The candidates standing in the upcoming Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart by-election have been confirmed.
13 candidates have been nominated to stand in the by-election, which will elect one new councillor, on Thursday 26 June 2025.
The candidates standing for election are:
Bonnie Prince Bob, Independent
Derrick Emms, Independent
Lukasz Furmaniak, Scottish Libertarian Party
Mark Hooley, Scottish Conservative and Unionist
Richard Crewe Lucas, Scottish Family Party
Q Manivannan, Scottish Greens
Kevin Joseph McKay, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Catriona Munro, Scottish Labour Party
Gary Neill, Reform UK
Mark Rowbotham, Independent
Murray Visentin, Scottish National Party (SNP)
Steve Christopher West, Independent
Marc Wilkinson, Independent
Returning Officer for the City of Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence said: “With nominations now closed and just over a month remaining until polling day, residents of the Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart ward can start thinking about who they will vote for in the upcoming by-election.
“Councillors play an important role in our democratic system, making crucial decisions that impact our city.
“I’d encourage as many residents as possible to take part in this by-election. Please make sure you register to vote before the deadline and make your voice heard.”
The election will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, where voters rank candidates in order of preference by assigning numbers rather than just marking a single cross. You can choose to vote for as many or as few candidates as you wish.
Poll cards will be delivered to registered voters in the area from Friday 23 May, including further information on when and where to vote.
If you live in the Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart ward you must register to vote by midnight on Tuesday June 10. For new postal vote applications, the deadline is 5pm on Wednesday June 11 and for new proxy votes its 5pm on Wednesday June 18.
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm and will be at:
Kingsknowe Golf Club
Edinburgh Corn Exchange
St Michaels Church Hall
Fountainbridge Library
Boroughmuir Rugby & Community Sports Club
Craiglockhart Parish Church Hall
Tollcross Community Centre
The electronic election count will take place on Thursday 26 June starting at the close of poll at 10pm.
The by-election follows the sad passing of Councillor Val Walker in April 2025.
Find out more about this by-election Edinburgh and how to register to vote on the Council website.
This reports also outlines the future decision-making process, with an annual update report covering any proposed changes.
Prioritisation was scored against 15 separate criteria points across three key areas: Objectives, Deliverability and Financial. Some examples include impact on road safety, public transport, inequality, and capital raising challenges.
Over 70 projects are set to be taken forward, including:
Walking, wheeling and cycling connection from the Meadows to the Union Canal, including better public space around the King’s Theatre.
Public transport and active travel route between West Shore Road and Waterfront Broadway, complementing the Granton redevelopment.
Major city centre projects, including a trial to reduce vehicle traffic on the Lawnmarket, Cowgate improvements, Meadows to George Street walking and cycling upgrade, and the transformation of George Street.
Over 50 projects are recommended to be paused, the vast majority of which are already on hold or not started. There are also around five projects which are set to be paused for this financial year only. Again, these are all either on hold or not started.
The report was approved with amendments from the Administration and the SNP group, along with an addendum from the Green group.
Transport and Environment Convener, Cllr Stephen Jenkinson said: “I’m really pleased that we’ve agreed this bold programme for our city. Prioritisation allows us to work smarter with the resources we have available – making sure we have a clear and achievable path to achieving our objectives.
“This programme follows the successes of major infrastructure projects such as Trams to Newhaven and active travel projects including the City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL), Roseburn to Union Canal and Leith Connections.
“This is an extensive piece of work which allows the City Mobility Plan to be agile, and able to adapt in the future as necessary.
“However, one key element in this conversation is the fact that we remain dependent on external funding for many projects, particularly from the Scottish Government and by extension Transport Scotland.
“Complex projects which take years to plan and complete but which are subject to annual external funding decisions makes this situation inherently difficult, we need commitment and stability from the Scottish Government if we’re to deliver the changes which our city needs and deserves.
“We’ll now take forward these projects which will keep Edinburgh moving and make our city a safer, more sustainable and accessible place for all.”
Living Streets Edinburgh calls (again) for more investment in everyday walking
LIVING Streets Edinburgh wrote to city councillors prior to the meeting. The campaigners said: “We’re surprised, and very disappointed, to see no mention of some key initiatives which we were able to get included in the CMP delivery plan.
“Especially disappointing after the committee decided to freeze footway maintenance while increasing spending on roads, only last month.
“We’ve therefore sent councillors this message:
Dear Councillor
I’m writing in connection with the report on City Mobility Plan priorities, Item 7.5 on the TEC agenda for 22 May bit.ly/43ktlep The recommendations do not adequately reflect the CMP’s ambition to effect “a transformational change in walking and wheeling in Edinburgh”.
Over two years ago, two new initiatives were introduced into the Active Travel component of the City Mobility Plan: ‘Action for Better Crossings” (ABC) and the “Edinburgh Accessible Streets Initiative” EASI). These programmes (both proposed by us) finally offered the prospect of a strategic, rather than piecemeal, approach to addressing some of the most fundamental problems with getting around the city as a pedestrian – for example:
the time that you have to wait for the green man at traffic lights,
the thousands of missing dropped kerbs on pavements,
narrow footways,
pavement clutter, etc.
As we understand it, effectively nothing has been done yet to implement either initiative as a coherent programme. We had hoped that they would form a key part of this report. However, there is no mention whatsoever in the report of either ABC or EASI, despite Council having confirmed them as at the heart of CMP policy only last year (see attached).
Instead, some elements of ABC and EASI are simply noted as part of the ‘rolling programme’ in Appendix 4b. Paragraph 4.14 of the report states an expectation that these will be funded at “an overall level roughly equal to recent overall investment”. This isn’t good enough: there is no indication of how much money is budgeted for these schemes; certainly there has been no systematic investment at all in recent years in widening footways. Many of the other aspects like the pedestrian crossing programme and the crucial school streets reviews have huge backlogs owing to lack of resourcing.
These vital programmes need to be considered alongside, and on the same level playing field, as the active travel and public transport listed in Appendix 1.
Councillors should be able to consider whether investment in school streets, road safety, ABC or EASI is more or less worthy than these projects, whether they be George Street, Hawthornvale-Salamander Street, the Lindsey Bridge or Dalry 20 Minute Neighbourhood.
Otherwise the opportunity to consider where best to invest both staff time and capital funding is lost and a ‘silo’ approach is entrenched.
We also have serious concerns with the overly-complex methodology for assessing projects in Appendix 1. It gives no weighting to walking and wheeling (“top of the travel hierarchy”) and doesn’t sufficiently value schemes relatively modest but important to pedestrians such as Calton Road and the Causey.
These projects fail to score highly enough only because work on them has already been “paused’ for years.
However, the fundamental weakness of the report is to take too narrow an approach to evaluating a limited set of projects. We would therefore like to see the report deferred perhaps for two cycles, and a new report brought forward with a more strategic approach to future investment, including the programmes mentioned above.
Projects to unlock economic growth and tackle poverty
Projects across Scotland will benefit from Scottish Government investment to help regenerate communities and drive economic growth.
More than £21.5 million from two Scottish Government funds will bring 24 disused or derelict sites and buildings into use, creating more than 160 jobs and support nearly 900 training opportunities.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes confirmed the 2025-26 allocations from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) and Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) during a visit to Powderhall in north Edinburgh.
City of Edinburgh Council will receive £1.4 million for remedial works at the former waste disposal site, paving the way for a housing-led regeneration project that will provide 259 homes, including affordable housing.
There’s also £60,000 for Spartans’ youth facility at Ainslie Park.
Other initiatives being supported include:
reviving a slate quarry in Cullipool owned and operated by the Isle of Luing Community Trust
converting a former tram depot in Dundee into a new transport museum
redeveloping a former derelict school into energy efficient housing units in Borrodale on the Isle of Skye
creating film production suites and a training centre at a former glue factory in Glasgow
extending Lochvale House community centre in Dumfries to include a café and soft play area
The announcement coincides with a call for expressions of interest in 2026-27 funding to support regeneration projects in disadvantaged communities. As set out in the 2025 Programme for Government, future Scottish Government support for regeneration projects will be channelled through one national fund – the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund – to streamline the application and delivery process.
The Deputy First Minister said: “This funding will help to transform derelict sites the length and breadth of Scotland, creating homes, jobs and facilities that drive economic growth, tackle poverty and help support and growing thriving communities.
“This funding forms part of a wider £62.15 million investment by the Scottish Government towards regeneration projects in 2025-26. This will help to revitalise green spaces, town centres and derelict sites to benefit people across Scotland.
“The 2025 Programme for Government stets out our renewed commitment to supporting regeneration projects across the country with one streamlined fund delivering this vision from next year.”
The RCGF is delivered in partnership with COSLA.COSLA’s Spokesperson for Environment and Economy, Councillor Gail Macgregor, said: “Today’s announcement sees the return of invaluable tools and resources for local authorities to help deliver on the regeneration aspirations of the communities which they represent.
“The diversity of successful projects on show demonstrates how localised approaches can deliver benefits across the country and showcase the best of partnership between local authorities and our communities to deliver economic and social renewal.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Scottish Government on regeneration in the months to come.”
City of Edinburgh Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Lezley Marion Cameron said: “Our development plans at Powderhall are breathing new life into an excellently located, long unused industrial site, and are set to deliver hundreds of much-needed new homes and work and community spaces too.
“The transformation of Powderhall is already well underway with the restoration of the former stable block, which retains unique heritage features of the site’s former use.
“Regenerating a historic, brownfield site like Powderhall is complex, challenging, and costly therefore I warmly welcome this Scottish Government investment.”
Regeneration Projects supported through the RCGF and VDLIP fund in 2025/2026:
Fund
Organisation
Project
Award
RCGF
Angus Council
Arbroath Courthouse Community Trust
£2,138,985
RCGF
Argyll & Bute Council
Fyne Futures Local Food Production and Training Centre
£250,000
RCGF
Argyll & Bute Council
Isle of Luing Community Owned Slate Quarry
£1,747,936
RCGF
City of Edinburgh Council
Spartans Youth Work and Education Building
£60,000
RCGF
Clyde Gateway
Baltic Street Play
£850,000
RCGF
Dumfries and Galloway Council
Let’s Get Sporty – Lochvale House
£1,572,370
RCGF
Dundee City Council
Dundee Museum of Transport – A Catalyst for Regeneration of Stobswell
Cllr Neil Ross Regulatory Convener said: “We had always committed to reviewing the licensing scheme after it had been operating for a year and we did that last summer.
“We made some improvements to our policy at the beginning of year, following feedback from residents and the industry, and this is the final change agreed at Committee. The intention is to make our scheme as fair and reasonable as we can for residents, visitors and operators.
“I will also be writing to the Scottish Government’s Minister of Housing to ask for greater clarity on short term let licensing condition MC13 (planning permission), which some residents and short term let operators find confusing, and to see how this might be addressed.”
We have just installed a ‘bothy’ shelter in the park as a signal of intent to the community that the wider plans are being brought forward. This is the first of several shelters that will be installed across the park (writes ELGT’s ANGUS FISHER).
It was designed by SLR architecture in partnership with Old School Fabrications. OSF also built and installed the shelter.
It is a completely bespoke design based on the traditional Scottish bothy but featuring a stone boulder seat with hovering steel frame giving it its somewhat unique appearance.
Wider works info
West Pilton Park is undergoing an exciting, new development after receiving a significant amount of charitable funding.
The Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council and the local community have developed plans to transform West Pilton Park into the beautiful, bustling centre of the community.
Plans include planting hundreds of new trees and plants, a new skate park and bouldering wall, new play equipment, new accessible paths, seating, shelters, new toilet facilities, a community growing area, a wildlife wetland, and a proposed new cafe run by Scran Academy.
The shelter is the first part of the development to be installed, with construction of the rest of the park to take place over the next few years. The first phase is due to start in autumn 2025.
A phased approach will ensure that a part of the park will always remain open for the community during construction.
The Lord Provost of Edinburgh hosted a Civic Reception at the City Chambers last night to honour the 25th anniversary of Volunteer Edinburgh as an independent organisation and its outstanding contribution to the life of the city.
The event brought together past and present staff, volunteers, trustees, and civic leaders to mark a quarter-century of innovation, impact, and service.
At the heart of the celebration was a powerful address by the organisation’s CEO, Paul Wilson, who reflected on the journey from a small volunteer exchange to becoming one of the city’s most dynamic and adaptive third sector organisations.
Paul said: “If anyone asked me what Volunteer Edinburgh is all about,I simply say: ‘people’.”
A Legacy of Innovation and Impact
Volunteer Edinburgh has supported over 60,000 individuals in their volunteering journeys and welcomed more than 20,000 visitors to its annual recruitment fair over the past 25 years. Its pioneering Health and Wellbeing Service, which began as the UK’s first “Voluntary Work as Therapy” project, has helped more than 2,500 people in the past decade improve their lives through volunteering — many credit it with literally saving their lives.
However, this world-leading project is currently under threat due to potential disinvestment from the Health and Social Care Partnership. The CEO called on civic leaders to recognise and protect this invaluable service that embodies Edinburgh’s compassionate values.
Leading in Digital, Crisis Response, and Community Engagement
From launching Scotland’s first local authority-backed Volunteering Strategy in 2006 to building the country’s most-used volunteer management resource at volunteerwiki.org.uk, Volunteer Edinburgh has consistently led the way in developing practical solutions that scale.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisation rapidly built and deployed a Community Taskforce, onboarding 550 trained volunteers to deliver over 17,000 critical support tasks city-wide. This flexible model later supported displaced Ukrainians, NHS vaccination efforts, and even mobilised 200 volunteers during the vigil for the Queen at St Giles’ cathedral in 2022.
“We Just Get Things Done”
Described by peers as an organisation that “just gets things done”, Volunteer Edinburgh has continually reinvented itself — from launching an AI tool for volunteer managers to establishing city-wide hubs and community engagement tools. The CEO paid tribute to the team’s dedication, noting “for a tiny wee organisation, we regularly punch above our weight.”
A Shared Belief in Service
Reflecting on his own 27-year journey with the organisation, the CEO emphasised that the core of Volunteer Edinburgh’s success is a shared belief across its team that “service to others is inherently a good thing.”
He paid tribute to his predecessors, trustees, and colleagues past and present, saying, “Thank you to everyone who has contributed to making Volunteer Edinburgh the vital asset it is today.
“Edinburgh needs it — and I hope it continues to flourish for decades to come.”
A by-election will be held in the Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart ward following the sad passing of Councillor Val Walker last month.
Residents will go to the polls on Thursday 26 June 2025 to elect one new councillor to represent the ward. The current electorate is 18,563.
Tomorrow, on Friday 16 May, the formal Notice of Election will be published, and the Election Timetable, Election Notices and Nomination Papers will all be accessible on the Council website.
Returning Officer for Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence said:“I want to reiterate my condolences to Councillor Walker’s family, friends, and colleagues. The tributes we saw last week at the Council meeting shows the esteem in which she was held across all sides of the Chamber, and she will be sorely missed.
“Her passing has resulted in the vacancy for the Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart ward. I’d urge all residents in the ward to make sure they are registered and have their details or preference of how they would like to vote up to date in plenty of time.
“Details on how to register, where to vote or how to vote by post can be found on the Council website.”
Nomination papers can be submitted from 10am on Monday 19 May until 4pm on Friday 23 May to the Returning Officer in the City Chambers.
Candidates will be confirmed when nominations close at 4pm on Friday 23 May.
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 26 June.
The election will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system where voters can rank candidates in order of preference rather than using a single cross. Voters can give a rank to as many or as few candidates as they like.
The deadline to register to vote in this by-election is midnight on Tuesday June 10. For new postal vote applications, it’s 5pm on Wednesday June 11 and for new proxy votes its 5pm on Wednesday June 18.
Charities losing funding from the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) are to receive urgent support from the City of Edinburgh Council.
One-off funding of £2.037m will be provided to 46 organisations and projects across Edinburgh which are working to prevent poverty and support vulnerable residents.
An additional £1m will help six third sector advice providers to support residents to maximise their income through accessing welfare benefits, reducing everyday living costs including debt management and improving access to work.
A grant has also been provided to support the continued development of the Edinburgh Advice Network.
The decision by the Policy and Sustainability Committee this week (Monday 12 May) will allow funds to be released to prevent the closure of a number of organisations and avert the redundancies of many employees.
Decisions on how to allocate an outstanding £423,400 will be made when Councillors meet again later this month (Tuesday 27 May).
The emergency package of support is provided ahead of a long-term review of the relationship between the Edinburgh Partnership, public sector and third sector in Edinburgh, with the aim of improving funding certainty in future years.
As part of this review, the Edinburgh Partnership is asking voluntary organisations, social enterprises and charities to participate in an online consultation. Workshops will also take place in the coming weeks.
Council Leader and Chair of the Edinburgh Partnership, Jane Meagher, said: “The third sector provides vital support to our local communities, and we need to provide stability to projects which have been put at risk of closure. Our funding will quickly and directly prevent many charities from redundancies and from reducing the very important services they provide.
“While I’m pleased that we’ve reached a decision to prioritise this work – and to make sure we protect more people from entering poverty – we cannot become complacent. We need longer-term change so that organisations like these, and the many residents who rely on them, are at less risk and have greater stability.
“We want to hear about how we can make helping vulnerable people simpler. Please take part in the consultation we’ve recently launched, as the Edinburgh Partnership seeks views on strengthening our city’s third sector.”
In a deputation to Policy and Sustainability Committee, Bruce Crawford, CEO of EVOC and speaking on behalf of the Third Sector Reference Group said: “The decisions made by Councillors to support these third sector organisations shows a real understanding of the role that the third sector play in communities across Edinburgh.
“The impact that these Resilience Fund payments will make cannot be underestimated in the way that they will support some of the most vulnerable people in our city.
“These grants will provide stability to the organisations in receipt of them and allow them to continue to serve their local communities. Longer term solutions need to be developed, and we are prepared to work with the council in planning for the future, beyond the current financial year.”
Full list of organisations and projects confirmed to receive urgent funding from the Third Sector Transitional Fund:
1. ACE IT Scotland 2. Art in Healthcare 3. B Healthy Together 4. Bridgend Farmhouse 5. Calton Welfare Services 6. Care for Carers 7. Caring in Craigmillar 8. Community Renewal Trust 9. Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland 10. Drake Music Scotland 11. Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust 12. Edinburgh Community Food 13. Edinburgh Community Health Forum 14. Edinburgh Headway Group 15. Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre 16. Eric Liddell Community 17. Feniks 18. Fresh Start 19. Health All Round 20. Home-Start Edinburgh West and South West (HSEW) 21. LGBT Health and Wellbeing 22. Libertus Services 23. MECOPP 24. Murrayfield Dementia Project 25. Pilmeny Development Project 26. Pilton Equalities Project – Mental Health 27. Pilton Equalities Project – Day Care 28. Portobello Monday Centre 29. Portobello Older People’s Project 30. Positive Help 31. Queensferry Churches Care in the Community 32. Rowan Alba Limited 33. Scottish Huntington’s Association 34. Sikh Sanjog 35. South Edinburgh Amenities Group (SEAG) 36. The Broomhouse Centre (The Beacon Club) 37. Vintage Vibes Consortium 38. The Dove Centre 39. The Health Agency 40. The Living Memory Association 41. The Open Door 42. The Ripple Project 43. The Welcoming Association 44. Venture Scotland 45. VOCAL 46. Waverley Care.
Scottish Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT) is delighted to announce a new community partnership with Leith Civic Trust aimed at securing the long-term future of Leith Custom House.
The collaboration promises to transform this landmark historic building into a vibrant civic space and Scotland’s first fully digital museum, creating a ‘town square for the twenty-first century’ that will celebrate Leith’s unique culture and heritage.
Maggie Wright, Chair, Scottish Historic Buildings Trust, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Leith Civic Trust to help us realise the long-held community desire for a museum for Leith.
“The ambition has always been for this museum to be managed by the community through a community-led charitable trust who would ensure that the museum responds to local needs and aspirations, Leith Civic Trust will help us realise this goal together.
“This project has been a long-time in development, but following the agreement last year with Edinburgh Museums & Galleries, we are delighted that the project now has real momentum”
Following from the strategic partnership with City of Edinburgh Council Museums & Galleries agreed last October, the new community partnership with Leith Civic Trust will ensure that this project is developed for, and by, the local community.
Leith Civic Trust will be adopted by SHBT as the future operator of the groundbreaking museum at the heart of this innovative restoration project.
This marks an exciting new chapter for Leith Civic Trust whose work for over two decades has championed the history and heritage of Leith.
SHBT will support Leith Civic Trust in growing its membership and recruiting new trustees, who will receive in-depth training to manage the digital museum once the restoration is complete.
Cron Mackay, President, Leith Civic Trust, said: “Since our foundation in 1968, Leith Civic Trust has been dedicated to preserving and championing the beauty, history and character of Leith. Leith has a wealth of distinctive stories to tell, and we are delighted that the new museum at Custom House will be a space where all Leithers, old and new, can see themselves represented.
“We look forward to welcoming new Members as we embark on this exciting journey together with SHBT and encourage anyone who may be interested in being involved to get in touch.”
Ben Macpherson, MSP for Leith, attended the event and said: “It is great to see this progress, and further collaboration, towards realising the potential of the Customs House as an even better space for the people of Leith to use and enjoy, and for visitors to come and check out too.
“The plans are exciting and the momentum is building, with more partners getting involved and new potential avenues for funding emerging.
“I pay tribute to everyone that’s been involved in the project – including those who saved the building for the community, and have been engaged for many years now – and I look forward to continuing to support the exciting vision that there is now for the Customs House, and believe that by working together we can all make this happen.”
Tracy Gilbert, Labour MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, said: “One of my very first visits as an MP was to Leith Custom House, and even then, I was amazed by the dedication of the team to securing Custom House as a community anchor.
“The launch of the partnership demonstrates a strong commitment to working with local businesses and residents. I congratulate the whole team on their success so far and look forward to working with them to deliver their ambitious vision.”
