city council – Page 15 – The NEN

Exhibitions on the Capital’s fiery past and dynamic present open at the Museum of Edinburgh

Two new co-curated exhibitions with partnership organisations were launched at the Museum of Edinburgh this week (May 2).

‘Edinburgh Rising from the Ashes: 200 Years of the Scottish Fire Service’ marks the bicentenary of the world’s first municipal fire brigade, which was founded here in Edinburgh in 1824.

This exhibition, in partnership with the Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage, charts the remarkable development of firefighting in the Capital and across Scotland over the centuries.

In addition to the exhibition there is an accompanying series of lectures and family craft workshops covering everything from Edinburgh’s influence on global fire safety standards to painting a mini fire helmet.

‘Pedal Power: Cycling and Activism in Edinburgh’ is an exhibition which focusses on cycling safety, sustainability and history in our city. This exhibition was curated in conjunction with local cycling groups Critical Mass, Infrasisters, Spokes and Bike Buses.

There are also lectures and a family craft workshop taking place during the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling, which runs from 31 May to 9 June 2024.

Both exhibitions run until Sun 22 Sep 2024 and entry is free.

For more information on the Museum of Edinburgh please visit our website.

Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker said: “I was delighted to launch these exhibitions and see first-hand some of the incredible stories that they tell.

“From our proud history and traditions of firefighting to promoting active travel in modern day Edinburgh these provide two very distinct views of life in the Capital.

“The different themes and ideas explored in these exhibitions shows our museums as the incredible spaces they are to explore contemporary issues as well as historical events.

“I’d like to thank all our partners who contributed to these exhibitions, some of whom I was lucky enough to meet at the launch.

“I’d also urge our residents and visitors to take advantage and get down to the Museum of Edinburgh in the coming months.”

Assistant Chief Officer for Operational Delivery at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, David Farries said: “This year is an incredibly historic year for us as we recognise and proudly celebrate Scotland’s rich fire and rescue heritage. “

We have a wealth of great commemorative and educational events lined up across the year to celebrate 200 years since the creation of the world’s first municipal fire service in Edinburgh.

“The world has changed drastically since 1824 and so has our service. Through these exhibitions we want to showcase the people, the innovation, and the values that our service was built on and are still at the heart of the modern Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

“We have something for all ages so I would encourage anybody who has an interest in the Fire Service, its history and the importance of the wider history of the city and beyond to head along to the museum and view the exhibition.”

Pedal Power Co-curator and Member of Edinburgh Critical Mass, Victoria Hawkins said: “We got involved with the Pedal Power exhibition because we are all keen to show that better, safer cycling benefits everyone.

“At some point we lost the balance of transport in the city, and we now know how harmful that has been to our lungs, our health and our wildlife. We’re all working in different ways to create a future city where more people can share the joy of walking and cycling safely.

“We hope people will come to the exhibition and see an opportunity to move forward from binary car vs bike debates and support better active travel infrastructure in Edinburgh.”

Which Council services are important to you?

We want to continue to invest in services that matter most to our residents. But with reducing budgets, rising costs and increasing demand, we need to do things differently and more efficiently while saving £143 million by 2028/29.

We want to hear residents’ views on:

where we can save money
where we’re doing well
where we need to improve.

Your feedback and suggestions will help us to develop proposals to balance our budget. They’ll also help Councillors understand your needs and priorities when they make decisions about how to spend the city’s budget.

How to get involved

You can fill in our online budget survey or come along to any of our drop-in sessions around the city. You don’t need to book and can come any time between 10am and 1pm.

Tuesday 7 May 10am to 1pm – Morningside Library, 178-182 Morningside Road, Morningside, EH10 4PU
Tuesday 14 May 10am to 1pm – McDonald Road Library, 2-8 McDonald Road, EH7 4LU
Tuesday 21 May 10am to 1pm – South East Locality, 40 Captain’s Road, EH17 8QF
Tuesday 28 May 10am to 1pm – Fountainbridge Library, 137 Dundee Street, EH11 1BG
Tuesday 4 June 10am to 1pm – South Queensferry, 9 Shore Road, South Queensferry, EH30 9RD
Tuesday 11 June 10am to 1pm – North East Hub, 101 Niddrie Mains Road, EH16 4DS
Tuesday 18 June 10am to 1pm – North West Locality, 8 Pilton Gardens, EH4 4DP
Tuesday 25 June 10am to 1pm – South West Locality, Westside Plaza, EH14 2ST

Unique Assembly get green light to deliver Capital’s winter festivals for next three year

Councillors have today unanimously agreed to award the contract for the delivery of Edinburgh’s world-famous winter festivals for the next three years.

Subject to a ten-day standstill period, the contract will be awarded to a consortium led by Edinburgh-based event producers, Unique Assembly.

The contract covers the production and delivery of Edinburgh’s Christmas for 2024/25 and then for Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay festivals until 2026/27, with the opportunity for two optional twelve-month extensions. The delivery of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay for 2024/25 was already agreed in June 2022 and will also be undertaken by Unique Assembly.

The procurement process followed a ‘lessons learned exercise’, which led to a renewed focus on bid quality and enhancements to the sustainability, environmental, and community impact requirements of bids.

The full report is available on the council website.

Council Leader Cammy Day said: “I’d like to congratulate Unique Assembly following today’s unanimous decision by councillors. They bring decades of experience in delivering major events, including our own Winter Festivals, and I’m confident that they’ll provide a fantastic service to the city over the next three years.

“The festivals occupy a central element in the cultural calendar of our city and delivering them well for our residents and visitors remains a key priority for us – not least given the huge enjoyment they bring each year.

“They also deliver substantial economic benefit for the city and for Scotland more widely, supporting jobs and businesses in many sectors most notably tourism, hospitality, and leisure.”

New home for Hidden Door

An office space which has been vacant since 2021 will receive a colourful lease of life when the organisation behind the Hidden Door Festival takes up a new residency.

Councillors on the Finance and Resources Committee have agreed to lease the council-owned building at 133 Lauriston Place for the next 10 years to the Edinburgh-based arts charity, which is currently planning a festival later in 2024 to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

They will use the space as an office and creative hub, undertaking repairs to the building while they lease it, in exchange for a favourable rental price.

Finance and Resources Convener, Councillor Mandy Watt, said: “This is a building which needs a lot of work so it hasn’t been occupied for the last few years. I’m delighted that Hidden Door have agreed to take it on and make it their own.

“Known for rejuvenating spaces into vibrant venues, I’ve no doubt they will create an inviting creative hub here. The venue is situated just a short stroll away from the art college and other fantastic venues like the Cameo and the Usher Hall, so the opportunities for collaboration are countless.

“We’re pleased to support a well-loved community arts charity in this way. The permanent location throughout the term of this lease should provide them with greater security and stability and a more accessible building everyone can enjoy.”

Hazel Johnson, Hidden Door’s Festival Director, said: “This is a hugely exciting and important step for Hidden Door – a hub from which to plan our activity and festivals will enable us work more closely with Edinburgh’s creative communities, all year round.

“As a volunteer-led charity, this is a huge milestone – and the timing couldn’t be better, as we both celebrate 10 years of Hidden Door festivals, and look to the future. We can’t wait to get in and get cracking!”

Breaking new ground for replacement Liberton High School

The next major phase for the replacement Liberton High School has been marked by a special groundbreaking event on the site yesterday (Tuesday 30 April).

Head Teacher Alison Humphreys was joined by current high school pupils and primary school pupils who will be educated at the new school. They were joined by Education Convener Cllr Joan Griffiths, Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills at the Scottish Government, and Hector MacAulay, from contractors Balfour Beatty as Managing Director of their regional business in Scotland.

The construction of the school is due to be completed by early 2026 and has been funded from the Scottish Government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme and the City of Edinburgh Council.

Once pupils and staff have moved into the new building, the second phase will be the demolition of the old school which is due to be completed within a year.

The plans for the school, which will have capacity for 1,200 pupils, will consist of a variety of inspirational and inclusive spaces for learning. Classrooms, studios, workshops and science labs will connect and work with shared collaborative areas and breakout spaces, providing learners with more personalisation and choice over their learning environment.

Sports facilities include a floodlit multi use games area, basketball court and athletics facilities. The current tennis and beach volleyball courts and mountain bike trail will be retained as will the sports block.

A new fitness suite and dance studio will be provided to complement the existing sports facilities. There will also be outdoor learning spaces and a grassed amphitheatre.

A key part of the new school will be the community campus features as it will include non-educational facilities such as a café, library and flexible workspaces.

The school will also be constructed to Passivhaus standards designed to meet the city-wide aspirations for our schools to be as energy efficient as possible in response to the climate emergency and net zero targets.

The building has been designed to be energy efficient and will utilise high-performance windows and doors, and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery to reduce carbon emissions, improve indoor air quality and decrease heating bills.

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “It was great to join pupils at the groundbreaking event for the replacement Liberton High School yesterday.

“Our new school campuses are innovatively and sustainably designed so they are inspirational places for learning for the next generation of young people creating a vibrant and thriving learning environment.

“The Liberton Community Campus is a really exciting project which provides an amazing opportunity to create a community lifelong learning and sports hub to replace the existing school. This means public services can be co-located with links to active travel networks, green infrastructure and public transport networks.

“Our Community Hub vision for the building to be ‘more than a school’ aligns with our 20 Minute Neighbourhood Strategy – to localise and co-locate services, making them more accessible for communities and to improve the experiences and outcomes for everyone.

“This is all part of the Council’s plan to support the wellbeing of everyone and end poverty and isolation in Edinburgh.”

Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, said: “The Liberton Community Campus is another example of the Scottish Government working together with local authorities to provide learning environments which are both modern and state-of-the art.

“The Scottish Government will invest over £21 million in the Campus and I am grateful to the Council for providing me with the opportunity to get a glimpse of how our support will be of significant benefit to pupils and their families in the local area.

“Right across the country, we are continuing to invest in Scotland’s schools through the £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme. Thanks to direct investment from the Scottish Government, the quality of our school estate has improved from 61% of schools in good or satisfactory condition in 2007, to 90.7% in 2023.

“We will continue to work with local authorities, who own school buildings, to drive improvements across the school estate.”

“Many of our future pupils are currently at these primary schools, so it was very important to us that they played a part in the special event yesterday to celebrate the work on the site.”

Alison Humphreys, Headteacher at Liberton High School, said: The Liberton High School community, and our wider learning community including Craigour Park, Gilmerton, Liberton and Prestonfield Primary Schools, are very excited about the creation of our new Liberton Community Campus.

“Many of our future pupils are currently at these primary schools, so it was very important to us that they played a part in the special event yesterday to celebrate the work on the site.

“In addition to a new secondary school with state-of-the-art facilities for learning, the building will also include a community library, community cafe, partner agency spaces and community fitness facilities.

“This is something that we are really looking forward to as it will bring so many opportunities for the wider public to use the space as a hub for accessing supports, learning, and fitness, and for socialising too.”

Hector MacAulay MBE, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s regional business in Scotland, said: “It was an honour to join with colleagues and pupils from Liberton High School today to mark this important occasion.

“As we embark on the next phase of the project with construction now underway, we remain committed to delivering a modern, safe and sustainable learning estate that will enhance and support communities and improve the lives of families in the local area.”

Edinburgh Leisure supporting talented athletes

Demand for access to Edinburgh Leisure top-class sporting facilities from talented athletes is growing year on year, as participants look to get to their peak fitness in the hope of representing their county or country at major sporting events, including the Olympic Games.

The Edinburgh Talented Athlete Support Scheme (E TASS) is a City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh Leisure funded programme that represents a strong and unique partnership between talented athletes, National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGB’s) and the Scottish Institute of Sport Network (SISN).

E TASS aims to provide free access to Edinburgh Leisure’s gym, swimming pool and track venues, to support talented athletes to achieve more, develop to their full potential and accomplish world class performance levels.

Gary Hocknull, Sports Development Manager at Ediburgh Leisure explains: “Being able to deliver the E TASS programme supports Edinburgh Leisure’s values of providing opportunities and support to athletes to participate, progress and achieve in sport and makes a clear statement that we invest in athletes and sport at all levels.

“All athletes accepted onto E TASS enjoy free access to Edinburgh Leisure gyms, swimming pools, and athletics tracks for recovery, rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, and endurance training.

“Access is made available for athletes’ own individual training requirements and does not apply to club or National Governing Body squad training. Competition is tough with demand growing year on year. For 2024/2025, we received applications from 158 new, and 108 from existing athletes.”

With only 150 spaces available on ETASS, Edinburgh Leisure works closely with NGB’s and sportscotland to ensure our support reaches the right athletes.

Consideration is given to applicants in postcode areas identified through the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SMID). The performance levels of these athletes range from those beginning their elite sporting journey to those that have achieved success at international events.

Scottish number one at target shooting, Seonaid McIntosh, is supported by the E-TASS scheme and is hoping to medal in Paris. Seonaid said: “Having the support of the ETASS scheme has been fundamental to my success in shooting as it complements my rifle training and improves my fitness with the ability to use Edinburgh Leisure’s fantastic sporting facilities across the city.”

Seonaid McIntosh became the World Champion at the 2018 ISSF World Shooting Championships in the 50m Prone Rifle event. In 2019 she became Britain’s most successful female rifle shooter of all time, winning five World Cup medals (including the first World Cup Gold to be won by a British Woman).

She also became the first British Woman to rank World #1 for the 50m Rifle Three Position event and became European Champion in the 300m Rifle Prone event with an equal World Record score.

Rory Brogan, a talented athlete and rugby player explained why E TASS has been crucial for his training: “The membership went really well in the way that it gave me a place to go for Strength and Conditioning. As a young person at school, I don’t have a lot of money to spend on gym memberships, so having this Athlete scheme massively helped boost that.

“Furthermore, the Edinburgh Leisure gym I went to at Meadowbank is great for athletes, as it has space for plyos, plenty of squat racks, etc. I made the Scotland U20 relay team, and we set the record when we competed down in Cardiff in August 2023. Furthermore, I got into the wider Scotland U18 rugby team.”

To qualify for E TASS athletes must be resident in Edinburgh and a member of an Edinburgh constituted sports club. The athlete must also represent their sport at any of the following standards:

Scottish Institute of Sport (SISN)
Scottish/British/European/World Championship Title Holder
Scottish or Great Britain Squad Member
Regional Development Squad

Edinburgh 900 community fund opens for applications

Community groups in the Capital can now apply for up to £5,000 worth of funding as part of the Edinburgh 900 programme.

Edinburgh 900 is a celebration of the nine centuries of history and traditions in Scotland’s capital city since the founding of the royal burgh by King David I around 1124.

As part of the wider programme, £100,000 has been allocated to the Edinburgh 900 Community Fund to allow our residents to celebrate their city’s rich heritage and inspiring present. Community fund applications need to be led by an Edinburgh-based community group and focussed on activities or events held within their local area. Each application can be to a maximum of £5,000.

There is also a separate civic fund of £100,000 focussed on city-wide events with applications led by an Edinburgh-based cultural or heritage organisation. Each application can be to a maximum of £15,000.

For both the civic and community fund applications must demonstrate a commitment to the Edinburgh 900 programme aims and themes. The full criteria and guidance for applications are available on our website.

The deadline for applications to the civic fund is 20 May 2024. For the community fund the deadline is 27 May 2024.

The Edinburgh 900 Implementation Programme Board will review all applications and determine funding allocations for both funds. We will let you know the outcome of your application within four weeks of the application deadline.

If you are already planning events for 2024 or 2025 and would like to be part of our Edinburgh 900 programme, you can apply through our separate application process to use the Edinburgh 900 logo and be advertised on the programme website and marketing activity.

For any general queries about the Edinburgh 900 programme please contact edinburgh900@edinburgh.gov.uk

The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge said: “I’m delighted that both the Edinburgh 900 community and civic funds are now open for applications.

“I’m clear that our communities should play an integral part in these celebrations and I’m really excited to see the proposals as they come through in the next few weeks. I have no doubt that our residents will rise to the occasion and show the very best aspects of our city.

“On the civic side this is an opportunity for our cultural and heritage organisations to exhibit Edinburgh and it’s illustrious past like never before.

“Edinburgh 900 represents almost a millennium of our shared history. The full programme will examine how Edinburgh came to be over the centuries, from commerce to conflict and from faith to finance, there are an incredibly rich and varied set of themes.

“The programme will also celebrate Edinburgh in the present day and look ahead to our future ambitions and aspirations. These two funds represent a great opportunity to showcase these stories to our city and the wider world.”

Community invited to remember baby Craig Millar

Over 23 years since the body of a baby boy was tragically discovered in Niddrie, a memorial dedicated to him will be returned to the community at an unveiling ceremony on Friday (26 April).

Despite an investigation in 2001, and follow ups over the years, attempts to identify the newborn and his parents have been unsuccessful, initiating a huge response from the local community.

He was laid to rest in Mortonhall Cemetery, with residents coming together to hold a funeral for him. Over 400 people were in attendance to remember the baby they named ‘Craig Millar.’

Fundraising also took place to erect a memorial in the place he was found, which was lovingly maintained by the community.

When construction began on the new Castlebrae Community Campus at the site of Craig’s discovery, the memorial had to be removed. It has since been renovated and stored by William Purves Funeral Directors free of charge.

The memorial will be re-installed by the funeral directors on Friday 26 April, before being unveiled to the public at 2pm in its new location.

It follows a survey, conducted by the Council, which found the majority of residents wanted the memorial to be relocated outside of school grounds.

The new location, next to the football pitches at Harewood Road, is easily accessible and just a short distance from the original site.

Plans are also in place for a memorial garden at the original location as part of the landscaping design of Castlebrae Community Campus.

Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, Councillor Jane Meagher, said: “Over two decades on, it’s clear to see that the community still care deeply for baby Craig. This tragedy is such a large part of Craigmillar’s history that it’s fitting the residents are there to see the memorial returned.

“Residents made sure the memorial was never without fresh flowers or messages of love and it was always immaculately maintained. I’m pleased we could respect the wishes of the community and return it to a new location, where it can be easily accessed by people who want to pay their respects.”

Andrew Purves, Director at William Purves Funeral Directors, commented: “As an Edinburgh-based funeral director, we understand that this memorial stone is very dear to this community.

“The memorial is a special tribute to the little boy who will always have a place in the hearts of the Craigmillar community.

“It has been our honour to take good care of baby Craig’s memorial and are now pleased to be able to install it in its permanent home.”

Council commits to record spending on Edinburgh’s broken roads

A record funding boost will see the biggest spend on improvements to the Capital’s roads and infrastructure projects in nearly a decade.

The Roads and Infrastructure Investment – Capital Delivery Priorities for 2024/25 report, to be considered by Transport and Environment Committee on Thursday (25 April), allocates an additional £12.5m approved in February as part of the Council’s budget-setting process.

The extra investment brings the total roads and infrastructure capital budget to £22.986m.

The additional £12.5m of funding will be used to improve the road conditions, pavements and improve paths, and is part of the council’s capital budget allocated across six different workstreams, including: road operations and structures, street lighting and traffic signals, carriageways and footways.

These schemes have been prioritised to the areas based on agreed criteria and weighting. 5% is applied to roads on the cycle network, promoting renewal schemes most used by cyclists. Edinburgh is the only local authority in Scotland to include such a weighting and reinforces the Council’s commitment to active travel.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: ““We’re committed to improving our roads, pavements and infrastructure. The latest injection in funding will allow us to significantly increase the number of improvement schemes to enhance the condition of our roads and pavements.

“In total, we will resurface over 400,000 square metres of roads and footpaths. Additionally, will spend £500,000 on reinforcing the carriageway at bus stops and will double our spending on dropping kerbs.

“This funding builds on last year’s record spend of £11m which saw improvements to more square metres of roads and pavements than in any other financial year.

“Residents have shared their concerns regarding the state of our roads and footpaths, and we have listened. We need to get the basics right, and this intensive programme of investment is essential for a safe, usable network. While we won’t get footpaths and roads back to where we want them to be in one year, this investment will help get out capital back on track. Indeed, we hope to maintain this level of activity for at least three years.”

Other areas for investment are street lighting and traffic signals, for which £1.120m is being proposed for upgrades, and the city’s 3,366 bridges and road structures – £0.845m has been set aside for their maintenance, in addition to the major North Bridge refurbishment project which is due to complete in 2025.

Read the full report, Roads and Infrastructure Investment – Capital Delivery Priorities for 2024/25.

Watch Transport and Environment Committee live via webcast from 10am on Thursday, 25 April.

RAC: Pothole-related breakdowns ‘spring’ forward by 50% in 2024

The RAC attended nearly 8,000 (7,904) breakdowns in the first quarter of 2024 due to bad road surfaces, up 53% on the last three months of 2023, a clear sign that the UK is suffering a pothole epidemic as roads continue to crumble.

Analysis from the driving services company shows it’s been far from a smooth start to the year for the nation’s drivers, with pothole-related breakdown numbers up by 10% in the last 12 months from 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024. In this period, the RAC went out to 27,205 breakdowns, 2,299 more than the 24,906 incidents it attended between 1st April 2022 and 31st March 2023.

But the RAC believes drivers may have actually ‘dodged the pothole bullet’ in what is normally the worst three months of the year for them. Milder weather led to patrol call-out rates dropping by 22% from 10,076 last year to 7,094 in 2024.

During the winter months, sub-zero temperatures normally cause more surface deterioration as water gets into cracks in the road, freezes and expands. In the first three months of 2024, while there was an average of 121mm of rain – 22% more than normal – the milder weather meant there were only seven days of frost, against the usual average of nine. This potentially limited the number of brand new potholes forming.

For this reason, the RAC doesn’t believe the decrease in pothole-related breakdowns – damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels – is a sign of road conditions improving.

In fact the RAC Pothole Index, which measures the likelihood of suffering one of these call-outs, increased, meaning drivers are even more likely to experience damage now than they were 12 months ago.

And compared to 2006 when the RAC first began tracking these faults, drivers are now nearly twice as likely (1.76 or 76% more likely than 2006) to experience pothole damage.