Month: September 2019

Stand and make a difference, say West Pilton West Granton CC

All community council positions become vacant and members need to stand again for election.  I’m providing you with information on what’s involved if you are interested in standing (writes PETER FAASSEN DE HEER)
I would strongly urge you to stand and make a difference.
A strong community council is vital to help our community tackle local problems like crime, litter and bins as well as promoting all the good stuff like our parks, housing improvements, community projects and heritage.  We engage with the police, council and all the wonderful local initiatives in the area.
City of Edinburgh has all the information you need here:
Our Returning Officer is Councillor Jim Campbell from Forth Ward. If you have any questions about the process or what Community Councillors do, you can email Jim at Jim.Campbell@edinburgh.gov.uk
The only requirement for someone to nominate or second is that you are on the electoral roll in the West Pilton West Granton area, and that you can only nominate/second one candidate.  You must be 16 or over.
Key Dates
  • Monday 9 September –  publication of Notice of Election (start of nomination period)
  • Monday 30 September 4pm  –  deadline for nominations (forms to Returning Officer)
  • Monday 30 September 4pm  – deadline for withdrawal of nominations
  • Thursday 10 October – publication of Notice of Poll (if a poll is required)
  • Thursday 31 October – polling day (if a poll is required)
Peter Faassen de Heer
Secretary, West Pilton West Granton Community Council

“They should hang their heads in shame”: New Sick Kids won’t fully open for a year

Edinburgh’s new Sick Kids hospital won’t be open for at least another year, and fixing the latest blunders will cost the taxpayer an extra £16 million.

On top of the additional £16 million costs, NHS Lothian will continue to pay £1.35 million a month to the site owners at Little France, which will total a further £16 million by the time the hospital finally opens. Continue reading “They should hang their heads in shame”: New Sick Kids won’t fully open for a year

Fountainbridge Fire: police confirm fatality

Police have confirmed that a person has died following a fire at a tenement flat in Fountainbridge.

Officers and emergency services were called following a report of an explosion and fire within a four-story tenement building on Fountainbridge at around 5pm yesterday.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service worked to extinguish the blaze and conduct a search of the building. During this time, a person was found dead within the second floor of the building.

No further information is available on this person until officers have worked to ensure all relatives are aware.

Due to the structural damage caused, emergency services have had to retreat from the scene whilst a thorough buildings assessment is carried out, which remains ongoing.

Local road closures are currently in place and Fountainbridge will remain closed until the building assessment has been completed.

Chief Inspector Scott Richardson said: “Our thoughts at this time remain with the relatives of the person who has sadly passed away. Officers and firefighters remain at the scene whilst the building is assessed for structural damage.

“The explosion and fire has caused significant damage to the building and Fountainbridge will remain closed for the foreseeable. I would ask that members of the public avoid the area, where possible.

“A joint investigation will be carried out in due course by police and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to determine the cause of the fire, which is not currently thought to be suspicious.”

The road remains closed from Gardner’s Crescent to Ponton Street, and the public should avoid the area, where possible.

Youth Volunteering Open Day at FetLor Youth Club

YOUTH VOLUNTEERING OPEN DAY

Thursday 19th September from 4 – 6pm

at FetLor Youth Club, Crewe Road South

hosted by Granton Youth Centre

Granton Youth and Fet Lor Youth Club Need You!

Are you aged 14-17 years old and able to donate a few hours a week?

We are having a drop-in that you can come and get some information on volunteering opportunities! This is for young people or parents/guardians to get to ask some questions! There will be interest forms to be completed by everyone who wants to take part as a volunteer – with forms ready to be completed on the night.

Please message us if you have any questions.

Our first night with volunteers will be on the 26th September

New Edinburgh Rugby stadium good to go

Edinburgh Rugby can confirm that The City of Edinburgh Council has now granted a Building Warrant to enable the club to begin construction on a purpose-built 7,800 capacity stadium on the back pitches of BT Murrayfield.

Edinburgh has worked closely with both Scottish Rugby and The City of Edinburgh Council over recent months on the detail of the plans. This outcome allows construction on the stadium to start in Autumn this year, with a view to it being ready for the club play in its new home from the beginning of the 2020/21 season.

Until then, the club will continue to play home fixtures on the main international pitch at BT Murrayfield for the entirety of the 2019/20 season whilst the stadium is constructed.

This is underpinned by the coming season’s Season Ticket Membership sales having already reached record levels, as supporters continue to back Richard Cockerill and his squad ahead of the new campaign in growing numbers.

 

Edinburgh Rugby Managing Director, Douglas Struth, said: “While this has clearly been a difficult process and more drawn-out than we had envisaged, we are delighted to have now been granted a Building Warrant by The City of Edinburgh Council.

“This now allows us to move forward with what is clearly a pivotal and game-changing project for the club.

“I’d like to thank all those who continue to work proactively within the project as we now move into a build-phase, as well as The City of Edinburgh Council for concluding the Building Warrant process with us.

“I’d also like to thank the club’s supporters for their continued patience throughout this period and for buying Season Ticket Memberships in such numbers.

“With Season Ticket Memberships having already hit a record high ahead of the 2019/20 season, coupled with today’s hugely positive news regarding the stadium, I believe this is a really exciting time to be an Edinburgh Rugby supporter and I would urge our fans to get behind the team over the coming season as we prepare to move into our new home.”

New Chairperson for Port of Leith Housing Association

Port of Leith Housing Association’s 43rd Annual General Meeting saw its Chairperson Margaret O’Connor stand down under the Association’s five-year rule. Vice Chair Caitlin McCorry has now been appointed Chairperson of the Association.  Continue reading New Chairperson for Port of Leith Housing Association

BBC making thousands of archive clips available on new website

The BBC is making thousands of fascinating clips from its archive available to watch on a new website – bbc.co.uk/archive

More than 1,700 newly published videos are being made available for viewers to watch and enjoy, many of which hold a mirror up to our lives today and help paint a rich social history of Britain in the television era.

The new Archive site will help people navigate an ever-increasing portion of the more than 10 million hours of content that currently sit in the BBC’s archive. It will be curated by the same team that currently mines the vaults for the ever popular BBC Archive social media accounts, which have attracted a loyal and ever-increasing daily following over the past four years.

The website brings together collections of many viral hits, including:

  • A woman from the east end of London talking in 1977 about her memories of television programmes, which since July has received almost three million views on social media

Continue reading BBC making thousands of archive clips available on new website