Category: Community Council
COMMUNITY CENTRE UNDER THREAT
The Hutchison Chesser Community Centre, which is situated in the grounds of St Cuthbert’s School, is in need of extensive repairs in order to continue to provide a venue for local groups.
The Centre is currently under-used and needs an injection of interest, support and funding in order to continue.
The situation was discussed at an extra meeting on 15 January 2018 and the Community Centre Committee will be meeting soon to discuss options for the Centre’s future. Cllrs Gavin Corbett, Andrew Johnston and David Key have offered support but have advised that we would need to demonstrate how we can increase usage of the Centre, in order to attract the necessary funding from the Council.
The outcome of their discussions will be on the agenda for the next meeting of the Hutchison Chesser Community Council, which will be held on the 12 February 2018 at 7.30 pm in St Cuthbert’s School.
In the meantime, Cllr Gavin Corbett is undertaking the following fact-finding exercise on our behalf:
- Contacting the Consultation Hub staff at the Council for advice on getting community feedback on the centre
- Contacting North Merchiston Club staff to ask if Hutchison-Chesser Centre committee can visit to see the set up there, and what it takes to manage it.
- Contacting the council surveyor to request a copy of the inventory of repair/condition issues
In order to try to attract the funding for the repairs and maintenance of the Centre, we need local people to show their support by contacting us with their views and their ideas of how to make the Centre a viable venue for local groups.
We would like to invite anyone from the community who is interested in helping to save the Centre to attend the next meeting on 12 February, to email or write to us*, or speak to our Chair, Harry Sutherland as soon as soon as possible.
*Send written correspondence C/O Gavin Corbett: The City of Edinburgh Council, City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1YJ
Join Clean, Green Hutchison
Earlier this year Gavin Corbett suggested launching a ‘Clean, Green Hutchison’ campaign and it received a lot of positive response from local residents and businesses alike.
We’d like to set up a meeting with anyone interested to explain a bit more about what the campaign might do, and how people might want to get involved.
We encourage anyone interested to get in touch – no commitment necessary at this stage! – and we’ll get a meeting date sorted.
This is a really exciting new opportunity in our great community!
- Send an email or a tweet to Gavin, or:
- Send Hutchison Chesser CC a Facebook message
- SendHutchison Chesser CC a tweet
Objection to Pentland House planning application
At our meeting on Monday 11th September, a large number of residents attended to voice their concern and objection to the Pentland House planning application. The application requests a change of use from office building to student housing.
As a statutory body the Community Council can lodge a response on behalf of the community.
Following our monthly meeting the Community Council took the decision to formally object to the application on behalf of the local community. The objection is noted below.
HUTCHISON CHESSER COMMUNITY COUNCIL OBJECTIONS TO THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AT PENTLAND HOUSE, 47 ROBB’S LOAN; Reference 17/03675/FUL
At a meeting of the Hutchison Chesser Community Council it was decided to submit an objection to the proposed development of Pentland House into 337 student flats for the following reasons: –
- At the HCCC meeting on 11 September a number of residents attended who were very concerned about the change in use and its impact in the area. However, it was also emphasised that many of the local residents are very elderly, without online access, and who found it difficult to get information about the proposal or to submit their views.
- Residents fear the impact on residential amenity given the close proximity of a young and short term population with a settled population of families with children and older people: impacts include noise in the neighbourhood, especially late at night.
- Residents are concerned about traffic impact and impact on adjacent on-street parking, given that only limited parking is provided on-site
- The proposal is contrary to the council’s student guidance (2016) which seeks to ensure that developments of this scale are mixed-use
It is the wish of HCCC that this objection is lodged and is taken into serious account in coming to a recommendation and in the committee deliberations
Yours sincerely
Hutchison Chesser Community Council
First Autumn Meeting: Monday 11 September
The first Community Council meeting of the autumn will be Monday 11 September, at 7.30pm. All very welcome.
Pentland House
We’ve had a lot of feedback from the local community surrounding the Pentland House renovation. We’ve applied to extend the deadline for objections until 14 September to allow us to gather feedback from the community at this meeting. We’re awaiting confirmation that this request has been approved.
We’d encourage as many local residents as possible to attend this meeting.
Change of Venue
Please note, we’ll be meeting inside St Cuthbert’s RC Primary School, and not in the Porta-Kabin in the playground.
Public Consultation – Pentland House Development
There will be a public consultation held on Tuesday 27 June, from 3pm – 7pm, regarding the proposed redevelopment of Pentland House.
Edinburgh Napier University would like to turn the building into student accommodation and landscape the surrounding area. This is the first public consultation before a formal planning application is made.
Agents will be available from 3pm – 7pm with plans and drawings.
Local attendance is encouraged.
Details
Date: Tuesday 27 June 2017
Time: 3pm – 7pm
Venue: Unit 4, Edinburgh West Retail Park (the empty unit), Chesser Avenue.
More information can be found on the council website.
Location map
Exterior of Pentland House, Robb’s Loan
Question the candidates standing for election – Election Hustings 19 April
Join us on Wednesday 19 April at 7pm in the Church Hall of St Cuthbert’s RC Church (Hutchison Crossway), for an Election Hustings.
All of the candidates standing for election have been invited to attend. This is your opportunity to ask them direct questions.
Election Hustings are open to every resident of Ward 9. We look forward to welcoming you all.
Are you registered to vote on 4 May?
City of Edinburgh Council elections are coming up on Thursday 4 May 2017.
Ensure you’re registered to vote to have your say: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
You must be registered by 17 April 2017.
Why not try and walk a little more in 2017?
Did you know, a generation ago, 70% of us walked to school – now it’s less than half.
Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, want to reverse this decline.
Hutchison and Chesser is a great area for walking; to school, to our various shops and amenities, or on the Canal and Water of Leith paths. There are lots of benefits:
- look after your heart
- reduce the impact of diabetes
- improve your cardiovascular fitness
- help joint mobility
- and improve mental health
This year, why not build a little more everyday walking into your routine?
Find out more about the campaign on Twitter, using the hashtags below, or visit the Living Streets Website
Community Planning for People & Planet: Help set the environmental priorities for Edinburgh
Transition Edinburgh, Nourish and the Edinburgh Sustainable Development Partnership invite you to Wester Hailes Education Centre on Wednesday 15 February to discuss: “Community Planning for People & Planet: Help set the environmental priorities for four Edinburgh Locality Improvement Plans 2017-22.”
Topics discussed on the night will include:
- Local Economic Resilience and Jobs
- Food and Growing Local
- Energy & Climate Change
- Transport and Air Pollution
- Open Spaces and Green Spaces.
Event Details:
Time: 6–8pm
Date: Wednesday 15 February
Venue: Wester Hailes Education Centre, 5 Murrayburn Drive, Edinburgh EH14 2SU
Register: EventBrite Transition Edinburgh
DRAFT AGENDA:
5.30pm Registration / refreshments / meet people
6.00pm Welcome with first keynote contributions
6.20pm Paired discussion about the issues raised
6.30pm More short contributions leading to questions
6.45pm Space for exploring topics / refreshments
7.00pm Table conversations leading to ideas for action
7.45pm Coming together to share the ideas generated
8.00pm Close
Additional Information
Local and citywide community groups and projects seeking to make improvements to our local environment are invited. Week-long exhibitions will be held at the same venue. They will open opportunity for contributors to input on local environmental priorities in next 5-10 years – all in the context of the emerging 2050 Edinburgh City Vision.
Issues from these events will be passed to project teams for each Locality Improvement Plan – due out by October 2017.
More information about the four Edinburgh Localities and Locality working can be found at www.edinburghcompact.org.uk/localities/ or email korstiaan.allan@edinburgh.gov.uk for a briefing.
Register to attend the event at Eventbrite
or via email korstiaan.allan@edinburgh.gov.uk
Useful links:
www.transitionedinburgh.org.uk
www.edinburghcompact.org.uk/localities/