city council – Page 204 – The NEN

MY bike rides FREE!

MY Adventure has teamed up with City of Edinburgh Council to deliver FREE guided cycle rides around our amazing city. Join us as part of the Smarter Choices, Smart Places initiative to explore the cycle network – a fantastic way to get around the city we love.

The paths are gentle and away from traffic, the perfect way to access so many of Edinburgh’s wonderful sights – the whole family is welcome. Our guides are experienced and friendly and even if you don’t have a bike that’s no problem. Just get in touch and we will loan you one for free!

Join us in Rodney Street Tunnel EH7 4EW 12 noon for a trip to the Forth Road Bridge or Portobello; alternatively there will be shorter cycle rides for the wee ones! We will also have displays in Rodney Street Tunnel about cycling in Edinburgh, tonnes of free information and even a smoothie making bike!

Check out our website www.myadventure.org.uk for more information and to book online, or phone 0131 629 3065 and receive a free gift on the day!

Challenge Poverty Week

Challenge Poverty Week

17 – 23 October

More than 900,000 people in Scotland live in low income households – in a rich country like ours this is unnecessary and unacceptable.

Challenge Poverty Week is an opportunity for you to raise you voice against poverty and show what is being done to tackle poverty across. Organisations large and small supported Challenge Poverty Week last year, and we hope even more get behind it this year.

to bring to public attention the reality of poverty in Scotland;
to the show the impact of poverty on individuals and communities and to address the sterotypes that exist about poverty;
to highlight what is being done to address poverty (particularly by communities themselves);
and to highlight the continuing challenges that we face in addressing poverty

To achieve this organisations across Scotland will be organising events, running community activities, meeting with politicians to discuss their concerns.

Through all these focused activities we want to show that there is nothing inevitable about poverty. Not only are many people and organisations addressing poverty right now, but there is far more that we can do in the future to make a bigger impact.

John Dickie, Head of Child Poverty Action Group Scotland, said: “If we are serious about ending poverty in Scotland its vital that we build the public support needed to make real change happen. Challenge Poverty Week is a great opportunity to work together to highlight the damage that poverty wreaks and create the pressure needed for real action to end it.”

The City of Edinburgh Council is supporting the week. In his Leader’s Report published yesterday, Council Leader Cllr Andrew Burns said: “Tomorrow, 17 October, marks the start of the national Challenge Poverty Week. A number of events and activities are being held locally to coincide with it.

“In September, the Council agreed to adopt a set of pledges to challenge the stigma that can so often be associated with living in poverty. Part of the ‘Stick Your Labels‘ campaign, these pledges reinforce that poverty is not inevitable and commit organisations to setting out what they will do to help.

“In shaping the deal, we want to build on our strengths across the region, whilst tackling persistent inequality and other constraints that threaten to hold us back. If successful, we could potentially unlock an additional £3.2bn worth of private sector investment.”

The city council, having just signed up to the Stick Your Labels anti-stigma pledges, will be highlighting its work on tackling poverty, and that of its partners, during Challenge Poverty Week 2015.

There is a varied programme of events over the week, including Councillor visits to food poverty projects, the launch of the Edinburgh Equalities and Rights Network, Fairer Scotland conversations being run through third sector organisations, additional welfare advice sessions and staff events.

The Lord Provost, as President of Edinburgh’s independent social justice charity, the OneCity Trust, will also visit Bridgend Inspiring Growth, a project grant-funded by a the Trust to tackle the impacts of poverty through learning, eating and exercise. It is hoped that these activities will raise awareness in the city, where one in five families are experiencing poverty right now.

For further information visit

http://povertyalliance.org/challenge_poverty

ChallengePovertyWeek_Leaflet_2015

School Streets initiative hits the road

Six city schools kick off safer school streets pilot

Cramond Primary is among six city schools taking part in the School Streets initiative in Edinburgh, which aims to create safer travel to the city’s primary schools by banning cars from surrounding streets during certain times.

Colinton Primary School pupils celebrated the launch of the safety scheme this morning, when Super Cyclists and Wonder Walkers assembled at the front gates via newly car-free streets.

Traffic will now be prohibited on the roads surrounding the first phase of schools involved in the scheme at the beginning and end of the school day.

Aiming to create a safer, more pleasant environment the scheme promotes travel to school by walking and cycling, in turn reducing congestion and pollution in the area. The first couple of weeks will be education/raising awareness before enforcement starts.

City of Edinburgh Council Transport Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “I am delighted to see School Streets in action and that so many pupils have taken this opportunity to walk, use scooters and ride their bikes safely into school.

“Promoting active and sustainable travel is one of our main priorities, and by creating a safe and relaxed atmosphere near our schools, we are encouraging this from a very early age.”

Final plans for the School Streets pilot, which is a commitment of theLocal Transport Strategy 2014-19, were approved by Transport and Environment Committee in August.

More than 30 schools across the city originally expressed an interest in participating in the pilot and eleven were eventually selected. All of the chosen locations had been experiencing road safety issues due to the number of drivers bringing cars too close to school gates.

Chris Thompson Schools and Projects Coordinator at Living Streets says: “It is vital that more children walk to school however traffic levels and safety are key concerns for parents. By closing the immediate streets outside school gates, the City of Edinburgh Council and participating schools are sending a resounding message that walking to school, even for the last few minutes, is good for health and the city’s environment. I expect other councils across the UK to follow this bold and imaginative approach to healthy school travel.”

Chief Inspector Stevie Dolan, from Police Scotland, said: “We are committed to working alongside our partners and the public to ensure the safety of all road users, including schoolchildren.

“Whenever a complaint is received in relation to motorists driving within the prohibited areas, without a valid reason for doing so, our officers will respond accordingly.”

Six primary schools are included in the first of two phases – Abbeyhill, Colinton, Cramond, Duddingston and St John’s RC with Sciennes starting in October.

The second phase of the pilot is due to begin in March and will be implemented at Towerbank, St Peter’s, Clermiston and Bonaly Primary Schools.

Residents in streets next to participating schools need a permit to drive in or out of the street while restrictions are in place, which can be applied for on the Council website.

Have your say on parking proposals

Draft Action Plan is now out for consultation

Edinburgh residents’ views are now being sought on a raft of measures aimed to help improve parking in the city.

A public consultation is under way on the draft Parking Action Plan, which is intended to develop a cohesive vision of parking in Edinburgh, encouraging active travel and supporting the city’s economy while safeguarding residents’ spaces.

Proposals for the plan, approved by the Transport and Environment Committee in August, are based on consultation with the public and take into account the priorities of those living in the city.

Amongst actions suggested are the roll-out of shared-use parking for permit holders and pay and display customers, visitor permits and the introduction of parking restrictions in the evenings and on Sundays.

Transport Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “We’ve been evaluating parking in Edinburgh over the last few months, studying the use of city centre parking by residents, shoppers and visitors to see where the most demand for spaces is. We’ve really listened to the public to create the new Parking Action Plan, and have responded to their concerns.

“This is about relieving demand for residents’ parking as well as promoting sustainable travel into the city centre. Our proposals would reduce the negative impact of uncontrolled parking, encouraging parking turnover near local businesses and helping to encourage active travel and use of public transport.

“We want to involve the public in the Parking Action Plan, so I would urge anyone interested to participate in our consultation.”

Item_7.14___Draft_Parking_Action_Plan___FINAL

The draft Parking Action Plan (above), which affects the Controlled Parking Zone, was drawn up following a series of information gathering exercises, including interviews with drivers and pedestrians, vehicle counts on key streets and internal workshops.

Amongst the findings it was shown that, when parking is uncontrolled on a Sunday, people stay for a long time, reducing the turnover of business for shops, making it harder for residents to find spaces and impacting on traffic. It also indicates that parking pressures in the evenings are similar, if not greater than during the controlled hours.

In addition, of 535 drivers interviewed on a Sunday, 43% said they would travel by public transport, walk or cycle if they were making the same journey during the week, while 42% indicated that free parking was not important to their decision to visit the city centre that day.

The draft plan is now out for consultation, engaging the public, stakeholders and other interested parties. Views gathered will influence the finalised Parking Action Plan, expected to be considered by committee in January 2016.

Participate in the consultation online.

‘Meltdown’: Union fears 3000 council job losses

UNISON says one on six council jobs could go

Trade Union UNISON fears that over 3,000 jobs – one in every six Edinburgh council staff and three times as many jobs as first thought – will be slashed as the effects of accelerated budget cuts become clear, putting the council’s and the Scottish Government’s no compulsory redundancy pledge at risk.

The union has also re-launched its ‘Our City’s Not For Sale’ campaign as reports drawn up by officials put privatisation back on the agenda three years after councillors rejected mass privatisation plans.

“The effect of cuts on services and staff will be devastating as at least 15% of council employees could face being forced out of their jobs”, warned Amanda Kerr, UNISON Edinburgh City branch secretary. “Losing this amount of staff will decimate the services we provide and the public rely on to the point where they would be unrecognisable.

“It is now time for the politicians to stand up for the pledges they were elected on and support UNISON in the fight to save public services in Edinburgh for future generations.”

Lead Edinburgh UNISON negotiator Tom Connolly warned of the effect on services: “Every job lost is a service lost, a school closed, a care home closed, young and old put at risk. UNISON will defend these services and any compulsory redundancies will trigger our longstanding policy to ballot members on action.”

UNISON is calling for meaningful consultation and will demand that the council honours its no compulsory redundancy pledge and its ‘presumption’ against privatisation.

“If there is the political will to save Edinburgh’s services from these vicious government cuts, then councillors need to make sure that officials fully understand that”, said branch president John Stevenson, calling again on the Scottish Government to step in with emergency money to save services while they look at a fairer funding system.

“There has been a deafening silence on the massive cuts local councils have faced with 40,000 jobs lost in the last few years. The government needs to face up to the crisis and make funding available before services disappear for ever.”

UNISON will lobby the Council’s Finance and Resources Committee next Thursday (24 September).

For further information visit http://www.unison-edinburgh.org.uk/citynotforsale/

Community invite to strategy consultation

Craighall Centre Health & Social Care event

The three month public consultation on the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership’s draft Strategic Plan and Joint Strategic Needs Assessment ends on 31 October and the Strategic Planning Group, which is overseeing the consultation, is keen to hear from citizens, communities and stakeholders.

The city council is inviting local community groups, organisations and individuals to participate in and give their views on the integration of health and social care services and has organised a number of events across the city to enable you to find out what’s been proposed and have your say.

The local event takes place at Craighall Centre, 210 Ferry Road on Monday 28 September from 1 – 2.30pm (note change of time).

There is a web link included in the flier so people can access to view the plan:

https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/

https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/

By-election success for SNP and Labour

Leith Walk will be represented by new SNP and Labour councillors following yesterday’s double by-election.

The councillors were elected using the Single Transferable Vote system – the first time this method has been used to elect two members.

SNP’s John Lewis Ritchie was elected at Stage One of the voting process, while Labour’s Marion Donaldson had to wait considerably longer to learn of her success … she was finally elected at Stage Ten.

The result strengthens the Labour – SNP Capital Coalition’s grip on power at the City Chambers.

The double by-election was brought about by the resignations of Deirdie Brock, who became an MP in May’s general election, and Green councillor Maggie Chapman, who is bidding to become an MSP in North East Scotland at next year’s Holyrood elections.

Returning Officer, Andrew Kerr, said: “I would like to welcome the two newest Councillors to the City of Edinburgh Council and look forward to working with them on matters affecting the Leith Walk Ward and the city as a whole.

“I also want to thank our elections team for all the work they have put into ensuring this by-election ran smoothly.”

The turnout was a disappointing 25.1%

For further details of the results and the Leith Walk By-Election, visit the Elections section of the Council website.

City council pledges support for refugees

Europe’s escalating refugee situation has reached crisis point over recent days. Council leader ANDREW BURNS has pledged the continuing support of the City of Edinburgh Council as he appealed for donations to the city’s charity:

The world watched, several months ago, as thousands of refugees set up makeshift camps in desolate, far-off spots after fleeing their war-torn homelands.

Since then, we’ve been watching the reports of people living in horrendous conditions at the port of Calais as they desperately attempt to enter the UK.

Everyone has an opinion on how to react, from stopping anyone from coming here because we don’t have the resources or the room, to opening up the borders and welcoming those desperately in need.

Before, we could just turn off the images with a flick of the TV remote control – but the image of the body of a tiny, lonely child washed up on a beach in Turkey this week will haunt many of us for a long time. It summed up the desperation of those who are running for their lives.

How desperate must a person be to squeeze themselves, and their children, into airtight lorries, or on to open boats without life jackets, to make extremely dangerous and often futile journeys? We may struggle to imagine that feeling, here in the western world, but the horror of that photo has affected us all.

We may be far away, but there are still ways in which we can help.

In May of this year, having learned that close to four million people had already fled the country, the City of Edinburgh Council decided to get involved in the UK Government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme.

The scheme will allow us to welcome a number of families from Syria, all of whom will have been identified as being in the utmost need by the United Nations. The scheme prioritises help for survivors of torture and violence, women and children at risk, and those in need of medical care.

Participants will be housed here in the capital for the duration of the programme, with access to employment, health care and education.

Initial conversations have taken place within the Council (housing and social work) and with NHS Lothian and Police Scotland, who have confirmed their willingness and capacity to support Edinburgh’s involvement with the project.

Initial talks have also taken place to examine potential for wider social support through Edinburgh Churches for Sanctuary and Cities for Sanctuary networks.

The key measure of success will be that the number of refugees moving here will integrate successfully into the city in terms of their home, social and professional lives.

Let’s not forget – the families taking part in the relocation scheme don’t want to leave their homes behind. Imagine being forced out of your country and everything that is familiar to you, because life has become too dangerous for you to stay?

This is the humanitarian course of action. We are helping, in a very small way, amongst the most vulnerable and needy people in the world at this moment. Let’s try to stop any more needless deaths.

Our Edinburgh-based charity partner, Mercy Corps, is already on the ground helping Syrian refugee families, and other families in crisis around the world, get the food, water and shelter they need to survive.

Visit the Mercy Corps website to find out more about their work and to donate to their Humanitarian Response Fund. Please help them to rush lifesaving aid to people suffering in Syria and around the world.

Councillor Andrew Burns

Council Leader

Library success story is a tale worth telling

Edinburgh’s libraries are thriving – more people are using our city’s library services than ever before.

A report to the Council’s Culture and Sport Committee tomorrow (Tuesday 18 August) will detail achievements such as a 2% increase in visits to libraries and 16% increase to special events, a 4% rise in transactions, significant upgrades to buildings and an expansion of digital services.

The Next Generation Library Strategy 2012–2015, based on a major public consultation involving customers, staff, local communities, partners and stakeholders, was approved in March 2012 and sets out key objectives for the development of the service.

Achievements include:

• The doubling of membership of the Central Children’s Library since the new service began in 2014;
• The launch of Level-UP, an innovative reading and gaming scheme for boys aged 11-14;
• The award-winning Digital Toybox project at Drumbrae;
• Free books for four-year-olds of high social need through Reading Rainbows Literacy;
• The first MoreFun Book Festival in Moredun in June this year;
• New buildings at Drumbrae and Craigmillar;
• Eleven libraries earning the in-house Gold Standard Programme.

The strategy’s eight objectives are:

• Access to library and information services through a community based network of small libraries, neighbourhood libraries and larger neighbourhood hubs;
• Buildings fit for purpose, in the right place;
• Innovative and excellent 24/7 electronic access to library services;
• Improved literacy and digital skills and enhanced love of reading;
• Effective use of technology to deliver service improvements;
• Empowered and motivated staff delivering excellent customer service;
• Best Value from resources and assets through partnership, innovation, income generation and new ways of working;
• Increased customer base supported by clear marketing and promotion of the service.

Edinburgh has 28 public library buildings, a mobile library service and outreach library services for looked after children, hospitals, care homes, and HMP Edinburgh.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Culture and Sport Convener, said: “I am delighted that all of the hard work put in by staff to make libraries so appealing is paying off, and that so many people have discovered what wonderful places they are.

“Our libraries are fantastic, inclusive facilities that can be enjoyed by all ages and backgrounds. They cater for all, whether you want to borrow books or read newspapers, or if you’d rather play computer games or take your children to a rhyme time session. Best of all, these services are either free or at a very low cost.

“We will keep delivering on the objectives of the strategy, so that we can continue to develop the diversity of services provided by libraries.”

No tie required

arms-length company won’t be resurrected for trams inquiry

The City of Edinburgh Council has today written to the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry to state that, while it will continue to participate fully in the process, it will not revive the dormant company formerly known as tie Ltd.

The Inquiry has asked the Council to consider whether tie, which operated from 2002 until 2011 as an arm’s length company and is ultimately owned by the Council, should be a core participant in the Inquiry.

However, the revival of the company would involve appointing new officials who would require legal representation at the Inquiry, leading to significant additional cost, which the Council does not believe to be in the public interest.

The Council has committed to full participation in the Inquiry, and to providing information to the Inquiry in relation to the role of tie, which was under its ownership.

Council Leader, Andrew Burns, said: “The Council continues to support the Inquiry, as it has done throughout, and to be fully open and accountable. By applying to be a core participant we have committed to playing our part in the proceedings and co-operating fully with the Inquiry.

“However, we do not believe that the considerable cost of reviving (tie) for the sake of the Inquiry is a justifiable expense; one which would ultimately be borne by the Edinburgh tax payer.

“The Council is the ultimate parent body of tie, and we have communicated our willingness to provide information about its role to the Inquiry.”

The Council will make independent legal advice available to current and former Council employees and elected members, should they wish it, when giving their written statements to the Inquiry.

Former tie employees will be able to give evidence about the role of tie to the Inquiry, if they are called on by the Inquiry to do so. However, the Council will not be funding legal advice to these individuals, although they will of course be free to appoint their own lawyers.

The Council’s participation in the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry will be detailed in a report to Council next Thursday (20 August).

The Edinburgh Tram Inquiry, chaired by Lord Hardie, was commissioned by Scottish Ministers and has been ongoing since June last year.

The Inquiry aims to establish why the Edinburgh Trams project incurred delays, cost more than originally budgeted and through reductions in scope delivered significantly less than projected. The official terms of reference for the Inquiry are to:

Inquire into the delivery of the Edinburgh Trams project, from proposals for the project emerging to its completion, including the procurement and contract preparation, its governance, project management and delivery structures, and oversight of the relevant contracts, in order to establish why the project incurred delays, cost considerably more than originally budgeted for and delivered significantly less than was projected through reductions in scope.
Examine the consequences of the failure to deliver the project in the time, within the budget and to the extent projected.
Review the circumstances surrounding the project as necessary, in order to report to the Scottish Ministers making recommendations as to how major tram and light rail infrastructure projects of a similar nature might avoid such failures in future.