Local Developments

I thought as fellow owners and residents you might like to know (if you don't already) about a few fairly significant developments taking place in our vicinity.

Regardless of your views on them, there is likely to be an impact both in the short term, for example during the work, and later on, well we shall have to see. 

Edinburgh St James Quarter:
Work starting in Sep 2015, due for completion 2020.
http://www.edinburghstjames.com/



Caltongate (or "New Waverley") Development:
Work starting in March 2015
http://news.stv.tv/east-central/313120-new-images-revealed-of-public-square-in-new-waverley-development/






Royal High School of Edinburgh:
Proposals for a £55m hotel
http://news.stv.tv/east-central/312695-images-released-of-hotel-proposed-for-edinburghs-royal-high-school/

Notice of AGM - Sunday 22 February 2015 - POSTPONED TO 1st MARCH 2015

After a busy year in which we finally achieved our aim of repairing our decaying chimneys and carrying out other maintenance on the building, we are now due to hold our second Annual General Meeting.


This will be at 5pm on Sunday 22 February 2015 (venue to be advised).  NB THIS HAS NOW BEEN RESCHEDULED TO 1ST MARCH 2015.


An agenda will be posted in due course, and will include discussion and prioritisation of our next projects to maintain our property.  If there is anything that you would specifically like to have added to the agenda, please email bsora@hotmail.co.uk or contact us directly. 


We look forward to seeing you there.

Could have been us.....Byres Road in Glasgow Closed due to Dangerous Chimney

Byres Road in Glasgow was recently closed due to a dangerous chimney.  The photos look frighteningly familiar and reaffirm why we were right to take action and get ours repaired. 


http://glasgow.stv.tv/articles/306784-byres-road-in-glasgow-west-end-closed-due-to-dangerous-chimney/

Replacement revealed for Edinburgh Statutory Repairs Service

Thanks for alerting us to this latest development,  Gavin. At least we are ahead of the game and saved ourselves 26%!

http://m.stv.tv/news/east-central/300464-replacement-for-edinburghs-scandal-hit-statutory-repairs-service

Elliott House Development

You may well have noticed that Elliott House on the corner of Brunswick Street and Hillside Crescent has recently had all its windows removed.  This is at least an improvement on the boarded up look after they were all smashed in some months ago. 

You might be interested in this artist's impression of how it is supposed to look by September next year. 

The property was bought by McLaren Group earlier this year, and the conversion would seem to be following this planning application from 2006. 





If we hear anything more, we'll share it here.

Next Meeting Sunday 26 Oct 2014 at 5pm

Although the scheduled maintenance work identified in the survey conducted by DM Hall almost 3 years ago (Nov 2011) has now been completed, there are still some administrative aspects to be cleared up, as well as agreeing how we plan forwards.  The forecasted high winds this week suggest that not least might be agreeing a programme of maintenance to protect that investment, such as regular rhone cleaning etc.

Please join us to discuss this and any other matters at 5pm on Sunday 26 October. RSVP to bsora@ hotmail.co.uk for venue.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Catriona
For
BSORA Committee

Update as at 14 September 2014 - and notice of next meeting on 28 September 2014

Well, it hasn't quite sunk in just yet but somehow (and against a fair few odds) we have done it: we have achieved our roofing and building maintenance project! 

It's taken a long time and a lot of effort from a lot of people, but we have successfully managed to repair the glass cupola, and some bits of ironwork; we've replaced some significant bits of degraded stonework, and most noticeably we've completely rebuilt the two chimneys mutual to Montgomery Street, whilst upgrading almost all of the roof leadwork. Please see here for some more final before and after photos.

Chimneys G&H rebuilt

Given that it was built in 1888, making the building over 125 years old, and so far as we can tell it hasn't had much attention lavished on it in that time, that's not really bad going. 

As a part of concluding this particular project, DM Hall will conduct another full survey in a year's time (i.e. July/August 2015).  This will be to check how everything has settled and enable us to identify any other potential issues, which we can then plan to deal with before they become any more significant.

Prevention is certainly better than cure, so to discuss and agree some routine maintenance bits (such as regular rhone and stair cleaning etc), please join us for our next meeting at 5pm on Sunday 28th September when we might just pause to celebrate a bit! Please RSVP to bsora@hotmail.co.uk for venue .

Thanks, 

Catriona
for
BSORA