CRAMOND & BARNTON COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Incorporating Cramond, Barnton, Cammo & Quality Street (West)

Draft Minutes of Meeting held on 20 March 2014 in Cramond Kirk Millennium Hall

 

Present: Andrew Mather (Chair), Patricia Eason (Business Manager), Ian Williamson (Secretary), Peter Scott, Ross Wilkinson, Percy Feketey, Isla Browning, Jane Neville, Mark Whitlock, Jean Morley and Bert Scott

Apologies:  Ross Wilkinson and Marion Mitchell

A total of 20 residents were present, including members. Councillors Norman Work and Lindsay Paterson also attended.  Apologies had been received from Alastair Shields.

Welcome and introductions

 

The Chair welcomed those attending.

 

Minutes of the previous meeting

The minutes of the meeting of 20 February were approved as representing an accurate account of the issues discussed.

 

Matters arising

The Chair advised that there would be an opportunity for a substantive discussion on the Cammo proposed development arising out of the Secretary’s report.   The scope for organising a “hustings” on the prospective vote on Independence would by influenced by the CC’s ability to obtain balanced representation from both sides and on other CC business pressures for example the local development plan and Cammo development.

 

Police report

There was no police representation at the meeting nor had any report been received.  Consistent engagement with local representatives appeared more elusive since the inception of the new Police Scotland single force.

 

Darren Wraight – Roads Manager for Almond Ward

Darren Wraight began with a brief penpicture of himself covering his background and responsibilities – a local man from the Cramond area now living in Silverknowes.  Two key roles – one as West Roads Manager with responsibility for roads covering an area stretching from South Queensferry to Haymarket.  He was also one of the lead officials for the new Forth Bridge Crossing.   There was a shared recognition at the challenges the team faced in striving to ensure that it was always plugged into planning considerations.  Despite its best efforts it did not consistently manage to achieve the right inputs at the right time.  The public were encouraged to contact the local roads team where they were witnessing problems with either road surfaces and/or parking problems and abuses.  The team were aware of and were trying to address the problems caused by motorists (incl private and commercial) parking on the footpaths.  Behind the old Barnton Hotel was one area in the local community where such parking was causing particular  problems and which were the subject of regular complaints to the team.   They were trying to address these but the fact that the current local bylaws did not regard parking on the pavement as an offence was not helpful.  Plans were however in place to change these bylaws.

 

Concerns were raised about the possible detrimental impact on traffic on the Maybury Road of the proposed Cammo development.  It was felt that the smart traffic lights  that were being suggested would not in themslves address these concerns.  Data was being captured on the current traffic flows and Mr Wraight said that he had input his team’s concerns to the planning team.  Traffic restrictions continued to operate in Davidsons Mains – on the length of vehicles that could access Lauriston Farm Road and on the weight of vehicles along Davidsons Mains High Street.  There followed a discussion about the origins of the bollards at the entrance to Lauriston   Farm Road with varying views being expressed as to their effectiveness.  Concerns about the use and abuse of disabled bays were raised and itr was confirmed that both the police and traffic wardens had a duty to ensure that they were being properly used.  The technical/engineering requirements for reinstating damaged pavements was also discussed in the light of assertions made that the pavement outside numbers 1-5 Barnton Gardens was now on such a slope that it was a danger to walk on.  (Here Darren Wraight undertook to ensure that the works were inspected).

 

Other issues raised included the need for “gully” cleaning (with some road gutters failing to cope with rainwater; the safety of the left turn onto the Queensferry Road from the Maybury Road (and the potential for confusion with a green light immediately followed by give way markings); the condition of sections of Cramond Vale (and a commitment given by one of the former Council officials to carry out the necessary repairs); and the ongoing traffic challenges on Cramond Glebe Road especially on busy weekends owing to indiscriminate parking.  On the last point Mr Wraight advised that work was progressing to introduce a temporary road traffic order covering parking restrictions from the Churchyard north to the entrance into the public car park (at the top of the Village) – the restrictions to apply at peak weekend times during the late spring/summer season.  He also advised that some improvement works were due to be carried out to the surface of the public car park.  Mr Wraight also explained the processes which the Council applies in its efforts to secure acceptable road re-instatement after utilities companies have broken into the carriageway to effect service repairs.   He also described some of the new technologies which are producing improved re-instatements.

 

The Chair expressed concern about the path which ran between the 2 golf courses and in particular at the volume and speed of cycle “traffic” along the path.  Improvements were to be made which would include stagger rails and rumble strips designed to slow cyclists exiting from the path onto West Barnton Avenue.

 

The Chair thanked Mr Wraight for his comprehensive presentation and for the progress being made in addressing a number of roads issues.   .             

 

Treasurer’s report

Jane Neville advised that she would be preparing the end-year accounts for 2013-14 over the coming weeks and would bring a paper to the April meeting.

 

Councillors reports

Lindsay Paterson reported on some of the key themes that had emerged from the recent Edinburgh People’s Survey.  In general people were happy to be living in Edinburgh although concerns were expressed about the condition of roads and pavements and dog fouling remained a problem.  She informed those present that a workshop advising on how to apply for grant support for projects was to be held in South Queensferry on 31 March.    Norman Work reported that a new LRT bus service number 42 was in prospect and he also acknowledged the concerns about the Horsburgh number 64 service with its poor service reliability.  Cammo and the proposed development would continue to receive his full attention.

 

Secretary’s Report

The proposed Cammo development remained the single most important item exercising the community – and the Community Council and this was reflected in the Secretary’s report as distributed at the meeting.  The Community Council would continue to strive to best represent the views of the local community in responding to the Iterations of the Local Development Plan and such planning applications as may emerge.  The next verion of the LDP was due to go before the Council’s Planning Committee in May to be followed by a further period of consultation   The Masterplan for the development which has been produced by the Planning Consultants (Halliday,Fraser, Munro) will be exhibited in the Cramond Church Hall on the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th of April.   Staff from HFM will be around between 4:00pm and 7:00pm on Thursday 3rd April and again on the Saturday 6th between 10:00am and 12 noon to answer questions.

 

Edinburgh Association of Community Councils

It was agreed that Patricia Eason would continue to represent the CC at this forum.

 

 

 

Next Meeting: Thursday 17th April

Where a presentation will be made on the options under consideration for replacing the Salvesen Steps on the walkway from Cramond to Cramond Brig.

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