Julie Logan

By e-mail [[FOI #3142 email]]

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13 October 2008

Dear Ms Logan

We refer to your request dated 22 September 2008 for the dates and names of attendees of all meetings between representatives of the Scottish Government's Directorate for the Built Environment (and/or any Scottish Ministers) and representatives of the Mountgrange Development Team, with respect to any part of the Caltongate Development. We have dealt with your request in terms of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) and Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

A meeting was held on 13 December 2005. In attendance at that meeting was Jim Mackinnon, Ken Jobling, Michaela Sullivan and Carrie Smith from the Scottish Government, Alan Henderson and Barbara Cummins from the City of Edinburgh Council and Richard Slipper from GVA Grimley. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss what would be involved in carrying out a pilot of a pre-application consultation, which is one of the new statutory measures being promoted through the ongoing modernisation of the planning system. Scottish Government official's role at the meeting was solely to advise on the developing policy.

Another meeting took place on 25 September 2006 between Jane Macrory, Scottish Government, Nikola Miller, GVA Grimley, Gavin Barr, GVA Grimley and Mark Cummings, PPS. This meeting was requested by GVA Grimley to discuss the possibility of including the Caltongate Masterplan consultation as a case study in Planning Advice Note (PAN) 81: Community Engagement - Planning with People.

We hold no other information relating to your request.

If you are unhappy with this response to your request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review, by writing to Dr Andrew Goudie, Director General Economy, Scottish Government, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ. Your request should explain why you wish a review to be carried out, and should be made within 40 working days of receipt of this letter, and we will reply within 20 working days of receipt. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to make a formal complaint to the Scottish Information Commissioner.

Yours sincerely

Lynne McDougall