Green cash boost for Botanic Gardens

The Botanic Gardens is to receive £1.5 million to replace ageing glasshouses, Finance Secretary John Swinney announced today. The money is part of a £26 million investment package of which will lead to a greener Scotland.

The money supports renewable energy and low-carbon projects, as well as projects which will help people enjoy Natural Scotland, and comes as part of an overall £105 million package of economic stimulus announced by Mr Swinney last month.

The Scottish Government has repeatedly called on the UK Government to provide resources for capital investment in order to support economic recovery. The projects funded can be taken forward quickly and will support jobs and investment.

The £26 million will go to the following projects which will support Scotland’s environment:

£2.8 million to the Green Bus Fund, to further support the wider roll out of low-carbon buses across Scotland.
£800,000 to the Rutherglen Low Carbon Zone.
£2 million for plant and estate improvements at Arnish Yard.
£16 million for other renewable energy projects.
£700,000 to accelerate the upgrade of visitor facilities at David Marshall Lodge, Aberfoyle.
£500,000 to upgrade visitor facilities at Queen’s View, Perthshire (pictured below).
£1.8 million to improve visitor facilities within the National Parks.
£1.5 million to commence replacement of ageing glasshouses at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh (above).

Finance Secretary John Swinney said: “Scotland’s astounding natural resources are recognised throughout the world, and I am pleased that this funding will support a suite of projects which will help us to take proper advantage of these resources to deliver economic growth for the Scottish people.

“Careful stewardship of Scotland’s resources has allowed us both to identify funding for these capital projects, and to ensure that Scotland’s environment will continue to be an economic and natural asset to be enjoyed for generations to come. The funding for renewable energy and low-carbon projects will help us to capitalise on our world-leading expertise in this area to support jobs and attract further investment. And as we look ahead to next year’s Year of Natural Scotland we will support a number of projects in our National Parks and through the Forestry Commission and Botanic Gardens which will enhance facilities for visitors.”

Weather warning – more heavy rain expected

The Met Office has upgraded a weather warning of more heavy rain for many parts of eastern Scotland, with an amber warning for Wednesday centring on Edinburgh with up to 50mm of rain possible. The Met Office said that there is still uncertainty about the exact areas which would be affected but localised flooding is likely.

The warning of further heavy rain comes just days after torrential rain caused flooding in many parts of the city including Stockbridge, Cramond and Warriston.

Environmental protection agency SEPA has issued an amber flood alert for Edinburgh and Lothians. In a statement on the organisation’s website, residents are warned:

‘Persistent rain is expected to affect the area from Tuesday through to Wednesday evening. River levels are expected to rise in response to this rain and may cause some flooding from rivers from later on Wednesday morning. There is particular concern for the East Lothian area.

SEPA duty officers will monitor the situation and update as further information becomes available.

Remain vigilant and remember, it is your responsibility to take actions which help protect yourself and your property. Advice and information is available through Floodline on 0845 9881188. This FLOOD ALERT is now in force until further notice and was sent by phone and sms free of charge to registered customers of our Floodline direct warning service. If you haven’t already signed up to receive free flood messages, please call Floodline on 0845 988 1188 or register online at sepa.org.uk/floodingsignup.’

Last month was the dullest and wettest June since records began over a century ago and, with wet weather forecast to continue, it’s already looking likely that July will follow June into the record books.

The scientific explanation for the worst summer on record is that the jet stream is further south than it should be at this time of year – over France and Spain, meaning Britain is under a blanket of low pressure on the northern side of it. That brings depressions, resulting in the record rainfall levels we’re currently experiencing.

Grant Stott to open community gala

West Pilton and Muirhouse Gala organisers have announced that Forth One’s Grant Stott will be opening the event at West Pilton Park on Sunday 26 August.

In a statement on their website, the committee said: ‘We have just had confirmation that Forth One’s Grant Stott is going to come and officially open the first West Pilton & Muirhouse Community Gala Day. The committee are very excited at having the “puss on a bus” main man come down and charm all the locals with some punchy one liners and give out some prizes!’

All stall spaces have now been booked for the big day; as the organisers say: ‘All we need now is some sunshine and some people!’

To keep up to date with how Gala planning is progressing, visit the group’s website at www.westpiltonandmuirhousegala.co.uk

Legionella latest

No new cases have been confirmed in the Edinburgh Legionnaires’ outbreak for the sixth day in a row. The total number of confirmed cases remains at 50, the number of suspected cases is 49 and the total number of overall cases remains at 99.

At noon yesterday, of those cases being treated in hospital, there were two patients in intensive care and seven on general wards. Twenty cases are being treated in the community, 59 have been discharged from hospital and three people have sadly died.

Ten cases are being treated outwith the NHS Lothian area. The ages of the confirmed cases ranges between 32 and 85, with more males than females affected.

Investigations into the source and cause of the outbreak continue. Lothian and Borders Police and the Health and Safety Executive are jointly investigating the circumstances of the deaths under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) Health and Safety Division.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am pleased to see that no further cases have emerged for the sixth day in a row, and the evidence continues to suggest that the outbreak has peaked. NHS Lothian are maintaining high quality care for patients who remain unwell and work to identify and deal with the source of the outbreak continues.”

NHS Lothian

Extreme weather safety advice from Lothian Fire and Rescue Service

Firefighters and control room operators faced a busy weekend as much of the Lothians and Borders experienced torrential rain showers and several flood warnings were in place.

With the rain looking set to continue, Alex Hume, Community Safety Group Commander for the Service said: “The extreme weather has been keeping the emergency services across the country very busy, and our crews are no exception. Our firefighters are trained to perform rescues in flood situations and have done so commendably over the past days. The Service’s control room personnel have also coped well handling an increased volume of calls.

“As the rain continues to fall, we would advise residents to follow our flood safety advice. Avoid entering floodwater whenever possible, whether you are in your vehicle or on foot, as there may be hazards you can’t see such as displaced manhole covers, and it’s almost impossible to tell how deep the water gets. Try to avoid contact with floodwater as it could be contaminated with sewage and bear in mind, electricity passes easily through water. For further advice please visit our website: www.lbfire.org.uk.”

PEP Summer Fayre cancelled

Pilton Equalities Project’s summer fayre has been cancelled. Organisers took an early decision to cancel Thursday’s event after the weekend weather – and the threat of more rain to come.

PEP summer fayre organiser Theodora Hildago explained: “Due to the adverse weather conditions PEP’s fayre venue at West Pilton Park has become waterlogged, With the Fayre being so large and with the promise if yet more rain to come, PEP has taken the difficult decision to cancel the Thursday 12 July summer fayre. We hope to instead hold an event later on in the year and will be in contact with more details as soon as we have them. All table holders will be contacted and we thank everyone for their interest in supporting PEP and the local community of North Edinburgh. May the rain stop soon!”

Sunnier days – pictures from PEP Summer Fayre 2010:

Scottish Gas staff dig deep to support local charity

Scottish Gas staff came to the aid of a local food bank recently when they collected tins and packets of food for the Basics Bank based at The Christian Centre in West Pilton. In these tough economic times more and more people need a helping hand and the Scottish Gas team’s efforts have ensured that the local food bank – which relies on charitable donations – remains well stocked.

Angie Lumsden of Scottish Gas explained: “Over recent years we have had a big campaign to support Edinburgh Womens Aid with our Easter Egg appeal – this year we collected over 300 eggs, many of which were distributed through local projects here in North Edinburgh. We decided we would build on that and, after speaking to Forth councillor Cammy Day, we decided to collect foodstuffs for the local food bank run by Edinburgh City Mission in West Pilton.”

The response from Waterfront Avenue staff was overwhelming, donations rolled in and when Tom and Mark from the Basics Bank called in to uplift the collection they were overwhelmed!

“A donation like this will feed 25 families for a month. It’s incredible and very much appreciated”, said Tom. Mark added: “Scottish Gas staff have been so generous and this will make a big difference to people’s lives. It’s a great help.”

Angie added: “We couldn’t have done this without the help and support of our Wellbeing Team, who have been great. I’d like to think we could do something like this maybe twice a year”.

Tom and Mark are flanked in the photograph by Scottish Gas staff Steve and Ross.

Fighting Back: local campaigners take case to City Council

Council will work with campaigners to tackle poverty

The city council have pledged to work with community groups to address poverty and inequalities. Councillors made their commitment after hearing a deputation of campaigners from North Edinburgh at last month’s full council meeting.The North Edinburgh activists presented councillors with individual copies of the community’s Anti-Poverty Charter at the council meeting on 28 June. The idea for Charter was born at a community conference held in Craigroyston High School late last year, and campaigners urged councillors to adopt the Charter’s principles in a united fight against poverty and deprivation. In a joint deputation members of North Edinburgh Fights Back and North Edinburgh Women’s Group told councillors that more needs to be done at all levels of government to address social injustice and tackle the scourge of poverty.

John Mulvey told the meeting: “North Edinburgh Fights Back is definitely not ‘The Big Society’. It’s not very often that I align myself with bishops, but I can only agree with the Bishop of Canterbury when he describes David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ as ‘aspirational waffle’.

He went on: “The demands are not unique to North Edinburgh and indeed apply to communities across Scotland. However the Charter calls upon you as the local authority to do specific things and to team up with groups like North Edinburgh Fights Back to engage with institutions like, for example, the energy companies to put pressure on them to respond positively to the aims of the Charter.” John Mulvey concluded: “Can we afford it? The real question is can we afford not to? If we can afford to spend billions and billions on a replacement for Trident, and more billions and billions on tax breaks for the rich, clearly for a decent society for all of our citizens the demands laid out in the Charter must be addressed.”

Danielle Ward of North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum demanded an end to Workfare and called for more opportunities for young people in training, education and employment while veteran campaigner Tony Delahoy made ‘five moderate requests’ on behalf of older people.

Cathy Ahmed of Muirhouse Women’s Group demanded an end to cuts that hit the poorest families hardest and there were further calls for action to tackle fuel poverty and social housing shortages.The wide-ranging charter has sections on Young People, Senior Citizens, Women, Living Wage and Employment Rights, Privatisation and Education, Fuel Poverty and Housing and Racism.

That’s quite a comprehensive shopping list, but the council agreed a motion from Forth councillor Cammy Day to ‘commend the highly successful community conference organised by the groups, specifically in regards to highlighting poverty, inequality of fuel poverty. Council welcomes the Ant-Poverty Charter and agrees to work with these groups in addressing poverty and inequalities’. Leith Walk Labour councillor Nick Gardner invited the deputation to come back in five years to see how the council has performed on it’s pledges, but it’s likely that the North Edinburgh Fights Back campaigners will be back long before then! Cathy Ahmed said after the meeting: “Five years? We could a’ be deid by then! We hope that this council will take our community’s demands seriously and act now – we’re sick of politicians’ broken promises and actions speak louder than words”.

Murray mania! (NEN jumps on bandwagon)

I’ve tried to find a link – however tenuous – between North Edinburgh and Andy Murray, but without success. I’ve been unable to track down a distant cousin in West Granton or long-lost former playing partner in Pilton.

However Murray’s mum Judy definitely played tennis in Edinburgh (at Blackhall, Barnton or St Serf’s maybe?) and Andy must occasionally drive through the area on his way to Easter Road, so the NEN is proud to adopt Andy Murray as one of our own – unless he gets beat, of course, in which case you will never again read his name again on these pages – or until next year, anyway!

Dunblane’s finest will become either the greatest Briton since Winston Churchill – or revert to being a sulking, miserable, surly Scottish loser – depending on this afternoon’s result.

The crushing weight of the nation’s expectations sit on Murray’s shoulders, but Britons always win at Wimbledon in Jubilee Years – it’s the law!

Come on, Andy – it’s your destiny!

Waters subside but flood warnings remain in place

Stockbridge, Cramond and Warriston were among the areas hardest hit by flooding today, and at 9pm SEPA flood warnings remain in place for those areas and Roseburn.

Around forty homes in the Stockbridge colonies were affected by flooding from the Water of Leith. The city council’s Flood Prevention team worked with emergency services to provide sandbags to affected households and Stockbridge Primary School was set up as a standby rest and information centre.

River levels are now dropping and rain has eased, but light rain is forecast to continue overnight.

Anyone with concerns about flooding should contact the Council’s Emergency Contact Centre on 0131 200 2000 and you can get information on flood alerts by calling the SEPA Floodline on 0845 988 1188.