Day: May 16, 2013

Centipede jumps for joy following grant news

Go For It, Centipede! Funding boost for Muirhouse Project

Muirhouse Centipede Project has received a grant of £60,000 from the Church of Scotland to build on it’s successes over the last year. The local project’s founder Linda Dunbar takes up the story:

The Centipede project has received the great news that we have been awarded £60,000 over three years from the Church of Scotland’s GoForIt Fund. This will enable the Centipede to continue on its journey and explore more activities. We are incredibly grateful for the support of the church in recognising the collaborative work already undertaken, and the value and potential of the people of the area. We still have to raise more money and are in the process of fund-raising – we would like to be able to match the £60K grant. The steering group has a planning day coming up in June where we will be figuring out how best to hear the voices of the community, and what THEY want to see the Centipede doing. If anyone has suggestions they can email them in to:

centipedeproject@gmail.com

If anyone would like to offer financial support to the project, they can get in touch via the same email.

On a personal note, can I thank the folk of Muirhouse for their enthusiasm for the community and their great spirit. It has been a joy to work with them all, and I look forward to the new centipede events, whatever they turn out to be. If folk want to see a short film highlighting just some of the Pilot Project events they can find it at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCcd8BQg13U&feature=youtu.be

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Local BBs beat retreat

BB retreat1

Sixty young people from The Boys’ Brigade (BB) took part in the annual Beating Retreat ceremony at Edinburgh Castle last Saturday (11 May). The event, now in it’s 56th year, featured the pipes and drums, bugles and trumpets of The Edinburgh, Leith and District Battalion, The Central Band of the Boys’ Brigade, 3rd Johnstone Flute Band and 13th and 44th Dundee Pipe Band.

The ceremony saw each band march across the drawbridge and perform a short routine on the Castle Esplanade to the delight of the gathered crowd of spectators and dignitaries. Chief guest was Mike McCormick, Assistant Chief Constable, Police Scotland.

Alastair Chalmers, CEO, Edinburgh, Leith and District BB, said: “The young people came from BB bands from across Scotland and did us proud. Their professionalism and talent shone through. Luckily, the weather was on our side too and we managed to attract a large number of tourists to the event.”

Beating Retreat is a military ceremony dating back to the 16th century, first used when drums were used as signals in the battlefields. Beating the Retreat was a signal for troops to retreat from battle as light faded.

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TPAS award for Port of Leith Housing

Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) is celebrating after becoming the first community-based housing associaiton in Edinburgh to achieve TPAS accreditation – marking it as one of the most innovative and tenant focused organisations in the country.

TPAS Accreditation is awarded by the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) to social landlords that go the extra mile to involve their customers in the shaping of services, and TPAS were particularly impressed by what they saw at Port of Leith. TPAS was also impressed at the range of PoLHA’s traditional engagement techniques, including the recent successful welfare reform information day, quarterly Port Call newsletter and registered tenant organisation consultation.

Lesley Baird, Chief Executive of TPAS Scotland, explained that PoLHA has fostered a real partnership with its customers. Lesley said: “We’ve been impressed by the way Port of Leith works together with its customers to set standards and scrutinise services. Their hard work has established a framework for involving tenants in self-assessment and measuring performance that others in the sector can learn from.”

PoLHA provides affordable rented housing throughout Leith and north of the city. It has created a range of opportunities for tenants and residents to get involved and influence the way services are provided. These range from community events to formal processes for tenants to influence decisions about housing services and investment, either as individuals or in formal groups.

Following a thorough consultation process, PoLHA has developed a Customer Charter to enhance assessment and scrutiny of services. The charter reflects the standards of the Scottish Social Housing Charter, whilst also factoring in important local priorities. It also sets service standards, outlines activities to achieve them and explains how performance will be measured. To ensure tenants are involved in the process, PoLHA also carries out mystery shopping in order to test services and facilitated a range of customer service reviews.

PoLHA Chief Executive Keith Anderson said: “Port of Leith Housing Association is committed to serving its tenants and we are delighted to receive this honour. To be the first community – based housing association in Edinburgh to be recognised for its achievements is testament to the hard work and efforts put in by our staff working in partnership with our tenants.”

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Pictured (Left -Right): PoLHA Chairman Jack Hunter, TPAS Scotland Chief Executive Lesley Baird and Keith Anderson, PoLHA Chief Executive

 

Cafe culture for Princes Street?

princesstThe prospect of stopping for a bite to eat while shopping on Princes Street is moving a step closer thanks to proposed changes to allow cafes and restaurants on Scotland’s most famous street. The plans aim to encourage more people to visit Princes Street and boost the area’s vitality by creating a mix of retail and food and drink establishments.

Today’s meeting of the Planning Committee will consider a report seeking permission to begin public consultation on new Supplementary Guidance (SG) for the Proposed Local Development Plan.

This ties in with the overall vision for the City Centre, the public consultation for which closed last week and drew almost 2,000 responses.

The proposed Supplementary Guidance for the City Centre Retail Core Frontage (Princes Street) allows food and drink uses in shop units which are under 300 sq m gross in size and which can safely accommodate outdoor pavement seating.

Twenty five units out of the 78 on Princes Street would be eligible to change their use from retail (Class 1) to food and drink (Class 3). Pubs and hot food takeaways would not be permitted as they do not fall into the Class 3 category.

To prevent future changes of food and drink establishments to Class 2 use financial, professional or other services (eg banks, betting offices), the Council will seek an Article 4 Direction from Scottish Ministers to revoke Permitted Development Rights for the change of use of Class 3 to Class 2 uses on Princes Street.

Planning Convener Councillor Ian Perry said: “This is about breathing new life into Princes Street. Cafes and restaurants will give people a new incentive to come into town to meet friends, relax over a meal and visit the shops. We’ve already had interest from prospective food and drink businesses who are keen to take advantage of the world-beating views of Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town that you get on Princes Street.”

Andy Neal, Chief Executive of Essential Edinburgh, said: “Essential Edinburgh are delighted this positive step for Princes Street is being taken. For city centres to survive they need to offer a great experience and a row of almost a mile with only shops does not deliver that. The chance to break for a chat with coffee or a glass of wine will deliver a much more pleasurable experience and allow the unique and stunning views to be enjoyed. It will also allow the street to be used into the evening. With later shop opening and places to eat, Princes St will be an even greater asset for Edinburgh.”

David Birrell, Chief Executive at Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is a great opportunity to boost business in Princes Street by being creative with the mix of food and drink offering to the people of Edinburgh and tourists. It is inevitable that the face of Edinburgh’s flagship street will change as our culture evolves. Currently Princes Street is a shopping street to be proud of and this seems like a great opportunity to enhance the mix with restaurants and bars. What other city can offer all this directly opposite an iconic Castle?”

Hugh Rutherford, Chair of the Edinburgh Business Forum, said: “Princes Street currently has a strong retail offering with a variety of outlets catering to all needs. The opportunity to complement this with quality food and drink establishments is to be welcomed as this with help drive footfall to the city centre and will be instrumental in bringing a new lease of life to this iconic thoroughfare.”

The report also deals with Supplementary Guidance for Tollcross Town Centre. This is the first of eight town centres for which a programme of Supplementary Guidance has been prepared. the Council will prepare and consult on supplementary guidance for the remaining seven town centres (Corstorphine, Gorgie/Dalry, Leith/Leith Walk, Morningside/Bruntsfield, Nicolson St/Clerk St, Portobello and Stockbridge) over the next two years.

If approved by the Planning Committee today, the Supplementary Guidance for both the City Centre Retail Core and Tollcross Town Centre will go out for public consultation over the summer and, depending on the consultation outcome, it is hoped that there could be cafes and restaurants on Princes Street by summer next year.

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