Category: North Edinburgh News

Waters subside but flood warnings remain in place

Stockbridge, Cramond and Warriston were among the areas hardest hit by flooding today, and at 9pm SEPA flood warnings remain in place for those areas and Roseburn.

Around forty homes in the Stockbridge colonies were affected by flooding from the Water of Leith. The city council’s Flood Prevention team worked with emergency services to provide sandbags to affected households and Stockbridge Primary School was set up as a standby rest and information centre.

River levels are now dropping and rain has eased, but light rain is forecast to continue overnight.

Anyone with concerns about flooding should contact the Council’s Emergency Contact Centre on 0131 200 2000 and you can get information on flood alerts by calling the SEPA Floodline on 0845 988 1188.

No swings but roundabouts at Drylaw Telford Community Council

June’s meeting centred on one roundabout in particular – the one in Groathill Road North. Drylaw Telford community councillors are unhappy about the money that was spent on ‘environmental improvements’ to this roundabout and the meeting on 27 June was an attempt to resolve the dissatisfaction.

The saga began last year when Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership’s NEP (Neighbourhood Environment Programme) allocated almost £13,000 to make environmental improvements to the roundabout, which was then surrounded by fencing. It was decided that the fencing was no longer required and that the money should be used to remove the fencing and to landscape the roundabout.

Drylaw Telford Community Association (Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre’s management committee) successfully bid to manage the piece of work, but four contractors later the roundabout is looking sadder than ever.

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre worker Thomas Brown joined local Roads Manager Neil MacFarlane at last month’s meeting to establish what had gone wrong and to forge a new road ahead (!)

The main problem identified by the Community Council was that the design for the roundabout planting was not of acceptable quality. Neil McFarlane said that the design had been produced by Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre’s Gardening Group and that the Council will not accept responsibility for the roundabout’s maintenance as the original project is considered to be unfinished.

Thomas Brown said that there had been problems with contractors almost since the very beginning of the project, and the current contractor was the fourth to take on the work.

After a discussion it was agreed that a report will go Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership when contractors finish remedial work next month. In the meantime a small working group of community councillors, Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre staff and council officers will look at reworking the landscaping design to come up with practical, low maintenance – and affordable – alternative before the council takes ownership of the site in August.

Neil MacFarlane said: “This was the first scheme in Inverleith where local people actually did the work and delivered the scheme. We have got to learn lessons from this project as we do not want to make the same mistakes again”.

Drylaw Telford Community Council chair Alex Dale said: “It’s clear that mistakes have been made, but what’s in the past is past – it’s time to move forward and to try to resolve this”.

In other business, Councillor Nigel Bagshaw reported that he had been able to establish a list of all the owners of premises in Drylaw Shopping Centre. The dilapidated state of the shopping centre has been a concern for the community council for many months now – leaking canopies, run-down shop fronts and cracked and broken footways have been raised consistently at meetings over the last year. Now, with a list of current owners, the community council hopes to work with Inverleith councillors and local shopkeepers to improve the local shopping area.

There was also a flying visit from Mike Clark, who stepped down as chair last month. Mike was presented with a token of appreciation by Alex Dale (above, pic John Stuart).

Drylaw Telford Community Council has a month off now and doesn’t meet again until Wednesday 29 August at 7pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. As always, all welcome.

PCHP up for the challenge – and Barri’s back!

Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP) has come through a tough year, and it would have been no surprise to have found staff and board feeling a bit down at their recent annual general meeting. That wasn’t the case, however, and a steady succession of staff and volunteers took turns to highlight some of the exciting initiatives they have planned for the year ahead. 

PCHP is one of North Edinburgh’s oldest community organisations. Set up originally as The Health Hut, the project celebrated it’s 25th anniversary in 2010. Like all community projects PCHP has had it’s share of ups and downs over the years but there’s no doubt that last year was one of the toughest of them all.

Chairperson Irene Garden told the annual general meeting on 26 June: “As in previous years we were faced with severe cuts, so we have had to say goodbye to the Barri Grubb shop, with four redundancies. That was a very sad time for us all, and other, much-valued staff have also had to leave because their funding was not renewed. Our former manager Dave Hewitt left at Christmas, so we have lost a lot of good colleagues; familiar faces that were popular and well-known in the community”.

However Irene went on to highlight some of the project’s successes. “There is still a lot to be positive about – among other things we have recruited a new worker to do some research for Barri Grubb, the Muirhouse Million Steps project (pictured below) was both original and very successful and our school counselling sessions have been very well received. Women Supporting Women continues to offer excellent one to one support and we are delighted that waiting lists are now coming down and that people in our community are getting counselling when they need it. Thanks to our brilliant volunteers our Befriending Service is also going from strength to strength – and volunteers are the backbone of the very successful Walking Project too”.

Manager Jen Richards (pictured below) told the meeting: “I have already spent two and a half years here in different roles and I am very passionate about keeping our services going – Pilton Community Health Project has been part of this community for 27 years and I’d love to think we can be here for another twenty-seven”.

Jen said her priorities over the coming months will be to raise the project’s profile, maximising funding by looking at new income generation streams and developing and building new and existing partnerships.

“There have been a lot of changes and I’m very grateful to very talented and totally dedicated we have here – I really value their support in a very challenging environment. Yes, it is challenging but I’m sure we’ll come out smiling at the other end!”

Local councillor Cammy Day then conducted election business before the staff team gave updates on both what’s been happening and what’s going to be happening this year. And there’s an awful lot to look forward to at PCHP …

Community Healthy Lifestyles Project’s Motivate to Move and Muirhouse Million Steps 2012, Use Your Loaf – a bread baking class that will be taking place at North Edinburgh Arts Centre, a major consultation into men’s health to find the gaps in current service provision. Then there are plans to develop the popular walking programme, the possible development of a Zumba class in Stockbridge as a social enterprise, continuing to meet the needs for counselling services. The recently launched SOURCE information room will be developed and good news about Barri Grubb, too – Barri’s no’ deid at a’! While the shop is no more, the service has been restructured and Barri Grubb will be relaunched – maybe with a name change – in the near future. In the meantime summer events are planned; a community food map, more partnership working and the Food for Thought forum will be expanded …

Yummy Food Festival was a big success too …

That’s quite a catalogue – check out Pilton Community Health Project’s website at www.pchp.org.uk for more information.

 

 

 

Here’s food for thought – free summer events!

 

The FOOD for THOUGHT FORUM, in association with Pilton Community Health Project and Barri Grubb, has highlighted a feast of free food events across the Forth area over the summer holidays. How’s this top ten for tempting treats?:

Saturday 7 July 11 – 2pm

West Pilton Community Garden & Planting Day

West Pilton Place, next to Pilton Youth & Children’s Project Greenhouse – all welcome, just turn up!

 

Tuesday 10 July 10am – 12 noon

Craigroyston Cookery

Craigroyston High School, Pennywell Road – phone to book on 538 7285 or 477 7801.

 

Thursday 12 July 1 – 3.30pm

PEP Summer Fayre

West Pilton Park – all welcome, just turn up!

 

Tuesday 17 July 10am – 12 noon

Craigroyston Cookery

Craigroyston High Schoo, Pennywell Road – phone 538 7285 or 477 7801 to book.

 

Thursday 19 July 11am – 1pm

Spanish Cooking at Barri Grubb

Pilton Community Health Project, Boswall Parkway – To book your place call 551 1671.

 

Tuesday 24 July, 11am – 1pm

Fabby Food Store Picnic and Barbecue

West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre – just turn up!

 

Tuesday 24 July 11am – 1pm

Simple Snacks at Millennium Centre Summer Youth Club

Muirhouse Millennium Centre, Muirhouse Medway – call 467 3578 to book.

 

Wednesday 1 August 12.30 – 4pm

Trip to the Botanics’ Edible Garden

Bus leaves The Haven Project, Craigroyston Primary School. To book, call 551 1671.

 

Saturday 4 August 1 – 4pm

Granton Community Gardens Barbecue

Corner of Boswall Parkway and Wardieburn Road – just turn up!

 

Wednesday 8 August 11.30 – 3.30pm

Trip to Craigies Farm

Bus leaves PCHP, Boswall Parkway. Phone to book on 551 1671.

 

 

 

Barrie encourages private tenants to check landlord register

Inverleith councillor Gavin Barrie has urged private tenants to ensure that their landlord is properly registered following the removal of a landlord from the register last month – the first time this power has been used in Edinburgh.  

Evidence was heard at the City of Edinburgh Council’s Regulatory Committee on 22 June where Yousef Mohammed’s application to operate a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) at a flat in the south of the city was refused. In addition his name was removed from the landlord register when Councillors decided he did not meet the fit and proper person criteria. The result is that Mr Mohammed can no longer operate as a residential landlord in Edinburgh.

Councillors heard evidence that Mr Mohammed had failed to adequately tell them about his criminal convictions and defied previous decisions of the Council where he continued to rent out HMO properties whilst not holding a licence.

Inverleith Councillor Gavin Barrie, Convenor of the Regulatory Committee, said: “Edinburgh is open for all landlords who manage their properties and ensure that they are in good condition and that tenants can be safe and secure. However, for those who don’t, the Council will take firm action. I would encourage everyone seeking to rent privately to check the landlord register to ensure that their prospective landlord is registered.”

Helping hand for The Yard

A local adventure play project designed for children with additional support needs is to benefit from an innovative partnership with Edinburgh home emergency firm, First Call Home Assist.

The Yard, based at Eyre Place Lane in Stockbridge, aims to improve the lives of children and young people with learning difficulties while also providing support to their siblings, parents and others responsible for their care.

The partnership is the latest effort by First Call Home Assist to cement its strong commitment to helping the local community and with every sale of a home emergency policy made through a dedicated link on The Yard’s website, 15% of the monthly fee will go to this fantastic cause.

Celine Sinclair, Chief Executive of The Yard, said: “We are delighted to be part of First Call’s community partnership scheme.  All the money we raise through this new initiative will go towards improving the quality of service we can provide for the 1,500 young people who use our centre regularly.”

Just over ten per cent of the funding received by The Yard comes from the City of Edinburgh Council and all its other income is raised through approaches to Trusts, Foundations and private companies, which means that 90 per cent of funding needs need to be sourced by the service itself.

First Call chose to help The Yard after their managing director, Paul Greaves (pictured below), witnessed first hand the fantastic care they provide for his niece Cissie who regularly attends the centre.

Paul said: “My niece Cissie was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome at the age of six and she can be unpredictable, inflexible and anti-social. At the yard these difficulties are met with understanding, support and often a much needed sense of humour! The Yard is an amazing service which our family, and many others, rely upon heavily. It is the only place where we can truly relax, free of anxieties and of judgement from others; somewhere we don’t have to explain or defend our child. The Yard also acknowledges the tough position that siblings of children with additional support needs are in, and it is as much a service for them as it is for others.”

Services offered by The Yard include open play family sessions, holiday play sessions, free play and curriculum linked sessions for special schools. The venue is also used for a variety of youth clubs and training courses designed to teach others about the principles of inclusive play.

For more information about The Yard, telephone 476 4506 or email susans@theyardscotland.org.uk. You can also visit their website at www.theyardscotland.org.uk

Local theatre company to perform Shakespeare – in Stratford

Edinburgh Theatre Arts is to perform a Scots version of MacBeth at the heart of William Shakespeare country. The amateur group, which is based at St Ninian’s Hall in Comely Bank, have been invited by the world famous Royal Shakespeare Company to perform their version of ‘the Scottish play’ at Stratford’s Courtyard Theatre next week.

Edinburgh Theatre Arts are one of only 10 from across the UK – and the only Scottish company – to be selected to take to the stage alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). They will take to the stage with their version of Macbeth, which is performed entirely in Scots, on 14 July.

Edinburgh Theatre Art’s director Mike Duffy said it was a great honour.

“They don’t normally have amateur companies using their theatres, so it’s a unique opportunity for an amateur company to get onto one of their main stages”, he said. “It’s like Scotland are playing England at Wembley! For an amateur company to go to a main Shakespeare theatre, with all the kudos of the RSC, everybody has to raise their game.”

IT worker Danny Faramond is playing the title role, and he told the BBC  he is delighted to have the chance to perform in the heart of Shakespeare country. He said: “It’s a very challenging role, there’s an enormous range of emotion required, it’s a very long involved role. You’re on stage for a lot of the time, physically quite demanding, quite an arc is required from the initial quite muted character to the, sort of, insanity at the end, so a big range is required. The more you realise what great actors have done it, the more you realise it’s quite a challenge.”

Edith Piers, who is playing the role of Gruoch, the Scottish equivalent of Lady MacBeth, added: “I’m so excited about it, I don’t at the present moment feel nervous, just really, really looking forward to it. It’s a huge opportunity and I think it will raise the profile, hopefully, of amateur theatre and lose the “am dram” tag that tends to accompany amateur theatre.”

Legionnaire’s outbreak – a third man dies

The latest reports on the Edinburgh Legionnaires’outbreak show that a man suspected of having the disease has died. The individual, a man in his 60s from south west Edinburgh, had been unwell for a period of time, and is considered to be part of the original outbreak.

The total number of confirmed cases remains at 50 and the number of suspected cases is now 49. The total number of overall cases is 99.

At noon yesterday, of those cases being treated in hospital, there are three patients in intensive care and six on general wards. A total of 20 cases are being treated in the community, 57 have been discharged from hospital and now three people in total have sadly died.

Ten cases are being treated outwith the NHS Lothian area. The ages of the confirmed cases ranges between 32 and 85, with more males than females affected.

Investigations into the source and cause of the outbreak continue.  Lothian and Borders Police and the Health and Safety Executive are jointly investigating the circumstances of the deaths under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) Health and Safety Division.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “My sincere condolences go to the family and friends of the patient who has passed away and my thoughts are with them at this very difficult time. Despite this sad and tragic news, is important to stress that strong evidence still suggests that all cases are associated with the suspected period of exposure and that the outbreak has peaked. I repeat the message that anyone in the affected areas suffering from symptoms since the outbreak began should contact their GP or the NHS 24. NHS Lothian are maintaining high quality care for patients who remain unwell and work to identify and deal with the source of the outbreak continues.”

Dr Christine Evans, Consultant in Public Health Medicine said: “I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family of the patient who has died. We continue to see a small number of cases or suspected cases coming forward. I would like to reassure the public that this is in line with expectations. All of these patients have been ill for some time and have links to the south west of Edinburgh.”

For anyone who is concerned about the outbreak, there is information on NHS Lothian’s website or you can contact NHS 24 dedicated legionnaires’ helpline on 0800 0858 531.