Smith Hails Planning Committee Support for Corstorphine Hill Green Belt

5/10/07

Margaret Smith MSP has welcomed news that Edinburgh Council’s Planning Committee has passed a motion to remove plans to develop housing on the zoo site from the finalised Edinburgh City Local Plan. The Edinburgh West MSP has been fighting for over a year against plans to build 100 houses on Corstorphine Hill, raising concerns about the negative impacts of any development with the former Council administration, objecting formally to the proposals and writing to a number of Scottish Ministers in the former Scottish Executive. Ms Smith, local MP John Barrett and local Councillors Paul Edie and Phil Wheeler have also been leading calls for the Scottish Government to plug the funding gap to prevent the need for land sales, and Ms Smith and Mr Barrett have now written jointly to First Minister, Alex Salmond, to press this issue further.

Commenting, Ms Smith said: “Many local residents are deeply concerned about the potential impact of the sale of Zoo land for housing on the environment of the area and congestion. I think it is an anomaly that other important visitor attractions in Edinburgh, such as the Botanic Gardens are given millions in taxpayers’ money and yet the Zoo receives nothing outside of occasional funding for particular projects. The Zoo is a great asset to Edinburgh and Scotland and does a lot of important work locally and I think it is time this was recognised by the Scottish Government. I hope that Mr Salmond will consider this issue seriously and respond positively to our letter.”

Read Margaret’s letter to Alex Salmond