Craighouse is an issue that will affect green space all over the city. It is a cross party issue, so we are delighted to have received the following statements of support.
Sandy Howat – local SNP councillor and vice-convenor of the planning committee speaking at the Hearing.
Jim Eadie – local SNP MSP calling on the Scottish Government to call in.
The Greens, including councillors Gavin Corbett and Melanie Main as well as MSP Alison Johnstone support the call-in.
Andrew Burns – Labour leader of Edinburgh council supporting the call-in.
Morningside Community Council’s press statement.
Plus many more that we are working on putting up.
Previous statements of support
We have received statements from most of the candidates running for council in Meadows/Morningside and Craiglockhart/Fountainbridge, which you can read here.
We also received a strong statement from support from Jim Eadie MSP, after 90% of residents were opposed to current plans in his survey.
Gavin Corbett, running for council in Craiglockhart/Fountainbridge, asked some questions of the developer here.
You can read our statements of support from our MP and MSPs here.
And you can read statements of support from Morningside and Merchiston Community Councils.
What follows is some of our earlier statements of support:
Alison Johnstone MSP, Scottish Green Party Councillor for Meadows & Morningside “This is an important historic Edinburgh site of city-wide significance. The open green space and woodlands of Craighouse have been used by the local and wider Edinburgh community for generations and it is essential to preserve public amenity and ensure that current levels of access are maintained, not eroded. The quite excessive amount of new-build being proposed would destroy amenity and result in a massive increase in residential traffic for the area, as well as having grave implications for green space across the city. I support the Friends of Craighouse in their campaign to protect the green space and woodland of this important site against new-build development.” |
 Councillor Mark McInnes Conservative Councillor for Meadows & Morningside
“I would reassure the public of my own support for retaining the full community access to this important site that has been enjoyed for decades. It is clear that the current plans do not address the concerns of local residents and users of Craighouse. I will prioritise this issue, one of the largest planning applications in the area for many years. I am personally committed to protecting the green space and woodland and am not convinced by the need for the proposed new build development. I am also opposed to the proposed access from Craiglea Place.” |
 Councillor Andrew Burns, Labour, Craiglockhart and Fountainbridge  Councillor Paul Godzik, Labour, Meadows and Morningside
“Councillors Paul Godzik and Andrew Burns support Friends of Craighouse in their campaign and are committed to preserving the protected green Open Space and woodland of Craighouse Campus from development, and to retaining free public access to this beautiful historic site so that it can continue to be enjoyed as an amenity by the local community and the people of Edinburgh.”
|
 Alison Johnstone, Rosy from the Friends and Melanie Main at Craighouse Melanie Main, Scottish Green Party spokesperson for Meadows & Morningside and Candidate for Meadows and Morningside “The Craighouse developers intend to build new houses on one of Edinburgh’s famous seven hills. This beautiful space is important for the health and well-being of local residents and for many people from all over the city who come to enjoy the walks and protected views. If significant parts of the woodland and walks were destroyed or turned into access roads it would to destroy the unique character of this landscape. The effect of additional estimated 400 cars on the quiet residential roads in the area will be very serious. If the Council were to permit building across protected Green Space in a Conservation Area there could be very serious implications for Edinburgh’s other protected spaces and conservation areas. I await with interest to see the developers’ final planning proposals but I believe that it is paramount that the principles of protecting Green Space, put in place for good reason, are upheld.” |
||
Graham and Tana from The Friends take the Woodland Trust on site tour: the threatened orchard
Statement of support for the Friends from the UK-wide organisation, The Woodland Trust:
“WoodWatch supports and advises the Friends of Craighouse campaign to help protect the woods and trees that are important to them. The Craighouse campus is highly valued by the local community, providing green space for recreation and a place for wildlife in a busy city.
WoodWatch is a campaign run by the Woodland Trust to give local communities the voice to protect the trees that are important to them. As well as being visually attractive, trees have a myriad of benefits – they are particularly valuable in urban areas for their ability to clean the air, trap dust, prevent flooding, and absorb noise. We believe a UK rich in woods and trees is vital and we support local campaigns that are working to achieve this.” (The Woodland Trust)
Friends of Craighouse Grounds and Wood 
Pingback: MSP Jim Eadie Calls for Craighouse Proposals to be Abandoned | Friends of Craighouse Grounds and Wood