Margaret Smith MSP and Local Lib Dem councillor condemn Corstorphine Hill recommendation

16/3/07

Margaret Smith MSP and North East Corstorphine Lib Dem Councillor Paul Edie have voiced their outrage at planning officials’ recommendation to rezone the Green Belt to allow development on land which the zoo hopes to sell for housing on the west of its existing site. The zoo wants to sell the land for an estimated £15m in order to fund a proposed expansion elsewhere on Corstorphine Hill. The move is expected to see around 100 homes built on land off Kaimes Road, thus enabling the zoo to expand into land between Murrayfield Hospital and Murrayfield Golf Course, to the North-East of its current site. The re-zoning now has to go to the Council planning committee for approval.

The Liberal Democrats have had a petition running on this issue and many people have written to register their disapproval for plans which could have a seismic impact on the local area. Margaret Smith will be sending the petition and writing to City Planning leader Trevor Davies and will put the case for protecting the Green Belt most strongly. Margaret Smith said: “The response to our petition clearly demonstrates residents’ feelings about this issue – they do not want to see this development and fear that they will lose Corstorphine Hill, which is a great local natural resource. I hope the Council Planning Committee does the right thing and rejects these proposals.”

Paul Edie added: “As a founding member of the Friends of Corstorphine Hill group, I know how strongly local people feel about this. To re-zone this Green Belt land is completely unacceptable and is a slap in the face for all the people who have worked so hard to preserve the beauty of the area. I will fight these proposals all the way.”


Note : Margaret Smith MSP and Cllr Edie both objected to the re-zoning of the area during the consultation period on the Local Plan.