How to object

PLANNING APPLICATIONS NOW SUBMITTED AND CLOSED FOR COMMENT

Mountgrange`s 2nd and 3rd Planning Applications Objections to be in by the 30th March.

Some suggested points below to base your OBJECTIONS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING APPLICATIONS

DESIGN

Not in keeping with conservation area / world heritage site or ‘approved’ Caltongate masterplan - Mono pitch roofs at a very shallow pitch throughout application site finished in zinc.

No use of stone or stone cladding in construction or finish for walls. Use of high carbon generating materials (pre-cast concrete, cement render and oil based plastics) in construction and finish.Lack of amenity space, drying greens, play areas and open space - Block B has no private or public space, Blocks A and C have limited private usable space.

MIX OF USES

  1. The proposal lies within an area identified in the Local Plan as zoned for Mixed Activities - housing is an accepted use and the need for additional provision of affordable housing throughout the City is recognised.

  2. The need for additional affordable workshop and start up business/office space is also recognised and the council has committed to securing this through a mix of provision.

  3. A mix of Class 4 and 2 use units would be compatible with residential blocks provided residential amenity is protected through adequate conditions controlling the hours of operation and affordability is controlled in perpetuity (e.g. Not discount price to first tenant/buyer only)

  4. The Ark Trust should be provided with a stand alone building to replace not only the day centre but the additional residential accommodation (temporarily out of use) within their current premises on New Street in addition to any additional community facilities to be provided.

  5. All community units at ground floor level to be provided with areas of open landscaped public space.

  6. Additional landscaping, streetscape, traffic calming, party wall areas and street lighting improvements on New Street and under the railway bridge must be included and implemented prior to any of the buildings coming into use.

LAND SALE ISSUES

When was the sale of this public land agreed with the council and who else was given an opportunity to bid for it? If the council are in partnership with the developer to provide affordable housing on the site will the application be referred to Scottish ministers? If land is public can legal agreement not pass residential units to Housing Association and also retain commercial units (workshops, offices, community space) in public ownership?

IMPORTANT INFO

You can submitt your objections at the links above , remember to uncheck the support application box. We have been alerted to a number of letters in support of the Forums market application by the planning portal that have not been accepted. The council say even although they were put in before closing date, because the council staff did not look at it until after the closing date they were not valid. So we are advising people that it is safer to print off your objection and post or hand in to the council at the address below, remember to include application reference number and say at the beginning I am objecting to this planning application otherwise its filed as a letter of support.

Canongate Community Forums Main Points in objection to application

  1. This application can`t be properly assessed until the applications with full details of the buildings and ground floor heating have been received and agreed by party wall surveyors.

  2. The site identified for the ground floor heating excludes the affordable housing and wouldnt comply with the Masterplans aims to achieve maximum sustainability across the site.

  3. The podium details include underground ducting links to listed buildings (this assumes the listed buildings would be demolished)

  4. What Mountgrange and the journalist (who has written both articles) seem to have forgotten is that it was Mountgrange that made the hole in the ground, subject to conditions! So mention this also