A talk organised by the Old Town Association by Eric Melvin, much-respected local historian with a wide knowledge of his home city of Edinburgh, about herbalist Duncan Napier who founded the well-known shop in Bristo Place in 1860. This is a hybrid event. Your ticket will allow you to attend either in person or online, live or at a time …
Visit the historic Trinity Apse on Chalmers Close for a FREE Open Day on Friday 20th May 2022. Just pop-by, no booking is required. Members of the Trinity Network will be on hand during both sessions to answer any questions you may have about this fascinating historic Edinburgh building Morning Session – 10.15am-12pm. At 11am Dr Lizzie Swarbrick, a Leverhulme …
2022 is the bicentenary of the famous visit of George IV to Edinburgh in August 1822– an event celebrated by the famous statue of the king at the junction of George Street and Hanover Street. Join historian and author Eric Melvin as he gives a FREE talk at the City Art Centre about this momentous occasion in Edinburgh’s history, when …
How do you manage the contents of a medical kit donation or handle a WW2 gas mask? What happens with historic objects containing mercury, lead or asbestos? Museums collections are not always as friendly as they may seem! Join Museums and Galleries Edinburgh Collections Care Officer, Gwen Thomas, Curator, Gemma Henderson and Auld Reekie Retold Project Manager, Nico Tyack as …
Princes Street Gardens are one of the most iconic sights in the City of Edinburgh. Join the team from Museums and Galleries Edinburgh in an online talk as they saunter through their archives to explore Princes Street Gardens, East and West. They will look at its origins as the Nor’Loch, promenade past The Mound check-out bandstands, wonder at fountains, appreciate …
The Grassmarket Residents Association (GRASS) are holding their 2022 Annual General Meeting on 14th April at 6.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House on Victoria Terrace. All are welcome to attend to learn more about what GRASS members have been up to in their community during the pandemic years and hear more about their manifesto for the upcoming Council election in …
Our response to the Scottish Government consultation on its NPF4 draft document
Our response to the Scottish Government consultation on its NPF4 draft document
(The following is a summary of our response to this consultation, read or download our full submission HERE).
These comments have been developed from substantial debate and deliberation led by the Cockburn’s Policy & Development Committee as well as in discussion and collaboration with the Edinburgh Civic Forum, which is a network organisation of over 100 civic groups, amenity societies, residents’ associations and community councils within the City of Edinburgh Council area. The Forum is administered by the Cockburn Association.
The Cockburn Association acknowledges the challenges in making a national spatial strategy relevant on a local level. It believes that the strategy, policies and projects that derive from the Framework will have a direct impact on local decision-making and local place-making.
Our main area of interest is the Central Urban transformation section of NPF4 and other areas of specific interest to Edinburgh – both city and city region. In addition, we have taken special interest in Part 3 of Framework, covering the National Planning Policy Handbook. Comments on Part 3 are covered is a separate document.
Overall, the Cockburn Association welcomes the general thrust and overall sentiment of NPF4.
In particular, the strategic ambitions to pioneer low-carbon, resilient urban living; reinvent and future-proof city centres; accelerate urban greening; rediscover urban coasts and waterfronts; reuse land and buildings; invest in net zero housing solutions; grow a wellbeing economy; reimagine development on the urban fringe; and improve urban accessibility are welcome.
Against this support for the generalised strategic thrust of NPF4, we are concerned with the lack of evidential assessment of delivery of NPF3. Without very clear analysis of the success or otherwise of NPF3, it is very difficult to consider the likelihood of success of NPF4. Also, whilst the positive rhetoric and narrative is compelling, polices and strategies are generally too caveated in terms of precision and language to give confidence in delivery.
In general terms, there is a lack of clarity on several key issues such as those noted below.
Delivery
NPF4 is very light on the “how” as opposed to the “what”. It is also couched in a language the weakens delivery in terms of policy commitments. For example, strong statements like “‘We must embrace and deliver radical change so we can tackle and adapt to climate change” are undermined by non-directive words such ‘Encourage’ when referring to low- and zero-carbon design.’ The preparation of a National Action Plan with clear allocation of resources to achieve the strategies and policies contained within NPF4 will be required.
Edinburgh-specific issues
Although we appreciate that NPF4 is a national strategy and not meant to cover the ground occupied by Local Development Plans and strategies, it is a material consideration in planning matters and will have considerable influence.
We welcome that statement in the Framework, “as a capital city with a World Heritage Site at its core, it will be crucial that future development takes into account the capacity of the city [of Edinburgh] itself and its surrounding communities and makes the most of its exceptional heritage assets, places and cultural wealth.” In making this workable, it is therefore essential that an analysis of what is meant by “capacity” and how it is measured and defined is developed as part of NPF4. The concept of carrying capacity is embedded in ecosystem analysis but has not been developed as a useful tool for urban management. There is a very positive opportunity to create such a policy tool here which should be grasped, otherwise this statement will be little more than positive rhetoric.
We have already mentioned concerns about the emphasis of the Edinburgh City Region for population growth and housing building. The City of Edinburgh is expected over the next 10 years to accommodate an additional 41,300 new houses with the wider City Region taking 75,800. In comparison, Glasgow City is required under NPF4 to take on 21,300. There are concerns that this could lead to overdevelopment and might well undermine the delivery of related Scottish Planning Policies such as prevention of loss of prime agricultural land or Policy 29 on Urban edges and Green Belt, which will be subject to consider pressure from the private market-led housebuilders who might exploit this quantitative target as a means of justifying loss of prime land or Green Belt.
Strategic Approaches and Projects
In our internal and external discussion, the Cockburn has articulated these seven areas of strategic land-use or resourcing issues that should have greater emphasis in the framework or needs to be included as a major issue.
Maintenance & Repair as National Strategic project – the need to ensure existing places are fit for purpose and resilient completely missed in NPF4. It has been estimated that 72% of the buildings in the historic centre of Edinburgh are in need of significant repair due to a backlog of neglected maintenance work and the cost of basic road maintenance (potholes) is estimated to now cost £71m. Keeping our buildings and neighbourhoods in reasonable condition should be a firm objective of this Framework.
Sea Level rise as impact from Climate Change needs to be considered as a strategic land-use constraint in Spatial Strategy. The recent IPCC Report has suggested that it is now a matter of when, not if, that sea levels will rise. There is no indication of this significant issue featuring as a major land-use challenge. In supporting the development of Edinburgh’s Waterfront as a national development, it is essential for this to be factored into it.
Housing (Quality) – concern with emphasis on Built to Rent; no quality initiatives other than bland statements and reliance on Place Standard. Cost of Living pressures and affordability not addressed. Need to increase internal space standards and internal/external spaces to cope with emerging blended work patterns. Over reliance on commercial housebuilding sector to determine market need and land-use determinations suggests need to review definition of effective land supply.
Housing (Quantity) – major concern is concentration on City of Edinburgh/Edinburgh City Region for housing expansion with too great an emphasis on peripheral, suburban housing types. Weak links to infrastructure first approach. Lack of regional planning framework to ensure coordination. Poor link to 20-minute neighbourhood concept. Need to increase delivery of affordable and social house types in Edinburgh which suggests a different approach to the current market-led model. Current 25% threshold should not be reduced.
Food Security and Food deserts – Will be a significant issue in plan period; prefer an outright ban from using prime agricultural land for development, which implies fundamental review of spatial strategy within Central Urban Transformation area. Need to emphasise localism and links to poverty and food.
Energy Security – greater emphasis of integration of “passive house” standards in all housing developments; innovative renewals rollout including PV, micro-wind, etc. Development of Heat Networks as key national project.
Resources to deliver – there is no denying the fact that financial pressures on local authorities will inhibit delivery. The City of Edinburgh Council is one of the poorest resourced in Scotland, yet it is expected to shoulder significantly higher levels of national developments than others. Good planning requires adequate resources. National resources might be allocated to assist in upskilling planning authorities especially in areas of carbon management and climate preparedness.
View our full submission by clicking the box below.
We object to this proposal which would adversely impact historic auction mart buildings and livestock sheds, some of which are over 120 years old.
We object to this proposal which would adversely impact historic auction mart buildings and livestock sheds, some of which are over 120 years old.
The Cockburn Association objects to this application.
The development site includes listed and unlisted auction mart buildings and livestock sheds some of which are over 120 years old. These are an important part of the commercial history of Chesser and of Edinburgh and every effort should be made to secure their retention.
The current proposals do not achieve that aim and should be revised to secure a more significant retention of the site’s cultural and historical interest. Heritage considerations should drive the revision of plans for this site. The scale, mass, and materiality of any new structures on this site should reflect and be sympathetic to those original structures which are retained.
Any development on this site needs to be integrated successfully and fully into the existing local community and environment. As proposed, current plans lack through routes, linkages to active travel routes and sufficient greenspace and landscaping.
Existing football and bowling facilities will be lost under the current proposal. These are valuable recreational resource for the local area and the city.
We note the car-free nature of this development. However, if new restrictions are not placed on future residents with respect to car ownership. The potential for congestion on neighbouring streets due to off-site parking is considerable. This is not a city centre location. A car-free development may not be suitable.
