Minutes of the Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council ordinary meeting, held at Custom House, on Tuesday 26 September 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
| Douglas Tharby | LHNCC | Cllr Katrina Faccenda | Leith ward | Gordon Beaton | 56three |
| Neil Tulloch | LHNCC | Alex Orr | Orbit Communications | Kirsty Jeffrey | 56three |
| Bruce Ryan | minutes secretary | Hugh Shepherd | Scott Hobbs | 6 residents/visitors | |
| Cllr Chas Booth | Leith ward |
1.b Apologies for absence
| Elaine Dick | LHNCC | Jim Preacher | LHNCC | Ben Macpherson MSP | Edinburgh Northern & Leith |
| Don Giles | LHNCC | Arthur Young | LHNCC | Deidre Brock MP | Edinburgh North & Leith |
2 Declarations of interest
none
3 Minutes of August 2023 meeting
- Approved as (proposed N Tulloch, seconded D Tharby)
- The meeting was not quorate, hence Action: formal approval held over to next quorate meeting
4 Matters arising
The following actions arose in the June LCCC meeting. (There was no July meeting.) Items in red italic are held over to the October meeting.
| June Item | actor | action | status |
| 6.a.i | Cllr Faccenda | organise site-walk about signage in low-traffic neighbourhood | CEC has offered a site-walk, and will take on the signage issue |
| 6.a.ii | Cllr Faccenda | pursue better cycle-spaces on trams | Edinburgh Trams has no plans to make trams more cycle-friendly. ET did not consult with CEC about banning bikes form trams in August. |
| 6.a.ii | Cllr Faccenda | update LHNCC about asylum-seeker matters | No replies to Cllr’s queries, but Scottish Government funds will be used to fix empty houses so they can house asylum seekers. There was a Green party motion to CEC to treat all people equally. |
| 8.c | J Preacher | Forward details of electricity substation to Cllr Faccenda | Held over – J Preacher not present |
| 8.c | Cllr Faccenda | Pursue electricity substation issue | Held over until Cllr receives details from J Preacher |
5 Residents’ issues
none
6 Police report
- See report on website.
- A resident asked if numbers of calls to 101 and 999 are reported, or if the web-call feature is used.
- Action: B Ryan to forward these queries to Sergeant Casselden.
7 Standing Reports
7.a Planning: Daltons (Salamander Street)
See also boards on ‘deltonregen’ website. The project representatives reported:
- This project is at the pre-application consultation stage. (There was also a presentation at Leith Links CC last night.)
- Scott Hobbs are representing their client, Dalton. No other developers are currently involved.
- Dalton has been on this site for 30 years, which is still operating. Dalton is now exploring opportunities, which will depend on the planning process. Hence there is engagement with CEC planning, to ensure compliance with CEC policy.
- Proposals for the ~5000m2 site are for build-to-rent, purpose-built student accommodation and some commercial/retail.
- The whole site would be fully managed by one organisation (to be appointed).
- The PBSA would have 290 beds, comprising studio apartments and clusters of 4 or 5 bedrooms.
- The BTR section would have 62 apartments (housing ~150 people), comprising studios and apartments (up to 3 bedrooms), of which 25% would be affordable. Over 50% would be dual aspect, to comply with CEC requirements.
- There will be a number of fully accessible apartments. All of the site will be fully accessible.
- The development would have 2 private, wheelchair-accessible, courtyards. In part it’s about ‘giving back to the community’, in part by widening a surrounding footpath and creating very active frontage.
- The current adjacent housing is surrounded by a wall and hence has a narrow pavement, which would be widened by ~12m, to create a good space for gathering and residents’ amenity (which would be added to by the courtyards).
- The current flood-precautions would be moved further into the site, in part to enable a potential cycle-path.
- Ancillary space would be in a vehicle-accessible service-yard.
- Landscaped areas will include rain-gardens and carefully considered planting. There will also be blue/green roofs, so rainwater is used and flooding is minimised. Hence 56three are working with landscape architects and other consultants.
- The scale and massing respond to nearby buildings, which are between 5 and 7 storeys, so the main block would be 8 storeys, with the top 2 stepped back, which would also give some private amenity.
- The set-back would be in complementary ‘industrial’ material: red brick and metal. (Other colours are being explored, potential to match nearby pitched roofs’ slate.) However, pitched roofs shed water, contrary to current needs.
- The next public consultation event will be on 18 October (3pm and 7pm).
7.a.i Q&A, comments
- D Tharby: what other commercial/retail would be at Salamander Place?
- This will be decided by market forces, but artisans and the creative industries would be welcome.
- B Ryan: how many parking places would the development have?
- none
- B Ryan: what about infrastructure (doctors, schools etc) for the occupants?
- There would be financial contributions via the planning process. Details will be in the full application.
- D Tharby: there are currently over 60,000 students in Edinburgh, but what if this changes?
- The PBSA would be adaptable to residential use. Edinburgh now has severely insufficient student accommodation.
- Cllr Faccenda: where will the affordable housing be, and will it be accessible?
- In the BTR block. It will be accessible.
- Cllr Faccenda: red brick isn’t Scottish vernacular so why use it? The planned look does not look to nearby older buildings.
- This is due to cost and suitability of materials, and low availability of traditional (Craigleith) stone. Brick is made in the UK, but most stone is now from Europe and is of low quality. The colour of brick could vary. Public art, community engagement and green walls could be introduced.
- A resident: why 8 storeys?
- This is driven by studies of views. (Even 9 storeys would have the same effect on views.) The set-back will help in this regard. Also, the development would become a visual point of reference.
- D Tharby: LHNCC has opposed high new buildings.
- A resident: how will delivery and other vehicles access the development?
- Via the service-yard access from Salamander St, and potentially another drop-off space. Access by tradespeople would be controlled. Arrival of students would be managed during busy times. In other student developments, we have organised a coffee-van to minimise deliveries
- N Tulloch: given this site is currently a scrapyard, so much clean-up will be needed
- There will be a full investigation and remediation.
- A resident: Leith lacks an east-west bus service, so can the developers help press for this?
- Bus companies are commercially driven. The developers cannot pressure but could engage with bus companies.
- N Tulloch: a bus-route is being considered for the Seafield development.
- A resident: will the PBSA be occupied by students all year, or let during holidays? BTR residents may be inconvenienced by large student turnover.
- Letting patterns will be up to the operator, which will not be Dalton. However, no interim uses are currently proposed.
- A resident: occupants of accessible BTR flats may have accessibility vehicles. How will these be accommodated, if the development is car-free?
- A resident: will the affordable housing be privately rented or social housing?
- It probably won’t be run by a housing association, but the exact tenure is not yet decided.
- B Ryan: what is the development timetable?
- Submission of full application in late October; determination in spring 2024, completion in 2027 at the earliest.
- A resident: please don’t use RAAC or cladding unless it’s fire-retardant. Please don’t use astroturf.
- We will not.
7.b Planning: Seafield
7.c Planning: other points
- A resident: what is LHNCC doing about Ocean Point 2? Comments are due by 8 October. This development would use space that should be open.
- Action: D Tharby to ensure that LHNCC planning committee submits comments.
7.d Licensing
No applications reported
7.d.i EACC seminar on Licensing
Action: D Tharby to circulate a précis of a report presented at this meeting.
7.e Transport
7.e.i Update on tram construction and operation
- D Tharby: the Sherlock Holmes statue is back on Picardy Place.
- B Ryan: there is pressure from neighbouring CCs for CEC to finish the job, because there are many defects to fix.
- A resident: much landscaping remains to be done.
7.e.ii Buses, stop on Bernard Street
- D Tharby: replacement of this stop is a new, recent success. I am not aware whether it has a real-time information board.
7.f Environment
7.f.i Environment Fair Saturday 23rd September
D Tharby: I was unable to attend this due to illness. Hence: Action D Tharby to get another attendee to report.
7.f.ii FoWLB update
No report
7.f.iii SOSLeith
An SOSLeith representative reported:
- SOSLeith is pressuring about sewage in the lower basins, because these have no flow and hence silt traps sewage.
- Foysol Choudhury MSP has contacted Scottish Water but only received generic replies.
- SOSLeith is working with the Marine Conservation Society to pressure further.
- Scottish Water cannot say when action will be taken, but it claims to be on target for installing monitors.
- SOSLeith also presented to the Environmental Rights Centre conference.
7.g Heritage
7.g.i Update on cobbles/setts on The Shore
- D Tharby: apart from buses, which cause damage, traffic has been restricted on The Shore.
- Cllr Faccenda: the next cobbled street to be repaired by CEC is Lawnmarket. I have pushed for repairs to The Shore and Salamander St.
7.g.ii News from Scottish Historical Buildings Trust
No report
7.h Community
7.h.i £eith Chooses
Last week, LC held a session to advise potential applicants.
7.h.ii North East Locality Community Planning Partnership, LIP development
- D Tharby: NELCPP is creating a locality improvement plan for the next 5 years. A public session has been held. NELCPP is meeting soon to decide its next steps.
7.h.iii Leith Rotary
8 Edinburgh City Councillor’s Reports
8.a Cllr Booth
- SEPA objected to a planning application for 3 flats at 2 Bath Rd, due to a flood risk, but the application was passed by CEC. Due to the SEPA objection, the decision will be appealed to the Scottish Government.
- B Ryan: this is just across the road from the Dalton yard. Is that site also at risk from flooding?
- A working group has been set up to encourage developers to be responsible about impact on neighbours.
- A am also on a working group considering how listed buildings can be made more energy-efficient. This should report to CEC next month.
- There are few licensing applications in Leith, but CEC licensing board will soon consult on its updated statement of policy.
- There are questions about the viability of some Seafield land, and nearby flood-defences.
- The height of the development is due to be raised. The sea-wall must be improved.
- CEC will soon approve a consultation on CCs. After this, a report will go to CEC in February 2024.
8.b Cllr Faccenda
- I have been working on tram, roads and parking issues.
- I will attend the hearing on CityPlan2030.
9 Local MSP and MP reports
none
10 LHNCC Treasurer’s report
D Tharby: current bank balance is £1109·88, following receipt of the annual grant. LHNCC is changing its bank signatories.
11 EACC
nowt
12 AOCB, issues raised during this meeting
none
lhncc.org.uk 