PLANNING AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS
21/02710/FUL: 35 East Barnton Ave. – Alteration, Extension and New Garage at Existing House; Subdivision of Plot and New House.
The Old Parsonage is an attractive, c.1900, mock-Tudor style house on the corner of East Barnton Gardens overlooking Davidsons Mains Park. The proposals comprise refurbishment of the existing house, a modest contemporary extension, new garage and sub-division of the plot resulting in 0.6 ha for the existing house and garden and 0.4 ha for a new two-storey house of contemporary design. This new house would have a sunken ground floor and flat roofs, resulting in it being substantially screened from public view.
Given the sensitive and attractive designs for alterations to the existing house and the new home and their extensive garden settings and screening, it is proposed that the CC accepts the proposals and makes no observations to this application. Hence, this note is primarily for information.
21/02714/FUL; 21/02712/LBC: Cramond Inn, Cramond Glebe Road
This application follows a previous application (20/03108), which was granted to enable the construction of a 2m (6’) high slatted timber fence, around the boundary of the Cramond Inn. This permission required the applicants to set out a programme of archaeological works. The current applications for planning and conservation area consents are intended to satisfy the original conditions.
While the CC agrees with requirements for the support posts to be placed in the locations of previous post holes and for any findings of archaeological interest to be notified to the local authority archaeologist, it is proposed to make a submission –

Objecting to the modified designs for the proposed fence. Whereas the previous consented designs comprised slatted timber board fencing, the new application proposes use of industrial style wire fencing, topped with razor wire (see below). This design would be more appropriate to an industrial site, rather than this sensitive site, centrally located within Cramond Conservation Area and adjacent to the popular visitor car park. In addition, the use of razor wire is unnecessary and inappropriate in a setting adjacent to a public car park used by tourists and recreational visitors and in a heritage setting. The CC would have no objections this application being modified to re-adopt the previously consented timber boundary fence design
That the applicants either plant suitable screening (hedges or shrubs) along the verge between the proposed fence and car park (if owned by the applicant) or enter a planning agreement or s.75 obligation to fund such provision by the Council if it is the owner of this strip of land.
In addition, the CC has sought clarification that the proposed fence extends only along the car park boundary and not around a greater extent of the Cramond Inn site, as there is a lack of clarity on the applicant’s plans.
21/02839/FUL: 4 Glebe Road: New Office Space and Extension
This application for a site within the Cramond Conservation Area is for a two-storey office/living space alongside the semi-detached home at 4 The Glebe, a new extension to the front of the existing building and new boundary fencing. The CC has identified many shortfalls in the application (e.g., misleading perspective illustrations, lack of details of materials for building, roofs and site boundaries), which are required to enable assessment of the proposals and their impacts on the Conservation Area. Hence, we have requested that the Council seeks such information and renotifies neighbours once this is available.
The CC is likely to object to the proposals as they would appear from current information to be detrimental to the character of the Conservation Area, in terms of scale and materials, and what appears to be the replacement of the existing a boundary hedge along the roadside with high timber fencing supported by concrete posts.
Meeting with Cramond Practice
On 20 May 2021 Ian Williamson and Gena Wylie met with Dr Lazaro and Sheila Barrie the Practice Manager to discuss various issues relating to how the Practice had been operating during the pandemic and to obtain a sense as to what changes may be expected as Scotland looks to return to something resembling normality. What follows is a record of the key messages to come out of the meeting:
Key Messages
General steer expected to GPs across Scotland to migrate back towards offering greater proportion of face-to-face consultations (inc. proportion without initial GP telephone contact) as against telephone consultations. Cramond GPs plan to fully embrace this direction of travel reflecting awareness of a patient demographic generally more comfortable with face-to-face consultations. But telephone consultation has been welcomed by many patients, especially younger patients, and those working. A return to busy waiting rooms is not considered desirable.
Choice is required and mixed consultations will help better manage numbers waiting at any time in the practice. Where technology may assist the clinical understanding of the condition – for example, an i-phone image of a lesion or rash – then arrangements for that to be forwarded to the practice can be made when a telephone appointment is agreed. The on-line booking system will also be restored when the time is right.
Covid has been stressful for the practice as it has been for patients. Shielding staff and staff sickness has increased the pressure on those remaining and the partners have a duty of care to staff as well as to patients. Managing patients initially via telephone consultations has brought with it challenges for all staff at the practice, including both clinical and administrative support staff. There are some new staff, including reception staff, and the critical importance of the initial telephone contact in shaping the overall patient experience was discussed and is recognised.
There is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner supporting the GP workload. Highly skilled she will also undertake home visits and assessments.
The practice has also secured sessions from a specialist Dementia UK nurse – Lindsay White. Carers may contact her team directly for compassionate 1:1 support and practical solutions in looking after people with dementia. Contact via telephone on 0131 357 2611 (Mon-Fri 09:00 to 17:00hrs) or email. scotlandclinic@dementiauk.org
The reconfiguration and refurbishment of the Surgery is nearing completion with all the consulting rooms now located on the ground floor. The greater reliance on telephone consultations has mitigated the disruption for many patients during the reconstruction phase although the practice recognises and regrets the environment which some patients visiting the practice endured during the Winter months.
Improved engagement and communication with the Community was acknowledged as essential if patients were to understand how the practice was trying to respond to patient needs within the changing operating constraints.
Ian Williamson and Peter Scott
Secretary
June 2021