Locals dismayed as Constitution Street B&B refusal appealed

Those who objected to proposals to convert 57 Constitution Street into a B&B, including the members of Leith Links Residents Association and Leith Links Community Council, will be dismayed to learn that the the decision to refuse planning permission for the change of use by local councillors has been appealed by the owners.

Here you can see the full text of the appeal document below.

57 Constitution Street - Appeal Form and Grounds

Councillors objected to the proposals mainly on the basis that they would be detrimental to the amenity of local residents. However, in the appeal documents its clear that the agents acting on behalf of the developers are vigourously opposing those grounds for refusal.

All the other documents relating to the appeal can be found on the Scottish Government's website here.

The way that Scottish Government appeals processes work is a somewhat arcane field to most mere mortals, although we understand that Cllr Rob Munn has been invited to get involved.

All are welcome to attend a meeting on Wednesday 15th of February at 7.30pm in the Constitution Bar to discuss whether locals can bring any further influence to bear on the Scottish Government at this stage.

Final call for Leith shop front improvement grant scheme

Do you have a shop, or know someone who does inside this area shaded blue in this map? Or do you live inside this area?

View Leith THI Building Restoration Grant Scheme Area in a larger map

If so, this is your final chance to bag a grant from the council, through the Leith Townscape Heritage Initiative to improve your shop front, or property. This is money that could be particularly welcome for people who live in older buildings that have had their homes damaged by the recent storm.

So far around £50,000 has been spent restoring shop fronts at the Conservation Studio (27 Duke Street), What's On (208 - 210 Great Junction Street), MS Properties (206 Great Junction Street) - both successful recent transformation of the ground floor of the former State Cinema - and the new barbers shop at 11 Duke Street. However, there is another £150,000 in the pot that must be allocated before March 31st this year.

Councillor Jim Lowrie, Planning Leader, said the Townscape Heritage Initiative had really helped revitalise parts of Leith .

He said: "This final grant is a great way of restoring shop fronts and buildings to their former glory and I would urge businesses and residents to get their applications in as soon as possible."

Each successful property can receive a maximum of £15,000 to cover 75% of eligible works. These include re-instating works like signage, security, stall risers, external doors and professional fees.

Residents in the same area can also apply for the money to re-instate traditional features on their homes such as timber sash & case windows, external doors, stonework repairs and railings. 

All grants must be awarded by 31 March 2012. For more information contact Lesley Porteous on 0131 529 6236 or e-mail lesley.porteous@edinburgh.gov.uk

There's more info on the grant scheme in the leaflet below. 

Leith THI Info

Constitution Street B&B proposal refused after objections

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A proposal to convert the Dentists and office building at 57 Constitution Street, into a Bed and Breakfast business has been refused by the planning committee, on the basis that it could cause a loss of amenity to local residents and that parking provision was inadequate. 

There were several stenuous objections to the proposed development including strongly worded ones from the Leith Links Residents Association and Leith Links Community Council.

Despite the developers insistence that the proposed B&B would target tourists, local residents were not convinced. Virtually all the objections lodged with the council cited concerns that the B&B would in fact be used as temporary accomodation for homeless people.

Individuals linked to the developers of the Constitution Street already own a number of other 'guest houses' in the area and have previously been in trouble with the City of Edinburgh council after allegations were made that they cut down protected trees in the grounds of another property near Leith Links.  

As there is a perception that there is a disproportionate amount of privately provided temporary accomodation in Leith, many of those objecting were concerned that these proposals could bring more problems, through anti-social behaviour to the neighbourhood, than they would bring benefits.

It would seem that, in this case, the planners took the side of local residents. 

You can read all the documents relating to this appliction here.  

Introducing: The Constitution Street Blog

Have you noticed the Constitution Street blog? The blog is a fantastic addition to the wonderful world of Leith websites and needless to say we've already subscribed. Being nosy, we asked a few questions of the people behind it. Here's the answers we got...

Anyone who finds your blog will be curious to know who the people are behind the blog. Are you prepared to reveal your identify?

The reason for not putting my face right smack bang in the middle of the blog is simply that it's about the street and not about me. Also, my hope is that I'm not going to be the only contributor but rather the blog will be a place where anyone who has an interest in Constitution Street - whether they work on it or live on it, whether their favourite pub is here or they use the number 16 bus everyday - can and will contribute. But actually, I'm now kind of enjoying the fact that people are so intrigued. In fact, the very first comment on the blog was 'who are you?' If it brings more people to the blog, then why not keep the mystery?

And if yes....do your employers know about your hyperlocal blog experiment?

I haven't told them but I wouldn't mind them, or anyone else, knowing. It's not a secret as much as just not very relevant. I didn't create the blog in a work capacity, I happen to live on Constitution Street, I happen to love it, I think other people probably do too and a blog is a place where we can have a blether about that.

Constitution Street is an amazing street, but as far as we know it is the only street in Edinburgh that has it's own blog. What is it about Constitution Street that inspired you to set up a blog entirely devoted to it?

Hooray! We are pioneers. That makes me really pleased. The reason for setting up the blog was to create a home for all those conversations that I kept having in the street with neighbours, or in the pub with friends about Constitution Street.

What's going to happen about the trams? (Unfortunately we know the answer to that now.) What's going to happen about the proposed biomass plant? Who's going to sort out the state of the road surface? I really got a sense during the public meetings held about the biomass proposal and in terms of the outrage about the trams fiasco that people who live in Leith really care about their area but they don't always know where to go with that or who to tell. The blog is just one place.

But it’s not just about concerns, it’s also about celebrating the street. Constitution Street is an amazing street, with an amazing history. I’d love it if the blog could provide a way for bringing people on the street together.

Maybe we could have a project to encourage people to have window boxes? Or maybe some people would want to get their front doors painted? Or maybe they’d just like to share what they like about living or working here? I think there are tons of good ideas floating around but people aren’t sure how to come together to make them happen. We could do that with the blog.

It's just one street! What are you going to write about? Do you worry that you might run out of stuff to say?

Ah, but what a street it is. Centuries old burial grounds, a plethora of pubs, stunning architecture both old and new. And, of course, we benefit from being in Leith where there is no shortage of stuff happening.

What kind of response have you had so far to the blog?

It's been totally positive but perhaps not as voluminous as I might've liked. We’ve got about 80 followers on Twitter (@Constitution_St) but I’m still looking for contributors to post on the blog. We might have a four-legged mascot although he’s proving a little camera shy. But there's no rush. The blog is there now and it's about building people's awareness so that they know that it's there for when they want to use it. And when they're ready hopefully they'll send their posts to constitutionstreet@yahoo.co.uk and we'll post them up.

Do you blog about other subjects on other websites?

My day job is writing so it's not something that's new to me, but the Constitution Street blog is a completely personal project and I’m only kicking it off. I really do want other people to feel that it belongs to the street, not to one person.

What do you think people get out of blogging about the neighbourhood where they live?

A feeling of connection and a sense that people are interested in where they live. Constitution Street has had a really rough time with the trams. We had months of road works and disruption and then nothing. I think that was a real blow and so we’ve got to try and build a positive feeling about the street again and celebrate it as one of Edinburgh’s most historic thoroughfares.

Do you worry that you might offend one of your neighbours by writing something contentious?

The blog is a place for discussion and debate. I don’t expect everyone to hold the same views but I would hope that anyone posting on the blog either as a contributor or as a commenter would be respectful even if they’re disagreeing. If people feel strongly, bring it on, that's what makes things happen.

If you could change one thing about the Greener Leith blog to make it better, what would it be?

Are you joking? We’re the newbies, we’re not going to be dishing out advice. Greener Leith is great – a trailblazer – we just look and hopefully learn.

And lastly, if there's anyone out there thinking of starting a blog for their street, or neighbourhood, what advice would you give them?

Just do it. The free software around now is incredibly straightforward - you don't have to be a techno geek to pull it off. And yes, once you’ve done it, it might mean that you’re standing in the street in your pyjamas taking a photograph because the light is nice but what’s wrong with that?

You can find the Constitution Street blog here.

Edinburgh Trams: Action needed now to repair damage done to Leith

 

A version of this comment piece by Chair of Greener Leith, Charlotte Encombe, was originally published on STV Edinburgh on Thursday. On Friday, the council voted once again to build the tram line St Andrew Square. Leith was barely mentioned at all in the meeting.

Many people more knowledgeable than I am have been making valiant efforts to explain the complicated manoeuvres by the various political parties in last Friday’s vote over the tram.

I, for one, am less interested in who did what and why, than what is going to happen in Leith. As far as I am concerned, it seems that that whether the tram goes to Haymarket or St Andrew’s Square, the bottom line is Leith is losing out yet again.

In the beginning, while the tram was still going all the way to Newhaven, where it was to be the main public transport mode for the 15,000 or so new houses that were going to be built there, the mood was reasonably optimistic. 2-bedroom apartment blocks were going up like the clappers and Leith did catch the attention of a number of commercial developers, who put in planning applications for hotels, housing and student accommodation.

In their enthusiasm to get going, they pulled down Shrub Hill Bus Depot, a petrol station, removed stone by stone the gardener’s cottage that went with the original botanical gardens and half destroyed Shrub Hill House, creating a total of some 6 acres of flattened land, more gap than site. It didn’t matter too much, the tram was coming!

The less said about the tram works on Leith Walk the better, although the most poignant illustration of the desperation of its shop keepers must be the poster that was made announcing a birthday party for a hole in the road surface that had been open for a year.

Slowly, as the economic climate turned colder, developers initially wanted to renegotiate, put pressure on the Council saying that no longer could they afford to pay their contribution to the tram. Next, they quietly slunk away, leaving behind desolate wasteland, while Leith, pock marked and stunned, has been trying to work out how this could have gone so wrong ever since.

Local small businesses have taken a big hit. In Constitution Street they were forced to move because the loading bays were being removed to make way for the trams. Others saw their takings halved because of the tram works. The wonderful aquarium shop, with rooms full of exotic creatures, read the signs early and relocated to Prestonpans, while its recent replacement, Aquatic Rooms, has now also decided to call it a day. So another bit of local colour disappears from Leith that cannot be replaced by a few cheery banners from the lamp posts.

The fact that there won’t be a tram going to Newhaven, that all this public money spent has not benefited Leith one bit, is a disaster for Leith. Particularly as no one seems to think it necessary to invest into its future and carry out some extremely urgent and essential repairs beyond the paltry £2 million that has been set aside for ‘public realm improvements’.

Because even if Leith Walk gets a quick makeover with a coat of asphalt and a couple of planters, what about the rest of Leith; Constitution Street, Junction Street, the Kirkgate, or even the roundabout at the top of the Walk where there used to be that lovely clock? Will we ever see the Elm Row bronze pigeons again? If the sad reality is that there won’t there be any trams on Leith Walk, is it right that we should also wave goodbye to the prospect of underground bins, replacement trees or pavements and be content instead to ignore the potholes and the proliferation of rubbish bins?

My argument is that we shouldn’t.  Because, despite the economic downturn, there is money in the public kitty for public infrastructure.  Only a few months ago the government allocated £84m to improve exactly that; the public infrastructure of Leith Docks, which belongs to Forth Ports.  Even though it now appears that Forth Ports has lost interest in developing Leith Docks, the irony remains that the government was fully prepared to subsidise the largest private enterprise in Leith, whereas it seems far less interested in helping to develop small private businesses in Leith.

Apparently there is a ‘vision’ for Leith Walk, variously described in terms of ‘the Ramblas’ or the ‘Champs Elysees’. However, what is urgently needed is not more pie in the sky, but a coherently worked out investment plan to kick start the sustainable, resilient, regeneration of Leith which has to include a complete upgrade for all of the shopping streets in Leith..  Comprehensive subsidies will be needed for some of the more badly degraded retail premises as very soon only the mighty chain stores and super markets will be able to take on such investments.

I am not a visionary, but, if the ‘Vision’ for Leith Walk is to retain its independent retailers and the vibrant and diverse character they bring to the City; if we want to keep some of the most interesting shopping streets in Edinburgh going and prevent creating another series of monotonous ‘clone’ high streets, something needs to be done right now.

Shop front upgrade for Foot of the Walk

Whilst there were some people who were somewhat disappointed to learn that that "the major new retailer" that Leithers were promised for the old Woolworths site at the Foot of the Walk has turned out to be another charity shop, residents will be pleased to learn that a series of shop fronts near the Foot of the Walk are to be upgraded, thanks to grant funding from the Leith Townscape Heritage Iniitiative.

View Larger Map

Planning applications have been lodged for improvements to numbers 7B, 9A and 11 Duke Street, and around the corner on Constitution Street, numbers 177, 179 and 181 are also set to benefit. The scheme will see some of the more garish signage removed, and a more consistent look applied to the shops, with more of the original stonework revealed.

All the shops appear to be owned by the same company, NWG Investments Ltd, and are basically part of the same listed building.