Save Our Meadows - The Campaign continues - Join - Write
Over the years we have seen parts of the Meadows steadily deteriorate because of inappropriate use. The result is a large area being unusable for much of the time. We are constantly asking the City of Edinburgh Council to limit events on the Meadows to events which are suitable and appropriate. The Meadows is a great place for all sorts of events, many of which do no damage and are enjoyed by lots of people. In the past, events such as Fringe Sunday, The Meadows Festival, and Make Poverty History, have worked well on the Meadows, but events which have big tents and stay several weeks have caused lots of damage. It is easy to see from past experience which types of events the Meadows can cope with, and which do an unacceptable amount of damage.
The Meadows and Links are quite fragile at this time of year, particularly with the frosty weather. We have been out and about with a camera to see how they look.
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Some one has obviously been driving across this bit of grass (under the trees at the east end of the Meadows). It must be a Council employee, or contractor. Why do the Council allow them to do it? There's not much chance of grass growing here as long as this is allowed.
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Heavy use by Rugby players? While we want people to enjoy the facilities, this does look like irresponsible overuse. Why don't the park wardens move them on to another bit of the grass, and let this bit recover?
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This hedge hasn't been properly trimmed at the top since the Green Flag inspection, July 2009
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Picture taken in February. The leaves fell off the trees in November last year. Why has no-one bothered to clear them up? They smother the grass, preventing proper growth, and if its dry they are a fire hazard. (Its not so long ago we lost a large section of the hedge because of a fire).
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This is the remains of damage caused by events in August 2009. Why hasn't it been properly repaired?
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Join
By joining the Friends of the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links you can help form our policies, and make us more representative of the community. The City of Edinburgh Council might then take more notice of what we say. Email the membership secretary at membership@fombl.org.uk.
Write
Keep up the pressure. We need to:
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Keep an eye open for the results of the Parks Department consultation on the City Wide Parks Events Manifesto. (See home page). We think the document needs to be improved in a number of aspects, and hope the Parks Department takes note of what we said in our response.
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We have been promised a review of policies after the 2010 events season. We must make sure it happens, and is a proper review in the light of whatever occurs.
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Urge the Council to put in place a Management Group capable of ensuring that policies are correctly followed, and interpreted in such a way as to protect the Meadows as far as possible.
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Get a good management plan drawn up, detailed enough, and with a vision for the park as a great place for the community to enjoy. A new plan has been produced. We shall be evaluating it shortly.
Please write and tell the authorities how you feel about the Meadows. FoMBL policy is to encourage only those events which do not do serious damage to the grass, and to persuade the City of Edinburgh Council to make the necessary repairs to ameliorate the damage done over the past few years. If you agree with this, tell your local councillors. Other people you can write to are:
- The Chief Executive
- Tom Aitchison, tom.aitchison@edinburgh.gov.uk
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- Councillors controlling Events
- Steve Cardownie (SNP) steve.cardownie@edinburgh.gov.uk
- Robert Aldridge (Lib Dem) robert.aldridge@edinburgh.gov.uk
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- Councillors covering the Meadows
- Steve Burgess (Green) steve.burgess@edinburgh.gov.uk
- Gordon Mackenzie (Lib Dem) gordon.f.mackenzie@edinburgh.gov.uk
- Ian Perry (Lab) ian.perry@edinburgh.gov.uk
- Cameron Rose (Con) cameron.rose@edinburgh.gov.uk
- Alison Johnstone (Green) alison.johnstone@edinburgh.gov.uk
- Paul Godzik (Lab) paul.godzik@edinburgh.gov.uk
- Marilyne MacLaren (Lib Dem) marilyne.maclaren@edinburgh.gov.uk
- Mark McInnes (Con) mark.mcinnes@edinburgh.gov.uk
Please copy us into any emails you send
It helps us to know how the campaign is going if, when you send an email, you copy it to our convener, Chris Wigglesworth, at convener@fombl.org.uk
Find your councillor
