*************SEPT -END 2005***************

Public Consultation was carried out in 2005,by PPS on behalf of Mountgrange. An exhibition of the plan was held on the 30^th September and the 1^st of October in the not so local St James Shopping Centre. It is estimated that 2,500 people stopped and looked at the proposals, whilst out shopping. Only 219 questionnaires in total were returned. Around 180 or so of these were seen to be in favour of the proposals in relation to the type of questions asked on the questionnaires. (see Mountgranges` Consultation Document)

A further day was held, at the Canongate Community Council’s request, in the more local Canongate Kirk, and was visited by around 150-200 people, only 30 questionnaires were returned, 15 of which were seen to be in favour of proposals.

Concerned Canongate residents, Sally Richardson and Julie Logan stood outside the Kirk to gauge local opinion. As no notice was posted outside the Kirk, and only one small advert had appeared in the Evening News earlier that week, they alerted passers by of the exhibition. They also spoke to people leaving the Kirk, some close to tears and became aware that the general feeling of most people was that the scheme would either never happen because the Council would not be allowed to agree the demolition of Listed Buildings and Homes, or that it was a done deal and there was nowhere on the questionnaire to vote no to the scheme.

That evening Sally and Julie decided to set up the Canongate Community Forum.

FIRST PLANNING COMMITTEE NOV 17 2005

Despite pleas to reconsider their decision, in a letter from the recently formed Canongate Community Forum that was presented to the planning committee on November 17th the decision was taken to sell the land to Mountgrange subject to condions. The letter (see pdf version of letter) questioned whether the Council could take a "disinterested and objective view of any plans submitted when they stand to receive a further 2M payment on the granting of planning permission for the scheme, plus 20% of any profit arising from the development?" It also raised other concerns, "namely the eviction of people from their homes, the proposed demolition of listed buildings, changing the character of a World Heritage site and of course the inevitable increase in traffic which would be generated by the scheme.( See Evening News report from 21st November 2005).

When approached by the new Forum to request a Public Meeting, Mountgrange informed them that they found public meetings unmanageable, so they decided to arrange one themselves, as there was definitely strong feeling in the community that justified one.

At the meeting held on the 28^th November 2005 in The Quaker Meeting House, Mountgrange and Allan Murray Architects were represented by their planning consultant Richard Slipper from GVA Grimley. Sarah Boyack MSP for central Edinburgh attended as did Mark Ballard Green list MSP. The meeting further confirmed that all was not well with the “Caltongate” proposals. Richard Slipper informed the audience that the plans were now not going to be submitted as previously stated in December but were going to be submitted in 2 - 3 months time. At least more time was achieved, especially since the plans would have submitted over the busy festive period, when people were otherwise engaged. (Evening News, 4th October 2005),

From this initial meeting the Forum has gone from strength to strength. Local residents, local businesses, local community groups, former residents and concerned people from all over Edinburgh, Scotland and beyond have joined in and are lending support to the SOOT campaign.

The Edinburgh World Heritage Trust are also concerned about these plans. Quoted in the Edinburgh Evening News on 9th November, Jane Jackson, World Heritage Site co-ordinator, said: "We are very concerned at the total lack of detail in the Calton Gate proposals. As things stand there is no indication that the development will respect the character of this historic area, or its status as a key part of the World Heritage Site." Other Edinburgh citizens were concerned too, as shown by the comments on our web page summarising the plans.

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2006

On 6th March 2006, Mountgrange made public the final version of their masterplan.

SECOND PLANNING COMMITTEE 9TH MARCH 2006

Edinburgh City Council Planning Committee approved it for consultation on 9th March 2006. It does not appear to contain any substantive changes from the initial draft of the masterplan, and so the concerns raised earlier still hold.

10 members from the SOOT campaign attended this planning committee, with Sally Richardson and Bern Balfe presenting this deputation.

What was achieved through attending the meeting on the 9th March was the very well attended Community Planning Day on April 22nd and the Forum gave an outline presentation with reference to developing an alternative strategy which had been developed through meetings, to the stakeholders meetin, along side the council`s planning officers and Mountgrange Team in April.

see link below for the feedback from the excellent Community Planning Day at the Royal Mile Primary School on Saturday the 22nd April. Many, many thanks to those who could take part, for even a short time or their entire Saturday!!
http://eh8.org.uk/sites/eh8.org.uk/files/community%20planning%20day.pdf