INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY EVENT
Monday 9 March
South Leith Parish Church Hall
10.30am – 4.30pm
Tickets from £3
A programme of dance, song and comedy
Two exhibitions and Alternative Health Fair
Category: Leith
Final call for Compact 10 event
Voluntary sector organisation? How are things for you? Help shape the future – there are still some places available at Tuesday’s Edinburgh Compact event (see below):
Superfast broadband? Mind the gaps!
‘The Culture Secretary hailed improvements but too many people here in Edinburgh haven’t seen them’ – Edinburgh North and Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz
Edinburgh North and Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz has called for action to tackle the households and businesses in Edinburgh bypassed by superfast broadband. He has urged any constituents affected to contact him.
Mr Lazarowicz stressed the need for concerted action from the UK and Scottish Governments, Edinburgh City Council and – not least – broadband providers during a Westminster debate yesterday.
The MP spoke out after being contacted by a stream of constituents who don’t have access despite assurances and announcements hailing new roll-outs – often reheated – from both Ministers and broadband providers.
Speaking last night, Mark Lazarowicz explained: “I am regularly contacted by constituents, whether in Central Edinburgh or new developments along the waterfront, who don’t have access to superfast broadband.
“It’s a vital part of basic infrastructure for businesses and the many people who work from home as well as for leisure as well – the failure to connect people living in or near Scotland’s capital city is damaging to our economy.
“The Culture Secretary hailed improvements but too many people here in Edinburgh haven’t seen them, with fibre optic cable sometimes passing within a few feet of new flats left unconnected.
“My aim is not to allot blame but to get action that is long overdue – I am asking any constituents affected to contact me so I can pressure government and broadband providers to come together to act.”
Mr Lazarowicz has raised access to superfast broadband with BT and also previously at Culture, Media and Sport questions in Parliament but the action promised hasn’t materialised.
He is asking people in Edinburgh North and Leith who have been unable to get access to superfast broadband to contact him at
mark.lazarowicz.mp@parliament.uk
or through his office at 5 Croall Place, EH7 4LT, Telephone: 0131 557 0577.
Fidra Court explosives: man pleads guilty
Man admits Fidra and Persevere Courts explosives offences
An Edinburgh man has admitted possessing explosive substances after a significant number of items were found in two properties in the north of the city last year.
Faris Al-Khori, (62), today pleaded guilty under the Explosive Substances Act 1883, Section 4, following the recovery of material from two flats in Fidra Court and Persevere Court (below) last April. He will be sentenced at a later date.
The items were discovered following a fire in a communal area of Fidra Court on Friday 18 April. Both flat complexes were evacuated whilst suspect items were recovered by army explosives experts.
Detective Superintendent David Gordon, who led the investigation said: “This was a significant and complex inquiry for Police Scotland, working with our partners from the outset to safely deal with the volatile items that were being stored, and to seek to establish Al-Khori’s motives for keeping them.
“Extensive inquiries both nationally and internationally were carried out, which did not identify any link to terrorism or extremism. We are satisfied there is no immediate threat to the community.
“Counter terrorism is one of Police Scotland’s highest priorities, and whilst Al-Khori has no such known links we will always treat all information received with the utmost importance where any risk to the public is identified. Members of the public can call 101 or the anti terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321. We welcome the conviction at the High Court today and await sentencing.”
Service 29 at the double!
Customer demand drives bus service upgrades
Increased frequencies in the evening and at weekends plus extra capacity are just some of the changes being introduced by Lothian Buses at the end of March. Local service improvements include the 29 becoming a double decker and there will be increased frequencies for 23 and 27 on Saturdays – you’ll get one every twelve minutes.
Services have been reviewed in response to customer feedback and passenger demand, resulting in a range of improvements that aim to maintain high satisfaction rates.
Sarah Boyd, Head of Operations, said: “Our changes reflect our continued commitment to our customers at a time when more and more people are relying on public transport to travel around our city. Our research has shown that the vast majority of our passengers will benefit from these changes and will see an improved service as a result. We will continue to monitor all our services to ensure we are providing the best possible transport network for the people of Edinburgh.”
- Service 5 will see its frequency increased with buses now running every 10 minutes Monday to Friday during the daytime.
- Service 7 will run 24/7, with increased frequency during the day Monday to Friday and in the evening Monday to Saturday. New service N7 will be introduced running hourly each night.
- Sunday services doubled in frequency with services 8 and 21 to run every 15 minutes daytime and service 47 to run every 30 minutes daytime.
- Services 11 and 16 will have Sunday frequencies increased to every 12 minutes daytime and every 15 minutes in the evening. Additionally service N11 is extended to Ocean Terminal, meaning both services now run 24/7 on their full routes.
- Service 15 will have a revised route and timetable to create a quicker and more direct service from Penicuik.
- Services 23 & 27 will have Saturday daytime frequencies increased to every 12 minutes.
- Service 29 is converted to double-deck to provide more capacity. All Monday to Friday peak journeys will operate to Gorebridge with Mayfield no longer being served.
- Service 37 will see alterations in Midlothian. On Monday to Friday alternate daytime journeys will terminate at Easter Bush and will not serve Penicuik. Journeys which continue to Penicuik Deanburn will additionally serve Roslin. Roslin will now have a significantly enhanced bus service with service 37 and N37 providing a full 24/7 service. On Saturdays and Sunday service 37 will continue to run every 20 minutes during the day, with all buses running to Penicuik Deanburn via Roslin.
- Service 40 has been altered to serve Auchendinny ensuring local links to Penicuik and Loanhead are retained following the withdrawal of service 15 from the village.
- Service 41 will be increased at busy times to provide an alternative to service 43, which is withdrawn due to insufficient passenger numbers. Service 43 operated between Barnton and Waterloo Place, which is also covered by the service 41.
- Following customer feedback service 63 will be re-routed to serve Hermiston Gait Retail Park instead of South Gyle Crescent. The Monday to Friday frequency is increased to every 40 minutes with later journeys introduced. On Saturday and Sunday earlier and later journeys will be introduced.
- Following requests from passengers service 104 will now serve The Jewel instead of Brunstane.
- Service 113 is increased in frequency Monday to Saturday with buses now running every 30 minutes during the day. This will provide more capacity along the route and provide more direct journeys for Tranent following the withdrawal of service 44 from the town.
Nightbus services are also improving, notably:
- Service N3 – better links to Eskbank through the night on all days of the week.
- Service N7 – new route introduced from the Royal Infirmary to Ocean Terminal via Newhaven. This will run hourly each night, following the daytime route of Service 7.
- Service N11 – route extended from Leith Street to Ocean Terminal serving Pilrig, Bonnington Toll and Newhaven.
- Service N37 – serving Roslin on all days of the week, providing the village with a full 24/7 service.
Lothian Buses will have street teams promoting the service improvements starting on Saturday 14 March at Penicuik Centre between 9am and 2pm. Following this event staff will be travelling on buses in the Midlothian and Tranent areas in the two weeks leading up to the change to assist passengers with any questions.
The company reported last May that it had its best year ever in 2013 with a net profit of £8.5m, an increase of 7.8% on the previous year. It also announced it would pay a dividend of nearly £3.3m to local authority shareholders.
In December Lothian Buses announced bus passengers were up from 115.4 million to 118.4 million in 2014.
Last year the company also invested £15m in 65 new low emission and ultra-low emission buses that will significantly impact on improving the city’s air quality and lower carbon emissions.
Full details of the schedule changes are available at www.lothianbuses.com.
Shedding some light on community concerns
Inverleith councillor Lesley Hinds has asked officers to carry out an urgent appraisal of new street lights following complaints from local residents.
Councillor Hinds chairs the city council’s Transport, Infrastructure and Environment Commitee, which has responsibility for street lighting. She said last night: ““Following a very successful pilot project in 2012, the Council is replacing street lights across the city with new, more energy-efficient and more environmentally friendly lighting. In particular, this will result in brighter and clearer lighting throughout the night.
“A number of residents have been in touch regarding lighting in certain streets and, having now visited them myself, I have asked officers to carry out an appraisal and report back as soon as possible.”
Forth councillor Cammy Day – who is also the city’s community safety ‘champion’ – also discussed ‘some concerns’ with the lighting team yesterday.
Many North Edinburgh residents have expressed anger over the brightness and quality of new ‘eco-lights’ installed across the area over the last week. They believe the lighting makes the streets unsafe and could result in more crime and antisocial behaviour.
However the city council says the lighting project will achieve:
- Reduced energy costs. Energy costs are expected to double in the next decade. The use of modern lighting equipment will greatly assist in reducing the impact of increasing energy costs.
- Improved environmental performance. This new equipment is more energy efficient and lamps have a longer life span.
- Provide continuous lighting throughout the night. A number of local authorities have been switching off lights for periods of time during the night to save energy. The City of Edinburgh Council is not currently considering this option.
- Compliance with EU directives.
- Brighter and clearer lighting. White lights improve colour recognition and improves images captured on CCTV at night. They also allow clothing colours and car registration numbers to be more easily identified.
The council also cites an October 2012 pilot project undertaken in the Gilmerton and Saughton Mains areas of the city: 271 lights were changed and the results from consultation with local households achieved around 90% satisfaction levels.
Leith Academy event to celebrate LGBT History Month
Edinburgh and Lothian Regional Equality Council, LGBT Youth Scotland and Leith Academy in collaboration with Lothian LGBT Development Group are jointly hosting an event to celebrate LGBT History Month 2015.
LGBT History Month: Education and Equality
Thursday 26 February 2015, 5.30 – 8pm
Leith Academy , 20 Academy Park, Edinburgh, EH6 8JQ
LGBT History Month takes place in Scotland every February. It is an opportunity to celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) lives and culture by exploring our own and others’ histories in an LGBT context. It is also an opportunity for learning, discussion and debate around the continued journey for complete LGBT inclusion.
LGBT_History_Month_2015_Invite
The theme for LGBT History Month 2015 is Education, and this evening will be an opportunity to hear how improved equalities can support pupils and students to achieve.
This year’s celebration will bring together communities to increase awareness of different identities and cultures. It will feature keynote speakers, multicultural performances, dances and live music. It will appeal to teachers, students, professionals and community members.
Can you please share the invitation to friends and family who might be interested in attending the event?
The event is FREE – you can book online via
http://bit.ly/1KFZVsz
LGBT_History_Month_2015_Invite
For further information contact:
Nigel Chipps
Youth and Community Development Officer (Edinburgh and The Lothians), LGBT Youth Scotland
E-mail: nigel.chipps@lgbtyouth.org.uk
Blinded by the light?
Definitely not sweetness and light: new street lighting gets thumbs down from local residents
Some images of the new ‘eco lights’ in operation in Easter Drylaw – that’s them peeking out behind the ‘old’ street lamps!
Which do you think is the more effective?
The new lights don’t seem to be lighting up the lives of local residents. Comments so far include:
‘I’m a car owner. I don’t have a garage or a drive in so I have to park on the street. My car has been vandalised three times in the last year- if it wasn’t that I need my car to get to work I would have got eid of it ages ago. These new lights will make it even easier for the neds to run wild.”
‘They are not bright at all. It’s very scary coming home when it’s dark. There’s not much light – I think they should be brighter for everyones’ safety’
‘They are not bright enough’
‘It looks really nice but it’s also very scary and dangerous at night when walking home alone’
‘I am always careful about letting my children out after tea in the evening. That won’t be happening at all now, not until the clocks go forward. It’s a disgrace.”
‘These lights are nowhere near good enough – the streets are far too dark and pity help any kid who tries to cross a local road in the evening. It’s plain dangerous’.
‘I don’t like them. The streets look darker now unless you are standing directly under the lights. There are spots in which the light doesn’t hit. I think it’s a bad choice and I won’t be surprised if the crime rate increases.’
‘I don’t like the new lights and I think the council should go back to the ones we had. There have been a lot of break-ins in Drylaw and I think these lamps will just make things even easier for the criminals to get away’
‘I know the council is trying to save money but they are cutting the wrong things. They have got a duty to keep people safe. These lights are a bad idea.’
‘I don’t know if it’s just this part of the town or not, but I will bet my last penny that they won’t be putting up with this sort of crap in Corstorphine or Morningside. It’s a disgrace’
No doubt there will be more to follow …
Warm welcome at The Pregnancy Cafe
Are you pregnant? Live locally? Come along to the
PREGNANCY CAFE
at The Haven, next to Craigroyston Primary School
Every Tuesday 10.0 – 11.30
Tea
Friendly company
Help and advice
Pregnancy information
Freebies
Baby stuff
Interested? Ask your midwife or call Jo 537 4230 Julie 332 9269 or just turn up!
Circle Scotland’s Haven Project, Craigroyston Primary School
Muirhouse Place West, EH4 4PX
ADHD Support Group at Muirhouse Library
An informal parents and carers support group for children with ADHD and Autistic spectrum disorders (it doesn’t matter whether your child is diagnosed or not)
*** Every first Wednesday of the month ***
Drop in between 10.15-12pm at Muirhouse Library
Tea, coffee & biscuits will be available
For more details please contact:
Karma (email karmalennon@hotmail.com)
or Jamie on caitlinkal2003@gmail.com