INVERLEITH NEIGHBOURHOOD PARTNERSHIP
CLEAN, GREEN AND SAFE ACTION GROUP

Minutes of Meeting held on 5th July 2011 at North Edinburgh Local Office

Item / Actions
1. / Attendance:
Steven Cuthill (Chair), Local Environment Manager, Services for Communities
Tony Cook, Friends of Inverleith Park
Betty Dixon, Easter Drylaw Residents Association (EDRA)
Judy Conn, Friends of KGV Park
Alex Dale, Drylaw Telford Community Council
Graeme Nisbit, Lothian and Borders Police
Elaine Lennon, Partnership Development Officer, Services for Communities
Ian Cunningham, Stockbridge Colonies Residents Association
Jean Butterworth, Stockbridge Colonies Residents Association
Stephen Brennan, Stockbridge Inverleith Community Council
2. / Apologies:
Ruth Stanley, Local Community Safety Manager, Services for Communities
3. / Minutes of Previous Meeting:
Amendment to minute item 5d should read Drylaw House and not Drylaw Church.
Litter bin on Arboretum Avenue – will be part of Flood Prevention work
4. / Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT):
Inverleith Sergeant Graeme Nisbit gave an update on current priorities:
a) Dears Pharmacist – no issues highlighted to Police or EDRA recently. Follow up meeting planned with pharmacist.
b) Cycleways – Have been patrolled including Police Officers on cycles. AD reported that cyclists with no respect for other users, and an incident where a pedestrian had been injured, had been raised at DTCC and JC reported that this was a major issue at new cyclepath into KGV Park.
It was agreed to continue this work to promote polite cycling and shared use of walkways. Possible ideas to be explored include:
·  distributing a leaflet to walkway users to give advice on respecting other users
·  further use of ‘slap straps’ including exploring whether these could be printed with reminder on safety for pedestrians and polite cycling
·  assess current signage and look to upgrade if necessary
·  provide above advice on innertube website / blog / printed maps
·  putting article on polite walkway / cycleway use in Outlook Newspaper
c) Open Spaces - No new issues highlighted but it was agreed that over Summer weeks, this priority should be continued. SB reported on issues of drinking on stretch of Water of Leith walkway between Saunders Street and Dean Bridge and it was agreed that this area would be included.
Graeme also reported that bike thefts had reduced. Local test purchasing exercises have been carried out at licensed premises involving young people attempting to purchase alcohol had passed and that this would be continued.
Graeme circulated the Summer Programme of activities for children, young people and families, which have been produced by CLD with support from Police, Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre etc. Information can be found here http://bit.ly/n7rucY or contact Anne Brown on 332 6316.
Agreed priorities for the next session:
1)  Cycleway patrols
2)  Open space patrols
3)  Speeding traffic on Craigcrook Road / Blackhall Dip to be monitored
Any further issues should be reported directly to Graeme on 311 3131 / email
5. / Community Safety Team update:
SC gave a Community Safety update on behalf of Ruth Stanley, Community Safety Manager for North – full copy attached.
·  The Youth Tracking System is being introduced and should lead to better info sharing and quicker responses to incidents. Number of complaints remained at low level.
·  Operation Affirm II is running across Inverleith and Forth during June / July where environmental assessments of areas which are hotspots of antisocial behaviour, local businesses will be visited and offering a high visible presence.
·  A total of 550 actions had been carried out in Inverleith, including 20 fixed penalty notices for littering, 4 for trade waste, 55 general patrols and no dog fouling notices.
Concerns were raised that dog fouling has not been an issues, particularly in Stockbridge Colonies. BD reported that new signs in Easter Drylaw Park were making a difference to reducing dog fouling in that area. JC added that cigarette stub litter around bottom of Dundas Street around the RBS building was an increasing problem and asked that this could be targeted.
It was agreed to invite Environmental Warden Team Leader to next meeting to discuss above issues. / EL
6. / a) Inverleith Park
SC advised on work to fill gaps in boundary hedge and further gaps still to be planted. The need for an exit at North East corner was highlighted as this is where desire lines have been in place for many years. The use of unofficial entrances is an issue of human behaviour and it is not something that should be encouraged.
SB reported that some trees on perimeter path need feathered.
AD reported that a NEP proposal has been presented to look at a crossing between Botanic Gardens and Inverleith Park. SB added that this was being looked at by Central Team, as well as safer cycle crossing between Carrington Road and Inverleith Park. SC will keep group updated on progress.
SC reported that a fire had damaged some of the Pavillion.
TC / IC reported that the vast amount of litter that was left beside overflowing bins in park over recent Bank Holiday weekend was an ongoing issue that needs dealt with. He also asked if a glass recycling bin was possible. SC reported that litter is segregated once collected to reduce land fill, and that he is looking at possibility of larger bins at the East Gate and other options during Taskforce Public Holiday working. SC to update.
SB requested that signage re not feeding swans were made more robust. SC to look into metal signage.
TC reported that the regular meetings has now had with Park Ranger was very helpful.
b) Rocheid Path
A Friends Group is now established. IC added that the group hope to agree their constitution at its next meeting on 18 July.
c) King George V Park
JC reported that the new railings were an improvement but that she could not get access to noticeboard now.
A damaged tree on the path from Royal Circus needs to be removed.
Blocked gullies ongoing.
d) Drylaw Open Spaces
SC requested more information on need for railings at Easter Drylaw Loan. SC to visit.
Street cleaning required in certain areas because of long term build up:
·  Easter Drylaw Drive (between houses to Telford Steps)
·  Easter Drylaw Loan to Easter Drylaw Place
·  Easter Drylaw Place to shops
BD reported that the community were not happy with the completed state of the roundabout, as bark will undoubtedly be blown away. EL to get update from Drylaw Centre, who had carried out this work. / SC
Ritchie Fraser (RF)
SC
SC
RF
RF
RF
RF to update
SC
SC
EL
6 / A.O.C.B.
SB requested that more information is sent out to inform residents when bins would not be collected, as recent Bank Holiday Monday had led to bins being put out and ripped.
IC requested that the fencing around trees in Arboretum Avenue could now be removed as they are being used as bins, and also that the one dead tree could be replaced. SC to look into. /
SC
SC
7 / Date of next meetings as previously agreed:
All at North Edinburgh Local Office
Monday 29 August, 2.30pm
Monday 24 October, 6.30pm
Tuesday 13 Dec, 2.30pm
Elaine Lennon –
North Neighbourhood Team, 8 West Pilton Gardens, Edinburgh, EH4 4DP
Tel: 0131 529 5270,