In partnership with environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, who has awarded a grant of £25K to the Council, a Chewing Gum Task Force is cleaning up gum and reducing gum littering on the Capital.
Cllr Stephen Jenkinson Environment Convener said: This grant is very welcome as gum takes about five years to break down and is costly to remove.
“Our task force is starting in busy areas and in the next couple of weeks we are concentrating on removing discarded gum on Leith Street. It’s important that we get the message out that it is not OK to drop gum in our beautiful city and we’re putting up effective signage to try to prevent littering in the future.
“I’d like to ask all of our residents and visitors to support this campaign and please bin your gum.”
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, said: “Chewing gum litter is highly visible on our high streets and is both difficult and expensive to clean up, so the support for councils provided by the Chewing Gum Task Force and the gum manufacturers is very welcome.
“However, once the gum has been cleaned up, it is vital to remind the public that when it comes to litter, whether it’s gum or anything else, there is only one place it should be – in the bin – and that is why the behaviour change element of the task force’s work is so important.”
The council is one of 54 across the country that has successfully applied to the Chewing Gum Task Force, now in its third year, for funds to clean gum off pavements and prevent it from being littered again.
Established by Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, the Chewing Gum Task Force Grant Scheme is open to councils across the UK who wish to clean up gum in their local areas and invest in long-term behaviour change to prevent gum from being dropped in the first place.
Estimates suggest the annual clean-up cost of chewing gum for councils in the UK is around £7 million. In its second year the task force awarded 55 councils a total of £1.56 million, helping clean an estimated 440,000 m2 of pavement – an area equivalent to the Vatican City.
By combining targeted street cleaning with specially designed signage to encourage people to bin their gum, participating councils achieved reductions in gum littering of up to 60% in the first two months.
Councillors have noted a report which sets out the result of the mixed tenure improvement service pilot following the completion of works in Wester Hailes.
In mixed tenure blocks, there is a combination of ownership including owner occupiers and landlords that include the Council and other social landlords.
Mixed tenure neighbourhoods arose from right-to-buy legislation in the 1980s and 1990s which has made it more difficult to progress repairs and maintenance to common areas of blocks or tenements, for all owners.
Many of these blocks are now in need of significant investment to common areas due to age and lack of formal factoring arrangements and regular maintenance of shared parts of the blocks. Regular maintenance is the responsibility of all owners and is needed to the external fabric and communal areas of mixed tenure blocks to make sure flats are wind and watertight, warm, damp free, safe and secure.
The Mixed Tenure Improvement Service (MTIS) was established in 2020/21 to deliver fabric repairs and maintenance, including energy efficiency works where considered part of the repair or maintenance works, to mixed tenure blocks.
The MTIS pilot, which was carried out in Wester Hailes, included repairs to 1,341 flats in 175 blocks. Work carried out on behalf of all owners across the pilot included repairs and replacement of roofing, guttering, drying room facades, installation of external wall and attic insulation, together with the maintenance and decoration of communal stairwell spaces.
It follows the scheme being shortlisted in the Housing and Regeneration category of the 2023 SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration. The awards identify and celebrate best practice, innovation and achievement in interventions that improve homes and communities across Scotland.
Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Jane Meagher said: “Bringing all our housing stock up to a good condition, making homes energy efficient, warm and affordable to heat is very important, both for tenants and for owners in these blocks.
“By making these older homes more energy efficient, we’re driving down carbon emissions and clamping down on issues like damp and fuel poverty. Not only are owners and tenants using less energy, and therefore saving money on energy bills, but they’ve noticed a huge improvement in the overall area because of the works.
“Council officers have worked hard to support tenants and private owners throughout the MTIS pilot, so I’m delighted that their work was recognised by the prestigious 2023 SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration. I look forward to seeing the MTIS continue to develop and improve as we work with owners and tenants to offer support and guidance.”
Edinburgh Council’s Senior Housing Staff meet North Edinburgh Parents Action Group at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre
Last Wednesday (27th September), North Edinburgh Parents Action Group met with senior members of the Council’s housing management team and the Chair of the Housing Committee to discuss the issues raised in their report ‘SOS North Edinburgh’s Housing Emergency’ .
The group used the meeting to highlight many of the housing problems which sadly are common in most areas of North Edinburgh including mould and dampness, overcrowding, anti-social behaviour and an unacceptable repairs service.
Shocking
Group members shared their own personal stories about how these issues were impacting on their familiies’ physical and mental health. The housing staff and the chair of the Housing Committee were visibly shocked at some of the stories shared by members.
The senior housing staff gave a commitment to work with the parents group to address these issues as a matter of urgency. They also agreed to work closely with local families who have been involved in the project to try to resolve their ongoing housing problems and will use this process to identify what needs to change.
Susan Rowand, Chairperson of the Parents Group, said: “People have been waiting so long to get their housing issues fixed, many of them can’t wait any longer. We really hope that things begin to happen soon.
“A follow up meeting has been planned for the end of November to update the group on progress made.”
A group member added: ” I feel pain and anger at what my family have been through, maybe something will happen now – I don’t know.”
Next Steps
After the October break, group members will meet with Dr Olivia Swann, Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at Edinburgh University.
Dr Swann worked with the parents group earlier this year on their publication and told group members that “strong scientific evidence has shown that poor housing can affect someone’s physical and mental health throughout their life.”
This is a very worrying concern for group members and highlights the need to address the area’s housing emergency now.
The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) has written to Cllr Cammy Day, City of Edinburgh Council Leader, urging the Council to urgently re-open the People’s Story museum.
The museum has been closed in advance of a debate on a proposal for the temporary closure of the museum.
STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: ““The People’s Story is unique in Edinburgh, the only place in Scotland’s capital city that documents the experience and conditions of working class people in the city.
“We are deeply concerned that the council has pre-empted the debate on a proposed temporary closure and has already closed the museum’s doors, depriving locals of access to one of the only free attractions in the city centre.
“The old town has been laid bare by corporate developers and over tourism, driving locals out as prices soar. This museum documented the experiences of working class Edinburgh and needs investment. Instead, it has been abandoned by the Council.”
Lothians MSP Foysol Choudhury, Shadow Culture Minister for Scottish Labour, has urged the First Minister to protect Scotland’s museums and culture sector, following the proposed closure of The People’s Story Museum in Edinburgh until April 2025.
“The People’s Story Museum is the only museum in Edinburgh dedicated to teaching the history of working-class people, it would be a great loss to the city and Scotland, depriving the public of a chance to discover history they can identify with.
“I have written to Councillor Cammy Day, Leader of Edinburgh City Council, following the proposed closure of the People’s Story Museum for seven months due to an “urgent” need to cut costs.
“I am asking the Council to delay its decision on this proposal to look at all alternatives to ensure The People’s Story can remain open.
“For years Scottish Labour has pressed the Scottish Government to resource our councils properly, we are now seeing the consequences with more and more being forced to close museums and cultural venues. I will continue to press the Scottish Government to ensure there is sufficient investment in our museums.”
The People’s Story Museum was opened in 1984 in the Canongate, to create a collection which reflected the working-class history of Edinburgh and the city’s proud history of protest and organising for the rights of people at home and around the world.
Following a decision at the Special meeting of the Culture and Communities Committee on Friday 23 August 2024, elected members approved to implement Firework Control Zones (FCZ’s) in Edinburgh.
The areas are as follows: Balerno, Calton Hill, Niddrie and Seafield and the Firework Control Zones will be for a set period between Friday 1 of November to Sunday 10 November 2024 only.
You can download the decision report which is being published as required by Section 29 Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022.
On 23 August 2024 Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker said: “Today the Culture and Communities Committee endorsed the recommended actions, which allows us to implement the Firework Control Zones in the four areas from 1 – 10 November, following the 60-day lay period.
“This is just the first year, and will provide us with tangible evidence of its effectiveness and help guide implementation in years to come, along with extensive community consultation in 2025.
“Community safety, the protection of our emergency services personnel and animal welfare are among our top priorities when it comes to this decision.
“Bonfire Night and broader fireworks use in the city can be an opportunity for communities to come together to celebrate and spend time together, and we hope that these zones will allow the community to celebrate safely.”
An FCZ can be considered for the following reasons:
misuse of fireworks/injuries
impact on vulnerable groups
environmental protection
animal welfare
Once an FCZ has been agreed, Police Scotland will look to enforce any offences under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022. More information is available at legislation.gov.uk.
In the future we will create a process for community requests. This will give communities a way to ask us to consider whether a zone should be agreed, amended, or revoked.
A community is any group of people who feel they have something in common such as community councils, resident groups, and stakeholders within the local community. In many cases they may live in the same area. Questions can be sent to fireworkscontrolzone@edinburgh.gov.uk. A community request cannot be made by one person.
We will be accepting applications from the 6th of May until the 30th of June. This will then rigorously be assessed and evaluated by the council, fire, and police services before a FCZ will be considered.
Complaints
Call Police Scotland on 101 to make a complaint about antisocial behavioru related to fireworks. They will use this information to identify what needs to be looked into. They will also link in with our Family and Household Support Teams with regards to any antisocial behaviour.
If you have concerns about someone selling fireworks, then please contact Trading Standards at 0131 608 1100 or email trading.standards@edinburgh.gov.uk.
This includes 96 homes for social rent by Harbour Homes and 130 properties for mid market rent by Harbour Lettings. The remaining 80 properties are social rent homes provided by Cairn Housing Association.
A seven-bedroom independent living home and office space with an adjoining one-bedroom flat has also been opened by Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust to support people in the care system.
Dean and Cauvin provide accommodation for young people (from ages 15-21) as well as supporting their transition to living independently.
Following an event for new tenants to meet each other and find out more about what’s happening in the community, Heather Kiteley, Chief Executive of Harbour Homes, said: “Everyone at Harbour is very proud of the many years of hard work and dedication which has gone into creating these fantastic new homes.
“With brilliant communal gardens and courtyards, breath-taking views over the Firth of Forth and great public transport links to the city, I know our tenants will be happy in their new homes and will play a part in the new communities which are flourishing along Granton’s waterfront.
“It was a joy to work with Cairn and other partners to make this ambitious project a reality.”
Audrey Simpson, Cairn’s Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to have partnered with Harbour Homes and other key stakeholders to bring much-needed affordable housing to Granton.
“These new homes are a testament to what can be achieved when organisations work together with a shared vision. Thanks to Harbour Homes and to everyone involved for their dedication and hard work. We are confident that our new tenants will thrive in this vibrant community.”
Councillor Jane Meagher, Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “Edinburgh’s council housing stock was devastated by the Right to Buy policy meaning only 14% of homes in our city today are social housing, compared to a Scottish average of 23%.
“We desperately need to work on reversing this trend as we work with developers and social landlords to tackle our city’s Housing Emergency.
“At Granton Harbour, there has been an impressive effort to create over 300 new affordable homes in total, almost 60% of which will be for social rent. Hundreds of people are now moving into good quality and genuinely affordable housing as a result, which is well worth celebrating”
Beginning 3 October, Tape Letters Scotland, is set to launch a series of new audio-visual exhibitions in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee, shining a light on the use of audio cassette as a mode of long-distance communication by the Pakistani diaspora in Scotland between 1960–1980.
Drawing directly from both first-hand interviews carried out by the project team and the informal, intimate conversations recorded on cassettes themselves, the exhibitions showcase the experiences of members of Scotland’s Pakistani communities, exploring the topics of migration, identity, communication and language.
A pre-cursor to the modern-day voice-note, sending physical audio cassette recordings became popular amongst British-Pakistani communities in the 1960s, as a means of communicating with friends and relatives in Pakistan. The format offered a cheaper alternative to international telephone calls, whilst also providing a more accessible option for those unable to read or write letters.
However, the practice has since remained largely unknown to many, even within British-Pakistani communities, with many original tapes lost or later recorded over.
First launched in 2018, Tape Letters is a pioneering project by Modus Arts, which aims to unearth, archive, and represent a portrait of this method of communication for communities during this period. A time when the telephone was communal, the tapes left room for intimacy in messages to loved ones.
The exhibition also highlights the prominence of liberated female voices. It enabled the speaker to convey humour or capture disbelief, sing songs or speak poems aloud.
Glasgow resident Assia Ali held these ‘prized possessions’ close as did Izaz Ur Rahman from Edinburgh who treasured the immediacy of this form of communication as it felt like his family were there in the room with him. Jamila Bibi exclaimed she had a reply from her parents in as little as a week in some cases.
The project began with Modus Arts Director, Wajid Yaseen, discovering his own family’s history of sending personalised cassette tapes to relatives.
It uncovered a wide-spread history of the practice across British-Pakistani families in England and more recently Scotland.
This Autumn, the Scotland-wide edition of the project, Tape Letters Scotland, which launched in 2022, is hosting a series of three exhibitions at the Museum of Edinburgh, Tramway, Glasgow, and Dundee Central Library.
The cumulation of two years of work, the exhibitions will showcase the stories and experiences from 20 cassette tapes, and 80 oral histories, gathered from individuals and families living across Scotland’s central belt.
On 8 October, the National Library of Scotland will host a special public talk featuring Wajid Yaseen and Tape Letters Scotland Project Coordinator, Syma Ahmed, where audiences will be invited to hear first-hand from the project team about their work, and the importance of archiving and preserving migrant stories for present and future generations.
Serving to both broaden access to the project, and preserve these unique historical accounts, Tape Letters Scotland is set to launch a WebXR-based digital exhibition and specialised App this October, followed by a Podcast series later this year.
Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Val Walker said: “How fortunate we are to have Tape Letters at Museum of Edinburgh this winter.
“We live in such modern times, where everyone is an instant call away no matter where they are in the world. You can only imagine the excitement felt when a tape would arrive from family members, loved ones and friends and their voice and stories would be heard through the speakers.
“Tape Letters is a touching exhibition that can be appreciated by all members of our diverse community. I encourage everyone to take the time to visit, listen and reflect.”
Wajid Yaseen, Director of Modus Arts, said: “The Tape Letters project has turned out to be far more fruitful than I could have envisaged, and analysing the archive has felt akin to undertaking a sort of ‘sonic archaeology’ – a deep dive into a wide range of fields and themes, including memory studies, linguistics, migration, discrimination, communication technologies, class and socio-economic dynamics, and many others.
“Although it has become a surprisingly complex social history project, it primarily demonstrates the deep and inherent need for people to communicate with each other in whatever way they can, wherever they’re originally from or wherever they find themselves in the world.”
Faria Khan, from Glasgow, who contributed to the archive, said: “Dad used to turn the cassette player on and test it and, you know, he’d bang on the mic saying “testing, testing”.
“It was just such an exciting thing preparing to record something! Like, what are we doing here? He’d then explain to us that it was a message for the family back home in Pakistan.”
Aqsa Mohammed, from Glasgow, also part of the exhibition, said: “My mum would listen to the tapes and tears would fall – she was always crying.
“Even when recording she would be crying. I’d get excited though. “Haan tape aayi!” [Alright! a tape has arrived!] It felt like a different feeling for us – a very emotional time. Emotional for her. Excitement for us.”
Tape Letters Scotland Exhibition
Tape Letters is a social history project which shines light on the practice of recording and sending messages on cassette tape, as an unorthodox method of communication by Pakistanis who migrated and settled in the UK between 1960-1980.
Drawing directly both from first-hand interviews and from the informal and intimate conversations on the cassettes themselves, this exhibition platforms the experiences of members of Scotland’s Pakistani community. It explores topics of migration, identity, communication and language.
Tramway, Glasgow
This exhibition platforms the experiences of members of Glasgow’s Pakistani community 12th Oct 2024 – 31st Jan 2025
Edinburgh Libraries are developing a new Future Libraries Strategy that will provide a framework for service delivery and development for public and school libraries over the next five years.
To help shape the new strategy and inform future proposals for change, Council Committee agreed to carry out an engagement and consultation process to gather feedback from individuals, groups, and stakeholders across the city.
The first stage of the engagement process was successfully carried out earlier this year, and I’m pleased to let you know that the next stage of our “Future Libraries” consultation is now live and will run until 18 December.
As a valued stakeholder, we would appreciate your involvement and to hear your views and ask that you complete the consultation questionnaire which can be accessed here https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/futurelibraries
Over 14,000 individuals, groups and organisations provided feedback in our initial engagement activity held between 26th January 2024 – 19th April 2024.
We have now considered the views and ideas that were gathered through this activity alongside our existing data on service use and knowledge of how the service operates and have used the information to shape our new draft Future Libraries Strategy 2024 – 2029.
The information has also helped to inform the identification of potential options for change to library opening hours and how the service manages events and activities. Both the draft Strategy and information about the potential options for change are available at the above Future Libraries website.
You can also find our Engagement Report there, which provides a summary of the findings from the engagement process. We hope you will find it of interest and that you might find some time to give us your views on the draft Future Libraries strategy and any proposals for change to opening hours and how the service manages events and activities by completing the consultation questionnaire.
We would also appreciate your support in ensuring the questionnaire is promoted widely and reaches as many people as possible including those who do not currently use library services. It would therefore be very helpful if you are able to let your service users, clients or group members know about the questionnaire and encourage them to provide us with a response.
Nominationshave opened for candidates to stand in the forthcoming Colinton/Fairmilehead by-election. The by-election is being held following the resignation of Councillor and former Transport and Environment Convener Scott Arthur.
On Thursday 14 November, Colinton/Fairmilehead residents will go to the polls to select a new councillor to represent the ward which also includes Bonaly, Dreghorn, Oxgangs and Swanston and has a current electorate of 19,226.
Voters have a range of options for casting their ballot – in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote.
In order to stand as a candidate, individuals must submit nomination papers, which are available on the Council website, by 4pm on Monday 14 October.
Chris Highcock, Depute Returning Officer for Edinburgh, said: “The Notice of Election signifies the official start of the election period for Colinton / Fairmilehead. I would urge all citizens 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.
“Anyone unsure about how to register, where to vote or how to vote by post can find more information on the Council website.”
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 14 November. Details of where these are will be announced shortly.
People aged 16 and over and all those legally resident – including foreign citizens – can register to vote in this election.
Find out more about elections in Edinburgh and how to register to vote on the Council website.
The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday 29 October 2024, to apply for a postal vote the deadline is Wednesday 30 October 2024, and for a proxy vote the deadline is Wednesday 6 November 2024.
Invitation to Participate in Community Planning Transformation and Improvement Stakeholder Engagement Sessions
The Edinburgh Partnership agreed to look afresh at the role of Community Planning in Edinburgh to maximise the relationships between public sector agencies and the voluntary and community sectors to address poverty and inequality and the climate and nature emergency. We need your views to help shape the future of community planning in Edinburgh.
These sessions aim to bring together key partners to discuss, plan, and drive forward positive changes for communities. Your insights and contributions are highly valued, and we would be pleased if you could join us.
Spaces are limited, so we encourage you to book your place as soon as possible to secure your spot at your preferred session.
To register, please email communityplanning@edinburgh.gov.uk with your name, contact details, and the date of the session you would like to attend.
Thursday, 10th October | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Craigentinny Community Centre
or
Friday, 11th October | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre
or
Wednesday, 23rd October | 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM | St. Bride’s Community Centre
or
Thursday, 24th October | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | West Pilton N/hd Centre
or online
Monday, 28th October | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Microsoft Teams
Background Information on the Edinburgh Partnership Transformation and Improvement Programme –
