CRAMOND & BARNTON COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Incorporating Cramond, Barnton, Cammo & Quality Street (West)
Minutes of Meeting held on Thurs 17th October 2019 in
Cramond Kirk Millennium Hall
Present: Andrew Mather (Chair), Robert Bruce (Acting Secretary), John Howison, Michael Dick, Georgena Wylie, Jean Morley, Peter Scott, Bert Scott, Percy Feketey. A total of 21 people were in attendance, including Councillors Hutchison and Work.
Apologies for absence: Ian Williamson, Councillors Lang and Young, Patricia Eason.
Minutes of September 2019 Meeting
The minute of the September meeting was approved.
Police Report
PC Jim Kelly from Queensferry station provided a report covering September 2019. The month had been relatively quiet in terms of criminality in the area with one housebreaking, one garage breaking and one attempted garage breaking. Other offences included one drink driving, two licence/insurance three thefts and one Breach of Peace. Of the ten reported crimes, five have been solved.
Housebreaking
Essex Road – garage hinges broken; three-pedal cycles stolen
Cramond Road North – unsuccessfully attempted garage entry
Cramond Glebe Road – Male arrested and charged with breaking into the house and also charged with two further breakings, theft of motorbike, reset and traffic offences
Road Traffic
Drink driving offence – man arrested and charged – no licence or insurance at Barnton Junction. Vehicle seized
Continuing to monitor speed checks on Whitehouse Road and at Cramond Brig/Queensferry Road
Monitoring of vehicles passing on the wrong side of the Bank of Scotland junction continues to be addressed.
Theft
Theft of purse from staff room business in Whitehouse Road
Theft of pushbike at Cramond Foreshore – bike recovered – man charged with theft
Theft of traffic light battery from temporary roadworks at Cramond Road South
Hate Crime
Homophobic breach of the peace at Bruntsfield Golf Course
Other incidents/actions
Anti-social behaviour – young males on quad bikes at a field in Cammo
There were no crimes involving assault.
Police would like to encourage more persons to sign-up for Neighbourhood Watch A question was raised by an attendee on the use of drones. The meeting was advised that Police Scotland have a unit in Glasgow who are tasked with exploring the use of this technology and deployment.
Chairman’s Report covering Airport and Dowies Mill
The Chairman welcomed members both new and those returning to the Community Council.
Airport Plan
The Chairman introduced the representatives and stated that Cramond now had three representatives on the Airport committees. These being John Howison, Tom Wylie – Noise and for Cramond Association – Adam Cumming
Airport Noise
Tom Wylie was invited to provide an overview of noise deployment technology, which records the time of incident and runway being used. In Cramond, the monitor is positioned within the grounds of the Manse.
The Airport uses a module to monitor and build a history of statistics. Proposed ACP changes rejected by CAA.
Edinburgh Airport requires to increase traffic movements from 42 – 50/hr, including night flights. The monitoring is not being recorded for the community, but simply to satisfy Edinburgh Airport statistics.
A question was raised in terms of 50 per hour being the maximum number of flights possible from a single runway? Councillor Hutchison confirmed that was the case.
Workshop group have written to Edinburgh Airport and CAA outlining and expressing their concerns.
A follow-up meeting is planned for 5 November, which will define a new strategy for air movements by the route designers will be encouraged to utilise the River Forth whenever possible.
Airport Consultative Committee
John Howison gave an overview of the Cross Winds project, which is a development company owned by Edinburgh Airport and links to the south-east corner of the Airport.
New access road with shared land with Crosswinds project and future A8 development. The new road development will have little impact on Cramond, although the M8 may be affected at Gogar Junction.
Edinburgh Airport to attend a committee meeting in January to define more detail. Edinburgh Consultative meeting planned for 11 November and will be attended by Andrew Mather.
Air space change – no update at present
Take off pattern of 17.5 degrees may have to be altered since Edinburgh Airport wish to review their original preferences, and therefore will start again. We will resist this.
Edinburgh Airport has no plans to introduce a second runway before 2030 but could be extended to 2050. It was stated that there had been no growth in passengers over the past few months.
Dowies Mill
The Chairman expressed the view that Cramond Community Council were very concerned with the plan by Edinburgh City Council for the redevelopment of Dowies Mill. The CC requested a meeting with the planners, and this was held at the Maltings, and attended by Andrew Mather with key members of FRAW. During this meeting the FRAW proposed an alternative solution which was accepted for evaluation, but that the Council appear to have failed to disseminate the information discussed and therefore has not so far been pursued
Richard Adlington gave an overview of a meeting with the Head of Parks, Greenspaces & Cemeteries. A good engagement was made with the representatives of the community groups in Cramond. The Council’s proposal was strongly criticised, and it was proposed that no action should be taken until the alternative option had been reviewed. It was agreed that this alternative would be considered following a detailed proposal to be submitted to the Council by FRAW. A paper from Joyce Carr of the Scottish Government Environmental Directorate was outlined, and its suggested financial limitations on what could be financed were disputed.
Andrew Mather proposed that a hearing will be requested when the Dowies final proposal was brought forward to the appropriate council committee.
Planning Report
Peter Scott advised that there was nothing to report on planning matters for this meeting.
John Skinner – Cramond Glebe Road Care home, enquired regarding correspondence from the Scottish Government if there had been any further information responses from the Reporters support staff regarding a hearing?
City Plan 2030 (formerly LDP) – the team at Waverly Court working on this forward plan and consideration being given to exploring blank spaces for possible future housing. A meeting to held in November and that Kirklistion and Queensferry will be invited to a meeting in January.
Councillors Reports
Councillor Work
Rubbish facilities at Dowies Mill may have to be repositioned since City Council will not supply additional bins
Rubbish not being uplifted regularly has been revised with City Council. The problem is seen to emanate from lack of understanding of the location and only old bins to be placed, but with no additional dog bins.
Question regarding an update on Edinburgh Licencing Board meetings.
NW commented that representative being recruited, and this was being advertised. Interest in this for NW Edinburgh will be advertised, and that recruitment was being extended to 8 November, when it is hoped that six representatives will be engaged.
Councillor Hutchison
Provided dates for CC induction training sessions which have already been advised by e-mail.
A complaint has been received regarding new LED lighting at Dowies Mill being too bright.
Michael Dick advised that the letter orders served on residents of Gamekeepers Road regarding overhanging branches appear not to have been acted upon.
Council replacing lights and monitoring those which are obscured by overhanging branches.
Michael Dick advised that the bin at Cramond Bus terminus appears to be overflowing and needs to be emptied regularly.
GH expressed some background to the information of Cammo Fields and how these are managed.
Thanks to GH for his response to the question raised at the last meeting, on minutes prepared by committees within the Council.
GH report prepared by officers which do not always reflect the target of where the planning discussion is being expressed on a balanced and clear amendment. Having impartial reports is paramount.
AOCB
Andrew Mather expressed a warm welcome to all Community Councillors and suggested that a meeting would be held towards the end of October to discuss strategy and dissemination of responsibilities.
The next meeting would take the form of an open workshop with a focus on issues currently being addressed.
Peter Feketey has been elected to a newly formatted Neighbourhood Network under the leadership of Peter Strong. A point was raised regarding the memorial which has been sited on Maybury Road since the sad loss of life of one of the accident victims in 2018. This has progressively become a larger display with political intent and should be reviewed and limited by time. Dave Sinclair of the City Council is considering the possibility of a bench to be installed as a more permanent remembrance and reflection.
Acronym’s used in these minutes
- CAA = Civil Aviation Authority
- ACP = Airspace Change Process
- LDP = Local Development Plan
Date of Next Meeting
- Thursday 21 November 2019