SAVE THE AUTONOMOUS CENTRE OF EDINBURGH!

E MAIL OR WRITE TO EDINBURGH CITY COUNCIL

As you know the autonomous centre in edinburgh is now the only social centre left in scotland!!
We have been very lucky with our premises but now the landlord has put in a planning application to turn it into a flat.

We would greatly appreciate it if you would e mail or write to the Council planning department (address below) with a letter based on the attached template. Personal letters are best obviously, but if you dont have time to do one, then it still really helps to send in the letter below, or one based on it.

If at all possible please write so that your letter would arrive for Friday 20th July or Monday 23rd July, failing that to arrive during the week ending Friday 27th. If you get this message too late for that, please send your letter in anyway, as it is very possible the decision may be delayed.

In your letter or e mail, please remember
- To include your full name, POSTAL ADDRESS, the date, the planning reference number, and address of the premises.
- Be courteous! Please remember you are writing to a council worker, not to the landlord!
- The comments have to be made to Edinburgh City Council, so when objecting to the planning application and praising the community facilities ACE provides, please write in terms that the Council could identify with.
Thanks very much!

ace has the following facilities:

free film screenings/ workshops including womens health, massage, screenprinting, desktop publishing, a make -your-own-short film course for black and asian women aged 16-18/ cheapest photocopying in town/ free broadband access/ large library and archive/ various groups meet & operate there, edinburgh claimants (help and support for the unemployed and folk on low wages with benefits advice/ problems with their gas/electricity companies etc etc) , amina (help and support for muslim women), edinburgh chiapas solidarity group including fair trade coffee and products, womens health group putting on free courses, screenprinting collective, leith wholefood co-op, edinburgh IWW, and many others
we also have an extensive reference library of womens health books/ information, leith wholefoods (supplying affordable organic wholefoods)

many thanks,
nosh, on behalf of ace

ACE, 17 West Montgomery Place, Edinburgh EH7 5HA

Tel 0131 557 6242

Open tues 1-4pm and saturday 10am - 6pm, plus for particular events and meetings.

 ace@autonomous.org.uk

www.autonomous.org.uk

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SAMPLE LETTER OF OBJECTION

PLEASE NOTE YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, THE DATE, AND THE PLANNING APPLICATION INFO, EVEN IN AN E MAIL, OTHERWISE THE COMMENTS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

You can send exactly the message below, that would be great. However personalising it makes it even more valuable. If doing so, please remember the guidelines above, thanks.

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YOUR NAME







YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS











DATE





To



 kirsty.hope@edinburgh.gov.uk


Planning and Strategy Department
for the attention of Kirsty Hope
Waverley Court
Level G2
4 East Market St
Edinburgh EH8 8BG



Re Planning Application 07/02348/FUL

17 West Montgomery Place, Edinburgh EH7 5HA



Dear Edinburgh City Council



I wish to object to the application for planning permission to convert the above property into a flat. This would result in the loss of the valuable community facility currently provided in these premises.



I consider that the ACE charity operating in 17 West Montgomery Place provides a very useful resource in this neighbourhood, and serves a real local need. The shop selling wholefood and fair trade products, the free internet and computer access, the advice given to people suffering debt and income-related problems, and many other facilities help many people, especially disadvantaged people.



The premises are used by several charities and voluntary groups, such as the Amina Group for Muslim women suffering domestic violence and other problems, and the Womens Health Workshops.



I understand that the Council’s development policy, as outlined in the Edinburgh City Local Plan, is to protect local shops, community halls and meeting rooms – I would urge that this policy be adhered to, and that this planning application be refused.



Thank you for your attention to this matter.



Yours sincerely



SIGNATURE/ NAME



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If you could also send a copy of your message to the local councillors for the Leith Walk ward, that would be great.
Here are their details.

Councillor Angela Blacklock (Labour)
 angela.blacklock@edinburgh.gov.uk

Councillor Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party)
 deidre.brock@edinburgh.gov.uk

Councillor Maggie Chapman (Green Party)
 maggie.chapman@edinburgh.gov.uk
as she is on holiday, please also send to
Councillor Alison Johnstone (Green Party)
 alison.johnstone@edinburgh.gov.uk

Councillor Louise Lang (Liberal Democrats)
 louise.lang@edinburgh.gov.uk