Month: February 2015

#StrongerNorth: Action Update

Steady progress on tackling community concerns

StrongerNorthHow has the #StrongerNorth initiative been performing?The latest figures, compiled at the end of January, are very encouraging: 

Housing

•           17 housing enforcement actions taken against residents in response to behaviour

Including  13 warnings, 1 Final Warning, 1 Notice to Quit, 1 Notice of Proceedings for Recovery of Possession, 1 ASBO under consideration.

Offending  

·          7 Young people identified and targeted due to offending (Police, Council, Social work etc)

·         3 charged as adults, 2 in Children’s Hearing system and 2 in court system (last four all reducing offending)

·         4 young people subject to Movement Restriction Condition

·         4 young people placed in secure accommodation in last 12 months (2 twice)

·         Calls to Police have really reduced between October and December 2014 (209 to 119 calls)

·         Reduction in offences committed by the most problematic young people – including a significant drop by one prolific housebreaker.

Youth Work

•           Positive engagement over a number of weeks with group working on bothy at Towford

•           Conversation cafe with Positive Prison organised for 30 January.

Employment and Training

•           Employment experience and training programme developed by Council, Urban Union and Edinburgh College. First group ready to benefit.

Pre-School and School

•           Respect programme expanded to Craigroyston and Forthview Primary Schools

•           Youth Engagement Programme at Crewe Road Fire station – participants selected from Craigroyston Community High School.

 Physical Improvements

•           Community clean ups in backgreen at West Pilton Gardens/Crossway and roadside verge along Granton Mill well-attended.

West Pilton/West Granton Community Council

•           Community payback team cut back bushes in West Pilton Park where motorbikes were being hidden.

 Communications

•           Regular daily tweets and 1,343 followers

•           Over 230 Facebook likes.

Community activity

•           Community survey planned to track community views about local action

•           Tenants and Residents in Muirhouse #StrongerNorth campaign – Community Shop window display

•           Weekly lunch time drop in sessions at Muirhouse Community Shop and Pilton Community Association flat – six week programme started 19 January

•           Community feedback event 4 February.

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Righting a wrong? Poll Tax debt to end today

Councils to stop collecting the debt from 1 February

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From February 1, 2015 the liability to pay ‘Poll Tax’ arrears in Scotland will end, subject to final approval of the Scottish Parliament later this month. John Swinney says Holyrood has acted ‘to right a historic wrong’. 

The Scottish Government brought forward the bill to bring an end to collection of debts under the Community Charge, the discredited tax which was abolished in 1993 after four years in operation in Scotland.

The issue was brought to the fore following the independence referendum, amid reports that the expanded electoral registers could be used to identify and pursue Poll Tax debts at a time of record democratic engagement.

The amount of Poll Tax arrears collected by local authorities across Scotland has fallen in recent years to less than £350,000 in 2013-14, and some local authorities have ceased recovery of debts altogether. Nonetheless, the Scottish Government will cover the cost to local authorities of the Poll Tax debt that they would have expected to recover under existing arrangements.

This week parliament agreed to the general principles of the Bill and also approved a timescale that will see the Bill complete its parliamentary passage by 19 February.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “The Scottish Government has acted act expeditiously to address the use of information gathered from voter registration to pursue historical debts from a tax that is discredited and which has not been operational in Scotland for more than 20 years.

“The amount of Poll Tax arrears which have been collected by councils across Scotland has fallen to near negligible levels in recent years, from around £1.3 million in 2009-10 to less than £350,000 in the most recent financial year.

“We will ensure that local authorities are properly compensated in line with current collection rates in respect of outstanding amounts and ensure that they are not out of pocket.

“The poll tax is a defunct tax, but it has left a bitter legacy in Scotland – the Scottish Parliament has acted to right a historic wrong.”

EVOC thinkSpace event: Pensions

EVOC is holding a Breakfast thinkSpace on

Pension Auto Enrolment  

on Friday 20 February 8:30am – 10am

at EVOC, 14 Ashley Place, EdinburghEH6 5PX

The session will be delivered by Deborah Adam from the Pensions Team at Burness Paull  LLP, as well as a speaker from Hymans Robertson (to be confirmed). 

There will be more information to follow on our dedicated ThinkSpace pages, as well as on our social media channels.

In the meantime, please save the date and reserve your place by booking through eventbrite: 

https://eventbrite.co.uk/event/15498270745/

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