‘wheelers’ by a ramp.

Continue reading →

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NTBCC meeting agenda – Monday 11 January 2021

Agenda for online meeting: 6:45pm for 7.00pm start

We very much welcome members of the public joining the meeting (using the Zoom platform).

Please register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/new-town-broughton-cc-meeting-via-zoom-monday-11-january-2021-tickets-134689994399

Log-in details / Zoom link will then be emailed to all those who have registered.

Anyone who wants to raise an issue for discussion can do so either by submitting a Contact Us form or send a message via Twitter @NTBCC.

  1. Technology check / Admin/ Welcome
 (6:45 to 7:00 pm)
  1. Minutes of 14 December meeting (via Zoom) and matters arising
    (To approve)
  1. Police Report
    (To note, Police Scotland key messages as received/circulated prior to meeting)
 (5 minutes)
  1. Presentation on hotel proposals for 12-14 Picardy Place and Q&A
    (Jonathan Lonie, Proprietor and Alex Orr of Orbit Communications)
 (20 minutes)
  1. Planning
    1. New Town North Revised Application
    2. Update on 108-116 & 118 Dundas Street
  1. (10 minutes)
  2. (10 minutes)
  1. Summary: Edinburgh Civic Forum ‘Princes Street & Waverley Valley Strategy’ meeting
 (10 minutes)
  1. Public Space Management Plan
 (15 minutes)
  1. Transport
    Licensing
    Environment
    Engagement and Communications
 (10 minutes)
  1. Local Residents Associations/Local Interest Groups
 (10 minutes)
  1. Any other business
    (including any contact by residents not previously covered)
 (10 minutes)

During the meetings, 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.

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NTBCC minutes – Monday 9 November 2020

Minutes of New Town & Broughton Community Council’s AGM, held via Zoom, on Monday 09 November 2020 at 7pm Continue reading →

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Apology!

NTBCC sincerely apologies to anyone who tried to join its December meeting (14 December) but could not get in.

It appears there was a problem with the password to join the meeting. We are not sure why this occurred – possibly the original password was overwritten. However, we will do all we can to enable people to join meetings in future. We actively want public participation – and participation by ward councillors. (Two planned to attend but could not access the meeting.)

We hope for a better – and glitch-free – 2021 for everyone.