Friday 15 November 2013

Update on Cammo fields

I wrote recently about the proposals to build housing on arable fields near Cammo Estate. Today I went along to the exhibition about the proposed development. 

The plan is to build housing on most of one of the fields between Cammo Walk and Maybury Road. The development will be surrounded by new trees with a footpath running through them to create a new woodland walk. So the developers are at least trying to be sensitive to the environment and landscape of the area, though it will significantly impact on the semi-rural aspect of the area. 

However, there is no attempt to be sensitive to the specific wildlife found in the field. This field (with the adjoining one) is the only place where I have ever seen tree sparrows (and it's a very exciting birdwatching moment every time I do see them), a UK red listed species that is specifically mentioned in Edinburgh's Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) as needing conservation help. Skylarks also use these fields (their songs are a joy in the springtime) as do yellowhammers (both are red listed species and specifically mentioned in the Edinburgh BAP).

Additionally, development of this field would set a precedent for other nearby fields which would destroy the semi-rural aspect of the area and leave Cammo Estate isolated in a sea of housing.

The Local Development Plan to turn that part of Cammo from green belt into development land has not yet been passed, but developers are perfectly entitled to apply for planning consent and it would be a tragedy if this open green space is lost to housing. 

If you're concerned about this development, you may want to go along to the exhibition and /or the public meeting on the developments. The exhibition will be in Cramond Kirk church hall, Cramond Glebe Road. The public can view, discuss and comment on on the proposed developments until 5pm today and also on these dates:

·
16th November between 9.30am and 5.30pm  - staffed from 10am to 1pm
·
17th November 9.30am -12noon - unstaffed
The public meeting will be held at Cramond Kirk, Cramond Glebe Road at 7.30pm, Thursday 28th November. This is an important meeting for people to attend as this will be an opportunity to input into any resulting planning application and to hear the views of other residents.

If you can't get along to the exhibition or public meeting, but have a genuine interest in the development then you can respond on the Cammo Development website

As ever, red text contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more.

4 comments:

eileeninmd said...

I am not sure how the housing market is there, but here it takes a while for the older houses to sell but they keep building new houses. Not sure why? I feel upset over the wildlife loosing out every time a new development goes up. It is sad!

RG said...

I don't know what it means to be red-listed there, but around here, if there is an endangered species, then no development happens until there is a protection/recovery plan in place ... remember the spotted owl???

Maybe make more of a fuss over the habitat needs

Crafty Green Poet said...

Eileen - I think most people prefer to buy new here too, which is a shame, though the older houses and flats sell reasonably well as many people realise the older ones are better built in many cases

Rabbits Guy - well I'm certainly trying to do my bit about making a fuss about habitat needs.

bunnits said...

I hope some workable agreement can be reached. Those developers and their supporters are a hard-headed lot. And so very certain that if one small part is developed, it will lead to more in other sections. This spring when we visited the Petroglyphs National Monument in Albuquerque, NM, we saw how housing sprawl had almost succeeded in taking over and leading to the eventual destruction of that ancient site. Fortunately, development was stopped before it was too late.
Good luck.