JANUARY 2026 MEETING - Draft Report
- sillertonhill
- Oct 30, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 22
Prepared: 22 January 2026.
Minutes of GPCC Ordinary Business Meeting, Wednesday, 21 JANUARY 2026 (18.45)
at Cameron House Community Centre, 34 Prestonfield Avenue, Edinburgh.
ATTENDANCE
Ward Councillor: Cllr. Pauline Flannery (Cllr PF)
Members: Ken Robertson (KR), Peter Cochrane (PC), Sally Griffiths (SG), Andreas Grothey (AG), Ellen Jackson (ERJ), Peter Jones (PJ), Neil Kempsell (NK), Hrafn Malmquist (HM), Cori Schwabe (CS), Ian Wright (IW).
Apologies:
Ian Chisholm (IC),
1. WELCOME: Chair. Audio or Video Recording: None.
2. APOLOGIES: Declared
3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST: None
4. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING: Report of 17 December 2025 adopted. (NK, CS)
5. MATTERS ARISING NOT COVERED IN AGENDA: In attendance: Ms A Morton,
Ms L Wickes, Mr S Bird to raise the issue of speeding in Blacket Avenue.
· Residential street in conservation area. Short cut between principal thoroughfares. Quiet mobility route for pedestrians and cyclists. Care and nursing home. ‘Rat run’ for motorists and for motor bikes. Weekend and late-night discomfort for residents. Street petition raised with Cllr PF. Argued that situation warrants speed cameras, tight policing of 20mph limit, one-way system.
· Cllr PF to add Blacket Avenue to a local street listing of Queen’s Crescent and Prestonfield Avenue, to be submitted for a Council Q2 (bi-annual) city-wide traffic survey of ‘speeding hot spots’. Options for remedial action may emerge then.
· To report incidents of concern, the effective route is to contact the Edinburgh South East Community Policing Team by email, quoting instances and frequency, at: EdinburghCPTSouthEast@scotland.pnn.police.uk or at https://www.scotland.police.uk/secureforms/contact/
6. EXTERNAL REPORTS
6.1 Ward Councillor Report (Cllr PF)
6.1.1 Police resources are acknowledged to be extremely stretched. Looking ahead, there is the possibility of a boost to local funding from the proceeds of the tourist Visitor Levy (2026-2027).
6.1.2 Details of the Council’s (CEC) budget proposals (income and expenditure) for the General Fund and the Housing Revenue Account will be tabled at the Finance and Resources Committee on 3 February. https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CId=140&Year=0
6.1.3 Transport and Environment Committee (TEC) 29 January: Items of note:
· Communal Bin Review: City-wide completion of the project won’t be until 2027. Within the GPCC area, bin site issues on Dalkeith Rad have been tackled. Areas of concern remain elsewhere, e.g. West Mains Road, on sites and capacity. Where you have concerns on bins and waste collection, report it here: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/bins-recycling
· City Mobility Plan (CMP): A fresh public ‘Democratic Engagement’ on aspects of design and planned implementation looks to be in the pipeline. One element of (local) concern is that road junctions identified as hazardous have been swept into broader plans for design of ‘quiet traffic flow routes’. The work on the ‘Quiet Route’ programme itself has been slowed on account of resource and funding pressures.
· The Report to the TEC on 29 January will also carry detail of the current Works Programme. See the TEC link above.
6.1.4 Local Traffic Improvement Plan: This initiative invites local submissions for low-cost improvements to roadways and pathways. The invitation closes at end-January. Look for a TEC update in April.
6.1.5 ‘Voi’ E-bike Hire Scheme: Programme roll-out has expanded. Programme management is by Voi, with Edinburgh Council as partner. Site selection looks in the first instance to be managed by Voi. The scheme has many advantages and must be allowed to ‘bed in’. Where you encounter issues (e.g. Kilgraston Road / Grange Loan junction). Report them here:
Cllr PF to look to establish who at CEC is monitoring reporting of issues by the public.
6.1.6. The Council’s Roads, Travel and Parking Division continues work on road signalling improvements.
6.1.7 Provocative vandalism incident at Edinburgh Mosque recorded.
6.1.8 Local community groups in need of new member support and active help:
Grange Association; Southside Community Council; Southside Management Committee; Astley Ainslie Community Trust.
6..1.9 Queries raised with Cllr PF:
(SG) Has the Council ‘Local Spruce-up Programme’ reached Newington? Little sign of it. Cllr PF will query Waste and cleansing Service on nature and scale of the clean-up.
(SG) Pavement condition Waverley Park to Salisbury Road is ‘atrociously bad’. Where do reported disrepairs stand in the programme of works? What prioritisation is given to them? More ‘transparency’ is needed of footway repair scheduling.
7.1 Follow-up Points from last meeting:
All covered. University lodge building in Pollok Halls estate has been cleaned of graffiti and re-boarded.
7.2 Planning (IW):
7.2.1 Cameron Toll Redevelopment: Next public display meeting at Cameron Toll moved back to 26 February. GPCC look to meet with representatives of the development team vias Liberton & District CC at some stage.
7.2.2 Causewayside Lads Institute: CEC Planning hold back from issuing a Building Preservation Notice. (Demolition is not permitted.) A Scot Gov DPEA Inspector is to review the appeal lodged against CEC refusal of planning permission of the Proposed PBSA development at 27-29 and 33-41 Ratcliffe Terrace and 4 Upper Gray Street.
7.2.3 Planning announces a Gilmerton Conservation Area Draft Appraisal.
7.2.4 Proposed PBSA development at 140 Causewayside: News awaited.
7.2.5 Likely PBSA development at Scottish Widows building: News awaited.
7.3 Licensing (KR):
Edinburgh Licensing Board to open a consultation on licensing hour and venue extension to cover the 2026 World Cup; directed principally at the licensing trade, Alcohol Focus Scotland and Edinburgh Licensing Forum.
GPCC response to Sun Tan Centre Consultation on licensing conditions update focused on need for rigorous training standards and for strict governance of the ‘legitimacy’ (untoward activities) of the business.
7.4 Roads and Transport (NK):
7.4.1 Local Traffic Improvement Plan submissions made in respect of Dalkeith Road / East Mayfield and Kilgraston Road / Grange Loan junctions. Speeding and Voi Bikes covered above.
7.5 CEC Play Area Sufficiency Consultation (KR):
GPCC response noted only one formal play area of size in the GPCC area but a range of outdoor (park / woodland) areas within walking distance. Principal focus should be on safe pedestrian walkway / footpath / junction approached to play area sites. Contribution to response received from Preston Street Primary Parents’ Council.
7.6 Engagement Programme (CS):
TGPV Newsletter subscription list stands at c. 140. Contributions needed for 1 February issue.
How could the engagement programme be widened to invite local feedback / comment in topics such as Purpose Build Student Accommodation (PBSA), Roads and Traffic, Pavements etc. Needs a specific mail-handling approach that doesn’t intrude on Newsletter production.
7.7 Website Development (HM):
Test Server for WordPress to be introduced.
7.8 Neighbouring Community Councils (SG):
Liberton & District raise a campaign on speed limit reductions.
Merchiston Districts CC also campaigning on local speeding.
Southside raise road issues at Preston Street Primary.
Cllr. Steve Burgess notes poor condition of pavements in Southside.
7.9 South East Police Forum (NK, IW):
Inaugural meeting on 8 January. GPCC and Southside CC in attendance. Very constructive session. South East Community Policing Team looking for close engagement. Police resourcing is very stretched. On speeding; a first focus is on data gathering; submit witness reports where possible. Police rely heavily on CCTV resources. (There is a high concentration in the area.) Residents encouraged to consider home security camera facilities. On e-bikes; an acknowledged hazard (customisation to beyond regulation, speeding, anti-social use). Police cannot ‘pursue’. Focus is on camera recognition.
Report all incidents to EdinburghCPTSouthEast@scotland.pnn.police.uk or https://www.scotland.police.uk/secureforms/contact/
(For University of Edinburgh Campus Security, contacts are mailto:security@ed.ac.uk )
The South East Police Forum is new. In due course, a newsletter may be published. Here is an example of the South West Forum publication:
On a related matter of ‘personal security’, ERJ to query Edinburgh University Community Liaison on campus security procedures and response in event of a stalking complaint.
7.10 CEC consultation ‘What makes a good place?’ (KR)
Public consultation relates to City Plan 2040, the next Local Development Plan scheduled for 2028. Closes 26 January. All members encouraged to respond.
7.11 Reid Memorial Church (NK, KR):
Reid Memorial (RM) is to merge with Marchmont St Giles to form Blackford Grange parish. The congregations have amalgamated. The RM Church building itself faces closure and disposal in 2027. This leaves Church and local community groups (Scouts, Guides, exercise, badminton, Mother & Toddler) with loss of accommodation or closure. There is early conversation on how to retrieve the situation, conceivably by way of some community purchase of the property. At this point, if you have an interest in working to that end, we ask you to contact Mr W Ivory at:
mailto:gsl85thbraid@tusks.org.uk . A public meeting may be in prospect. GPCC will follow this story.
8.2 Report from Treasurer (AG):
GPCC funds stand at £3580. Funds at related interest group, Friends of Newington Cemetery, stand at £4630 (inclusive of a recent £900 grant from the Old Edinburgh Club).
8.3 Report from Secretary (KR):
Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) plan a major re-cabling project from Whitehouse Loan, east through the Grange, south through Blackford to King’s Buildings and south to the BioQuarter. An update on project timetable has been requested.
9.1 Newington Cemetery (ERJ):
CEC is working on a plan for management of city cemeteries. Wall repair and headstone restoration work continues at Newington. Old Edinburgh club has donated £900 to fund obelisk reinstatement.
11: Date of Future Meetings: Wednesdays at 18.45: 11 Feb, 18 Mar, 15 Apr, 20 May, 17 Jun.
Follow-up Points
6.1.5 Identify Council monitoring point for Voi E-bike project build-out (Cllr PF)
7.2.5 New on Scottish Widows site development (IW).
7.9 Edinburgh University Campus Security response (ERJ)
8.3 Response on timetable from SPEN (KR).
KR
GPCC Office Bearers:
Ken Robertson, Chair and Secretary
Ellen-Raissa Jackson, Deputy Chair
Andreas Grothey, Treasurer
Cori Schwabe, Community Engagement.
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