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I was delighted to chair a packed second public meeting as part of our•Save Our Inch Community Centre•campaign.

Attendees included: Margaret Collingwood and Mark Mulgrew- Inch Community Centre Management Committee, Daniel Johnson MSP, Peter Watton- Head of Corporate Policy City of Edinburgh Council, Cllr Keith Robson, Pauline Megson- Historic Environment Scotland (HES), and representatives from Community Learning Development

The meeting was productive with Peter Watton confirming the Council will make the building wind and water tight. Peter also outlined the Council’s plans to make a funding application with Historic Environment Scotland which would go some way to covering the cost of the repairs required.

Pauline Megson from Historic Environment Scotland (formally Historic Scotland) was also in attendance to outline the funding application process which will be complex and competitive. HES will not give out funding automatically, they will require assurances that there is a plan in place which will benefit the wider community going into the future.

Our new MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Daniel Johnson has promised to look at the Town and Planning (Scotland) Act to see where power lies in terms of repairing listed buildings.

Finally there was a pledge from Community Learning Development to work with the Management Committee to ensure the provision of services as we move forward.

As ever a huge thanks to Mark Mulgrew and Margaret Collingwood of the Management Committee for organising the event.

We’ve made good progress already but there is much work to be done.