Fairmilehead Community Council meeting held on Tuesday 2 October 2018 in Fairmilehead Parish Church

Transcription

1 Fairmilehead Community Council meeting held on Tuesday 2 October 2018 in Fairmilehead Parish Church Present: Colin Anderson (Vice Chair); Norman Tinlin (Secretary); Fiona Simon (Treasurer); Johanna Carrie; Barbara Dick (Buckstone Association); Gillian Holmes; Andy Lippok; Fraser Simon; Roger West (Friends of Fairmilehead Park); Ex Officio: Ian Murray MP; Councillors Arthur and Ross; PC David Crow 16 members of the public Apologies: Dennis Williams (Chair); Carol Lonie; George Symonds; Audrey Ryan; Councillors Doggart & Rust; In the absence of the Dennis Williams, the Vice Chair, Colin Anderson assumed the Chair. 1. Police Report PC Crow circulated copies of the police report for September a copy of which is attached at Appendix A. He highlighted the next surgery at Morrison s on Friday 12 October between 11am and 12.30pm. There had been 4 housebreaking and 2 housebreakings with intent. A car was stolen from one of the housebreakings and in another two, cycles were stolen from garages. Monthly Crime Prevention Tip Don t leave car keys, ID cards or valuables near windows, doors or letterboxes where thieves can reach through to steal them 2. Ian Murray MP Mr Murray said that he was able to get along for a brief time due to Parliament being in recess for the party conferences. He thanked the community council for all the good work they do in the area. The parliamentary numbers were very tight and there were lots of debates being held at present. There was also lots of discussions ongoing regarding Brexit. He said that the Post Office would be making an announcement the following day regarding the future of Morningside Post Office. The proposal was that Morningside PO would move and be amalgamated with the existing Bruntsfield PO in new premises in the old school uniform outfitters (Clan Housed) on Morningside Road opposite the Churchill Theatre. There would be no biometric services as these can only be undertaken at Crown Offices. 3. Bowel Cancer UK Dr Gillian Sweetman Dr Sweetman introduced herself and gave an overview of the work of Bowel Cancer UK. If a person is diagnosed at stage 1 there is a 98% survival rate of 5 years. The disease effects 1 in 14 males and 1 in 19 females; 41,000 persons each year - that is one every 15 minutes. It is suggested that 150 minutes (5 x 30 minutes) of exercise or other activity can assist in preventing the disease. The new improved self-test kit which was recently introduced has seen a 50-60% increase return against the previous one. A copy of the slides used in the presentation can be found at: 4. Minute Of Meeting Held On 4 September 2017 These were approved by the meeting. 1

2 5. Matters Arising: a) Pedestrian Crossing, Buckstone Terrace at Waterfield Road The Secretary read over a letter he had received from the Council intimating that work would commence on or about 29 October I am pleased to advise you that a tender for the above contract has been accepted and that work will commence on site on or around 29 October The works comprise the construction of a puffin crossing. The contract period will be four weeks and the Contractor for the works is T&N Gilmartin (Contractors) Ltd. Please find enclosed a location plan for your information. A letter will be distributed to residents and businesses on affected streets nearer the start date. The Contractor will make every effort to minimise disruption, however some will be unavoidable during the works. We apologise in advance for any delays but hope that residents and businesses will understand the greater long-term benefit of these improvements. Residents and businesses will be kept informed through on-street signage, letters and personal visits from staff or contractors. b) Pentland Film Studios Following on from a question raised at the previous meeting Colin Anderson stated that permission in principle had been granted by the Scottish Ministers. There were 22 detailed conditions. However there was a case at present in front of the Scottish Land Court relating to the tenanted land at the locus. A decision was awaited on this case which could have impactions for the future of the proposals. 6. Correspondence a) Fairmilehead Church Do we wish to place an advert in next edition of Crossroads - Declined b) Information Commissioner Renewal fee of 40 due for data protection registration - Agreed c) Royal Mail Poster an information re mail scams (Poster put on noticeboard) d) Transition Edinburgh Poster re Sustainability Fair in church hall on 20 October. e) Health in Mind Details of Befriending and Linking service f) CEC Planning Intimation that planning portal is being updated and will be unavailable 1s to 7 th November. g) Scottish Gas Road works in Colinton Mains Drive area from 1 October for 11 weeks. h) CEC Parks Annual Review major parks events. Closes 2 November. Details can be found at: i) CEC Community Councils Advance notice of review of Scheme for Community Councils j) CEC Details of consultation on Common Good Register. Closes 31 December Details can be found at: k) Invest in Edinburgh magazine Edition 63 l) CEC Licensing Provisional liquor licence applied for café at 16 Buckstone Terrace. Hours 1100 to 2200 Monday to Sunday. (After discussion agreed to object and request terminal hours be same as planning permission i.e. 8pm Monday to Saturday and 6pm Sunday) 7. Councillors Reports Cllr Arthur presented his report as follows: Fairmilehead Park s Green Flag I was asked to raise this flag, but on the day the Pentland PS kids looked keener than me so I passed the responsibility to them. This year the park had a wildflower meadow and a bee colony installed. Most recently we saw the return of a mini football pitch. Pentland Drive Crossing A request for a zebra crossing has been declined. Surface Dressing Works No new problems noted. Buckstone Primary Schools I have requested repairs to the perimeter lighting. Water main repairs should be completed during the October holiday. I am working with Mounthooly parents to create a safe route to school via Galachlawshot & Buckstone Playpark. Boroughmuir High School (not in my Ward, but part of the catchment is) I took part in a site visit in August with City Roads Engineers and BHS parents to study pedestrian safety between Gilmore Place and Dundee Street. A Roads Engineer will attend the November Parent Council meeting. 2

3 Garden Waste Collection There are ongoing problems with the issue of permits. Additionally the change to new waste collection rotas mean that some households are waiting 3 weeks between collections. New Pedestrian Crossing on Buckstone Terrace Work will begin on the 29th of October. City Chambers Tour - It was great to welcome 12 people from Fairmilehead Parish Church to the City Chambers for a tour. We learned a lot about the building, and the part that Edinburgh has played in Scotland s rich history. I shall try to offer up another tour in six months or so - please get in touch if your community group is interested. 17 Buckstone Crescent (Abandoned Property) This property has been repossessed and should be on the market by the end of the year. Redford Barracks Working Group Due to meet on the 12th of October. Hunters Tryst School Site No news about when the construction of the housing will get underway. Comiston Farmhouse The provisional sale of the property will be agreed in November. Barracks Visit - It was fantastic to be invited along to 3 Rifles Macmillan Cancer Support Scotland Coffee Morning this week at Dreghorn Barracks by Corporal Lee Hamilton (family support officer). Along with David from Cairdean House Care Home, I judged the cake competition (I could not eat my lunch afterwards) and handed out prizes kindly provided by Morrisons & Tesco. Well Done - Well done to Flora from Buckstone Primary School. She had won the National Express Colour the Coach competition which asked kids to draw a picture to represent their city. As she s a winner, Flora s design will be put on the side of a National Express coach! In the absence of Cllr Rust the Secretary circulated his report: I am on leave next week (in Cyprus) so won t be at your meeting. My report as follows: The three of us met with Graeme McGartland regarding Comiston Farmhouse and a recommended bid for a more modest development than before is going to Finance and Resources Committee; There were some issues with debris/fallen branches etc. in Winton during Storm Ali and clearance was arranged; I raised questions re Lothian Buses Hybrid fleet and its removal from the 10 route to Bonaly/Torphin and am following up with LB; Stickers are now being issued to those who subscribed to the garden tax ; I officiated at the election of the Committee at Colinton Mains Community Centre AGM; I volunteered on the children s tombola at Pentland Primary School fair; I attended the One Scots Day at Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre (didn t sign up though!); Recent Bailie duties included Edinburgh Riding of the Marches; and the 27th World Student Travel Conference. Councillor Ross said in relation to the Garden Tax if a person had a lost sticker, or any other problem in relation to the new system, then they should call to report it taking option 1 then option 9. The appeal by the applicants to The Reporter in relation to the Cluny Church Centre being converted into a nursery and wedding venue had been refused. He had arranged a meeting regarding concerns over the Midmar Paddock. It had been well attended and a management committee had been formed. 8. Pentlands Neighbourhood Partnership/South West Locality The next meeting of the Pentlands NP had been arranged for 15 November. A Funding Panel meeting was being held on 4 October and there were 8 applications to be considered requesting 22, Planning and Environment a) Letter to Millers The Secretary informed the meeting that he had written to Millers regarding the land at Winton east in the following terms: 3

4 Dear Mr Mann, Land at Winton East, Edinburgh I refer to the land at the above location which is in the ownership of Miller Homes. I have been asked by the Community Council to contact you and ascertain what plans, if any, you have for the future of the land. The land in question, despite your company s representations, was not included in the latest local development plan. A planning application in 2011 was refused by the City Council and the subsequent appeal to the Scottish Ministers was refused. The land was the subject of a further planning application number 17/00108/FUL to City of Edinburgh Council which was subsequently refused in December An appeal (PPA ) to the Scottish Ministers was subsequently dismissed by the Reporter in July this year. You may be aware that the purchase price for the Winton estate, including the area mentioned above, when it was purchased in 1965 was 19,822/13/9d (pre-decimal). I am sure you will agree that Miller Homes have had more than an adequate return on their original investment. If you wish to discuss the matter further myself and a representative(s) from the community would be prepared to meet with you. b) Planning Report Colin Anderson distributed copies of his report which can be found at Appendix B. He highlighted items 5 and 6 as well as item 9 former Boroughmuir School; item 11 Royal High school and item 13 Cluny Church Centre. c) Fairmilehead Park Roger West reported that the flagpole and noticeboard had both been erected. The pupils from Pentland Primary would be planting bulbs on a date to be arranged. 10. Transport a) Electric Vehicles Infrastructures Following on from the discussion at the previous meeting the Secretary drew attention to a report (Electric Vehicle Infrastructure: Business Case) which was due to be presented to the Transport and Environment Committee on 4 October. The report can be found here: _electric_vehicle_infrastructure_business_case Roger West spoke to a paper on the subject in relation to the local situation a copy of which is at Appendix C. b) Consultations The Secretary drew the meetings attention to the following two consultations: i) Open Streets Consultation Closes 3 November ii) Edinburgh: connecting our city, transforming our places Closes 12 November AOCB a) The Secretary drew the meetings attention to the Council Budget consultation which had opened the previous day with a closing date of 7 December CEC Consultation Planning for change, delivering services or_change 4

5 b) Johanna Carrie brought the meetings attention to a Sustainability Fair being held in the church hall on Saturday 20 October between 2pm and 4pm. 12. Date Of Next Meeting This was arranged for Tuesday 6 November 2018 in Fairmilehead Parish Church Forthcoming Meetings: Tuesday 4 December 2018 Tuesday 8 January 2018 Tuesday 5 February 2018 Contacts: Secretary@fairmileheadcc.org.uk Website: 5

6 Appendix A - Police Report The data provided in this report is for information purposes only to inform community councils in relation to relevant information for their area and enable them to carry out their responsibilities. It should be noted that the timing of this community council meeting is in advance of the ratification of any statistics or the completion of the procedures and reconciliation processes that are undertaken in association with the publication of official statistics. Given this there may be minor amendments between the information in this report and any finally reported statistics - for example due to delayed reporting or recording of crimes, road crashes or incidents. It would not therefore be accurate or appropriate to refer to, quote or use the data in this report as official statistics. Fairmilehead Community Council Meeting Rank / Name of Officer Attending Date of Meeting - 2 nd October2018 Time End of Month September 2018 Information (this month / local priorities / incidents) PC in PC David Crow attendance Community Two funded Ward 8 officers, PC Eric Jones and PC David Crow and 3 nonfunded Ward 8 community officers based at Oxgangs Police Station. Police Station E Division Tackling crime reports with named suspects. Hate Crimes and meeting call Priorities attendance times. PSOS Priorities Serious and Organised Crime, Counter Terrorism, Acquisitive Crime, Road and Safety, Violence and Anti-Social Behaviour values Good News A new police surgery is now agreed and will be running every 3 rd Friday at Morrison s Hunters Tryst, within the new café. Next surgery Friday 12 th October hours. Ward Priorities Priority 1 Priority 2 Priority 3 Priority 4 Priority 5 THEFT HOUSEBREAKING ASSAULT / VIOLENT CRIME ROAD SAFETY THEFT OF PERSONAL PROPERTY HATE CRIME 6

7 Housebreakings Att HBWI Swanton Avenue on 2 nd September Male arrested. Theft HB A house was broken into on Buckstone Road between 3 rd and 12 th September and a car was thereafter stolen using true key, enquiry ongoing. Theft HB x 2 2 garages were broken into, one in Swanston Avenue and one in Swanston Crescent on13th September. A pedal cycle was stolen from one of the garages and a power saw stolen from the other. Theft HB A garage was broken into in Caiystane Crescent on 26 th September and a pedal cycle was stolen. HBWI House in Buckstone Terrace, nothing taken after suspect disturbed. Enquiry ongoing. Assault There were no assaults reported in the area in September Road Safety / Initiatives There were a small number of road traffic offences committed and detected on the A720 City Bypass throughout month of September 2018, nothing serious to report. Theft A pedal cycle was stolen from an address in Buckstone Circle on 26 th September, enquiry ongoing. Hate Crime There were no Hate Crimes reported in September ASB / NPS / incidents of note A male was caught in possession of drugs in Mounthooly Loan on 12 th September. He was earlier reported to be acting suspiciously in the street. Actions Update From Previous Meeting There were 102 calls made from PF56 beat during September. There were 12 recorded crime reports in this time period. 7

8 Some commonly used police acronyms explained : - HBWI Housebreakings With Intent (to steal) The fabric of the building has been compromised by culprit with the intention to steal from building but nothing actually stolen. Att HBWI Attempt Housebreaking With Intent (to steal) An attempt made by culprit to overcome fabric of building with intention to steal from within but security has held and no entry gained. Theft HB Theft Housebreaking The fabric of the building has been overcome, entry gained by culprit and property has been stolen. Theft OLP MV Theft Opening Lockfast Place Motor Vehicle The security of a locked vehicle has been overcome and culprit has stolen property from within. Att Theft OLP Attempt Theft Opening Lockfast Place An attempt by culprit to steal items by overcoming locked property, other than buildings but security has held and no entry gained. Section 57 Being within curtilage (surrounds) of property with intention of committing theft. Theft MV Stealing a motor vehicle. Ward 8 Miscellaneous Information Comprises of 3 Policing Beats, with 2 City of Edinburgh Council Funded Officers, Police Constable E Eric Jones and Police Constable E David Crow PF56 (Fairmilehead, Buckstone and Swanston) PF57 (Oxgangs and Firrhill) PF58 (Colinton and Bonaly) The Community Policing Team Inspector covering Wards is Police Inspector E Scott Richardson The CPT Sergeant covering ward 8 is Police Sergeant E Kieran Dougal The CPT consists of 3 teams of community-facing Constables, and the emphasis will be on community working, in a bid to solve local issues. In non-emergencies, should you wish to contact us, please do not hesitate to do so. or by telephoning the national non- You can contact us by at EdinburghCPTColintonFairemilehead@Scotland.pnn.police.uk emergency number 101. You can also follow us on or Police Surgery Oxgangs Library, Oxgangs Road North, Wednesdays hours. Morrisons Hunters Tryst every 3 rd Friday hours, upcoming surgeries: Friday 12 th October Friday November 2 nd NO SURGERY DUE TO BONFIRE WEEKEND OPERATION Friday 23 rd November Friday 14 th December Friday 4 th January

9 APPENDIX B Planning Report Tuesday 2 October 2018 A. FAIRMILEHEAD CC - LIVE 1. Proposed safe dog walking area at Swanston Farm Reference :- 18/01286/FUL This application was lodged by Swanston Farm Limited in May The area involved lies immediately to the south of the City Bypass. There is no update. B. FAIRMILEHEAD CC - PENDING 2. Proposed mountain bike trails and other activities at the former Lothianburn Golf Course -Swanston Farms Reference :- 15/00169/PAN Nothing has been heard about this application for some considerable time. C. FAIRMILEHEAD CC COMPLETED 3. Miller Homes, Land to the East of Winton Gardens, Edinburgh Reference :- 15/02778/PAN and 17/00108/FUL Scottish Government Appeals Division Reference :- PPA On 30 July 2018 the Reporter issued her written decision in which she refused the appeal by Miller Homes. Norman has written to Miller Homes enquiring as to their future plans for the site. D. CONSULTATIONS, GUIDANCE AND OTHER NEWS EDINBURGH 4. Planning (Scotland) Bill Last month s Report mentioned Stage 2 to consider amendments to the Bill would start in September. One contentious issue is the right of appeal for communities against planning decisions which the Scottish Government have repeatedly resisted. At the beginning of September, Kevin Stewart, Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning said in an article in the Scotsman that.. Planners need to be able to actively engage with people about the future of their places; to lead and also to listen. Some people complain that trust in planning has declined, with people losing faith where decisions are made which don t appear to reflect their point of view. None of us has a veto on development but all of us need to know our voices have been heard. However, I am clear that the solution does not lie in adding further process and further conflict onto the end of the planning system, along with increased delay, more mistrust and a loss of confidence among those who are willing to invest in the future of our communities. Instead, we should be aiming to have a much more positive and earlier conversation to influence the quality of development and places we need and deserve. 5. Upgrade of Planning and Building Standards systems An upgrade of the Planning and Buildings Standards systems is planned for early November this year, with an expected downtime of one full week. The upgrade will result in a number of improvements, such as making it easier to view documents, comment on planning applications and share information using social media. The process to upgrade the Council systems will impact on the delivery of the service, and the planning and building standards portal will be unavailable during this time. The weekly list of planning applications will not be issued and you will be unable to view and comment on applications. When the Council s systems are back online, the weekly list of planning applications will include newly submitted applications. Additional time will be given to comment on applications affected by the downtime. The internal systems the Council use to manage applications will also be unavailable which means staff will have no access to planning and building standards records. Planning and building warrant applications can continue to be made online through edevelopment. However, the Council would encourage applicants and agents not to submit applications during this period of downtime because new applications will not be able to be registered. Further information will be issued shortly on the exact dates of the downtime. 9

10 6. Common Good Property Register The Council owns property that has Common Good status. This includes land, buildings and cash. Property has Common Good status if it had been bought by or gifted to a former Burgh. There are laws that restrict how the property can be used or sold. Property can be Common Good if the asset was gifted to or acquired by the Burgh on or before 15 May 1975 and it meets a number of other criteria, e.g. it has been used by the general public for a long time; it was dedicated for a specific public purpose; and title conditions ensuring public use were agreed in the original property charter. There can be other factors that help the Council decide if a property is Common Good or not, such as statutory reasons for owning a property, how it was acquired or if it is held by a separate trust. Common Good status means that restrictions apply on what can be done with the property. Restrictions on leasing or selling of some Common Good assets exist but these can be altered by obtaining approval from the Courts, where required. Proceeds from leasing or selling these assets are retained in the Common Good fund. Under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and following Scottish Government Guidance, the Council have a duty to publish a Common Good Property Register. which lists all the properties in the Council area. The Council are now seeking comments on this and whether any buildings should be added or removed. Further details can be had from the Council website. A review will then be done prior to publishing a final version early in As at 31 March 2018 Common Good funds stood at 2.4m. 7. Community Engagement Workshop A Workshop for Community Councils was held on 15 September 2018 by the City Plan team. This sought thoughts on the planning process and the potential for new developments in your community up to Feedback will be used to help prepare the new City Plan. Norman and I attended the Workshop. E. DEVELOPMENTS EDINBURGH and MIDLOTHIAN 8. Install 1 x non-illuminated double-sided freestanding sign and 1 x non-illuminated single-sided barrier mounted sign at 345 Oxgangs Road North for Aldi Stores Limited Reference: - 18/03682/ADV (Advert Consent) This application sought approval for 2 directional signs - one at the entrance to the car park and one at the site boundary at Oxgangs Path - for the shops on Oxgangs Broadway/Oxgangs Path. Both signs are to be made from dia-bond aluminium panels with high quality printing. Approval was granted by a Fast Track Decision on 7 September Change of use and conversion of former Boroughmuir High School to form residential accommodation. Demolition of existing outbuildings and erection of new residential block. Reference :- 18/02497/FUL and 18/02493/LBC The May 2017 Report mentioned that Cala had been refused planning permission to convert the former Boroughmuir High School. A subsequent appeal to dpea was refused. A fresh application was lodged at the end of May A new residential block 5 storeys in height with 9 residential units (affordable housing) will be erected in the NW corner of the site. 3 existing outbuildings will be demolished. The school building will comprise 87 residential units with a similar number of car parking spaces. Alterations to the school building will include the erection of metal walkways within the existing courtyards for access. Planning Officials recommended approval. While there were policy infringements relating to the lack of open space, car parking layout and the design of the new build block, the constraints and planning history of the site are relevant material considerations which, on balance, outweigh these infringements. The new application came before the DMC at its meeting on 12 September 2018 when planning permission was granted by 8 votes to 3. Last year Listed Building Consent was granted for the proposed conversion. A fresh application to amend this Consent was also lodged in May 2018 this was required largely because of the redesign of the new-build block, abutting the existing tenements in Viewforth. This was granted as a delegated decision on 28 August

11 10. Application for planning permission in principle for Land 1000 metres NW, SW and W of Hermiston Junction M8, Gogar Road proposed residential development, local centre, community facilities (including primary school), green network ( Phase 1 of the Garden District ) by Murray Estates. Reference :- 15/04318/PPP Scottish Government Appeals Division Reference :- NOD- EDB-002 Recent correspondence on the dpea website indicates the Reporter has still not finished his Report but he is intends to issue this Report within the next few weeks. His Report will then be forwarded to Scottish Ministers who will make the final decision. 11. Former Royal High School Building at 5-7 Regent Road, Edinburgh (Hotel Development) Refs :- 15/03989/FUL and 15/03990/LBC Scottish Government Appeals Division Refs :- PPA and LBA Refs :- 16/04537/PAN; 17/00587/LBC: 17/00588/FUL (amended applications) Scottish Government Appeals Division Refs :- PPA and LBA The Public Enquiry is now underway and is being held in the Hearts Stadium at Tynecastle. The hearing is being broadcast in real time and can be viewed through the dpea website. 12. Change of Use of existing Class 10 premises to mixed use of nursery and wedding venue at former Cluny Church Centre, 15 Braid Road Reference :- 17/05806/FUL Scottish Government Appeals Division Reference :- PPA Last month s Report mentioned this application. The Reporter issued his decision on 6 September, dismissing the appeal and refusing planning permission. He concluded that the proposed development would be injurious to the amenities of residential properties in the vicinity and would be contrary to Policies Hou7, Ret8 and Tra2 of the LDP. There were no material considerations which would still justify granting planning permission. The Reporter was not convinced by the appellant submissions that any problems likely to arise due to noise can be adequately controlled by planning conditions and day to day management of the proposed facility. He also considered that the examples of the Hub and Raeburn House referred to by the appellant are not comparable to the proposal now in question as the locations and environs are significantly different. Colin W Anderson Planning Representative 11

12 Appendix C There have been recent reports that sales of electric cars are rising rapidly, and there has been criticism that Edinburgh has too few public charging points at present. This will have implications, probably including planning applications for the Fairmilehead community and for FCC, so we should think ahead and be ready to be proactive rather than reactive. 1 There are signs of a significant growth in the sale of electric cars in the UK, including Edinburgh. Vehicle exhaust emissions are now thought to be a significant health hazard in Edinburgh, as well as a source of greenhouse gases. This move towards electric vehicles is therefore to be welcomed, and should be encouraged. 2 The number of public charging points in Edinburgh is small (about 20), and more need to be installed. To encourage the use of electric vehicles, they should be brought into use about a year before the expected demand. At present, many public charging points are free to use, because of the policy of encouraging the ownership of electric vehicles, but it is unlikely that this benevolence will continue for much longer. 3 There are three filling stations within easy distance of Fairmilehead (at Greenbank, Dreghorn and Hillend). A fairly large part of their custom probably comes from local car owners. However, almost all houses in Fairmilehead have private driveways, and we may expect that most owners of electric cars will in future install their own charging points. At present, this is expensive, but as the number of electric vehicles increases, prices may be expected to drop and there will probably be competition to install them. We may have to warn residents of cowboys. Businesses that run fleets of vehicles will also install their own charging points. 4 Private charging points won t meet the whole demand. Fairmilehead is at the intersection of the A702 and A720, both of which carry long-distance traffic. We note that the three present filling stations are all located on either the A702 or the A720, no doubt for commercial advantage. Siting at least one public charging point near the City Bypass seems sensible, and Lothianburn seems as good a place as any. 5 These filling stations have little or no spare space, so expecting them to incorporate charging points is probably unrealistic. Instead, we should consider new sites. 6 Craigdon Mountain Sports has a car park which seems under-used, and they might be persuaded to sacrifice some parking spaces to charging points: it would probably be quite advantageous for their business. The car park at Morrisons Hunters Tryst is also underused, and they and/or Aldi might be persuaded to sacrifice some parking bays to charging points. Tesco Firrhill might also do so. They might consider it worthwhile to encourage customers, since debit-card-reading charging bays do not require to be staffed. This will have implications for traffic management etc. We have an opportunity to think ahead and be proactive. We offer this to FCC as a Green Paper, and hope that it will receive constructive criticism Roger West, 23/09/