Tag: meetings

Community Councils Scheme Review: Important dates coming up

MEETING DATES: TWO drop-in consultation sessions on Monday 7 August and Tuesday 15 August and the Teams meeting set for Thursday 17 August.**

Community Councillors are invited to ‘make initial contributions and suggestions regarding the existing Community Council scheme and boundaries and to ‘provide feedback and recommendations for any proposed changes that you believe would be beneficial’.

This invitation was discussed at the Members’ Board last Thursday. Here are some issues we think are worth your attention:

A] Community Council Boundaries

1. New community council wards:

  • How many and where?
  • On the basis of what growth projections for city expansion?
  • What data sources are to be used?

2. Size of community council wards:

  • On what basis will the size of community council areas be reviewed and targeted?
  • What data sources are to be used?
  • What intentions are there to reduce a wide dispersion (imbalance) in community council area ‘size’ (number of residents) across the city?
  • What could be done to ‘rebalance’?

3. Boundaries:

  • Boundary changes should be fully explained and justified to residents.
  • What will be done to reshape boundaries, in order to reduce the incidence of community council ‘crossover’ into two (or even three) City Councillor electoral wards, so that the ‘mapping’ of a community council to one and only one (four-strong) group of City Councillors is tightened up? (A community council area perimeter should be bounded within a single electoral ward.)
  • What measures will then be introduced to improve liaison and coordination across electoral wards and in turn across Localities?

B] Scheme for Community Councils

1. Minimum number of ‘elected community council members’ (2019 Scheme, Para 6.24):

  • There is evident current strain on a number of community councils, stemming from a fall-away in the participation of active elected members towards or below the critical level of ‘half of the maximum permitted elected membership’.
  • In light of that, what new flexible support measures can CEC Governance introduce to the Scheme rules in order to avoid (in such circumstances) the undue lapse of community councils into an ‘inactive state’ (whereby residents are then ‘disenfranchised’)?

2. Resourcing of a community council (2019 Scheme, Paras 11.9 and 11.11):

  • Contemporary ‘support needs’ for a well-functioning community council nowadays centre on IT, on website maintenance and repair, on technical assistance with AV equipment for hybrid meetings, all alongside the minuting and reporting of community council proceedings.
  • The absence of such support blunts a community council’s effectiveness in its core role and its ambition, especially when ‘something goes wrong’.
  • The need for CEC operational support now goes well beyond ‘additional support services/resourcing, such as photocopying and distribution of community council minutes and agendas and (also) free lets of halls for community council meetings’, as offered in the 2019 Scheme Review.
  • There is a case for a (much) stronger CEC commitment to dependable, core operational back-up of community councils’ governance and administration work.
  • What new avenues of operational (and financial) assistance can CEC look to introduce in this current Scheme Review?

https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/30693/scheme-for-community-councils

**Here are the dates, and the opportunity to put some meaningful questions to CEC.

Monday 7 August 2023
17.00-19.30
Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, EH8 8BG, Ground Floor, Room 15

Tuesday 15 August 2023
13.00-16.00
Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, EH8 8BG, Ground Floor, Room 15

Thursday 17 August 2023
17.00-19.30
Virtual meeting held via Microsoft Teams – if you would like to attend please make contact with CEC (by email to community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk) no later than 14.00 on 17 August 2023 to confirm your attendance and request the link to join the session. 

The EACC website homepage is:

Edinburgh Association of Community Councils (edinburghcommunitycouncils.org.uk)

_______________________________________________

Edinburgh Association of Community Councils (EACC)

EACC Secretary; Ken Robertson

secretary@edinburghcommunitycouncils.org.uk

Council condemns dangerous vandalism in Corstorphine

ANGER AND CONFUSION OVER MANSE ROAD SAFETY MEASURES

Council officers have responded to an incident at the weekend involving vandalism and graffiti to a controversial trial bus gate on Manse Road, which left a pylon in a precarious and dangerous position.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “There’s no excuse for dangerous criminal behaviour like this. We are lucky a member of the public reported it to us early on Sunday morning so that our crews could quickly attend and make the column safe, and I’d like to thank them for this.

“The trial road safety measures in Corstorphine aim to address the fact the majority of local residents (67%) feel there is an issue with vehicles in area. Ultimately, however, improving safety in the street does have some impact on vehicle use – primarily for traffic cutting through the area on the way to somewhere else.

“Given that context, this type of reckless criminal behaviour is shameful, and I know that local people both for and against the scheme are concerned about what’s happened. The damage to council property and the graffiti is completely unacceptable and all it achieves is disruption, expense and a damaging effect on the reputation of a great local community.

“We’ll be reviewing CCTV footage and speaking to Police this week, and I’d urge anyone who knows who may be responsible for this senseless criminal act to reach out to Police too.

“Given the risk the damage posed to the people in the adjacent retirement housing, I hope those responsible are promptly brought to justice.”

The design for Corstorphine Connections was approved by the Transport and Environment Committee in August 2021.

As part of the development of the designs for the project the Council carried out a significant amount of engagement with the local community, many of whom highlighted concerns about the volume and speed of traffic in the area.

Independent market research carried out showed that 67% of people living in the area thought vehicle traffic was a problem, and those with disabilities were more likely to be concerned about the situation.  

By limiting through traffic and providing spaces to sit, relax and interact, Corstorphine Connections aims to create a much safer and more welcoming environment for people living there.

Cllr Arthur added: “I know already that many parents have enjoyed being able to walk and cycle more easily with their children in the area since the Council started implementing the scheme, particularly during the recent warmer weather.   

“The Council retained access for all residents travelling by car too, alongside these changes, so that those who choose to drive can still do so. It is now much harder, however, for delivery drivers etc to cut through the residential area on the way to somewhere else.  

“There are plenty safe and sensible ways to share your views on this trial which we are keen to listen to. I have now attended the local Community Council twice to listen to residents, and I’ve made sure a Council Officer attended every time it met over the past year to answer questions and collect feedback.

“I have also said I will return whenever they want. Additionally, I have done the school run with a local parent, met with a second resident and have a further meeting with a local resident in the pipeline.”

Drylaw Telford Community Council meets tomorrow evening

Drylaw Telford Community Council meets tomorrow evening following the summer recess.

As well as the usual agenda items, topical issues include the state of Drylaw Shopping Centre, an update on Drylaw House and Easter Drylaw Park issues.

The meeting will be held on Zoom and starts at 7pm.

For details on how you can participate please email DTCC secretary Pam Higgins, pamhigginsdtcc@gmail.com

West Pilton West Granton community council to meet on Tuesday

Hi everyone,

This is to advise you all that the WPWGCC Chair (Lana Kelly) and I have agreed to schedule a Community Council meeting for Tuesday 30 June at 7pm.

The meeting will be in two parts with the first being in public and the second for community councillors only.

The public part of the meeting has only one agenda item.  This is to discuss a request from the Covid-19 Foodshare consortium for a grant of £500 toward costs of producing a community newsletter. 

I attach a pdf of this newsletter.  We will need a minimum of 3 valid community councillors to endorse this.

Elected Officials: This email is for information and awareness.  You are welcome to attend but this is not expected.

Meeting Details: Contact community council secretary Peter Faassen de Heer for details.

Peter Faassen de Heer

Venue switch for Madelvic History Group

The next meeting of the Madelvic History Group will be on Saturday morning 20th October from 10-12 but there’s been a change of venue.

The meeting will now take place in Morrison’s cafe at Granton, as the Madelvic is fully booked for the weekend. All welcome. Continue reading Venue switch for Madelvic History Group

Community Councils organise Granton Marina event

Hello,

You are invited to a public meeting about future development of the Granton Marina. We’re hosting this meeting to encourage local communities to be involved in the future regeneration and development of Granton waterfront.

This meeting will be hosted in collaboration with Trinity Community Council, ), West  Pilton/West Granton CC and Muirhouse & Salvesen CC.

Granton Harbour Marina: What does this mean for Local Communities ?

Date: Monday 30 July 2018, 7:00pm

Venue: Royston Wardieburn Community Centre, 8 Pilton Drive North, Edinburgh EH5 1NF

Representatives of the company will be in attendance; Charles Price (Asset Manager), Will Gunn(Architect), Steve McGavin & John Paton (Planning Consultants), Matthew Garstang (developer’s FD) and Kevin Fawcett (owner ).

This is a free event open to public but booking is essential. We need to know how many people are attending so that we can arrange bigger room (if required) .

Please register your place online: https://gdccmarina.eventbrite.co.uk

Find this event on fb: https://www.facebook.com/events/202894207091973/

Mizan Rahman
Secretary, Granton and District Community Council 
E-mail: secretary@grantoncc.scot | Tel: 07930 183352 | www.grantoncc.scot