For half a decade, Palestinian Basel Adra films his community of Masafer Yatta being destroyed by Israel’s occupation, as he builds an unlikely alliance with an Israeli journalist who wants to document his struggle.
No Other Land is an unflinching account of a community’s mass expulsion and acts as a creative resistance to Apartheid and a search for a path towards equality and justice.
This screening is part of Local Cinema Network, a network of community cinemas across Edinburgh, supporting film screenings co-curated with and for local communities across the city.
Scottish Government legislation to regulate Short Term Lets in Edinburgh has been branded “not fit for purpose” by Liberal Democrat councillors, and is causing frustration for people across the city.
The SNP-written laws, which were meant to allow parity between planning permission and the licensing system, have a built-in loophole which has allowed some Short Term Let operators to continue operating even after refusal of planning permission from the Council and the Government alike.
Mandatory Condition 13 allows a licence to be in place and an operator to trade, as long as a planning application has been lodged. This means that operators can re-apply for planning permission after refusal, which has clagged up the Council’s system and caused confusion.
Liberal Democrat Councillors believe it would be far more sensible to require planning permission to be in place before a licence is granted.
At Thursday’s City of Edinburgh Council meeting, Lib Dem councillors are explicitly calling for that loophole to be closed and for the Council leader to write directly to the First Minister about the issue, after Scottish Government ministers have dismissed the concerns being raised by Edinburgh residents.
Commenting on the proposal, Regulatory Convenor Councillor Neil Ross said: “The primary purpose of Short Term Let regulation is to enhance safety.
“The system the Scottish Government have put in place has complicated matters and it’s been incredibly frustrating they’ve not listened to either Edinburgh residents or councillors who’ve repeatedly brought this loophole to their attention.”
Development-Management sub-committee convenor Councillor Hal Osler said “Regulation must be applied consistently.The current laws are hampering the Council’s ability to do this and assure residents that enforcement resources are being put in the right place.
“We’ll keep raising this issue until the Scottish Government allow Edinburgh to properly control Short Term Lets.”
Other items on a full Agenda today include the sudden closure of North Edinburgh Childcare (as things stand, NEC is set to close it’s doors for the final time tomorrow) and the impending eviction of arts and culture organisations from St Margaret’s House at Jock’s Lodge.
Thursday 29 October
Doors open and food sharing from 5.30pm (soup and bread served)
Screening starts at 6pm
Tickets: £2 (NEA Members) / £4 (General Admission)
Book via the link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/no-other-land-film…
