Category: North Edinburgh News

Council budget: time for a ‘grown-up debate’

Edinburgh Greens propose small council tax rise to improve council services and combat cuts

calton hill

Green councillors in Edinburgh are proposing a small council tax rise to raise £10m to invest in services. They believe that combatting cuts in schools, social care and vulnerable children services should be the capital’s priority.

Green councillors in Edinburgh are proposing a 4.3% council tax rise for next year: equivalent to an extra 97p a week for the average Band D property.

The council tax rise, which is backed by 63% of respondents to the council’s budget consultation, would still leave the council having to make significant efficiencies and savings, but, according to the Greens, it would head off the worst cuts.

The £10m package includes

–          Retaining a properly-funded school music service
–          Blocking cuts to special schools and disadvantaged children
–          Keeping budgets for social care for frail older people
–          Supporting community centres, libraries and leisure centres.

The additional money would also allow the Council to recruit and keep more care workers to bridge a gap of 5,000 unmet care hours a week.  And it would see a substantial investment in long term repair and maintenance of schools.

The proposals are outlined in a blog published today by Green Finance spokesperson Councillor Gavin Corbett, ahead of the council budget meeting this Thursday (21 January).

Cllr Corbett said: “This year’s budget round is by far the toughest since devolution in 1999, with the city council looking down the barrel of £85m worth of cuts. That includes cuts to schools, libraries, swimming pools, social care and community centres.

“That is why almost two-thirds of people responding to the council’s budget consultation backed a council tax rise.  I agree with them and I am proposing 97p extra a week to reverse all of the worst cuts and also help tackle to mounting crisis in social care.

“So I believe the city council owes to it to the people of Edinburgh to have a proper grown-up debate about the right balance between new income and spending. To shrink away from that debate, to meekly accept whatever cuts central governments dole out is to infantilise the capital city, to impoverish vital services and to simply store up yet greater problems for the future.

“Let’s have that grown-up debate.”

Edinburgh currently has five Green councillors on a council that is dominated by Labour (21) and the SNP (17) so it would be a major surprise (i.e. there’s next to no chance) if the Green proposals were to be adopted.

When city councillors set Edinburgh’s budget on Thursday it’s expected that the Labour-SNP Capital Coalition will vote through budget cuts of £85 million. Up to 2000 jobs will be lost in what public services trade union Unison describes as ‘the worst cuts in living memory’.

You can find the Edinburgh Greens blog on the budget at 
http://www.edinburghgreens.org.uk/site/councillors/budget-2016/

 

Serious assault in Boswall Loan

Did women ‘set up’ assault victim?

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Police are appealing for witnesses following a serious assault in the Granton area. The incident happened in Boswall Loan at around 3am in the early hours of Saturday morning.

A 30-year-old man began speaking to two women on Great Junction Street and the group walked along Ferry Road together. Once at Boswall Loan, heading towards Granton Crescent, the man was approached and assaulted by two men.

He was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with serious facial injuries.

The first suspect is described as white, 5ft 7-8 inches tall, around 20 years old, with a slim build. He had short dark hair and was wearing a dark-coloured t-shirt, red shorts and white trainers.

The second suspect is described as white, 5ft 9inches tall, around 20 years old, with a slim build. He had short dark spiky hair and was wearing a dark-coloured top, dark jeans or joggers, and white trainers.

The two female witnesses are described as white, around 5ft 4inches tall, 18-20 years old, with slim builds and local accents.

One had elbow-length straight dark hair, and was wearing a light-coloured jumper, dark leggings or jeans, beige boots and carrying a large beige shoulder bag. She was possibly called “Kat”.

The other had dyed blonde shoulder-length hair. She was wearing a ¾ length grey jacket, black leggings and black boots.

Detective Sergeant Clark Martin of Gayfield CID said: “We’re conducting numerous enquiries in the local area in order to trace the suspects, and would urge any witnesses to get in touch. We believe the two men were known to the two women, and would also ask anyone who recognises their descriptions to come forward.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Buzz of excitement as Flora serves up Holyrood honey

Flora Shedden - Scottish Parliament Honey

Great British Bake Off star Flora Shedden brought a buzz of excitement to the Scottish Parliament this week as she joined the Presiding Officer to unveil a specially commissioned bake made with honey from the Scottish Parliament’s beehives. Continue reading Buzz of excitement as Flora serves up Holyrood honey

New Year news from Living in Harmony

01 JAN community ceilidh

Dear all, 

Happy New Year! I hope you had a good break.

Overcoming Language Barriers write up

I’m attaching the minutes and slides from our last forum meeting about overcoming language barriers. Thank you to everyone who took part. The next forum meeting will be in February. I’ll be in touch soon with the date.

Burns Night Community Ceilidh

I’m attaching a poster for the Burns Night Community Ceilidh at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre on Saturday 23rd January, 5-9pm. This is a really fun, family friendly and accessible evening for anyone living in the area. Tickets are £1 and need to be purchased in advance from the community centre. Please come along and invite others!

Facebook page

The Living in Harmony facebook page is at

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInHarmonyEdinburgh/

We want people to use this page to share information about what’s on so please do like it, post information on it and share it. Luke will be trying to post interesting and useful articles on the page too, so hopefully you’ll find it helpful.

Chat cafes

I’m attaching flyers for the Chat Café at PCHP and an LGBT chat café in the city, both starting this month.

Hannah Kitchen

Development Worker, Living in Harmony 

chat cafe a5 formatted polish anna jan 2016

chat cafe a5 anna jan 2016 english

overcoming language barrier elite linguists

Overcoming language barriers 10th december

PCHP_Ceilidh_Poster_LR

Home truths on the waterfront

Western Harbour development will ease city’s housing crisis

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The National Housing Trust initiative (NHT) will deliver almost 900 affordable homes for rent in Edinburgh, Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil revealed at Western Harbour yesterday.

The City of Edinburgh Council has already delivered more than 400 NHT homes with hundreds more in the pipeline. The latest 234-home development at the Western Harbour brings the total number of NHT homes approved across Scotland to more than 2,000.

The Scottish Government’s financial innovation is unlocking strategic sites for housing development across the country, delivering more homes for less public investment.

The City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Futures Trust and the Forth Ports Group are spearheading the Waterfront development, which is being built by Hart Builders.

Mr Neil said: “The contribution from innovative financing approaches, such as NHT, using government guarantees, loans, grant recycling and new sources of private funding is substantial and growing.

“Edinburgh has wholeheartedly embraced the NHT, the first guarantee-based model for housing in the UK, as one that can help ease the city’s housing pressures.

“People in the capital will have access to a quality home at an affordable rent, and the NHT model allows them to save for a mortgage whilst staying in the home that they may be able to buy.

“NHT, which is providing affordable homes without the need for grant subsidy, has reached a milestone with over 2,000 homes approved for construction.

“More generally, we have exceeded our target to deliver 30,000 affordable homes in this Parliament including over 20,000 homes for social rent.

“Our new target to deliver 50,000 affordable homes over the next five years is bold, credible and affordable. This is a 67 per cent increase in completed homes over the next five year period.”

Councillor Norman Work, City of Edinburgh Council said: “The City of Edinburgh Council is delighted to work in partnership with Scottish Government, Forth Ports and Scottish Futures Trust in enabling this development, which includes the 2000th National Housing Trust home across Scotland.

“The Council has committed over £100 million for NHT in Edinburgh, and this will deliver almost 900 affordable homes throughout the city. Edinburgh has a shortage of affordable housing and this 234-home development will make a significant contribution towards the regeneration of Western Harbour and creating an integrated sustainable community.

“Edinburgh is a growing city and meeting the need for new, good quality and good value homes is a major part of the Council’s Capital Coalition commitment to ensure that the city’s residents are well housed. The Council will continue to seek innovative funding solutions through collaborative working partnerships to deliver affordable homes”.

Christa Reekie, commercial director at the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT), explained: “Today’s announcement clearly illustrates the huge impact SFT’s award-winning National Housing Trust programme is having and further consolidates the partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council and SFT even further.”

Colin Macdonald of Hart Builders, part of the Cruden Group said: “We are delighted to be working with Forth Ports, Rettie & Co., the Scottish Government, Scottish Futures Trust and City of Edinburgh Council to deliver this development at Western Harbour.

“It will not only provide a secure and sustainable environment, but will also enable Hart to maintain current employment and training opportunities over the lifetime of the construction period.”

Nick Watson, Director at Rettie & Co. said: “Over the last three years Rettie and Co has enabled and coordinated the delivery of much-needed new rental stock for the City of Edinburgh delivering 296 new units.

“We are delighted to have been working constructively on the Western Harbour development with Forth Ports, Cruden, Hart Builders, the Scottish Government, Scottish Futures Trust and City of Edinburgh Council.”

Sign up for North Edinburgh community conference

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday 13 February 9.30 – 3pm 

NORTH EDINBURGH COMMUNITY CONFERENCE

Organised by Community Action North and Granton Improvement Society

Community Conference

 WHAT NEXT FOR OUR COMMUNITY?

Challenges and opportunities facing North Edinburgh

North Edinburgh is facing tough times. Services are being cut, jobs are hard to come by and some of our projects are struggling to survive. 

But maybe it’s not all doom and gloom. Our community has some great resources, and chief among these is our people: the activists and the volunteers, young and old. 

This important conference will discuss what our community needs  –  and work out how, together, we can  get where we want to be.

We believe the people who know best are the people who live here. North Edinburgh needs your ideas – come along and help us to map out a positive future for our community. 

Lunch provided

Free crèche available (MUST be booked in advance)

Contact: 0131 315 6405 or email communityactionnorth@gmail.com | grantonimprovementsociety.wordpress.com

Letters: who cares?

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Dear Editor

By the middle of 2016 all patients who have limited life time left will receive palliative care treatment.

In the past there have been other ideas; for example the ‘Liverpool Pathway’ treatment which is now seen as bad practice and was stopped.

A full public explanation of palliative care is urgently needed to give assurance that this latest scheme is based on enhanced individual care, carried out by adequatel numbers of staff fully trained in enhanced caring.

A. Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens