Category: Blackhall

Covid Delta: Let’s Stick Together

Council Leaders have called on Edinburgh citizens to stick together and continue the effort to halt the spread of Covid cases in the Capital.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday that it was highly likely restrictions would not be eased down to Level Zero from 28 June when the latest roadmap plans are confirmed next week, with cases of the Delta variant continuing to rise rapidly across the country. The expected postponement of this relaxation would, she said, allow time for vaccinations to keep ahead of the virus so that more and more people in Scotland have the highest possible protection against Covid19.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We all desperately want life to get back to normality again and it’s always frustrating when easing restrictions needs to be slowed down or paused. Cases are rising fast, though, so it’s vital we stick together on this, because collective action is how we’ll reap the rewards for all of us.

“We really need to double down our efforts now to keep the virus in check. That means getting tested or testing yourself regularly and coming for your vaccination when you’re called for it, especially the crucial second dose.

“It’s also about continuing to follow the all-important FACTS guidance that will limit the chances of person-to-person transmission, especially if you’re meeting up with more people now than in recent weeks and months. And, in the unfortunate event you do test positive, you have to self-isolate at home – remember, there’s financial support and help available if you need it.

“I want to reiterate my sincere thanks to everyone in the city who’s worked so hard to help us jointly tackle this horrendous pandemic. Your commitment, sacrifices and perseverance have been inspiring in what’s been a very, very difficult 15 months. We need to keep digging deep now to help vaccinations win the race against the virus.”

Depute Council Leader Cammy Day said: “We’re making it as easy as possible to get yourself tested, even if you don’t have symptoms. As many as one in three Covid cases never result in symptoms, so any of us could be carrying it at any time, and you’ll only know if you take a test.

“Pop into one of our community test centres – no appointment’s needed – or order some home testing kits online so you can test yourself regularly as recommended.

“You can also collect the free, rapid lateral flow testing kits at our McDonald Road Library and Blackhall Library test centres this week and keep an eye on our dedicated community testing web page to find out where the centres are each week as we work to locate them in areas where cases are particularly high or rising.

“If we can pick up and isolate more cases, more quickly, then we’ll be able to prevent the virus from spreading further in our communities. Breaking the chain of transmission not only keeps more people safe from the risk of illness but will help us get things under control so we can ease restrictions even further.”

A mobile testing centre, run jointly with the Scottish Ambulance Service, will be open at Heart of Midlothian Football Club from Thursday 17 to Wed 23 June, close to the Wheatfield Stand on the corner of Wheatfield Place and Wheatfield Street.

The centre will offer PCR tests for people without symptoms and will be open for walk-in appointments from 10am to 6pm daily.

Ann Park, Hearts’ Director for Communities and Partnerships said: “Heart of Midlothian is delighted to host the walk-up COVID 19 testing facility at our Wheatfield Street entrance at Tynecastle Park from Thursday 17 June. 

“The Club is pleased to support this vital community service, which will help in efforts to reach Level Zero more quickly.”

Community test centres are open for people with no COVID-19 symptoms at:

  • Blackhall Library from Monday 7 to Sunday 20 June 9am-6pm [test pick-up available]
  • McDonald Road Library from Monday 14 June to Saturday 26 June 9am-6pm [test pick-up available]
  • Mobile Testing Unit, North West Locality office, 8 West Pilton Gardens until Sunday 20 June 9am-6pm [test pick-up available]
  • Mobile Testing Unit, Scottish Water, 55 Buckstone Terrace, from Monday 14 June until Friday 18 June  10am-6pm [test pick-up available]
  • Mobile Testing Unit, Heart of Midlothian Football Club, Wheatfield Stand, from Thursday 17 June to Wednesday 23 June 10am-6pm
  • Gilmerton Library from Monday 21 June to Saturday 26 June 9am-6pm [test pick-up available]
  • Wester Hailes Library from Monday 21 June to Saturday 26 June 9am-6pm [test pick-up available]

Blackhall Library to open as temporary Covid testing centre

Blackhall Library will re-open as a COVID 19 testing centre next week (Monday 7th – Sunday 13th June).

Opening hours are 9am – 6pm. This is a drop in, just turn up service specifically for those people showing no symptoms.

It’s been a while … Inverleith Neighbourhood Network to meet next week

The next meeting of the Inverleith Neighbourhood Network will be on Wednesday 31st March from 6 – 8pm.

Agenda is below: 

  1. Minute of meeting – 210120
  2. Role of Chair / Rep of the NN 
  3. Communications within NN 
  4. Inverleith NN Greenspace priority – how do we take this forward and are there any other local priorities to be considered.
  5. Revised LIP (Locality Improvement Plan) priorities – update from LCPP (Local Community Planning Partnership)
  6. Poverty Commission – update from LCPP

The meeting will take place online using Microsoft Teams.

Joan Beattie, Inverleith community representative on the North West Locality Community Planning Partnership ( LCPP), said: “Our Neighbourhood Network is having a Team’s meeting on 31st March starting at 6pm to discuss among other things how to take forward our priority ‘MAKING THE MOST OF OUR GREEN SPACES’.  ​

“This was chosen as our priority in the last meeting before Covid restrictions but has proved to be even more important given the use of our green spaces over the last year.   

“I would really like to hear all of your views on this to feed into the next LCPP meeting and to let you know how I think it could be linked to the Local Improvement Plan.

I really hope you are all able to make the meeting but if that’s not, please pass on your ideas.”

For further information contact:

Elaine Lennon

North West Lifelong Learning Development Officer, City of Edinburgh Council

8 West Pilton Gardens, Edinburgh, EH4 4DP

Tel: 0131 529 5270 / 35270

Email: Elaine.Lennon@edinburgh.gov.uk

An update from Sainsbury’s Chief Executive Simon Roberts

With tighter restrictions and national lockdowns back in place, I want to reassure you that we are doing everything we can to keep you and our colleagues safe when you shop with us (writes Sainsbury’s Chief Executive SIMON ROBERTS).

Everyone must wear a mask in our stores

Keeping you and our colleagues safe is our absolute priority and we are looking again at all of our safety measures in stores.

We continue to limit the number of people in our shops at any one time and we have greeters outside every supermarket to help with this.

We are also asking all customers to please wear a mask and to shop alone. This will help us limit the number of people shopping at any one time and help everyone shop and work safely.

We’ll also have posters and tannoy messages making it really clear that everyone must wear a mask, unless you have an exemption.

Convenience stores will also have colleagues at the store entrances to help customers and manage numbers. All our stores have hand sanitising stations available for you to use at the entrance and please be assured our colleagues continue to regularly clean trolleys and baskets.

Ramping up online capacity

As people are being asked to stay at home, more people want to shop online and we’re doing everything we can to support you with this. We have increased slots from 340,000 last March to over 800,000 per week now and we’re doing everything we can to increase that number, across both home delivery and click and collect. We continue to give elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers priority access to these slots.

Please shop for others and only buy what you need

We have good availability of products in our stores and online and we have new stock arriving from our suppliers every day. You can still feel confident that you can find what you need at Sainsbury’s and if we all continue to buy just what we need, there will be enough food for everyone.

It’s been really heartening to see so many of you and our colleagues doing what you can to help elderly and vulnerable people in your communities. With clinically extremely vulnerable people required to shield once again in many areas, I would like to encourage everyone to please shop for others if you can. Our Volunteer Shopping Card can help you do this without needing to use cash.

Supporting our communities

With your help, our ‘Help Brighten a Million Christmases’ campaign raised nearly £6 million for over 800 local charitable partners as well as Comic Relief and FareShare. Thank you for all of your support and donations.

To continue to support our communities as we head into this third lockdown, I’m pleased to let you know that we’re creating another £1 million local community fund for all our stores to donate to charities and other good causes in their local area over the coming months.

We are also continuing to support the government’s free school meal vouchers scheme, helping children who qualify for free school meals have access to these meals while schools are closed.

I want to thank all of our colleagues who continue to deal with these challenges that affect their everyday lives while also carrying out a vital role in helping to feed the nation. Thank you too for helping us to keep you and our colleagues safe.

As always, if there is anything you think we could be doing better please let me know.

Best wishes

Simon

Drive-through flu vaccination clinics open in Edinburgh

Drive-through clinics have been opened by the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (EHSCP) in Edinburgh this weekend to make it as quick, safe and easy as possible for people to get their flu vaccine.

The clinics will continue to operate on weekends in October and November and each site can vaccinate up to 500 people a day.

As well as over 65s, pregnant people and those at risk due to existing health conditions, this year unpaid carers and those who lived with people who shielded during lockdown will be offered a free flu jab.

By developing flu drive throughs, everyone entitled to a free flu vaccine from a household can attend at the same time. For those who don’t have access to a car, a series of walk through clinics are being arranged and Edinburgh locations will be available on the NHS Inform website once confirmed.

Keeping the people of Edinburgh safe and healthy is a priority, so before the jab is administered, a nurse will ask some questions to make sure it is safe to administer the vaccine. The person receiving the jab doesn’t need to leave their car and will also be asked to wait 15 minutes before leaving the clinic to ensure there’s no reaction to the vaccine.

If you are eligible for a free flu vaccine, or for more information, go to www.nhsinform.scot/flu to find out where you can get your jab in Edinburgh. If you qualify for a free vaccine you’ll be given a time to attend a clinic after completing a short questionnaire.

Judith Proctor, Chief Officer for the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “As part of our mission to support a caring, healthier and safer Edinburgh, we’re committed to making it even easier to get a flu vaccine this year. The flu vaccine is an important health protection measure and we want to make sure that everyone who is eligible has access to the vaccine.

“To keep the people of Edinburgh safe, and to respect physical distancing measures, we have confirmed a range of Edinburgh venues to offer access to the flu vaccine, including a drive through service at sites across the city. This is the first time a drive through model has been used for vaccinations in Scotland, and could provide a blueprint for how to deliver vaccination programmes successfully in the future.

“Details of where people can go to receive a flu vaccine will be available on the NHS Inform website.”

Blackhall Medical Centre, Muirhouse Medical Group, Crewe Medical Centre and Davidson’s Mains Medical Centre patients will be directed to a walk-through facility at Pennywell All Care Centre or the drive-through at Scottish Gas HQ on Granton waterfront.

Police seek witnesses to Blackhall assault

Police are appealing for information following an assault of a 14 year old boy at a bus stop on Marischal Place in Blackhall. The incident occurred around 6pm on Friday evening (25th September).

Police are appealing for witnesses and any dash cam footage of the assault.

The suspect is described as a white male, 5ft 7, aged 18 – 20, pale complexion, short dark hair, wearing a white / grey tracksuit top, black bottoms, black Nike trainers and a cross shoulder bag.

Anyone with details should contact “101” quoting ref 3027 of 25/9/20 or contact PC Ross Deedie at Drylaw Police Station.

Teenager robbed at knifepoint in Blackhall

Police are appealing for information after a 14-year-old boy was robbed at knifepoint in Blackhall.

The incident happened just after 9pm on Monday, 14 September, when the teenager was walking through a wooded area to the south of Ravelston Park, near to Blackhall Lawn Tennis Club.

There was a group of youths around a small campfire and three boys approached him. One suspect threatened the victim with a knife and took his mobile phone. Fortunately the victim wasn’t physically injured.

The first suspect is described as around 16-years-old, around 5ft 10in tall, skinny build, clean shaven with short brown hair and his right ear pierced. He was wearing a dark bomber jacket and camouflage pattern tracksuit bottoms.

The second suspect is described as around the same age and height, stocky build, clean shaven with ear length ginger hair. He was also wearing a dark bomber jacket.

The third suspect is described as around the same age and height, medium build with dark hair.

Detective Sergeant Mark McGraw, of Corstorphine CID, said: “We’re appealing to anyone who has any information about this incident or witnessed it to contact us.

“It appears it was completely unprovoked and we’re asking for the public’s help to identify those involved. Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 3667 of 14 September.”

£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.