Tag: city council

New temporary library proposed at Davidson’s Mains Primary School

Modular building will provide essential services for local community until longer-term solution agreed

A new temporary library is being proposed at Davidson’s Mains Primary School, providing Blackhall Library’s key services while plans are developed for a long-term replacement for the previous building at Hillhouse Road.

Blackhall Library has been closed since September 2023, following the discovery of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RACC).

Options to replace the RAAC in the longer term are complex due to the extent of work required, the potential costs and the wider condition of the building. 

The Council’s latest budget, agreed last month, includes a planned £15m to sustainably replace Blackhall Library.

A 12-week community engagement exercise will open after the Easter break to consider options (including refurbishing the existing building, rebuilding it or relocating to another site) to help find the preferred longer-term solution.

It is estimated it could take three to four years to deliver the final solution.

A mobile library service has been provided since Blackhall Library’s closure, but the limited space means it isn’t possible to deliver the full range of library services that residents expect.

The new temporary building is planned to open in the autumn, with construction works beginning in the summer break to avoid disruption to the school.

It will include provision for both children’s and adult libraries alongside dedicated areas for teens, studying and a multi-purpose meeting space. The building will be fenced off from the rest of the school site with segregated access. Opening hours are still to be determined, but will be different from school hours to prevent congestion at the start and end of the school day.

A number of improvements are also proposed at Davidson’s Mains Primary School as part of the scheme. These include improving the path outside the existing school gate and library site entrance to address concerns around congestion, cutting back hedges blocking the pavement opposite the school, and improving the junction crossing point either side of school entrances with a new continuous footway to make this safer for pedestrians. Parking restrictions immediately outside the school boundary will also be strengthened.

Further improvements to the school and wider area are being considered and a working group involving the project team, the school management team and parent council representatives has been established for the duration of the project.

Councillor Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “We know how important it is that people across Blackhall and Davidson’s Mains have access to quality local services in places that are convenient and accessible for them.

“That’s why we’re proposing a temporary library at Davidson’s Mains Primary School until a long term solution can be delivered. At the same time, we’re improving access around the school site to create a safer environment for everyone.

“We want to make sure the school and local community are involved in how the service is delivered and the types of activities that will take place at the replacement library. The school will be able to make use of the facility, and we hope that the closer relationship with the school will bring wider benefits for learning for all.

“We also want to ensure that the longer-term solution delivers the best possible outcome for everyone who uses these services, and we look forward to hearing from residents and people across the local community when we launch our consultation on the full replacement for Blackhall Library in the spring.”

The Council is submitting a Planning Application for the temporary facility. The working group, with the school and Parent Council representatives, will continue throughout the process of delivering the temporary library facility and associated improvements.

Wider community engagement and consultation on the longer-term solution for the library will commence after the Easter break, with details to be published in due course.

Applications now open for the Grow Your Own grant scheme

Community groups in Edinburgh are being invited to apply for funding from a £50,000 pilot scheme by the City of Edinburgh Council to establish new food growing projects.

The “Grow Your Own” community grant initiative will welcome applications from projects aimed at establishing new community growing projects. Applications for funding are invited to help the creation of new growing spaces, supporting the establishment of growing groups, and promoting education around urban food production.

Grants of up to £5,000 will be awarded to constituted voluntary and community groups across the city, with projects running for up to 12 months.

The £50,000 funding has been allocated from the Flood Prevention/Biodiversity (including food growing) budget, which was approved in the Council’s budget on 22 February 2025. This fund aims to provide smaller community groups with essential support to establish community growing initiatives.

Funding can be used for a variety of purposes, including:

  • Purchasing seeds, plants, and tools
  • Equipment for community garden cooking areas
  • Education and training activities
  • Personal protective equipment
  • Staff time directly related to establishing the growing area

Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for Edinburgh communities to get involved in urban food growing.

“The city already hosts over 45 allotment sites with over 1,700 council-managed plots, along with more than 70 community growing projects. Through Edinburgh’s Food Growing Strategy (2021- 2026) and Allotment Strategy (2017 – 2027) we aim to expand local food growing initiatives.

This year’s scheme will operate as a pilot program, and its impact will be assessed. If successful, and funding permitting, we could see this becoming an annual initiative.

To apply, groups must meet the Council’s Standard Conditions of Grants. Full details can be found on the City of Edinburgh website.

The application process will be administered through the City of Edinburgh Council’s Your Voice platform, designed to ensure a simple and efficient application experience.

The deadline for applications is noon on 12 May.

Work begins on new affordable homes at former Cowan’s Close depot site

Construction has begun on a new residential development in Newington which will provide 19 modern, fully wheelchair-accessible homes available for social rent.

Work commenced today (Monday 31 March), with the project expected to be completed by summer 2026.

Upon completion, the homes will provide much-needed wheelchair accommodation in a city centre location whilst incorporating innovative, energy efficient design features. A fabric first approach with high levels of insulation will ensure that the homes stay warm, reducing the level of heating needed and helping to prevent fuel poverty.

The development will also include renewable heating and energy generation with the use of Air Source Heat Pumps and Photovoltaic (solar) panels which will produce low-cost, sustainable energy and significantly reduce carbon emission from the development.

Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Lezley Marion Cameron said: “Edinburgh is in urgent need of new affordable and accessible homes to address the shortage of suitable accommodation options for residents who have disabilities and residents who are wheelchair users.

“I am therefore delighted that the new Cowan’s Close development in Newington is now underway to provide 19 new, modern, fully wheelchair accessible homes for social rent.”

CCG Managing Director, David Wylie, said: “We are delighted to have commenced construction at Cowan’s Close.

“The project is another great example of how The City of Edinburgh Council and CCG are working collaboratively to address the demand for new, affordable homes in the city, and it will be a much welcome addition to the Newington community upon completion next year.”

Granton Whale sculpture takes pride of place in new public park

Whale scultpure

A design portraying one of the Firth of Forth’s most special visitors – the humpback whale – has been commissioned by the Council to be displayed in the new Gasholder 1 public park.

The piece of public art by Svetlana Kondakova Muir has been put in place to take centre stage in the new park which opened at the end of last year as part of the £1.3bn regeneration of the wider area.

Visitors will be able to enjoy the new piece of art at the park’s official opening on Saturday 5 April.

Last February the Council invited locally based artists and creative practitioners to develop ideas for a new artwork to be co-created with the local community.

Locals and visitors to Granton Waterfront were then given a sneak peek of six shortlisted designs for the new piece exhibited at Granton Station.

Ideas for the selected pieces were taken from community interests and themes connected to Granton and the artists provided opportunities for the local community to participate in the design process. A panel of experts then selected Svetlana Kondakova Muir’s whale as the winning design in Summer 2024.

By portraying the whale, the artist is celebrating the local natural environment. The sculpture is a galvanised steel and aluminium life-sized head of a humpback whale appearing to emerge vertically from underwater.

At four metres tall, it is an awe-inspiring size, allowing visitors to experience the full might of this incredible creature. To complement the gasholder structure, it was made in a contemporary polygonal style using simple, flat shapes with straight edges, a style that is both minimalist and striking.

Aluminium-cast artworks created by local school children and college students, including an oyster reef, barnacles and other wildlife as well as textured panels created by pupils who have complex support needs from Oaklands School, will be added to the structure in summer 2026.

Culture and Communities Convener Cllr Val Walker said: “The new park – Gasholder 1 – officially opens on Saturday 5 April and I’m really looking forward to hundreds of visitors joining us that day and being able to see this this beautiful piece of art which is a spectacular focal point.

“I’m sure it will become a huge draw for local people and those visiting the area in the future months and years ahead. I’m hoping those who haven’t already explored the new green space will have the opportunity to do so at our official opening or in their own time at some point soon.

“The gasholder has always played an important role in Granton Waterfront and it is fantastic to see it has been completely restored and is now lit up as a permanent feature after dark.”

Artist Svetlana Kondakova Muir said: “It was a great honour to be awarded the Gasholder Public Art Commission and I am excited to see the sculpture complete.

“The best part about this project has been working with the local community to come up with ideas – it was them who chose the whale – and to create elements of sea life which will be cast in aluminium and added to the sculpture.

“I feel privileged that my artwork will be housed within such a distinctive landmark in Edinburgh’s landscape.

“Most importantly, I hope that Granton Whale will highlight the importance of marine conservation and the value of our relationships with the natural world.”

EIJB funding crisis averted: Third Sector Emergency Resilience Fund opens tomorrow

Charities due to lose funding from the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) will be able to apply for emergency support from the City of Edinburgh Council.

A one-off Third Sector Resilience Fund will launch tomorrow (Friday 28 March) and will remain open for two weeks. It will only be open to organisations in Edinburgh directly impacted by the closure of the EIJB’s third sector grants programme and applications must be made by 12 noon on Friday 11 April.

This package of support will include a funded programme worth £1m to allow third sector advice providers to continue to offer income maximisation, debt, and welfare advice services previously funded by the EIJB grants programme.

Applications will be reviewed and reported to a special meeting of the Policy and Sustainability Committee on Monday 12 May, with the intention of releasing funds in June.

Further work is progressing to review the relationship between the public sector and third sector in Edinburgh, to improve funding certainty in future years.

Council Leader, Jane Meagher, said: “Many of these local charities are at the forefront of helping those in our city with the greatest need. We’ve urgently been working to provide a lifeline to those affected by the closure of the previous grants programme, and I’m really pleased that we’ve found a way forward.

“This fund should provide enough money to potentially support all 64 affected organisations for up to nine months. It must be said that this is a one-off emergency fund – we need to act quickly, and I urge applications to be made as soon as possible.

“Alongside this we must develop a stronger way of supporting the third sector in our city. We recognise that the EIJB, like the Council, is under significant financial pressure and there needs to be longer-term change.

“Tackling poverty and inequality is one of the biggest challenges we’ve set ourselves as a city and this will be a really important piece of work – for us, for our partners and for the whole third sector.”

Benjamin Napier, CEO of Citizens Advice Edinburgh, is a member of the third sector reference group which the Council has set up as it reviews the funding relationship the city has with charities.

Benjamin said: “We welcome this investment in the third sector and hope it will go some way to providing resilience, while we continue our work with colleagues across the Council to find a longer-term solution.

“We recognise the pressures on public funding and thank the Council for their efforts in securing this funding. The third sector in Edinburgh plays a vital and very cost-effective role in supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

“We look forward to strengthening the relationship between the Council and the third sector. By working together in this way, we can create real and lasting change for our citizens.”

The City of Edinburgh Council Third Sector Resilience Fund is a short term, one off, draw down resource using reserves agreed for use during 2025/26.

The fund aims to:

  • Provide financial support in 2025/26 for Edinburgh based third sector organisations significantly impacted by the closure of the EIJB Grants Programme
  • Ensure that the closure of the EIJB Grants Programme does not affect, disrupt, or delay the delivery of other grant funded or commissioned projects and services in the city during 2025/26.

Towards these aims:

  • The funding is for the period 1 July 2025 to 31 March 2026, whilst the wider review of the Council’s approach to supporting the third sector in Edinburgh is undertaken during 2025/26
  • Is intended to ensure the viability and survival of the third sector organisations whilst a new sustainable long-term approach, aligned with the Council’s Business Plan priorities, is developed for implementation from 2026/27 onwards
  • Not intended to provide costs associated with closure of an organisation because of the loss of EIJB grant funding, and
  • Not intended to be used for delivery of any specific projects or services that would be the direct function of the EIJB(noting that this fund will provide resilience until such time as the EIJB’s Strategic Plan is published and any future procurement processes are confirmed and made available to the 3rd sector).

Please email policyandinsight@edinburgh.gov.uk for the full criteria for the fund and to apply.

North Edinburgh Community Benefits Fund is OPEN

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS is FRIDAY 25th APRIL

YESTERDAY (Wednesday 26 March) we launched the first North Edinburgh Community Benefits Fund. This is a flexible fund aimed at local third sector organisations working in North Edinburgh to help support their services.

There is a total of £10,000 available which has been provided by Cruden Group as part of their contract to deliver the Silverlea development, which will see 143 new homes for social and mid-market rent built on a site off Muirhouse Parkway.

Application Deadline: Friday 25 April 2025

You can find out more on the fund page: https://yourvoice.edinburgh.gov.uk

Or attend one of our drop in sessions either in person or online:

Tuesday 1 April, 2.00pm – 4.00pm – Application Support Drop in – Granton Library

Tuesday 22 April, 10.00am – 11.00am – Online information session – Please email Granton.Waterfront@edinburgh.gov.uk for an online link.

Tuesday 22 April, 6.00pm – 7.00pm – Online information session – Please email Granton.Waterfront@edinburgh.gov.uk for an online link.

Thank you to R2 for their support and guidance in setting up this fund.

Two-way traffic returns to North Bridge tomorrow

Northbound traffic will return to North Bridge from tomorrow (Friday 28 March) at 10am.

The northbound closure in mid-February has allowed for essential resurfacing works to be carried out on both the southbound approach to the bridge (both lanes outside Waverley Gate toward Princes Street) and the southbound departure of the bridge (both lanes from the entrance to the Hilton Edinburgh Carlton on North Bridge to the junction at High Street).

Work had been due to finish next week but the project team has completed the resurfacing ahead of schedule.

The wider work on the Category A Listed Structure in the heart of the city centre, has included structural steelwork repairs, installing cathodic protection and structural health monitoring systems to the reinforced concrete deck and fitting permanent platforms to improve access provisions for future inspection and minor maintenance. These are just a few of the host of other improvements.

Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “I’m pleased that we’ve been able to complete these works slightly ahead of schedule.

“I appreciate that this temporary closure will have been frustrating for our residents and businesses, and I want to thank them once again for their patience.   

“We’re now in the final phase of the project and, while I acknowledge that it’s taken longer than we first anticipated, we’re preserving this majestic and hugely complex structure for future generations, and we owe it to them to make sure the job is completed to a high standard.”

Time To Divest!

PROTEST TONIGHT at 6pm HAYMARKET SQUARE

Join us at 6pm tonight for a demonstration outside the offices of the Lothian Pension Fund Committee at 9 Haymarket Square.

Let’s make the councillors who sit on the LPF feel the pressure for divestment that is building globally.

Firework Control Zones consultation

Councillors have agreed to move forward with an extensive consultation process on Firework Control Zones for this autumn.

Since 3 March, local communities have been invited to apply for their area to be a Firework Control Zone (FCZ). Following a four-week application period, an eight-week consultation will now take place.

The consultation process will include discussions on areas that saw significant disorder in 2024 – Niddrie, Sighthill/Broomhouse, and Gracemount/Moredun, and will also consider any new local FCZ applications submitted before 31 March.

Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker said: “By expanding and refining our Firework Control Zones for 2025, we are taking proactive steps to enhance public safety and ensure that our communities can enjoy Bonfire Night in a safe and responsible way.

“The feedback we received from last year’s zones has been invaluable, and with a thorough consultation process, we are giving residents a voice in shaping these important decisions. We are committed to reducing anti-social behaviour while promoting a safer and more enjoyable experience for all.”

The consultation will run until May, with the final outcome being presented to the Culture and Communities Committee in August.

In 2024, four FCZs were established across Edinburgh, based on assessments from Police Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and Council data.

These zones—Balerno, Calton Hill, Niddrie, and Seafield—operated from November 1 to 10 and were aimed at tackling firework misuse and anti-social behaviour.

The feedback and results from these zones will also help inform the planning for 2025.

Firework Control Zones consultation

Councillors have agreed to move forward with an extensive consultation process on Firework Control Zones for autumn 2025.

Since 3 March, local communities have been invited to apply for their area to be a Firework Control Zone (FCZ). Following a four-week application period, an eight-week consultation will now take place.

The consultation process will include discussions on a potential citywide zone, as well as targeted areas such as Niddrie, Sighthill/Broomhouse, and Gracemount /Moredun — areas that saw significant disorder in 2024. The consultation will also consider any new local FCZ applications submitted before 31 March.

Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker said: “By expanding and refining our Firework Control Zones for 2025, we are taking proactive steps to enhance public safety and ensure that our communities can enjoy Bonfire Night in a safe and responsible way.

“The feedback we received from last year’s zones has been invaluable, and with a thorough consultation process, we are giving residents a voice in shaping these important decisions. We are committed to reducing anti-social behaviour while promoting a safer and more enjoyable experience for all.”

The consultation will run until May, with the final outcome being presented to the Culture and Communities Committee in August.

In 2024, four FCZs were established across Edinburgh, based on assessments from Police Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and Council data.

These zones—Balerno, Calton Hill, Niddrie, and Seafield—operated from November 1 to 10 and were aimed at tackling firework misuse and anti-social behaviour. The feedback and results from these zones will also help inform the planning for 2025.