The Edinburgh Reporter February 2024

2 NEWS

Editorial

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Our news relates to Edinburgh and the immediate area.

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Editor: Phyllis Stephen

Designer: Felipe Perez

Photos: Martin P McAdam

WHILE FEBRUARY is a month for

lovebirds to express their affection for each

other openly with Valentine’s Day cards and

gifts our attention is elsewhere.

Instead of concentrating on the love-in

this year we now have our own “luvvie” as

Liam Rudden takes control of the theatre

scene in Edinburgh and beyond for us. You

can read what he recommends for you to see

on pages 18 and 19. Liam is an award-

winning playwright, (with work which has

been staged on Broadway), journalist, and

theatre director. With more than four

decades of experience working in the media.

I am delighted to have him write for us - and

I am sure you will be too when you read his

column on page 18 - 19.

It appears there may not be much love lost

for the newly appointed Chief Constable, Jo

Farrell. Following a mis-step when Ms

Farrell commandeered a force vehicle to

take her home during Storm Babet, Stephen

Rafferty broke the next part of the story

online concerning the most senior civilian

in Police Scotland. Most other national

papers picked this up when it was published

last month. Read more of the developing

tale on pages 12-13.

Student flats in the city continue to

dominate planning news (Page 3). One

characteristic of the design of the purpose

built flats is that they often comprise

single rooms, rather than “cluster flats”

where everyone shares and has to learn

to get along.

The Consul General of India, Mr Bijay

Salvaraj, spoke about students during the

celebration dinner he hosted to mark the

75th Republic Day of India. He explained

that the biggest problem which comes to his

notice among Indian students who have

come to study in Scotland is of isolation and

loneliness. He asked his guests to seek out

any Indian students in Edinburgh and show

them some love, by for example by inviting

them to share a meal at home.

I hope you have a “lovely” month and that

you enjoy reading our take on the news.

Phyllis Stephen, Editor

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WE PRINT 6,000 copies of The Edinburgh Reporter which are

then distributed through a network of city businesses and public

buildings including more local libraries from this month.

The digital version of this paper is also widely distributed and

we estimate our total readership is in the region of around 20,

people. You will find copies at all branches of Farmer Autocare,

Summerhall, Art & Craft Collective, EICC, LifeCare on Cheyne

Street, Coffee Angels, the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and

Western General Hospital and in some libraries.

If you can, then please subscribe to have your copy delivered to

you each month. It helps us to cover the overheads of bringing

the news to you in print and online which is free to access.

We can also distribute door to door on some selected streets. If you

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Planning News

The redevelopment project for West Pilton

Park has received funding. The latest design

proposals are online and there are two

community drop in sessions on 5 and 6

February at West Pilton Neighbourhood

Centre when anyone interested can go along

to see the plans and ask questions. There are

thoughts on how to improve play areas and

introduce activity features such as a climbing

boulder, a small skate space, basketball hoops,

informal play, a slide and natural play features.

One innovation would be a new wetland

feature which might improve the usability of

the park during wet weather as well as

creating a new central place for wildlife,

walking and sitting. elgt.org.uk

A planning application in principle has been

lodged for West Town Edinburgh lying north

east of Ingliston Park and Ride. This

development will include 7,000 new homes,

15,000 square metres of office space, 20,

square metres of retail, 300 hotel bedrooms, a

primary school for around 530 pupils and a

secondary school for around 1,200 pupils.

24/00132/PPP

The Purpose Built Student Accommodation

(PBSA) at 16 Sibbald Walk on the site of the

former bus depot in the Old Town has been

approved by the council and will comprise

207 studio beds and 60 cluster flats, affordable

housing in the form of three bedroom

townhouses, and premises for community or

commercial use with associated landscaping.

No car parking is included in the development

which the council considered appropriate in

the city centre location. 23/03463/FUL

Plans to replace the Drummond Building at

Edinburgh Park - formerly a base for RBS have

been granted. This Edinburgh Green

development will involve refurbishment of the

Younger Building and replacement of the

Drummond Building with 86,000+ square feet

of office in seven buildings with a multi-use

pavilion, mobility hub at the north east corner

of the site and parkland. Plans were changed

in November last year to replace undercroft

parking with a multi-storey car park.

22/05659/FUL

Just remember this...

The photograph above is from Edinburgh Collected and it shows the

stand for Thomas McDonald & Son at the Motorcar sales and exhibition

at Waverley Market taken around 1901. Edinburgh Collected is an

online community photo archive managed by Edinburgh Libraries.

Add your own memories there to help preserve the city’s history.

http://www.edinburghcollected.org

Edinburgh Green