Minutes of the Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council ordinary meeting, held at Custom House, on Tuesday 27 June at 6:30pm

Actions and decisions are red italic. Nem con means that no-one spoke or voted against an item.

1 Introductions and apologies for absence

1.a Present

Elaine Dick	LHNCC	Douglas Tharby	LHNCC	Cllr Katrina Faccenda	Leith ward
Don Giles	LHNCC	Neil Tulloch	LHNCC	~4 residents/visitors
Jennifer Marlborough	LHNCC	Arthur Young	LHNCC
Jim Preacher	LHNCC	Bruce Ryan	minutes secretary

1.b Apologies for absence

Cllr Chas Booth	Leith ward	Ben Macpherson MSP	Edinburgh Northern and Leith
Cllr Adam McVey	Leith ward

2 Declaration of interests

none

3 Minutes of May 2023 meeting

Approved as-is (proposed A Young, seconded J Preacher, nem con)

4 Matters arising

none

5 Police report

See report on LHNCC website

• Numbers of calls about theft/housebreaking and (concern for) missing persons seem to have increased significantly.
• The number of drug-related calls has reduced.
• There was discussion of whether cycling on pavements is ever legal.
• It was noted that 3 recent major events were not covered in the report, possibly because there were few happenings requiring police intervention and because noise-levels were within limits.

6 Councillor/MSP/MP reports

6.a Cllr Faccenda

6.a.i Controlled parking zone and Low traffic neighbourhood

• These are the current biggest issues in my work, mostly due to control of parking starting yesterday. I hope that CEC officers are learning from this, e.g. about impact on local businesses. It is hard to change TROs that have been passed. Apparently Citadel and Persevere residents cannot apply for permits because these blocks have their own parking places – even though the numbers of places are insufficient. Hence a way to change the current situation is needed. Views on the LTN are also divided between love and hate.
  • J Preacher: it is very difficult to park on Constitution St, e.g. to visit my MSP or use local businesses.
  • N Tulloch: a phased delivery-time strategy may help.
  • Cllr Faccenda: parking permits for carers are under consultation. Loading is permitted on single-yellow lines.
  • D Tharby/J Marlborough: there is incomprehensible signage at the Shore.
  • Action: Cllr Faccenda to organise site-walk about signage

6.a.ii Buses and trams

• It was very welcome to meet people at the recent public meeting. I am now writing up the findings, to inform CEC. Unwelcome aspects include removal of bus-stops, lack of integrated bus-tram ticketing, and lack of CEC bus strategy.
  • E Dick: integrated public transport is needed, as is a bus route between Leith and Portobello/Joppa.
  • E Dick: it is not allowed to take bikes on trams during ‘rush hours’, even if there is space.
  • D Tharby/J Marlborough: could bikes go on the fronts of trams, as happens on trams and bus-services elsewhere?
  • D Tharby, given that some of the tram rolling-stock is 10 years old, new stock with better bike-spaces could be bought.
  • Action: Cllr Faccenda to pursue this

6.a.iii Asylum seekers

• The Scottish Government has been told that the MV Victoria was contractually obliged to go elsewhere, but now the UK Government wishes it to house asylum seekers. I do not believe that ships are appropriate: there are lacks of ventilation and normal human movement. Ukrainian refugees are now being moved to hotels within and outwith Edinburgh, where they would have been if the Victoria had not been used. Also, some of the costs will fall on CEC, which opposes the current plans it has been guaranteed reimbursement. Forth Ports also opposes the plans to house asylum-seekers on the Victoria, in part because of fear of protests. I oppose the plans on behalf of the Leith community and on humanitarian grounds. There should be a duty of care for asylum seekers, but I have been unable to get onboard to meet these constituents.
  • E Dick: while people want to support refugees, the Victoria has been in place for a year, and is noisy and polluting.
  • A resident: there has been trouble elsewhere from people who are against immigration.
  • A resident: a translator who has wished to help the Ukrainians has been prevented from getting on board.
  • Cllr Faccenda: EVOC may be able to help here.
  • Action: Cllr Faccenda to keep LHNCC upodated

7 Chair, Secretary and Treasurer reports

7.a Chair

See report on LHNCC website. D Tharby noted also:

• There is now much building activity near Platinum Point, related to creation of green-port infrastructure.
• Parking attendants are now patrolling the controlled parking zone.

7.b Secretary

See report on LHNCC website

7.c Treasurer

Current bank balance is £154·28 based on the last statement dated 1^st June 2023 and cheques written since this date.

8 Residents’ queries and issues

8.a 73 Ferry Rd

• A Ferry Rd resident: what does the new owner intend to do with the BP garage? It now appears the whole estate will be demolished. This building isn’t listed, although nearby ones are. A nearby senior citizens’ home would be affected.
• LHNCC advice included (1) starting a petition, then ensuring many local residents as possible sign it; (2) using the now-active NPF4presumptions against demolition; (3) creating a local residents’ association that crosses the CC boundary along Ferry Rd; (4) asking for an extension to respond to the planning application; (5) contacting all relevant CEC cllrs.

8.b Care-home in Albert St

• J Marlborough: a resident who works in a dementia-home has asked if there are CEC grants for equipment. I have found a relevant CEC web-page, and hence advised the name of the relevant CEC officer.
  • Cllr Faccenda: could the home apply to LeithChooses?

8.c Electricity substation in Melville Drive

• J Preacher: during tram-construction, pavements were dug up, and some have not been repaired. I was told that the trams team would fix this, but was told today that it is now a CEC responsibility.
  • B Ryan: try going higher within the trams team, e.g. R Armstrong, H Ross (CEC senior responsible officer). There are currently 3 ‘carve-outs’ where TT is due to complete public realm work by the end of August.
  • Actions: J Preacher to forward details to Cllr Faccenda; Cllr Faccenda to pursue this matter

9 Planning

See planning parts of report on LHNCC website

10 Licensing

No matters raised

11 Transport

See transport parts of report on LHNCC website

• Cllr Faccenda: it is not clear whether Lothian Buses has to undertake EIAs before removing bus stops.
• J Marlborough: dangers to the elderly etc noted many years persist.

12 Environment

12.a Thriving green spaces

• J Marlborough: there have been some public meetings about this, and there is now a consultation about parks in Leith.

12.b Western Harbour ponds

• E Dick: these came about from diggings abandoned after the financial clash. Scottish Forestry is interested in the biodiversity occurring here, particularly avian biodiversity. A temporary tree-protection order has been obtained.
  • Action: E Dick to draft LHNCC’s support of the TTPO

12.c Water of Leith

• A resident: F Choudhury MSP has been invited to see the lower basins so he can ask questions at the Scottish Parliament.
• D Giles: funds are needed to deal with the buddleia on the Water of Leith. Cobbles at the Shore are badly in need of fixing. Work is being undertaken at Coallie Park.

13 Community

13.a Seafield

See report on LHNCC website

13.b Other community matters

• D Tharby: LeithChooses has agreed its theme for 2023-24, and is now working on its 2023-24 timetable.
• D Tharby: Leith Network Neighbourhood has not met recently.
• D Tharby: the locality planning partnership will meet in August. Meanwhile a subgroup is working on a 5-year plan, working with CEC’s community empowerment team.

14 AOB

none

15 Date of next meeting

Tuesday 22 August 2023