Media coverage of the planning committee meeting

There was some media coverage about the planning committee meeting and the site visit on the following day.

The Evening News had this article with the headline "Flower power fails as flats set to go ahead"

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/Flower-power-fails-as-flats.6439432.jp

The Guardian has a brand new Edinburgh blog and featured us twice. First with a short note referring to the article in the Evening News and our website

http://www.guardian.co.uk/edinburgh/2010/jul/26/edinburgh-flower-colonies-gillespies-brewdog-transport

and then with a longer post on the meeting of the planning commitee and our objections

http://www.guardian.co.uk/edinburgh/2010/jul/28/edinburgh-council-flower-colony-davidson-main-therapy

The site visit by the planning committee

There were some brilliant posters in many windows during the site visit so that although we didn't have an official voice during the site visit we could at least make our views clear. Have a look below for some examples.

A big thank you to everybody who participated!

That's all we can do for now. Let's hope that our 213 objection letters, all the community effort that went into developing the contraplan as well as the presence we showed at the committee meeting and the site visit will help to overturn the recommendation that AMA gets the go ahead for their plans!

Update from the meeting of the planning committee 28th July 2010

here is a brief update on the planning meeting of today where the planning application for 1 Slateford was discussed. Some of the FCARA members attended and Cllr Andrew Burns made an excellent presentation on our behalf.

 

The main point I'd like to highlight is that a final decision wasn't taken because the planning committee wanted to have a site visit before they made their minds up. After the site visit, the committee will consider the application again at another committee meeting.

 

The site visit to the flower colonies and the old biscuit factory site will take place tomorrow from about 2.45 pm. Yes, I really did say tomorrow! Sometimes things move fast.

 

We can't participate directly in this site visit  but there is nothing to stop you from being in your garden or the area generally and speaking to the councillors on their visit! In fact, I think councillors would welcome a view from people who live here when they visit the place where we live. So this is a call to arms to all flower colonies folk!!

 

Therefore, if you are available tomorrow afternoon, I strongly encourage you to do just that! Do speak to the councillors  - this is a good chance to tell councillors exactly what you think about the horrible concrete high rise atrocity that is being proposed. Perhaps when they see for themselves what the colonies are like, they will agree with us that 5 storey student accomodation is not a good idea for our area. But real colonies residents telling them what a bad development it is will be even better. Why not talk to your next door neighbours about it and join together tomorrow with your efforts to be even more effective?

 

If you are around tomorrow afternoon, do tell them exactly what you think of this horrible development and point out the terrible clash it would create with the 2 storey colonies. You might want to refer back to your objection letters and talk to them about the comments you made in those.

 

The FCARA committee will continue to lobby hard in the meantime to try and make our case an even stronger one. Here is your chance to help out with that very important lobbying which might just help us to victory. Good luck!

 

Jenny Goldsmith

Treasurer, Flower Colonies Area Residents' Association (FCARA)

Contra-plan Flyer

Have a look at our contra-plan flyer which has been distributed at the launch of the contra-plan on Saturday, 26 of June on the green behind the colonies (see blog entry on 29 of June 2010). Click on the pictures below to get a full size version.