Helping protect Edinburgh's green space

Save Our Meadows - The Campaign continues - Join - Write


Issues that concern us:

Planning Issues

The Golf Tavern has applied to make "Improvements to the surfacing/entry to the grassed area and erection of a golfing starter's hut" We are not happy with this application, and have put in the following objection:

Friends of the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links (FOMBL) are concerned with the upkeep of the Meadows and Links, and do much voluntary work to assist the City Council in its maintenance work. We view this proposal as detrimental to the preservation of the Links.

1) The proposal for a replica golf starter's hut contravenes the City of Edinburgh District Council Order Confirmation Act 1991, which decrees that 'the following buildings (but no others) are allowed on the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links: Bandstands, public conveniences, police boxes, and buildings for housing apparatus for the supply of electricity or gas.'

2) 262 square metres are marked off on the plan but with no statement of intended use. FOMBL and the Student Housing Cooperative, the immediate neighbours to the site in question, have both been informed by the management of the Golf Tavern that their intention is to install permanent picnic benches. We are surprised that, given this intention, no mention is made of it in the planning application. This would constitute fulltime commercial use of a public space.

3) The suggestion that the very steep slope onto the Links directly opposite the Golf Tavern should have steps installed on it to facilitate access to the grass is undesirable on safety grounds as the steps would lead down directly onto the roadway. There is also no mention of who would be responsible for the care and maintenance of these steps and other items or who would be legally liable for them given they would be on common good land.

Barbecue damage

Barbecues used to be forbidden on the Meadows and the Links, the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 changed all that. Anyone is allowed access to the parks for recreational purposes, which includes having a barbecue. However the law says that the right of access must be exercised responsibly, and no damage must be done. So anyone burning the grass with a barbecue is breaking the law, but no-one ever enforces the law. Now the Council have put down slabs for putting bbqs on and put up notices encouraging responsible barbecue use. What do you think? One of our members thinks barbecues are a bad idea. See what she says. The Council has the powers to introduce a byelaw banning barbecues - do you think they should?
Another of our members was out and about on Monday 4/7/11, and took some photos. Here they are.

Watch our video.

Read this report.

See where they are permitted.

The state of the grass

The grass gets very heavy use in the winter months from people playing all sorts of sports. That's great - just what the park is for. However, the CEC should have suitable management in place to make sure that the grass can recover fully during the growing season, and worn areas are properly replenished.

Events policy

Too many big comercial events can leave part of the park unusable for several months. We think the CEC should limit events using the park to short stays, and also impose strict conditions to protect the grass, for instance posing restrictions on the use of vehicles on the grass.

The need for better toilet facilities

How about some decent toilets at the Cricket Pavilion?

Recyling and litter removal

Are there any recycling bins in the park? There are, but labelling is poor

Restoration of the Jawbones

Looks like this is happening. They should be put back up soon.

Park Ranger cover

We need rangers in the park to make sure all is well. In particular, enforcing the responsible use of barbecues - particularly at weekends!

Join

By joining the Friends of the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links you can help form our policies, and make us more representative of the community. The City of Edinburgh Council might then take more notice of what we say. Email the membership secretary at membership@fombl.org.uk.

Write

Keep up the pressure. Please write and tell the authorities how you feel about the Meadows. If you are concerned as we are about the issues above, tell your local councillors. Other people you can write to are:

Please copy us into any emails you send

It helps us to know how the campaign is going if, when you send an email, you copy it to our convener at convener@fombl.org.uk



Archived Pages

Save Our Meadows August '09






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