About us
Who we are
Friends of Midmar Paddock was set up in 2018 to campaign for preserving the paddock as open access, unbuilt on greenspace consistent with its designations in the City of Edinburgh Council's Local Development Plan.
Our main aim is to keep the local community and public at large informed on developments and activity at Midmar Paddock. We engage regularly with Morningside Community Council and Midmar Allotments Association, as well as politicians and the local planning authority, and liaise with the landowner on issues affecting the paddock. We also seek views and submit comments on any application for planning permission or proposed development to build on the paddock, or in relation to its sale.
What we do
We campaigned successfully for the recognition of six Rights of Way crossing the paddock in 2019, and we ensure these remain accessible to everyone. You can find out more about the Rights of Way here.
The invasive plant, Himalayan balsam, was found to be spreading rapidly across large areas of the paddock in 2019, and we managed to eliminate it with an initial blitz and regular follow up visits during the growing season to remove every plant. The seed bank is usually considered to cover around five years, so we continue to monitor the situation.
With the help of local volunteers, we spread gravel on the Core Path when it becomes very muddy, as shown in the photos below. The cost is met partly by the paddock's owner and partly from our own funds.
We carry out occasional fencing repairs, particularly following vehicle impacts at Midmar Drive and Hermitage Drive. We obtained a salted grit bin from City of Edinburgh Council to help prevent cars skidding at the corner between these roads.
One of our ongoing tasks is picking up litter!
