Mayfield, Midlothian
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Community Councils play a key role in Scotland – and the wider UK’s – local democratic landscape, being one of the primary voices for local residents away from a government body.
A community council can be described as a voluntary body of local residents that act as the most local representation for their community, influencing decisions and providing a voice for the community to authorities. Despite not being decision-making bodies, community councils are a recognised part of Scotland’s local democratic structures.
First established in Scotland, they serve as a grassroots democratic body to voice the community’s views.
With approximately 1,200 active community councils in Scotland, Midlothian is home to 15 (after Poltonhall and Bonnyrigg merged last year), who all play a vital role in the county’s towns and local communities.
An example of recent community council action in Midlothian is the Save Kippielaw Campaign, where a member of the Mayfield and Easthouses Community Council ran a campaign that eventually stopped a housing development proposal on a large area of natural space in Midlothian.
Speaking to the Midlothian View, the Chairman of the Mayfield and Easthouses Community Council, Robert Hogg, described community council’s as ‘the only people who stand up for the local community’, he explained:
“A community council is there to represent the local community, first and foremost, and that’s what it’s all about.”
First established in Scotland, Community Council’s operate under the Local Government Act 1973, which requires local authorities (the Midlothian Council) to establish schemes for them, giving them a statutory role to represent community views, especially on planning and licensing, which can be seen in the case of the Save Kippielaw Campaign. Despite other forms of local governance existing in the UK prior, such as English Parish Councils, Scotland’s 1973 Act created ‘the specific statutory framework for modern community councils’.
Robert has been the chair of his community council for over 15 years, playing a key role in the council reforming in 1995 after it stopped operating in the early 70’s.
“I got involved because we used to have a community council before in the early 70’s but for whatever reason it fell away”, Robert explained, “Back in 1995, there was a demand for one, after the miners’ strike and other things and we saw a community demise, things weren’t getting done and a lot of local residents were unhappy.
“So a group of us got together and contacted the council about how to go about restructuring the community council again because we thought it was a good thing in the past. So we managed to get the Midlothian Council to organise a public meeting and we went and established the Mayfield and Easthouses Community Council through normal protocol, got a public meeting and we all got elected as officials.”
Alongside being chair of the Mayfield and Easthouses Community Council, Robert is also the chair of the Midlothian Federation of Community Councils, serving as the top member of the 15 council collective.
A Federation of Community Councils isn’t one single body, but instead a federation of all the local community councils that come together to share ideas and tackle common issues that are seen across the region.
Robert explained: “Midlothian’s federation is made up of 15 community councils including Midlothian’s rural areas and bigger towns. It is basically made to represent the whole of Midlothian.
“So you have your individual community councils representing the local community and the local area but the federation is a combination of all the community councils to basically have a bigger voice within Midlothian.
“So rather than one community council shouting, if we all shout together, you get your voice heard a lot clearer within the Midlothian Council and beyond. There’s one voice rather than 15 independent voices so it is better if we all get together.”
Midlothian’s federation allows for shared issues to have a stronger voice and effect, allowing for a higher chance of change.
“It’s all about merging together and having the same voice, that carries a lot more strength.”
Every federation member from the 15 community councils can have two representatives to join them. Once elected in, these representatives will attend federation meetings and feedback any information to the local community council.
Robert added: “Another thing good about the Federation is, if we get a Chief Inspector to come in and they want to speak to the community it’s hard for them to go round every community council, but if he comes to the federation he can target the 15 in one go. He can get a message out and that’s the same for anything regarding planning, education and so on.”
This format has been effective so far with Robert explaining about visits from inspectors and the Midlothian Council leader, Kelly Parry, who has attended a number of different meetings.
Taking over from Archie Pacey, the old Headteacher at Greenhall High School, in 1995, Robert has had a strong effect on the Mayfeild and Easthouses Community Council with the community council being the largest in Midlothian.
Having the most members in the county, Robert believes a portion of the success may be due to his strong performance as chair.
“First and foremost, not being big headed, but succes comes from having a good chair. You are controlling the meetings and that is very important. If you can control a meeting and give everybody a chance to have a fair say it is important as you do get a fraction of people who are very unhappy and they should have a chance to speak.
“You have to show that you are listening to the whole community, not dictating them as that’s the wrong attitude.”
Despite Mayfield and Easthouses having the most members, Robert explained that across Midlothian there are challenges in getting new members, especially amongst the younger population.
With their youngest member being around 17 years old, Robert and other members turned to Facebook to both attract overall new members and younger residents.
He explained that since starting the Facebook page, it has grown to have over 17,000 members despite their local area only having a population of around 9,500. He described this as one of the main reasons for their large numbers and success in making change in the area.
He also explained that a lot of members come and go due to having a specific local issue of interest.
“You get a lot of people who move into the community and are intestersted in a certain issue, such as local schools being threatened, and they come along and will maybe stay for about a year and then naturally leave.”
Having 17,000 members on the Facebook page, the community council only has around 15 steady members with a turnout at meetings of around 25 to 30. Despite being the largest in Midlothian, the community council find it hard having local residents stick around, with the Save Kippielaw Campaign meetings attracting over 90 attendees.
With past success’, it is evident that community council’s are important in Scotand as the voice for local communities. For local voices to be heard in governance, Community Councils need to continue to attract more members as they are at the forefront in making change and addressing local issues.
An aerial view of the land where the relief road is planned to be built.
This View has been written by the Damhead and District Community Council
Midlothian Council have submitted their £55 million plans for reliving congestion at Straiton (25/00521/DPP. The Council claims a number of benefits ALL of which are either reliant on other developments and/or planning or based on inaccurate out of date information.
Benefits claimed:
– It will ease congestion around the Straiton Junction. FALSE
These claims are reliant on the delivery of the Sheriffhall level separation. This development at Sheriffhall is highly contested and does not as yet have planning permission. Even if Sheriffhall were to proceed, congestion modelling shows that traffic at Straiton Junction would worsen, not improve, under the Relief Road proposal.
– It will boost the local economy by £189 million (the timescale for this is not given). FALSE
This estimate is based on data including the roundabout between the A702 and Bush Loan, which already has planning permission (24/00520/DPP) and has funds available. The estimated boost has not been revised and as this new junction overcomes the restriction on development at Easter Bush, it is likely to have a considerable effect on the estimated boost from the Relief road. Neither has it been updated given the spiralling costs of the project.
– Will improve active travel. FALSE
The “Sustainable Travel Corridor” is independent of the Relief road, that aims to deal with the “issues with congestion on the route had impacted on local communities and pedestrians and cyclists”, and t is hoped that Midlothian Council deliver this in a way that overcomes the “Existing active travel routes are of poor quality, and safety issues have been identified for cyclists and pedestrians at numerous locations along the corridor.”
– Allow for the continued expansion of Midlothian Science Zone and the University of Edinburgh’s Easter Bush. FALSE
This has already been accomplished by the Council through the roundabout between the A702 and Bush Loan and is not reliant on the Relief Road.
Midlothian’s plans, we have compiled a list of the negative impacts of the Relief road that are likely to affect the local communities and the City of Edinburgh, as noted in the submitted plans.
Negative impacts:
– Increased traffic at the Straiton roundabout with or without the Sheriffhall level separation.
– Increased congestion at the Straiton Retail Park.
– Increased congestion at the A701/Burdiehouse junction and increased traffic at the A702/A703 traffic lights.
An almost doubling the number of vehicles on Old Pentland Road and the introduction of a staggered junction with the Relief road. This will be a high accident risk.
– Almost double the number of vehicles on the A703, directing traffic passed the planned Beeslack Replacement High School (24/00415/DPP).
In excess of 6,000 additional cars will be expected to drive through the school site which spans the A703. This section of road is at high risk of flooding and not suitable as a route robust to climate change. A road far narrower than the A701.
– Increase the risk of flooding in vulnerable high risk water courses, Boghall Burn (that feeds into the Esk) and Pentland burn (that feeds into Niddrie and Burdiehouse burns). This is as a result of unrestricted piping of surface water from the Relief road into both these water systems. This is highly likely to increase flood risk in both Biston and Burdiehouse.
– Remove prime agricultural land from this greenbelt area negatively effect the surrounding rural businesses. Impacting food security and climate resillience.
Result in loss of vulnerable wetland/marsh habitat and destruction of a valued ecological system. The resulting loss of green space has known welfare implications.
It is a missed opportunity to develop active and green travel options/networks including to the expanding Easter Bush Economic Area. It has no provision for buses and will separate the new housing in Bilston and Loanhead from Easter Bush.
Social media sites indicate little to no support for this development in the local communities of Bilston, Roslin, Loanhead or Penicuik.There is no evidence that this planning application for the Relief road has support from the businesses at Straiton and Loanhead or the University of Edinburgh. It will divide the rural communityof Damhead and restrict houses development in the sites for housing put forward in the MLDP2.
At a time when money for essentials such as the replacement Beeslack’s High School is so tight, why is Midlothian Council pursuing this?
Among the eight community councils without enough nominations is the one in Old Town.
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan
An Edinburgh councillor has made a call for reforms to community councils amid fears eight of them might not run for the next four years.
Among these are the community councils at risk are Old Town, Portobello and West Pilton / West Granton.
The eight community councils did not receive enough nominations for community members to take part in them. A second nomination period will run from 31st March until 17th April, but if not enough interest is received these community councils will not operate.
Labour councillor Margaret Graham has filed a motion for the next full council meeting asking officers to understand how community councillors felt about the last election process, and explore how community councils can be given more powers.
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I’m looking to give community councils more power and impact within the local community – give them something more to do than licensing and planning, which is their statutory role at the moment.
“With participatory budgeting, it’s looking to have them integrally involved in the process, and how the money for the TVL levy is going to be distributed, because each ward is going to be able to get a certain amount of money.”
Cllr Graham also said she worried about the stability of some community councils, as several are just one seat over the limit.
She said it was possible that some could disappear over the course of the next term, running for four years from 28 March, if any members on them resign.
The community councils in Craigmillar, Davidson’s Mains and Silverknowes, Firrhill, Hutchison / Chesser, Muirhouse / Salvesen, Old Town, Portobello and West Pilton / West Granton did not receive enough nominations to be established.
Some 39 other community councils received enough nominations to operate.
Culture and Communities convener, Labour councillor Val Walker said: “I’m really pleased that the vast majority of community councils have now been formed and will begin their work on March 28.
“I’d also encourage all residents in the remaining 8 community council boundaries to consider becoming a community councillor in the next nomination period.
“For further information on community councils and how to get involved please visit our website.”
Locals can also contact community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk for more information on how to get involved.
You can watch the discussion of the full council motion on Thursday, 20 March, which can be viewed HERE.
