Scottish Ministers have deferred the decision on Caltongate

For those of you who keep asking "so it that it over? What's happening now?" It isn't over and we are waiting for Scottish Ministers to decide about Caltongate and a possible Public Enquiry into the whole decision making and sell off of public and common good land. The Evening News reported last week that Scottish Ministers have extended the time to make a decision about Caltongate, read more about it here

There was also some news on the decision for Edinburgh Zoo to sell off land it owns on Corstorphine Hill to developers to build luxury homes. Corstorphine are having a local enquiry. Read more about it here

And finally Portobello has a new Masterplan that does not include a supermarket or a five storey new complex on the Promenade after extensive community consultation. The council can do it when they want to, read about the story here

Corstorphine Hill threatened by developers

There are plans to build luxury homes on Corstorphine Hill. These are NOT desperately needed homes i.e. family sized social housing that people in Edinburgh can afford but those big fancy Cala Homes. Corstorphine Hill is a unique habitat to plants and animals and we need to preserve our natural habitats as well as improve the habitats for animals kept in the zoo.

Eddie Price from Friends of Corstorphine Hill (March 2008 Newsletter here) is part of Edinburgh at Risk (EAR), a group that is getting together too discuss the damage of our beautiful city, our city that seems to get sold off to the highest bidder with no consultation with the wider community - hopefully we can campaign together too.

If you are involved in a campaign to stave off unhelpful developments or developments that are out off character in Edinburgh or the shutting down of a community facility - come to the Canongate Community Forum on Tuesday, 25th March 2008 at 7pm at 8 St Mary's St to meet other campaigners and concerned citizens.

By GARETH EDWARDS in the Evening News

AN expert group has been set up to fight Edinburgh Zoo's controversial plans to sell off land for homes.

The zoo's £72 million expansion plans were thrown into doubt last year after councillors voted to oppose the development of houses off Kaimes Road.

The plans are a key part of the zoo's masterplan and are the focus of a local public inquiry later this year. The Friends of Corstorphine Trust – one of the main objectors, has now enlisted the help of planning experts from community councils to prepare a case ahead of the inquiry, and any possible appeal against the final decision.

The trust warned that if the zoo's plans went ahead it would bring traffic chaos to the area.

Eddie Price, chairman of the Corstorphine group, said it wanted to be prepared.

"It is impossible to know whether the zoo will appeal the council's decision, although I would imagine with so much at stake that it will," he said.

"We have been working with local community councils in the area to get together a working group of people who know about planning and traffic issues, so that we can look at all the arguments and be prepared.

"These plans are of huge concern to local people. If they went ahead it is likely local roads would grind to a halt."

The city council's planning committee overturned the authority's previous support for housing on part of the Corstorphine Hill site last October.

The zoo had hoped to sell off the land to raise up to £20m to help fund its 20-year masterplan to create a world-class visitor attraction. More than 200 people opposed the plans, including the Friends of Corstorphine Trust.

A final decision on the housing plans will be made at a local public inquiry, due to be held towards the end of this year. The trust's expert group has looked at the issues surrounding the development, and has drawn up a map to highlight just how serious traffic problems in the area could become.

As well as plans to develop housing on the west side of the zoo, there are proposals to install a roundabout and traffic lights on Corstorphine Road. These would be needed to deal with the extra traffic created by new houses – including a nearby development of 130 flats – as well as increased visitors to the zoo and an expansion of the nearby Forestry Commission car park.

The zoo's masterplan is aimed at turning the attraction into a modern wildlife and research facility attracting almost a million visitors a year. Under the plans, ageing cages would be replaced. The first stage of the 20-year plan would see a £10 million wildlife trail made to form an all-weather exhibit. It will feature the almost-complete Budongo chimpanzee enclosure, the new Rainbow Landings bird exhibit and a forthcoming rhino enclosure.

David Windmill, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: "We will be involved in the local inquiry later this year."

A zoo spokeswoman said it could not comment about a possible appeal until the outcome of the inquiry.