Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement

 
 
Saturday, 19th July 2008

Festival of Politics - Special Report free inside The Scotsman

Premium Article !

Your account has been frozen. For your available options click the below button.

Options

Premium Article !

To read this article in full you must have registered and have a Premium Content Subscription with the Edinburgh Evening News site.

Subscribe

Registered Article !

To read this article in full you must be registered with the site.

Sign In
Register

Dawe defiant over Caltongate



Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

CITY leader Jenny Dawe today clarified her stance on the controversial Caltongate development after coming under fire from opposition politicians.
As reported in the Evening News, Councillor Dawe highlighted the £300 million scheme as an example of the "thorny issues and tough decisions" faced up to by the Liberal Democrat/SNP coalition.

But former Labour Lord Provost Lesley Hinds – a member of the planning committee – pointed out that party politics should not influence the planning process.

Calling on Cllr Dawe to clarify the issue, Cllr Hinds said: "The rules are quite explicit on this issue – decisions made on the planning committee cannot be whipped."

But the Lib Dem leader responded: "Of course the planning committee is apolitical, and that's the way it always should have been and will continue to be in this administration.

"My point was simply that Caltongate was a tough decision that had to be taken and that now that it's been made, subject to the scrutiny of Scottish Ministers, allows for the re-development of – in particular – an ugly gap site in the heart of the city."





The full article contains 185 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 15 May 2008 11:06 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Caltongate development
 
1

alex paterson,

At the moment in Sevilla 15/05/2008 12:18:08
Well done Jenny Dawe you get them told,you do a great job.
2

Old Town Resident,

edinburgh 15/05/2008 13:04:53
Oh Jenny thats right keep on trying to convince yourself and others that you are are not a hypocrite

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/edinburgh/300m-Caltongate-vision-dubbed-grotesque.3288126.jp

It will all come out in the wash as they say...
3

Buttress,

15/05/2008 13:06:08
It also, Jenny Dawe, means an ugly and unsuitable commercial development which will also involve the sale by your council and demolition of the Grade C Listed Canongate Venture, a dreadful non-conservationist facade scheme for the Grade C Listed Sailor's Ark, and the loss of council onwed social housing on the Canongate (another facade scheme) in order that developer Mountgrange can make a bigger profit. These are all outside the original bus depot site. What the council, and therefore the residents of Edinburgh, will be getting out of this sale is minimal, and it will erode the character of the World Heritage Site. Which belongs to us all.

No tough decision was made - the tough decision would have been to have turned it down, heeded all the community and heritage groups, locally and nationally, who are aghast at the scheme, and whose objections were overruled. Let Mountgrange appeal. But the planning committee is all party, surely?

In fact the planning committee turned the decision over to Ministers. A cop out? The committee knew it couldn't make the decison as it has a financial interest.

Why, too, did Planning Convenor Coun Lowrie vote for this, when he sits on the Board of Directors of EWH Trust, which has objected throughout? Is his position on EWH now untenable?

The sale of the land and buildings, including Common Good Land, to Mountgrange in a private deal is possibly unlawful under EU regulations too.

Jenny Dawe's speech on World Heritage Day (included Caltongate) can be read on the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust website:

http://www.ewht.org.uk/World-Heritage-Day.aspx


For more Caltongate issues see

www.eh8.org.uk

and the link to updated news on the daily blog.

4

Buttress,

15/05/2008 13:12:01
"Edinburgh has a rich architectural heritage and is proud of its city
centre UNESCO World Heritage Site status. We do not want to
see that status compromised."


"Controversial I know, but the Calton Gate proposals are a brave
step forward. They may not be considered perfect by many. I
know that my views on parts of the scheme are well known.
However, the plans were improved from the original proposals, the
democratic process of the quasi-judicial planning sub-committee
has delivered its decisions and, in terms of Urbanism, the
development will bring a new lease of life to an area which has
really never played and active role in the city. It will also in the long
term provide a critical link to the Parliament and to the St James
Quarter redevelopment.
We may be able to learn from the Eco-Cities movement and apply
some of their innovative techniques to ensure that we have an
inclusive, sustainable but not sterile city centre."

Jenny or Janus?

5

Farky,

Edinburgh 15/05/2008 13:30:35
Does Cllr Hinds expect us all to believe that the previous Labour dominated planning committee wasn't whipped, didn't agree to decisions that were in some way beneficial to the Labour Party!

Caltongate proposals are disgraceful. Holyrood masterplan was rushed through awfully quickly too!
04/03450/ful This planning application is madness as well.
6

Parsley Flowers,

Edinburgh 15/05/2008 22:43:51
Planning Committee decisions are 'apolitical' and cannot be whipped - did I just see a pig flying by???
7

CRAGman,

16/05/2008 01:12:46
#5 and #6 - you obviously haven't a clue what you're talking about.
8

Buttress,

16/05/2008 09:58:37
Well 7 - would you care to expand on your assertion?

 

Comment on this Story

 

In order to post comments you must Register or Sign In

 
 
RSS Feed of this article's comments
Delivery formats: RSS, Atom, Javascript & Email
 
  

 
 

More Politics

More Politics >>

More Caltongate development

More Caltongate development >>

Features

Supplements
Scotsman Digital Archive
Scotsman Hotels Scotsman Hotels

Featured Advertising



Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.