Chair of Planning Committee Compromised

9 days to go to Planning Committee

Who is going to Chair Controversial Caltongate Committee?

Save Our Old Town Campaigners are asking who is going to chair the imminent planning committee on the 6^th February. They say that as the Planning Leader Jim Lowrie is currently under investigation for remarks in an Evening News article of 11th October 2007, it is unlikely that he could be the chair. The article was one in which former Planning Leader Trevor Davies warned city chiefs they risked sending Edinburgh into years of "dereliction and decline" by appearing hostile to major developments.

Davies who famously stuck his middle finger up at carol singing campaigners in December 2006 was himself investigated by The Standards Commission, because he attended Caltongate developer’s Champagne Reception.

'City planning leader Cllr Jim Lowrie said: "I really don't feel that we are that far behind Glasgow in terms of the speed of the planning process, but the problem in Edinburgh is the number of historic buildings and the need to address heritage concerns.

"However, we don't want to fall behind and it's very important we listen to organisations like the chamber.

"We have to get big developments like Caltongate up and running as soon as we can."'

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