Balerno
Balerno is a village 7 1/2 miles South West of Edinburgh's City centre. It was awarded Fairtrade Village status in 2013.
Welcome to the online home of Balerno Community Council (BCC). It is intended to:
- Provide a central point of information on the web, linking to other Balerno websites on our links page
- Maintain a record of BCC business, including a schedule of meetings, meeting minutes and other relevant information here
- Provide a means for the community to engage with the Community Council via our contact form
Welcome to the online home of Balerno Community Council (BCC). It is intended to:
- Provide a central point of information on the web, linking to other Balerno websites on our links page
- Maintain a record of BCC business, including a schedule of meetings, meeting minutes and other relevant information here
- Provide a means for the community to engage with the Community Council via our contact form
News:
A Vision for Our Community - Developing a Community Plan for Balerno (posted 04/06/16)
Please click here to download a copy of the document. YOUR FEEDBACK is what's most important. Please click here to download the feedback form. Copies of the form are available in Balerno Library.
Vital Bus Services End - Letter sent to Cllr Andrew Burns (posted 05/05/16)
| 2016_-_04_-_april_-_24_and_70_letter_to_cec__1_.pdf |
BCC are hosting the 2016 Meet the Politicians event on Thursday 28th at 8pm at Balerno Parish Church. See poster below for more details. See you there! (posted 20/01/16)
| poster_a3_2016.pdf |
Ravelrig - BCC's Letter to Alex Neil MSP. Letter and response below (posted 01/12/15)
| 2015_-_09_-_sept_-_letter_to_alex_neil.pdf |
| 2015_-_11_-_nov_-_response_from_cab_sec.pdf |
Special Meeting of BCC - Thursday 19th November 2015 (posted 13/11/15)
Cala will present to Balerno Community Council on the 19th November 2015 at Balerno High School. The subject matter is the planning application to build in Newmills. Members of the public are very welcome to attend.
Calling all Cyclists
Can you help with the maintenance of the Balerno Kirknewton cycle route? Click here for more details. (posted 09/11/15)
Letter from BCC to Alex Neil MSP regarding Ravelrig. (posted 11/09/15)
| bcc_letter_to_alex_neil.pdf |
Ravelrig - Joanna Cherry MP, Gordon MacDonald MSP and Cllr Bill Henderson meeting with local residents at the Ravelrig Road site. (posted 01/09/15)
BCC met with Joanna Cherry MP, Gordon MacDonald MSP and Cllr Bill Henderson, on Friday 28 September along with members of the Balerno Green Belt Group and local residents directly affected by the proposed housing development at Ravelrig Road. The meeting was to consider what steps might be open to address the current situation following on the issuing of the Reporters decision in July upholding Gladman’s appeal. The meeting involved a site visit to the Ravelrig site as well as the Cockburn Crescent site which is the subject of renewed interest by Barrat David Wilson.
Following the visit Joanna Cherry commented –
‘From what I have heard at today's meetings in Balerno, and from what I already knew about the various planning applications currently affecting Balerno, something seems to be wrong with our planning system at present. When a site which has never been intended for development under the local plan, is suddenly brought into the frame, and that is, in part at least, because the timetables for strategic and local plans have got out of kilter, then something is wrong. And when a site for which permission has been refused on appeal just a year ago, is brought back into contention without there having been any material change in circumstances then something is wrong. We seem to have moved far away from a relatively orderly planning process, and that is bad for the planning system and it is bad for people. If we are not careful then confidence in the system is lost. I will be writing to Alex Neil asking that he intervene.’
Gordon MacDonald also commented –
‘I agree entirely with all that Joanna has said. Edinburgh Council planning department is failing people at present, and something has to be done in order to restore public confidence in it. We cannot have a system in which housing developments are being given permission simply because the Council has been late in preparing their Local Development Plan.'
BCC remains absolutely committed to pressing for action to stop development at the Revelrig/Pilmuir site and to protect the Balerno Green Belt.
BCC meeting Thursday 3 September
BCC's next regular monthly meeting is on Thursday 3 September at 7.30pm at Balerno High School. The Council will hear a presentation by CALA in relation its proposals concerning the site at Newmills Road on which the developer held an exhibition on 19 August as part of a PAN process.
All meetings of the Community Council are open to the public.
Following the visit Joanna Cherry commented –
‘From what I have heard at today's meetings in Balerno, and from what I already knew about the various planning applications currently affecting Balerno, something seems to be wrong with our planning system at present. When a site which has never been intended for development under the local plan, is suddenly brought into the frame, and that is, in part at least, because the timetables for strategic and local plans have got out of kilter, then something is wrong. And when a site for which permission has been refused on appeal just a year ago, is brought back into contention without there having been any material change in circumstances then something is wrong. We seem to have moved far away from a relatively orderly planning process, and that is bad for the planning system and it is bad for people. If we are not careful then confidence in the system is lost. I will be writing to Alex Neil asking that he intervene.’
Gordon MacDonald also commented –
‘I agree entirely with all that Joanna has said. Edinburgh Council planning department is failing people at present, and something has to be done in order to restore public confidence in it. We cannot have a system in which housing developments are being given permission simply because the Council has been late in preparing their Local Development Plan.'
BCC remains absolutely committed to pressing for action to stop development at the Revelrig/Pilmuir site and to protect the Balerno Green Belt.
BCC meeting Thursday 3 September
BCC's next regular monthly meeting is on Thursday 3 September at 7.30pm at Balerno High School. The Council will hear a presentation by CALA in relation its proposals concerning the site at Newmills Road on which the developer held an exhibition on 19 August as part of a PAN process.
All meetings of the Community Council are open to the public.
Cala - Newmills Proposed Development. (posted 11/08/15)
| cala_newmills.pdf |
A Statement from the South West (Edinburgh) Communities Forum (SWCF). (posted 15/05/15)
| swcf_statement_150515.pdf |
3G Synthetic Pitch at Malleny Park (posted 28/08/14)
The much anticipated start on the new multi-sports 3G (or third generation) pitch for Malleny Park in Balerno began with the installation of security fencing on Monday 25 August 2014. This was a number of weeks behind schedule due to the requirement for archaeological testing (part of the planning permission process). Fortunately, no Roman coins or vases were found and so the successful contractor Allsports are now on site and work is commencing.
The new artificial grass facility is expected to open in November 2014 and provides a year round, all weather pitch area for Secondary School pupils at Balerno High School (and for local Primary School children attending Dean Park Primary) as well as for local clubs and community organisations.
The funding for the facility has come from a variety of sources – the Scottish Government’s ‘Cashback for Pitches’ fund, sportscotland’s ‘Sport Facilities’ fund , WREN (a not for profit business that awards grants to community projects from funds donated by FCC Environment to the Landfill Communities Fund) and from the City of Edinburgh Council. The total cost of the project is expected to be close to £600,000.
The ‘Cashback for Pitches’ funding required the City Council and the National Governing Bodies (SRU and the SFA) to identify and work in partnership with two key partners clubs – one for youth rugby (Currie RFC) and the other for youth football (Currie Star FC). These two clubs as a result of the Cashback funding criteria shall receive ‘priority access’ to the new 3G pitch on several midweek evenings and for matches on the weekend.
According to Robin Yellowlees, the Service Manager for the Sports and Outdoor Learning Unit with the City of Edinburgh Council, ‘We are trying to create a multi-sports approach at Malleny Park whereby children can have the opportunity to play football, rugby , athletics and such like at the one place. Too often children have to travel to different places to do different sports or find that football clashes with rugby and they have to drop one of these sports. We are working with the clubs to ensure this does’nt happen’.
‘It is also important for local people to understand that this project would simply not have happened without the ‘Cashback’ funding and so the priority access agreement with the two clubs was an essential feature. Of course all local school children will enjoy the facility through their PE lessons and through the Active Schools activities straight after school. In addition to this there are also times set aside for community access.’
The community access times for the facility for the period November 2014 to May 2015 are as follows:
Tuesday evening: 5.45-6.45
Wednesday evening: 5.45-6.45
Friday evenings: 5.45 -9.45pm
Sunday evenings: 5.45 -9.45pm
Additional Community Access slots shall be available during the period May to August 2015.
Any community clubs or organisations wishing to use the facility when it opens in November should register their interest by contacting Lynne Crawford at the Sports and Outdoor Learning Unit (Tel: 469-3953) – Lynne.Crawford@edinburgh.gov.uk
Priority shall be given to local groups based in the Currie/Balerno area and for youth groups. The hire charges are in line with the new community access prices proposed for all City of Edinburgh schools;
The hire charges are as follows:
3G Full Pitch: Adult rate – £52.50 per hour / Youth rate £35.00 per hour
3G Half Pitch: Adult rate - £32.00 per hour/Youth rate £21.00 per hour
The new artificial grass facility is expected to open in November 2014 and provides a year round, all weather pitch area for Secondary School pupils at Balerno High School (and for local Primary School children attending Dean Park Primary) as well as for local clubs and community organisations.
The funding for the facility has come from a variety of sources – the Scottish Government’s ‘Cashback for Pitches’ fund, sportscotland’s ‘Sport Facilities’ fund , WREN (a not for profit business that awards grants to community projects from funds donated by FCC Environment to the Landfill Communities Fund) and from the City of Edinburgh Council. The total cost of the project is expected to be close to £600,000.
The ‘Cashback for Pitches’ funding required the City Council and the National Governing Bodies (SRU and the SFA) to identify and work in partnership with two key partners clubs – one for youth rugby (Currie RFC) and the other for youth football (Currie Star FC). These two clubs as a result of the Cashback funding criteria shall receive ‘priority access’ to the new 3G pitch on several midweek evenings and for matches on the weekend.
According to Robin Yellowlees, the Service Manager for the Sports and Outdoor Learning Unit with the City of Edinburgh Council, ‘We are trying to create a multi-sports approach at Malleny Park whereby children can have the opportunity to play football, rugby , athletics and such like at the one place. Too often children have to travel to different places to do different sports or find that football clashes with rugby and they have to drop one of these sports. We are working with the clubs to ensure this does’nt happen’.
‘It is also important for local people to understand that this project would simply not have happened without the ‘Cashback’ funding and so the priority access agreement with the two clubs was an essential feature. Of course all local school children will enjoy the facility through their PE lessons and through the Active Schools activities straight after school. In addition to this there are also times set aside for community access.’
The community access times for the facility for the period November 2014 to May 2015 are as follows:
Tuesday evening: 5.45-6.45
Wednesday evening: 5.45-6.45
Friday evenings: 5.45 -9.45pm
Sunday evenings: 5.45 -9.45pm
Additional Community Access slots shall be available during the period May to August 2015.
Any community clubs or organisations wishing to use the facility when it opens in November should register their interest by contacting Lynne Crawford at the Sports and Outdoor Learning Unit (Tel: 469-3953) – Lynne.Crawford@edinburgh.gov.uk
Priority shall be given to local groups based in the Currie/Balerno area and for youth groups. The hire charges are in line with the new community access prices proposed for all City of Edinburgh schools;
The hire charges are as follows:
3G Full Pitch: Adult rate – £52.50 per hour / Youth rate £35.00 per hour
3G Half Pitch: Adult rate - £32.00 per hour/Youth rate £21.00 per hour
