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NTBCC ordinary meeting minutes 9 October 2024

Minutes of New Town & Broughton Community Council’s ordinary meeting, on Monday 14 October 2024 at 7pm

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 Ken Lochrie NTBCC Cllr Jack Caldwell Leith Walk ward
Mike Birch NTBCC Joe McAdam NTBCC Cllr Finlay McFarlane City Centre ward
Annick Gaillard NTBCC Stewart Mills NTBCC Cllr Max Mitchell Inverleith ward
Stephen Hajducki NTBCC Richard Price NTBCC Alan McIntosh Broughton Spurtle
Deirdre Henderson NTBCC Nick Reid NTBCC PC Grant Police Scotland
Simon Holledge NTBCC Peter Williamson NTBCC ~8 residents/visitors

1.b Apologies

Stewart Mills NTBCC Cllr Jule Bandel Inverleith ward Cllr Jo Mowat City Centre ward
Nick Reid NTBCC Cllr Margaret Graham City Centre ward
Bruce Ryan minutes secretary Cllr Claire Miller City Centre ward

2 Police report

PC Grant reported

  • The recent main focus has been fireworks and related antisocial behaviour. There is now legislation on firework control zones. However, there has been unwelcome firework use by youths in the city centre, leading to food patrols and ‘robust enforcement’ in the east of the city centre.
  • There have been increased drug-use issues in and around Rose St. Action to sort lighting and clean up discarded needles has been undertaken.
  • There have been actions on unwelcome use of e-bikes, resulting in 4 charges, along with educational actions.
  • Another city centre community officer is due to start, bringing the total to 3.

2.a Q&A

  • D Henderson: there was a stramash at St Andrews Square.
    • This was football-related. There was danger of police being assaulted, leading to robust responses. Social media reports concentrated on police responses, rather than the antisocial behaviour leading to them.
  • M Birch: can you tell us about thefts of vehicles and break-in on Calton Terrace? Groups of 3 or 4 people on bikes are using Regent Terrace as a cut-through.
    • I’m not aware of the outcome of this set of incidents. The cut-though is well known to police. Police have been trained to use DNA tagger sprays. Use of police vehicles can endanger the public, so we prefer to use slower enquiries, cross-city CCTV, DNA tagging etc to find suspects. We welcome any reports of suspicious behaviour. Apart from suspected fireworks offences, legislation does not permit police to require removal of face-coverings.
  • Cllr Caldwell: Leith police roads team has acted on e-bikes. Does Gayfield station co-operate with them on this?
    • Such actions are generally one-offs but there is a combined 2-day operation on e-bikes coming up.

3 Minutes of September 2024 meeting

3.a Approval of minutes

Approved subject to noting that P Williamson is on NTBCC, not CEC (proposed M Birch, seconded D Henderson, ND)

3.b Matters arising/actions from previous meeting

Item Actor Action Status
2.b row 3 Cllr Caldwell Pursue reinstatement of bin posters and codes, and of all bins getting fullness-detectors No report
2.b row 4 Cllr Mowat Keep NTBCC informed of any progress with changes to CEC licensing software Complete – no timetable available
2.b row 6 Cllr Caldwell Check whether Edinburgh Atlas shows land that might suit ‘right to grow’ No report
3.b M Birch Arrange a meeting to decide NTBCC’s response to EWH matters, including non-NTBCC members Complete
4.a M Birch Share website responses about service 13 bus with CEC cllrs Complete
4.a M Birch Post a link to the draft Princes St and Waverley Valley strategy on NTBCC’s website No report
4.a M Birch If necessary, make a verbal deputation about George St to TEC. complete – no deputation made
4.a Cllr Mowat Take up with CEC officers the example of the News Room tables and chairs on Leith St In progress
4.b M Birch At the bin-hub workshop, suggest that cleanliness and maintenance are part of amenity, as well as effective pavement widths No report
4.c Cllr Caldwell Report back from a meeting this week with the trams team about Annandale St issues No report
5.b R Price Submit comment about ESF food-truck application requesting temporary permission is given Representation submitted (neutral stance)
5.e R Price Add a link to Princes Street and Waverley Valley Strategyforthcoming consultation to the website Pending (once consultation lodged)
6.b Cllr Mowat Attempt to find if there is a cap to the overall duration of temporary licenses Complete1
9 B Ryan Circulate information about LeithChooses Complete

1 Under the terms of the legislation initially a temp licence was for 6 weeks and we interpreted it to mean you could have number of stays as long as they did not exceed 6 weeks ie 6 x one week periods etc. Scottish Govt in their Amendment Order have now clarified that this can be two periods totally 6 weeks ie a 4 week and a 2 week period etc.

4 Chair’s report

4.a Edinburgh World Heritage Trust governance update

  • P Williamson: this follows from a meeting on 2 Sep to which various CCs were invited. There are concerns over proposed governance arrangements and over how EWHT will engage with local organisations, both of which were not covered in detail at the meeting, so NTBCC’s response was to request such detail, and for local residents’ associations to have a role.
    • EWHT has now responded basically with ‘you tell us what you want’, but NTBCC would prefer that EWH provides detail to which it can respond. There was a further discussion by NTBCC on Monday 30th, with some welcome contributions.
    • M Birch: EHWT has yet to bring forward in a written form proposed changes to its governance arrangements.

4.b Edinburgh World Heritage Site Management Plan Update

  • P Williamson: last week there was a meeting chaired by Cllr Dalgleish (CEC planning convenor), covering the establishment of an oversight group. I have now written back to Cllr Dalgleish stating the need for a lot more detail. The management plan appears to have no reporting back to this group. Items that need action include infrastructure, enhancing governance and accountability, formal involvement of local associations and general widening of EWHT.
    • D Henderson/F Banatvala: there is a lack of clarity and too much waffle. NTBCC should say what it wants, including a clear management structure for the EWH site. Charlotte Square, for example, is an unmanaged mess.
    • S Mills: could the bins campaign approachbe used to create appropriate pressures on relevant bodies?
    • S Holledge: will minutes of last Monday’s EWHT AGM be released? If not, could FOI be used?
    • M Birch: they will be released after approval at the next AGM. Minutes of EWHT’s July board meeting have been released. Only 3 members were present, but this was quorate. FOI might only apply to CEC and partnership matters.
    • S Mills: It has been pointed out that Bath is in a similar situation but its governance does much of what we would like. In contrast, EWHT has captured the management and the finance, and refused to take in new local representatives in place of deceased ones. Hence NTBCC should obtain Bath’s structure and insist on it being replicated here.
    • Cllr Mitchell: I will try to find a deputation to CEC planning about the impact of bollards conservation areas.
    • N Reid: can we ask EWHT directors to explain their positions to NTBCC etc. Are they aware of the disquiet?
    • P Williamson: we met with EWHT vicechair: he is aware of the disquiet.
    • P Williamson: NTBCC should ask for a further meeting and engagement with EWHT, turning around the position of the three bodies that make up EWHT. I question whether this issue is high enough on CEC’s priorities.
    • S Holledge: is EWHT action properly as a charity?
    • Action: M Birch and P Williamson to compile a list of specific actions.

4.c Visitor Levy Consultation (closes 15.12.24) – to note/discuss

  • P Williamson: this has now been approved by Scottish Government and CEC. There is now a long paper by CEC on how the money will be spent. There are concerns about £5m being allocated to housing but many other targets are reasonable. There is a current consultation, closing 15 December. There is an advisor forum, but CEC will take final decisions.
    • M Birch: city operations and infrastructure will receive 55% of the proceeds, culture, heritage and events 35%, destination and visitor management 10%.

4.d Community council elections and governance update

  • P Williamson: the nomination/election process begins in February 2025. NTBCC should reflect on how it raises awareness and encourages candidates. I will write an article for the Spurtle.
    • M Birch/S Holledge: local interest group representatives need to be renominated, but this isn’t an onerous process.
    • A resident: there is an ongoing lack of awareness of community councils.
    • D Henderson: CEC could put notices in council tax letters.
    • Cllr Mitchell: there will be lamp-post wraps and other city-wide advertising by CEC.
    • There was discussion of who would be the returning officers for CC elections.

5 Culture and communities matters

See also summary on NTBCC website.

5.a Mitigating museums and galleries budget pressures 2024/5

  • Cllr MacFarlane: there is a legal requirement for museum and gallery access to be free. Modernisation, including credit card donation terminals and improved gift shops, is needed. There can be charges for entry to special exhibitions.
    • There was discussion of how charges could be made – this would need a change in Scottish legislation. There might be difficulties in proving exemption for Edinburgh residents.

5.b Princes St and Waverley Valley strategy

  • P Williamson: how would this be funded?
    • R Price: there might be increased developer contributions: £140/m2 but this will take time to be delivered.

5.c Draft ‘climate-ready Edinburgh’ plan

  • Cllr Caldwell: this has been to every CEC committee. It is a very large piece of work.
    • Cllr MacFarlane: CEC culture and communities considered its impact on parks and green spaces and biodiversity. Other CEC committees will have consider its impact on items in their remits.

5.d Edinburgh Future Libraries Consultation (closes 18.12.24) – to note/discuss

  • S Holledge: there was a consensus in email discussion for keeping libraries going and diversifying services.

5.e Planned Walkabout (First New Town) – 28 October 2024

  • S Holledge: there will be a walkabout in the first new town on Monday 28 October, starting at 2pm in St Andrews Square, looking for blocked drains, graffiti, litter etc. CEC cllrs are welcome.
    • P Williamson: a few months ago, I saw a yellow notice stating that a drain would be cleared. This hasn’t happened and the notice is still there.

6 Licensing matters

All points made by A Gaillard unless otherwise noted

6.a Consultation on STL Licencing (closes 14.10.24) – to note NTBCC submission

  • I will submit NTBCC’s response this evening. I will attend the evidence session next Monday (2pm to 4pm) if I can.

6.b Regulatory matters

  • There has been a proposal for additional fees for new categories of STL.
    • Cllr Caldwell: this is due to changes in legislation about licence transfers. Licenses pertain to individuals, not properties. I will share written information when I can.
  • There was a referral about tables and chairs to the regulatory committee.
    • Cllr Caldwell: there was no real action here – it came from Transport & Environment, and sought to resolve inconsistencies. There is no agreed hierarchy for pavements in terms of which should be considered high footfall.
  • There was a report of the numbers of license applications. The highest number is for STL. Street trader licensing significantly fell over the last 5 years. Most other numbers are back to pre-covid levels. However, street collections numbers have increased.

6.c Licensing board and overprovision

  • There will be a meeting of the local forum on 25 October. The statement of policy should be submitted in early 2025

6.d Licensing subcommittee

  • This met last week, but there is nothing of import.

6.e Other matters

  • There was high pressure water being used outside the Playhouse this weekend, leading to some areas being cordoned off.
    • A McIntosh: CEC received UK Government funding for removal of chewing gum.

7 Planning update

7.a Update on amended RBS application (learnings from 8 October event & community engagement)

All points made by R Price unless otherwise noted.

  • Following on from about 8 years of applications, clearance of the site was finished last week. At the October event, it was proposed to remove the offices and build-to-rent accommodation (as in an approved scheme), replacing these with residential and purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA). Exhibition boards are not yet on the developer’s website. These stated that affordable housing units will be as in the approved scheme, along with ~300 residential units for sale and 550-580 student beds. The massing will be mostly as in the approved scheme, but there will be some indented blocks, slightly higher than the approved scheme facing Fettes Row (previously the office building).
    • A resident: some promises to local residents will be broken, and there will be some changes to access and parking.
    • Because of the significant proposed changes to class-uses, the developers need to go through the whole application process again. Hence the new application may be submitted close to Christmas (at the earliest). The developer has to lodge a pre-consultation report covering comments it has received, so people should submit comments to make sure all concerns have been raised with the developer.
    • The architecture of the corner block would be changed. Proposal for residential access via ‘bridges’ from Fettes Row. This would need build-outs on a very narrow pavement/street. A wider pavement would be welcome, but the road would need to either become one-way or lose parking. I can’t see why residential access can’t be via another way.
    • Concerning PBSA, several recent proposals (e.g. Eyre Place) have been rejected by the Scottish reporter due to size / height / massing but not against PBSA per se. However, the number of beds proposed may well be an issue.
    • We all would like the site to be developed. I will put the relevant form on NTBCC’s website.
    • S Mills: in Gt King St, we have many university students who do not pay council tax yet get parking permits. They should be charged more for parking permits if they are not paying council tax.
    • There would be underground parking on this site but no allocation for PBSA users.
    • D Henderson: during university holidays, won’t PBSA units become short-term lets? How would this affect parking?
    • M Birch: please can we invite the developers to the November NTBCC meeting?
    • K Lochrie: it is unwelcome that the original plan for residential accommodation has been replaced with PBSA.
    • It is possible to use the argument that the local health centre/other infrastructure could not support so many new occupants.

7.b Other recent planning applications of note

  • No discussion

7.c Royal High School Preservation Trust survey – to note

  • No discussion

8 Transport and environment matters

See report on NTBCC website. All points made by M Birch unless otherwise noted.

8.a Transport and environment committee meeting (10 October 2024) update

  • See report. There is concern over continuity when the 13 bus service changes operator. Further information on car milage will become available in due course.

8.b Bus matters

  • The shelter at Mansfield Traquair Centre was removed because it was stated to be unstable. It should be replaced but permission from the traffic commissioner is needed first.
  • A resident: how can the 13 service make money? What is the level of subsidy?
    • Cllr MacFarlane: the total subsidy for the three supported bus services is ~£0·5m.
    • M Birch: this service needs to be advertised. It goes through some areas that have no other service.

8.c Dublin St

  • There was work due to a collapsed water main, leading to the road being closed and parking being halted. Was this necessary? Who decided what traffic management is required.
    • Cllr MacFarlane: utility companies have rights of access, and probably say how much space they require. CEC should have made alternative provision for the national cycle route.

8.d Waste matters

  • We have forthcoming visits to Millerhill (food waste) and Biffa (recycling). Please let me know if you want to attend.
  • Cllr Caldwell: there is a written definition of amenity applicable to communal bins – see the local development plan
    • M Birch: CEC decided that communal bins do not require planning approval or environmental impact assessment. These would have required consideration of residential amenity from the very start.

8.e East London St

  • An ELS resident: 90 minutes ago, 4 AAA coaches came back-to-back along this road which does not have a bus route. 16 hours ago (~4am), 7 Lothian buses came along this road. It is 27 days since I made an FOI request for the pollution report for ELS. It is 2¼ years since Lothian Buses promised a reduction in out-of-service buses, and over 5 years since the original petition about traffic in this street. There have been no changes in that time, so people are moving away.
    • NTBCC will follow up on various ways that might improve matters. CEC is not able to control Lothian’s operations.
    • Cllr MacFarlane: we wanted to know whether residents wish setts to be retained or removed. If CEC officers have not done this, this is poor.

9 Experimental Traffic Orders (London Rd) – to note/discuss draft objection

  • Action: NTBCC objection to be submitted before 28 October deadline

10 Councillors’ reports

  • No reports

11 Any other business

  • A resident: a communal bin outside the Cumberland bar has been full for 6 weeks, but the one next to it is empty.
    • Cllr MacFarlane: I will contact waste services about this asap.
  • M Birch: there is a petition about the standard of street cleansing in the Bellevue/Broughton area. The issues complained about happen elsewhere too, so I have tried to contact the petitioner to see if he requires any support from NTBCC.