MARCH 2025 MEETING - Report

Grange/ Prestonfield Community Council Minutes of meeting 19 March 2025

Meeting held in person at Prestonfield Community Centre and via Zoom

Office Bearers - Chair - Ian Chisholm; Joint Vice Chairs - Paul Rowllings, Ellen-Raissa Jackson; Secretary- Raphael Bleakley; Treasurer - Paul Rowllings;

Members present: Ken Robertson, Stanley Bird, Sue Tritton; Ian Wright; Bill Reid; Cllr Pauline Flannery

Members present on Zoom: Paul Rowllings, Andreas Grothey.

Members of the public on Zoom Apologies: Ian Wright, Sally Griffiths

1. Welcome. – Ian Chisholm welcomed members to the last meeting of the 2019 2025 Community Council term.

2. Declarations of Interest – None

3. Minutes of 19 February 2025

Actions: • Planning vacancy – to leave to next Community Council. • Newington Cemetery wall – Wall is finished, waiting for fencing to be erected. • Budget comparator – circulated. 4. Notice of Matters Arising - None

5. Reports (External) – Cllr Flannery updated:

• Commented on the community engagement officer role. Training of engagement officer should be ongoing – identify what they are doing. Having a good idea of the makeup of the area and being able to reach out to specific groups. Needs good engagement in that. For example vibrant church groups are in the area, student demographic and use of Cameron House. It is about the Community Council being reflective of the area.

• A resident in Prestonfield that has noticed rats in the area over the last few months. Cameron House and the school have been notified and the situation is being monitored.

• Tree planting project – will involve Prestonfield primary in the maintenance of trees.

• Priestfield road – bin hubs. Changes for the sites – whether that will be carried out. There were issues with glass bins in particular due to noise impact. Public can now highlight if sites are inappropriate as a bin hub. 1

• Avenues stores – the owners have raised an issue about the Passivhaus development on Blackford Avenue. Owners of the development wanting to put in driveway, leading to loss of parking space outside Avenue Store. CPZ there will change the parking in the area. No notification is required for any changes with the CPZ. Potential for accidents with the new driveway.

• Powerline renewal from Whitehouse Terrace to Kings Building. Public meeting taking place at King’s Buildings on 20th March. This is a long project (15 months), is a question whether they are using the correct route.

• Full Council meeting 20th March. Discussion about UK place-based investment fund. Funding to rebuild post-covid.

• Next round of Community Grants are open.

• Sue asked about the wall at the top of Blackford Avenue, Cllr Flannery to check current status.

• Ken raised story in Edinburgh Live about the call for Community Council’s to “get more”. Can Cllr Flannery follow this up/ Hope this is a start of a discussion. Cllr Flannery spoke about the Council wanting to strengthen Community Council’s and manage any skill gaps.

• Ken raised the Black Magic tour bus which takes up a bus lane and is very polluting. Asks why it sits as a tourist attraction.

6. Reports of Interest Groups -

a. Planning - 25/00591/FUL Salisbury Arms Have received a request to GPCC to put in a late objection to plans, which includes change to signage and enlarged kitchen area which will have direct impact on neighbours in Salisbury Road. Blackett association have submitted an objection. Noted that a consultation on affordable housing opening in Edinburgh.

b. Licensing – none

c. Roads/Transport – update from Alan: • Bus fare increase by 20p. • Two bus services, 38 and 400, running at a loss – Council subsidy to continue these. • Transport meeting debated pedestrian crossings. Discussed increasing the time for a crossing. • Low road in Holyrood Park has been shut due to rockfall. • Tour de France grand depart to come to Edinburgh in 2027. • Cllr Flannery highlighted that the number 9 bus will get additional night time runs.

d. Communications/Publicity - Paul updated • Noticeboard – placed the order for this following successful planning application and road excavation permit. Circulated a design. Will take 5-6 weeks to arrive and will schedule a date before it is up on Dalkeith Road. • Sue raised the Grange Fair is coming up – 10th May. Can GPCC produce flyers? Ken will bring banners and will discuss with the Grange Association to have something inside the library. Ken suggests having a word with Richard Brown and jot down some ideas for an A5 flyer.

e. Environment - • None

f. Newington Cemetery – Ian updated: • Working group met on Monday. Meet on the third Monday of the month. Two further planters have been ordered to be placed next to the noticeboard, due for delivery shortly. • Event on 28th April in the Cemetery – Ken approached by Tony Harris. Public liability insurance for the event?

7. Reports from Office Bearers

a. Treasurer Report – Paul updated: Bank balance is £8,709 made up as follows: • GPCC Account Balance - £4,652 - No new income. - £45 of expenditure (Zoom, Advertising) • Newington Cemetery Balance - £4,057 - No new income or expenditure.

b. Secretary. • None

8. Reports from external groups

EACC – Ken updated: Live event arranged for new Community Councillors. Written to CEC to say one event is not enough, for the purposes of networking.

Alerted to the online safety act implementation by OFCOM, any group involved in social media activity. Specific responsibility required under online safety and monitoring should take place that nothing untoward can take place on that platform. Impact on CC engagement on social media.

EACC have published a one page letter to all Community Councillors in the next term setting out the state of play between CCs and Council managers. Need to be able to push harder and with more purpose. Request that this goes to new Councillors in good time. Asking if this can be passed to Cllr Kumar, to circulate to the letter.

Student Accommodation – Leith Central, pushing a paper about purpose built student accommodation.

9. Open Forum Elections – 10 elected members for GPCC, of those there are five existing members, with five new members of the public. Three representatives from associations; Blackett Association, Waverley Park and the Grange Association.

Raphael thought there was also confirmation from Craigmillar Park of a representative.

Ian thanked the members of the CC who are standing down. Ian indicated that he will not be standing as Chair, so there will be a new team for the next term.

10. Date of Next Meeting - Wednesday 16 April 2025.

Actions

Planning vacancy

Wall at the top of Blackford Avenue, Continued for new CC. Cllr Flannery to check current status.

Noticeboard for Dalkeith Road - Paul to keep updated about progress of delivery and installation.

Attendance at Grange Fair - Ken to draft A5 flyers – using previous comms for information.

May 10th Newington Cemetery event 28th April – Public liability insurance for the event. Check with Ellen-Raissa about the status of insurance.

Arrangements for the next CC term - Raphael to contact Cllr Kumar to establish arrangements for first meeting and to pass on EACC letter for new Community Councillors.