This meeting will include the appointment of a new Council Leader and the approval of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to acquire an area of land at London Road for the relocation of a gas governor. It will also discuss the outcomes of the statutory consultation process on the proposal to establish a new non-denominational primary school and nursery at Gilmerton Station Road, and at Granton Waterfront.

Appointment of a new Council Leader

Following Councillor Cammy Day’s resignation as Council Leader, the Council will be asked to appoint a new Leader. The new Leader will also be appointed to a number of committees, boards and external organisations as a result, including the Policy and Sustainability Committee.¹

Meadowbank Gas Governor Relocation - Compulsory Purchase Order

The Council is to consider approving a CPO to acquire an area of land at London Road which is required for the relocation of a gas governor to facilitate the housing-led development at Meadowbank. The area of land is required for the relocation of a gas governor that is currently situated on the Meadowbank development site.

The proposed development at Meadowbank will provide 705 new homes, 35% of which will be affordable. In addition, the development will include potential community space, as well as improved cycle routes, and public realm.

“For the development to be fully completed, the gas governor will require to be relocated. A suitable site has been identified on Council-owned land at London Road (the new site is identified with a red line boundary plan in Appendix 1).

The land at London Road is owned by the Council but is subject to a 125-year lease between the Council and British Telecommunications plc (BT).”

The Council has been negotiating the purchase of the land from British Telecommunications plc (BT) for over two years, but has not yet been able to reach an agreement. The CPO will only be implemented if negotiations to purchase the land cannot be concluded.

Outcomes of Statutory Consultations on Proposal to establish new Non-Denominational Primary Schools

The Council will consider the outcomes of the statutory consultation on the proposal to establish a new primary school and nursery at Gilmerton Station Road, and at Granton Waterfront. The reports on each proposal provide an analysis of the responses received and recommendations to address any issues raised during the consultation period, before requesting that the proposals are approved.

Gilmerton Station Road

The new school at Gilmerton Station Road is needed to accommodate an expected increase in the number of primary pupils in the area, following new housing developments. This would also help to take pressure off the increasing school rolls of existing local schools. The report pack includes a recommendation that, in order to address concerns about siblings having to attend different schools as a result of changes to catchment areas, a ‘sibling guarantee’ is offered to families who live within the area of Gilmerton Primary School catchment realigned with the new school. The ‘sibling guarantee’ would apply to siblings of pupils at Gilmerton Primary School or Liberton High School.

“It would mean that the siblings of pupils currently living in the area transferring to the new catchment area would be guaranteed a place at Gilmerton Primary School or Liberton High School assuming they meet criteria set out in this paper.”

The report estimates that the cost of building the new school at Gilmerton Station Road would be an unfunded pressure on the Council’s Capital Investment Programme.²

Granton Waterfront

The new primary school at Granton Waterfront would accommodate an expected increase in the number of pupils following new housing developments in the area, including those within the Granton Waterfront development. The report pack includes a recommendation that a ‘sibling guarantee’ is offered to families who live within the existing areas of catchment that are realigned with a different school. The report details the exact conditions that need to be met for a pupil to benefit from a ‘sibling guarantee’.

The report also requests that approval is given to implement catchment changes to accommodate the new school. These changes would involve:

• creating a new catchment area for the new school formed from sections of the existing catchment areas of Pirniehall Primary School and Granton Primary School;
• removing the existing dual feeder area shared by Craigroyston and Pirniehall Primary Schools and assigning it solely to Pirniehall Primary School;
• aligning the new primary school’s catchment area entirely with Craigroyston Community High School catchment area, requiring changes to the catchment areas of Broughton and Craigroyston High Schools; and
• realigning an area of catchment that is currently aligned with Craigroyston Primary School to Pirniehall Primary School.

The report estimates the cost of building the new school at Granton Waterfront to be an unfunded pressure on the Council’s Capital Investment Programme.

Funding for Edinburgh Integration Joint Board

The Council will consider a request from the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) for an additional £11.6m of funding, in addition to the £0.9m already budgeted for, due to a forecast funding gap of £12.5m in its 2024/25 budget. The report notes:

“Work undertaken has concluded, however, that the corresponding actions, even if all approved and delivered, are insufficient to achieve in-year financial balance. As a result, under the scheme of integration, the Council should now consider making available additional interim funding to the EIJB. If parties within the partnership cannot agree to making available additional funding to address the gap in full, the dispute resolution mechanism in the integration scheme may require to be implemented.”

The report pack contains information about the Edinburgh Leisure Spend to Save Programme, and highlights that the Council will be asked to approve £0.65m of funding from the Spend to Save Fund for five Edinburgh Leisure Projects. The projects include:

• a redevelopment of an underused area of Craiglockhart Leisure and Tennis Centre to create a new cycle studio;
• the expansion of the Clip ’n Climb facility at Edinburgh International Climbing Arena;
• a new inflatable fun park and cafe at Meadowbank Sports Centre;
• a redevelopment of the cafe at Royal Commonwealth Pool; and
• a redevelopment of the cafe at Tumbles.

The report pack contains information about the Accounts Commission findings following a report by the Controller of Audit on Best Value in the Council. The report sets out the nine findings of the Accounts Commission, the Council’s response, and the Council’s proposed actions in response to each of the findings.

Re-establishment of the Cammo Estate Advisory Committee

The Council will be asked to consider re-establishing the Cammo Estate Advisory Committee. A report pack explains that at a meeting on 16 March 2023 the Council agreed to close the Cammo Estate Advisory Committee. However, since then:

“…stakeholders including Friends of Cammo and the local community council have expressed an interest in the Advisory Committee and sought its re-establishment.

A Feu Charter by the National Trust for Scotland in favour of the City of Edinburgh Council, dated 29 July 1980, has been brought to the Council’s attention. Legal advice has been received which confirms that the Charter remains in force. The Charter requires the Council to establish an Advisory Committee with two local ward councillors and two representatives of the National Trust as members.”

The Council will be asked to approve the remit of the Committee, and to appoint two members from the Almond ward to it. The Council is also asked to approve the appointment of the National Trust for Scotland representatives Mr Stuart Maxwell, as Convener, and Mr Colin Wren.

Appointment to the South East Scotland Transport Partnership Performance and Audit Committee

The Council will be asked to consider nominating one of its five elected members on the South East Scotland Transport Partnership (SEStran) Partnership Board to the SEStran Performance and Audit Committee. The nominated Councillor would then be formally appointed to the Committee by the Partnership Board at its next meeting. The five Councillors on the SEStran Partnership Board are:

• Councillor Danny Aston
• Councillor Stephen P Jenkinson
• Councillor Sanne Dijkstra-Downie
• Councillor Kayleigh O’Neill
• Councillor Iain Whyte

Citywide Road Coordination – Revised Charging Structure

The Council is being asked to approve a new charging structure for road occupation permits and roads events applications that would come into effect for applications received from 1 January 2025.

A report in the report pack provides examples of how the new charging structure would work in practice.

Change of Name for Cramond and Barnton Community Council

The Council will be asked to approve a change of name for the Cramond and Barnton Community Council to Cramond, Barnton and Cammo Community Council.

Changes to Meeting Dates

The Council is to consider approving the following changes to meeting dates in 2025:

• adding an additional Council meeting to be held at 2pm on 24 January 2025, and an additional meeting of the Policy and Sustainability Committee to be held on 17 January 2025;
• rescheduling the 26 June 2025 Council meeting to 19 June 2025;
• rescheduling the 19 June 2025 Transport and Environment Committee meeting to 26 June 2025; and
• cancelling the 5 June 2025 Council meeting.

Questions

The following is a summary of the questions submitted in advance of the meeting. Because you only have access to the documents, and do not know whether any of these questions will actually be asked or answered, please make this clear.

Fireworks

Councillor Dan Heap has submitted a question asking about the Council’s plans to reduce firework noise around Edinburgh Zoo, given the recent deaths of two Red Pandas that were partly attributed to noise from fireworks. Councillor Heap has also submitted questions about the voluntary ‘no fireworks sales’ scheme agreed at the last meeting of the Council, and asking about the design and distribution of the ‘no fireworks sale’ marque for participating retailers. Councillor Heap has also submitted a question asking about the communication sent to residents in the S6[W] Controlled Parking Zone, asking why some residents were told that they were not eligible for a Parking Permit, and whether applicants have been accurately advised how and when to apply for permits.

Housing

Councillor Simita Kumar submitted questions about the Council’s use of unlicensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), asking for a timeline of when they were first used, and when Elected Members were first informed about the legal concerns around them. She also asks whether the assessment that was given in the Council’s Annual Assurance Statements on Housing Services in 2022, 2023 and 2024, that assurance and evidence existed that all legal obligations associated with housing and homelessness services, were accurate. Councillor Kumar also submitted questions about the Council’s recent press release on the housing regeneration at Granton, asking what ‘net zero ready’ homes means, and how much carbon each of these new homes is projected to produce when it is first built. She also asked for an estimate of the cost per home to make these homes ‘net zero’. Councillor Kumar submitted a question about the letter that was sent to tenants about the use of unlicensed HMOs, asking if the Convener was happy with the language used, and whether she had sight of the letter and approved its content.

Transport

Councillor Danny Aston submitted questions about the disruption caused by Storm Bert on 23rd November 2024, asking if there has been a review of the Council’s response, and what lessons have been learnt. He also asked if there will be an investigation into when snowploughs were deployed, and whether enough were deployed. Councillor Aston also submitted a question about winter preparedness for 2024/25, asking how the Convener has been involved in planning, and if there are sufficient levels of grit salt available.

Councillor Chas Booth submitted a question asking for a list of all of the projects in the Active Travel Investment Programme 2022-2027, and for each project to list the original Planned Construction Start Date, the current Planned Construction Start Date, and the number of months the project has been delayed. Councillor Booth has also submitted a question asking for the primary reasons for active travel project delays, and what action is being taken to address these.

Councillor Graeme Bruce has submitted questions about the traffic light upgrade at the junction of Lanark Road West and Bridge Road in Balerno. He asks why the Weekly Roads report did not make it clear that the work included narrowing existing roads and extending pavements, and how much of the Section 75³ money for the project is left. He asks how this remaining money will be used, and when it must be spent by. Councillor Bruce also asks how many complaints were received from Balerno residents about the junction before the upgrade took place, and why the Section 75 money was not used to complete pavements in other areas in the ward, for example to complete the pavement from the bus terminus to Malleny Millgate.

Councillor Kevin Lang submitted questions about the Davidson’s Mains roundabout, asking for the actions taken in the eleven months since the objection period to proposed improvements closed. He also asked if a fully signalised junction was now being considered, what funding was allocated, and whether that funding would be rolled over to the next financial year.

Councillor Kevin Lang also submitted a question asking what work was being undertaken to provide signage and additional bins at the playing fields at Kirkliston Leisure Centre.

Councillor Kevin Lang submitted questions about proposed traffic changes in Silverknowes, asking if a contractor had been appointed for the work, if final design changes had been agreed, and if those designs could be published.

Councillor Martha Mattos Coelho submitted a question asking for a list of the parking attendant enforcement routes. Councillor Mattos Coelho also asked if the Council Leader agreed that it is important for a Convener to condemn xenophobic or racist comments from participants in committee meetings, and whether the Council Leader would review the recording of the Development Management Sub-Committee meeting on 20th November 2024, to consider what action could be taken in the future. Councillor Mattos Coelho has also submitted a question asking when discussions took place between the Council Leader and representatives from the UK Government regarding regulations for firework sales.

Councillor Neil J Ross submitted a question asking for a progress update on the implementation of the revised Option 3 for the Braid Estate section of the Greenbank/Meadows cycle route.

Councillor Jason Rust submitted a question about the cost of the Colinton/Fairmilehead by-election held on 14 November 2024, asking for a breakdown of the total cost, and the costs associated with hiring polling stations, payments to staff, and the production of ballot papers. Councillor Rust also submitted questions about work at Oxgangs House, asking for a completion date for the project, and when the remaining tenants are scheduled to be decanted. He also asks how long they will be decanted for, and if security measures will be in place.

Councillor Edward J Thornley submitted a question asking how many locations are on the waiting list for speeding site investigations, and for a list of the locations broken down by ward.

Councillor Christopher Cowdy submitted questions about the Council’s Early Years settings, asking what the capacity and current roll was for each of them. He also asked what the capacity and funded roll for each of the Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) partner settings was, and what forecast rolls are being used for future capacity planning. Councillor Cowdy has also submitted a question about the decision to end the pilot of Enhanced Support Bases for secondary schools, asking why a recommendation was not brought to the Education, Children and Families Committee for scrutiny and approval, and on what authority the decision was taken.

Councillor Kate Campbell submitted a question asking when a Freedom of Information (FOI) request (reference 50940) received on 23 September 2024 would be answered. The FOI relates to overseas travel by councillors and officials in the financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24. Councillor Campbell also asks why this information has not yet been collected and why the response has been delayed.

Councillor Alex Staniforth submitted a question asking if CGI subcontract to NICE Systems UK ltd or to Qognify for any services provided to the Council, and asking what other companies CGI subcontract to in order to provide services to the Council.

Councillor Sanne Dijkstra-Downie submitted questions about the paths at North Edinburgh, asking what actions have been taken since 20 October 2024 to prevent cars accessing the paths, and what further action was being proposed. Councillor Dijkstra-Downie has also submitted questions about a damaged wall at Great Michael Square, asking for the date and reason for the damage, and the plans and timescale for its removal or repair. Councillor Dijkstra-Downie has also submitted questions about the village of Newhaven, asking what weed treatment was applied in 2024, and the grass cutting schedule for the Old Burial Ground in 2024.