News date:
20th May 2013Story
Curriemuirend Communication Strategy
1.
To raise awareness of Edinburgh City Council's plans to re-designate Curriemuirend Park from green space to residential/development space.
2. To encourage residents and also some of the wider public affected by the proposed road changes to submit views on the proposal between the period of 1 May 2013 and 14 June 2013.
3.
Encourage local elected representatives to raise objections to the proposed developments and have them actively support alternative suggested uses for the park.
4. The proposal to reduce Wester Hailes road to a single carriageway gives residents serious safety concerns. This road is already extremely busy at peak times with traffic backed up. To further reduce the capacity of the road would impact on local residents in the west of Edinburgh communities, particularly those along the A70 Lanark Road.
5.
Viewfield Road is already used as a rat run by drivers who wish to turn right on to the Lanark Road from Wester Hailes Road. Any reduction in the capacity will exacerbate this problem and will result in an increased traffic flow through a residential area with young children. This road currently has no traffic slowing signs or sleeping policemen in place
6.
There are concerns about the suitability of the site for development. The site is small, is located between the by-pass, Wester Hailes Road and Viewfield Road; vehicular access would appear to be problematic for housing provision, space cramped and any development would exacerbate existing problems in the area rather than help improve them.
7.
There are concerns whether such a site is economically feasible given the small size. If the site is not developed for housing, then is there a risk it will be sold off for commercial development with the loss of precious green space.
8.
According to the City of Edinburgh’s own Local Development Plan (LDP) there are enough brownfield sites to meet most of the requirements placed on the city by the Scottish Government (SG). Further, we understand that the constraints previously placed on the Council to find additional potential sites only within the city boundaries have now been lifted, to judge by the SG appointed Reporter’s comments in his recent response to the South-East Scotland Plan. This observation alone should lead to a review of CEC’s LDP and a focus on brownfield sites across the wider region, leading to a review of the need to encroach on green field sites.
9. Curriemuirend Park is one of only three green spaces in Juniper Green. It is the only hillside recreational space left and is the only significant amenity of this kind conveniently available to the 2,500 or so residents of Baberton Mains and the eastern part of Juniper Green. Why are we seeking to build on park land?
10. The Pentlands Neighbourhood Partnership’s Health sub-group is encouraging the formation of walking groups as healthy exercise. Curriemuirend adds another interesting location for this to happen and the walking groups also encourage social interaction and discourage social isolation – which can be an issue for people in Juniper Green and Baberton Mains. As a space for young runners, cyclists and dog-walkers, Curriemuirend Park provides an area which fulfils all these requirements. As a space for simple contemplation, fairly peaceful, it is also precious to many people.
11. Creating a small housing development on Curriemuirend will make for some problems for its residents. To access Juniper Green Primary School, residents of Curriemuirend would have to walk out towards Wester Hailes Road, turn right on to the Lanark Road and complete their journey that way. Making a footpath to the west of Curriemuirend Park, would not be without its own difficulties. The same argument applies to accessing shops in Juniper Green. It will arguably not be well-connected to the rest of the JG community as it constitutes a small “housing island” on a sloping site.
12. Juniper Green has seen many developments on the brownfield sites within its boundaries. The village has provided its share of space to meet housing needs over the past 40 years: Woodhall Mill Brae, the old Primary School on Baberton Avenue, the McCarthy and Stone development on the former golf club house site, the flats on the south side of Lanark Road where a garage stood, the stable complex next to Iceland, Hanover housing at St Margaret’s Court, the flats on the old Bryce lorry park to the west of Juniper Avenue and the strip of housing that stands on the old cooking site. In addition, green space has been lost within the village boundaries at Baberton Mains, on Baberton golf course with the new clubhouse development and at the old folks’ sheltered housing complex in Baberton Park. This total provision means, when taken together, that JG has fulfilled its responsibility and given of its public green spaces, leaving a densely packed residential area with little green space in which to relax. If further green space is lost then it would have to be renamed Juniper “no longer” Green in the future!
13.
Some £65k of public money has been spent on developing the park and the Millennium woodland at the turn of the century and it is the existing investment in this green space that should form the basis of the future of Curriemuirend Park.
14.
At present, Curriemuirend Park represents the green buffer between Wester Hailes and Juniper Green. Planning policy has been to support such areas. Building on this site would lose the buffer and contribute to the loss of Juniper Green’s identity.
Key Messages - Options
15.
Opportunity to develop part of the park to provide an off-road cycling and running area for residents of the surrounding area. Space to develop a 0.5mile track which would fit in with the health and wellbeing initiatives of the council and the local residents. Further information can be found here. http://www.curriemuirend.co.uk/LeisureAlternatives.aspx
We note in passing that Harmeny Athletics Club has a waiting list for younger members and such a facility would be of benefit to younger folk in the communities of Currie and Juniper Green as well as fitting with aspirations before and beyond the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
16.
Opportunity to develop part of the site to provide space for an outside gym for local residents. This type of facility has proved successful in a number of other locations.
17.
Allotments: Edinburgh has a poor record on allotment provision. Blinkbonny Park is much less accessible as it is not on a bus route, unlike Curriemuirend Park. Curriemuirend Park is much nearer to the kind of individual likely to want an allotment. An estimate of 30-40 half plots could be accommodated on part of the site.
18.
Estimated costs are being developed for these plans along with opportunities for financial and political support. These present three opportunities would retain an important green open space and extend the provision at Clovenstone Park.
Communication Channels and next steps
19.
We need to drive people to the website which will hold this information - www.curriemuirend.co.uk The next section identifies the message we need to get out to people regarding how they might take action.
20.
The table below highlights some of the channels we have used and/or will use.
Channel |
Action |
Who |
When |
Website |
Establish and drive people to. |
Gordon/Jim |
Live |
Facebook – Curriemuirend development |
Establish and get people to share, comment and like. Clarify what we are campaigning for on site. |
Gordon/Jim |
Ongoing |
Twitter Curriemuirendpark |
Get this active and try and engage followers. |
Barry |
Live |
Currie & Balerno News |
Article |
Cliff and Ken separately |
Mid May, will check |
Evening News |
Opportunity to write letters after 1 May |
TBC |
After 1 May |
Leaflets/Posters |
JG and Balerno farmer markets in May. Opportunity to give leaflets into shops and pubs in local area. |
Helen for JG market |
May 25 |
Other leaflets |
Small leaflets to be handed out directing to website |
TBC (poss BN) |
May |
JGCC Website |
Has information up already, need to link to Curriemuirend site |
Helen |
May |
Word of mouth |
All – drive to website or to write. |
All |
Ongoing |
Elected Representatives |
Write to engage and gain support for key messages and proposed development. |
All |
Ongoing. |
More detailed information, including maps etc can be found on this link -
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/localdevelopmentplan
Representations must be submitted on a standard form. The form can be downloaded on this link. Please look at the key points and develop your own wording and arguments rather than using set text as this is very important.
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/10306/ldp_representation_form_may_2013
There are also guidance notes and other information that may be of interest.
Residents directly impacted |
Juniper Green, Baberton and those close to Gillespie Crossroads |
Residents indirectly impacted |
Currie, Balerno, Wester Hailes and Colinton |
Community Councils and Associations |
Juniper Green, Currie, Balerno, Wester Hailes and Colinton |
MP |
Alistair Darling |
MSPs |
Gordon MacDonald (Constituency) David McLetchie Sarah Boyack Gavin Brown Kezia Dugdale Neil Findlay Margo MacDonald Alison Johnstone |
Local Councillors |
Bill Henderson Ricky Henderson Dominic Heslop |
Members of Planning Committee |
Councillor Perry (Convener) |