Fourteen Firework Control Zones (FCZs) in total will be in place across Edinburgh this autumn as part of ongoing efforts to reduce the negative impacts of fireworks around Bonfire Night.
Following a successful introduction in 2024, Firework Control Zones will return to several areas of the city between 30 October and 8 November 2026 following a decision by Councillors at yesterday’s (Monday 8 June) meeting of the Culture and Communities Committee.
Councillors agreed to consult on Firework Control Zones in Corstorphine, Longstone, Sighthill/Broomhouse and The Murrays, alongside new zones in Liberton Grange, Lochend, Stenhouse/Gaskell Street, West Pilton, Wester Hailes, and Moredun.
FCZs prohibit the use of fireworks within designated areas for a limited period of time, forming part of a wider package of measures aimed at improving public safety and reducing anti-social behaviour.
Earlier this year, communities were invited to apply for Firework Control Zone status in their local area, with community groups highlighting concerns including the misuse of fireworks, anti-social behaviour, and the need to protect animals, older people, and other vulnerable residents.
The decision builds on the positive impact of previous years’ measures, with Edinburgh experiencing significantly lower levels of firework-related anti-social behaviour compared with earlier years.
Work between the Council and Police Scotland also led to a substantial reduction in the number of retailers selling fireworks within the city. In 2024, 33 traders sold fireworks in Edinburgh and by 2025, that number had fallen to just two.
Culture and Communities Convener Margaret Graham said: We know that fireworks can have a significant impact on vulnerable people and pets, which is why it’s important that we use every tool available to support safer celebrations.
“Firework Control Zones are an important part of our wider approach to keeping communities safe during Bonfire Night and reduce the disruption that fireworks can cause.
“Feedback from residents, community groups and partner organisations shows that the zones have been effective in helping to reduce anti-social behaviour and improve the experience of local communities during firework season.
“We will continue to work closely with Police Scotland and local communities to ensure Bonfire Night is as safe and enjoyable as possible for everyone.”
Major upgrade to protect and enhance athletics facilities
A major improvement project at Saughton Sports Complex will help safeguard athletics provision in west Edinburgh and create a stronger future for local clubs, schools and community users.
Work to resurface the athletics track and upgrade key field facilities, ensuring the venue meets UK Athletics standards,was scheduled to begin yesterday (Monday 8 June). Funded by the City of Edinburgh Council, the investment will support the long-term future of a site that plays a vital role in the city’s athletics network.
Scottish Athletics has identified Edinburgh as one of eight priority regions in its national facilities strategy, underlining the importance of protecting and improving provision in this part of the city.
Culture and Communities Convener Margaret Graham said: “I am delighted that we are committing major investment into transforming the athletics track and field facilities.Providing these spaces for sport and physical activity is essential for communities in the west of the city.
These upgrades will create lasting benefits for local athletes, athletics clubs, schools, and residents who rely on the venue. The project will also encourage wider participation and give more residents an opportunity to enjoy the physical, social and wellbeing benefits that being active can bring.”
Cathy Findlay, Edinburgh Leisure Sports Pitch Manager, said:“This project is vital for athletics in west Edinburgh. By improving the track and key field facilities, we are protecting an important base for local clubs, supporting athlete development at all levels, and creating more inclusive opportunities to take part.
“These improvements will help ensure Saughton continues to serve local people well for years to come.”
For Saughton’s two core athletics clubs, Corstorphine AAC and Harmeny AC, the project will secure access to a high-quality local training and competition base. Supporting around 775 athletes and delivering approximately 50 hours of activity each week, the clubs make Saughton a key part of the development pathway for athletes of all ages and abilities.
The improvements will also help clubs retain members, support growth and strengthen the venue’s ability to host accredited regional competitions.
David Arnott, President of Corstorphine AAC, said: “Saughton is entering a really positive new phase.
“Edinburgh Leisure has a clear commitment to improving the track and facilities in ways that will make a real difference to the people who use them. It feels like we are now moving forward together, and that gives us real confidence for the future.”
Craig Stewart, Board Member at Harmeny AC, said: “This investment in athletics facilities gives Harmeny AC the certainty to move forward with plans to upgrade our own equipment and facilities, as well as invest in our coaching team.
“In turn, this will allow us to welcome more young athletes to training and help reduce our waiting list.”
The project will also strengthen the inclusive reach of athletics, supporting the ongoing work of both clubs to widen participation and create welcoming environments for people from a broad range of backgrounds and abilities.
Through initiatives such as Scottish Athletics’ Club Together programme, the clubs support underrepresented groups, including people moving from inactivity into sport, disabled athletes, refugees and those living in areas of socio-economic disadvantage—helping to create accessible pathways into athletics.
Saughton’s location further enhances its role as a community hub, with strong transport links making it easily accessible to a large and diverse local population.
Overall, the project will help protect a valued athletics venue, strengthen local clubs and widen opportunities for people across Edinburgh to take part in the sport.
Edinburgh Leisure is a charity dedicated to helping people lead more active, healthy lives. With 75 sport, leisure and school venues across the city, it creates opportunities for everyone to get active and stay active.
GRANTON WATERFRONT PHASE 1 – COMMUNITY DROP-IN EVENT
Local residents are invited to meet the Council’s Granton Waterfront project team and find out more about the construction works.
Developer Cruden will be available to answer questions, provide updates on the programme of works and discuss what the community can expect during the different stages of the development.
Two by-elections will be held in the Southside/Newington and Portobello/Craigmillar wards following the resignations of Councillors Simita Kumar and Kate Campbell.
Residents will go to the polls on Thursday 3 September to elect one new councillor in each ward. The current electorate is 24,304 for Southside/Newington and 27,347 for Portobello/Craigmillar.
SNP councillors Campbell and Kumar were elected to the Scottish Parliament in May’s elections.
Green councillor Kayleigh Kinross-O’Neill, was also elected to Holyrood through the list system but she has decided to ‘double up’, serving as an MSP whilst also remaining a councillor in Forth ward until next year’s council elections.
On 15 July the formal Notice of Election will be published, and the Election Timetable, Election Notices and Nomination Papers will all be accessible on the Council website.
Returning Officer for Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence said: “I’d like to thank Councillors Kumar and Campbell for their service as elected members and I wish them all the best in their new roles at Holyrood.
“We’ll now begin preparing for these by-elections to make sure our residents are able to make their voices heard and elect their new representatives to the City Chambers.
“I’d urge everyone in these wards to make sure they are registered to vote and to check that they have asked for a postal or proxy vote if that is what they need.”
Nomination papers can be submitted from 10am on 16 July until 4pm on 31 July to the Returning Officer in the City Chambers.
Candidates will be confirmed after nominations close on 31 July.
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 3 September.
The election will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system where voters rank candidates in order of preference rather than using a single cross. Voters can rank as many or as few candidates as they like.
The deadline to register to vote in these by-elections is 18 August. For new postal vote applications, it’s 19 August and for new proxy votes it’s 26 August.
The programme includes a commitment of over £111m for housebuilding in 2026-27, contributing to the development of around 4275 new affordable houses over the next 5 years. This is the first year of a major intervention to address the housing emergency through the allocation of a total £1.3 billion to deliver settled homes over five years.
Amongst the housebuilding projects being progressed under the programme are: the design of homes to replace Oxcars Court and Inchmickery Court; new developments at Murrayburn, Greendykes, Burdiehouse and Powderhall; and neighbourhood redevelopment at Granton Waterfront.
The budget is inclusive of £18.3m allotted to acquiring homes from private developers to help boost settled accommodation while £2.5m will be spent bringing empty homes up to a lettable standard.
Almost £70m will support improvements across the city’s high-rise blocks, from significant refurbishment as part of the Council’s retrofit programme to fire safety improvements and window replacements, while £45m is allocated for investment in the Low-Rise estate. This will focus on essential upgrades to kitchens, bathrooms and windows alongside repairs and energy efficiency works as part of Mixed Tenure improvement work.
Councillor Tim Pogson, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “In 2023 we became the first city in Scotland to declare a Housing Emergency and we’re still committed to tackling this head-on. The Housing Revenue Account investment programme demonstrates our dedication through a range of ambitious projects to boost our housing stock and improve the standards of our existing estate.
“Like cities and towns across the country we’re facing huge challenges in terms of housing shortages, the cost of living and a rising population. By investing wisely I’m confident that we can and will lessen the impact of these issues and make sure everyone has a safe place to live.”
An additional report to Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, Housing Delivery Strategy – Update, provides further information on the housebuilding programme.
AN £18 million Scottish Government investment will give young people the chance to get involved in different sporting activities on their doorstep.
The Council, working in partnership with sportscotland, has secured funding from the national initiative to provide free and low-cost opportunities for young people locally as part of the national agency’s 2026 Summer of Sport.
The £18 million initiative, funded by the Scottish Government and facilitated by sportscotland, will offer young people aged three to 26 the opportunity to get active and maybe try something new.
This summer, it’s game on, and the 2026 Summer of Sport is a unique opportunity for communities across Scotland to embrace the excitement of sport, inspired by the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, both of which will showcase Scotland on the global stage and inspire young people to take part, get active and begin their own journey in sport and activity.
With activities running throughout the summer and beyond, young people in Edinburgh will have access to a range of free and low-cost sport and physical activity opportunities, helping remove barriers to participation and ensure more young people have the chance to get involved.
The Council will work with colleagues and a network of partners, including Edinburgh Leisure, The University of Edinburgh, Scottish Student Sport, NHS, local sports clubs and local community organisations to ensure these opportunities are available to young people, regardless of background.
The funding will enable the delivery of activities designed to help young people develop healthy habits, build stronger social connections, and foster a lifelong love of movement.
Culture and Communities Convener Margaret Graham said:“We’re proud to support the 2026 Summer of Sport and are excited for the accessible activity opportunities it will create for young people in Edinburgh.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for children and young people to try something new, get active, and experience the joy of physical activity and sport. We will work with colleagues and partners to make these opportunities available to young people across Edinburgh, regardless of background.”
Education, Children and Families Convenor James Dalgleish said: “With the school summer holidays fast approaching, this funding will make it possible for even more children across the city to take part in, and maybe even have a go, at a new sport for the first time.
“We are committed to levelling the playing field for all children and young people in Edinburgh and we know that sport can play a crucial role in supporting that.
“The benefits of being active are widely known and the range of activities on offer will hopefully encourage young people to get out, get active and as a result benefit from better social connection, camaraderie, alongside health benefits.
Chief Executive of sportscotland, Forbes Dunlop, said:“At sportscotland, we believe that sport has the power to strengthen communities and change lives.
“The 2026 Summer of Sport campaign, made possible by Scottish Government investment, is a great example of what can be achieved when partners come together with a shared ambition to make sport more inclusive and accessible.
“We’re proud to play our part in helping more young people enjoy the benefits of being active as we celebrate a fantastic summer of sport.”
Through these investments, the Council is working to ensure that the 2026 Summer of Sport positively influences as many young people as possible, fostering engagement in sport and outdoor activities across all communities.
To find out more about the 2026 Summer of Sport, visit:
Schools Construction Skills Taster Event at Edinburgh Castle.
School pupils from across Edinburgh swapped their classroom for the Castle this week to try their hand at construction and traditional skills through a Build Your Future event.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES), in partnership with Scottish Traditional Building Forum and The City of Edinburgh Council, held the event for nearly 100 pupils on Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 May.
The two-day skills taster event is designed to inspire the next generation of craftspeople, construction professionals, and heritage specialists by giving young people the chance to try a range of practical skills.
Across the two days, pupils rotated through five interactive skills stations with demonstrations and mini masterclasses delivered by industry specialists.
Activities include roof slating, stonemasonry, painting and graining, timber joinery, and technology in construction such as thermal insulation – showcasing both traditional craft skills and modern construction techniques, and demonstrating how they work together to maintain, repair and future-proof Scotland’s historic buildings.
The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC), who first supported the inaugural Build Your Future skills demonstration at Edinburgh Castle in 2012, returned this year to lead the roof‑slating activities and share their expertise with pupils. There was also insight from industry body Women in Property who were able to share experience and advice with pupils.
HES craftspeople led behind‑the‑scenes tours of Edinburgh Castle, giving pupils rare and unique insight into the conservation and construction work required to care for a world‑famous heritage site.
Schools Construction Skills Taster Event at Edinburgh Castle.
Colin Tennant, Interim Director of Cultural Assets at HES, said: “Seeing young people get hands‑on with these skills is a fantastic reminder of why this work matters. Scotland’s historic environment depends on a strong pipeline of traditional and emerging skills, and inspiring young people to see the opportunities available to them in the sector is essential.
“At HES, we’re committed to playing a leading role in tackling the skills gap – investing in training, supporting innovative programmes like Build Your Future, and working closely with partners across education, industry and local authorities. But we cannot do this alone. Transforming Scotland’s skills landscape needs sustained support and collective effort. With continued engagement across the sector and beyond, we can build the skilled workforce Scotland needs now and for the future.”
Construction apprenticeships currently see a significant drop‑out rate, with just over half of apprentices completing their training each year. Partners believe this is often due to young people entering apprenticeships without a clear understanding of the wide range of roles available.
Build Your Future aims to change this by giving pupils early, practical experience and helping them choose the right pathway from the outset.
Schools Construction Skills Taster Event at Edinburgh Castle.
Joann Russell, Chair, Scottish Traditional Building Forum, said: “We are delighted to return to Edinburgh Castle to deliver a Build Your Future event. This model of school engagement started at Edinburgh Castle in 2012 and has evolved significantly with the feedback from education and industry.
“It is a young person focussed approach to promote the many and varied careers in construction to provide young people with insights to help them in their career choices. This has been done with numerous stakeholders across construction and we look forward to continuing to work with them for the mutual long-term aims of addressing the skills gap in construction.”
This week’s event at Edinburgh Castle, delivered in partnership between Scottish Traditional Building Forum, The City of Edinburgh Council and HES, builds on the success of a wider National 5 pilot programme.
The pilot programme embeds teaching of construction and traditional skills directly into the school timetable to create a clear pathway towards a National 5 qualification and beyond. The pilot, running across several schools in the city, has supported young people to gain early experience in heritage and construction careers, with several pupils progressing into apprenticeships.
Schools Construction Skills Taster Event at Edinburgh Castle.
Councillor James Dalgleish, Education, Children and Families Convenor, City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This event has been a great opportunity for young people to explore and try out a range of specialist and practical skills, all under the supervision of industry experts. Against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, school pupils were given a glimpse into the craftsmanship involved in conserving such a historic landmark too.
“In Edinburgh, we’re focused on improving outcomes for all learners and our innovative pathways work offers tailored routes for all young people – whether further education, an apprenticeship or the world of work.
By partnering with organisations like Historic Environment Scotland and Scottish Traditional Building Forum we want to inspire young people interested in a career in construction or conservation by showing them all that’s on offer.”
More information on traditional skills and training can be found on the HES website. Employers and schools interested in opportunities to participate can contact the team at skills@hes.scot
The nationwide search is on to find 9,000 volunteers across the country who will be at the heart of the historic Tour de France Grand Départs in summer 2027.
Officially known as JOY Makers, named in line with the Grand Départs’ social impact programme, volunteers will be the heartbeat of both races, bringing the joy of cycling to fans and communities throughout the six stages, and helping to ensure the sport’s most iconic races runs seamlessly.
You can apply now to be a JOY Maker for any of the six stages of the 2027 Grand Départs via www.letourgb.com/volunteer with registrations open from Wednesday 27 May until Tuesday 1 September 2026.
Anyone aged 16 and over is encouraged to apply to be a JOY Maker, with no prior volunteering experience needed to share in this once-in-a-lifetime experience – playing a part in what is set to be Britain’s most-attended sporting event, whilst making lasting memories and developing new skills.
A range of roles to support event operations and enhance spectator experience are available on both the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, with full training provided.
To mark the opening of applications and launch the programme, TV presenter and broadcaster Radzi Chinyanganya joined a group of current volunteers getting behind the Grand Départs.
Radzi Chinyanganyasaid: “I wouldn’t be where I am today if I wasn’t a volunteer when I was in my teens. I was a media volunteer and now I’m working in media – I’m living proof that volunteering can lead to something amazing. I’m so excited for everyone to get involved – it will truly be an unforgettable experience.
“Knowing what you want to do when you’re young can be intimidating and it’s also unprecedently hard to get work experience at the moment. Applying to be a JOY Maker can help you explore new opportunities and navigate your career path, all whilst being part of making history.
“Whoever you are, whatever your age or your background – JOY Makers is open to everyone – if you want to bring joy, we want you.”
The JOY Makers programme is designed to be accessible to all, from those with experience volunteering at major events and British Cycling activities to first-time volunteers, in particular from underrepresented groups in volunteering, including 16–25-year-olds.
Those aged 18 to 25 years old will be eligible to join the Readiness to Work scheme, that will be launched as part of the JOY social impact programme. The scheme will provide a comprehensive package of employability skills training and career-focused mentoring across multiple sectors. Coupling this with the volunteering experience will provide young people with a well-rounded and practical work experience offer.
Together, the volunteer programme and Readiness to Work scheme aim to leave behind a passionate and skilled collective of volunteers, creating a lasting legacy for the Grand Départs in communities across the country. In addition to this legacy, British Cycling – supported by partners across the three nations – is urging government to commit £30million critical capital investment to deliver a range of new and upgraded cycling facilities across Britain, reaching underserved communities.
Culture and Communities Convener Margaret Graham said: “The Tour de France Grand Départ is a landmark moment for Edinburgh and a chance to share the beauty of our city with millions of people across the world.
“Beyond the excitement of the race itself, the event will bring lasting benefits by supporting local businesses, improving health and wellbeing, and helping strengthen our commitment to active travel.
“We know how valuable volunteering is to make sure major events and festivals run safely and smoothly, as they have done so often here in Edinburgh, but also how rewarding it is for the volunteers themselves.
“I’d urge anyone interested to get involved and apply – and to play a part in this incredible occasion.”
Commenting on the launch of the application portal, Tracy Power, on behalf of JOY, the Grand Départ GB 2027 social impact programme, said: “This is a truly unique volunteering offer and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to feel the buzz of being a part of a history-making event, while meeting new people and celebrating your local community.
“The JOY Makers programme will create a core of engaged volunteers across Britain, who are willing to show up and get stuck in, dedicating their time to bring local events and activities to life. This will not only benefit the cycling community but also help our local communities to thrive and bolster employability.
“Whether you have volunteered before, are a regular on a bike or are completely new to volunteering and the world of cycling, everyone is welcome as a JOY Maker. We can’t wait to have you join the team, help us celebrate the joy of cycling and showcase your communities through the Grand Départs.”
To stay up to date with the 2027 Grand Départs and find out more about all six stages, visit letourgb.com
The annual Edinburgh Taxi Outing will now go ahead. Police have provided the following update on planning for the event:
Superintendent Neil Wilson said: “Our focus throughout has been to support the Edinburgh Taxi Outing as we have done for many years. We have held constructive discussions today with the event organiser and have agreed an outline plan which allows the event to run safely on its original route.
“Further discussions will take place in the coming days to finalise the police operation to support the event and ensure the children enjoy their day.”
