Cramond & Barnton Community Litter Pick Weekend

CRAMOND and Barnton Community Council is involved in organising a local litter pick on the weekend of 22 and 23 April. Can you give up an hour or so to help to keep our community tidy?

Details in pic. Many thanks.

Cammo Meadows Jubilee Tree Planting

Staff from David Wilson Homes took part in a Jubilee Big Tree Plant at Cammo Meadows to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of The Queen’s reign, Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes has planted over 1,500 trees in communities across Britain.

The Jubilee Big Tree Plant saw the country’s largest housebuilder plant trees to recognise the Queen’s wish to create a legacy for future generations.

Douglas McLeod, Regional Managing Director, Scotland said “We wanted to recognise Her Majesty the Queens incredible service to the country and her communities by fulfilling Her Majesty’s wish to plant trees that improve the sustainability of the local environment.

“It was wonderful to bring together residents, staff and local community groups to mark the Queen’s Jubilee celebration.”

Barnton burglaries: arrested man to appear in court

A 31-year-old man has been charged with six offences related to housebreakings and theft.

Officers responded to a call from a member of the public in the Barnton area during the early hours of Tuesday morning (18 January) regarding suspicious activity.

Officers attended and arrested the man nearby. The charges relate to offences which took place between 15 and 18 January 2022.

The man will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.

Scottish Youth Parliament: Edinburgh elections results

The Scottish Youth Parliament election results 2021 were announced on Monday 22 November. Eleven new Members of the SYP will now represent young people in Edinburgh.

Ten of those elected are from state schools in the city, seven are young women and three are from a Black and Minority Ethnic background.

One remaining seat, in Northern and Leith, will be contested in the new year.

Edinburgh registered the highest number of expressions of interest in Scotland from potential candidates and fielded the most candidates (26) of any local authority.

We also achieved the highest voter turnout in Edinburgh since 2015, despite many of the usual campaigning activities being curtailed because of the pandemic.

Councillor Ellie Bird, Young People’s Champion, said: “I want to commend the astonishing achievements and contributions of all 26 candidates that stood across Edinburgh in the Scottish Youth Parliament election, and warmly welcome the eleven new MSYPs into our city’s elected member family.

“The success of this year’s election is a testament to the commitment and passion of everyone involved in prioritising the voice of young people, at a time when it’s never been more important.

“Due to the restricted access to schools, youth clubs and community centres, candidates have had to rely on their own ingenuity, creativity and sheer dogged persistence to get their message, and their vote, out.

“The determination that these young people have demonstrated in standing up for what they believe in by putting themselves forward for election and to be accountable to their electorate, especially during such a challenging period for young people, is nothing short of inspirational.

“I know they all have a lot to offer their communities and the causes they care about most, and I can’t wait to see what they do next and look forward to working with Edinburgh’s newest group of elected representatives to place young people at the heart of policy and decision making.”

For more information about the election and the successful candidates, please see @edinburghMSYPs

Veteran Dad shares words of wisdom ahead of Father’s Day

Residents at a care home have been sharing their favourite memories and most important piece of advice in advance of Father’s Day.

89-year-old Matthew Dunnigan, who resides at Cramond Residence in Edinburgh, has shared the advice he would like to pass to future generations of fathers is to treasure all of the time you have with your children and show them as much warmth, care and love as possible.

Matthew also shared one of the biggest perks of fatherhood is being able to socialise with his two children as they got older, adding: “When they were young, I was always Dad but when they grew up, I became a friend too, and that was very special”

Cramond Residence, where Matthew is currently a resident, will be putting on a dedicated Father’s Day spread, with tea, cakes and sandwiches, to help residents celebrate the special day in style, despite restrictions.

Take a stand for Lauriston Castle

Lauriston Castle is in danger from it’s Trustees who have mismanaged Lauriston Castle over many years, say Friends campaigners.

The castle and grounds were left to the Nation in 1926 by Mr & Mrs Reid. There are rooms in the Castle that the public have not been allowed to see contrary to Mr & Mrs Reid’s Will and Trust Deed.

There are treasures that the Trustees have allowed to significantly deteriorate/be damaged and not restored.

· why there is only £42,000 in the endowment fund when the Trustees were left the equivalent of over £2,000,000 and the potential to increase that amount?

· why over £190,000 of Council Taxpayers money is not recorded in the Lauriston Castle Trust Accounts?

· when are the Trustees going to restore Lauriston Castle Glasshouse (above) and other historic monuments?

· when are the Trustees going to restore the grounds to their former glory envisaged by the donors, Mr & Mrs Reid?

A stand needs to be made to restore Lauriston Castle to it’s rightful glory.

To this end you may wish to join Friends of Lauriston Castle where you can have your say and hear of action that needs to be taken:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/787704665301389

David Wilson Homes expand luxury homes offering in Edinburgh

Helping to meet the increasing demand for luxurious, five-star quality homes, David Wilson Homes is expanding its offering in the capital with two new developments.

The housebuilder – part of Barratt Developments – is set to launch an entirely new development at Cammo Meadows this winter and it has just unveiled its final phase of development at the popular DWH @ Heritage Grange site.

Cammo Meadows is an attractive suburb to the north-west of Edinburgh and David Wilson Homes will be building a range of award-winning one, two and three-bedroom apartments and three and four-bedroom terraced and detached homes.

Located close to the Cammo Estate and Cramond Beach, the development offers an abundance of outdoor space, a network of cycle paths and walkways and consciously designed roads to ensure it’s the perfect location for families.

Each David Wilson property is being designed with modern life in mind and features flexible features, open-plan rooms and bright, airy and luxurious spaces.

Anne Ross, sales director at Barratt East Scotland, said: “Cammo Meadows is a beautiful location and the perfect place for us to expand into and over even more buyers the opportunity to invest in a David Wilson home. We already received lots of positive interest from prospective buyers and when we launch this winter, we look forward to seeing them on site.”

Located on the south side of the capital, Heritage Grange is a growing community just 15-minutes from the city centre. The final phase of homes has just launched at DWH @ Heritage Grange and included the four-bedroom ‘Dalmally’.

From £421,995, this property has all the space and features a growing family could need. With a generously-sized open-plan kitchen with dining and living area, to a large separate lounge and four double bedrooms upstairs, it’s perfect for buyers looking to invest in a home which will last a lifetime.

Selected properties at DWH @ Heritage Grange are eligible for the housebuilder’s ‘Movemaker’ scheme. Taking the hassle out of buying and selling, Movemaker means that David Wilson Homes can help arrange the sale of an existing property and even pay the estate agent fees.

For more details on the range of homes available at Cammo Meadows or DWH @ Heritage Grange, visit the David Wilson Homes website.

£1.2 million to support bus priority measures

More than £1.2m in funding has been awarded to local authorities in the south east of Scotland for emergency measures to prioritise public transport.

Transport Scotland has allocated the funding from its £10m Bus Priority Rapid Deployment Fund, which will support temporary changes to improve bus journey times and reliability on some of the region’s most congested routes.

A package of interventions has been developed by the South East Scotland Transport Transition Group, which involves Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian, Fife, Scottish Borders, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire councils.

These aim to encourage and incentivise bus travel as an attractive, sustainable mode of transport as lockdown restrictions are lifted and traffic begins to return to previous levels.

Amongst proposals are the introduction or extension of bus lanes including on the A90 citybound between Cramond Brig and Barnton and on the A89 eastbound approach to Newbridge, various signalling improvements for smoother flow of traffic and enhanced bus stops at key locations.

Led by the City of Edinburgh Council, the South East Scotland Transport Transition Group has worked with bus operators and SEStran to develop the measures, which it is estimated could reduce journey times by up to 12 minutes in some areas.

The City of Edinburgh Council’s Transport and Environment Vice Convener Councillor Karen Doran said: “This funding award is extremely welcome and demonstrates the value of months of close partnership working between neighbouring local authorities, bus operators and SEStran.

“The way we travel has significantly changed over recent months and it’s clear commuting patterns won’t be returning to ‘normal’ anytime soon. This funding allows us to quickly prioritise public transport into and around the region, improving bus journey times and making bus travel a reliable, attractive mode of transport as restrictions are eased.”

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson said: “I’m pleased that passengers across the south east of Scotland will soon experience the benefits of these temporary bus priority infrastructure measures. These measures will remove pinch points and keep buses moving, resulting in faster end to end journeys.

“We know that in some cases, bus passengers have fewer alternative travel options, and so it’s right that buses are prioritised to help improve journey times and reliability across congested routes.

“While these measures will help make bus journey times faster on pinch points and undoubtedly makes bus travel more attractive, let’s continue to leave public transport for those that need it most.

“Walk, wheel or cycle where possible and use temporary active travel infrastructure which helps with physical distancing. Plan ahead if using public transport to help manage demand.

“By thinking about how and when we travel – collectively, we can keep Scotland moving during the COVID-19 crisis.”

Changes will be implemented using Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders and engagement with local stakeholders will be carried out before any proposals are put in place.

Detailed designs and additional traffic modelling work are ongoing, with further information on the next steps for each of the schemes to be made available in the coming weeks.

The Bus Priority Rapid Deployment Fund was announced by Transport Scotland in July and aims to provide immediate relief to some of the most congested bus routes in line with the Scottish Government’s route map through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Full list of proposed measures:

  • Citybound A90 bus lane from Cramond Brig to Barnton 
  • Extension of westbound bus lane on Hillhouse Road towards Blackhall
  • Optimisation of Blackhall bus priority scheme
  • Temporary bus lane on A89 eastbound approach to Newbridge
  • Temporary bus lane on A8 westbound approach to Newbridge from airport on-slip
  • Short temporary bus lane on citybound approach to Maybury 
  • Temporarily lengthen bus stop at Drum Brae Roundabout and increase waiting bays
  • Full/part signalisation of Riccarton Mains Road roundabout at Hermiston to aid bus access and egress from Park & Ride
  • Temporary kerb build out in bus stops e.g. North Bridge and South Bridge, Bathgate and in Uphall and Broxburn
  • Use layby areas as passenger waiting areas and temporary kerbs in Mid Calder on Bank Street
  • Extended bus lane operating hours on A71 heading towards Hermiston Park & Ride site
  • A70 westbound bus lane on approach to Gillespie Crossroads
  • Introduction of temporary traffic signals at Melville Dykes Rd/B704 Hillhead junction (Lasswade) give more priority to A7 and A6106 approaches
  • Gilmerton crossroads – parking restrictions on approaches to junction
  • Changed signal timings and yellow box markings at Straiton junction to aid entry of traffic to the junction from B702 Loanhead Road
  • Introduction of continuous bus lane on A701 southbound approach to Kaimes Crossroads
  • Introduction of bus lane on Captain’s Road westbound approach to Kaimes Crossroads
  • Extension of northbound bus lane on Duddingston Park (A6106) northbound approach to Milton Road (A1)
  • Bus lane on Linkfield Road between racecourse and Musselburgh High Street
  • Parking/waiting restrictions on Prestonpans and/or Tranent High Streets to ease congestion and reduce delays to buses
  • Split bus stop outside Musselburgh Police Station into two stops.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Support in North Edinburgh

Local organisations have put together a booklet listing mental health & wellbeing support services in North Edinburgh (see below).

If you need support call the new Community Wellbeing Helpline on 0131 332 8773.