A new Citywide Culture Strategy to shape the council’s Culture and Wellbeing service through to 2030 has been agreed by councillors.
Four action plans will now be developed that will ensure the city delivers on the strategy’s three main aims, that:
All Edinburgh residents can easily access cultural experiences that they find meaningful in their local area, and everyone has the opportunity to contribute to shaping local cultural provision
Edinburgh is a welcoming and supportive city in which a broad spectrum of creative and cultural practitioners choose to develop their careers
Edinburgh is a world leading cultural capital, an environmentally responsible host city where ideas are exchanged freely, and the diversity of its residents is celebrated.
Edinburgh has a long history as a world centre for the culture and creative sector and the draft strategy sets out the overall purpose, vision and aims for the future of the service in the Council. Four individual service area action plans will be developed for:
Cultural Partnerships and Strategy
Heritage, Culture Venues and Museums
Community Empowerment
Libraries, Sport and Wellbeing.
Culture and Communities Convener Cllr Val Walker said: “The Council has a vital role to play in Edinburgh’s festivals and events sector and our Citywide Cultural Strategy 2023-2030 as well as our existing funding programmes reflect our direct and continued support, contributing to the retention of jobs, creative practices and future development.
“This strategy outlines the priorities and guiding principles of our support for culture in Edinburgh over the next eight years. The pandemic had a massive impact on this sector but also meant creative minds have been hard at work to reappraise long term challenges as well as look for new opportunities.
“It’s exciting that we’re finding new ways of working to reach existing and new audiences and support career development of those in the sector. Following today’s endorsement the strategy will be developed further and we will ensure the future of the sector and maximise on this potential.”
Christmas cards designed by Edinburgh school pupils will brighten up Princes Street this festive season by being displayed on all digital bus shelter screens.
Pupils from across the city entered the competition to design the cards for the Education and Children’s Services of the City of Edinburgh Council and the Lord Provost.
In total 11 designs will be shown on the screens, with three of them – chosen by Education Convener Councillor Joan Griffiths, Lord Provost Robert Aldridge and Executive Director Amanda Hatton as their official Christmas cards – unveiled at a special event.
The winning designs were created by Lucas Virdee (Victoria Primary School), Aastha Arya (Tynecastle High School) and Flora Goater (Echline Primary School).
The Christmas card competition is an annual event but hasn’t taken place since 2019 due to the pandemic. This is now the sixth year that JCDecaux UK has offered lucky pupils the chance to have their designs shown on digital screens in Princes Street.
Lord Provost Robert Aldridge said: “I’m sure all the pupils and their families will be really excited to see their designs on public display and everyone who took part in the contest deserves special mention.
“Our young people are showing real creativity and artistic talent with these cards and the Winter Windows display in Princes Street Gardens.
“It’s great to see the cards promoted on the digital bus shelters as it will definitely bring festive cheer to shoppers!”
Cllr Griffiths said: “This is my first year for choosing winners and it was really difficult due to the high quality of entries. I really want to thank JCDecaux for continuing to support this festive project after an enforced gap of two years as there’s no doubt the young people love taking part.
“Huge congratulations to Luca, Aastha and Flora whose designs will also feature on our Christmas cards.
Carolyn Howieson, Partnership Manager at JCDecaux UK, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with The City of Edinburgh Council, bringing these beautiful Season Greetings designs by local children to digital screens in Princes Street, showcasing the talented young artists in the city.”
The designs will be displayed on all the bus shelters in Princes Street.
With the colder months of the year now upon us the city council has announced the official launch of a network of Warm and Welcoming Spaces across the capital.
Council Leader Cammy Day formally launched the initiative yesterday during a visit to Royston Wardieburn Community Centre.
Council venues such as libraries, community centres, museums and galleries, alongside partner and community spaces, will put on free activities for a variety of age groups and provide a space where people feel safe, warm, and at ease.
In certain spaces residents will be able to access information to help alleviate food/fuel poverty and other support available to them.
At this stage, there are more than 60 Warm and Welcoming Spaces across the city. The council ia also working with a network of partners to provide and promote further spaces.
Residents will be able to find out more about the initiative and find their nearest ‘Warm and Welcoming Spaces’ via an interactive map on a dedicated webpage.
Please also visit our dedicated home energy page for advice on how to keep your homes warmer, save money or if you’re worried about your bills.
If you are an organisation and want to get involved in Warm and Welcoming, please email us on warm.welcoming@edinburgh.gov.uk
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “We are now in the midst of one of the most challenging winters in recent times with the cost-of-living crisis, rising energy prices, and inflation. Many of our residents will rightly be concerned about heating their homes in the months ahead.
“The Warm and Welcoming Spaces initiative brings together a host of spaces across the city where people can connect with others, learn new skills, and relax.
“These spaces are also key in combatting social isolation, boosting mental health and welling, and allowing people to access services and support in a respectful and friendly manner.
Biddy Kelly, Managing Director at Fresh Start, said: “As we head into what we know will be a difficult winter the need on our communities is ever growing. That is why it has been so important that we work collectively to ensure that we have community spaces, both statutory and in the third sector open and that people are aware of where they can go and when.
“Working in this collaborative manner ensures that we have places open that people feel supported in a dignified manner and where they can access a wide breadth of services and support. The co-ordinated Warm and Welcoming website will allow both staff and people access on site to find vital information.”
Ian Brooke, Deputy Chief Executive of Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC), said:“The voluntary sector always plays a part in supporting communities during difficult times and will have a key role to play in the Warm and Welcoming Spaces programme.
“Our shared priority is to offer meaningful opportunities for people to gather together within their own community, activities that can also help combat issues of social isolation, loneliness and mental health.
“Our priority to Edinburgh’s voluntary sector is getting cash into people’s pockets, as the primary solution to combatting the issues of poverty that have been worsened so much by the current cost of living crisis.
“The Warm and Welcoming spaces programme is and must continue to be supplementary to that.”
A proposed Road Safety Action Plan for Edinburgh that sets out an ambitious target for zero fatalities on the city’s roads by 2030 will be discussed by councillors tomorrow.
The Draft Road Safety Action Plan for Edinburgh to 2030 updates on the previous plan, approved in 2010, which commits to providing a safe and modern road network for the 21st century. Since then, there has been an overall downward trend in collisions resulting in injuries in Edinburgh.
By adopting the same safe systems approach to road safety, Edinburgh’s action plan aims to further reduce the number of personal injury collisions in the city.
The targets set out in the draft Action Plan, to be met by 2030, either meet or exceed the targets set out in the national Road Safety Framework. Edinburgh’s proposed targets are:
Zero fatalities
At least a 50% reduction in people seriously injured
At least a 60% reduction in children and young people (under 18 years old) seriously injured
At least a 40% reduction in pedestrians seriously injured
At least a 30% reduction in cyclists seriously injured
At least a 30% reduction in motorcyclists seriously injured
At least a 20% reduction in road users aged 65 and over seriously injured
At least a 70% reduction in road users aged between 18 to 24 seriously injured
Actions to achieve these targets will be set out in a Delivery Plan, updated annually. On Thursday, councillors will be asked to approve the first Delivery Plan to 2024, which comprises of more than 100 actions, including proposals for new pedestrian crossings, speed limit reductions and further speed reduction measures.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “Any injury resulting from a collision on our roads is one too many. We have a responsibility to create safe and welcoming streets for all, and the Road Safety Action Plan is key to achieving this.
“I am keen to work with residents to ensure routes to schools are made safer, traffic short-cutting through residential communities is reduced and physical measures are introduced to cut speeds.
“Thankfully, over the last decade, the number of collisions resulting in injury has continued to fall – but there is clearly much more to be done. The plan sets out a series of targets to significantly reduce the number further and, ultimately, attain ‘Vision Zero’ for Edinburgh.
“Safer, calmer streets are much better places to spend time, walk, wheel and cycle, in turn supporting the City Mobility Plan’s vision for a safer and more inclusive net zero carbon transport system.”
By creating safer streets, the Road Safety Action Plan supports the objectives of Edinburgh’s City Mobility Plan (CMP), which envisions a well-connected, safe and more inclusive net zero carbon transport system for the Capital. It is one of several plans being progressed to deliver the policies set out in the CMP and, if approved, these will be collectively presented for public consultation in early 2023.
The latest Draft Road Safety Action Plan has been developed in partnership with the Council’s road safety partners, including Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Engagement with partners will continue throughout the duration of the Action Plan to ensure co-operation towards meeting targets.
City of Edinburgh Council Leader Cammy Day has officially opened a revolutionary new City Operations Centre.
Harnessing high-tech to help keep the city safe and moving, the new centre will position Edinburgh as a leader in the UK for smart security and surveillance tools.
It has been delivered in partnership with IT service and solutions provider North as part of a £2.6m contract, funded by the Council and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2014-2020 programme known as ‘Scotland’s 8th City – the Smart City’, which is contributing £712k in grant funding towards the project.
Replacing an outdated control centre which was no longer fit-for-purpose, the new smart Operations Centre will be manned and receive real-time data from the CCTV network 24/7. This will integrate other technologies which will help to improve traffic flow, transport infrastructure and city planning – subsequently improving the city’s collective carbon footprint.
Given the accessibility to real-time data, advanced analytics will drastically help the Council and partners respond to emergencies and manage large-scale events like Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and August Festivals.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “This new operations centre has been years in the making and it’s fantastic to see it live in action. With cutting-edge low-carbon technology designed to keep the city moving and our communities safe, it drastically steps up our capabilities as a Council.
“We’ve completely overhauled the technology we use within the control centre and across the city – replacing outdated analogue cameras with intelligent internet-enabled devices. This means we can analyse events and traffic in real time. Particularly as our city grows, our investment will support the safety of the public and wider community, deterring and preventing anti-social behaviour and crime like we sadly experienced recently on Bonfire Night and Remembrance Sunday.
“Edinburgh is fast becoming an example of a truly smart city and its thanks to trailblazing projects like this. We’re also rolling out waste and housing sensors, innovative digital learning opportunities in schools, while exploring an urban traffic management control system which is a tool for monitoring traffic flow.
“The whole operation is much more sustainable and data driven which, crucially, is going to lead to more efficient Council services for the people of Edinburgh.”
Scott McEwan, acting CEO at North, said: “Helping to drive positive change through smart technology and improved operational systems across Edinburgh is something that North is incredibly proud of. Working together, the city now has access to real-time data that will influence the future of city planning, improve large-scale events and create a greener environment for generations to come.
“The City of Edinburgh Council is making transformational steps to becoming a Smart City and its forward-thinking approach to the adoption of IoT solutions will help to accelerate their ambition to reaching such status.
“We are really excited for the local authority to see the seismic impact introducing smart technologies has on the quality of the environment, and importantly, on the health and wellbeing of people who live in and visit Edinburgh.”
The data is captured by a new CCTV system rolled out across the city which is significantly expanding security coverage. This has included upgrading the city’s digital Video Surveillance System (VSS), enhancing video analytic function and data protection capabilities, and replacing analogue cameras with high-resolution Internet Protocol (IP) devices.
As part of the delivery, North also contributed to a number of community benefits to help deliver social value within local neighbourhoods. This included recruiting an Edinburgh-based modern apprentice and an apprentice to assist the roll-out of the CCTV network and the provision of curriculum support activities to local schools and community volunteers.
Edinburgh is one of the seven Scottish cities collaboratively working towards becoming a world leading Smart City. Supported by the Scottish Cities Alliance, a partnership of Scotland’s seven city local authorities and the Scottish Government, £45 million, including £18 million of ERDF support plus cities match funding of £28 million, is being invested in the ‘Scotland’s 8th City – the Smart City’ Programme.
Yesterday (December 1) marked World AIDS Day, which has been recognised and celebrated by all United Nations (UN) Member states since its inauguration in 1988.
The day also constitutes an official global public health campaign as designated by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
This puts Edinburgh alongside almost 500 other cities around the world who have signed up to the Declaration and are committed to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3.3 of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030.
Council Leader Cammy Day also took a rapid HIV test in his office, administered by Waverley Care, in order to raise awareness, encourage regular testing and keep the conversation going about HIV and sexual health more broadly.
Our other partners Waverley Care and CREW 2000 also offer a wide array of support services in the city; including drop ins, advice, C:card (free condom/sexual health supplies), counselling and more.
SX (part of Waverley Care) offered confidential HIV testing in the city centre yesterday. From 9am-5pm they were be in Waverley Market and from 5-7pm at CREW 2000 on Cockburn Street.
Waverly Care also have further information on World AIDS Day in Edinburgh including fundraising, events and partnerships.
Council Leader Cammy Day said:“I was delighted to sign Edinburgh up to the Fast-Track Cities initiative alongside Grant Sugden of Waverley Care. This represents our city’s commitment to reducing and eventually eradicating HIV and the stigma associated with it.
“I’d encourage everyone to get tested regularly and have open and honest conversations with their friends, families, and peers about HIV.
“I would like to pay tribute to Waverley Care, Crew 2000, NHS Lothian and all our other partners for the fantastic and essential work that they are carrying out in the Capital.”
Grant Sugden, CEO of Waverly Care, said: “I am delighted that Edinburgh has committed to becoming a Fast-Track City. This is a vital step towards reaching a Scotland with zero new HIV transmissions by 2030.
“Waverley Care is incredibly pleased to be leading on Fast-Track Cities in Scotland. We are joining up Scotland’s cities to work together to reach shared goals for HIV transmission elimination, and Edinburgh has an important part to play in this.
“Edinburgh was once known as the ‘AIDS capital of Europe’, and while we have come incredibly far, more work must be done on areas such as such as HIV stigma and increasing access to testing.
“We hope Edinburgh’s commitment will accelerate progress to reach HIV targets and eliminate HIV transmission by 2030.”
Emma Crawshaw, CEO of Crew 2000, said:“World AIDS day helps us highlight that we can all play a part in working together to end the shame and stigma attached to AIDS/HIV: we know this can be one of the biggest barriers to people accessing prevention, protection, testing support and treatment.
“Having no detectable virus in your blood due to effective HIV treatment means that the virus can’t be passed on. Scotland is on its way to becoming one of the first countries in the world to achieve zero HIV transmissions by 2030.
“We support Councillor Day’s motion to commit to the Fast Track Cities Initiative, ending HIV-related stigma and new HIV transmissions, and to sign the Paris Declaration committing to coordinated sharing experience and taking action across and between health boards to achieve this goal.”
Dona Milne, Director of Public Health and Health Policy, NHS Lothian, said:“NHS Lothian is committed to stamping out the stigma associated with HIV and Hepatitis C, and we are fully supportive of the Paris Declaration.
“As Edinburgh officially makes a commitment to become a Fast Track City on World Aids Day, we hope that this initiative will make Lothian, and indeed Scotland a kinder place for people living with HIV and hepatitis C, while also encouraging Scotland to be more open about sexual health.”
José M. Zuniga, President and CEO, of International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), said: “As Edinburgh signs up to the Fast-Track Cities network this World AIDS Day 2022, we commit to work shoulder-to-shoulder with you to achieve the UNAIDS 95-95-95 and other related targets.
“We also applaud the city’s commitment to place people at the centre of the HIV response, including by prioritizing the goal of getting to zero HIV-related stigma and discrimination.”
Edinburgh’s 20-Minute Neighbourhoods strategy is progressing a programme of engagement across local town centres and high streets in the city, with a new focus on Gorgie Dalry.
In partnership with local communities and businesses across Edinburgh, the City of Edinburgh Council is working to develop a network of healthier, greener and thriving neighbourhoods where everyone can access key services and amenities by a short walk, wheel, cycle or trip on public transport.
A key part of delivering this 20-Minute Neighbourhoods strategy is improving local town centres and high streets which provide many of the essential facilities and services that people need easy access to.
The Council’s City Mobility Plan identifies a need for Edinburgh’s town centres to be more liveable places with reduced car dependency, improved active travel connections and quality public spaces for everyone.
The initial engagement to prepare a plan for Gorgie Dalry town centre has been designed to roll out alongside planned road renewal projects to minimise potential disruption. It will start by focussing on Dalry and local schools, before looking at Gorgie in more detail in the future.
Local residents in Gorgie Dalry are now being invited to share their thoughts on how the area around Dalry Road could be improved. Participants have the option of sharing their views either online or in person at a series of local events.
An online survey is available until 15 January, 2023, where residents can feed back on specific parts of Dalry and the area around Tynecastle High School. They can also share their views on how they currently experience the area, what they think is good and what could be better.
The 20-Minute Neighbourhoods team will also be available to speak with local people at the corner of Dalry Road and Easter Dalry Road on the afternoons of Thursday, 1 and Saturday, 3 December. Further engagement with Dalry Primary School and Tynecastle High School students, businesses and community groups is planned over the coming weeks.
Work is well underway on progressing the town centre and high street strategy elsewhere across the city, including in Leith, Craigmillar, Muirhouse and Queensferry.
Plans for future improvements to Portobello, Corstorphine, Stockbridge and Bruntsfield and Morningside town centres, will be progressed to take account of the Our Future Streets framework and associated action plans once they have been agreed.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said:“20-minute neighbourhoods are a new way of thinking for Edinburgh and our local town centres and high streets are at the very heart of many people’s local lives, so they are a natural starting point for this exciting strategy.
“It is clear that these spaces could be much better at serving the daily needs of residents, businesses and other organisations, particularly by being easier for everyone to move around. They should also have identity and purpose, supporting local employment opportunities and providing an inclusive economy.
“Each neighbourhood in the city is different, with its own unique set of requirements. That’s why it’s so important that local communities participate in this process to help us understand everyone’s needs and make sure their views shape the neighbourhood approach.
“I hope we hear from as many people as possible on how their town centre could be better for them. This is a fantastic opportunity for local people to help set a new direction for these areas so that they are more welcoming and benefit the health, wellbeing and pockets of people across the city.
“Ultimately, this strategy is aiming to deliver more sustainable, inclusive places, improve access to quality services and empower local communities across Edinburgh.“
Neglected: Drylaw Shopping Centre
The 20-Minute Neighbourhood strategy was launched in June 2021. Its vision is to enable a net zero Edinburgh where everyone can live well locally.
The city needs this level of ambition to achieve a significant shift away from longer journeys to active travel and meet its net zero carbon target. It will help to create more social, inclusive and accessible places. This will also support physical and mental wellbeing and help to end poverty in Edinburgh.
Climate campaigners have welcomed yesterday’s council decision to pass a motion calling on the £8 billion Lothian Pension Fund to end its investments in fossil fuel companies that are driving the climate crisis.
The motion, tabled by SNP councillors Vicky Nicolson and Marco Biagi, and seconded by Adam McVey (SNP), calls on the Lothian Pension Fund to protect the long-term interests of its members by removing its investments from fossil fuel companies that are not shifting their business toward renewable energy.
Last month, East Lothian councillors voted unanimously in favour of ending the Lothian Pension Fund’s fossil fuel investments.
The Lothian Pension Fund, administered by The City of Edinburgh Council, invests an estimated £229 million in fossil fuel companies which are driving climate breakdown, including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil and Equinor.
Oil giant Equinor is currently planning to develop the Rosebank oilfield to the west of Shetland – the largest undeveloped oil and gas field in the UK which contains over 500 million barrels of oil.
Eva Gallova, Divest Lothian campaigner from Edinburgh, said: “Edinburgh councillors, having rightly declared a climate emergency in 2019 and committed to becoming a net zero city by 2030, today acted on these promises and showed their constituents that these were not just empty words.
“Divesting the Lothian Pension Fund from fossil fuels would cut the Council’s ties with an industry hell-bent on stymying climate action and taking us on a path which can only lead to more death & destruction.
“The members of the Lothian Pension Fund, especially the younger members, should have prospects for a future worth retiring into and this will not be possible if our councils continue investing in companies like BP, Shell and Equinor that are planning massive expansions in their climate-wrecking oil and gas production. It’s time for the Lothian Pension Fund to protect pensions and the planet by ending its investments in fossil fuels.”
Sally Clark, divestment campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “It is very encouraging that City of Edinburgh councillors have voted to support ending the Lothian Pension Fund’s investments in planet-wrecking fossil fuels.
“With the UN Secretary General warning last week at COP27 that we need to massively invest in renewables and end our addiction to fossil fuels in order to keep global temperature rises below 1.5 degrees, it has never been more urgent for councils to break their ties with the coal, oil and gas companies that are on course to trigger climate catastrophe with their expansion plans.
“We now need the Lothian Pension Fund to listen to councillors and invest in climate solutions like social housing and renewable energy that will protect pensions and benefit communities here in Scotland and around the world.”
The Lothian Pension Fund is the second largest local government pension scheme in Scotland and administers the pension funds of over 92,000 members from four local authorities in the Lothians. The pension fund also manages the pensions of 90 employers, including Scottish Water, Edinburgh Napier University, VisitScotland and Heriot-Watt University.
The motion from City of Edinburgh councillors comes as part of a global push to divest money from fossil fuels.
To date, 1,552 institutions worth $40.50 trillion have committed to divest, including the Welsh Parliament, the London Boroughs of Islington and Lambeth, Cardiff Council, and 100 UK universities including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
The city council’s Transport and Environment Convener has condemned anti-social behaviour towards Lothian Buses employees.
Councillor Scott Arthur’s comments follow an open letter from Sarah Boyd, managing director of Lothian Buses, which acknowledges an increase in abusive behaviour towards drivers and other customer-facing people, as well as frontline workers around the city.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, responded to Sarah Boyd’s letter, saying: “It’s extremely disappointing to hear that Lothian Buses’ employees are having to endure abusive and anti-social behaviour.
“These keyworkers work hard to provide a trusted, essential service for the city and it’s appalling that they’re having to put up with this kind of treatment.
“We’ve pulled through an exceptionally challenging few years together, as a city, and I’m grateful for the indispensable role Lothian Buses played during the pandemic. We should not forget that drivers faced unknown risks everyday getting keyworkers to work.
“The current Europe-wide driver shortage means all bus companies face huge challenges in maintaining their network, but I know the vast majority of people in Edinburgh understand this and will continue to support Lothian Buses by reinforcing a zero tolerance stance on anti-social behaviour.”
The lights of Edinburgh’s iconic Christmas tree on the Mound have been turned on ahead of Edinburgh’s Christmas opening later this week.
During a special ceremony earlier this evening, Lord Provost Robert Aldridge joined Natalia Antonia Golis, Deputy County Convener with other representatives of Vestland County Council and the Norwegian Consulate to do the honours.
Together they lit the lights of the tree, traditionally gifted by the citizens of Hordaland, now part of Vestland, to mark the help given by the Scots to Norway during WWII.
This year also marks the 60th anniversary of Edinburgh-based company Bernard Hunter Cranes being involved in the installation of the iconic 60ft tree and their representatives joined the special ceremony.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Capital as Edinburgh’s Christmas festival gets underway on Friday and a number of community light switch on events will be taking place across the city.
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge, said: “Edinburgh’s famous Christmas tree is a fixture on the Mound every winter and the switch on of the lights signals the start for the festive season for me.
“For over 30 years now, the city has enjoyed the wonderful gift of a tree from the people of Hordaland and Vestland County Council in thanks for support Scotland gave to Norway during World War II.
“It is truly a wonderful symbol of this special bond of friendship between Norway and Scotland, and I am delighted we are able to mark the start of the City’s festive period together this year in person. I would like to thank the citizens of Vestland, for their continuing generosity and friendship over so many years.”
Natalia Antonia Golis, Deputy County Convener Vestland County Council, said: “Vestland County Council and the people of Vestland are happy to present the annual Christmas Tree in gratitude to the people of Edinburgh and Scotland and as a celebration of friendship, shared history and a prosperous future.”
