SEPTEMBER 2025 MEETING - Report

18 September 2025

Minutes of GPCC Ordinary Business Meeting, Wednesday, 17 SEPTEMBER 2025 (18.45)

at Cameron House Community Centre, 34 Prestonfield Avenue, Edinburgh

(Approved at Meeting held on 15 Oct 2025)

ATTENDANCE

Ward Councillor: Cllr. Pauline Flannery (Cllr. PF)

Office Bearers: Chair and Secretary, Ken Robertson (KR); Deputy Chair, Ellen-Raissa Jackson (ERJ); Treasurer, Andreas Grothey (AG).

Members: Peter Cochrane (PC), Sally Griffiths (SG), Peter Jones (PJ), Neil Kempsell (NK), Hrafn Malmquist (HM), Ian Wright (IW).

Outside Groups: Stuart Tooley (ST), Head of Public Affairs, Edinburgh University.

Apologies: Cori Schwabe (CS); Ian Chisholm (IC).

1. WELCOME: Chair

Audio or Video Recording: None. Members of Public present: Ms. LB

2. APOLOGIES: Declared

3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST: None

4. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING (18 June 2025)

Ordinary Business Meeting Report – Approved (PJ, NK)

5. MATTERS ARISING NOT COVERED IN AGENDA – Issue raised by Ms. LB as member of the public:

Road junction at Dalkeith Road / East Mayfield / Priestfield Road; traffic lights; no guided pedestrian signal on the north / south axis; junction the scene of a recent pedestrian road accident fatality.

Junction a clear danger for school pupil pedestrian traffic to / from Preston Street Primary.

Full set of lights needed in context of ‘safe routes to schools’ schemes.

Long-standing issue – why no Council action?

ERJ: GPCC has noted this junction as a clear road safety risk in past years.

Cllr. Flannery: Long-acknowledged risk spot. Road traffic accident investigation underway. First report expected in the coming weeks. Upon the outcome, she will resume a focus on the issue at subsequent Council meetings.

CEC list of ‘risk road junctions’ (c. 40) excludes this site – The list itself is now subsumed within the City Mobility Plan (CMP); funding pressures are impeding progress on delivery of junction improvements (see Minutes of 18 June). (As an aside, a full traffic light reinstatement might cost c. £200k plus.)

GPCC might consider aiding / raising a local residents’ petition on this matter. Submissions to the Council might best be made in the context of the Active Travel / CMP / Streets Ahead programmes.

6. EXTERNAL REPORTS

6.1 Councillors’ Report – Cllr. Flannery

6.1.1 Prestonfield Primary Parents Council: Looking for a closer link with GPCC. Cllr. PF to introduce contacts.

6.2.2 Community Grants Fund: Applications within the current round of small award funding close on 30 September.

6.2.3 Local Place Plans: Community groups encouraged to draw-up small-scale ‘improvement projects’ for local place and realm. (No official funding support.) – GPCC will consider proposals.

6.2.4 Council’s ‘Sprucing up your Neighbourhoods’ Programme: Southside-Newington (Ward 15) ‘deep clean’ scheduled for December. No indication it will cover ‘deep weed clean’. Cllr. PF to check on this.

6.2.5 Introduction of Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) to city area ‘B1’: Implementation must follow relevant Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO). Long backlog. Movement on this unlikely before Q2 2026.

6.2.6 CEC Granton BioQuarter Trams Extension Consultation: Open until 17 November. Members and Residents strongly encouraged to submit a response.

6.2.7 Road Drain Cleaning: In response to SG query: Cllr. Flannery pursues this issue (weed and grit blockage) at Council. Reduced use of glyphosate puts onus back on manual + equipment work; scope and quality of response is under pressure.  – While CEC Transport & Environment Committee Convener Jenkinson tackles this acknowledged issue, GPCC points to the immediate channels for Council assistance on leaves: mailto:waste@edinburgh.gov.uk and on drain blockages:

Report a gully problem – The City of Edinburgh Council

6.2.8 New University Term: Scope for GPCC engagement with new students resident in the community.

9.1 Edinburgh University Report – Stuart Tooley

9.1.1 New Edinburgh University Community Plan: Launces 6 October; focus on community engagement; will include ‘free room booking facility’ for community groups at (e.g.) Kings Buildings, Futures Institute, Law School. Here is the access link: https://local.ed.ac.uk/community-rooms

9.2.2 University Finances: Widely-publicised review underway. Intended sale of university property sales of Kitchener and Douglas Horne Houses are definitively not part of that.

9.3.3 Boarded-up Cottage Property at Pollok Halls: ST will report on the background to this.

9.3.4 Edinburgh ‘Doors Open Day’: See here for details: https://local.ed.ac.uk/news/doors-open-days-2025

9.3.5 Peffermill Sports Village Development Proposal: Plans presently dormant.

7. GPCC REPORTS

7.1 Engagement: CS has led a small-group exercise on widening GPCC’s ‘engagement and inclusion’ reach. First thoughts are to focus on the production of a ‘GPCC Newsletter’, with online subscription via a suitable platform. KR will distribute a slide pack to members giving detail (prepared by CS). Please consider it carefully and channel your comments to CS directly. This is an agenda item for the 15 October meeting.

7.2 Planning: PBSA proposal for 140 Causewayside is the subject of an 8 September Request for Consultation to GPCC, closing date 29 September. IW will prepare a response from GPCC.

Building at 27 Ratcliffe Terrace (Causewayside Garage, formerly Causewayside Lads Institute. ERJ to consider the merit of supporting a call to the Council for a Building Preservation Order.

7.3 Licensing: Nil

7.4 Roads & Transport:

7.4.1 Kilgraston Road – Grange Loan Junction: CEC consideration of remedial work paused.

7.4.2 Priestfield / Prestonfield Road Trees Project: Priestfield Road phase paused for review.

7.4.3 Trams North-South Consultation: Covered in 6.2.6. No formal GPCC position.

7.4.4 South Suburban Line (SSL) Working Group: Independent group convened to consider a revival of SSL proposals as an integrated complement to any trams extension. GPCC represented by NK. October public meeting in prospect.

7.5 Environment: Gulley, verge and weed maintenance. See 6.2.7. We wait to see Council’s autumn response.

7.6 Newington Cemetery: ERJ reports: Headstone reset work with funding from Old Edinburgh Club; New planters in place successfully curb parking issues; Wall repairs (2) still to be finished off.

8. REPORTS FROM OFFICE BEARERS

8.2 Treasurer: Overall GPCC bank balance at £6136, with the Newington Cemetery sub-account at £4525. CEC Administrative Grant to GPCC for 2024/25 (£980) is outstanding. Similar payment for 2025/26 is expected in October. Cash donation of £76 to GPCc received from NK on behalf of the defunct Prestonfield Tenants’ Association.

8.3 Secretary: Invitation extended to Members to attend the EACC Saturday, 11 October meeting at City Chambers. Contact KR.

Future GPCC Meetings: Views are invited from Members on introducing online meetings (MS Teams)

HM to review Website and Webmail contract expenses in advance of 29 January 2026 Webmail renewal.

8.1 Chair:

Members invited to respond individually to CEC consultations on Community Wealth Building (29 September close) and on the Trams Extension (17 November close).

Note Astley Ainslie Community Trust event at the Liddell centre on 27 September.

Outstanding on the GPCC Agenda: GPCC Shape, Structure and Direction.

Members invited to contribute content to GPCC Website.

9 REPORTS FROM OUTSIDE GROUPS: EACC

EACC: Next meeting 25 September, online, featuring Local Place Plans, Community Wealth Build project; Roadway Repairs programmes; Local Engagement initiative. Members welcome to attend. Contact KR.

10 GPCC SHAPE, STRUCTURE & DIRECTION – Deferred

11 ANY OTHER BUSINESS – Proposed 18 February 2026 meeting to be rescheduled (KR)

12 DATE OF NEXT MEETING      Wednesday 15 October at Cameron House (18.45)

Agenda items should be submitted to the Secretary at least 10 days before event.

ACTION POINTS ARISING

6.1 Follow-up with Ward Councillors on Prestonfield War Memorial broken light report. (KR)

6.1.1 School Parents Council contacts. (Cllr. PF)

6.2.4 Check whether 'Spruce' programme covers 'deep weed clean'. (Cllr. PF)

6.2.6 Review detail of Trams Extension consultation. (Members)

6.2.8 Review contact routes to student community. (CF)

9.3.3 Property at Pollok Halls. (ST)

7.1 Distribute detail of Engagement Officer (CS) Newsletter proposals. (KR)

7.1 Offer outline response to CS. (Members)

7.2 Response to Request for Consultation. (IW)

7.2 Consider line to be taken on Building Preservation Order (ERJ)

8.1 Content contributions wanted for website. (Members)

8.2 Outstanding Admin Grant. (AG)

8.3 Review of Web contracts / expenses. (HM)

8.3 Reschedule 18 February 2026 meeting to 11 February. (KR)

GPCC Office Bearers: Ken Robertson, Chair and Secretary; Ellen-Raissa Jackson, Deputy Chair;

Andreas Grothey, Treasurer; Cori Schwabe, Community Engagement.

Report prepared 18 September 2025

KR