Currie Community Council - Annual Report 2000
Activities in the past year
This has been an active year, but
we have suffered greatly from the lack of a Secretary. Karen Forbes
volunteered to act as Minutes Secretary, although not a Currie
resident, and we benefited from her input until changed circumstances
at work forced her to resign.
The council introduced a new pattern
of bimonthly speakers, alternating with purely business meetings. We
have heard our MSP Iain Gray, Ken Tippen of the Planning Department
and other guests. Trevor Jones, Chief Executive of Lothian Health,
has agreed to speak at the meeting on Monday 13 November.
Business
meetings received reports from conveners and City Councillors,
circulated correspondence, considered items raised by individual
councillors, listened to members of the public making representations
and arranged for action on items as necessary; Community Constable
Brian Lothian also gave regular reports on law enforcement and crime
prevention.
After two decades of work as treaurer and secretary,
usually simultaneously, Gordon Browne has retired. He has put in a
long and arduous stint and many of the successes of the Community
Council over the last twenty years have been achieved with Gordon's
help. We give him our thanks, and welcome his offer to continue to
contribute to the Fair committee.
Graham Dane has provided a
regular monthly report to the Currie and Balerno News and edited the
council's Website. This is at http://www.ma.hw.ac.uk/ccc/ and has
continued to grow steadily with additions on the history and geography
of the parish. We hope it will soon include items on the Common
Riding, Dougal Haston, Currie District History Society and other
aspects of Currie. Many thanks are due to Stan Zacchary for
maintaining and to Heriot -Watt University hosting the site, which is
edited by Graham Dane.
Planning Convener Archie Clark has done a
tremendous amount of work in preparing submissions to the current
Enquiry as well as regular monitoring of planning applications. He
has provided a detailed monthly report and devoted a great deal of
care and time to the service of the community in this way.
Currie
Community Council supported Balerno and Kirknewton Community Councils
in their challenge to the operators of the rubbish dump at Kaimes.
This was vindicated by decisions in favour of the protestors.
David Bertram's flower tubs have continued to decorate Currie and add
a touch of colour. This is a continuing contribution and we owe David
many thanks for his hard work.
Christina Mann and Natalie Doyle
ably represented young people throughout the year. They have been
replaced by two new volunteers from Currie High School, Lynsey Renwick
and Nicola Wren.
Derek Henderson has represented the council on
Currie High School Board and been a very helpful link.
We marked
the millennium in George V Park by the planting of a cedar tree by
Iain Gray MSP and of many bulbs by pupils of Curriehill Primary
School. Brenda McGovern is to be congratulated on seeing this project
through, and also on organising the Environmental Millennium Event in
June, which took the place of this year's Currie Fair and left us a
lasting memento in the form of an elaborate wooden seat. Other plans
for improving the park include a path and trim course and additional
access to the Water of Leith. Brenda also saw her work on the Currie
Community Map 2000 come to a succesful conclusion with its publication
by Edinburgh Green Belt Trust.
Various councillors atended
consultation meetings thoughout the year on such topics as the Master
Plan for Heriot-Watt University, developments at the Health Centre and
governance of the city.
Looking Forward
Activities
The Common Riding should continue as a valued fixture in the local
calendar of events and a source of pride, contact with other
communities, a contribution to charity in the form of activity, a
spectacle and a public event.
The Currie Fair should be reinstated
as an annual event, both for its own sake and as a source of funds to
support the Common Good of the people of Currie, including the
Riding.
The scheme now being realised for developments in George V
Park is a good example of how a long term plan can be implemented in
stages and bring real improvements to our parish. It could perhaps be
copied in the form of strategies for other developments.
The
Character Appraisal drafted by the City of Edinburgh Council is a very
good beginning and may lead to increased pride in Currie and more
participation in local improvements.
Other ideas are worthy of
investigation before decisions are taken on them. These include
Christmas lights, a street market, building a Youth Shelter and
establishing an annual walk (or cycle) round the Witch's Walk route in
Currie and Balerno.
Transport
Transport improvements should concentrate on better public transport
options. Use of Curriehill Station should be encouraged by provision
of CCTV and/or other surveillance and improvements in train services
into Edinburgh. Park and ride car parks are a good idea in principle,
but would be better sited further out from the city than Currie.
Cycling should be encouraged by sensible provision of safe routes.
Road safety, especially for cyclists and pedestrians, requires
attention on Riccarton Mains Road leading to Heriot-Watt
University.
There should be a safe pedestrian crossing of the A71
linking a cycle route to Heriot-Watt to the new cycle path into the
city centre along the rebuilt canal.
The installation or
relocation of traffic islands and light controlled crossings on Lanark
Road West and other roads should be kept under review and may be
supported from time to time.
Planning
The principle of Green Belt protection requires constant reiteration
and vigilance.
No major housing developments should be allowed in
our section of the Green Belt.
The Council generally has no view on individual applications to
improve or extend existing houses.
It is important to preserve and
increase the number of workplaces in Currie. Conversion of places of
work into dwellings should be vigorously opposed to discourage this
type of development. Extension of trading and the occupation of
vacant premises should be encouraged, especially where this provides
services not available elsewhere in the area. The expansion of
Heriot-Watt University within the terms of its Plan is welcome and the
Council will engage constructively with the University, as with other
businesses, in discussing the details of expansion.
Redevelopment
of the former industrial ("brownfield") sites should be encouraged,
but not as housing. Uses as places of work, leisure facilities or
public open space are possibilities.
Measures to conceal the
electricity transmission lines and transformer station should be
investigated.
The Conservation Area of Currie deserves special
protection and support.
Improvement in amenities without
encroachment on the Green Belt is the general aim.
Environment
Improving enjoyment and appreciation of the Green Belt, developing
local amenities and increasing awareness of environmental issues are
the main aims.
The scheme for development of George V Park should
be continued.
The flower tubs are a worthwhile sign of care in the
village. They should be renewed on a planned basis as required. The
involvement of local shops in watering plants is a good sign of shared
responsibility.
Funding
Attempts should be made to obtain funding for as many of the Council's
schemes as possible, using our own money when some evidence of a
matching contribution is required.
Local Awareness
A major problem is lack of members of the Council, with
several vacancies and no secretary. This may be associated with a
lack of awareness of the Council's achievements and routine work.
Some publicity should be considered to advertise the Council's
achievements to the people of Currie.
Graham Dane
Chair