Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information following a series of fires in Silverknowes and Davidson’s Mains early this morning
A number of incidents were reported to Police Scotland in the area between 4.55am and 5.55am.
These included four vehicles on Silverknowes Eastway, Silverknowes Avenue and Cramond Road South as well as within a property of Main Street, Davidson’s Mains and a post box on Silverknowes Road.
Nobody was injured in any of the incidents. Each of the fires is being treated as deliberate and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.
Detective Sergeant Dougal Begg of Edinburgh CID said: “Our enquiries into this series of incidents are ongoing and we are working to establish the full circumstances.
“We would urge anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity to come forward as soon as possible.
“In particular we would be keen to speak to anyone with dashcam footage or private CCTV in the area.
“If you have any information which help our investigation please call 101, quoting incident 0341 of 27 January, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Following the latest coronavirus guidelines announced on Monday, Granton Information Centre staff are working from home and our office on West Granton Road will remain closed for the foreseeable future – BUT PLEASE BE ASSURED THAT WE ARE STILL OPERATING!
You can contact us by email at info@gic.org.uk or by calling 0131 551 2459 or 0131 552 0458.
Any messages left on our answering machine will be dealt with as soon as possible – please ensure you clearly leave your full name and telephone number when leaving a message.
Let’s all play our part in keeping each other safe, stopping this terrible virus and getting life back to normal!
The efforts of 14 Edinburgh groups have been acknowledged by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful at an online seminar yesterday.
North Edinburgh is well represented among these green-fingered groups, with awards for Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Fresh Start Growers, Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden, Friends of Lauriston Castle Estate, Friends of Starbank Park and North Edinburgh Arts Gardening Group.
The other capital groups to receive awards are Balerno Village Gardeners, Craigentinny Community Gardening Project, Craigentinny Primary Parent Council, Friends of Morningside Cemetery, Friends of Saughton Park, Inch View Care Home, Inspiring Hillside and Northfield Community Growing Group.
Annually Keep Scotland Beautiful runs two community environmental improvement programmes in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society; the competitive Beautiful Scotland campaign and the It’s Your Neighbourhood initiative.
Faced with the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to recognise and celebrate the achievements of communities and individuals across Edinburgh.
Throughout lockdown and the following months, groups have worked tirelessly to improve their communities through horticulture, environmental responsibility and working in partnership for the benefit of residents, visitors and our natural environment.
Despite circumstances this year, 47 new entrants were welcomed to the network, and although judging and mentoring visits were not able to take place due to restrictions across Scotland, groups were still supported with online seminars, networking events, question and answer sessions and a weekly e-newsletter.
Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautifulsaid, “We know that lockdown resulted in many people reconnecting with green and blue spaces local to them. Yet, it has also been a particularly challenging year for the communities who strive every year to protect and enhance the places they live and work in.
“I’d like to thank all the groups in Edinburgh for the efforts they have made to keep Scotland beautiful this year.”
Although many of the groups had to stop or curtail their planned activities for the year, we have been blown away by what they have managed to achieve – whether that be setting up a food bank, encouraging and supporting others to grow their own, creating virtual garden tours, connecting their members through online catch ups and keeping their neighbourhoods bright and cheerful.
Edinburgh Agroecology Co-operative CICI is putting forward a proposal to the council for a new Urban Agroecology project at Lauriston Farm, with three main areas of focus: food growing at scale, habitat creation and biodiversity enhancement, and community engagement and activity.
It is really important to us to get the views of the local community and find out what they think of the proposed plan and if and how they would like to engage with or get involved with our project.
We would have loved to have hosted a community event but current circumstances mean that we will be hosting an online community consultation instead.
The consultation is now live and will be open until the 20th November – NOTE NEW DATE.
We would like to get input and feedback from as many people from the surrounding local community as possible.
Please see above for details.
You’ll find the site link for the community consultation at Lauristonfarm.scot
Drive-through clinics have been opened by the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (EHSCP) in Edinburgh this weekend to make it as quick, safe and easy as possible for people to get their flu vaccine.
The clinics will continue to operate on weekends in October and November and each site can vaccinate up to 500 people a day.
As well as over 65s, pregnant people and those at risk due to existing health conditions, this year unpaid carers and those who lived with people who shielded during lockdown will be offered a free flu jab.
By developing flu drive throughs, everyone entitled to a free flu vaccine from a household can attend at the same time. For those who don’t have access to a car, a series of walk through clinics are being arranged and Edinburgh locations will be available on the NHS Inform website once confirmed.
Keeping the people of Edinburgh safe and healthy is a priority, so before the jab is administered, a nurse will ask some questions to make sure it is safe to administer the vaccine. The person receiving the jab doesn’t need to leave their car and will also be asked to wait 15 minutes before leaving the clinic to ensure there’s no reaction to the vaccine.
If you are eligible for a free flu vaccine, or for more information, go to www.nhsinform.scot/flu to find out where you can get your jab in Edinburgh. If you qualify for a free vaccine you’ll be given a time to attend a clinic after completing a short questionnaire.
Judith Proctor, Chief Officer for the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “As part of our mission to support a caring, healthier and safer Edinburgh, we’re committed to making it even easier to get a flu vaccine this year. The flu vaccine is an important health protection measure and we want to make sure that everyone who is eligible has access to the vaccine.
“To keep the people of Edinburgh safe, and to respect physical distancing measures, we have confirmed a range of Edinburgh venues to offer access to the flu vaccine, including a drive through service at sites across the city. This is the first time a drive through model has been used for vaccinations in Scotland, and could provide a blueprint for how to deliver vaccination programmes successfully in the future.
“Details of where people can go to receive a flu vaccine will be available on the NHS Inform website.”
Blackhall Medical Centre, Muirhouse Medical Group, Crewe Medical Centre and Davidson’s Mains Medical Centre patients will be directed to a walk-through facility at Pennywell All Care Centre or the drive-through at Scottish Gas HQ on Granton waterfront.
This year marks two decades of the Marine Conservation Society surveying and cleaning Edinburgh’s Cramond beach, with volunteers showing up year after year to support the charity’s efforts.
The Marine Conservation Society’s annual Great British Beach Clean is a crucial event that helps the charity keep track of plastic pollution, monitor the condition of coastal areas, and campaign for important policy changes. The work done by volunteers along Cramond beach, and the data collected, has contributed to a number of successful campaigns and policy changes to stop litter at source.
This year, the Marine Conservation Society needs more people than ever to organise their own small, private and local beach cleans. The Great British Beach Clean starts this week, running from 18th – 25th of September.
Cllr Lesley Macinnes, Environment Convener, said: “Our waste teams are all working really hard throughout Edinburgh to keep the city clean so we really appreciate seeing local people getting involved in these events and taking ownership of and responsibility for the environment they live in.
“Our staff will be supporting the event and making sure they have the equipment they need to be safe and we’ll dispose of the waste collected. We’ve noticed people have been dropping masks and gloves in the street as well as other litter, which can end up on our beautiful beaches, so please everyone, bin your litter or take it home with you.”
Max Coleman, Chair of Edinburgh Biodiversity Partnership: “Edinburgh’s shoreline provides a wonderful opportunity for contact with nature. As the problems of marine litter are now widely understood I hope record numbers of people will get involved with the Great British Beach Clean this September.”
Cramond’s coastal area is vulnerable to a build-up of plastic waste and debris given its position along the coastal causeway to Cramond Island. Commonly collected items have included thousands of wet wipes, plastic bottles, disposable barbecues and dog waste bags.
Over the last 20 years of beach cleaning and surveying at Cramond, over 1,200 dedicated volunteers have removed 197 bags of litter weighing over 950kg. This year, with the events running for a full week, even more litter can be collected and surveyed.
Calum Duncan, Head of Conservation Scotland at the Marine Conservation Society:“Whilst the ongoing tide of rubbish and plastic could be demoralising, over the years there has been a huge swell in public support for our projects. To see the public pushing for, and enthusiastic about, transformative change has instead been inspiring and motivating.
“As a result of the data collected by our incredible volunteers we have helped secure Scotland’s carrier bag charge, a ban on plastic-stemmed cotton buds, Scotland’s Marine Litter Strategy and the Deposit Return Scheme for cans and bottles due in 2022.”
To become a Beachwatch Organiser please visit the website here.
Find information on the Source to Sea Litter Quest here.
For more information or to contact the Marine Conservation Society please visit www.mcsuk.org
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs and Edinburgh Councillor Nick Cook have launched a campaign for Edinburgh Council’s SNP/Labour administration to immediately reopen Braid Road.
In May, the Council rushed through the closure of Braid Road under the auspices of Covid-19 emergency powers. They did so without any substantial consultation with residents or local Councillors, leading to strong protest from Cllr Cook.
There may have been a case, during the early phases of lockdown, for a strict time limited closure of Braid Road to aid social distancing. However, it is clear that with many restrictions eased and children back at school, the road needs re-opened immediately to reduce inconvenience for residents and re-route the traffic that the closure has displaced to nearby streets, including outside South Morningside Primary on Comiston Road.
The Edinburgh Conservatives have consistently voiced concerns at the impact of this closure and have led the opposition to the move in the City Chambers.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“It is clear to me from the number of local residents who I have been contacted by that Braid Road needs to be reopened without delay.
“As lockdown restrictions have eased and schools have returned, the level of traffic that these closures have created on Comiston Road is insufferable for commuters.
“Whatever political party you support, please sign now to add your support to this campaign to get Braid Road reopened.”
Edinburgh Councillor, Nick Cook, said:“In contrast to my Morningside ward colleagues who either dithered or waved their lycra aloft in support of the Braid Road closure, I have voiced robust concerns at the Council’s bungled closure of Braid Road from the outset.
“The inconvenience to drivers, coupled with displaced traffic being funnelled outside South Morningside Primary School demands the Council finally listen to the public and reopen Braid Road immediately.”
Silverknowes Golf Club issued the following statement last night:
We found out this morning that a member entered the clubhouse on Saturday morning for a very brief period of time, after having returned from Spain. He did not self isolate and we have been left with no other option but to close the club.
Myself and the staff have santised all of the clubhouse today but as a precautionary measure, we are closing the club for 72 hours. If you were in the clubhouse on Saturday and show signs of Covid please contact us as soon as possible so we may inform the track and trace team.
The club will be open for business on Thursday unless there are any repercussion from this.
Thank you for your understanding in this matter and I hope you appreciate that your safety and the staffs are paramount to us.
Regards
Carol
The Norhet Bar in Davidsons Mains has appealed to any customers who visited Silverknowes Golf Club on Saturday to stay away as a safety precaution.
Meanwhile, life in Aberdeen will begin to get back to something like normal this week ….
Following a SGORR meeting yesterday (Sunday 23 August) the First Minister has set out a timeline for the lifting of travel restrictions, limits on indoor meetings and the opening of hospitality.
A number of restrictions were lifted at midnight tonight so that today (Monday 24 August) Aberdeen will be broadly in line with the rest of Scotland. The five-mile travel limit, restrictions on gatherings and limitations on hospital and care home visits will be lifted.
Businesses due to open in line with the national route map can also reopen, with the exception of cafes, restaurants or any hospitality element within them.
These, along with restaurants, pubs, casinos and other hospitality premises, will be able to open from Wednesday 26 August, only once an environmental health check has been completed.
Hospitality business owners are being urged to get in touch with Aberdeen City Council if they have not already had an environmental health check.
The SGORR meeting included partners from Aberdeen City Council, NHS Grampian and Police Scotland, and heard the latest update from the Incident Management Team on the level of the virus and its transmission in Aberdeen.
The latest figures show a total of 427 cases have been identified in the Grampian Health Board area since 26 July. Of these 259 are associated with the same cluster linked to Aberdeen pubs, and 1,258 contacts have now been identified from those.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am grateful to people in Aberdeen – the local authority and health board, local businesses, and everyone who lives there – for complying so well with the rules that were put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In particular I am grateful for the understanding of the businesses that were required to close in order to help beat the virus.
“It’s due to the commitment of people in the city, as well as world class contact tracing that means we are now able to lift some of these measures from Monday and then again from Wednesday, but it is vitally important that everyone follows the FACTS rules in order to prevent an outbreak of this scale occurring again.
“That way we can move forward and get our economy, our society and our lives generally back to as much normality as possible.”
Susan Webb, Director of Public Health for NHS Grampian said: “We must be cautious to ensure the progress we have made is maintained.
“Crucially, we must all be observing physical distancing from those not in our immediate household; whether at work, meeting socially, in a supermarket or out for exercise and recreation. It is also vitally important that anyone identified as a close contact of a detected case follows the guidance on isolating for 14 days.”
The Scottish Government has not ruled out extending restrictions if necessary to protect public health.
Remember FACTS for a safer Scotland:
F – Face coverings. These should be used in shops and on public transport (buses, trains and taxis) A – Avoid crowded places. C – Clean your hands frequently, using water and soap whenever possible. T – Two metres – observe physical distancing. S – Self-isolate and book a test if you are suffering from COVID-19 symptoms.
PoliceScotland works extremely closely with HM Coastguard to jointly keep people safe on our coastline and beaches.
Ssee some safety tips (below) from our Coastguard colleagues on how to keep safe this summer:
Check the weather forecast & tide times Read local hazard signs Leave inflatables at home – as they can very easily drift out to sea Keep a close eye on your family Have a fully charged mobile phone Have a meeting place if you get separated
Lastly – consider taking a photo of your family or group at the start of your seaside day. Should a family member go missing, you will have an up-to-date photo including an accurate clothing description.
In a coastal emergency, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Her Majesty’s (HM) Coastguard are urging every parent to be aware of the potential dangers of rip currents to be beach safe.
Be beach safe this summer
On Sunday 26 July, seven people, including five teenagers were lucky to be rescued after being caught in a strong, fast moving current in Wales.
And at the start of the month, RNLI lifeguards leapt to the rescue of 12 unsuspecting bathers who were swept off their feet by a rip current into rough seas at a beach in Cornwall.
Last year, RNLI lifeguards dealt with more than 1,500 incidents involving rip currents, saving the lives of 95 people caught in them.
Gareth Morrison, RNLI Head of Water Safety, said: ‘Our coastline is a fantastic place to spend time together as a family but there are also plenty of potential dangers, especially for those who aren’t fully aware of their surroundings.
‘The main one is rip currents which cause most incidents in the water that RNLI lifeguards deal within the UK.’
‘We are seeing a spike in incidents this summer involving these potentially deadly currents, which move even faster than an Olympic swimmer and can quickly drag people into deep water a long way from the shore.
‘It’s important that anybody venturing in or near the sea knows, not just what rip currents are, but how to react if they are caught in one or see someone else in trouble.
‘They are difficult to spot and even the most experienced and strongest swimmers can find themselves caught out so it’s important where possible to use beaches that have lifeguards patrolling on them.’
If you find yourself caught in a rip current, try to remember the following key safety advice:
Don’t try to swim against it, you will quickly get exhausted.
If you can stand, wade don’t swim.
If you can, swim parallel to the shore until free of the rip and then head for shore.
If you can’t swim – FLOAT to live by leaning back in the water, extending your arms and legs, and resisting the urge to thrash around to gain control of your breathing.
Always raise your hand and shout for help.
If you see anyone else in trouble, alert the lifeguards or call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.
Off-duty Aberdovey lifeboat crew member Arwel Jones was one of those who sprang into action on Sunday afternoon after his wife spotted two teenagers struggling in the water.
Together with some lifeguard friends and former lifeboat crew who happened to be wind and kitesurfing, they pulled seven people to safety.
‘They were just so lucky the right people happened to be in the right place at the right time,’ said Arwel. ‘There was even a doctor on the beach by chance, when we got them out of the water.
‘It’s a scary thought but a few seconds here or there and it could have been a very different outcome.’
While rip currents are not the only danger at the coast with tidal cut-offs and inflatables also the cause of many emergency calls, they make up the majority of incidents in the water for RNLI lifeguards and are a major cause of accidental drowning across the world.
The RNLI and Coastguard strongly advise against taking inflatables to the beach and urge people to be aware of the tide times and local hazards to avoid getting into trouble.
Director of HM Coastguard Claire Hughes said: ‘We’ve seen so many times how easy it is to get caught out by the sea.
‘That is why it is important to swim or bodyboard on lifeguarded beaches, stay within your depth, swim parallel to the shore and keep a close eye on friends and family at the beach and in the water.
‘Make sure you are always contactable at the coast by carrying a fully-charged mobile phone and if you get into trouble or see someone else in trouble, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’
