Its snow more for Caltongate...

View yesterday over the Canongate Venture, you can see the New Street site to the right...and unfortunately you can see the mother ship of the cooncil to the left in the 2nd photo

See latest on the news that council are finally considering what the public have been saying for months...more snowy photos later...and great news here for Lancaster, check out the news on this blog.

Caltongate Hokey Cokey

Well you just could not make it up, you just couldn't.  After saying just last week "we've got a buyer - honestly, we really have", it turns out the council are looking at renting out their work/office space at Canongate Venture and their empty flats in the Canongate!  It's Caltongate Christmas Hokey Cokey - the council are "in - out - shake it all about - you do the hokey cokey then you turn around, that's what it's all about -see!"

Check out tonight's story in the Evening News here


However questions still need to be asked, why then last month did council high heid yins tell Old Town residents that the tenement flats were not loosing any money because they were on a "void account"?

Mr Lowrie's nose will be getting bigger - the council still owns the majority of the land, the buildings and the homes, they do not belong to the administrators.  They hope that voiding them will make the Bank of Scotland's gap site more attractive to a developer, and that is what DeLoitte the administrator hope too i.e. look at all the viable land/buildings around the gap site, what a lovely opportunity.


The council should admit that they made a terrible mistake to be taken in my confidence tricksters against the community and conservationists who tried every trick in the book to tell them that Caltongate was a dystopia and a con.



With hundreds of thousands of pounds spent every month on putting homeless people in bed and breakfast accommodation - putting the flats back into use even as temporary accommodation will be welcomed. Though in the longer term the Republic would like to see secure tenures in the Macrae tenements.

Caltongate Panto to return for the next decade

Yes, hold the front page...Jim Lowrie rings The Scotsman and hey presto his makey uppy story appears as if by magic, with no word from the others that Brian Ferguson had to ring to make it appear there was some truth in the story...well it is panto time, remember this panto dame from December 2006, oh another chair of the "we love our property developer pals" planning committee at the comedy city chambers...

So back for another season is the old favourite THE COUNCIL`S NEW MASTERPLAN

Get your panstick back out Trevor..

Twelve Days of Christmas 2009

It is almost that time of year once again, time for a trip down memory lane........or have they privatised that now???

A SENIOR city councillor has landed himself in hot water by making an obscene one-fingered gesture to carol-singing protesters.
Remember this from December 2006?
Full story here -Councillor in One Finger Salute

Below is one of the carols adapted and sung by a group of Save Our Old Town Campaigners as councillors, architects and other wanabees entered a champagne reception hosted by Caltongate Developers Mountgrange at The Fruitmarket Gallery on Market Street, close to the proposed development.

Mountgrange director Manish Chande, lied in the press in May 2008. He claimed that the wife of Trevor Davies had verbal abuse shouted at her from one of the carol singing campaingers . We are still awaiting a retraction of this blatent lie.Full story here

On the twelfth day of Christmas my council sent to me :

Twelve diggers digging

Eleven planners planning
Ten global chain stores
Nine builders building

Eight PR spinners Seven legal experts


Six cows a conning

A five star hotel
Four wrecking balls

Three cheap homes

Two office blocks

and Mountgrange now in admin....is...tra...tion

Silent Walk for Justice 4th Dec Royal Mile 3pm

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the late Annie Jansson who along with many others are taking part in the second year of The Silent Walk for Justice this Friday the 4 Dec 2009 , from St Giles to the Parliament. Assemble 3pm onwards.

We met Maria and Guje in May last year when one of the Common Good campaigners introduced them to us during The Canongate Project. It was important for them to meet people who live and or work in The Old Town, where Annie spent the last few months of her life.

Maria and Guje are campaining to find out the truth about what happened to Maria`s daughter Annie who was found dead on the shore in Prestwick 4 dec 2005. Annie worked at the Scottish Whisky Experience (at the Castle) during the summer 2005.

She loved the Old Town of Edinburgh . Her mother Maria and friend Guje know that Annie visited shops and restaurants etc along the Royal Mile and are convinced that there are people out there that Annie spoke with and we hope to find them since they can have very important information regarding Annies last days in life.

On Friday the 2nd Dec 2005 Annie visited some friends at the Whisky Experience, no one knows where Annie went after she left her friends at the Experience.

Hopefully some one will remember something.

New Old Town Trust Meeting Tonight

The Mock funeral for Venice

The republic were sent this Press release from the new Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust, lets hope it can make a difference..get along there tonight if you can, its stopped raining...

Will a New Community Trust Help Stop Edinburgh's Old Town from Dying?

This is one of the questions that the newly established Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust , will be asking at its first public meeting this Thursday 26th November at Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge from 7.30pm

Catriona Grant a local resident and director of the trust, said today "Last week in Venice the last remaining long term residents held a mock funeral to dramatise the flight of residents from their city's heart. We may be holding one here soon, if we do not take action now. Like the Venetians we need affordable and also non HMO sized family housing, which encourages people, especially families, to stay or move into the area. Like Venice, prices are steep in the historic centre, and many landlords demand much more money, by advertising over the Internet to short stay visitors than long-term rentals to residents."

She added "We however as residents then have to live with the consequence of these which are often large hen and stag parties. We have become unpaid concierges and are disturbed at all hours, it is only because of a loophole in the law that they are turning the Old Town into one big unregulated hotel. There are health and safety issues that no one has addressed yet, as well as the obvious almost daily loss of long term inhabitants, with the knock on effect of losing local shops and perhaps even the last remaining school, along with other vital community facilities which ensure a living neighbourhood."

Sean Bradley, a director of the trust and Chair of the Grassmarket Residents' Association said today

"A community's greatest asset is its residents. The Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust is an historic opportunity for the people of the Old Town to shape its future for the benefit of all - that means improving opportunities and the quality of life for everyone"

Last year's community research, The Canongate Project , showed that more support and facilities are needed for the residential population if a ‘living city’ is to be maintained in the Old Town. The research also highlighted the need for affordable housing, family sized homes, a better mix of local shops, community facilities, play space, public toilets, safe and usable green public space, along with residents having a say in future developments in the Old Town.

The meeting is to include discussion on the trusts possible projects and Ian Cooke, Director of The Development Trusts Association Scotland will give an introduction to the fast growing network of development trusts across Scotland, and highlight the real differences they are making to the communities in which they are based.

Catriona ends “So we are urging those who live in the area and outwith to come along and become a member of the trust. Help shape the future projects and the role the trust can play in an area, which is becoming increasingly dominated by tourism and the night-time economy often at the expense of those who call it home”

Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust Meeting Details -
The Public Meeting of The newly formed Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust which also covers the Dumbiedykes area is on

Thursday 26th November `09 Augustine United Church

41 George IV Bridge EH1 1EL 7.30pm-9.30pm
Venice
The Development Trust Association Scotland
Party Flats Edinburgh
The Canongate Project

Head of Planning to be investigated on Trump Application

Remember this from 2006

The Press and Journal reported on Monday that

"It is understood the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) could meanwhile launch an investigation into Aberdeenshire Council’s most senior planner.
The RTPI is examining a complaint from former member Bob Marshall, of Glasgow, claiming that planning director Christine Gore failed to act with integrity and independence while handling the Trump Organisation’s application."

and it reported that

"Almost three-quarters of Scots oppose using compulsory purchase orders to pave the way for the Trump golf resort, according to research.
A YouGov poll has revealed that 74% were against the use of the powers to help the tycoon buy more land for the £1billion complex at the Menie Estate at Balmedie.
Just 13% supported the idea."

so perhaps there is some justice and integrity left in our wee country?

check out a North East blog National Disgrace, Scoundrel and Extremist and what a town planner thinks