An interactive tool that lets residents map out the community services and issues they care most about has been launched by the City of Edinburgh Council.
As part of a 16-week budget consultation that went live on Tuesday (9 April), the council is engaging with residents in new ways to capture hyperlocal feedback on specific issues.
People will be able to geotag areas where council services are being delivered well or areas where spend could be made differently. This information will help to inform the challenging decisions councillors need to make next year and, in the future, to balance the city’s budget.
As the way we use and access public services shifts, the council needs to deliver services efficiently and invest in the future of Edinburgh and its population, which is expected to grow by almost 60,000 people over the next 20 years.
To prioritise investment in the next budget year and beyond, the consultation seeks community-level views on where the Council could save money, where it is doing well and where it needs to improve. It forms the first phase of a wide-ranging budget engagement programme agreed by members of the Policy and Sustainability Committee in March.
Residents who take part in the online consultation may also be invited to sign up to series of focus groups to take place in the Autumn, to discuss their concerns, ideas, and ambitions for Edinburgh in-depth.
Council Leader Cammy Day said:“The council continues to face high and growing demand for services, and the reality is that this demand exceeds the funding that’s available.
“As we grapple with these additional pressures, we’ll face significant financial challenges and some tough decisions. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be ambitious for our capital city – or our commitment to protect those services that we know many of our most vulnerable residents rely upon.
“Just as our 2024/25 budget invests millions of pounds towards protecting and improving vital frontline services, we want to continue to get the basics right and plan for our future. Be it continuing to improve our roads, parks, and greenspaces, supporting our schools, addressing poverty and homelessness, or working towards tackling our climate crisis, we need your views to make sure this continues in your communities.
“We remain the lowest funded local authority in Scotland, and I won’t tire of fighting for fairer funding from the Scottish Government for our capital city so that we can continue to deliver the best for Edinburgh.
“We’ve already had to make £400m in savings over the last decade despite the unique challenges and growth Edinburgh faces and – if this squeeze on local authority budgets continues – we face a further £143m reduction by 2028/29.”
Councillor Mandy Watt, Finance and Resources Convener, said: “The council is facing the same hard choices about spending that many of you are experiencing. We’re trying to make our income stretch further and we’re making every effort to reduce costs without cutting the services or facilities that you rely on.
“Your local councillors will be thinking about the impact that any changes could have on our citizens, our communities and our workforce – but we want to be sure that we’ve not missed anything that’s important to you.
“That’s why we’re asking you to take part in the ongoing discussion about the financial challenges we’re facing. I’m hoping that you’ll choose to take part online or by contacting your local councillors.”
Proposals to make Dalry greener, healthier and more vibrant are now being presented for consultation.
Plans to make the town centre a more attractive place have been designed to make it easier to access local shops, schools and services with wider pavements and better cycling provision. Ideas include features to create better spaces to spend time, with trees and nature, planting, public art, and opportunities to rest.
Improving public transport is a key focus, with measures to reduce travel times through the area put forward alongside more space at bus stops and resurfaced roads. Better cycle connections and safer routes to local schools are also presented.
Dalry Living Well Locally is one of the first projects that implements the recently announced Our Future Streets approach to provide both a more integrated transport network, and a greener, more inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone in Edinburgh’s neighbourhoods and key travel corridors.
It is part of a new 20-minute neighbourhood strategy to help local people meet most of their daily needs within a short walk, wheel or cycle from their home.
To make these changes possible, proposals include measures to reduce traffic driving through Dalry on the way to somewhere else, while retaining vehicle access for everyone. This would be achieved through a proposed filter for cycles, buses and taxis just south of the Haymarket junction, operating between 7am and 7pm.
All homes and businesses would still be accessible by car, but most traffic heading from or to the city centre would use alternative routes such as the West Approach Road instead of Dalry Road. The Council will also use this is an opportunity to review the weight restrictions on the West Approach Road.
If approved, the works would be undertaken alongside the Council’s scheduled road renewal programme to minimise disruption to everyone using the area.
There are also proposals to introduce more one-way streets in the area including along Caledonian Road, Caledonian Place, Orwell Place and Orwell Terrace, and the streets around Murieston Park.
Ideas for segregated cycle lanes connecting the town centre to local schools, Haymarket and the wider network, including the new Roseburn to Union Canal active travel scheme, are also being put forward. This includes a redesign of the junction between Gorgie and Dalry at Murieston Road to improve the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. It is also proposed to improve and expand the pedestrian space to the front of Dalry Swim Centre, enhancing the setting of the B-listed building. Footways will be widened where possible.
The proposals have been designed using the findings of a survey of local residents and businesses to understand the needs, opportunities, and any barriers that limit people making more active, greener travel choices in Gorgie Dalry.
The survey, conducted between November 2022 and January 2023, identified common issues amongst people who live, work in and visit the local area, including a need for:
Wider and better quality pavements, especially at busy bus stops and around local shops
More and safer pedestrian crossings, with shorter waiting times
Safer and more attractive routes to local schools
More pleasant, greener streets and public spaces with more places to stop and rest
A less car-dominated environment that retains easy access for people with mobility issues and deliveries to shops and local businesses
Safer cycle provision along Dalry Road and Gorgie Road, and secure cycle storage
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “Like many of the town and local centres across our city, Dalry has plenty of shops, services and facilities that people need every day but it is divided a busy road with cramped public spaces.
“Residents have told us this makes it a difficult area to access and spend time, and we want to improve the way it works for people, allowing everyone to live, shop, work and move around more easily.
“The local area has one of the lowest rates of car ownership in the city, and we want to create more pleasant streets that are better connected with local services and public transport options.
“We are proposing some changes to the flow of through traffic to achieve this, so people who would usually travel along Dalry Road by car to reach destinations like the city centre will simply use other routes such as the West Approach Road instead. Everyone will still be able to drive into and out of the area to reach homes and support businesses.
“This will help walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport to become the natural first choice for most of the shortest journeys. It will help make Dalry more of a destination in its own right, rather than a place people drive through on the way to somewhere else.
“We will be listening to the local community, and I will make sure all voices are heard. I am also keen to hear from local businesses in the area. I firmly believe high-performing local businesses are at the centre of places like Dalry, and these enterprises need support and a safe and high quality environment for their customers to thrive and grow.
“Residents across Edinburgh tell me they want to be able to access work, leisure and shops easily without having to use their car because they know it’s good for them and the environment. These plans for Dalry could meet that need locally, and become something other parts of our capital may want to follow.”
Sam Valentine, Senior Grant Advisor for Sustrans said: “Working closely with the local community, these early designs present a comprehensive and ambitious vision of a place where people are able to walk, wheel and cycle with ease.
“Safer routes to school and better connections with public transport will create a more inviting space for everyone and restore peace and enjoyment to an area sorely overburdened with car dominance from through traffic. We encourage everyone living and working in the Dalry area to engage closely with these exciting proposals and help make this project a success.
In addition to the 2022-2023 public survey, the Council has organised workshops with local school pupils and engaged with a wide range of community groups. A ‘Community Advisory Group’ (CAG), including local councillors and community organisations, was established in spring 2023.
The project team has also joined local community council meetings, visited local businesses and issued leaflets to residents in the area to encourage them to share their views.
The consultation is being promoted through measures including door-to-door leafletting, lamp post wraps and a local engagement event at The St Brides Centre on Thursday 11 April between 3 – 7pm.
Following the consultation, any agreed changes to local traffic restrictions or redetermination of carriageway or footway will go through the required statutory processes.
New footage released by the Council shows the tank in the iconic gasholder frame has been infilled in preparation for the site to become a public park in the future.
Work is currently being carried out on the enormous amount of steel making up the structure with every steel member being looked at and repaired if required. This involves replacing corroded sections or filling holes. To repaint the structure the process involves blasting it with cooper ore which removes the old lead paint and corrosion, cleaning it down and prepping the surfaces then priming coats before the final paint colour.
The progress is the latest in the restoration of the site which began last year. McLaughlin & Harvey are completing the work on behalf of The City of Edinburgh Council using £16.4m from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund and an additional £1.2 million from the Scottish Government.
The gasholder, which sits at the heart of the Council’s £1.3bn regeneration project for a new sustainable coastal town at Granton Waterfront, will become an exciting multifunctional public area.
The space within the restored gasholder is to have multi-sensory play zones, a dedicated area for permanent and temporary public art and one for relaxation, outdoor trails, and tracks for exercise as well as a large outdoor space for sports, markets, seasonal events, community use, festivals, performance arts, exhibitions, and play. Work will also be carried out to plant trees, shrubs and wildflowers improving biodiversity and local habitat in the area.
Councillor Cammy Day, Council Leader, said: “It’s exciting to see this footage and the culmination of all the hard work that has already gone into bringing this fantastic project to life for the area. The transformation of the structure will give the local community a much-needed place to come together to enjoy arts, sports, and culture.
“The project forms part of the wider £1.3bn regeneration of the Granton area where we are unlocking brownfield land to build a new sustainable 20-minute neighbourhood. We’re continuing to work hard to ensure Granton is somewhere residents will be proud to live and I look forward to seeing progress continue throughout this year.
Graham Brown, McLaughlin & Harvey Senior Contracts Manager, said: “We are delighted to have reached another milestone on this exciting project.
“The Gas Holder tank has been dewatered, demolished and infilled alongside the ongoing structural frame refurbishment works. This has involved in-depth logistical planning to ensure both aspects of the project can progress side by side whilst ensuring the safety of our workforce.
“The finished paint surface is also progressing well under the cover of our immense scaffold structure and in the coming months we will commence the public realm works as the final phase of the project.”
Planning Minister, Joe FitzPatrick, said:“Derelict sites can be a blight on communities and often hold back development.
“The Scottish Government’s low carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme is helping to unlock these sites by providing investment to create great places for people to enjoy, regenerating communities and tackling climate change.
“I am delighted that £1.2 million from the programme is supporting this transformative project on this historic site with the creation of a biodiverse, multi-use, and accessible park within the frame of the gas holder, opening it up to public access for the first time.”
Do you have an idea that will make a difference to your local community? Applications are now open for a grant of up to £5,000 to make your idea a reality.
The Council set up the Community Grants Fund in 2007 to kickstart projects that benefit local communities. It is part of the Council’s ongoing commitment to empowering communities and fostering grassroots initiatives.
There are 13 local funds, each covering a different area of the city. If you’re part of a community group with a project in mind, apply to your local Community Grant Fund today.
The total amount of funding available in your local fund depends on how many people live in your area. If there’s any money left over after this round, we’ll open another round of applications later this year. Unlike previous years, grants will be awarded a maximum of 3 times a year.
We want to make sure that the projects we fund are the ones that matter most to you. That’s why our funding panels are made up of local community representatives, such as Ward Councillors, Community Councillors, and representatives of community organisations.
If you’re in Leith, keep an eye out for a chance to vote on your favourite projects in January 2025 – information will be available for Leith applicants in the autumn.
The Community Grants Fund has supported some fantastic projects in the past, such as ‘Place to Pause’ at The Eric Liddell Centre and the Broomhouse Street Party. Your project could be next!
For the best chance of securing a grant, apply by the deadline of May 20, 2024. We’ll review all applications in June and let you know if you’ve been successful.
Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker said: “Our communities are the lifeblood of our city and we’re committed to ensuring that they have the resources to bring their ideas to life.
“From the Pentlands to Portobello and beyond I’m really excited to see the projects that apply for funding during this round of applications.”
Work will soon get underway to significantly improve public spaces on Melville Crescent, thanks to £2.1m in Transport Scotland funding secured by the City of Edinburgh Council.
Improvements to the historic west end street will complement the recently completed City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL) scheme, which connects Roseburn to Leith Walk via Haymarket and the West End with a safe and direct cycle route, as well as enhancing streets for those walking and wheeling.
The public realm scheme, which begins on 22 April, will include wider and resurfaced pavements using sandstone slabs in-keeping with the World Heritage Site and the reintroduction of setts on the road along Melville Crescent, reusing the setts which currently lie hidden under the existing asphalt surface.
There will also be improved and additional crossing points, new lawn areas and street trees and cycle parking and benches added.
Designs for the project were originally developed as part of CCWEL and involved close collaboration with local stakeholders, along with Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, to ensure that proposals celebrate the unique World Heritage Site location.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “I’m delighted that we’re now able to press ahead with these improvements on Melville Crescent thanks to this significant funding secured from Transport Scotland.
“Not only will the changes create a much more welcoming environment, but they will restore some of the historic features unique to the street’s World Heritage status.
“As well as street trees and wider sandstone footways, I am delighted the setted street carriageway throughout Melville Crescent will return – using the setts which currently lie hidden under the existing asphalt surface.
“What’s more, the project will also benefit people travelling by foot, wheel or bike, complementing the fantastic, world-class CCWEL route, which I helped celebrate the opening of last week.”
There will be some changes to traffic during the work, which will be delivered by CCWEL contractors Balfour Beatty and is expected to last until December. This includes the closure of Walker Street North and one-way, northbound traffic only on Walker Street South, from William Street to Melville Street.
CCWEL was completed in March following two years of construction and will tie into a new George Street cycling thoroughfare delivered as part of the George Street and First New Town project.
Senior Practitioners will take industrial action in a dispute over failure to deal with workers’ issues and imposition of changes
Unite members within Social Care Direct (Children’s Services) are set to strike from 16 to 18 April in a dispute about imposed changes at work, continued mistreatment from management and the failure to deal with issues raised by workers.
Read on to understand the impact and how you can help your colleagues in dispute:
Front door to social work
Social Care Direct is the ‘front door’ to social work for children and families in Edinburgh, therefore the strike will have a significant impact. However, the Council have chosen to ignore workers in this area, knowing that this would result in industrial action that creates risks.
The workers are long-standing council workers and senior professionals. They have dedicated their lives to protecting children’s welfare and are committed to safeguarding and helping families in Edinburgh. All along Unite members have been ready to engage with management to find a resolution. However, members have been forced to take action as a last resort as management refuse to take their concerns seriously or engage in a meaningful way.
How we got here
Unite members raised concerns in January 2023 and are still awaiting a response. All the while chances were impose on the service, without consulting with workers or including them in the process.
Unite members are welcoming of changes—in fact, have been calling for them for some time—but we are clear that all changes must be done with workers not to them.
All too familiar
The Council’s failures here come in the context of the Council having allegedly improved how they deal with employee concerns following the Tanner Inquiry and last year’s Stanyte vs Edinburgh Council employment tribunal, which ruled that the council failed to appropriately handle a grievance.
Drop-In at WAVERLEY COURT, East Market Street from 5 – 7pm
Retired but looking for a new challenge? We need patient and kind individuals with the skills to train as foster carers for children and teenagers who need safe, loving homes.
More than 5,400 people took advantage of exclusive offers available only to residents within the City of Edinburgh Council area last year.
The Forever Edinburgh ‘Resident Rewards’ programme, which is run by the City of Edinburgh Council, partnered with over 50 local businesses to offer residents exclusive ‘Rewards’ with key leisure and hospitality businesses, visitor attractions, tours, and festive events around the city.
In 2023, the scheme saw an uplift of 195% in bookings of its monthly ‘Star Reward’ and an increase of 88% in the number of residents benefiting from the programme compared to 2022.
In the last year, it has helped residents to make a combined saving of £66,114.
More than 700 local kids enjoyed Camera Obscura for free in March 2023, while over 850 residents attended the Johnnie Walker Princes Street Experience with a 40% discount during their dedicated month.
Residents Rewards Edinburgh was launched in December 2021 to reconnect citizens with the city’s best leisure, food and drink, and cultural experiences. Edinburgh residents can enjoy high-value monthly rewards, special resident prices at key attractions, 12 months’ validity on entry tickets, special previews of upcoming events, and half-price and free entry to attractions at specific times in the month and year.
Last year, Forever Edinburgh enhanced the programme by introducing several new Reward offers including Resident Previews, Half-price & Free days, Annual Passes, and Resident Rates.
Since 2021, the Resident Rewards microsite has been viewed nearly half a million times and has also generated over 35,000 business leads, demonstrating the strength and potential of this market-leading programme.
Councillor Cammy Day, leader of the City of Edinburgh Council said: “It has been a fantastic year for Resident Rewards, with new businesses and brand-new attractions signing up to give back to Edinburgh residents. It’s wonderful to see so many people taking advantage of these exclusive rewards and exploring their own city for less.
“Whether you live locally or visit from halfway across the world, there is so much more to Edinburgh than many of us find time to discover. These rewards provide the perfect chance to try something new while supporting the local economy and I’d encourage other local businesses to get involved.”
Claire Riddoch, Marketing Manager, Camera Obscura & World of Illusions said:“Taking part in the Residents Reward was a great success for Camera Obscura & World of Illusions.
“We are always looking at ways we can work with our local partners and audiences to give back something in return for their loyal support, especially after the last few hard years of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We were delighted to welcome just under 700 local children free during March 2023, which contributed to a 56% overall rise in children visiting compared to March 2022 and 33% of our total visitors were from Edinburgh and Lothians, up 16% on 2022.”
The scheme’s popularity has continued to grow, with the Resident Reward microsite now the 4th most popular page on The Official Guide to Edinburgh website. The programme is promoted through a targeted media campaign involving local partners such as Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams.
Resident Rewards is being fully funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and funding has been secured until March 2025.
In April, residents can enjoy a 25% discount at the Escape Room in the Department of Magic through the Monthly Star reward. Then, in May they can take advantage of an exclusive 30% discount on tours at the new Port of Leith Distillery, Scotland’s first vertical whisky distillery located in Leith.
To unlock exclusive discounts and rewards as an Edinburgh resident, go to:
Participation in this programme is free for local leisure and hospitality businesses. If you’re interested in joining and offering exclusive rewards to residents of the City of Edinburgh through your business, please reach out to the team at: residentrewards@edinburgh.gov.uk.
Lothian list MSP Foysol Choudhury yesterday – the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade – reaffirmed his commitment to campaigning for Scotland to address the legacies of slavery and colonialism in its past.
Mr Choudhury attended a Remembrance Ceremony in Edinburgh’s St. Andrew Square Gardens, where the Melville Monument stands to Henry Dundas. A replacement plaque, which explains Dundas’ role in slavery and recognises those who suffered enslavement as a consequence, has recently been installed on the Monument after the original was taken in September 2023.
Also in attendance were the Councillor Robert Aldridge, the Rt.Hon. Lord Provost, Councillor Cammy Day, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, Irene Mosota and Professor Sir Geoff Palmer.
Mr Choudhury says the Remembrance Ceremony and its link to the recent replacement of the plaque was a reminder of the importance of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
MSP Choudhury said: “Today, we remember those who were the victims of slavery, including the more than half a million Africans whose enslavement was a consequence of Henry Dundas’ actions in deferring the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade.
“This day should be a reminder of the horrors of the past and a resolution to never let this past repeat.
“Sadly, we are clearly still facing people who are trying to silence history and who removed the original Melville Monument plaque which exposes Dundas’ actions and remembers victims of slavery.
“In removing the plaque, a site of education and remembrance was removed-we must be resolute in maintaining these education sites to address historical prejudices and educate the public on parts of Scottish history which have caused decades of hate, racism and discrimination.
“I am glad that the replacement plaque was in place for today’s poignant and important Remembrance Ceremony, as a mark that we must take strides forward in our fight to address Scotland’s historical role in slavery and colonialism and build trust from the communities who this past has affected.”
Mr Choudhury also noted his support for Councillor Cammy Day’s comments that “we will not allow the actions of a minority to derail the important ongoing work to address the legacies of slavery and colonialism in our city”.
MSP Choudhury said he would continue to work on highlighting the importance of education to address historical injustices such as slavery and colonialism perpetrated by Scotland and the effects of this, such as racism, which still exists in modern-day Scotland.
Mr Choudhury concluded: “I hope that this important work continues to build a more equitable, just future for Edinburgh and Scotland which addresses past wrongs and their modern-day consequences.”
Sir Geoff Palmer, the Honorary President of Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC), of which Mr Choudhury is the Chair, played a significant role in the installation and the replacement of the Plaque which is dedicated to the slaves who were enslaved by Henry Dundas’ gradual abolition of the Atlantic Slave Trade.
Sir Geoff commented at the event: “Today you’re witnessing a wonderful act of democracy, a wonderful act of equality and fairness because our Government decided an individual had no right to remove a memorial plaque for people who suffered the most profitable evil the world has known.”
Sir Geoff concluded by quoting Robert Burns, saying that enslavers are “Hands that took but never gave. And we had today, hands that gave and did not take.”
