Save the date!
Annual General Meeting
Thursday 19th October 2023 at 7.30pm
Craigmillar Park Church Hall.
All residents in the conservation area are invited to the Annual General Meeting of the Craigmillar Park Association which will take place on Thursday 19th October in the Church Hall of Craigmillar Park Church at 7.30pm. AGM Business will be followed by a talk by XKY Energy. Tea and coffee will be served after the meeting.
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For those of you new to the area, this association, formed 25 years ago and a member of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS), is composed of local residents and its aims are as follows:
To stimulate public interest in, and care for, the beauty, character and history of the immediate area (see CPA web site for map) and, through other agencies the entire Newington district.
To secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of features of public architectural or historic interest in the area.
To promote high standards of planning and architecture in or affecting the area.
To provide or assist in the provision of recreation or other leisure time occupation for the benefit of the general public.
The CPA has over the years been involved in planning processes to put forward the resident’s point of view:
- The plan to demolish the former St Margaret’s school to build a six storey block on the corner of Suffolk Road and Craigmillar Park.
- Overdevelopment of East Suffolk Park, the extension to Crawfurd Road.
- The position and height of new buildings in the former Royal Blind School.
- A MacDonalds being built where the Conan Doyle medical centre now stands.
- The Drive-thru cafes operating 24 hours a day.
It has also helped finance improvements to the five strips of woodland in Granby, Gilmour and Suffolk Roads and is a conduit between residents and the Grange Prestonfield Community Council.
Moving forward, there are many local issues causing concern for residents at this particular time.
- The proposed changes to the Cameron Toll Shopping Centre on Lady Road: there are plans to build a cinema complex, a six storey, 155 bedroom hotel and a number of housing blocks on this site. Many mature trees which screen the centre and help absorb the CO2 from traffic fumes will be felled, parking spaces greatly reduced and the high density of buildings in this relatively small area will detract from the local character.
- The ongoing construction and development work of student accommodation on Mayfield Road and continued road closure.
You may have other concerns about the area and wish to air these at the AGM.
As a group we look at the planning applications for the local area and raise objections or support, however due to retirement of our local planning expert it would be really useful if someone with a planning background would volunteer to be part of the Association or be available to offer advise.
We hope that some newcomers to the district – or perhaps longstanding residents who have been too busy in past years – will step up to the plate to meet the challenges facing our area. If we can’t find post holders, then we will have to talk seriously about the future of the CPA. Every help and advice will be offered from the existing committee to anyone new to the job but new energy and ideas are needed to deal with the challenges needed to preserve the many attractive features of our area.
We look forward to seeing you on the 19th October.
Refreshments will be served.
