Twelve households have celebrated becoming council tenants after the future of their homes was secured.
A community event was held by local residents on Friday (24 October), marking the final phase of the City of Edinburgh Council’s purchase of 78 homes over three phases on the Dreghorn Estate from the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
Local resident Mandy Burgen said: “It has been an extremely worrying time for residents and their families since we heard the news back in February that the MOD planned to serve notice to vacate their properties to sell.
“We took our concerns to local councillors and our local MP to ask for help, and they have responded with speed and integrity at every level. Estate officers along with the Finance and Resources Committee and residents worked to find solutions in preventing 12 families from being made homeless at a time when our city is in the midst of a housing crisis.
“We’ve seen a clear demonstration of strategically finding solutions and implementing changes to provide a positive outcome for families within the estate. Increasing the council’s housing stock has come at such a much-needed time.
“For the community who faced being made homeless it has been such a relief to now call their houses of many years, their homes. We cannot thank the council enough for their diligence over the past year.”
Finance and Resources Convener, Mandy Watt, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able secure Dreghorn’s future. It is a joy to see existing residents celebrate becoming council tenants, safe in the knowledge they can remain in their homes.
“We’ve also purchased homes from the MOD which are empty, significantly boosting the amount of safe, affordable, council housing available in Colinton. This is particularly good news when our housing need has never been greater, while the cost of building homes has increased.
“I’m grateful to the local community and all councillors and council officers who have helped us reach this milestone.”
Phil Riley, Director of Accommodation at Defence Infrastructure Organisation, said: “Working closely with colleagues at the City of Edinburgh Council we have been able find a solution that suits all parties.
“The purchase of these properties by the council not only secures the long-term future of residents but allows us to reinvest the proceeds and target funds where they are most needed across the Defence estate.”
Council Leader Jane Meagher discusses plans in place for Bonfire Night and encourages residents to celebrate safely:
Bonfire Night is a much-loved tradition and a highlight of the year for so many across the city. It’s a time to come together with friends, family, and neighbours to enjoy fireworks and have fun.
As we look forward to celebrating, we’re asking everyone to do so safely and responsibly. Wherever possible, we’d encourage residents to attend one of the many organised displays taking place across the city. These events are not only the best way to enjoy fireworks, they’re also the safest.
Sadly, in previous years, we’ve seen a small minority misuse fireworks in ways that put others at risk. Emergency services workers, local businesses, essential bus services, and members of the public have all been affected by dangerous and anti-social behaviour. This is unacceptable and it doesn’t reflect the vast majority who simply want to enjoy the night peacefully.
That’s why we’re taking proactive steps again this year, working closely with our partners to put robust plans in place. One important measure is the continued use of Firework Control Zones (FCZs), which were introduced in response to community concerns. Based on data and evidence, FCZs are about making sure celebrations happen in the right way and in the right place and they’ve already proven to be effective in previous years.
Aligning these with Dispersal Zones ensures there is a comprehensive framework in place to deter reckless and antisocial behaviour.
They’re not a catch-all solution, but they’re part of our broader approach that includes enforcement, prevention and engagement.
Our teams, alongside Police Scotland, have been visiting firework retailers across Edinburgh and I’m delighted that all but 2 have made the decision not to sell fireworks this year. This is a huge step forward that will make the celebrations safer for everyone.
We’re also prioritising direct engagement with young people, giving them a voice in how we shape our approach to firework safety. Just recently, Police Scotland and Fearless hosted a youth summit, offering young people a meaningful platform to share their perspectives and help develop the Fearless social media campaign which will reach thousands of our young people in the run-up.
We’re backing this up with funding for alternative activities and youth engagement programmes aimed at providing positive choices and discouraging anti-social behaviour.
In the lead up to Bonfire Night, you’ll also notice Council teams and community volunteers working together to clear hazardous materials, tackling fly-tipping, and offering free bulky waste collections to reduce the risk of deliberate fires.
Together, we can all play a part in making Bonfire Night a safe and enjoyable time for everyone by following safety guidance, being considerate of others, and reporting any concerns.
The first conviction against the operator of an unlicensed short term let (STL) has been secured in Edinburgh.
The convicted owner of an unlicensed STL in the west of the city has received a £600 fine and was ordered to pay £500 compensation to the neighbour who raised the case with the Council.
The operator was then reported to the Procurator Fiscal (PF) by the Council and PF started criminal proceedings. The neighbour reported the unlicensed property after experiencing repeated loud noise and disruption by guests, on one occasion witnessing 19 people staying at the unlicenced STL above them.
The successful case has further implications for the convicted property owner as it’s likely to affect any future licence applications by the same owner.
To operate as a registered landlord or licence holder for a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) or STL, you need to be a fit and proper person and any relevant convictions including operating an unlicenced STL are taken into consideration when this assessment is made.
Operating as an unregistered landlord or unlicenced HMO is an offence which carries a maximum fine of up to £50,000, while the maximum fine for operating an unlicensed STL is currently £2,500.
The Council has reported a further 12 cases of unlicensed STLs to the Procurator Fiscal which are pending.
Convener of the Regulatory Committee, Cllr Neil Ross, said: “Short term let regulation was introduced to help ensure holiday lets are safe and used appropriately. This conviction sends a clear message that operating without a licence is illegal. It also demonstrates that our enforcement team is effective and that a conviction will result in financial penalties.
“This isn’t action that we want to take. We always try to resolve issues through advice and guidance in the first instance and where this approach doesn’t work, we gather the information required to take enforcement action.
“This can result in reporting offences to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal services, so I would urge all STL operators to make sure they have the right licence in place as we will continue to pursue all cases we have where necessary.”
As of March 2025 the Council received 5,441 Short Term Let licence applications, of which 4,654 have been granted.
Councils are spending less on culture and leisure services, reviewing the services they offer and increasing or introducing charges. Yet gaps in the data collected at a local and national level means we don’t have a full understanding of the impact of these decisions on health, wellbeing and prevention.
Scotland’s councils play a vital role in supporting communities by delivering a wide range of cultural and leisure services. These services aim to keep communities healthy and connected, improving residents’ quality of life. The level of services offered, and how they are provided, is a decision for individual councils.
Whilst councils are spending more on services overall, spending on culture and leisure services reduced by three per cent in real terms in the five years from 2018/19. At the same time income from charges increased by 27 per cent, whilst overall satisfaction and attendance rates for some services remain below pre-pandemic levels.
Removing these important services risks increasing inequalities and exclusion, with rural and more deprived communities having a greater reliance on these facilities. Failure to adequately consult with communities and assess the equalities impacts of service changes has led to some councils reversing decisions and communities taking legal action.
Jo Armstrong, Chair of the Accounts Commission, said: “Culture and leisure services are vital to our health and wellbeing, supporting national and local priorities and supporting people to be better connected. Gaps in national data need to be addressed to better understand how these reductions in spending on culture and leisure are impacting communities.
“As councils manage continued pressures due to increasing demands and costs, culture and leisure services have experienced a disproportionate share of council savings measures.
“Communities must be fully consulted on decisions to close, centralise facilities or changes to charging. Failing to do this risks deepening inequalities and legal action by communities.”
Nearly a quarter of a million children are experiencing poverty in Scotland, while too many people face a day-to-day struggle to balance low-paid, insecure work with an ever-higher cost of living. This is according to the latest Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, published earlier this month.
Here in Edinburgh, meanwhile, over 80,000 of our residents are still struggling to make ends meet, with one in five children living in relative poverty. It’s simply unacceptable that so many people are being forced to go without or choose between heating and eating.
Earlier this month, I attended the End Poverty Edinburgh conference, where I heard from people with lived experience of poverty and homelessness.
It’s clear that the complexity of the benefits system remains a massive barrier for people trying to access support. From becoming homeless after fleeing domestic abuse to having to stop work to care for loved ones, the stories I heard bring to life the people behind these desperate numbers.
In setting up five new Neighbourhood Prevention Partnerships, we can bring key services together under one roof and make support easier to access for local people.
I also welcome the Pride in Place funding announced by the Secretary of State for Scotland in Granton last month and look forward to the positive difference this will make.
Key to all of this is the ongoing work of the Edinburgh Poverty Commission. In 2020 they published their landmark report ‘A Just Capital’ setting a ten-year mission, alongside clear calls to action for the steps needed to eradicate poverty in Edinburgh. Five years on, they’re due to publish their mid-term report (on 31 October), which we should all read with great interest.
Creating a cleaner, greener city
The impacts of climate change are sadly already being felt across the globe – as they are here in Edinburgh. As our economy and population continue to grow, we need to make sure that this growth is sustainable and does not worsen the crisis, while also adapting our city to reduce the impact of future weather extremes.
Six years ago, we declared a climate emergency and made a commitment to become a net zero city by 2030 – recognising both the importance of the challenge and the role we must play as Scotland’s capital.
While this has always been an ambitious target, it’s helped us to bring together services across the Council and the city to help reduce emissions – providing the sense of urgency we need to make a real and lasting difference.
Having been recognised nationally and internationally for our action on climate, we’re continuing to lead by example with the £1.3bn transformation of Granton Waterfront into Europe’s first net-zero coastal town, while the completion of the tramline from the Airport to Newhaven has seen passenger numbers grow to over one million a month.
This is exactly the sort of shift we need to become a cleaner, greener city – but there’s clearly a lot of work still to do. In our updated 2030 Climate Strategy, agreed this week, we highlight the areas of work we need to focus on. The City Mobility Plan and the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy, in particular, will be key to decarbonising Edinburgh’s transport and buildings – our two highest carbon emitters.
This is a goal we cannot reach on our own and every resident, community and organisation has a role to play. Every action and every gram of emissions that we avoid matters now more than ever, which is why we must remain ambitious and stick by our target. Doing nothing is simply not an option.
Expanding the network has the potential to transform our city and wider city region. You need only look at the success of the existing line to see the huge social, economic, and environmental benefits it could bring to our residents, businesses and communities.
We’ve already received over 5,700 responses to the consultation and spoken to hundreds of residents, community groups and other key stakeholders at our public drop-in events and engagement sessions. There are still a few weeks to go until the consultation closes and I’d urge everyone to make their voice heard.
We’re also seeing great numbers with our trial cycle hire scheme. Since going live at the beginning of September, we’ve seen over 21,700 individual trips by more than 5,800 riders, covering almost 60,000 kilometres in total.
Given this demand, we’re working with Voi to move to the second phase, which will see around 340 e-bikes on our streets from next week and the boundary of the scheme extended west to include Holyrood Park and Meadowbank and further north, taking in Bonnington, Leith and Newhaven. We’re keeping a close eye on the management of the scheme and remain on track for full coverage of the city by the end of the year.
Staying safe this Bonfire Night
As we count down to Halloween and Bonfire Night, I want to recognise the huge amount of work being done by colleagues across the Council, Police and blue-light services, Lothian Buses and other partners to prepare for this year’s events.
Sadly, we know the impact the disorder we’ve endured in recent years can have on our communities and I’m desperate to avoid a repeat of these horrific scenes.
Our new Firework Control Zones are a direct response to community concerns and, alongside police dispersal zones, they will make a real difference – but this is only part of the solution.
We’re supporting community-led events across the city and our schools teams are partnering with local community groups to create alternative options for young people on Halloween and Bonfire Night.
I want to thank Fearless, Crimestoppers’ youth service, for hosting a youth summit where pupils from 19 of our high schools, Council officers, and other agencies shared their views and discussed how we can address these challenges together. The feedback from the event was extremely positive – with our young people helping to shape the forthcoming Fearless social media campaign, which will launch alongside Police Scotland’s campaign later this week.
Through these joint efforts across the city, we want to make this Bonfire Night a safer and more enjoyable experience for all.
Remembering our war heroes
Having marked 80 years since the end of WWII earlier this year, there are sadly very few veterans left with us to thank for their outstanding service and bravery. All the more reason, then, for us to continue to remember them – and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Yesterday (20 October), the Lord Provost led the annual dedication service to Edinburgh’s Garden of Remembrance. Located beside the Scott Monument, the Garden is made up of thousands of symbols of Remembrance, including poppies and crosses, many of which come from Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory. The Garden will be open for the public to visit, reflect, and pay their respects throughout the Remembrance period.
Meanwhile, veterans and ex-service personnel in Edinburgh will once again be able to benefit from free taxi journeys to Remembrance Day events, thanks to the return of Poppy Cabs. If you, or anyone you know, wishes to use the service, please email Jonny Bates at the Association of Hackney Carriage Drivers of Edinburgh or call 07496 238040.
Keeping Edinburgh Beautiful
Finally, with our internationally renowned gardens and greenspaces, it comes as no surprise that Edinburgh has once again been recognised at this year’s Keep Scotland Beautiful awards.
Working in close partnership with the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society and Royal Botanic Gardens, the submissions celebrated the very best of Edinburgh – highlighting some of our best-loved parks, gardens and community spaces, such as Bridgend Allotments, Holyrood Park, Cyrenians Royal Edinburgh Garden – and the newly opened Jock Tamson’s Gairden.
Judges were impressed by the vibrant culture of volunteering and great visitor experience, with particular praise for the longstanding tradition of the Floral Clock in West Princes Street Gardens.
Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Councillor Lezley Marion Cameron has welcomed an increase in funding for affordable housing.
A rise in the Scottish Government’s ‘voids and acquisition’ fund, which will double in its second year, means Edinburgh will receive £28.6m, an additional £13.8m compared to 2024/25. This brings the total Scottish Government funding for affordable housing supply in Edinburgh to £73.7m in 2025/26.
The funding is targeted at councils with the highest sustained pressures on temporary accommodation and is focused on the acquisition of existing properties, in particular family-sized homes.
Councillor Lezley Marion Cameron, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “I warmly welcome this award of £73.7 million for Edinburgh from the Scottish Government and believe this funding recognises the pressures in Edinburgh in terms of acute housing demand and increased dependence and spend on temporary accommodation.
“Sadly, far too many families in Edinburgh continue to struggle to find affordable places to live and are living in temporary accommodation. This is why we are prioritising acquiring much-needed larger, family-sized homes for residents across the city, helping to reduce further the number of children living in unsuitable accommodation. This funding will go towards that.
“We’re also now fast approaching the two-year anniversary of declaring a housing emergency in Edinburgh, and whilst we are making every effort to deliver more new homes, housing supply simply isn’t meeting Edinburgh’s level of housing demand.
“Much more needs to be done, and much more money needs to come to Edinburgh.”
UK motorists face £12 million in monthly clean air and low emission zone penalties
Over £627 million has been generated by Clean Air Zones (CAZ) and Low Emission Zones (LEZ) in the UK
On average 200,000 fines are issued to motorists driving through these zones each month
Almost 8 million penalty charge notices (PCNs) have been issued in London since 2019
On average, UK cities have seen a 39% decrease in penalty charge notices since their introduction
Clean Air Zones (CAZ) and Low Emission Zones (LEZ) are designed to improve air quality, by charging drivers of high-polluting vehicles that enter into a specific area. London was the first city to introduce one of these zones, with a number of other cities following suit in recent years.
With this in mind, taxi insurance specialists ChoiceQuote aimed to determine the number of vehicles fined since the introduction of clean air and low emission zones, how much each council has fined drivers in this period and whether these zones are effectively deterring high-pollution vehicles from the area or motivating people to invest in low emission vehicles.
In total, over 11 million Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) have been issued by councils since their introduction of clean air and low emission zones. However on average, the number of PCN issued has decreased by 39% since their introduction which is encouraging to see.
The study analysed Freedom of Information data from Transport for London and local councils across the UK to identify which areas have issued the most fines and which have experienced the largest decreases in PCN since the introduction of the zones.
How many penalty charge notices have been issued by UK councils?
City
Total PCN
Total £
Avg Monthly PCNs
Avg Monthly £
Aberdeen
33,850
£5,015,160
2,821
£417,930
Birmingham
2,196,729
£100,766,280
47,755
£2,190,571
Bristol
1,045,013
£125,401,560
37,322
£4,478,627
Dundee
16,696
£2,282,340
1,284
£175,565
Edinburgh
51,015
£5,261,520
3,924
£404,732
Glasgow
72,100
£7,267,800
3,005
£302,825
London
7,814,614
£386,293,224
108,536
£5,365,184
Over £627 million has been generated by clean air and low emission zones throughout the UK, with almost 200,000 PCNs given out per month on average, amounting to over 11 million since the zones first began.
London launched its Ultra Low Emission Zone in 2019, initially covering inner London, before, expanding to cover all 32 boroughs by 2023[1]. In its five years of operation the capital has received over £386 million in fines during this period, with over 108,000 penalty charge notices being issued each month to drivers.
Birmingham introduced its clean air zone in June 2021 and over a 48 month period, drivers in the city have received over 2 million fines, averaging out at nearly 48,000 per month. This equates to fines of over £100 million, or nearly £2.2 million per month.
Bristol Introduced its clean air zone in 2022 and has issued fines totalling over £125 million, or an average of £3.2 million per month. Despite receiving fewer fines overall, Bristol drivers pay £1.2 million more on average per month than drivers in Birmingham. This suggests a significant presence of repeat offenders in Bristol, which raises the average fine amount from £60 to up to £960.
Which cities have seen the biggest decrease in penalty charge notices?
City
% decrease in PCNs
Dundee*
52%
Edinburgh*
48%
Aberdeen*
35%
Glasgow**
35%
Birmingham**
33%
Bristol**
28%
(London data excluded due to expansion of ULEZ in 2021 and 2023 inflating figures)
* % decrease since the introduction of CAZ and LEZs **Yearly average decreases in number of PCNs
On average, there has been a 39% drop in the number of PCNs handed out to motorists, as more drivers either avoid clean air and low emission zones entirely, or upgrade to compliant vehicles.
Since Dundee implemented its low emission zone in June 2024, the city has experienced a 52% reduction in PCNs. In June 2024, 2,117 charges were issued, with this number dropping to 1,014 by June 2025.
While the number of PCNs issued has decreased by over half, the amount fined has increased by £31,320 to £167,160 in June 2025. This is due to an increasing number of drivers being charged a higher fine for driving through the zone multiple times.
Edinburgh has experienced the second most significant decrease in PCNs. The Scottish capital issued 6,039 fines issued in June 2024, compared to just 3,157 in June 2025.
Aberdeen has seen a 35% reduction in PCNs issued since June 2024. Initially, 3,751 fines were issued in June 2024, but by May 2025, this number had decreased to 2,437. Notably, in May 2025, only 1,727 vehicles were caught driving through low emission zones for the first time, compared to 3,387 vehicles in June 2024.
However, 262 vehicles received their fifth fine within a 12-month period, resulting in a fine of £960, significantly higher than the £60 penalty for a first-time offence.
Phil Leese, Taxi and Specialist Motor Trading Manager at insurance broker ChoiceQuote, comments:“It’s positive to see that the introduction of low emission and clean air zones within UK cities is working in minimising the amount of high polluting vehicles travelling through congested areas.
“In some areas the number of fines issued has reduced by half! These zones have influenced driving habits, not only by prompting drivers to avoid certain areas but also by encouraging investment in more environmentally friendly vehicles.
“Data indicates that while a high number of people were charged in the first month of low emission and clean air zone introductions people are now aware of which roads to avoid if their vehicle is not compliant. However, if you are visiting a city for the first time is can be tricky to navigate which roads you can and can’t travel on.
“Motorists are advised to look out for signs indicating the boundaries of clean air and low emission zones within a city and do their research on whether their vehicle is compliant before making any journeys through these zones.
“If you are a Google or Apple Maps user, these apps will provide you with alternative routes to avoid restrictions so it’s important to always pay attention and plan your route before setting off on your journey.”
Convener of the city council’s Planning Committee Cllr Joan Griffiths encourages residents get involved in plans to improve local communities
Are you passionate about your local community and interested in helping us shape how it looks in the future? Local Place Plans have been introduced so you can tell us what you care about, like and don’t like about where you live as well as your community’s aspirations.
Every area is different and so your plan can address your community’s needs and concerns. The Council is required to recognise Local Place Plans when preparing the next local development Plan – City Plan 2040.
So how does this work? There is no right or wrong way to develop each plan. It will depend on the resources you have available. But it must include a map of the relevant land, and a proposal of how the land will be used. You can make it very simple, and it doesn’t need to be professionally designed. A word document and a map can be enough.
You can help shape future housing, business, or community spaces by bringing forward proposals to improve quality of life, health and well-being, and help to protect buildings and green space in line with your community values.
If you have an idea, I’d suggest you team up with your local community council or relevant trusts or charities. Children and youth groups, local schools and organisations big and small may also like to get involved with your plan.
A Local Place Plan needs to relate to a specific area, but it can be any size. It can cover a whole district, a neighbourhood, or a single plot of land. It is up to you what you cover.
It doesn’t need to be clearly defined in the beginning. It can evolve during the process.
A good Local Place Plan has information on what life is like in your area and who lives there. It could have ideas for new buildings and homes, improving how you get around, additional spaces for playing, sports or growing food, or proposals to reuse important buildings.
To prepare one you’ll also need to reach out to your community to find out what is most important to them. You should ask about the changes you’d like to make, what you’d like to protect, what they think is missing in the community and you can point out planning policies you think can be influenced in your plan.
You could do this through surveys and questionnaires, drop in events, exhibitions and by attending planned local events. Schools and youth organisations will be able to help you talk to young people too.
Our aim with City Plan 2040 and local place plans is to strengthen communities and make sure that they look after the wellbeing of their residents.
We want to build attractive places where people can afford to buy or rent their homes, walk to educational and healthcare facilities, enjoy cultural and sporting activities and easily access sustainable transport to visit other parts of Edinburgh.
The city council has added a further Drop-in Session on the North-South Tramline Consultation Proposals following a request by Drylaw Telford Community Council.
More than 40 people attended last week’s community council meeting to discuss tram line options for the area, but planned guest speaker Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, the city council’s Transport and Environment convener, was unable to attend and submitted his apologies on the afternoon of the meeting.
The council is proposing a north – south tram route which would run from Granton, through the city centre, out to the Edinburgh BioQuarter and Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh via Cameron Toll, and potentially beyond into the city region.
The meeting – the best-attended community council event for some years – went ahead and called for a local drop-in event for Drylaw Telford residents in line with those staged at Blackhall Primary School, Granton Station and North Edinburgh Arts.
The community council has also submitted a list of questions raised by residents at the meeting for a council response.
As a result, another local Drop-in will take place on:
Tuesday 28th October
from4 – 7pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre
There will also be another opportunity see what is being proposed and to make comments at Bristo Baptist Church on Wednesday 29 October from 4 – 7pm.
Councillor Lezley Marion Cameron writes about the challenges facing Edinburgh, and the work being done to tackle them:
In Edinburgh, our population continues to grow at speed and for some years now, housing demand has been significantly outstripping supply.
Since declaring a Housing Emergency nearly two years ago, this Council, together with housing providers and partners across the sector, has continued to grapple with this crisis within statutory and policy frameworks, including the new Housing Bill, and resources available.
Eighty thousand Edinburgh residents live in relative poverty, comprising one in five children, and 5,500 of our households are without settled housing, living in temporary accommodation.
To tackle this, the Council’s approach focuses on prevention, early intervention and mitigation.
Central to preventing homelessness is making sure everyone has access to a safe, warm place to stay; and investing in help and support for those at risk of losing their homes.
In 2024, we helped prevent homelessness for 2,622 households. This work ranges from our Early Intervention team, who reach out to all households who contact homelessness services, to specialist advice and support provided by our Private Rented Sector team.
Where we have been unable to prevent individuals and families from losing their homes, we are working hard to provide suitable alternative accommodation through our Housing Emergency Action Plan (HEAP).
Our long-term plans to reduce the need for temporary accommodation and improve the quality and quantity of our housing stock include our ambitious housebuilding programme, efforts to acquire new homes directly from providers, bringing empty homes back into use, and investing in the retrofitting of existing housing stock.
This World Homeless Day, as Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, I am acutely aware of the power of work we all still need to do and the resources we need from Government to deliver meaningful increases in our housing supply so that every person and family in Edinburgh can be living in a warm, safe, energy efficient home.
