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DRAFT LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN – NTBCC LOOKS TO THE FUTURE

Submitted by Editor on

Responding to the City of Edinburgh’s recent Draft Local Development Plan (LDP) consultation, the New Town and Broughton Community Council has welcomed progress made since previous drafts on:

  • better acknowledging the Edinburgh World Heritage Site
  • promoting houses as well as industry in future Waterfront plans 
  • obliging developers to make local improvements (as part of consent conditions) close to their schemes not further afield
  • protecting ‘local shopping centres’ (such as Broughton Street).

For the rationale behind, and detail of, more detailed proposals, Spurtle turned to NTBCC’s planning convener John Knight, whose summary appears below.

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The LDP for Edinburgh is still only the proposed plan, and so is subject to further change following the adoption of the Strategic Plan (SESplan) in due course (and, possibly, a further consultation period). NTBCC has therefore commented only on issues that affect its own geographical remit, or could do so.

World Heritage Site (WHS) Management Plan

The targets of the WHS Management Plan Action Plan should be considered as material (i.e mandatory) in dealing with infrastructure works etc. and services, as well as planning applications – all working towards the better protection of Edinburgh’s greatest heritage asset.

Open Space

As it is believed that Canonmills/Silvermills is still the second most deficient area in the city centre in terms of public open space, NTBCC has called on City of Edinburgh Council to prepare a strategy for remedying this (if necessary by Compulsory Purchase Order), rather than just identifying it as an aim but never actually doing anything about it.
 

Tall Buildings

As currently drafted in the LDP, the protection of views of landmark buildings in the city centre that could be affected by the construction of high-rise offices, flats, hotels etc. could be deemed to apply to only traditional viewpoints: e.g. Calton Hill as seen from North Bridge. NTBCC has suggested zonal maps be prepared to give wider coverage and so greater protection rather than just a single viewpoint. Developers need to be made aware of this. NTBCC has also highlighted the view westwards along East Claremont Street towards St Mary’s Church on Bellevue Crescent, with the Castle rising behind, as being of particular significance to our area and one which could be marred by any intrusive structure.

Trees

Only one short paragraph is allocated to the protection of trees. This is clearly remiss as the entire landscaping of the World Heritage Site and its surrounding conservation areas is critical to its future preservation. Pruning and felling works to trees are now advertised in the Weekly Planning Bulletin, so owners of garden ground need to be made fully aware of this. Further explanatory leaflets etc. should be provided by the Council to guide them.

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What do you make of the Draft Local Development Plan and NTBCC’s response? Tell us by email spurtle@hotmail.co.uk on Facebook Broughton Spurtle or Twitter @theSpurtle