WATER-OF-LEITH

Evening Star, Issue 23677, 10 September 1940, Page 9

WATER-OF-LEITH

OBJECTION TO PROPOSAL TO TAKE LAND IS STREET WIDENING INVOLVED ? Virtually the council was proposing to take land to improve corporation dwelling houses, stated Mr C. J. L. White, when, appearing at last night’s meeting of the City Council, for an objector to the council’s proposal to take certain lauds for the improvement of the Water-of-Leith in the vicinity of Forth street. The land concerned was owned by the Colvin family, Mr White said, and Mr Colvin, representing the beneficiaries, raised no objection to the proposal for improving the bed of the stream, but he considered the plan shown in the office went far in excess of the notice served on him. Mr White explained that the former city engineer (Mr Alexander) had marked off a certain area as required for the improvement, but under the latest proposal ofi the council this area had been doubled. Mr Colvin claimed that the taking of all this extra land was not for the improvement of the stream, but to make an access to some properties. What the council now wanted was virtually a street 35ft wide through these properties to Forth street. As there was nothing about road construction in the notice served it was beyond the scope or power of the council to take the land under the Relevant Act. “ Virtually you are taking land to improve corporation dwelling houses at the expense of adjoining properties,” said Mr White. ” The corporation should not avail itself of these powers in a way a private individual would be unable to do,” he added. The land in question had been in the Colvin family for three generations, stated Mr White, and they had certain riparian and fishing rights to the stream. The council’s proposal would destroy access to the stream altogether. Mr White _ further stated that a further objection was that the owners’ sub-divisional rights would be impaired, if the council’s latest proposal was put into effect. If the minimum area for sub-division was adhered to there would only be room for two dwellings instead of three, if at any time the owners decided to sub-divide. The mayor asked that Mr White’s objections be forwarded in writing. They would, be fully considered, he said.