Portobello Planning Matters – Mining plan for Midlothian ‘illogical’ – World Forum on Natural Capital – Edinburgh Ceilidh Club – Book Week Scotland next week
All planning matters to be decided this week are included in the papers on the council website for the Development Management Committee meeting tomorrow at 10:00am.
Councillor Maureen Child who represents Portobello has written about some of the decisions to be made about sites and properties in Portobello.
Item 5.1 is the Newcraighall North Site – Application for Planning Permission in Principle (Ref: 10/03449/PPP) Land 335 Metres Southwest of 103 Newcraighall Road. The development includes new housing, potential mixed-use facilities, open space, access and services infrastructure. The recommendation is to grant the PPP application.
I have requested the item be considered at a Hearing where both sides of the argument are called able to speak and answer questions. A decision will be made by the DM Sub on Wednesday as to whether or not to hold a Hearing. If my Councillor colleagues agree, another date will need to be set for the Hearing.
[As an aside, this might seem a little confusing because the detailed planning application for this same Newcraighall North site is already in the pipeline (Ref: 13/03181 FUL) Consultation on the full detailed planning application just closed and the deadline for comments was last week. This is not the same as the PPP application, but is the ‘next stage’ and the detailed application has yet to be assessed by planning officers]
Item 9.2 is the application for planning permission for the erection of a shop at 99 Inchview Terrace (Ref: 13/03189/PPP). This is an applcation from Lidl. The officer recommendation is to refuse planning permission. The decision to either grant or refuse planning permission will be made by the Development on Wednesday, 20 November. It is recommended for refusal. The site is not actually in Portobello/Craigmillar Ward although it has an impact on people living here. I know that one of the Local Craigentinny/Duddingston Councillors – Joan Griffiths – has requested the Item be deferred for a Hearing.
Also up for a decision on Wednesday as Item 4.3 is a variation in the planning conditions on a piece of land at Greendykes, on the route to the hospital. The affordable element of that development is under construction at the moment.
As many of you will be aware, I serve on the Council’s Planning Committee. The rules are here – Section 7 of the Councillors Code of Conduct, the section that applies to Planning Committee Members see here: Section 7 The Councillors’ Code of Conduct Remember not to ask me to state a view at this stage. The above is all just for information and to keep you up to date and without prejudice to my position.
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Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian and a member of Holyrood’s economy and energy committee, says a recommendation by council officials to approve a ten million tonnes open cast coal mine in Midlothian is illogical.
Councillors will tomorrow (19 Nov) consider a planning application by Hargreaves Services to mine Cauldhall Moor, an important wildlife habitat south of Bonnyrigg.
Alison said:
“The impacts on local communities from this proposal, such as noise, dust and heavy traffic, are completely unacceptable. It is utterly illogical to approve yet more coal mining given a whole host of factors.
“Cockenzie power station is switched off so there’s nowhere local for this coal to go; Scotland has already failed its first two annual climate targets so more fossil fuel is the last thing we need; and we’ve seen landscapes across Scotland scarred by open cast being abandoned by companies that go bust.
“Hargreaves’ plan is contrary to the Local Plan and the council’s economic development strategy. Midlothian deserves better; I hope the councillors see sense and reject it.”
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The first World Forum on Natural Capital is taking place in Edinburgh on Thursday and Friday of this week with First Minister Alex Salmond among the speakers. . The participants will be discussing a ground-breaking idea first mooted at the Rio Earth Summit. It is described as follows:-“Against a backdrop of growing global awareness that our ecosystems and biodiversity underpin both wealth creation and human security, the Rio Earth Summit saw the launch of the Natural Capital Declaration, a global finance-led initiative convened by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative and the Global Canopy Programme.
By signing the Declaration, CEOs at the helm of 39 banks, investment funds and insurance companies announced their commitment to understanding their impacts and dependencies on natural capital, and to incorporating natural capital considerations into their products and accounting. The United Nations Environment Programme is one of the key partnersin the World Forum on Natural Capital, which will mark an important step in moving the debate further towards action.”
Here is one of the speakers explaining what she thinks of the idea:-
The organisers say that this is perhaps one of the most exciting advances in recognising the true value of the earth when large corporations make decisions:-“We see it as the beginning of a new era of corporate and state responsibility to the natural environment and, more profoundly, a chance to reframe nature as the solution to global challenges, rather than a part of the problem.”
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This Tuesday The Ceilidh Club will be @ Summerhall where they have the Lomond Ceilidh Band. Tickets are £6 on the door or in advance from the website with everything kicking off at 8pm.
Then the club is back with the Ceilidh club @ The Picture House on Lothian Road with Teannaich in just less than two weeks on Friday 29th Nov. Doors open at 7pm with dancing kicking of shortly after that. You can get your tickets online from the website or in person from the Picture House box office, Tickets Scotland (Rose Street), Ripping Records.
In Dec we have two ceilidhs at the Picture House on the 13th Dec, and a special pre hogmanay gig on the 30th Dec.
As if that wasn’t enough don’t forget that coming up next weekend is the Scots Fiddle Festival with loads of great ceilidhs, concerts, workshops talks and much more… see here for more information.
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Book Week Scotland starts next week 25 November 2013. All the information you need to get involved is here on the Scottish Book Trust website.
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Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
