THE GEORGE STREET ASSOCIATION OF EDINBURGH
Wednesday September 6th 2006 at 10:00am
Held in Lloyds TSB, George Street Edinburgh.

In Attendance:

Vinnie O’Brien Standard Life Investments, Chairman
Patrice McHenry (Secretary)
Denzil Skinner Hamilton & Inches
Dane Harrison LBP
Ian Bell Royal Bank of Scotland
Moira Tasker Cockburn Society
Gill Hames Neals Yard Remedies
Ian Broadfoot ECCM
Brian Smellies Grays of Edinburgh
Eleanor Dykes LTSB

2. Minutes of Meeting of 6th June 2006
The minutes were approved.

2a. Matters arising
Ian Broadfoot asked that minute 6 be amended to show name of City Centre Safety Officer as Stephen Haggart and not Adam Conn. The minutes have been amended.

Minute 9 DS raised public realm concerns, DS liaised with Moira Tasker, Director of the Cockburn Association and invited Ms Tasker to attend this meeting.

Moira Tasker outlined the work of the Cockburn Association in relation to Public Realm and agreed to assist GSA to lobby the council in relation to pavement standards and general public realm issues.

CEC is undertaking a 12 month campaign on City Dressing Strategy this covers, lighting, statues, banners etc. The architects involved are Ironside Farrer Navy Blue, MT suggested GSA have discussions with the head of Corporate Community who is leading this strategy. BS queried funding, IB, ECCM confirmed funds are in place in the City Growth Fund, The deadline for strategy ideas is end of April 2007. It was suggested GSA invite a representative from Ironside Farrer to attend a GSA meeting.

GSA points
• List problems and issues, using photographs and compile report, liaising with Cockburn Association
• Direct report to Andrew Holmes and Mark Turley, Director of Services for Communities.
• Obtain copy of Edinburgh Standard Street doc, from CEC
• Speak to Richard Marino, City Developments
• contact Ironside Farrer and invite representative to meeting
• Liase with IB, ECCM who will raise the matter of pavement disrepair at meeting with CEC,
• GSA to emphasise false economy of ignoring maintenance, or waiting until possible installation of tram is finished or installation of underground parking system which may be a number of years.
• This point to be on next agenda with updates.

2b. Response from Winter Festival, Paul Philip CEC Senior Events Officer.
Mr Philip responded to the GSA council quickly after the last meeting, the letter was circulated to members. There was a general discussion on points in the letter. See attached copy of letter to Paul Philip. Mr Philip responded quickly with an interim reply stating that a line would be added to the Hogmanay newsletter to the effect that George Street area was open for business and a live link will be included to the George Street Website.

3. George Street Christmas Decorations
The George Street Christmas decorations were installed with a lifespan of 5 years, the lights were first installed in 2003 this period is almost at an end. VO’B suggested contacting Ian MacFadyen (BS will action) to determine the exact condition of the decorations. With an invitation for IMacF to attend a meeting early in 2007 to discuss GSA options. A possible source of funding could be BIDs. This to be an agenda point on next committee meeting with further proceed decisions made when more information is available.
Standard Life Investments are holding a reception to celebrate the switch on of the lights on November 24th

4. Web Site Update and Launch
The website is almost finalised a soft launch is planned for November 24th, to co-incide with the switch on of the George Street Lights. It has been agreed to mailshot local businesses with a letter and bookmark to publicise the launch, with a further mailshot and launch in early 2007. All member firms have been contacted to check their details on the site to confirm contact details and logos are correct.

It was agreed to ask the Chameleon Design for annual retainer cost for maintaining the site. BS asked who had intellectual ownership of the site. GH will confirm this. A draft contract will be written and Chameleon asked to sign to retain it’s services. It was requested all fees/invoices be co-ordinated through Gill Hames, Neals Yard.

5. Retail forum update
Next meeting due November 15th DS stated TIE installation is most immediate concern of retail forum specifically the disruption to City Centre businesses. DS will report at next committee meeting.

6. Transport Initiatives Edinburgh
DS mentioned that tram installation on Princes Street will have the effect of moving all buses along George Street, this will mean loss of parking spaces possibly for 1-2 years and major disruption to City Centre retailers. This along with location of sitehuts is a possible cause for concern to GSA and its members. It was suggested Mike Connolly from TIE be invited to a GSA meeting to discuss the possible disruptions.

The draft business proposal will be voted on December 21st when a decision will be made to pursue the tram project. MUDFA – will co-ordinate service reprovision. There will be a consultative meeting with many politicians invited to attend. IB, ECCM mentioned there will be rates relief to businesses if proven loss of revenue during disruption. GSA to decide if pro/anti tram and lobby accordingly. Further information will be sent to members after the TIE meetings have taken place.

7. Treasurers Update
George Street association has the same number of members as 2005, the accounts remain healthy after financing the website and secretarial charges. There may be a possible review of secretarial services determined by the amount of additional work generated by the website.

8. Police/Crime Stats
Insp BJ has been temporarily relocated to another unit. Sgt Dane Harrison reported that overall crime figures were decreasing. LBP is working with Edinburgh Standard Initiative to sign up licensees for a safeguard unit, to be run on similar lines to the Retail Safeguard Unit. Vandalism is up slightly with 2 incidents on Starbucks, Hanover Street.

The installation of CCTV will assist in reducing the above figures, along with ASBOs to keep known individuals out of the city centre. BS asked times of the events, SgtDH stated that the majority of crimes reported were minor assaults the majority of which taking place in the late evening/early hours of the morning and drink related. There is a large police presence in the city centre, some of whom in plain clothes to safeguard the public.

9. Planning Applications
Ian Webster, NLB was unable to attend the meeting, he submitted a report listing recent planning applications. The application of note being 77B change of use from retail to restaurant/retail. It was agreed DS would contact the planning department obtain further information.

To see full list click here.

10. Correspondence
There was no correspondence to report.

11. AOB
Ian Bell asked IB, ECCM about discovery of hypodermic needles in St Andrew Square gardens. IB replied that this location was known to be used by drug users. After the garden is redeveloped the shrubs around the periphery of the gardens will be removed and the tree canopy lifted, there will be wardens from dawn to dusk with CCTV installed and the gardens locked after dark. There is a range of measures being made to improve this situation.

With apologies to ECCM for not listing on Agenda, VO’B invited IB to give ECCM report.
DS aked about the recent press coverage of shop late opening as possible BID project. IB confirmed emphatically that this was not the case and a member of ECCM staff had been mis-quoted. DS stated that such a BID project would not be supported by independent retailers due to the high cost of employment and other considerations. IB went on to say that the BIDs project will have a meeting in the near future with many leading retailers and business in city centre with representatives from GSA attending.

IB, RBS asked ECCM to confirm that BIDs would not be used to finance projects that council services should pay for. IB, ECCM confirmed this was the case. ECCM are used in an advisory capacity to decide boundary/services levy – structure to take the BID forward. The meeting is at initial consultation stage only. There will be PR last week October, beginning November. ECCM have received many ideas and a report will be made listing all ideas received.

12. Date & Place of next meeting
December 6th Royal Society of Edinburgh, George Street