LAST Saturday (25 March), 25 different organisations and hundreds of staff arrived bright & early at the Scottish Government Building, Victoria Quay, for our Emergency Services Open Day.
The day’s focus was to bring the community together with our emergency & other public services, as well as local charities and partner agencies, to acknowledge the vital role that we all play in community cohesion.
Some partners started early with Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team & Border Search and Rescue Unit travelling from the Scottish Borders. The Ministry of Defence Police came from HM Naval Base Clyde.
We had a #CHASHospice Stormtrooper & Spiderman entertaining us throughout the day. Lothian Buses brought a bus popular with big and little kids alike! Close contenders for the most popular attraction were the fire engines provided by the fire service & International Fire & Rescue Association.
Local charities on site included St Columba’s Hospice Care, Macmillan Cancer Support, St Andrew’s First Aid, British Red Cross, Scottish Charity Air Ambulance & Blood Bikes Scotland. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency had an impressive display of rescue kit.
Specialist police units included Police Scotland’s Operational Support Unit, Armed Policing, Police Partnerships, Wildlife Crime & British Transport Police – Scotland. The Civil Nuclear Constabulary came from Torness Power Station.
Local units from The Army in Scotland & 603 (City of Edinburgh) RAF Squadron supported our event. They provided everything from an ambulance through to a large army lorry.
Rapid Relief Team UK served an incredible 2000 free delicious meals and hot drinks during the event to both event staff and visitors.
In total, we welcomed close to 4000 people through the gates of our event.
A big thank you to our sponsors who helped make this event happen: The Scottish Government, Places for People Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Scottish Ambulance Service & The City of Edinburgh Council
‘I felt that Deidre was listening to us and shared our concerns’
Edinburgh North and Leith constituents met with their MP Deidre Brock at Stockbridge Library as part of the nationwide Warm This Winter mass lobby yesterday.
Four constituents spoke to Deidre Brock MP during her surgery hours, and other locals and volunteers from Greenpeace Edinburgh came along to support the campaign for Government-funded insulation, investment in renewable energy and further assistance for vulnerable households during the cost of living crisis.
Volunteers also delivered messages written to Deidre Brock by her constituents over the past few weeks. This event was one of more than 80 taking place across the UK this spring [1].
Ian, a constituent from Leith said: ‘People from Edinburgh North and Leith met Deidre Brock MP in Stockbridge on Friday and shared the messages we’ve collected from other local people about how they are experiencing the cost of living crisis and that they want solutions such as home insulation.
“I felt that Deidre was listening to us and shared our concerns. I voiced my exacerbation at the UK’s woeful record on insulating households – and she was very much in agreement. Deidre also provided helpful advice on an individual basis as to where we could go to access more support to deal with high fuel costs and insulate our leaky properties.
‘We’re really pleased that, at the meeting, Deidre Brock MP pledged to call for the expansion of Government-funded home insulation schemes, heat pump installation, more investment in renewable energy, and further support for vulnerable households with their energy bills.
“We look forward to hearing from her soon about how they’re pushing for the Energy Bill to work for the constituents of Edinburgh North and Leith and make our homes warmer and bills cheaper.’ [2]
The recent Spring Statement failed to commit any new money to keep homes warm, and the Government’s promised ‘Green Day’ [3] (30th March) turned into yet another failure on climate action.
Greenpeace Edinburgh volunteers are calling for £5.3bn in new cash for home insulation, £14bn of emergency support for households struggling with bills, and £3.3bn to roll out cheap, clean heating in our homes to get the UK off gas once and for all.
We also need to triple renewable energy by 2030, and stop new oil and gas extraction. The Energy Bill is the next opportunity to legislate for these measures and build a secure energy future, with cheaper bills and warmer, greener homes.
Map showing events organised in constituencies for the Warm This Winter mass lobby.
JOIN McDonald Road Library this Saturday 1 April 2023 for their Big #BookSale and Family Fun Day!
There’ll be #Bookbug sessions, an extended Lego Club, a sensory storytelling for toddlers and their grown-ups from Once Upon A Raindrop, competitions, crafts and more!
Work will soon begin on a scheme to create safer, more welcoming places to walk, wheel, cycle and spend time in Leith, the city council has announced.
The first phase of Leith Connections will introduce measures to limit through traffic and enhance streets for pedestrians and people cycling in areas around Constitution Street, Leith Links and the Shore.
Construction will begin in the week commencing 10 April and is expected to last until late June. Amongst the changes are improved pedestrian crossings, planting and seating in newly created pedestrian spaces, community-inspired artwork and pavement decluttering.
This is alongside new traffic layouts in several of the streets to prioritise people travelling by foot, wheel or bike. These include the closure of Sandport Place Bridge to motor traffic, bus gates at the Shore and Links Place and modal filters to prevent through traffic in some areas.
All residential and business properties will still be accessible by motor vehicle, while blue badge parking will be unaffected. Full details are available on the Leith Connections website.
Leith Connections designs draw from two years of engagement with the community and local stakeholders, encompassing online co-design workshops, public drop-in sessions and focused meetings. Some of the measures, those to the east of the Shore, will be implemented on a trial basis under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO).
The project is being funded through Places for Everyone, an active travel infrastructure programme funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Sustrans.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “Leith Connections is a really exciting opportunity to create safer, more welcoming spaces to walk, wheel and cycle in Leith, as well as for spending time with friends or visiting local businesses.
“These changes have drawn on feedback from the community, as well as the Council’s own monitoring. They will also provide better connections to popular walking and cycling routes nearby, like the north Edinburgh path network and the Water of Leith walkway and soon, protected cycle lanes on Leith Walk, delivered as part of the Trams to Newhaven project.
“The team has drawn up a robust monitoring and evaluation plan so that once it’s in place, they can understand the benefits and impacts of Leith Connections. I look forward to hearing what the community thinks too, as part of the ETRO process. I shall be watching this installation closely as I am keen to see more schemes like this in Edinburgh.
Michael Melton, Grant Manager at Sustrans, said: “We are pleased to be working with City of Edinburgh Council to make Leith a safer and more accessible place to walk, wheel, cycle and spend time. The Leith Connections project has been shaped by the local community, with changes including new traffic layouts, improved pedestrian crossings and community-inspired artwork.
Officers will closely monitor the impact of the project through automatic traffic counts, air quality monitoring, market research and focus groups. Information gathered will feed into recommendations for the future of the project.
Further phases of Leith Connections will deliver protected cycle lanes running from the Foot of the Walk to Ocean Terminal (delivered in parallel to the Trams to Newhaven project) and from the Hawthornvale path to Seafield.
These plans are still under development and will include additional improvements to the public spaces in the area.
New data reveals that Edinburgh North and Leith residents would be able to save an estimated average of £1,294 through Government-funded home insulation and heat pump installation
On weekends throughout February and March, Greenpeace Edinburgh spoke to people in Edinburgh about their energy bills, and the solutions to the cost of living and climate crisis.
Residents wrote eight messages to Deirdre Brock, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, about their worries. These messages will be delivered next week, as part of the Warm This Winter mass lobby.
Local people also used the Affordable Energy Calculator [1] to see how much money they would save on their energy bills if our homes were well insulated and had cheaper, cleaner energy.
Carrie from Newhaven wrote: ‘Help to combat energy costs has helped but costs are still too high. Funding for new home-owners to help insulate windows is needed.’
Mark, a resident in North Edinburgh, wrote: ‘It would be great to see someone in the government stand up for lower energy bills and preparing homes for becoming sustainable and economical to maintain.’
Another local, Ros, wrote: ‘We need to prioritise those who need help during this time and make the cost of living crisis a lot more manageable than it currently is.’
Ian, a volunteer from Leith said: ‘The messages that people in Edinburgh North and Leith have written to Deirdre Brock MP show how people are still having to choose between heating and eating.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. We need the Government to commit more money for home insulation and heat pumps to make our homes warmer, our bills cheaper and our carbon emissions lower.’
Keeping the Energy Price Guarantee at £2,500 per month rather than raising it to £3000 is welcome but 7.5 million households in the UK will continue to be in fuel poverty from 1st April. If the Government makes the investment necessary to meet their currently unfunded 2030 targets for insulation, and support a UK heat pump programme, a typical UK home would see a difference of £1,832 a year, with savings ranging from around six hundred to several thousand pounds.
Data from the Affordable Energy Calculator shows that people in Edinburgh North and Leith could save an estimated average of £1,294 on their energy bills by 2030.
Hugh who lives in this constituency said: “‘I live in a rented flat in Leith and I was amazed to see that I would save £1,083 on my energy bill in 2030 if my home was properly insulated and was powered by a heat pump.
“I’d definitely recommend checking out the Affordable Energy Calculator to see how much you could save if the Government funded a UK-wide home insulation and heat pump programme.’
Ian added: “On 31st March, Greenpeace volunteers and other constituents have invited Deirdre Brock to meet as part of the Warm This Winter Coalition’s mass lobby.
“We are asking Deirdre Brock to pledge to call for the expansion of Government-funded home insulation schemes, heat pump installation, more investment in renewable energy, and further support for vulnerable households with their energy bills.
“If you live in Edinburgh North and Leith, we’d love for you to join us in inviting Deirdre Brock to meet, or if you live elsewhere, check out the online map [below] to see if a meeting has already been organised with your MP.”
Additional support totalling £848,123 is being provided from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) for a trio of flagship regeneration projects in the city.
The Leith Community Croft project is transforming a former tennis pavilion at Leith Links into a new multifunctional community hub run by the environmental charityEarth in Common.
It will be used for events, training, and promoting local food production and will receive £159,123 of the additional funding.
The Macmillan Hub in Pennywell will feature a library, an early years centre, affordable housing, and a new enterprise, workshop, learning and creative studio space to be run by the local charityNorth Edinburgh Arts.
The Hub forms part of the wider strategic regeneration of Pennywell-Muirhouse and will receive £500,000 of the additional funding, to be used to help deliver the creative space.
The project will deliver workspaces for artists and micro-businesses along with a new home for the popular Pitt Street Food Market. The project will receive £189,000 of the additional funding towards the renewal of doors and windows along with essential utilities work.
Welcoming the news, Depute Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council Mandy Watt said: “This funding is very welcome as these projects will play a key role in the ongoing regeneration and enhancement of Granton Waterfront, Pennywell, and Leith in north Edinburgh.
“The funding will help the projects in their goals to bring new jobs, training courses, and recreation opportunities to the communities of all three areas. I look forward to visiting these projects in future to see how they are benefitting local people in the years to come.”
Community Wealth Minister Tom Arthur said: “I congratulate these projects on making progress and supporting jobs, investment and wider opportunities. Regeneration of Scotland’s more disadvantaged communities is a key Scottish Government priority to help transform the economy.
“This extra Scottish Government funding will help deliver fairer and more prosperous local districts.”
Officers were called around 8.35am yesterday morning (Wednesday, 22 March, 2023) following a report of a ship becoming dislodged from its dry dock in Leith Docks.
Emergency services attended at the location at Imperial Dock and a multi-agency response was co-ordinated by Police Scotland.
The Scottish Ambulance Service took 15 people to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, four to the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh and two to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife. By around 1.20pm, all casualties were confirmed as being removed from the area and everyone accounted for.
Eight people remain in hospital this morning.
Superintendent Mark Rennie said: “I would like to thank partner agencies involved in the response to this incident which involved a complex operation to make sure everyone was safe.
“There is no risk to the wider public and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what has happened. The Health and Safety Executive has been informed.
“I would also like to thank the public for their patience while the emergency services undertook a very difficult job aiding casualties. We continue to ask people to avoid the area.”
A little piece of local history was made on Monday night (13 March), when the first tram in over 65 years ran down Leith Walk, as the Trams to Newhaven project nears completion.
Ahead of the route opening for service in spring 2023, a period of testing and commissioning is required to ensure the newly constructed line, software and signals work effectively and safely.
On Monday, the first stage of testing began, which involves trams travelling at walking pace along small sections of the route, starting at Picardy Place. This will continue through the week, taking place during the night to minimise traffic disruption.
Once the first stage is completed, the frequency and speed of tram testing will increase, and trams will start running to a timetable. Drivers on the route have carried out significant training in the lead-up to testing, including on a state-of-the-art simulator.
People are still being encouraged to take care and be aware of the presence of trams on the route for the first time over the coming weeks.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said:“This is a huge milestone for Trams to Newhaven as we see the first trams on Leith Walk in my lifetime.
“We’re fast approaching the start of passenger services this spring, and that the project is set to be delivered on time and within budget, despite the challenges of recent years, is testament to the hard work of all those involved.
“Bringing the tram to Newhaven will be transformative for the area, and the wider city. As well as boosting the economy and providing sustainable, high-capacity public transport to this densely populated part of Edinburgh, the project has significantly improved the entire route, with new cycle links, spaces to relax and spend time and newly planted trees and shrubs.
“As we enter the final phase of the project, testing and commissioning will make sure the line and infrastructure works safely and efficiently, while also confirming service capacity. Of course, this is the first time there will be trams on Leith Walk and in Leith in recent years so I would urge people to take extra care when in the area.”
Lea Harrison, Managing Director of Edinburgh Trams, said: “To see one of our trams running along Leith Walk was a proud moment for us, and this latest milestone in the project will enable us to step up our own preparations for the launch of passenger services to Newhaven.
“This includes real-world driver training on the new section of line following an intense period of familiarisation involving our state-of-the-art tram simulator.”
You could argue that this ‘historic’ event is actually running years late. The line to Newhaven and the Granton Spur were part of the original TIE network plans. The trams fiasco is the subject to a long-running inquiry led by Lord Hardie which is investigating the reasons why ‘the Edinburgh Tram project incurred delays, cost more than originally budgeted and through reductions in scope delivered significantly less than projected.’
The council maintains that the Trams to Newhaven project ‘remains on schedule for completion by spring 2023 and within the £207.3m budget, with all major construction now complete’. A specific date for when the route will be open for passengers will be announced in due course.
As part of the commissioning process every aspect of the new infrastructure will be thoroughly tested to ensure it meets the required safety standards.
There will be some bus diversions around Leith Walk in place overnight during the week commencing 13 March to allow for the testing.
The council warns: ‘Due to industry wide challenges with the availability of materials and skilled labour, impacted by Brexit and the war in Ukraine along with significant demand for labour in the UK and overseas, there are small pockets of public realm works that will now be completed over the coming months.’
Maria Ortega, Sacyr Farrans Neopul (SFN), project director on Trams to Newhaven, said: “As contractors on the Trams to Newhaven project, the Sacyr Farrans Neopul JV team are extremely proud to be achieving this huge milestone.
“We have been working successfully alongside our partners, supply chain and client for over four years to deliver this significant project in Edinburgh, Scotland.
“Despite the challenges of unprecedented times experienced throughout the life cycle of the project, seeing the first tram travelling down the newly completed line as part of the testing and commissioning process will be a memorable moment.
“The testing and commissioning phase will allow the new systems and infrastructure to be integrated into the existing tram network.
“As we reach the final stages of delivering this key piece of infrastructure to the people of the city, we appreciate the public’s continued support during this final technical phase of the project.”
Steven Jackson, Director, Turner & Townsend, said:“As the City of Edinburgh Council’s delivery partner for the Trams to Newhaven project, we’re delighted to have reached this significant milestone with the commencement of the testing and commissioning period, which will see trams travelling the full route.
“Following approval of the project in March 2019, we have worked closely with all members of the project team and third parties through an early contractor involvement period, significant utility diversions, and the install of new infrastructure and systems.
“The complexity of this ambitious project has required the team to tackle and overcome many challenges along the way, but collaboration has been key.
“We look forward to successfully delivering this major transport project in line with the programme set out in the final business case; and the start of the passenger services this Spring.”
POLICE in Edinburgh have issued images of a woman they believe may be able to assist with their investigation into a serious assault that took place in Leith on Monday, 5 December, 2022.
The serious assault took place around 1.25am within the Spey Lounge on Leith Walk.
The woman is described as white, 40-50 years-old, around 5 ft 6ins in height and of slim build with long, dark-coloured hair that was tied in a ponytail. She was wearing a black padded coat and white trousers.
Detective Constable Lyndsey Singer of Gayfield Police Station said: “We are keen to talk to the woman in these images in connection with this incident and would urge anyone who may recognise her to get in touch as soon as possible.”
Any witnesses to the incident can contact officers via 101. Please quote incident number 0143 of 5 December 2022. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Police in Edinburgh have released images of a man that they wish to speak to as they believe he may have information that can assist with an investigation into a serious assault.
The incident took place around 11.35pm on Wednesday, 1 February, 2023, at Albert Street in Leith.
A 31-year-old man was struck to the back of a head with a hammer resulting in him having to attend hospital.
The male shown in the images, is described as white, 20-30 years old, 5ft 8in to 5ft 10in tall, medium build, wearing a dark woolly hat, dark jacket with small light logo on left breast and rear right shoulder, black trousers with white vertical stripe on each leg, and black trainers.
Detective Constable Euan Chancellor of the Violence Reduction Unit, Gayfield CID said: “This was an unprovoked attack which was highly distressing for the victim who suffered a serious injury.
“Violent crime such as this is of the utmost concern to police in Edinburgh so I would urge anyone who recognises the male in the images to contact us as soon as possible.
“Members of the public can contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting reference number 0044 of 2 February, 2023 or, if they wish to remain anonymous, they can call the independent charity, Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
