Email circular 20 October 2012  to 180 spokes members in north & east Edinburgh and Dalry/Shandon

To:   Spokes members living in or near any of the following developments [+ spokes planning core group]

Please note - this email list is automatically generated from our relevant delivery areas.   If none of the 3 items below concerns you, please ignore this email.

A. COLONY HOUSING - CONSULTATION [ends 24 Oct]
B. LOCHEND BUTTERFLY - HOUSING PLANNING APPLICATION [ends 2 Nov]
C. 500 FERRY ROAD - HOUSING PAN [exhibitions 24 & 25 Oct]

D. You may also be interested in the Cockburn Annual Lecture - panel discussion of Edinburgh future post-tram this Friday 26 October
http://edinevents.n0tice.com/event/3444/cockburn-society-annual-lecture

With regard to items B and C, you can get more information about Planning Applications and PANs, how to look up details, and possible types of comment, from our information sheet here...
http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/documents/advice/lobbying-councils/

If you comment on A, B and/or C, please also send your comments to your local councillors and ask them to support your points.     Find them at www.writetothem.com.   If possible, also cc to Spokes.

A. COLONY HOUSING CONSULTATION ... URGENT ... ENDS WEDNESDAY 24 OCTOBER

See... www.edinburgh.gov.uk/colonies

We have only just discovered this consultation, which is likely to result in Edinburgh's Colony-style housing areas becoming conservation areas.

As you may know, Spokes is running a campaign on bike storage rules...
http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/2012/09/bike-shed-bans/

This is very relevant to Colonies, most of which have only a front garden, and no back garden.

Because of our campaign, the council is currently thinking about domestic bike storage, but unfortunately this colonies consultation ends well before any more general decisions are likely to be taken on domestic bike storage.

The existing and proposed colony rules allow for a shed of maximum height 1.5m and maximum capacity 2.25cu. metres.   This is covered on page 37 of the 'Character Appraisals' document on the above council web page.     We've not had time to investigate whether this is a reasonable size for storing 2 or 3 bikes plus garden materials, but it seems unlikely.

I must stress that we don't know exactly how this size-rule is applied in practice.   Comments from members lead us to believe that it is not an automatic permission, but permission has to be applied for (at a signficant cost) and may be refused.     Also, once the Colonies become conservation areas (which seems very likely) then conditions may well be tightened up a lot further.     But we do not know at present.

If you are concerned about bike storage for Colony houses, PLEASE RESPOND NOW TO THE CONSULTATION

You can email built.heritage@edinburgh.gov.uk.   If so, please cc Spokes and also copy to your councillors, asking them to support your points.     Find them at www.writetothem.com

Alternatively/additionally, there is a short online survey at the above council web page, with opportunities to mention bike storage as follows...
q6 - your comments on the need for domestic bike storage
q4 - the consultation document gives no consideration at all to bike storage, although general 'sheds' are mentioned
q3 - should planning permission be required (at considerable cost) in order to install bike storage?

One resident has responded as follows...
"Please imagine for a minute or two what it is like to live in a lower colonies flat, with 2 people living in such a flat. These are typically one bedroom flats, or two very small ones, and storage space is extremely limited. There is hardly room to store books, clothes, games, stereo, computers,   etc. Now imagine you have some DIY utensils – drills, paint, varnish, etc. Then perhaps you like to go camping, or have some other healthy outdoor pursuit or sport, so you need space for that. Then of course you have a garden, so somewhere is needed to store garden tools,   etc. And again, we are all being encouraged to have bicycles, so imagine if you will, the space required for 2 to 4 bicycles. For a great deal of this, you will need a garden shed, there is absolutely no alternative to this whatsoever. ... We live in the colonies and are proud of it. But we aren’t museum exhibits and we have needs for space storage like other human beings. Please don’t restrict our sheds."

B. LOCHEND BUTTERFLY ... CLOSING DATE 2 NOVEMBER
Planning Application 12/03574/FUL

This application is for a big housing development in the butterfly-shaped vacant land between Bothwell Street and Meadowbank Retail Park.   There was a preliminary consultation some time ago, and this is the final detailed planning application.

Unfortunately, despite extensive online documentation about the development, the concrete details of what is proposed for cycle access are very sketchy.   We are very concerned that the applicants (despite warm words about cycling, and how well located the site is for cycling) are not in fact providing the cycle links needed to all surrounding areas - indeed cyclists may only be able to enter the area from one direction.   This would be absolutely hopeless for such a major development, and one which offers good opportunities.

North East corner:     level access to Moray Park Terrace proposed BUT to be replaced by a bridge if the South Sub railway is opened.   A document showing a design for the bridge has steps.

West end:   pedestrian-only access via existing 'Crawford Bridge' over powderhall railway line.   This access is proposed to be within a new building, so clearly not available to cyclists.

South west: possible future development adjacent to old railway, would give another cycle access if that development ever happened.

IF THIS CONCERNS YOU, PLEASE SUBMIT COMMENTS - if you don't have time to study all the details, just make it clear that there must be convenient cycle access to and through the site at both ends, both now and in the future.   DON'T BE PUT OFF BY THE AMOUNT OF DOCUMENTS - if you are short of time, just make these general points (and explain the relevance of the area to you if that is significant).     It's also worth pointing out how inadequate are their descriptions of what is happening about cycle access.

To find the details, go to...
https://citydev-portal.edinburgh.gov.uk/idoxpa-web/
and paste in the above application reference number

To comment you have to login [and register if you have never done so - it is quick].

If you do wish to study relevant documents, look first at the Transport Statement [dated 11 October].   Section 3.2.2 makes out how well served the site is by cycle facilities [with several inaccuracies], but does NOT state how the site will be connected to them.   Section 2.3.1 covers what the developers will do for cycle access.
The Site Layout document gives a plan of the whole area with a rough idea of connections.

C. 500 FERRY ROAD, SPARTANS FOOTBALL SITE ... EXHIBITIONS OCT 24 & 25
Reference 12/03084/PAN

Note that this is a PAN consultation, not yet a full planning application [see Spokes advice note above for what this means].   Basically, you comment to the developers, not on the council website [though it's worth also copying your councillors and asking them to support you in their own comments].

Find the site location on the council website by pasting in the above reference at...
https://citydev-portal.edinburgh.gov.uk/idoxpa-web

There are exhibitions as follows...
Wed 24 Oct 4.30-7.30 ... ROYSTON WARDIEBURN COMMUNITY CENTRE, 11 PILTON DRIVE NORTH 
Thu 25 Oct 4.30-7.30 ... SPARTANS COMMUNITY FOOTBALL ACADEMY, 94 PILTON DRIVE

Please go along, and leave written comments.     If you cannot attend and/or want further details, contact the developer's agent, Nicholas Saunders of CDA Ltd, email   nsaunders@cda-edin.co.uk, phone 225 1111.

Very few details are on the council website, but we suggest you argue for the following...
- A connection without steps to the North Edinburgh railway path, which is adjacent to the site
- Road access should be on Pilton Drive opposite Morrisons, which would thus allow much improved access to Morrisons for users of the path.