In today’s edition:
Report to be compiled on possible student accommodation ban;
Walking and cycling path declared a winner;
Clovenstone block of flats proposal;
Allotments hope for former bowling greens
Funding for community gardens?;
A ‘community croft’ for Victoria Park?;
Towards a ‘feminist city’;
History of ‘civic activism’ in Edinburgh;
Paddle boarding recognition for Wardie Bay;
Edinburgh Climate Festival; and
See you Wednesday!
COUNCILLORS have voted for a report examining a possible ban on future purpose-built student accommodation.
At the full council meeting on Thursday, here, councillors heard colleague, Danny Aston, submit a motion calling for the report (agenda item 8.14).
An amendment - against having a report compiled, primarily on the grounds it would represent too much of a burden on already over-worked officials (who would be required to draft it) - received ten votes, versus 46 for Cllr Aston’s.
Ahead of the vote, Cllr Aston was quoted by Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan, (his post paid for by the BBC) fearing that new student accommodation may soon prove to be ‘white elephants’, here.
Watch Cllr Aston speaking to the motion from 5:22:57 on a webcast, here, with the vote being declared 5:27:13.
-
A NEW walking and cycling path - connecting Roseburn with the Union Canal (here) - has been declared a winner at an awards ceremony (here) celebrating Scotland’s transport.
The path took the ‘Excellence in transport design’ category prize at the Scottish Transport Awards held on Thursday evening - here.
-
BECAUSE at least 20 objections have been submitted, a planning application for an eight-apartment block of flats - on a site currently being used as a residents’ car park in Clovenstone - is going to an Edinburgh council committee for a decision.
The application - here, ref: 23/04269/FUL - is being considered by the council’s development management sub-committee (here, on Wednesday), with a recommendation from planners (here) that the application be approved.
In passing, it’s pretty much a 50-50 split - between recommendations to refuse and recommendations to grant - among the agenda items at the meeting.
-
TURNING former bowling greens into community allotment spaces is the hope of an article published by The Edinburgh Reporter, here.
Charlie Ellis’s article centres on a former bowling green on Regent Road.
-
MEANWHILE, creating a community garden could well be eligible for funding announced by the rail infrastructure body, Network Rail Scotland.
Says Network Rail Scotland, here: “Grants of up to £3,000 [from a total pot of £40,000] will be available to support a wide range of initiatives, from community garden schemes and youth mentoring programmes to accessibility improvements and local heritage projects.”
-
AND also meanwhile, Deadline News is reporting - here - that an environmental charity based in Edinburgh has been selected to “take the lead on transforming a former bowling green [in Victoria Park] into a blossoming urban croft”.
Says Deadline News: “Earth in Common, which runs Leith Community Croft, has been chosen by The City of Edinburgh Council, in collaboration with the community council and Friends of Victoria Park, to develop the new community growing space.
“This follows Edinburgh Leisure returning the bowling green to the council back in 2023, after which consultation [here] with the local area highlighted an interest in a shared garden and cafe.”
-
HOW Edinburgh might become more of a ‘feminist city’ is explored in the free music, arts, etc magazine, The Skinny.
Opines writer, Aditi Jehangir, here: “Our public services have been decimated through cuts and austerity, and there are no signs of this slowing down. Post-pandemic, as the town centres recover and we face an ongoing housing crisis that shows no signs of stopping, can we dare to dream of a more equitable and radical path for our cities? I truly hope so.”
-
A SHORT history of ‘civic activism’ - in preserving Edinburgh - has been penned by a former chair of the city’s conservation body, the Cockburn Association.
Cliff Hague writes in The Planner magazine about a book - (here) which he co-authored - marking the 150th anniversary of the organisation.
Read his review, here.
-
WARDIE Bay has been named among the top locations in the UK for paddle boarding.
According to outdoor pursuits retailer, Go Outdoors, the top location is Boscombe Pier, Bournemouth, in Dorset.
But Wardie Bay comes in at a very creditable fourth place (scoring 8.37 out of ten), with Portobello in eighth place.
Read more, here, on the website, North Edinburgh News.
-
HOW the city might do more to tackle the climate emergency is likely to be on the agenda at a festival taking place at the weekend.
The Edinburgh Climate Festival is free to attend and is taking place on Saturday afternoon, on the Meadows.
Image details: Hispaniola restaurant, Drummond Street; copyright Mike Wilson
PLUS…. we are always looking for news and features, and now have set up a dedicated email address: EditorialBuildEdinburgh @ gmail [dot] com.