Greener Leith

At Greener Leith, we might be doing our bit to try to make our corner of the planet better but we don't like to nag. However, the people behind 'The Nag' are pretty up front about it. They are very clever with their nagging though. They ask you to sign up to a 'monthly nag', and if you pay attention to it and take action, they aggregate all the wee nags using their clever website, to show the difference that people are making accross the country.

Even better, they have a highly amusing monthly crap prize draw, which explains the photo above. You could win this if you sign-up for a regular nag. How can you resist?

The organisers of the Parents Like Us event on Leith Links are appealing for volunteers to help with running the festival for 0-5's, set to take place on Leith Links on the 9th -11th of May. If you've never been, here's what they say about it:

Parents Like Us (PLU) is the UK's biggest festival for parents with children aged 0-5 years and is organised by ordinary parents, all of whom give their time voluntarily. Ours is a place where you can relax with your children knowing that they are in a safe and secure environment and surrounded by only good things, most of which are free or ridiculously low-priced. Entrance to the fenced-off arena is free too, so there's absolutely no excuse for not coming along for a meander with offspring on tow. Grab yourself a coffee, make yourself comfortable in our covered seating area and lose yourself in the live music whilst you browse the free programme and consider how many of the dozens of activities on offer you might fit in to the short time you've allowed. For those of us with young children there's no other festival or family day like it. And that's a fact.

Interested in helping? Contact Kate or Clare on 0131 553 2152.  

Greener Leith volunteers attended the JUMP meeting on the 15th of April, to find out more about their campaign to improve the quality of the redevelopment proposals for Leith Docks. The meeting was well attended, showing the level of community concern on the issue, but  we have to confess we came away with mixed feelings.

The JUMP proposals use the image of a flattened flea as inspiration for an alternative master plan to the one that Edinburgh architects RMJM created for Forth Ports in 2005. The RMJM masterplan provided the basis for the Leith Docks Development Framework, which in turn, informs the current Outline Planning Application which is awaiting consideration by the City of Edinburgh Council planning committee.

Conveniently, the acronym JUMP, 'Joint-Up Master Planning', fits in nicely with the flea-thing, but to our thinking makes a rather depressing, tenuous connection with the plague that raged in Leith in 1645.  If we were to ask the residents of Leith to identify a cultural motif that they'd like to see used in the docks regeneration, we'd be quite surprised if a flea were chosen!

However, we do  agree with some of the JUMP criticisms. They argue that not enough community consultation took place regarding the development proposals, and the way that RMJM/Forth Ports and the City of Edinburgh Council have proceeded with the development process leaves a lot to be desired.

Greener Leith has concerns that:

1.The current proposals do not contain enough public green space, and that which is proposed is badly thought out - particularly with regard to the proposals for extending Leith Links to the shore. We would like to see this development comply with the NPFA's 'Six Acre Standard' for open space provision.

2.The current proposals do not contain a sufficient mix of uses, and do indeed seem to run the risk of becoming a 'Westerhailes' by the sea, with little provision for small businesses or social services.

3.The proposals to submit further detailed planning applications for 'discrete urban villages' run the risk of delivering fragmented and incoherent public spaces. Key public spaces, such as the coastal walkway, should be considered, in detail and as a whole.  

4.If the docks are to be a truly sustainable development, then if the Western Harbour is anything to go by, standards must be lifted considerably. Higher standards for recycling facilities, energy efficiency, renewable energy generation and use, and an emphasis on design for sustainable travel need to be put in place and implemented. It is not enough to  commit to UK guidelines as they lag behind what is actually possible and shown to work elsewhere. If they can do it in Malmo, we can do it here.

5.We have seen no innovative proposals that show how the culture and historical links to Leith and  the wider city will feature in the development. Where is the 'uniqueness' that will give the redeveloped Leith Docks a sense of itself?

6.Where is the focus, or picture postcard image? Surely not Ocean Terminal? In the words of one professional, 'Where is the place where docks residents' would gather if there was a revolution?'

7.We have seen no clear specifications for car free routes. Given that the roads around Leith aren't going to cope if everyone drives in and out of the docks twice a day, this is important. The width of, and access to, the 'coastal' path at the Western Harbour is a worrying omen for the future, as is the appalling design of cycle lanes around Ocean Terminal. Surely, these things can be specified now?

8.The proposals must ensure that 'affordable' housing is integrated into the wider design, and not placed on the worst sites, or in separate 'ghettos'.

9.The proposals need to do more to encourage active use of the water, rather than limiting its use to large cruise ships. A port filled with houseboats, and smaller sailing boats will help to produce a vibrant, diverse waterfront setting. There is also scope to run a Fife – Edinburgh passenger ferry directly into the docks – at the very least the proposals the proposals should be flexible enough to accommodate this, should it be needed, in the future.

10.Exciting architecture doesn't need tall buildings. Copenhagen has successfully regenerated it's industrial dockland without ruining their historic skyline with tall buildings. We can too.

You can find out more about the plans and what others think about them at these sites:

1. Forth Ports Leith Docks Development Website
   
2. JUMP - Comments
   
3. Architecture and Design Scotland
4. Sunday Herald Article
5. Scotsman Article
6. Observer Article
   

If you want to comment now, it is too  late in the day to formally comment on the Outline Planning Application lodged with the council. You could still email the councillors on the planning committee, your local councillors and/or your community council as they all have the right to representation at the CEC meeting that will consider the Forth Ports proposals.

Following the CEC decision, it is possible that the Scottish Government could 'call in' the application and attach further conditions to it, as it did with Donald Trump’s golf development in Aberdeenshire. You could also consider writing to the Scottish Government minister responsible, John Swinney, stating your concerns and asking him to 'call it in', after the CEC planning committee have considered it. His email address is: John.Swinney.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

 If you contact any of the people above, The JUMP campaign would also like you to send a copy to them too at info@artinarchitecture.co.uk. You are of course welcome to use the 10 points in this post as an inspiration, if you agree with us.

Much of the Docks regeneration will not take place until after 2015. The detailed planning applications, for each of the 'urban villages', must be scrutinised, as they come in. There may even be a chance to address emerging issues through the next local plan, a process that will begin before 2015 as we understand it. It looks like a long game.  Greener Leith will do its best to keep our readers informed of this process as it unfolds.
 
If the JUMP campaign is to be a success those involved need to start work to build a consensus with as many stakeholders as possible. There appeared to be an unhelpful attitude towards those many professional people who have been involved with this development, and want to see  a new place created successfully. We should recognise that no-one wants the development to fail. We felt we should heed the advice of the person at the meeting who'd been involved in the campaign to improve the Caltongate development.  He said debating detailed 'contra' masterplans is a waste of valuable campaigning time.

Perhaps at this stage in the game, we should aim to get as many people as possible to sign up to some clear, easy to understand, design principles? This development is of national significance, and Greener Leith urges everyone to get involved in making sure the architects, the developers, the planners and the elected officials deliver.

It only feels like a few weeks  have passed since we were contacted by the newly formed Friends of Montgomery Street Park, who were keen to survey their local park users to gauge how their local park could be improved. One of our aims is to encourage and support the development of 'Friends' groups so we're delighted to hear from the latest new group to set up - The Friends of Lochend Park.

They're looking for volunteers to help them get going. If you live nearby and you want to get involved in making Lochend Park the jewel in the crown of Edinburgh's green spaces - then you can find out more by emailing lochendpark@yahoo.com

A group that is putting  together an alternative masterplan for the Leith Docks redevelopment is to hold a public meeting on Tusday the 15th of April, at 6.30pm, at the Thomas Morton Hall. Led by  Leith based, Art in Architecture, they aim to stimulate debate and public comment on proposals for developing the docks.

In particular, you may be interested to read the comments that the campaign has gathered from other architects, and 'public realm' professionals from around the world - many of them are somewhat critical of the current Forth Ports/RMJM proposals.  You can download the promotional poster for the meeting here.