An inconvenience truth

North Edinburgh to loo-se public lavatories?

Toilets at Granton Square and Canonmills are among a dozen public conveniences earmarked for possible closure by the city council. Local residents are being encouraged to take part in a survey to have their say about the closures.

The Council decided in 2011 to reduce the funding of public conveniences in order to make budget savings of £300,000. It’s believed that around ten public toilets must close in order to achieve these savings.

A list of twelve facilities has been identified for closure, based on criteria such as usage, accessibility and condition:

· London Road

· Tollcross

· St John’s Road

· Canaan Lane

· Middle Meadow Walk

· Joppa

· Hawes Pier, South Queensferry

· Granton Square

· Ardmillan

· Currie

· Canonmills

· Juniper Green

Members of the public are being asked for their feedback on how these potential closures would impact on them individually and their communities – this will help the Council to make the final decision about which public conveniences to close.

Residents can now take part in the online survey which will run until Monday 25 May.

There are currently more than 60 publicly accessible toilets across the city and a community toilets scheme is currently under consideration to further improve provision.

The Centipede’s back!

There IS such a thing as a free lunch!

MUIRHOUSE CENTIPEDE PROJECT

Open Lunch Meeting
Tuesday 28 April, 12 noon
North Edinburgh Arts

An informal (free!) lunch to chat about your ideas about how we can make use of the brownfield sites until the houses are built on them. We would love to see you there! Open to all.

Do you remember the wishing tree in 2014?

We asked local residents to tell us what they want to see happen in the area. Now with the endorsement of the City of Edinburgh Council, we are helping to make some of the wishes come true!

This is the start of a wide range of community activity across the brown field sites in Muirhouse. In partnership with the council, we are looking for ideas for temporary activities that brighten up the community until the houses get built.

Community Gardens are a great way to:

Improve health and wellbeing
Grow your own food
Meet new people
Socialise with friends
Learn new skills
Have fun and relax

And now you have the chance to create your own community garden with Centipede Project, then as part of the development of the empty sites by the City of Edinburgh Council. This includes the land near Pennywell Gardens and Muirhouse Avenue until the new houses get built.

How can you be involved?

Attend our free open lunch to share your ideas!

Tuesday 28 April
North Edinburgh Arts
12noon

Get in touch if you’re interested in being involved:

Email: centipedeproject@outlook.com
Telephone: 0131 315 2151 (ask for Joanne)
In Person: We are based in North Edinburgh Arts

Download our leaflets with all upcoming events here and here.

City Chambers advice event for gala organisers

Councillor Gavin Barrie, Convenor of the Licensing Regulatory Committee would like to extend an invitation to a meeting on Wednesday, 29 April 2015 from 6pm – 7.30pm in the European Room at City Chambers.

There have been many queries from organisers so this evening should provide lots of useful information for those of you who are thinking of organising a Community Event or Gala Day.

Councillor Maureen Child will join us to sit on the panel for the Question & Answer session along with Catherine Scanlin, Licensing Manager and Gordon Hunter, Licensing Policy & Project Officer.

Agenda:
6pm Coffee
6.15pm Introduction from Councillor Barrie
6.25pm Presentation from the Licensing Service
6.45pm Questions and Answer Session
7.15pm Closing remarks

Could you please confirm your attendance by emailing isla.burton@edinburgh.gov.uk

Please let us know if you require any assistance to attend or take part e.g. large print, disabled access requirements, travel arrangements, hearing loop, etc. We look forward to meeting you all!

Fiveways to have a wheely good weekend!

It’s all happening on our local cycle paths on Sunday

Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust is running an event on the cycle paths in North Edinburgh this coming Sunday (writes ELGT’s Mark Sydenham).

Over the past few months we have been working at Fiveways Junction on some landscaping improvements to make Fiveways a landmark on the cycle paths.

Volunteers from Pilton Equalities Project and MYDG have been hard at work carrying out some woodland management and undergrowth clearance in the surrounding woodlands, opening the area up and cutting back overhanging ivy and branches to make the paths brighter and safer.

Royston Wardieburn Community Centre have been working on a six week project on the cycle paths with one of their groups, which has included learning about the paths and their history, and planting some fruit bushes.

This coming Sunday, we are inviting everyone to come along and take part. We have fruit and other bushes to plant, as well as other activities. We will have prizes and goodies to give away too!.

To win one of the prizes, we have a little quiz/treasure hunt – to get the questions, turn up to either the Crewe Toll bridge (over Ferry Road) or King George V Park (Canonmills) between 1pm and 1.30pm and then search out the answers on your way to Fiveways (make sure you get there by 1.30!).

Or just come along to Fiveways and join in the activities between 1pm and 4pm.

There is more information here:

http://www.innertubemap.com/2015/04/26-april-fiveways-junction-makeover-day/

and we will be putting more things up on our Facebook page too

(https://www.facebook.com/pages/Edinburgh-Lothians-Greenspace-Trust/192106231309?ref=hl)

We hope to see some of you on Sunday!

Mark Sydenham, Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust

Telephone 445 4025

www.elgt.org.uk

Toddler molested in Pennywell Gardens

‘The assault has shocked the family and they, like us, want to see the man brought to justice’ – DCI Alwyn Bell

Police are appealing for information to help trace a man who inappropriately touched a toddler in Muirhouse on Tuesday evening. The wee boy was with his mother in Pennywell Gardens at around 6.45 when he was approached by a man and subjected to a sexual assault.

Police are seeking the help of the public in tracing the assailant, who is described as 5ft 6in to 6ft tall, stocky build and unshaven. He was wearing a brown leather jacket, a dark woolly hat and dark trousers at the time of the incident.

The suspect was last seen walking in the direction of Millennium Park.
Det Ch Insp Alwyn Bell said: “We are extremely keen to apprehend this individual as quickly as possible and I would encourage anyone who remembers seeing this man in the area of Pennywell Gardens to contact police immediately.

“He was wearing a woolly hat, which could be seen as unusual in warm temperatures. Understandably, the assault has shocked the family and they, like us, want to see the man brought to justice.”

If you have any information please call Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Happy birthday, Roberta!

A very Happy Birthday to Royston Wardieburn stalwart Roberta Blaikie, who celebrates her 70th birthday today.

Roberta has been at the heart of community activities across North Edinburgh for many years and friends, family and colleagues from over the years joined Roberta for a surprise party at a packed Royston Wardieburn Community Centre on Sunday.

Last call: register to vote!

Deadline for registration is MIDNIGHT TONIGHT

Alex Robertson, Director of Communications at the Electoral Commission, said: “If you aren’t registered by 20 April then you simply won’t be able to vote on 7 May so do it now at www.gov.uk/registertovote. It takes just a few minutes and is far easier than the old, paper based process. There’s been a great response so far and we don’t want anyone to miss out on having their say on polling day.”

The Electoral Commission said recent applications included almost 470,000 online applications from 16 to 24-year-olds but added that its research also suggested there may be as many as 7.5 million unregistered voters.

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 20 April. Register now at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Other important dates:

The deadline for receiving new postal vote and postal proxy applications is 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2015 and the deadline for proxy vote applications is 5pm on Tuesday 28 April 2015.

www.gov.uk/registertovote.

Use it ot lose it – adult education classes resume at Craigroyston

Craigroyston Classes poster April 2015

Our adult education classes at Craigroyston Community High School start back from 27 April and if we do not have enough numbers, the council will cancel classes, so please do encourage people to sign up -use it or lose it!

Also some Lone Parent Scotland cookery classes ongoing at the moment :

Cookery class at Craigroyston Community High School
67 Pennywell Road, Edinburgh EH4 4NL
Run by Lone Parent Scotland

Wednesday 15 April 10am-12.30pm
Making healthy burgers and coleslaw (ingredients all provided) for vegetarians and beef burgers

Thursday 16 April 10am -12.30pm
Making chocolate birthday cake (ingredients all provided)

All lone parents welcome with their children

Fiona Henderson

All together now

‘Inspirational’ new course coming to North Edinburgh

everyonetogether

Big changes are happening in Scotland about how families who need support are offered it. This is called Self Directed Support. The idea is that families and communities can have more say and control over the types of support they are offered.

Total Craigroyston and Muirhouse Link Up are working with Diversity Matters to run ‘Everyone Together’, a course for everyone involved with children and families in Pilton and Muirhouse – social workers, community workers, support workers, people who need support, families, friends, neighbours, local community leaders and others.

We know that there is a huge variety of skills amongst us: families, communities and workers. By sharing skills and working together we can help families live well. Come and find out how the new changes can help us do things better.

The course will run from 9.30am to 2pm in

North Edinburgh Arts Centre on the following dates:

Wednesday 29 April – Building the right kind of relationships

Wednesday 6 May – What do we need? Identifying local services

Wednesday 13 May – Creating local networks to help us work together.

Interested? Contact Tracey Devenney at Total Craigroyston for more info and to book a place:call 529 5073 or email tracey.devenney@edinburgh.gov.uk

Everyone Together has been developed by Diversity Matters and is funded by the Scottish Government to help develop the use of Self Directed Support.

We have run 12 events in the last year in different parts of Scotland – read more at everyone-together.org

North Edinburgh Arts AGM next week

NORTH EDINBURGH ARTS

Annual General Meeting

To be held at North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court

Wednesday 22 April at 12 noon

Soup and sandwiches will be served at 12.30

Creche available on request

Come and hear about the work of NEA and plans for the next three years, followed by the opportunity to put your ideas forward.

To RSVP and reserve a creche space call Sandra on 315 2151 or email admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk by Wednesday 15 April.