Tag: city council

City council prevents more than 300 households falling into homelessness

In just over a year, more than 300 households living in the private rented sector have been prevented from becoming homeless thanks to city council’s Crisis-run Private Rented Service Team (PRS).

Established in November 2019 in response to a growing number of homeless presentations from the private rented sector, the Private Rented Service (PRS) Team has assisted 324 households since March 2020. This has been done by helping them to keep their existing tenancy or to move to either a new private or mid-market rent secure tenancy.

Edinburgh Help to Rent, which is a service the Council contracts Crisis to deliver, does this by providing rent deposit guarantee bonds. It has provided 50 households with a bond to access properties in the private rented sector since February 2020.

This comes as part of a wider update on the City of Edinburgh Council’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP), a comprehensive strategy to tackle and eradicate homelessness across the city over the next five years, that was presented at the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee this month.

The Council has made significant investment, complemented by Scottish Government funding, to deliver the Plan, which is focused on providing:

  • suitable temporary accommodation for the needs of households;
  • supporting people into settled accommodation as quickly as possible;
  • reducing the number of people sleeping rough on our streets; and overall preventing homelessness in the first place.

The RRPT sets out all the different approaches that are key to tackling a wide range of issues faced by people across the Capital.

Alongside the PRS Team, a team has been set up to provide a ‘multi-disciplinary response’ pilot for Council tenants who are struggling to maintain their tenancy or who are falling into rent arrears.

This multi-agency approach across the Council aims to reach out to our tenants who may not engage with their locality Housing Officer, to offer joined-up support and enhanced engagement to help keep the tenant in their home and so avoiding homelessness. 

Learning from a similar successful innovative programme by Newcastle City Council, this brings together representatives from key Council services including housing, homelessness, advice services, family & household support, adult protection and children and families social work services into one cross-Council response group.

Established as recently as February 2021, since March this year the team has positively engaged 16 (84%) of 19 tenants referred to the team. A further 14 have since been referred and attempts are being made to contact them and offer support.

The Homelessness Transformational Prevention Programme complements the RRTP. Through this programme the Council has recruited 28 additional officers to trial new ways of working that will prevent homelessness in the first place.

When a permanent home can’t be found immediately, the team will continue helping people to access settled housing more quickly, thereby reducing the number of households in temporary accommodation. Through joint funding by the Council and Scottish Government, the RRTP has made this investment possible.

Councillor Kate Campbell, Convener of Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee said: “With the severe pressure on housing in Edinburgh, we need to take every possible step we can to tackle homelessness in our city.

“That includes stepping up work on prevention, improving temporary accommodation, making sure that there is support in place for anyone experiencing homelessness, ending rough sleeping and finding as many ways as possible to help people resolve homelessness. The Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan sets out all the different initiatives we’ve put in place to do that.

“This has to start with preventing homelessness wherever possible, so I’m glad that both the PRS Team and the multi-disciplinary response team are working so well. Preventing 300 households from becoming homeless in a year is phenomenal and it shows the real value of the RRTP supporting innovation and new ways of working. This funding from the Scottish Government allows us to try out new services, and where they are successful we can continue, and look to expand them.

“This is more important than ever as we start to see the economic repercussions from the pandemic and expect an increase in homeless presentations.

“The RRTP is a comprehensive plan that sets out all of these new services and innovative ways that we are supporting people to create better outcomes for individuals, and work towards ending homelessness in our city.”

Councillor Mandy Watt, Vice Convener of Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee said: “Being homeless can be a horrible experience for people and finding better ways to prevent it is an incredibly important part of the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan.

“Working with registered social landlords and partner organisations like Crisis has already made a big difference to the numbers of people ending up homeless.

“As we come out of the Covid-19 emergency measures, the need for this service is likely to increase significantly and we’ll be relying on our dedicated prevention team to play an even bigger role in our efforts to end homelessness in Edinburgh.”

Independent local support is available if you are experiencing housing/debt problems. Contact Granton Information Centre by email at info@gic.org.uk or telephone 0131 551 2459 or 0131 552 0458.

Triple Point’s Heron Court Leith housing development completed

Triple Point Social Housing REIT has announced that work has completed on its major new development in Leith, which provides high-quality new homes for local people with long-term disabilities.

In April 2019, Triple Point announced its investment in the scheme, developed by HB Villages (HBV), with construction officially started by Deidre Brock, the MP for Edinburgh North and Leith.

Twenty-four new supported housing apartments have been built on West Bowling Green Street in Leith, which are specially adapted to provide long-term homes for people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and other complex care requirements.

Residents will be referred to the scheme by the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership based on significant local need, with care provided to residents by Lifeways, and housing management services provided by Inclusion Housing.

The £5.4m scheme, called Heron Court, is the first of its type in Scotland and has been developed by HBV, a specialist supported living developer, using funding from Triple Point.

The developers instructed an all-Scottish construction team including Edinburgh-based architects 56Three, structural and civil engineers Curtins, locally-based mechanical and electrical consultants Horizon M&E, and Alloa-based contractor Marshall Construction.

Triple Point uses private capital to acquire, or fund the development of, newly built or newly renovated housing in the community for people with long-term care needs whose rent is funded by government.

This type of housing has been shown to improve the wellbeing of people moving out of institutional care settings, while saving the government money. Triple Point’s portfolio has over 450 properties providing homes for over 3,000 residents.

Based on strong demand, Triple Point is looking to invest in more supported housing schemes like Heron Court across Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Max Shenkman, Head of Property Investment at Triple Point, said: “We are delighted to announce the completion of Heron Court. The development will allow people with disabilities and complex care needs to live independent lives in high-quality and carefully adapted apartments.

“Triple Point is committed to investing in projects that deliver a positive social impact, and Heron Court will provide homes in the heart of the community to support some of Edinburgh’s most vulnerable people. With more Scottish developments in the pipeline, we look forward to delivering further positive impact in the area.” 

Oliver Carroll, development director of HBV, the supported living developer, said: “We are delighted to complete delivery of this special scheme in the heart of the community.

“We have had tremendous support from officers at Edinburgh City Council who are responsible for delivering specialist supported care across the city. Everyone we have worked with on delivering Heron Court recognises the need for modern specialist supported living accommodation for Scotland’s most vulnerable people. 

“We are tremendously excited by all the interest that is being shown in this particular scheme and we are already progressing discussions with other local authorities and funding partners to deliver more like it in Scotland.” 

Judith Proctor, Chief Officer of the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “The completion of this scheme – less than two miles from Edinburgh city centre and less than two years after works began – is a remarkable achievement and a great example of collaboration between the public and private sectors.

“Accessibility and technology are two important features of the design of the building which will enable residents to live more independently. Many of the residents will have keys to their own front door for the first time which will be a tremendous boost to their independence and a positive impact on their lives.”

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Frank Ross, said: “This is a brilliant example of a new-build development that blends seamlessly into the surrounding environment and community not just physically but emotionally as well.

“It is important that we continue to place great emphasis on solving the housing requirements of people in Edinburgh who need extra support and give them the opportunity to live as independently as possible.” 

Deidre Brock, MP, who officially started works at the site in 2019, said: “The completion of this development is another important step towards ensuring the most vulnerable in our society are well looked after in accommodation that properly suits their needs.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing folk move into the scheme over the next few months and making their home here in Leith.”

I do like to be beside the seaside!

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh goes to the seaside in a new online exhibition

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh have launched ‘Life on the Forth’, a new digital exhibition which celebrates the city’s coastal communities.

The exhibition is the latest strand of activity as part of the ongoing Auld Reekie Retold inventory project, and explores the range and depth of the history of the area of Edinburgh on the shores of the Firth of Forth. Using map-based technology, it shows stories in the context of the very streets and places they originally came from.

Edinburgh’s coastline is rich in history. Drawing on objects from across the museum service, Life on the Forth celebrates stories and histories from across Edinburgh’s coastline. Some of these might be familiar, others perhaps unexpected.

The exhibition includes personal stories and individual lives, as well as tales of an industrial past. Uncovered stories, such as the life of Barbara Seaton, or the dangerous work of Edward McRobbie, help us understand the city that little bit better.

Whether tales of fishwives, fishermen, incredible feats of engineering or more modest lives and businesses, these communities past and present make the collections of Museums & Galleries Edinburgh what they are. The exhibition features the outdoor bathing pool at Portobello, which would have celebrated its 85th birthday this May.

Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Donald Wilson said: This fascinating exhibition is set to impress maritime history and Edinburgh enthusiasts alike.

“‘Life on the Forth‘ allows visitors to browse the exhibition at their own pace and without any time limit or physical restrictions. We’re proud to have expanded the reach of our exhibitions throughout the pandemic, not only to residents, but to those further afield who, due to distance, cost, disabilities or lack of opportunity, may have found it difficult to visit even in normal times.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to get a glimpse inside these fascinating stories and remember everyone who lived their ‘Life on the Forth‘.”

Culture and Communities Vice Convener, Cllr Amy McNeese-Mechan said: “Museums & Galleries Edinburgh have been exploring new ways to engage with our audiences and this latest exhibition is a fantastic example of the service adapting what we do during these unprecedented times.

“2021 is the Year of Coasts and Waters, so what better time to discover new stories of life on the Forth? It’s truly fascinating and I can’t wait to revisit some of the areas highlighted in the exhibition.”

Auld Reekie Retold Project Manager Nico Tyack said: “This exhibition is the result of going through the coastal collections as part of the Auld Reekie Retold collections project.

“Many of these stories have never been heard before, and the virtual format has really helped us get the most out of these objects. ‘Life on the Forth’ is a truly team effort from the Auld Reekie Retold team, and much of the research has been carried out during lockdown.

“We are delighted to be able to share this new exhibition with you, and encourage you to explore the exhibition.”

Drivers: Git Oot o’ Toon!

City Centre Low Emission Zone proposed for Edinburgh

A preferred Low Emission Zone (LEZ) scheme for Edinburgh will be put to Transport and Environment Committee members for decision on Thursday (17 June), ahead of a public consultation.

A City Centre LEZ, broadly following the boundary first proposed for consultation in 2019 and applying to all motor vehicles except motorcycles and mopeds, has been recommended for approval.

This has been appraised against two other options – a City Centre LEZ with a revised boundary and a scheme incorporating both City Centre and Extended Urban Area (formerly known as Citywide) LEZs.

An evidence-led approach was taken when appraising the schemes, adhering to the National Low Emission Framework and based on detailed traffic and air quality modelling and data. Each option was assessed against a series of principles and objectives including the reduction of harmful NO2 and greenhouse gas emissions and minimising the displacement of traffic as a result of the LEZ.

If approved, a 12-week public consultation would be carried out seeking views on the preferred scheme. This would inform a report back to committee in autumn before the statutory process to introduce the LEZ begins, with the aim of implementing the scheme in spring 2022.

Once the LEZ is in place, vehicles must meet a minimum emissions standard to enter a zone freely, and those that don’t will be considered non-compliant and subject to penalties. Penalty charges are set nationally at £60 for non-compliant vehicles (though halved if paid within 30 days), with the penalty rate roughly doubling for subsequent contraventions within a 90-day period.

However, there will be a proposed two-year grace period for Edinburgh’s LEZ, meaning enforcement will begin in spring 2024.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “As we approach Clean Air Day, which aims to tackle air pollution and its harmful effects on our health and wellbeing, it’s fitting that we’re progressing our own plans to significantly improve air quality in the city.

“A great deal of analysis and monitoring has gone into the latest proposals for a Low Emission Zone in Edinburgh. This takes into account the urgent need to lower emissions for the good of our health, while remaining aware of the impact on local businesses, residents and on traffic patterns.

“We know from our consultation in 2019 that lowering air pollution matters to everyone, so I look forward to hearing from the public on the preferred option, if approved by committee.”

Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “We have committed to introducing a Low Emission Zone, both under the national drive to implement LEZs across the country but also through the City Mobility Plan, as part of our plans to deliver a more sustainable, environmentally friendly transport future in Edinburgh.

“We will continue to work closely with residents, businesses and stakeholders as we move a step closer to its introduction, ensuring everyone is well prepared for the changes.”

Work to introduce an LEZ in Edinburgh began in 2018 in line with the Scottish Government’s commitment to implement LEZs in Scotland’s four largest cities – Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee – to tackle air pollution and protect public health.

It was originally intended that LEZs would be in place by 2020 but, due to the COVID pandemic, this date has been pushed back to 2022.

In 2019 the council carried out a public consultation on initial LEZ proposals for a City Centre LEZ applying to all vehicle types, introduced with a one-year grace period, addressing the worst concentrations of air pollution in the densely populated area.

In addition, the Extended Urban Area boundary was put forward to apply to all commercial vehicles – buses, coaches, Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs), vans, taxis, and private hire cars – with a longer time to prepare (three years).

Responses to the consultation showed that cleaner air is important to everyone but demonstrated mixed views on the suitability of the proposed LEZ. Since then the council has worked with stakeholders including SEStran, Transport Scotland and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to develop the current proposal.

Officers appraised the options using the National Modelling Framework (NMF) developed by SEPA, along with other modelling and data analysis and feedback from the 2019 consultation. As a result, the City Centre LEZ alone has been recommended over the alternative City Centre LEZ and the Extended Urban Area LEZ.

This is due to various factors including the expected limited impact of the Extended Urban Area zone, with commercial fleet already improving in emissions standards, and predictions that the alternative City Centre zone would have a more negative impact on air quality at its boundary than that of the proposed City Centre LEZ.

While it is not expected that air pollution will get worse elsewhere in the city due to diversions around the boundary, and with cleaner vehicles expected to use the surrounding area, a Network Management Strategy is being developed to mitigate any impacts. This is likely to include junction reconfigurations, improvements to signage and optimised signalling, amongst other measures.

Read the full report, Low Emission Zone – Preferred Scheme for Consultation, on the Council website and watch the committee discussion via webcast, from 10am on Thursday, 17 June.

Find out more about Clean Air Day, which takes place on 17 June.

“Working for Everyone”

Full steam ahead for Spaces for People?

Next week, the council’s Transport and Environment Committee will consider recommendations on whether, post-pandemic, to retain ‘on a trial basis’ or remove temporary measures like protected cycle lanes, widened pavements and traffic restrictions on roads outside schools.

Proposals have been published for the future of Edinburgh’s Spaces for People schemes, which have been introduced to help people walk, cycle and wheel while physically distancing during the pandemic.

Officer recommendations are based on a series of criteria including the impact of projects on encouraging walking and cycling, if they benefit the street environment and how they affect public transport or disabled road users.

They also take into account longer-term Council objectives relating to climate change, health and the city’s economy, as well as responses received as part of a major public consultation. This attracted more than 17,600 participants and has been considered alongside the results of independent market research and comments from key stakeholders.

Amongst the schemes recommended for retention ‘on an experimental basis’ are the pedestrianisation of Waverley Bridge, Cockburn Street and Victoria Street and protected cycle lanes on Old Dalkeith Road, Crewe Road South, Lanark Road and Comiston Road.

Council officers have also recommended retaining projects that help join up routes for leisure walking and cycling, including the closures to general traffic on Cammo Walk and Silverknowes Road North.

Any projects to be retained on an experimental basis would be subject to reviews of their design, associated parking restrictions and local traffic.

The reviews would take into account comments received since projects were installed as well as feedback received through consultation. There would be a focus on reducing any negative impacts, especially for disabled people, and seeking to address concerns around features like ‘floating’ parking (i.e. parking with a cycle lane between the parking space and the kerb).

A number of measures are expected to be recommended for removal, such as the majority of shopping street changes. These are facilitating physical distancing during the pandemic, but can impact on servicing, parking (including for disabled people) and, in some cases, bus services.

Officers have also recommended removing pedestrian and cycle infrastructure on Forrest Road and George IV Bridge.

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “Over the last year we’ve responded to an emergency situation, making great strides to provide families with protected spaces to exercise, to help people cycle safely to work and to give the public room to physically distance while spending time in local shopping streets.

“We know people have benefited from the changes and we want to see if we can keep as many as possible of the project benefits as we hopefully move out of the COVID pandemic.

“As we look toward the end of the pandemic, we want to make a sustainable, successful recovery. By helping people to walk, cycle and wheel, many of the changes we’ve made to streets will support this, as well as our broader ambitions to achieve carbon neutrality, reduce air pollution and to improve the quality of life for all those who live in and visit Edinburgh.

“Projects have been controversial, and some groups, notably those representing people with mobility and visual impairments, have raised concerns about their impacts, especially on parking.

“Other concerns include ‘floating’ car parking and impacts on traffic levels on some roads. I’m committed to making sure we listen to feedback and make improvements as we move into a new stage of trialling projects. I want the measures we keep in the longer term to get the balance right, working for everyone.”

Transport and Environment Vice Convener Councillor Karen Doran said: “When we agreed to explore retaining some of these changes longer term, we recognised how beneficial they could be to encouraging active travel, improving road safety and reducing air pollution, amongst other positive impacts.

“We’re committed to delivering these benefits, but we want to bring the public with us. By extending the life of any of these measures on a trial basis, we’ll be able to continue monitoring schemes and working with communities to shape and enhance them while they’re in place.”

If approved, the majority of schemes would be implemented on a trial basis using Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs). This allows officers to continue monitoring and modifying changes if needed, in close liaison with the community and stakeholders, to make sure they’re working for as many people as possible.

A report with recommendations on the next steps for each scheme would be brought back to Transport and Environment Committee in around six months after the implementation of ETROs.

Measures introduced under Spaces for People would be retained while public health advice continues to advocate maintaining physical distancing measures to manage the impact of the virus.

Some of the key recommendations for measures, once they are no longer required to maintain physical distancing, include:

Schools

  • Retaining road closures outside Sciennes and James Gillespie’s Primary Schools
  • Work with the many other schools which have had part time vehicle prohibitions with a view to bringing forward proposals for new School Streets or, in a few cases, road closures, to replace temporary measures by the end of 2021

City Centre projects

  • Retain pedestrianisation on Victoria Street, Cockburn Street and Waverley Bridge
  • Remove the measures on George IV Bridge and Forrest Road, while retaining the uphill segregated cycle lane on The Mound

Shopping Streets

  • Remove most of the measures on shopping streets, though give consideration to retaining some small lengths of footway widening, in particular where the existing pavement doesn’t provide enough space for people to walk
  • Retain the measures introduced on Queensferry High Street

Protected cycle lanes

  • Retain all protected cycle lanes, including on Crewe Road South, Comiston Road, Lanark Road, Fountainbridge/Dundee Street, Silverknowes Parkway, Ferry Road, Willowbrae Road, Old Dalkeith Road and others.
  • Carefully review schemes during the development of the ETRO to minimise the impacts on disabled street users, also considering adjustments to loading restrictions and to ‘floating’ car parking
  • Consider amendments to benefit bus services

Connecting routes for exercise and cycling and walking for pleasure

  • Retain measures including the closure of Braid Road to northbound traffic, the closure of Cammo Road to motor vehicles and the Meadows to Greenbank Quiet Connection
  • Retain measures on Silverknowes Road North, Silverknowes Road South and connecting streets, forming a connection to Silverknowes promenade
  • Remove closure of Links Gardens, though consider reinstatement as part of proposals for a Leith Low Traffic Neighbourhood.

The Transport and Environment Committee will consider the report, Potential retention of Spaces for People measures, on Thursday (17 June).

The report includes information on a fraudulent attempt by one member of the public, who created a bot to submit more than 18,000 fake responses to the consultation, each strongly opposed to Spaces for People schemes.

These responses were quickly identified and removed by officers and will have no impact on the outcome of the consultation. The incident has been reported to Police Scotland and as a result action has also been taken by the Council, in addition to existing measures in place, to prevent future fraudulent activity in Council consultations.

Read the report on the Council website and watch the discussion live via webcast from 10am on Thursday, 17 June.

City Centre at heart of heart of capital recovery plans

Muirhouse Community Hub and Granton gasholder put forward for Levelling Up funding

As Edinburgh’s economy faces the biggest challenge for more than a generation, the City of Edinburgh Council looks to forge a strong and sustainable recovery for Scotland’s Capital.

The Council has brought together key partners, stakeholders and business leaders to review the Edinburgh Economic Strategy to develop a refreshed approach that focuses on the city’s strengths, continued investment and collaboration, while responding to new pressures arising from both the pandemic and Brexit, and the long-term challenges identified in the 2018 Edinburgh Economy Strategy.

Agreed at yesterday’s Policy & Sustainability committee the report outlines key priorities, while also highlighting the importance of the city centre to Edinburgh’s long-term economic success – as a magnet for visitors, cultural activity, investment and innovation.

As part of the initial work that’s been done so far with key partners a series of actions have been proposed that the Council and other city stakeholder need to undertake to support the delivery of a strong economic recovery for Edinburgh.

These actions fall under five priorities which are:

  1. helping businesses to manage, adapt and innovate
  2. promote access to fair work and opportunities for progression
  3. lead a just transition to a net carbon zero economy
  4. create vibrant places for businesses and people; and
  5. maintain Edinburgh’s place as a global economy.

Focusing on specific actions needed to revive the economy of the city’s historic centre, The City Centre Recovery Plan has been developed as an accompaniment to the refresh of the city-wide Edinburgh Economy Strategy.

This plan proposes two core priorities for the Council and its partners over the next few years:

  • ‘support the city centre to adapt and thrive’ by taking action to provide high impact support to businesses of all sectors, as well as tailored, targeted support to businesses in areas or in sectors under specific pressure.
  • ‘build momentum for long term recovery’ by delivering strong programmes of promotion and marketing the city centre, as well as taking the steps needed to help people safely return to work in the area. Meanwhile look to enhance and repurpose the city centre to make sure it meets the post-pandemic needs of residents, businesses and visitors.

This will be underpinned by some of the largest and most significant retail, commercial, and tourism developments seen in any UK city centre.

It is hoped that these major investments will provide a catalyst for recovery of Edinburgh’s city centre, creating new job opportunities and building momentum needed to drive up footfall and turnover to the benefit of all businesses in the area.

These include:

  • the £1billion St James Quarter development opening this month;
  • Diageo’s investment in whisky tourism culminating in Johnnie Walker Princes Street opening later this summer;
  • a £40 million repair of North Bridge;
  •  the National Galleries of Scotland £22 million refurbishment project;
  • new uses on the way for key buildings such as the former BHS, Debenham’s shops, and the iconic Jenner’s department store
  • and in the west end of the city, the Edinburgh’s Haymarket project delivering a £350m development transforming the long-neglected brownfield site.

The new frameworks proposed for both the Economic Strategy and the City Centre Recovery Plan will now go through a consultation period with our citizen’s and partners from this month. Following this the final documents will be published in November this year.

Both reports will also look to deliver on the Council’s broader approach to recovery from the pandemic and meet its core priorities to end poverty, become a net zero city, and ensure wellbeing and equalities are enhanced for all.

Welcoming the update on the new frameworks, Council Leader, Adam McVey, said: “Recent indicators like city centre footfall and investments bringing opportunities for people in the Capital show Edinburgh in a strong position for a successful recovery.

“Oxford Economics suggested that Edinburgh is the most resilient economy in Scotland, driven by our digital connectivity and the diversity of our economy. But the challenges for businesses of Covid-19 and Brexit can’t be underestimated.

“By channelling our strengths, we can overcome the challenges and continue to make our City a greener and fairer place to live, work and do business.  Key growth sectors like data-driven innovation and strong sectors like technology, finance and business tourism are all collectively working together as a city to build a bright future for Edinburgh with opportunities for all our residents.

“I’d like to thank our partners and stakeholders for their support and insights in getting our next Economic Strategy to this stage. Through this next phase of wider engagement with the City we will have a robust plan of actions to support businesses, protect and create jobs and continue to make progress.

Depute Leader, Cammy Day, said: “A strong recovery for Edinburgh’s economy as a whole requires a strong and vibrant city centre and by developing The City Centre Recovery Plan, in tandem with the refreshed Economic Strategy, we’re making sure that this vital area of our city continues to thrive.

“In parallel with the development of the priorities we’ve set out, we have also committed to delivering many innovative and regenerative schemes across the city that are at the heart of our communities.

“We agreed on six key projects to be put forward for UK Government Levelling Up Funding including the Granton Waterfront, the North Edinburgh Art’s MacMillan Hub in Pennywell, Wester Hailes and other key priority programme for the city. I’m hopeful that we’ll be successful in our bids for this funding and look forward to seeing these projects benefiting our citizens in future years.”

Funding regeneration

Alongside this, as part of the city’s wider ambitions for the economy, the need to help fund and deliver key regeneration and infrastructure projects was also on the agenda at Thursday’s Policy & Sustainability Committee. 

Six projects were agreed and will now be put forward for the 2021/22 funding round of the new UK Levelling Up Fund.

The Levelling Up Fund was announced by UK Government at the 2020 Spending Review as a £4.8bn package of funding to provide capital investment in local infrastructure projects over four years, from 2021-22 to 2024-25.

All Scottish Local Authorities will receive a flat amount of £125,000 in capacity funding to support bid development. This funding is expected to be made available in late June 2021.

The six projects are:

  • North Edinburgh Arts – a proposed new creative and community hub at MacMillan Square in Pennywell;
  • Granton Gas Holder – restoring the gas holder structure and remediating the wider site, forming a key catalyst to delivering phase one of the wider waterfront regeneration programme;
  • Wester Hailes Regeneration – a comprehensive, phased regeneration plan for the next 10 to 15 years and will incorporate the aspirations as set out by the community in the Local Place Plan;
  • Inch Park Regeneration – a proposed project for the development of a sports and community hub in Inch Park;
  • Craigmillar Town Centre Regenerations – a regeneration plan for the area to complete years of housing led investment to deliver wide ranging community led improvements;
  • City-wide active travel – building on the vision and objectives set out in the City Mobility Plan, the active travel investment programme will deliver on of the UK’s most ambitious safe, attractive and coherent walking, cycling and wheeling networks.

Building international partnerships

Taking an international perspective and continuing to build relationships across the globe to attract investment and strategic links will be an important part in growing Edinburgh’s economy.

How Edinburgh maximises its global connections and partnerships was set out in an updated Edinburgh International Framework, developed in collaboration with members of the Edinburgh International Group.

Refreshed in response to changing context and challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, as well as new developments in city wide priorities, the approach ensures international activity promotes the Capital’s equality and diversity objectives.

As part of the new framework, Councillors also agreed that the Council will support the University of Edinburgh in joining the World Innovative Cities Co-operation Organisation to develop civic links and support innovative collaborations with partner cities.

Council ‘makes positive progress’ despite pressures of Covid

New performance and benchmarking reports have revealed that the City of Edinburgh Council continues to make good progress, despite the significant impact of Covid on the hundreds of services it provides.

The latest Annual Performance Report for the last financial year, which was considered by the Council’s Policy and Sustainability Committee yesterday, provides a detailed analysis of Council performance during a year in which the Council had to make big changes to how it delivered services to residents due to Covid19.

It sets out a holistic picture of performance for 2020/21, showing where improvements were made, where service delivery performance was maintained or where progress was slowed due to the need to focus service capacity on keeping residents safe and businesses supported.

Also set discussed at Thursday’s Committee meeting, the latest Local Government Benchmarking Framework report covering 2019/20 reveals that Edinburgh saw an overall improvement over the period and compares favourably to the other Scottish cities.

Edinburgh compares favourably when considering overall rankings to those of the three most comparable urban cities, Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow. The Capital shows the highest number of indicators in the top two quartiles and the fewest in the bottom quartile of the four cities.

Finally, a report covering financial year 2020/21shows that of the Coalition’s 52 Commitments, which the Council has committed to deliver by the end of 2022, 47 have now been achieved or partially achieved.

The 14 Coalition Commitments recorded as ‘fully achieved’ include delivering the City Region Deal, increasing the number of classroom assistants and support staff for children with additional needs and planting an additional 1,000 trees in communities (since 2017, 39,966 trees have been planted, significantly surpassing this commitment).

Meanwhile, good progress continues to be made on the Trams to Newhaven project, despite changes to the programme necessitated by the temporary shut-down of construction sites during the first lockdown in 2020.

And construction is due to complete on the new Meadowbank Sports Centre later this year, meaning the commitment to build a new sports centre at Meadowbank by 2021 is on course to be fully achieved.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “It’s been a year like no other and Council services have been tested like never before as we’ve grappled with the impact of the pandemic on our lives and on the city.

“We’ve needed to make massive changes to the way we deliver hundreds of lifeline services to residents to make sure we keep the city going and ensure our most vulnerable are supported.

“While dealing with the immediate public health needs of the City, it’s inevitable progress has slipped in some areas but we’ve managed to improve and maintain progress in many more areas, which is testament to the sheer dedication and commitment of our workforce. Major important projects like taking trams to Newhaven and the new Meadowbank continue to progress at pace.

“The number of children receiving 1,140 hours of early learning and childcare continues to grow, we’ve successfully reduced our carbon emissions and our performance in areas like building warrant applications has improved despite the need to allocate resources elsewhere. Meanwhile vital services such as bin collections continued thanks to early actions taken to ensure our colleagues could work safely.

“Crucially, we’ve been able to keep progressing our core Business Plan priorities of reducing poverty and inequality, tackling climate change and improving wellbeing for everyone in the city – these continue to be the central pillar of our programme for the Capital.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “The global pandemic means that, as a Council, we’ve had to adapt in unexpected ways to maintain lifeline services and to quickly set up additional support measures – and throughout this our primary focus, rightly, has been on those who need our help the most.

“It’s really welcome, then, that we’ve been able to achieve so much despite the enormous challenges of the crisis. In a time of huge uncertainty, we’ve still made positive progress against our commitments, and where improvement plans have rightly had to be put on hold to let us focus capacity on keeping residents safe and businesses supported, we’ll set out how we plan to get back on track.

“In many areas, we’ve already delivered what we promised to do and are on schedule for delivering many others. More and more Edinburgh region employers are accredited as Living Wage Foundation employers, we’re making good progress on Trams to Newhaven and two more of our parks have netted Green Flag awards, taking our tally to 34, the highest amount of any Scottish local authority.

“Throughout the crisis, the End Poverty Edinburgh citizens group has continued its vital work helping us towards our goal of eradicating poverty in Edinburgh by 2030 and our agreement as a Council to invest £600,000 in additional revenue monies towards prevention services and community engagement will further support this work.”

Key areas of progress covered in the three Committee reports include:

  • the number of employers in the Edinburgh region accredited as Living Wage Foundation employers has increased year on year (545 in 2020/21, up from 416 in 2018/19)
  • 75% of early years settings are providing 1140 hours’ early learning and childcare (surpassing our 51% target)
  • 100% of emergency road defects were made safe within 24 hours in 2020/21
  • Total Council emissions of all greenhouse gases fell to 74 MtCO2e in 2019/20 from 151 All MtCO2e in 2017/18
  • At number 14 out of 32 Scottish local authorities, the latest Local Government Benchmarking Framework shows Edinburgh has risen to its best road condition ranking for unclassified roads in 9 years
  • good progress is being made on the City Region Deal, drawing down capital funding of £165m from the UK and Scottish Government grant of £600m. Projects worth 61% of the full Deal have had business cases approved
  • continued investment in school buildings with construction commencing on a further 2 schools in 2020/21
  • significant investment is being made in transport across the city for both active travel improvements and roads infrastructure
  • work has been able to continue on the new tram line to Newhaven during the COVID-19 pandemic and passenger services are scheduled to begin by the revised timescale of spring 2023
  • recruitment of Pupil Support Assistants (PSA) has continued throughout the school session in mainstream and Special Schools and the number of FTE pupil support assistants employed has continued to increase
  • the roll-out of Three Conversations approach is in its second year, and it has helped reduced the time people wait to see a care worker to 2.5 days
  • two new parks in the city have been awarded Green Flag status and a significant level of future investment has been agreed for future improvement work

Briggs: Powderhall Green Corridor delay due to Spaces for People

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs is disappointed that the project to transform the Powderhall Railway path into a green corridor has been delayed due to the Spaces for People initiative.

In a letter to the MSP from Edinburgh Council, the Active Travel Department said that “Progress on this has been delayed by the need to re-allocate staff resources to develop and deliver temporary Spaces for People (SfP) schemes”.

The feasibility study into transitioning the disuses railway line into a green corridor is due later this summer, with Network Rail amendable to amendable to the “repurposing of the Powderhall spur line into high-quality urban green corridor for people to walk, cycle and wheel on”.

Network Rail have said the railway line is still classed as operational railway, because the track that leads there is still connected to the wider rail network.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “I am pleased that talks with Network Rail are going well and they are open to transforming the Powderhall spur line into a high quality green corridor.

“It is disappointing that the project team looking at the Green Corridor transformation has been delayed due to working on Spaces for People schemes.

“This is a great opportunity to create a safe green space to connect Powerhall to Meadowbank and beyond.

“The new Powderhall Green Corridor will be excellent for people to walk, cycle and wheel on, as well as fitting in with Edinburgh’s Active Travel strategy.”

£250,000 recovery fund for Capital’s carers

The City of Edinburgh Council and VOCAL, Voice of Carers Across Lothian, have announced a new Carers Recovery Fund.

Recognising the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on unpaid carers, the City of Edinburgh Council has committed to an investment of £250,000 to support unpaid carers. VOCAL will serve as the lead partner, managing the delivery of the fund.

Prior to the pandemic, 65,084 people in Edinburgh had caring responsibilities, 13.7% of the population. For many their caring role increased massively and it is estimated that across Scotland nearly 400,000 additional citizens took on caring responsibilities.

Research released for Carers Week by the Carers Week charities found that 71% of unpaid carers in Scotland have not had any breaks from their caring role during the pandemic.

Of those who got a break, over a third (36%) used the time to complete practical tasks or housework, and almost a quarter (24%) to attend their own medical appointments.

Three quarters (77%) reported being exhausted as a result of caring during the pandemic.

More than a third (36%) said they feel unable to manage their unpaid caring role.

The Carers Recovery Fund is an important step towards further investment in carers as the largest providers of care in our communities. The Fund will be allocated as a one-off payment to individual carers, and can be used to support carer health and wellbeing, enable carers to take a short break and to improve the financial wellbeing of carers.

Cllr Joan Griffiths, Carers Champion for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I’m so pleased we’re investing £250k in this Carers Recovery Fund in recognition of the extra challenges and additional pressures they have faced during the pandemic.

“Many carers have been unable to get a break from their role and have suffered a loss of support networks so this one off investment recognises the dedicated, unheralded and unpaid work they do.

“This funding is really important in the current climate especially for young carers who have been badly affected by not being able to meet their friends through lost school time. Anything we can do to support them is welcome news and we look forward to working with VOCAL on this project.

“The Carers Recovery Fund is part of a wider £21m package boosting our work for core ambitions of the Council – tackling poverty and inequality, boosting sustainability and enhancing wellbeing for everyone here in Edinburgh.”

Sebastian Fischer, Chief Executive of VOCAL said: “We look forward to working with the City of Edinburgh Council to administer the new Carers Recovery Fund for unpaid carers across the city.

“As the Carers Week report has shown, many carers have not been able to access a break due to the pandemic. Now, more than ever, the health and social care system relies on unpaid carers.

“It is vital that their right to regular breaks is recognised. This investment is a statement of intent and will have a positive impact on the lives of individual carers across different caring roles.”