The Edinburgh Reporter February 2024

3

Quick off the mark

Developers are not hanging about for flats decision by council

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

A DEVELOPER has been accused of rushing

through a planning appeal for student flats in a

move which avoids holding a public hearing.

S Harrison wants to demolish a 1925

building formerly occupied by Sight Scotland

at Gillespie Crescent and replace it with

purpose built student accommodation (PBSA)

of 145 self-contained studio flats

When Edinburgh City Council failed to

determine the application within the two

month timeframe the developer took the

legitimate step of referring the matter to the

Government Reporter.

The council has responded to the Reporter

saying that the “proposals cannot be supported

in their current form”.

A spokesperson for Harrison Developments

said: “We have taken the decision to appeal to

the Scottish Government’s Planning and

Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA),

as the Council have been unable to determine

the application within the statutory timescale

set. It is clearly in the best of interests of the

Council, the community and ourselves, that

this application is determined as quickly as

possible in order to provide certainty to all

those involved.”

Tollcross Community Council spokesperson,

Paul Beswick, said: “The community council is

disappointed that the applicant for the PBSA

on Gillespie Crescent has rushed to appeal the

case to the Scottish Government Reporter.

This means there will be no local accountability

by elected members of the planning committee,

and our local councillors and statutory

consultees, like the community council,

will not to be able to put their case in person

to the committee.

“This process of appealing because the

planning committee cannot determine the

application in the agreed time-frame is

becoming more common as the developers get

a more favourable response from the Reporter

than the Council. We now know, from

documents submitted to the Reporter from

the Council, that they would have refused

the application.

“It appears that this was probably the

intended strategy by the developer from the

start because firstly it worked nearby at Lower

Gilmore Place.

“The under-funding and under-staffing of

the planning department makes non-

determination within the two months more

likely especially if it is known that further

information will be requested.

“Secondly by picking the date for the

application so that when time starts to run

out, it was Christmas and New Year when

no Planning Committee meetings occur.

They knew that no meetings would take place

between mid December and 4 January.

The cornucopia of appeal documents seemed

ready to go in on the exact deadline and it

would appear unlikely that the developer

waited for 29th December, expecting a

decision, and then all the staff rushed round

through the Hogmanay holidays. There were

73 complex documents sent to the Reporter on

the day that the two months ran out .”

DOBBIES EDINBURGH store is holding

a free children’s event in February.

During half term, on 17 February,

children aged between 4 and 10-years-old

can take part in a Random Acts of Kindness

Workshop when they can learn about the

joys of being kind.

Children will learn about caring for

the planet by making a bug hotel, feeding

birds or planting pollinating flowers to

help bees thrive, picking up litter or

making compost.

Little Seedlings will also encourage

participants to be nice to themselves by

eating healthy food, doing things they love

and being proud of themselves. One of the

activities is to create a sunshine thank you

card to put a smile on someone’s face.

Dobbies’ Little Seedlings Club Workshop

Leader, Liz Savage, is looking forward to

welcoming kids along to the February

Holiday Workshop. She said: “School

holidays are a great chance to ignite a

passion for a hobby. This workshop will

allow kids to come together and learn,

making friends along the way.

“Our Little Seedings Club is designed to

engage and support local communities

near our Edinburgh store by providing

accessible, free of charge fun and

educational activities.”

For more information about February’s

Holiday Workshop and to make a booking,

visit dobbies.com/events

THE NHS SUPPORT service Breathing

Space is celebrating its twentieth

anniversary on 1 February.

Delivered by NHS 24 the service has

become a vital lifeline for many people

who need someone to listen, and to offer

advice and support.

The organisation believes it has made

an impact by responding to more than

1.5 million calls, and providing more than

96,000 hours of one to one support.

Tony McLaren, National Coordinator,

Breathing Space, said “For twenty years,

Breathing Space has been a beacon of

hope for people struggling with their

mental health.

“We are incredibly proud of the

difference we’ve made in supporting

individuals and families across Scotland.

Our commitment to providing accessible,

confidential, and compassionate non-

judgmental support remains unwavering,

and we look forward to continuing to be a

vital resource for many years to come.”

Planting the

seeds of kindness

Twenty years of

Breathing Space

IT IS 100 YEARS since Sir

Eduardo Paolozzi was born,

and Modern Two are staging an

exhibition over the next three

months to celebrate the

centenary.

The work of Leith born artist

Paolozzi is found in many

places in Edinburgh, notably

the sculpture The Manuscript

of Monte Cassino outside St

Mary's Cathedral on Picardy

Place. This represents the

horror of war with its

disembodied hands andwas

gifted to the cathedral by Sir

Tom and Lady Anne Farmer.

In the garden at Modern Two

the Master of the Universe sits

on guard near the gate, while

inside his Vulcan and the Cleish

Castle Ceiling Panels are on

permanent display. The café is

named after the British pop

artist of whom Edinburgh is

rightly very proud.

Until recently there was an

example of Paolozzi's sculpture

in Edinburgh Park at the former

RBS building entitled The

Wealth of Nations.

Elsewhere the artist

designed the mosaic for

Tottenham Court Road

Underground Station and his

Newton is outside the British

Library. But he was much more

than just a sculptor. Paolozzi at

100 is a tribute to the father of

Pop Art.

Paolozzi at 100 at National

Galleries Scotland: Modern Two

running until 21 April 2024

Modern Two celebrates 100 years of Leith’s Eduardo Paolozzi