9th JANUARY 2007

Notes from Public Realm Meeting
Held at Hamilton & Inches, 87 George Street
On 9th January 2007 at 2.30 p.m

Present:
Vinnie O'Brien (V O'B), Chairman
Denzil Skinner (DS), Treasurer
Andrew Holmes (AH), CEC
Ian Broadfoot (IB), ECCM Manager

In attendance:
Patrice McHenry Secretary

Introductory Remarks
The Chairman thanked Andrew Holmes for taking time to attend the meeting; he went on to outline GSA concerns regarding the general condition of public realm in the George Street area, particularly the state of the pavements.

AH suggested that not only this aspect should be covered but also a longer term view of the George Street environment.

Pavement Repairs
Addressing the general upkeep of the pavements AH stated this aspect was no longer within his remit; he had passed on the correspondence to Mark Turley, with a request that his staff inspect the pavements and put in place remedial action.

AH assured the meeting that he would follow up this aspect up to ensure repairs were completed as soon as possible
He indicated that additional funding had been made available for this specific task on a City wide basis.

IB and Ewan Kennedy would be inspecting the pavements in the near future and pass their comments to Mark Turley.

The Chairman thanked AH; GSA looked forward to learning when the remedial works would be undertaken.


The Future of George Street
The meeting went on to discuss long term solutions to public realm in the George Street area with the following points being raised:

• A bold plan was needed and that any such plan also had to address car parking facilities anything less would not deliver a bold vision.

• An ultimate aim would be to pedestrianise George Street and the adjacent streets leading to Princess Street coupled with an enhancement of public realm, building and statue lighting with new surfacing and street furniture.

• AH assured the meeting that studies and surveys had been undertaken which supported the view that a 600 car park under George Street was deliverable.

• Streets were owned by the City and consequently the complication of an under street car park would avoid the problems of multiple ownership experienced within squares and gardens.

• V O'B agreed that Standard Life could help to assess the financial aspects in delivering a George Street underground car park using private/public finance, he would meet with AH and Jonathan Guthrie to gather information to allow this to happen.

• It was suggested that such a parking facility would not stretch the complete length of the street. Any such plan would cause major disruption lasting some 18 months and could be allied to 'quick fix' improvements in surface public realm at the other end of the street.

• It was accepted that any such work could not be begun until the tram works within the City Centre had been completed. However, it was agreed that the intervening period should be used to fully work up a proposal, to allow works to begin as soon as tram works were completed.

• The GSA would work with AH and CEC on this project.

There being no further business the meeting closed.

• Public Realm Pavements Document