How the Flower Colonies overcame the odds ...

Coverage of our journey in the Guardian's Edinburgh blog:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/edinburgh/2010/aug/20/edinburgh-flower-colonies-residents-development-battle

Coverage of our victory in the Edinburgh Evening News

Here is what the Edinburgh Evening News had to say about yesterday's decision

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/Residents-joy-as-flats-bid.6470978.jp

WE WON!!!!!!!

Fantastic news! The AMA planning application we've been lobbying against for so long was unanimously rejected today by the City's planning committee (the Edinburgh Development Management Sub-Committee) - based on almost all the grounds we objected to. The councillors mentioned that they were impressed by the community's measured approach and our contra-plan, and took into account the flower colonies' valuable social heritage.

So a huge well done and thank you to everyone who made their objections heard - through emails, letters, personal representations at Merchiston Community Council, contributing to the contra-plan in meetings and design workshops (even when it was snowing) ... and let's not forget the wonderful hand-crafted posters and placards displayed prominently for the councillors' benefit when they made their all-important site-visit!

Everyone's invited to celebrate at the Caley Sample Rooms on Thursday evening (12th Aug) from 7.30pm onwards (there will be live music too from 8.30pm) - let's all give each other a pat on the back for pulling together and making sure common sense prevails. Please tell your friends and neighbours too!

It's making the news already - have a look at the Guardian's Edinburgh blog - and the Evening News have also shown interest so keep an eye out.

We feel all the hard work has absolutely been worth it - once again, thank you and well done!

FCARA committee

PS - there is a chance that AMA will appeal against the decision; they have to do so within 3 months so we'll keep an eye out and keep you posted.

Final decision to be taken on Wednesday 11/8/2010

Dear all,

Another update and it's an important one. The planning application is going to be considered by the council's Development Management Committee (the planning committee who makes the decisions) again on Wednesday 11 August at 10 am. This is very likely to be the final decision. In case you didn't see the council's report on the planning application the first time, I have attached it in Word format (view the document here).

Again, if you can spare the time for a few hours on Wednesday, I strongly encourage you to attend the planning meeting to show the councillors what a strong opposition there is to this application. As I said before, if there is a strong turnout from the community, it will make a real difference to the councillors final decision on this planning application.

Please spread the word amongst your neighbours if they are not on this email list and encourage them to come along to the meeting too.

I've been advised by the council that the meeting will commence at 10 am and members of the public are welcome to attend.  Please report to the City Chambers reception on the High Street and they will direct you to the correct meeting room. Some of the FCARA committee intend to be there and we'll report back as to whether the application was agreed to or not. 

If you want any more information on the meeting, the papers for the meeting, how to attend or anything else to do with the meeting, please email Elaine Robertson at the council at: e.robertson@edinburgh.gov.uk

Best wishes

Jenny Goldsmith
Treasurer, FCARA

PS: Fingers crossed. This is it....

A quick update

A few of you have been asking me what is happening with the planning application for the old biscuit factory so I thought I'd better give a quick explanation.

 

The council's planning committee met last Wednesday to discuss the application, gave the council's planning officials a bit of a hard time, made some fairly negative comments about the planing application and decided they wanted a site visit before they made a final decision on the application. The planning committee also commented on our contra-plan; they seemed to like it.

 

So, the planning committee came on the site visit the next day. I think they will have seen all the signs that you made. You can find some of them below. I think the '213 objections can't be wrong' sticking out of the bramble patch at the bottom of Primrose Terrace is my personal favourite, congratulations to that merry protester for full creativity and effort, feel free to tell me who you are when we are all next down at the Caley after a meeting.

 

What's next? The FCARA Committee are expecting the final decision making meeting to be held next week. I will let you know the exact date and time when I have it. The community turning up at a planning committee meeting definitely makes a difference so we encourage you to go if you can spare the time.

 

Please pass this message on to your neighbours.

 

Best wishes

 

Jenny Goldsmith

Treasurer, FCARA

New Jump events

JUMP is having an exhibition about the proposed community development "Granton sur Mer".

Venue: gallerA1   

Exhibition Preview: Thursday 19th August @ 7pm – 9pm

Exhibition Dates: 20th August – 5th September

Time: 11am – 4pm, open: Tuesday – Sunday

Check out their website http://www.artinarchitecture.co.uk/Site_2/gallerA1.html for more information and come along!

For more information about JUMP and their projects have a look at

http://www.granton-sur-mer.eu/Intro.html 

http://www.jumpleith.co.uk/ 

And have a look at the following blog that featured JUMP under the heading "Cultural Planning: can community development work?" http://rudiurbanxtra.wordpress.com/

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