Tag: city council

No winners as Council sets budget

Councillors prioritise poverty, climate and vital services for residents as budget balanced

Millions of pounds will be spent on protecting and improving crucial frontline services in Edinburgh after councillors agreed a balanced budget for 2024/25.

Labour, Tory and Lib-Dem councillors voted together to get the budget passed.

Featuring an additional £27m for schools and young people and £12.5m additional annual investment in roads, pavements, lighting and drainage improvements, the £1.5bn spending programme stays true to the Council’s core commitments of tackling poverty and inequality, becoming a net zero city by 2030 and ‘getting the basics right’ for the residents of Edinburgh.

Money will be ringfenced from a 7% rent rise for tenants to tackle the city’s housing emergency. This rent increase will raise around £2bn over 10 years to repair, upgrade and retrofit housing and to build and buy much needed social and affordable homes.

Funding for poverty fighting projects includes £100,000 for a Youth and Community Welfare Transition Fund, £25,000 to support the Big Hoose project which helps families experiencing hardship with household items, £500,000 towards child poverty reduction and close to £3m towards the city’s homelessness spend.

Boosting the biodiversity of Edinburgh’s award-winning parks and greenspaces, £600,000 will be put towards climate improvements, with additional funds for tree planting and new climate jobs. Up to £750,000 extra every year for three years will be spent on a rolling programme of localised and coastal flood prevention, acting on the city’s ambitious Climate Ready Plan.

In order to balance the budget, councillors also agreed raise to fees and charges such as Pay & Display parking and to change contributions to the Lothian Pension Fund at no impact to employees’ pensions.

Council Leader Cammy Day said: “I’m pleased that, despite ever-worsening settlements from the Scottish Government, we’ve been able to deliver a balanced budget and the very best investment plan we can for our city and for our residents.

“This is a budget aimed at protecting vital frontline services on which our communities and residents rightly depend. It will help us to keep on getting the basics right by improving our roads and parks and greenspaces, supporting our schools, tackling poverty, and working towards our climate crisis.

“We’re also putting additional funding towards Edinburgh Leisure, the creation of new public toilets and continuing our work with partners to reduce the harmful effects of poverty. This will include supporting the Big Hoose Project and lifting households out of homelessness.

“For all that, we remain the lowest funded local authority in Scotland, and I won’t tire of fighting for fairer funding for our Capital City.”

Socialist Labour Leith councillor Katrina Faccenda perhaps best sums up a day on which elected members were faced with a choice not of improving services, but where to make the latest round of cuts:

‘We are listening to deputations before our Council Budget meeting and it’s clear whichever budget is passed, there is no good budget for public services on the table. No-one should celebrate passing their budget – this is a sad day for vital services.‘

Quiet Route 9: Have your say

The city council is are developing designs for improvements along the Roseburn to South Gyle route known as Quiet Route 9, which extends west to east between South Gyle and Roseburn Park.

The first phase focuses on sites in the Balgreen area, and we would like to get people’s views to help us shape the final designs.

The work will help to make the streets safer and easier to use for anyone walking, wheeling and cycling.

You can comment and share your views before 27 March at:

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

Consultation continues to protect Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site

THE climate emergency, creating a sustainable visitor experience and the conservation and maintenance of buildings and public spaces. These are some of the actions included in the proposed new management plan for the capital’s Old and New Towns’ World Heritage Site.

The plan, shaped by a programme of public and stakeholder engagement, was approved by councillors on the City of Edinburgh Council’s Planning Committee last month.

A further consultation has begun for eight weeks to give the public the opportunity to comment on the proposed plan before final partners’ approval by summer 2024.

The Site is managed by the City of Edinburgh Council in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland and Edinburgh World Heritage. All three partners work together to ensure that their actions protect the authenticity and integrity of the World Heritage Site while at the same time making sure it can operate as a thriving city centre.

The proposed management plan, which will sit alongside a two year action plan to ensure improvements continue to be made in the Site going forward, is a forward-looking strategic document which sets out the framework for the preservation and enhancement of the Site’s cultural heritage.

World Heritage Sites must have robust management systems in place to make sure their Outstanding Universal Value (what makes them of worldwide importance) is preserved and enhanced. This latest version of the management plan highlights five key themes taken from the public engagement to focus on.   

These are awareness, appreciation and activity around WHS status; climate emergency; conservation and maintenance of buildings and public spaces; control, guidance, and contribution of new developments to city centre and sustainable visitor management. 

Cllr James Dalgleish, Convener of the Planning Committee, the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Our World Heritage Site is of crucial importance to the future vision and development of the city.

“It has many iconic buildings and the Council works hard with partners to make sure any new development is appropriate and fitting with the rest of the site. In doing this work a wide range of issues are covered including the needs of residents, tourism, culture and climate change.

“The plan highlights actions under five themes to ensure that the Site continues to be a thriving built environment balancing heritage and the people living in it with any proposed development and changes to it.

“The more people who get involved with the proposed management plan, the better the protection we can provide for our incredible World Heritage Site. Residents’ views will help us to ensure that it continues to be well managed and of universal importance.

“I’d encourage everyone to take a look at the new draft plan and let us know what you think as Edinburgh’s World Heritage site belongs to everyone.”

Christina Sinclair, Director of Edinburgh World Heritage, said: “Edinburgh is a stunningly beautiful place that is dear to millions of people from all walks of life.

“Its World Heritage Status recognises its outstanding significance beyond international and generational boundaries, as well as being at the heart of our identity, wellbeing, economy, environmental goals and a powerful agent for challenging our past for a better future.

“The World Heritage Site Management Plan is vital to its conservation, as it is the agreed way by which Outstanding Universal Value needs to be looked after.

“As the independent, expert charity dedicated to the active conservation of the World Heritage Site, Edinburgh World Heritage fully supports the draft World Heritage Site Management Plan.

“As part of our long-standing and impactful model, we are committed to working closely with our partners Historic Environment Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council to realise the vision and actions of this important plan.

“Edinburgh’s conservation has always been due to the amazing work of its people, and it is so important your views are heard.”

Dr James Bruhn, Head of World Heritage and Heritage Policy at Historic Environment Scotland, said: “World Heritage Sites are global treasures that need to be protected for future generations, and the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh is such a treasure.

“These parts of Edinburgh have retained their historic urban form remarkably, even as the city has modernised and technology has advanced. The Old Town is an ancient capital with medieval closes and wynds, and New Town is the best-preserved example of eighteenth-century town planning in the United Kingdom.

“The management plan consultation presents an opportunity for people to have their say on how these unique sites are protected, whether they are Edinburgh residents or visitors who care about the towns’ future. The new 10-year management plan builds on the strengths of the existing plan, and it has been prepared alongside a two-year action plan that sets out immediate priorities.

“We are proud to have worked alongside City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh World Heritage to develop this management plan, which aims to be inclusive and broad while addressing concerns such as the climate emergency, and hope that anyone with a stake in Edinburgh’s future takes part in the consultation.”

Drylaw Park Drop-In Event

THURSDAY 22nd FEBRUARY from 4 – 7pm

at DRYLAW NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE

I am pleased to be getting in touch to inform you about an exciting opportunity regarding planned improvements to Drylaw Park and to invite you to attend a community drop-in event on Thursday 22nd February at the Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre 4pm – 7pm. 

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre – DNC – The place to be! (drylawnc.org.uk)

Drylaw Park forms part of the Climate Ready Craigleith project which sits under the cities overarching Climate Ready Edinburgh strategy.   There is an open consultation on the council’s citizen space regarding the Draft Climate Ready Edinburgh plan if you’d like to take a look for more information and complete the survey:

Draft Climate Ready Edinburgh Plan – City of Edinburgh Council – Citizen Space

We are working with the City of Edinburgh council to develop concept designs for enhancements across Drylaw Park. These include improvements to park connectivity, accessibility and safety, infrastructure to address surface water issues, nature enhancements and improvements to play provision.

At this early design stage, we are looking to gather local knowledge to help inform its development and shape the improvements for the community who use it most.  

We would like to invite you to join us on the 22nd of February anytime between 4pm and 7pm to find out more, share your views and help us to understand how the park is currently used and to tell us about opportunities which will help to inform the concept design.

Online Survey: If you are unable to attend in person, please find a link to our short survey here: https://forms.office.com/e/MYP4G94GYd?origin=lprLink

Alternatively, please don’t hesitate to contact us using the details below if you have any questions or wish to find out more.

We look forward to welcoming you at the Drop-In event on the 22nd of February.

Lynn Stocks

Behaviour Change Lead, Transportation

Highways and Active Travel

AtkinsRéalis

0131 221 5770, 

Canning Exchange, 10 Canning Street

Edinburgh, EH3 8EG

Council extends deadline for public consultation on energy efficiency

Residents have two weeks left to share their views on a long-term plan for decarbonising heat in buildings and improving energy efficiency throughout Edinburgh.

The Edinburgh Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) sets out a strategic approach which addresses all buildings in the Edinburgh area, from the Council’s own estate to private homes and workplaces.

The Delivery Plan, which concentrates on actions between 2024 and 2028, sets out short to medium term actions associated with the implementation of the Edinburgh LHEES.

Among the actions are piloting the installation of heat pumps in specially selected areas of Edinburgh, formally designating “heat network zones” in Edinburgh, and increasing solar installations across the city.

The consultation, which closes on Sunday 3 March, will build on the engagement and consultation carried out to date.

Council Leader Cammy Day said: “We’ve extended the deadline for our consultation to make sure everyone has their say on our exciting plans to decarbonise the heat supply of buildings and improve energy efficiency.

“We’ve set the ambitious target to become a net zero city by 2030 and, although we’re making good progress, this plan will help us continue to lead the way in our efforts.

“The plan is relevant to all owners and occupiers of Edinburgh’s buildings so it’s important that everyone has their say. I would urge everyone who is yet to do so to visit our website and follow the necessary steps to share their feedback.”

Find out more and share views.

New Course: Portrait Painting From a Photograph

There is a big difference between making a painting OF a photo and making a painting FROM a photo.

It is rare that artists can have the luxury of face to face painting of a person until completion and so knowing how to work from photos can be necessary, but also liberating and quite fun to decide on different backgrounds and so on. 

Come to our friendly 5 week course to learn how to avoid pitfalls of working from photo reference, and how to make your paintings stand out as works of art, based on your favourite photo.

Hopefully it will help develop your painting skills along the way. You can decide what image you like and what background you would like and any other ideas for making a personal fantastic painting. 

We will be looking at : 

  • Composing a portrait
  • The limitations of the camera
  • How to take useful reference pictures
  • Understanding what we SHOULD see and compensating using logic and knowledge
  • Theory of light on form
  • Colour mixing and creating harmony.

The course starts from 22nd February at Leith Academy from 6.30 – 8.30pm but book asap to secure your place. 

(£48.30 standard – £24.25 senior citizen/ student – £19.15 benefits) 

To book your place please go to:

https://adulteducationedinburgh.spydus.co.uk

or phone 0131 556 7978

Have your say on Victoria Park’s bowling greens

🌿 Victoria Park’s Bowling Greens Consultation Workshop! 🌳

Come and talk with us at our in-person workshop at the Pollock Pavilion, The Boys’ Brigade, located at 227 Ferry Road, EH6 4SP, on Monday 26th February from 6pm to 8pm.

This is a fantastic opportunity to delve deeper into proposals discussed at our previous event, share your valuable ideas, and actively contribute to the thriving green spaces in Victoria Park.

Agenda:

🗒Review of previous proposals

💡Brainstorming and idea-sharing session

💬Comprehensive discussion

📧Confirm your attendance by sending an email to: thrivinggreenspaces@edinburgh.gov.uk.

The City of Edinburgh Council

Transport Convener: Are we doing enough for future generations?

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, looks forward to some of the major changes to transport planned for the Capital:

Are we doing enough when it comes to delivering a safer, more accessible, and environmentally friendly city for future generations?

There will be a range of opinions on that, but the fact is that if we are to reach net zero for transport by 2030, we need to act 12 times faster than we have over recent decades.

Alongside tackling air pollution, congestion, road safety, poverty and rapid population growth, climate change, and our response to it, forms one of the key challenges for Edinburgh’s transport system.

Thankfully, public engagement shows that many of the people who live here share my love of Edinburgh and my opinion that changes need to be made to the way we move around the city. Whether it’s improving pavements to make it easier to get around on foot, expanding our cycle network for safer travel by bike or prioritising public transport, the appetite for cleaner transport is there.

That’s why I was so passionate about working cross-party to agree a package of ambitious measures to transform travel in Edinburgh at last week’s Transport and Environment Committee and was delighted when progress was made.

Thanks to committee approval we’ll now be able to accelerate plans to open up the heart of our city to make it truly people-friendly. On Thursday we heard from Peter Vansevenant from Ghent, who told us about the ‘Big Bang’ approach they took in the city, where they introduced restrictions over a single weekend and saw rush hour traffic drop and public transport levels increase.

Learning from others is invaluable but one size doesn’t fit all, and we’ll be carefully considering how any of our own changes to traffic flow could impact residents, businesses and public transport before implementing them.

Our first action, a trial the closure of the Cowgate from this summer, will be part of the process for considering how to take forward a wider package of proposals to help create a calmer, safer city centre sooner rather than later.

Other cities across Europe have already done this, it is time for us to catch up!

Of course, these decisions aren’t easy, and a balance needs to be struck. We now recognise that streets like Morningside Road are so much more than transport corridors, they’re communities and retail and leisure destinations in their own right.

It’s essential that we allocate limited space in our historic city to best serve the communities and businesses that call it home, while also addressing the climate emergency, accessibility and issues like air and noise pollution, which disproportionately affect low-income households.

To do this we need to get the balance right between different modes of transport, and that’s not straightforward. However, the framework sets out a clear and transparent set of guidelines for apportioning space on different kinds of streets, which is an excellent place to start.

Progressing aspirations to build a tram line between Granton and the BioQuarter and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary via the Western General and the City Centre may involve some tough decisions too, but last week’s vote to put the route to public consultation signals our intent to move forward.

The service would not only carry a million passengers per month and link key areas of growth and development to the city, but it would support local regeneration, boost economic growth and connect to educational and cultural venues along the route.

This is a huge, transformative project and we need to get it right, which is why we’ll be presenting both routes to Granton – along the Roseburn path and through the Orchard Brae area – clearly and objectively for people to tell us what they think.

I am always being told that Edinburgh must be bolder and act faster in the face of the climate emergency. The choices we’ve made over the last week are our chance to show Edinburgh is serious.

Council cash for polystyrene recycling

The City of Edinburgh Council has been awarded £19,000 to support the recycling of Expanded Polystyrene at Household Recycling Centres.

The £70 million Recycling Improvement Fund (RIF) was launched by the Scottish Government in 2021 to provide grants to local authorities for improving recycling infrastructure and services. The Council has been awarded funding under the Small Grants Scheme which is targeted at strengthening local authority collection systems.

Following successful trials at our three household waste recycling centres (Seafield, Craigmillar, Sighthill), the funding will support the continued collection of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS).

EPS, a lightweight foam material, is rarely recycled and would otherwise need to be disposed of by energy recovery, which involves burning the waste at high temperatures.

The funding will see the creation of an external storage area at one of the council sites which will be more space efficient and help to make the collection permanent.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Committee Convener, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve secured essential funding to improve our recycling services. As Scotland’s capital, we’re determined to play our part in the global fight against climate change by managing waste in the most sustainable way possible.

“Our target to be a net-zero city by 2030 is bold and ambitious but we’re continuing to make progress. Recycling is something we can all do to help Edinburgh reduce its emissions and create a healthier planet for ourselves and future generations.

“We must work together with the Scottish Government to achieve our shared ambitions and support both Edinburgh and Scotland’s transition to net-zero.”

Zero Waste Scotland’s Recycling Improvement Fund Manager David Gunn said: “We’re proud to be working with the Scottish Government to support the City of Edinburgh Council to access Recycling Improvement Fund grants and to work with them to successfully implement their project.

“By recycling as much as possible, we can all help reduce carbon emissions, tackle climate change, and ease the pressure placed on the planet.

“The council’s award will help improve its recycling infrastructure and services, benefitting residents and taking Scotland forward on its journey to becoming a circular economy.”

 Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “Recycling has a huge role to play in Scotland’s response to the climate crisis.

“Since launching in 2021, hundreds of thousands of people across the country have benefitted from projects supported through our £70 million Recycling Improvement Fund – one of the biggest investments in a generation to modernise recycling in Scotland.

“I am delighted that this latest round of funding will make it easier for many more households across Scotland to recycle their waste, boosting local recycling rates.”

City Council: ‘Bold plans’ proposed for Edinburgh’s future streets

An approach to the future design of Edinburgh’s streets to create a more connected, welcoming environment has been published for consideration by councillors this week.

Our Future Streets – a circulation plan for Edinburgh, will be debated at Transport and Environment Committee on Thursday (1 February).

It sets out an approach to how space is allocated on the city’s streets, focusing on neighbourhoods, key transport corridors and the city centre. This will help to deliver the aims and objectives of the City Mobility Plan (CMP), which envisions sustainable, safe and effective movement of people and goods around Edinburgh.

As part of Our Future Streets, the Street Allocation Framework (SAF) presents a series of principles for delivering these aims and would form the starting point for the design of all future street projects.

Defined principles and a set of indicative maps will help to achieve a better balance for demands on space in any prospective projects, prioritising better walking, wheeling, cycling, public transport and places for everyone.

The process also considers how to deliver a clear and coherent network for general traffic. The Framework would be incorporated into the development of schemes, alongside stakeholder engagement, public consultation and design appraisal.

Under this place-based approach, the report also recommends taking Edinburgh City Centre Transformation (ECCT) further to reduce vehicle dominance, improving conditions for pedestrians and placemaking while contributing to the city’s ambition to reduce car kms travelled by 30% by 2030.

Four options for achieving this have been considered. The favoured option reflects existing ECCT plans with two key additions: removal of through-traffic from the North and South Bridges corridor – complementing the Granton to BioQuarter tram proposals – and removing through-traffic from the Cowgate and Canongate.

To help explore the changes an experimental closure of the Cowgate to some or all through-traffic is proposed for late 2024. The findings of this trial would help shape plans for further work towards implementing changes to reduce through-traffic across the city centre.

All future proposals will be informed by an emerging Operations Plan, which will make sure accessibility is at the heart of development work. The plan will ensure any servicing and loading changes support businesses and that local access to the city centre by car is maintained.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We’re lucky to live in a beautiful, historic city, and Edinburgh’s rapidly increasing population is testament to that. But as our city continues to grow, so too do the challenges posed by congestion, air pollution and carbon emissions.

“We need to be bold and move faster if we are to support the people who live, work and visit here to move around the Capital sustainably and safely, while protecting Edinburgh’s unique heritage. By making it easier to walk, wheel, cycle and use public transport we can create better, healthier transport links, supporting net zero 2030 goals and helping to drive down car kms travelled.

“I know that many people in Edinburgh can’t afford a car or are not able to drive – making it easier for these residents to move around Edinburgh is at the heart of these plans.

“We’ve learnt lessons form progressive cities around the world who are adopting strategic approaches to redesigning their streets and networks. Reallocating space, where possible, will support transport options designed for everyone, as well as delivering the most attractive and competitive environments for businesses to operate in.

“The busy city centre presents a real challenge, and we know the public want to see change too – responses to market research undertaken during the Council’s ‘Actions to Deliver Edinburgh’s City Mobility Plan’ consultation in 2023 showed 64% support for investigating more restrictions to through-traffic here.

“Our proposals for the city centre build on Edinburgh City Centre Transformation to further reduce traffic whilst improving public transport, with short term trial measures to help test the impacts on the wider city.

“The council has been talking about these types of changes since before I moved here in 1996. It is now listening to residents and busnesses and will be bolder, think bigger and act faster.”

Our Future Streets includes an appraisal of all main traffic corridors in the city for future investment, and the A8 has been identified as a priority. If approved, a package of measures will be developed, including improvements to junctions, bus priority, safer measures for walking, wheeling and cycling, and town centre improvements for St John’s Road.

The report also recommends a strategic approach to improvements in neighbourhoods through a programme of ‘Liveable Neighbourhood’ initiatives to deliver good quality, sustainable access to local services and facilities, with a focus on low cost improvements to pavements, such as dropped kerbs.

Our Future Streets’ outputs have been refined following a period of public consultation, alongside consultation on draft CMP action plans, the results of which were reported to Transport and Environment Committee in October 2023.

Our Future Streets – a circulation plan for Edinburgh, is being presented to Committee as part of a package of reports looking to the future of transport in Edinburgh.

This includes: Tram from Granton to BioQuarter and Beyond: Consultation for Strategic Business Case Development; West Edinburgh Transport Improvements Programme, which explores a series of improvements to the A8 corridor as a priority; and the first review of the City Mobility Plan.

Read the full report online and watch Transport and Environment Committee live via webcast.