Latest declarations:
SOUTHSIDE/NEWINGTON: Burgess (Green), Perry (Lab) Rose (Con), Orr (SNP) elected.
LIBERTON/GILMERTON: Austin-Hart (Lab), Buchanan (SNP), B Cook (Lab), N Cook (Con) – too many cooks! – elected.
Unless I’ve missed something, only Portobello/Craigmillar to declare …
The election’s not been a total disaster for the Lib Dems – looks like the Lib Dem group can share a taxi home!
Latest declarations:
LEITH WALK: Chapman (Green), Blacklock (Lab), Brock (SNP), Gardiner (Lab) elected. LAB GAIN
CRAIGENTINNY/DUDDINGSTON: Griffiths (Lab), Lunn (Lab), Tymkewycz (SNP) elected. LAB GAIN
Labour and the SNP are now neck and neck on 14 seats each – Labour’s decision to stand two candidates in some wards has paid handsome dividends. The Green Party is on course for a best ever performance and can have a major say in the future direction of the new administration.
‘Red and green should never be seen’ is an old proverb – but would you bet against Labour and the Greens forming a minority administration?
The latest results from Meadowbank:
City Centre: Doran (Lab), Mowat (Con), Rankin (SNP) elected.
Meadows/Morningside: Godzik (Lab), Howat (SNP), Main (Green), McInnes (Con) elected.
By my reckoning the current tally is: SNP – 11, LAB – 9, CON – 8, GRN – 3, LD – 3 with seven wards still to be declared and 24 councillors to be elected.
Nearing the finishing line it looks as if our predictions have proved to be fairly accurate. Labour is on course to become the biggest party, the Greens are doing particularly well (currently neck and neck with the Lib Dems for number of seats on the new council) and the Lib-Dems have crashed spectacularly.
It’s not over yet, though – maybe there’s still time for a surprise or two.
Let us be among the first to congratulate new councillors Gavin Barrie (SNP) and Nigel Bagshaw (Green) in Inverleith and Vicky Redpath (Labour) in Forth Ward on their election victories. We’d like to point out that you can advertise your surgery times and all other important information in the NEN – your community newspaper!
Look forward to hearing from you!
It’s being reported that Edinburgh’s council leader Jenny Dawe has been ousted. More to follow …
Latest result:
Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart: Burns (Lab), Corbett (Green), Key (SNP).
State of play so far:
SNP – 10, LAB – 8, CON – 7, LD – 3, GRN – 2. Thirty councillors elected so far, 28 to go!
Latest declarations from Meadowbank:
Colinton/Fairmilehead: Aitken (Con), Lewis (SNP) and Rust (Con) elected. SNP GAIN
Sighthill/Gorgie: Dixon (SNP), Fullerton (SNP), Milligan (Lab) and Wilson (Lab) elected. SNP GAIN.
Inverleith Result:
Hinds (Lab), Barrie (SNP), Whyte (Con) and Bagshaw (Green) returned. GREEN GAIN
Elected in FORTH:
Cardownie (SNP), Day (Lab), Jackson (Con) and Redpath (Lab). LABOUR GAIN
A celebration has been held to mark the opening on 15 new affordable homes and a church centre in Boswall Parkway by Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA).
The Association bought the Granton United Church site in 2010 and was committed to providing a centre for a local congregation as part of its building plans. The development, built with £1m funding from the City of Edinburgh Council, has been shortlisted for a Scottish Home Award for Community Partnership of the Year.
There are two one-bedroom, 10 two-bedroom and three three-bedroom flats in the Boswall Parkway development . More than two-thirds of the properties feature solar thermal heating provided by panels located on the roof.
An opening ceremony was held at the Granton United Church last week and was attended by around 30 people including PoLHA representatives, contractors and tenants, as well as local MSP Malcolm Chisholm.
Cathy King, Head of Housing and Regeneration at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This development is a great example of the council and Port of Leith Housing Association working in partnership with the local community to deliver much-needed affordable homes. The existing building has now been transformed into 15 energy-efficient flats and a purpose-built church hall which everyone will be able to benefit from.”
Keith Anderson, Chief Executive of PoLHA, said: “This site, incorporating a church, is one that’s completely unique for us and we’re delighted to have been able to develop a centre as part of our plans. Creating communities in which people want to live is more than simply providing a roof over people’s heads: it’s providing good-quality, energy-efficient housing people are proud of, and it’s supporting individuals, families and local groups to help bring people together and be a community.”
Granton United Church has around 35 members. Treasurer Ted Wallace said: “The members all seem happy with the new centre and we’ve settled in.”
Resident Paula McVay added: “Our new home is great and we’re really happy with the energy-efficient measures.”
