The bulldozers moved into Meggetland 2 weeks ago and have now stripped off the grass from the building site area. The view is apocalyptic, and won't get any better as the buildings, ranging from 4 stories to seven, go up. It is a sad goodbye to a public asset that could have served future generations. Those who connived with the developer (which includes the City of Edinburgh Council, Borroughmuir Rugby club and Mr Ron Jackson in particular) should hang their heads in shame.
16/9/4 The Historic Scotland Permission for work on the Old Bridge has now been formally granted.
25/5/4
Historic Scotland still have not declared whether they will or will not grant consent
15/4/4
Historic Scotland have yet to pronounce on whether or not they will issue a Scheduled Monument Consent for the Old Bridge - the "Emergency Access". Applecross say they will commnece work on the access from the end of June to the end of July. They cannot do so without consent.
23/3/4
Please follow the link to Canalbridge4 for the latest news.
24/1/4
The fight to stop the Applecross development of Meggetland continues. The current focus is on the "emergency access" or The Old Meggetland Bridge (No 4) over the Canal. The Fire Service has to give the OK for this, as does Historic Scotland and then British waterways. All these agencies have been contactd.
25/3/3
On reviewing the report on the Public Inquiry into the Proposed Development at Meggetland a number of flaws are apparent. For instance:
1. There was no consultation with the Royal Fine Arts Commisssion for Scotland. This body’s opinion is commonly consulted for new developments, especially where the public interest is concerned. Not in this case.
2. No heed paid to the advice from Scottish Wildlife Trust, or British Waterways on the value of established hedgerows.
3. No consultation with the Sustainability Unit.
4. No consultation with the Natural Heritage Unit (Biodiversity or Urban Forestry)
5. Complete disregard for the advice received from Scottish Natural Heritage. They “considered that the site formed a significant urban greenspace resource that was valued by the local community. It had considerable potential for enhancement as a public amenity for both formal and informal recreation, as well as for wildlife habitats and landscape improvements. Its links to the Union Canal were of particular importance. In view of the presumption against the development of open spaces in the local plan and the support of the retention and enhancement of such areas by the council's "Sport and Open Space Partnership and Policy" initiative, it was considered that consent should be refused" This was reported and then not referred to again.
6. Disregards the recommendations of Lord Provost’s Commission on Sustainable Development for the City of Edinburgh which expressed the need to “protect sites of importance for wildlife and biodiversity and to enhance green areas in the city to maximise their benefit to people and nature.”
7. Scheduled Ancient Monument Consents obtained from historic Scotland for the Meggetland Bridge and the Towpath alterations when neither is an Ancient Monument. The Bridge is a listed building requiring Listed Building Consent (which was not obtained).
8. The width of the Meggetland bridge specified is equal to the width of the widest fire engine, leaving no clearance at all.
9. Prejudicial terms used in the description of the area e.g . “Windswept”, “bland and uninteresting”
10. The loss of the 430 trees that make up the hedge bordering the canal would be a major ecological loss, no matter what new planting was undertaken. This does not seem to concern the Inquiry despite the Canal’s status as Urban Wildlife Site (Edinburgh Urban Nature Conservation Stategy) or Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (Rural West Edinburgh Local Plan). Perhaps this results from 2,3,4 &5 above.
Overall the Public Inquiry appears to have taken as its remit the need to work around the legal barriers to the proposed development rather than to provide the required balance. Despite the contortions it has been through it is full errors of omission and downright nonsense. For this reason the local opposition to the development continues unabated and will do so while there is any hope of
Welcome to the page devoted to keeping Applecross from building 6 storey high towers on Meggetland Playingfields, alongside the Union Canal.
The irresponsibility of this proposed development is without question.
Nevertheless the Council and the Scottish Executive have granted permission subject to certain minimal conditions. It looks bad at present. But until a legally binding agreement is signed it is worth objecting.
