** ROLLING UPDATE **

29 May: City Mobility Plan (CMP): Easing back.

At the 22 May Transport & Environment Committee (T&EC), Council Managers presented a lengthy list of recommended ‘pauses’ across the comprehensive framework of capital spend projects envisaged in the City Mobility Plan 2021-2030 (updated and approved in February 2024). T&EC Convener, Stephen Jenkinson, had front-run this earlier in the month. With a reprioritisation review completed, over 40% of the far-sighted schedule looks to be impacted. Budgeting realities have caught up with CMP aspirations. It’s unlikely to be for the last time.

Locally (Southside / Newington Ward), the Proposed Programme of Projects retains walking / cycling ‘Quiet Route 30 – Holyrood Park to Ratcliffe Terrace; Phase 1 Dalkeith Road to Ratcliffe Terrace’.

Projects to be paused are ‘Quiet Route 5 – Holyrood Park’ and ‘Quiet Route 30 – Holyrood Park to Ratcliffe Terrace; Phase 2 Holyrood Park Road to Dalkeith Road’.

The Marchmont to Blackford Active Travel Route has been paused.

The hard-contested ‘Causey Project’ (West Crosscauseway) won a reprieve at Committee.

Here is a link to the Committee Papers – go to Page 205.

(Public Pack)Agenda Document for Transport and Environment Committee, 22/05/2025 10:00

Here is a link to the City Mobility Plan and supporting information:

City Mobility Plan 2021-2030 – The City of Edinburgh Council

23 May: Planning Application: 25/02258/FUL: Last date for comments 11 Jun 2025

33-41 Ratcliffe Terrace, Newington, EH9 1SX

Proposed demolition of existing buildings. Erection of purpose-built student accommodation (115 rooms) and ground floor commercial unit, with asssociated cycle parking, landscaping and access arrangements. Detail on the Council Planning Portal: https://citydev-portal.edinburgh.gov.uk/idoxpa-web/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=dates&keyVal=SVL4BTEWKKU00

23 May: Grange Association (GA) Home Energy Group

Launch of web page on the GA site with a suite of information and guidance on managing domestic energy consumption. This includes building maintenance and fabric. https://grangeassociation.org/home-energy/

21 May: Heat Networks in the city.

Maybe not in GPCC land, but in prospect not that far away. An important paper goes to the CEC Policy and Sustainability Committee on 27 May, submitted under the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) programme. This is a serious endeavour. It reviews the scope for heat network development in the city, the delivery vehicle, the Council's financial involvement and the service and protection undertakings for heat network customers. This is the link to the Council submission: Heat Network Paper. Appendix 3 maps the potential infrastructure for heat networks; you will want to take a look.

20 May: Development Proposal: Pre-Application Consultation: 140 Causewayside, Sciennes: Purpose-Built Student Accommodation: Ward No. B15: Planning Reference 25/021125/PAN.

See 6 May below. By way of a change in circumstances, the two statutory engagement events will now be held on Thursdays 19 June 2025 and 17 July 2025 between 3.30 - 7pm at Newington Trinity (Mayfield Salisbury) Church, 18 W Mayfield, Edinburgh, EH9 1TQ.

The first engagement event will be published in the Edinburgh Evening News on 10 June – nine days before the event on 19 June. The second event will be published on 08 July – again, nine days before the 17 July event date.

15 May: Edinburgh Tenants Federation (ETF) Event 27 May.

Email info@edinburghtenants.org.uk to book a place at an online meeting (10.30 - 12.30) to review the Council's action plan to end poverty in the city. Email to book a place at the live meeting (18.00 - 20.00) at Norton Park Conference Centre to hear from the Council's Household Support Service. Alternatively, call 0131 475 2509 (Lauren) to confirm your attendance. The online meeting link will be shared with those who sign up.

9 May: Use of non-sport spaces in secondary schools: CEC Survey.

The Council is surveying the current use of spaces such as assembly halls, rehearsal studios, drama studios, art and music rooms. If your activity group uses / hires such facilities, or would like to , then complete the survey here: https://forms.office.com/e/7HBPdvQEwC

6 May: Development Proposal: Pre-Application Consultation: 140 Causewayside, Sciennes: Purpose-Built Student Accommodation: Ward No. B15: Planning Reference 25/021125/PAN.

Consultation by the Developer (Balfour Beatty Investments - BBI) is proposed on the demolition of the existing building on site and the erection of student accommodation with associated works. The proposed public events, to preview the proposal, are on 29 May and 19 June at 'Mayfield Salisbury Church', 18 West Mayfield, EH9 1TQ, from 3.30pm to 7.00pm. Exhibition materials will be available there and on a project website. A Pre-Application Consultation Report would follow if / when a planning application for this development is subsequently submitted.

A similar consultation took place in mid-2023, again anticipating demolition of the existing Scottish Law Commission office block and the new-build of student accommodation. The planning application which followed was turned down by the CEC Development Management Sub Committee in June 2024 (though supported by Council Planning Officers) and turned down again, on appeal, by Scot Gov. Opposition to the original application ranged across setting, neighbouring amenity and 'excessive concentration of student accommodation' in the area (and city). We wait to see what BBI will reveal as different in this new proposal. (KR)

2 May: City Council Review of Communal Bin Hubs to begin in June.

From the GPCC Secretary: 2 May 2025

1. Changes to Bin Hub criteria were agreed by councillors in November 2024. One outcome is a review of Bin Hubs. The review is based on an updated framework for Bin Hub locations which will not compromise resident access to waste and recycling services. The results will go back to the Transport & Environment Committee.

2. There is a priority list of 184 existing Bin Hubs for priority review. This priority review list can be added to now. (Note that Bin Hubs not yet installed, or locations where changes are already pending, will not be part of this particular review. That’s principally because their locations clash with the complicated Traffic Regulation Order process surrounding them.)

3. Please note this from the Council’s Project Manager, Michael Richardson:

“If there are bin hubs in your area that you want added to the list for priority review, please let us know by emailing waste@edinburgh.gov.uk before Monday 2 June.

We only require the location and/or bin hub ref to add the hub to the list. We do not require details on why the hub should be reviewed and we do not need the request to be co-signed or endorsed by anyone. We also do not need a suggestion of an alternative location (although this is welcome).”

Find out more about bins and recycling at:

www.edinburgh.gov.uk/bins-recycling

(KR)