Colinton Amenity Association - Area Map

The coloured area of this map shows the area that the Colinton Amenity seeks membership from and concerns itself about.

The boundaries were created considering the City of Edinburgh Council ward boundaries, the Church of Scotland's parish boundaries and where the existing membership was living.  These boundaries are a guide for the Association on where to base its concerns, but are not to be taken as rigid.  The Association's concerns also include areas outwith these boundaries that may have some impact on Colinton or where appropriate to support like-minded associations (dominantly those for the areas immediately surrounding Colinton).

Colinton Conservation Area

Colinton Conservation Area was designated in 1977, with changes being made to its boundaries in 1993. The West Edinburgh Local Plan (WELP) of 2001 proposes further extensions to the Conservation Area. It proposes to include the east side of Dreghorn Loan, Covenanters Wood, the Polo Fields, the woodland between the Polo Fields and Bonaly Rise, Old Farm Court, parts of Redford Barracks and woodland between Woodfield Park and Woodhall Road. To date, these remain only as proposals as the WELP has not yet been ratified.

The Colinton Conservation Area was written about in detail in the Colinton Conservation Area Character Appraisal. To view the text of the Character Appraisal go to character appraisals and select Colinton from the list. As well as studying the different facets of the area, the Character Appraisal gives some of the implications of Conservation Area status with regard to planning applications, demolition, building preservation and tree preservation.

Section 61 of the Planning [Listed Building and Conservation Areas] [Scotland] Act 1997 describes conservation areas as...'areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to conserve or enhance..'

Edinburgh Green Belt

The Edinburgh Green Belt was originally proposed in 1949 and initially designated in 1957 and has been modified many times since. One of its main purposes was to stop the continued spreading of urban Edinburgh, keep the neighbouring towns and villages as separate entities and in general protect the green areas surrounding and leading into Edinburgh.

Urban Wildlife Sites (UWS)

In Colinton the Urban Wildlife Sites are: the Water of Leith valley from Juniper Green, through Colinton Dell to Slateford Road, Woodhall Mains to the north of Woodhall Road, Campbell Park, the woodland to the east of Hailes Avenue, the "Back Fields" of Merchiston Castle School, the Polo Fields, Covenanters Wood, the Bonaly Burn and the Howden Burn.

Urban Wildlife Sites are sites defined by the Council as being of known conservation interest in the local context of terms of their flora, fauna and geological features.

Areas of Great Landscape Value (AGLV)

The Areas of Great Landscape Value in Colinton are everything to the south of the City Bypass, the Polo Fields, Covenanters Wood, the other woodlands surrounding Dreghorn Barracks and parts of Dreghorn Barracks closest to the Bypass.

By definition an AGLV is an area of regional or locally important scenic character or quality. Guidance on the definition of AGLVs is set out in Scottish Office circular 2/1962.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Currently there are no Sites of Special Scientific Interest within Colinton. The nearest SSSI is on the western slopes of Wester Craiglockhart Hill.