NTBCC submits formal complaint regarding handling of planning application

The New Town and Broughton Community Council has submitted a formal complaint to the City of Edinburgh Council regarding its handling of a planning application for the development of a site on Blenheim Place. This complaint was submitted on 30 April 2025 but to date no response has been provided. The following is a summary of that complaint but the full document is attached for your reference.

 Summary of Complaint to the City of Edinburgh Council: Planning Local Review Body (Panel 1), 2 April 2025, Item 6.1

 The Planning Local Review Body (LRB Panel 1) met on 2 April to consider Item 6.1 entitled: 12 Blenheim Place (At Land 45 Metres East Of) – Erection of new 5-bedroom family home on land between Greenside Parish Church and No. 12 Blenheim Place Application no. 24/01889/FUL.

This was a section 43 appeal against refusal of planning permission on 28 October 2024. The appeal was lodged by Scott Hobbs Planning on behalf of CSG Projects Limited on 24 January 2025.

On 30 April, the New Town & Broughton Community Council made a formal complaint to the City of Edinburgh Council concerning serious procedural failures, apparent bias, and lack of adherence to statutory requirements by the Planning Local Review Body (Panel 1) during the review on 2 April 2025. The complaint was based upon a careful examination by community councillors of the webcast of the relevant part of the meeting. Continue reading

Agenda for May NTBCC Meeting

The next meeting of the New Town and Broughton Community Council will take place on Monday 12 May 2025, starting at 7.00pm. This meeting will be held online on Zoom. The link for this meeting is as follows:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87849508345?pwd=qWIte18bCUReZjaf8SgGMFf1Ay6RzN.1

The agenda for the meeting is:

  1. Welcome and Apologies
  2. Declarations of Interest
  3. Approval of Minutes of April 2025 Meeting and Matters Arising 2025_04_14 draft V4 copy
  4. Chair’s Report
    1. Edinburgh World Heritage Trust (to note)
    2. Community Council Election and Induction Issues (to note/discuss)
    3. Community Councillor Interests Survey (to note)
    4. Arrangements for Business Meeting (to note)
  5. Culture and Communities Matters
    1. Dunard Centre Project Update – Jo Buckley, Chief Executive, IMPACT Scotland
    2. Culture & Communities Committee Meeting – 5 June 2025 (to note)
    3. Appointment of Edinburgh Visitor Levy Forum Chairperson (to note)
    4. Calton Hill Conservation Trust AGM – 17 May 2025 (to note)
    5. Friends of George V Park AGM (to note)
  6. Planning Matters
    1. Planning Local Review Body Decision – 12 Blenheim Place (to note/discuss)
    2. Revised application & Variations for the former RBS site (to note/discuss)
    3. Request for Pre-Application Meeting by Royal London (to discuss)
    4. Recent Planning Applications & Appeals (to note/discuss)
  7. Transport and Environment Matters (convener’s report
    1. Communal Bin Review Phase 6 Consultation Update (to note/discuss)
    2. TRO Subcommittee Meeting – Review of ETRO Objections (to note/discuss)
    3. City Mobility Plan Capital Investment Plan (to note/discuss)
  8. Licencing Matters  (convener’s report)
    1. Regulatory – STL Licensing & Aparthotels (to note)
    2. Licensing Board – Report of Meeting of 28 April 2025 (to note)
    3. Licensing Board – Supplementary Statement of Policy on Overprovision (to note)
  1. Any Other Business
    1. Napier University Engagement Project (to note)
    2. Councillor Jule Bandel Absence (to note)

NTBCC ordinary meeting minutes 10 March 2025

Minutes of New Town & Broughton Community Council’s ordinary meeting, held via Zoom, on Monday 10 March 2025 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. Continue reading

Agenda for Meeting of New Town and Broughton Community Council on 14 April 2025

The agenda for the next meeting of the New Town and Broughton Community Council on Monday 14 April 2025 at the Drummond Room, Broughton St Mary’s Church on Bellevue Crescent is shown below. Please note that this meeting will commence earlier than usual at 6.45pm to allow time for our Returning Officer, Councillor Claire Miller to announce the results of the recent community council election for our area and confirm the appointment of Office Bearers.

Agenda for New Town and Broughton Community Council Meeting – 14 April 2025

  1. Welcome, Introductions and Apologies
  2. Declarations of Interest
  3. Announcing Community Council Members as duly elected
  4. Confirmation of Community Council Name
  5. Election of Office Bearers
    1. Appointment of Chair
    2. Appointment of Secretary
    3. Appointment of Treasurer
    4. Appointment of Engagement and Inclusion Officer
  6. Community Council Representatives to attend induction event on 26 April 2025.

Note: The above items will be chaired by the appointed Returning Officer for the New Town and Broughton Community Council election, Councillor Claire Miller.

  1. Approval of Minutes of 10 March 2025 Meeting and Matters Arising
  2. Presentation with Questions & Answers by Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, Convenor of CEC Transport and Environment Committee
  3. Chair’s Report
    1. Edinburgh World Heritage Trust and Interface Group Meetings (to note)
  4. Planning Matters
    1. Planning Guidance Consultation – NTBCC Response (to note)
    2. Planning Local Review Body Decision – 12 Blenheim Place (to discuss)
    3. Recent Planning Applications
  5. Licencing Matters (convener’s report)
    1. Licensing Board
      1. Licensing Applications & Standards – Feb 2025 statistics (to note)
      2. Overprovision – additional consultation (to note/discuss)
    2. Civic Licensing + Tables & Chairs (to note)
    3. Beltane Fire Festival – Queue Management (to note/discuss)
  6. Transport and Environment Matters (convenor’s report)
    1. Communal Bin Review Phase 6 Consultation – NTBCC Response (to note)
    2. Trams to Newhaven Project Update (to note)
  7. Culture and Communities Matters
  8. Any Other Business

 

 

The Big Wheel in East Princes Street Gardens – NTBCC Issues Comments

The New Town and Broughton Community Council has submitted its comments regarding the planned installation of ‘The Big Wheel’ in East Princes Street Gardens from this summer until January next year. Our comments have focussed on the loss of important public green space, potential damage to the environment as well as the adverse impact on the City’s heritage and UNESCO World Heritage Site. A copy of the full comments can be found below.

NTBCC Comments – The Big Wheel

There is still time if you wish to submit your own comments to the Public Spaces Team at  publicspaces@edinburgh.gov.uk . The closing date for comments is Thursday 20 March.

On the Road to Nowhere? Edinburgh’s Streetscape and Heritage Places

We have recently been advised that the Cockburn Association has organised a public meeting to explore the current issues and challenges in managing streetscapes and civic spaces in a heritage city. This is a topic that is close to the heart of the New Town and Broughton Community Council with several examples in our area where concerns have been raised about the impact on the streetscape of Council decisions. The following is an extract from their notice about the meeting.

Not only is the centre of Edinburgh inscribed as a World Heritage Site, but many areas of the city are designed as a Conservation Area, defined as a place of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance which is desirable to preserve or enhance.

Street space in Edinburgh is a finite resource. City of Edinburgh Council policies such as the City Mobility Plan and Future Streets/City Centre Transformation have generally been welcomed, attempting to address the variety of purposes and traffic modes which creates these major tensions and challenges on Edinburgh’s streets.

However, streetscape management is an increasing concern. From the lack of basic maintenance to interventions like the concrete ramp in the internationally significant Charlotte Square, tarmacking over historic setts in Frederick Street and unsightly pedestrian control infrastructure on the High Street are just a few recent examples.

Join us to hear from the Association and other organisations on the challenges of streetscape and civic space management in Edinburgh. Share with us your concerns about what is happening on your street.”

It’s a free event being held on Thursday 3rd April, between 5:30 – 7:30pm in the Augustine United Church on George IV Bridge. You can register via Eventbrite using the following link :

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/on-the-road-to-nowhere-edinburghs-streetscape-and-heritage-places-tickets-1273752029609?aff=oddtdtcreator

 

NTBCC ordinary meeting minutes 9 December 2024

Minutes of New Town & Broughton Community Council’s ordinary meeting, on Monday 9 December 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.

These minutes could not be published until they had been approved at the following ordinary meeting in February 2025. Continue reading