INVERLEITH NEIGHBOURHOOD PARTNERSHIP
CLEAN, GREEN AND SAFE ACTION GROUP

Minutes of Meeting held on 23 February 2010, at North Edinburgh Local Office

Item / Actions
1. / Attendance:
Steven Cuthill (Local Environment Manager, Chair)
Stephen Brennan (Stockbridge and Inverleith Community Council)
Chris Peach (BTCV)
Ann Proudfoot (Easter Drylaw Residents Association)
Betty Dickson (Easter Drylaw Residents Association)
Judy Conn (Friends of King George V and Scotland Yard Parks Rep / New Town and Broughton Community Council)
Jean Butterworth (Stockbridge Colonies Residents Association)
Ian Cunningham (Stockbridge Colonies Residents Association)
Alex Dale (Drylaw/Telford Community Council)
Elizabeth Graham (Drylaw & Telford Community Gardens)
Danny Colquhoun
Tracy Boxall (SFC Customer Advisor, Minute Taker)
2. / Apologies:
Alan Small ( Inverlieth Society)
3. / Drylaw and Telford Community Gardens-presentation
Presentation made by Elizabeth Graham on the plans for Community Gardens in the Drylaw/Telford area further details of which can be found of the website at www.drylawandtelfordcommunitygardens.org.uk
4. / Minutes of Previous Meeting:
Wall at Portgower Place – Gladstone Masonry are due to start work on 22 February 2010.
5. / Park Management Plans Updates:
SC explained in some detail the Parks Quality Assessments that take place on our parks and greenspaces at both a National level and a Neighbourhood level.
Inverleith Park
Ø  Noticeboards have been erected listing all events taking place and areas being used. The Events Manifesto is now closed you can still send comments to SC
Ø  17 March BTCV doing voluntary work in and around Inverleith Pond. Chris Peach to meet with Jennifer Johnstone (JJ) to see what needs to be done. Please contact SC, CP or JJ if there is anything you would like done.
Ø  Boat Club have tried to get the Duke of Edinburgh Award involved
Ø  Expect to present the Management Plan to the Neighbourhood Partnership. SC is currently undertaking some consultation with interested parties.
Rocheid Path/Bell Park
Ø  BTCV have submitted quotes for repair to fencing and some planting SC to review this.
Ø  Temporary signage has been put up, Residents would like something more permanent- Signage will be monitored and if damaged then we will look at more permanent signage
King George V and Scotland Yard Park
Ø  Lighting for Scotland Street Tunnel – awaiting quote from Street Lighting
Ø  Flooded gulley was first reported on 15 June 2009 and 6 times since this did not flood prior to the installation of the cycle path- Cost of repair £700 which is under discussion with Chris Brace.
Ø  Damaged Tree – this is to be replaced and the bench erected by end of March.
Easter Drylaw Open Spaces
Ø  Drylaw Field- has maintenance transferred over to SC. SC still to speak to Mandy Rudden re this.
Ø  Thomas Brown still to hear back from MHA re obtaining land for the community garden
Ø  Easter Drylaw Park- there are large lorries causing ruts in the new path. Any information on vehicles to be passed to SC
Ø  No friends group started as yet AD mentioned there has some interest from the Toddlers Group from the Neighbourhood Centre. / SC
SC/CP/JJ
SC
SC
SC
SC
ThBr
All
6. / Police and partnership working
Ø  See attached report from Ruth Stanley (below)
Ø  Would still like either Police attendance or reports provided at these meeting. / SC
7. / Edinburgh Parks Events Manifesto consultation
No items remitted.
8. / Items remitted from Neighbourhood Partnership
Edinburgh & Lothian Greenspace Trust have set up a grants scheme allowing small groups to apply for up to £100 to improve their local park, community Garden or woodland area and will lead to a greater variety of native plants, trees and habitats to attract animals birds and insects. If this is of interest please contact or telephone 0131 445 4025 for information or an application form.
Also Scottish National Heritage are offering free seeds which you can apply for by visiting www.snh.org.uk
East side of Bell Place- Cllr Hinds spoke to the Roads team re condition of the pavement. Roads Team are reluctant to carry out work. Residents would like pavement repaired and wondered if a request could be made to apply for funding as a NEP project. SC will get Roads team to provide a report on this. Whole length of pavement is deemed to be problematic to navigate if pushing a buggy or using an electric scooter. / SC
SC
9. / A.O.C.B.
Drive at top of Groathill Road North- Roads team have been checking this out on and off, they are happy as it stands- DC thinks this is a Health and Safety issue and would like this to be escalated, due to the bad weather of late pavement very slippy and the hedge is growing over onto the pavement.
IC raised concerns about the maintenance of plots at the corners of the junction of Glenogle Road and Brandon Terrace – Taskforce Manager has been dealing with this, some works has been carried out SC to investigate and update.
Leslie Place- TRO (Temporary Roads Order) being processed can take up to 18 months
Easter Drylaw roundabout- There has been a temporary repair added and this will be placed on the list for permanent repair.
Gully at corner of Wester Drylaw Place is constantly flooded this need to be looked at.
Easter Drylaw Residents would like updates from the walkabouts with Alan Birnie (AB) / SC/Roads
SC/Roads
SC/Roads
SC/Roads
AB
10. / Date of Next Meetings
2pm in North Local Office, Conference Room 2
27 April 2010
Elaine Lennon –
North Neighbourhood Team
8 West Pilton Gardens, Edinburgh, EH4 4DP
Tel: 0131 529 5270,


Inverleith Clean Green and Safe

Community Safety Update

From

Tasking and Co-ordinating Report for incidents during January 2010

GENERAL TRENDS

·  Across the North Neighbourhood, there was a slight increase in recorded crime in January – up 7% from December. However, crime levels were still down on the three-year average.

·  There was a notable increase in violent crimes from 17 to 29, well above the three-year average of 21. Fewer opportunities in the cold weather for acquisitive crime such as housebreaking may have meant those who commit crimes on a daily basis turning their attention elsewhere to seek financial gain. There were no notable violent incidents in Inverleith.

·  After a quiet December, there were notable increases in vandalism/malicious-mischief and autocrime. However, both remained below the three year average.

·  This month there were reductions in housebreakings (domestic and business). This may because less people were leaving their homes during the day because of poor weather leaving less opportunities for recidivist offenders to commit break ins.

·  Youth calls were at a similar level to last month.

YOUTH CALLS –INVERLEITH

There were an increased number of calls regarding the streets surrounding Easter Drylaw Place, although this was not a significant hotspot

VANDALISM/ MAL MIS – NORTH

On 15th January three cars had windows smashed on Easter Drylaw Avenue and Easter Drylaw Bank between 2200 and 2300hrs. Three cars were damaged on Craigleith Drive including two on the 2nd.

Vandalisms are likely to increase in upcoming months, with school holidays in February and again at Easter, combined with better weather and more hours of daylight.

ENVIRONMENTAL WARDENS

-will be attending a week of assemblies at Broughton High School in May to emphasise to the pupils what the Wardens and their school are trying to do together about litter.