New research suggests housing developers are locking people into unhealthy and expensive car-dependent lifestyles by failing to provide infrastructure or access to healthier travel options, including walking, cycling or car sharing. Continue reading New housing developments leaving Scots car sick
Monday’s meeting moved to GRANTON PARISH CHURCH
Community rallies to fight development proposals
More than 200 people attended campaign group Save Leith Walk’s packed public meeting in Leith Theatre on Tuesday evening. The meeting heard about the likely impact of Drum Group’s proposed development on Leith Walk and went on to reject the plans for demolition, with local people arguing instead for the retention of the current sandstone buildings. Continue reading Saving Leith Walk
TUESDAY 22nd MAY at 7pm
LEITH THEATRE, Thomas Morton Hall 28 – 30 Ferry Road
Save Leith Walk is hosting a public meeting about the proposed development at Stead’s Place, which plans to demolish the red sandstone buildings at 106 – 154 Leith Walk
The aim of the event is to give the Leith community an opportunity to understand the proposed plans and the criticisms, and provide their views.
Chaired by Morven Cunningham – Director of LeithLate, the audience will hear from Leith local businesses, including Leith Depot, community residents, the Cockburn Association, Ollie Glick from Edinburgh University Students Association and Fife Hyland representing Drum Property Group.
Presentations will be followed by an open Q&A.
Save Leith Walk is a grassroots public campaign to prevent the demolition of a building, protect the heritage of the Walk, and celebrate the very essence of what Leith is. https://www.facebook.com/saveleithwalk/
“A clear theme running through our report is the importance of empowering communities to have a meaningful say on the kind of place they want to live in” – Local Government & Communities Committee Convener Bob Doris
We want communities to have a stronger voice in planning what their neighbourhoods look like, says a Holyrood Committee today.
The Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and Communities Committee sets out recommendations to strengthen the Planning (Scotland) Bill in a report published today, while recognising that it has the potential to improve the planning process overall.
The Bill aims to streamline the system of development planning, support delivery of planned developments and includes a new right for communities to produce their own plans for their local areas called Local Place Plans.
Continue reading Give communities more say in local planning, says Holyrood Committee
Further consultation promised
The city council’s Development Management Sub Committee will meet next month to consider two planning applications for the Meadowbank Stadium site. Continue reading Meadowbank redevelopment: first planning date set
Community projects from Argyll and Bute to Shetland will share around £312,000 to regenerate their neighbourhoods, Local Government Minister Kevin Stewart announced today. As part of the Making Places Initiative, 19 projects will receive funding to bring people together to agree priorities for their area and shape future planning and design. Projects from Leith, Portobello and Wester Hailes are among the successful bidders.
The funding will support events that bring local people together with design professionals to identify how their places and communities can be improved. The 19 projects awarded funding include workshops to develop physical and environmental improvements to the Woodside area of North Glasgow, creating a development plan for Scalloway in Shetland and a plan to improve a shopping centre in Wester Hailes in Edinburgh.
Three Edinburgh initiatives have received the green light:
Leith £35,000 Proposed by Citizen Curator & Leith Creative
To develop and pilot a People’s Place Plan for Leith, following the successful Leith Blueprint which created a community report.
Portobello: Westbank Street Placemaking Project, £12,000 Proposed by Action Porty
To produce a community led, mixed use development masterplan for council owned land at Westbank Street, Portobello.
Westside Plaza, Wester Hailes £20,000 Proposed by Wester Hailes Community Trust
Charrette to develop a masterplan for Westside Plaza with the aim of creating a civic square at the heart of Wester Hailes town centre.
Minister for Local Government, Kevin Stewart said: “I am pleased we received so many applications from a mixture of local authorities and community groups, keen to get local people involved in plans to improve their area.
“This scheme and every project supported by it creates more opportunities for communities to choose what works for them.
“Each project has its own design challenge, whether it is a plan to regenerate an area of a city centre or looking at a smaller site in a rural community. All of these projects should lead to improvements that will create benefit for hundreds of people.”
Making Places expands on the Charette programme, offering end to end support for community capacity building, design events and project delivery. The successful projects sharing a total of £311,890 are:
Ayr North £25,000 Proposed by South Ayrshire Council
Design workshops to develop a community action plan and vision, including development of play space and community garden on site of Whitletts Primary schools.
New Cumnock £4,005 Proposed by New Cumnock Development Trust
Community design events to develop a regeneration masterplan within the New Cumnock Community Action Plan.
Carlibar Park, Barrhead £6,000 Proposed by East Renfrewshire Council
Design workshop to create a masterplan for the town centre greenspace.
Mayfield £13,400 Proposed by McSence Ltd for In It Together Partnership
Series of workshops to involve the community in developing a masterplan for Mayfield & Easthouses.
Westside Plaza, Wester Hailes £20,000 Proposed by Wester Hailes Community Trust
Charrette to develop a masterplan for Westside Plaza with the aim of creating a civic square at the heart of Wester Hailes town centre.
Woodside Improvements £30,000 Proposed by Queens Cross Housing Association
Workshops to develop an action plan for physical and environmental improvements to the Woodside area of North Glasgow.
Scalloway £15,000 Proposed by Shetland Islands Council
Design workshops to consider the future development of Scalloway and develop a Local Place Plan.
Foxbar £15,000 Proposed by Renfrewshire Council
Workshops to support the local community to develop a Local Place Plan.
Dunfermline £24,810 Proposed by Carnegie Dunfermline Trust
Community led event to develop a masterplan for a key area in Dunfermline town centre.
Maryhill & Ruchill £5,000 Proposed by Maryhill Housing Association
Walking events and place workshops to identify community priorities and improvement projects.
Leith £35,000 Proposed by Citizen Curator & Leith Creative
Develop and pilot a People’s Place Plan for Leith, following the successful Leith Blueprint which created a community report.
Helensburgh £15,000 Proposed by Argyll & Bute Council
Community consultation to create a vision and masterplan to inform the future planning process.
Inverkeithing £15,000 Proposed by Fife Council
Community activities to deliver a Master Plan for Inverkeithing, focusing on community assets, strengths, interests and values.
Kirriemuir £10,000 Proposed by Kirriemuir Community Council
Develop an architectural plan for the Gairie Works site, a key priority identified in the Kirriemuir Charrette funded by Angus Council.
Clydebank £20,000 Proposed by West Dunbartonshire Council
Design-led project concentrating on Forth & Clyde canal and connection to Clydebank town centre.
Falkland £25,175 Proposed by Falkland & Newton of Falkland Community Council
Charrette to develop a vision and design statement for Falkland and its immediate environs which will combine spatial, social and economic strategies and solutions.
Glasgow, Phoenix Nursery, Test Unit £9,500 Proposed by Agile City Community Interest Company
Project to progress ideas generated by Charrettes into physical prototypes that test assumptions and engage with local audiences.
Pollokshields: Mark Makers, £12,000 Proposed by The Pollokshields Trust
Develop plans for the creation of the ‘East Pollokshields Urban Common’ on the site of a derelict bowling green.
Portobello: Westbank Street Placemaking Project, £12,000 Proposed by Action Porty
To produce a community led, mixed use development masterplan for council owned land at Westbank Street, Portobello.
Further details of the Making Places Initiative and how to apply for support is available online
Will proposed changes to the planning system in Scotland give communities a greater say on their places? And will this protect the built and natural environment in Scotland? Continue reading Holyrood committee seeks your views on proposed planning changes
Police Scotland has announced plans to invest in new cyber hubs and purchase new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as it unveiled a three-year implementation plan for the Policing 2026: Serving a Changing Scotland strategy. Continue reading First steps to ‘transformation’: Police Scotland unveil three year plan
