Tag: city council

Have your say on Inch Park plans

A consultation has launched seeking the views of residents on the plan for Inch Park and what improvements people would like to see.

The City of Edinburgh Council’s Thriving Green Spaces Project is producing a vision masterplan for regenerating Inch Park, which aims to set out what could happen at the park in the future.

The proposals are now on display during an eight-week public consultation to gain feedback from the local community and park users.

Since last summer, work on a draft masterplan has been underway with a working group of interested parties involved in coming up with proposals on how Inch Park can better serve the community and capitalise on its potential and popularity. 

The group includes Council staff, representatives from the local community councils, Inch Community Association and community sports clubs who have all worked together to come up with a plan that would make improvements in the area.

Participants will be asked about the overall concept plan, the wider park improvement ideas, opportunities to make the park better for nature and wildlife and proposed new visitor facilities and new café.

They will be asked for their views on the following objectives:

  • Celebration of Inch’s history – including things such as restoration of the historic Inch House and outbuildings
  • Activities for all – such as a new all-weather 11-a side sports pitch and facilities and new visitor centre
  • Accessibility – other improvements to the park including new paths, lighting, entrances and furniture
  • Play – such as a new play area and facilities for children
  • Sustainability – creating habitats for wildlife and connecting them to other city areas and using sustainable low/zero carbon heating and power generation.

The masterplan also formed the basis of a Levelling Fund bid that the Thriving Green Spaces team have submitted to the UK Government. A result on the bid is expected this autumn and if successful it will enable the project to proceed immediately to the next stage, detailed design followed by a planning application. 

Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker, said: “Inch Park is a popular park in the capital and has lots of potential. The proposed masterplan suggests some very exciting ideas and I very much look forward to hearing the feedback.

“Of course, masterplans give us a vision – but what will actually be possible depends on local support and on funding. Which is why we want to make sure it has everything users and visitors to the park need and we have an accurate account of what residents want to see there.

“The responses we receive will help further develop our masterplan, which funding and resource permitting will form the basis for improvements to Inch Park. I’d urge as many local residents as possible to have their say in this consultation so we can develop a truly community-based proposal.”

Master planning gives an overall broad plan for an area and is an aspiration. Whether or not it is delivered in full depends on many things, including funding and resource and checking if the ideas are feasible.

Thriving Green Spaces Project has been made possible thanks to funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund and National Trust ‘Future Parks Accelerator’ programme.

Find out more about Inch Park Masterplan consultation and take part on the Council website. The consultation will close 28 September.

INCH-PARK-Consultation-BoardsDownload

Edinburgh Association of Community Councils to meet on Thursday

The Edinburgh Association of Community Councils (EACC) will meet via Zoom on Thursday 25 August at 19.00.

(The meeting host will open the screen facility at 18.50.)

Agenda

= Lezley-Marion Cameron, Deputy Lord Provost, City of Edinburgh: “The city’s direction under the new administration.”

= Andrew Field, Head of Community Empowerment and Engagement, City of Edinburgh Council: “A fresh start to community partnership planning.”

= Steve Kerr, EACC Chair: Preview of the 24 November EACC AGM.

= AOB

This meeting is open to the public, but priority will be given to Community Council attendees, due to space restrictions.

The meeting may be recorded. Please note that by joining the meeting you are giving your consent in that regard

Ken Robertson

EACC Acting Secretary

Heart of Newhaven newsletter: It’s Truly Time to Celebrate!

It’s truly time to celebrate

The Heart of Newhaven Community has finally been given the keys to the front door. Current Chair Judy Crabb received the keys from the City of Edinburgh Council on Friday (12/8) so the school site finally belongs to you, the community.

It’s taken a long time. As a reminder, the original Steering Group was set up after public consultation and eventually converted into a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), registered with OSCR the charity overseer in 2020.

They won the right to purchase the site under the Community Asset Transfer scheme in July 2020 and secured funding for the purchase from the Scottish Land Fund in June 2021.

The school pupils and teachers moved out in December, 2021, but delays originally caused by Covid 19 and then last minute legal hurdles meant that the final transfer could not take place until last week.

Now, it’s all systems go, with volunteers tidying and cleaning and potential users and tenants queuing up to move in and get started.

The History of Education Centre has already moved all its equipment and furniture in and hopes to have the Victorian Schoolroom fully operational by 1st October. Others are keen to follow suit.

First though, there are some necessary health and safety measures to install, IT equipment and communications must be set up and the most urgent repairs to the structure need to be completed.

Once open to the public, the community hub will be offering spaces for intergenerational activities including space for such as theatre groups, choirs and performances of all kinds, rooms for rent for meetings or parties, artists’ studios and small business rooms for rent, a Heritage Suite, much needed early years’ provision in the modern Anchor Building, rooms for the Men’s Shed to carry on their activities and of course a community cafe.

HoNC Chair, Judy Crabb has been involved since even before the first public consultations and is now celebrating with the rest of the Board. “It’s a well known phrase ‘ If it is worth having, it is worth waiting for’ and how true that is as of today,” she says.

“Finally, we are thrilled to announce that HoNC now owns the former Victoria Primary School that from now on will be known as ‘The Heart’.

“A huge thank you to everybody who has helped over the years to bring about this day, volunteers, supporters, members of the community, our funders, Trustees and consultants. Every contribution, big and small, has made a difference.

“Over the next few months we will begin to open up the buildings to all the services and activities that support our themes of culture and heritage, learning and enterprise and improvement in well being.”

London Road clock makes welcome return

The historic London Road clock has returned home after 15 years in storage and following its full restoration, as part of the Trams to Newhaven project.

The clock, which began life on Waverley Bridge in 1857 before being moved to the West End in 1896, was eventually placed at the roundabout on London Road in 1955. It was removed in 2007 during the original tram project and is now being replaced as Trams to Newhaven nears completion.

Specialist clockmakers Smith of Derby have carefully restored the clock, which has involved dismantling it, priming and repainting all parts, hand painting ornate features in gold and repairing the Coat of Arms of Edinburgh, including casting a new deer from aluminium.

The timepiece was returned to Elm Row on Tuesday (16 August) as part of improvements to the public space at Elm Row.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “I’m sure the return of the London Road clock will be welcome news to many, and thanks to its full restoration it will add a striking finishing touch to the area’s transformation.

“It has a rich history, and I’m sure the clock has witnessed many amazing scenes in Edinburgh.”

John Lawson, City Archaeologist, said: “It has been fascinating to work with Smith of Derby in restoring this iconic clock back to its original condition and with a new striking paint scheme reflecting what we believe to be close to its original Victorian look.

The process has proved more complex than first thought. What was thought to be a simple iron casting in four parts has been revealed by Smith’s conservation work to be a more intricate design, with individual detailed castings added separately to the main column. Along with the Elm Row pigeons, we hope the historic London Road Clock will be enjoyed by all and add to the area’s history.”

Trams to Newhaven remains on schedule for completion by spring 2023 and within the £207.3m budget, with all major construction anticipated to be complete by the end of 2022 ahead of a testing and commissioning period.

The main construction works between Montgomery Street/Annandale Street and Pilrig Street were completed last month (July). Main construction works are also complete on several other sections, including Ocean Terminal to Rennie’s Isle and between Tower Street and Constitution Place and Tower Street and Baltic Street.

Amongst the progress made to date, 93% of track slab has been laid (over 4km), all the necessary utility diversions have been carried out and main construction work is complete on four new tram stops at Constitution Street, McDonald Road, Ocean Terminal and Foot of the Walk, with works progressing well on the Balfour Street and Port of Leith stops.

Several other monuments and public artwork pieces have been refurbished and replaced as part of the project, including the Robert Burns statute at Bernard Street, which was restored and unveiled earlier this year.

In addition, the eight bronze pigeons will be returned to Elm Row this autumn, while work is ongoing to identify an appropriate location for Pilrig Cable Wheels discovered on Leith Walk.

Find out more about Trams to Newhaven online.

Strike action begins in Edinburgh

Unite members in Waste and Cleansing in Edinburgh will begin industrial action today over the ‘insulting’ pay offer for local government workers.

Last Friday, COSLA increased the offer from 2% to 3.5%. All three unions of the Scottish Joint Council -Unite, Unison and GMB – immediately rejected the offer.

The NHS have been offered—and look set to reject—5%, so once again local government is treated as the poor relation of the public sector. Local government workers in England have been offered a rise of £1,925.

Edinburgh is the first council to take action, with others following on the 24th.

Pickets and support

The strike takes place from 5am today to 5am on Tuesday 30 August with daily pickets at seven waste depots across the city.

See picket locations below:

Waste and Cleansing workers will strike from 5am on 18 August to 4:59am on 30 August in Edinburgh Council.

DAILY PICKETS at:

  • Seafield Depot on Fillyside Road from 5:30 to 8:30am and 7pm to 8pm.
  • Bankhead Depot on Bankhead Avenue from 5:30 to 8:30am
  • Cowan’s Close Depot at 7 Cowan’s Close from 5:30 to 8:30am
  • Craigmillar Depot on Old Dalkeith Road from 5:30 to 8:30am
  • Russell Road Depot at 38 Russell Road from 5:30 to 8:30am
  • Burgess Road Depot at 30 Burgess Road in South Queensferry from 5:30 to 8:30am
  • Murrayburn Depot at 33 Murrayburn Road from 6:30 to 8:30am.

You can support the strike by donating to the strike fund.

TODAY: Demo at the City Chambers and RMT rally

UNITE will be demonstrating at the City Chambers on Thursday 18 August at 9am as part of the industrial action.

Following this, the trade union will join the RMT rally on Waverley Bridge at 10am to foster solidarity among workers and hear from Mick Lynch and Mark Thomas.

THE CITY COUNCIL HAS ISSUED THE FOLLOWING ADVICE:

What to do with your waste and recycling

Communal services

Collections are suspended for all communal waste and recycling bins. Please do not add to full bins. Check nearby bins instead, and when these are all full, store your waste at home, or in your back green or garden if possible. Do not leave bags next to bins unless this is unavoidable, as it can become a hazard.

Keep separating your waste and rinse pots, tubs and trays, and rinse and squash your plastic bottles and aluminium cans, so that these don’t smell while you store them. Flatten cardboard too.

Keep food waste in a sealed container, as cool as possible.

Glass bank services will continue as these are managed by an external contactor.

Kerbside services

Non recyclable waste collections (grey bins)

Suspended. Please do not put your grey bin out. Please keep your waste safe, secure and away from pavements and roads. Consider using a garage, garden or driveway and ensure strong bin bags are properly secured.

Mixed recycling collections (green bins)

Suspended. Please do not put your green bin out. Please keep your recycling clean and flattened, and stored safely. 

Food waste collections

Suspended. Please do not put your food bin out. Please ensure your kerbside food waste bin is closed and secured to prevent animal access.

Glass collections (blue box)

Suspended. Please do not put your blue box out. Please rinse bottles and jars and store these at home. Please do not use on street or local bring site recycling points to dispose of your glass. We do not have the staff resources to empty these or clean up fly-tipped material.

Garden waste collections (brown bins)

Suspended. Please do not put your brown bin out.  We understand the disappointment this will cause and at the moment, we cannot advise when the service will be running normally again.

We are working on how best to replace the collections affected, and will provide further information on this later.

Report a missed bin

Since normal scheduled collections are suspended, we cannot take reports of missed bins. Please do not present your bin for collection until advised to do so.

Collections of bulky waste items

Suspended. Existing bookings will be honoured where staffing allows. If you have booked a special uplift and we can’t collect it, we will let you know.

Household waste recycling centres

Closed. It will not be possible to book an appointment, and all existing bookings will be contacted by email to cancel.

Request and replacing bins and boxes

Repair and replacement of bins and boxes are suspended. Uplifts of any unwanted waste containers is also suspended.

Litter/ dogs bins and street cleansing

Please also note there will be no street cleansing activities including street sweeping and litter bin emptying. Please either use a bin that’s not full or take it home and double bag it to reduce smells.

Waste reporting and enquires

We have removed all online reporting for waste and cleansing as we are unable to carry out these services during the industrial action. 

If you need to report an emergency issue where waste is causing injury or hazard, please phone and listen to the new options carefully. Phone 0131 608 1100, from Monday -Thursday 1000-1600 and Friday 1000-1500.  After these hours, phone 0131 200 2000.

You can also email waste@edinburgh.gov.uk with the specific location and details of the issue.

Please be mindful that staff working will be very busy and are all doing their best to deal with a lot of issues at this time.

Edinburgh residents asked to prepare for strike action

The Council has published advice and guidance to help residents manage the impact of planned strike action in the city.

The industrial action by members of the GMB and Unite unions, scheduled to last from tomorrow, 18th –30 August, is expected to cause significant disruption to the city’s waste and cleansing services.

Residents are being asked to check the dedicated pages on the Council’s website and social media channels for advice on how to manage their waste safely and responsibly during the strike.

Regular updates on suspended services and on when collections will restart following the strike will be posted as and when they become available.

It is anticipated that all bin collections and street cleaning will be affected. The city’s three recycling centres will be closed and bulky uplift and flytipping services will also be paused as a result of the action.

Commercial waste services for businesses are not collected by the Council and will continue as normal, as will street cleansing on the High Street and Mound Precinct, which are managed by the Fringe Society.

Council leader Cammy Day said: “It’s now looking increasingly likely that industrial action will go ahead here in Edinburgh and in other cities across the country. Together with my fellow council leaders, I’ll continue to press the Scottish Government to resolve this as quickly as possible.

“I firmly believe that all council colleagues deserve to be paid fairly for the work they do and have every right to take this action and have their voices heard. As the lowest funded council in Scotland, it’s time for the Scottish Government to properly fund our Capital city and its services.

“I fully appreciate the impact this action will have on our city and we’re asking residents to be patient and work with us to help manage the inevitable impacts by planning ahead and following our advice.

“We’ve published tips on what to do with their waste and recycling and how they can help us to keep the city as clean as possible during and after the strike.

“We’re also reaching out to our tenants and housing associations, businesses, festivals and other partners asking them to share our messaging and provide whatever support they can during this busy and important time for our Capital city.

“We’re developing a detailed recovery plan so clean ups can begin and services can resume as quickly as possible after the strike.

“Please continue to check our website and social media channels for updates.”

NOTE: The pictures above were taken earlier this week – i.e. BEFORE the strike starts

UNISON: Council strikes go ahead following ‘derisory’ pay offer

UNISON, the largest union in local government, met yesterday to discuss COSLA’s latest 3.5% pay offer. The union unanimously agreed to reject this revised offer outright and voted overwhelmingly to continue with their strike plans in councils across Scotland.

UNISON rejected the offer as it has not sufficiently improved, falls far short of the Joint Trade Union’s claim (submitted in January) and falls far short of the current rate of inflation, which continues to rise.

The union also made the point that the offer falls far short of the offer made to council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who have been offered a £1925 flat rate uplift, which equates to a 10.5% increase for those on the lowest wages.

Johanna Baxter, UNISON head of local government said: “This is another derisory pay offer. We are in a ridiculous position of both our employers and the Scottish Government agreeing this 3.5% pay offer is not nearly enough, but both are at logger heads about who should pay for it.

“Meanwhile council workers – over half earn less than £25k per year – are worrying about paying the bills. Inflation is predicted to rise to 13.5% and our members are offered a real-terms pay cut which will plunge more of them into debt.

“We have written to COSLA to tell them the strike continues in waste and recycling and we will confirm dates for strike action in schools and early years in the coming days.”

The City of Edinburgh Council has tweeted: ‘We’re expecting significant disruption to bin collections and street cleaning services due to strike action from Thursday 18 – Tuesday 30 August.

Find the latest updates and information on how this will affect you & what to do on our website http://edinburgh.gov.uk/binstrike

Operation Slow Time: Police report on Capital road safety campaign

Since the start of May 2022 and over the course of around 40 days, police officers working in south east Edinburgh have carried out proactive road safety work. This proactive work has taken place at least 60 different locations.

The road safety work has been in response to community complaints, identified areas of concern and ensuring children are kept safe walking and cycling to and from school.

Our road safety work consisted of:

👉 Before and after school patrols

👉 Roadside speed checks

👉 General road safety stops

👉 Proactive moving checks of vehicles

👉 Operation Closepass (overtaking cyclists safety)

👉 Ensuring the safety of young people participating in the bike bus

👉 Security bike marking events

👉 Roadside breath tests

👉 Police cycle patrols

👉 Partnership working with our colleagues at Edinburgh City Council and in our Road Policing Unit.

As a result of our activity, we have reported over 50 offences (some motorists were charged with multiple offences) and engaged with well over 100 motorists, offering educational road safety advice on a variety of matters.

Sergeant Grant Robertson, South East Community Policing Team said “we remain committed to keeping your roads safe. We will continue to carry out proactive road safety work across the area alongside our partners.

“Whilst we acknowledge the majority of motorists drive responsibly, everybody has a part to play in keeping our roads safe. You can help by driving to the road speed, but importantly road conditions along with parking responsibly and considerately. Cyclists are vulnerable road users, so please give them plenty space when overtaking, at least 1.5 metres.

“Cyclists should remember that all road restrictions also apply to them. This includes traffic lights on red. Please stop and wait, do not cycle past a traffic light on red. This places you and other road users at unnecessary risk.”

You can follow our work on twitter at @EdinPolSE and look for #OpSlowTime.

Green light for 142 homes at Silverlea

Proposals for another ‘net zero’ housing development, as part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s £1.3bn Granton Waterfront regeneration project, have been granted approval by city planners.

This major milestone follows the start of construction work at the £72m, 444-home ‘Western Villages’ project, which is also part of the local authority’s wider regeneration of the area. Over the next ten years 3,500 mixed-tenure homes and associated infrastructure will create a new, sustainable coastal community.

Hart Builders will start work on site in 2023 at Silverlea to deliver 142 high quality sustainable homes, including wheelchair-accessible ground-floor dwellings in a mix of social rent (91) and mid-market rent (51) each benefitting from coastal views and access to parkland. 

Cllr Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “I’m delighted with today’s decision. We’ve reached another major milestone on our Granton Waterfront project to deliver much needed sustainable affordable housing in the area. I recently visited our Western Villages development nearby and was very pleased to see we’re already starting work there to deliver 444 net zero homes on the site. 

The homes that we build here will make such a difference for wheelchair users and others who find it so difficult to get a home that meets their needs. Our proposals for the site have been carefully designed to improve the quality of the surrounding green space and to make it easier for people to walk or cycle around the area.

Cllr Jane Meagher: Facing up to Edinburgh’s housing challenge by building smart new homes

Councillor Jane Meagher, the city council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, writes:

After a slowdown during the pandemic, it’s great to see so much work underway to build the new affordable and sustainable homes our growing city needs. 
 
Last week I had the pleasure of marking the site start for our newest housing development – Western Villages at the new Granton Waterfront. Spanning a site the same size as the New Town, this regeneration of the waterfront really is going to create a brand new coastal community. 
 
This is growth which will benefit those who already live in the area and the city as a whole and I have to say, it’s incredible to watch the start of construction. There is a team of people working extremely hard so that, over the next decade, we’ll see drastic change and thousands of people move into beautiful new homes.

They will join a 20-minute neighbourhood where they can shop, socialise, and access support. With our partners we’re investing millions in the area, including the fantastic gas works holder, which will become an amazing spectacle; a home for events and a glowing beacon for North Edinburgh below everyone who flies into the city. 
 
I am strongly committed to doing what I can to secure more affordable homes for Edinburgh. Over 150 households bid for every Council and housing association home that becomes available so that’s why we’re driving forward with building new affordable homes on sites across the city.

Close to Granton, in nearby Pennywell and Muirhouse, new homes and a new civic centre are taking shape. We’re also investing in improving existing homes with major works underway in both multi storey blocks and low-rise housing.   
 
As the city grows, the demand we are seeing for affordable and social homes is only going to increase. That is a reality we must face, not least with the country in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis and fears of recession on the horizon.

It’s why it’s critical the Council and its partners press ahead with a truly ambitious and forward-thinking housebuilding strategy and it’s why we must continue to make the case for increased investment in this programme to the Scottish Government. Our capital city, after all, is per head the lowest funded local authority in Scotland.
  
The way we’re building homes is also changing, with innovative measures being used to reduce energy. Western Villages is a great example of that, as Scotland’s largest net zero development. We want the whole city to become net zero carbon by 2030 so we are committing to ‘build smarter’ and create new homes which are greener and use eco-friendly technology.

This construction work is also helping to boost and create new jobs and apprenticeships which will further help us to support people into employment and keep our economy resilient, which is particularly significant after the impacts of Covid. 

The future is challenging, but together with developers and others we are doing everything within our powers to make it fairer on residents and on our environment. We’ll keep working to tackle our housing pressures and deliver these affordable and sustainable new homes.

This article first appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News