city council – Page 82 – The NEN

20-Minute Neighbourhoods: focus on Gorgie Dalry ‘town centre’

Edinburgh’s 20-Minute Neighbourhoods strategy is progressing a programme of engagement across local town centres and high streets in the city, with a new focus on Gorgie Dalry.

In partnership with local communities and businesses across Edinburgh, the City of Edinburgh Council is working to develop a network of healthier, greener and thriving neighbourhoods where everyone can access key services and amenities by a short walk, wheel, cycle or trip on public transport.

A key part of delivering this 20-Minute Neighbourhoods strategy is improving local town centres and high streets which provide many of the essential facilities and services that people need easy access to.

The Council’s City Mobility Plan identifies a need for Edinburgh’s town centres to be more liveable places with reduced car dependency, improved active travel connections and quality public spaces for everyone.

The initial engagement to prepare a plan for Gorgie Dalry town centre has been designed to roll out alongside planned road renewal projects to minimise potential disruption. It will start by focussing on Dalry and local schools, before looking at Gorgie in more detail in the future.

Local residents in Gorgie Dalry are now being invited to share their thoughts on how the area around Dalry Road could be improved. Participants have the option of sharing their views either online or in person at a series of local events.

An online survey is available until 15 January, 2023, where residents can feed back on specific parts of Dalry and the area around Tynecastle High School. They can also share their views on how they currently experience the area, what they think is good and what could be better.

The 20-Minute Neighbourhoods team will also be available to speak with local people at the corner of Dalry Road and Easter Dalry Road on the afternoons of Thursday, 1 and Saturday, 3 December. Further engagement with Dalry Primary School and Tynecastle High School students, businesses and community groups is planned over the coming weeks.

Work is well underway on progressing the town centre and high street strategy elsewhere across the city, including in Leith, Craigmillar, Muirhouse and Queensferry.

Plans for future improvements to Portobello, Corstorphine, Stockbridge and Bruntsfield and Morningside town centres, will be progressed to take account of the Our Future Streets framework and associated action plans once they have been agreed.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “20-minute neighbourhoods are a new way of thinking for Edinburgh and our local town centres and high streets are at the very heart of many people’s local lives, so they are a natural starting point for this exciting strategy.

“It is clear that these spaces could be much better at serving the daily needs of residents, businesses and other organisations, particularly by being easier for everyone to move around. They should also have identity and purpose, supporting local employment opportunities and providing an inclusive economy.

“Each neighbourhood in the city is different, with its own unique set of requirements. That’s why it’s so important that local communities participate in this process to help us understand everyone’s needs and make sure their views shape the neighbourhood approach.

“I hope we hear from as many people as possible on how their town centre could be better for them. This is a fantastic opportunity for local people to help set a new direction for these areas so that they are more welcoming and benefit the health, wellbeing and pockets of people across the city.

“Ultimately, this strategy is aiming to deliver more sustainable, inclusive places, improve access to quality services and empower local communities across Edinburgh.“

The 20-Minute Neighbourhood strategy was launched in June 2021. Its vision is to enable a net zero Edinburgh where everyone can live well locally.

The city needs this level of ambition to achieve a significant shift away from longer journeys to active travel and meet its net zero carbon target. It will help to create more social, inclusive and accessible places. This will also support physical and mental wellbeing and help to end poverty in Edinburgh.

City council votes to end Lothian Pension Fund fossil fuel investment

Climate campaigners have welcomed yesterday’s council decision to pass a motion calling on the £8 billion Lothian Pension Fund to end its investments in fossil fuel companies that are driving the climate crisis.

The motion, tabled by SNP councillors Vicky Nicolson and Marco Biagi, and seconded by Adam McVey (SNP), calls on the Lothian Pension Fund to protect the long-term interests of its members by removing its investments from fossil fuel companies that are not shifting their business toward renewable energy.

Last month, East Lothian councillors voted unanimously in favour of ending the Lothian Pension Fund’s fossil fuel investments.

The Lothian Pension Fund, administered by The City of Edinburgh Council, invests an estimated £229 million in fossil fuel companies which are driving climate breakdown, including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil and Equinor.

Oil giant Equinor is currently planning to develop the Rosebank oilfield to the west of Shetland – the largest undeveloped oil and gas field in the UK which contains over 500 million barrels of oil.

Eva Gallova, Divest Lothian campaigner from Edinburgh, said: “Edinburgh councillors, having rightly declared a climate emergency in 2019 and committed to becoming a net zero city by 2030, today acted on these promises and showed their constituents that these were not just empty words.

“Divesting the Lothian Pension Fund from fossil fuels would cut the Council’s ties with an industry hell-bent on stymying climate action and taking us on a path which can only lead to more death & destruction.

“The members of the Lothian Pension Fund, especially the younger members, should have prospects for a future worth retiring into and this will not be possible if our councils continue investing in companies like BP, Shell and Equinor that are planning massive expansions in their climate-wrecking oil and gas production. It’s time for the Lothian Pension Fund to protect pensions and the planet by ending its investments in fossil fuels.”

Sally Clark, divestment campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “It is very encouraging that City of Edinburgh councillors have voted to support ending the Lothian Pension Fund’s investments in planet-wrecking fossil fuels.

“With the UN Secretary General warning last week at COP27 that we need to massively invest in renewables and end our addiction to fossil fuels in order to keep global temperature rises below 1.5 degrees, it has never been more urgent for councils to break their ties with the coal, oil and gas companies that are on course to trigger climate catastrophe with their expansion plans.

“We now need the Lothian Pension Fund to listen to councillors and invest in climate solutions like social housing and renewable energy that will protect pensions and benefit communities here in Scotland and around the world.”

The Lothian Pension Fund is the second largest local government pension scheme in Scotland and administers the pension funds of over 92,000 members from four local authorities in the Lothians. The pension fund also manages the pensions of 90 employers, including Scottish Water, Edinburgh Napier University, VisitScotland and Heriot-Watt University.

The motion from City of Edinburgh councillors comes as part of a global push to divest money from fossil fuels.

To date, 1,552 institutions worth $40.50 trillion have committed to divest, including the Welsh Parliament, the London Boroughs of Islington and Lambeth, Cardiff Council, and 100 UK universities including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Transport Convener condemns anti-social behaviour on city’s buses

The city council’s Transport and Environment Convener has condemned anti-social behaviour towards Lothian Buses employees.

Councillor Scott Arthur’s comments follow an open letter from Sarah Boyd, managing director of Lothian Buses, which acknowledges an increase in abusive behaviour towards drivers and other customer-facing people, as well as frontline workers around the city.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, responded to Sarah Boyd’s letter, saying: “It’s extremely disappointing to hear that Lothian Buses’ employees are having to endure abusive and anti-social behaviour.

“These keyworkers work hard to provide a trusted, essential service for the city and it’s appalling that they’re having to put up with this kind of treatment.

“We’ve pulled through an exceptionally challenging few years together, as a city, and I’m grateful for the indispensable role Lothian Buses played during the pandemic. We should not forget that drivers faced unknown risks everyday getting keyworkers to work.

“The current Europe-wide driver shortage means all bus companies face huge challenges in maintaining their network, but I know the vast majority of people in Edinburgh understand this and will continue to support Lothian Buses by reinforcing a zero tolerance stance on anti-social behaviour.”

Visit Lothian Buses website for information on services.

Light night for Mound Christmas Tree

The lights of Edinburgh’s iconic Christmas tree on the Mound have been turned on ahead of Edinburgh’s Christmas opening later this week.

During a special ceremony earlier this evening, Lord Provost Robert Aldridge joined Natalia Antonia Golis, Deputy County Convener with other representatives of Vestland County Council and the Norwegian Consulate to do the honours.

Together they lit the lights of the tree, traditionally gifted by the citizens of Hordaland, now part of Vestland, to mark the help given by the Scots to Norway during WWII.

This year also marks the 60th anniversary of Edinburgh-based company Bernard Hunter Cranes being involved in the installation of the iconic 60ft tree and their representatives joined the special ceremony.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Capital as Edinburgh’s Christmas festival gets underway on Friday and a number of community light switch on events will be taking place across the city.

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge, said: “Edinburgh’s famous Christmas tree is a fixture on the Mound every winter and the switch on of the lights signals the start for the festive season for me.

“For over 30 years now, the city has enjoyed the wonderful gift of a tree from the people of Hordaland and Vestland County Council in thanks for support Scotland gave to Norway during World War II.

“It is truly a wonderful symbol of this special bond of friendship between Norway and Scotland, and I am delighted we are able to mark the start of the City’s festive period together this year in person. I would like to thank the citizens of Vestland, for their continuing generosity and friendship over so many years.”

Natalia Antonia Golis, Deputy County Convener Vestland County Council, said: “Vestland County Council and the people of Vestland are happy to present the annual Christmas Tree in gratitude to the people of Edinburgh and Scotland and as a celebration of friendship, shared history and a prosperous future.”

Council to extend ‘temporary’ Spaces for People scheme

Controversial measures to support walking, wheeling and cycling extended on a trial basis

Temporary measures introduced to help people to safely walk, wheel or cycle during the Covid pandemic are being retained on a trial basis FOR A FURTHER 18 MONTHS.

Today, (Monday (21 November) Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs) will come into force for Travelling Safely (formerly Spaces for People) schemes across the city, including segregated cycle routes, road closures and traffic restrictions.

The trial will ‘let us test out the changes to get a better idea of how they are working as the journeys people make around the city settle into new patterns following the pandemic’. During the first six months of the trial a statutory consultation will allow people to make comments or objections relating to the ETROs.

The Transport and Environment Committee agreed to implement the ETROs in September. Extending the lifespan of the measures aims to foster safer, easier travel by walking, wheeling and cycling, supporting healthy and sustainable modes of transport, improved road safety and the Council’s target for Edinburgh to be net zero by 2030.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “By extending the lifespan of these schemes we’ll have the chance to test and trial the measures to see how they’re working as life in the city settles to a new normality following the pandemic.

“I know the changes have divided opinion but there is no doubt that providing safe spaces to walk, wheel and cycle can significantly benefit the health, wellbeing and pockets of people in the city, not to mention positively impacting the environment by supporting sustainable travel and better connecting people to public transport.

“During the next six months anyone can comment on specific schemes, which will help inform future plans, so I would encourage anyone with an interest to take part in the statutory consultation. The consultation follows a legally defined process, and I will ensure that any material concerns are addressed in a transparent manner.”

Feedback received during the six-month consultation will be reported to the appropriate committee within the 18-month trial period to decide on whether the schemes will be made permanent, removed or modified.

The impacts of the measures will be monitored during the experimental period. This monitoring, along with consideration of comments on the schemes, will help determine recommendations on whether some or all measures should be retained.

For schemes that are retained permanent infrastructure to suit a longer-term road layout will be considered. Funding for any permanent infrastructure would be discussed at an appropriate future committee.

Existing School schemes are currently being assessed under the citywide School Travel Plan Review and are not included in the Traveling Safely programme.

Share your comments, messages of support or objections to individual schemes online from today (Monday21 November).

The city council introduced ‘Spaces for People’ measures during 2020 and 2021 to give people more space on our pavements and roads during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The council says these changes ‘created space for everyone and made it easier and safer for people to move around when

walking
cycling
using a wheelchair or other mobility aid
pushing prams or buggies.’

All schemes were funded by over £5 million from Sustrans, which was awarded to make temporary changes to Edinburgh’s streets.

Have your say on new 20mph streets

The city council is looking for views on proposals to expand the city’s network of 20mph streets, as well as lowering speed limits on roads that have limits of 40mph or more, which are mainly rural.

Edinburgh became Scotland’s first 20mph city in 2018, when 20mph speed limits were extended to cover 85% of the Capital’s streets. Since then, monitoring has shown a continued drop in speeds, as well as a 30% reduction in road casualties.

Previous evaluation of the speed limits, which aim to create safer, more welcoming streets and help facilitate active travel, also showed an increase in support for the scheme, while we have received additional requests for individual streets to be added to the 20mph network.

Officers have now carried out a review of all roads that retain a 30mph speed limit and have proposed lowering the speed limit to 20mph on streets across the city, based on a set of criteria approved by the Transport and Environment Committee in April 2021. If all of these streets were added to the 20mph network, it would cover around 90% of the city’s urban roads.

Amongst the criteria used for assessing a street’s suitability for a 20mph limit are whether it has higher density housing such as flats or terraced properties, if there are groups of shops and whether there are likely to be higher numbers of people walking or cycling (for example near a hospital or university campus).

Alongside the 20mph review we have investigated the potential to reduce speed limits on rural roads to provide a safer environment for those choosing to walk, cycle and ride horses.

All rural roads in Edinburgh have been considered, including those near Currie, Balerno, Ratho, Queensferry and Kirkliston. Other roads outside the city bypass, near the airport and in the industrial area of Newbridge with a speed limit of 40mph or more have additionally been reviewed.

The proposed changes in rural speed limits would reduce the normal speed limit on two-lane rural roads to 40mph. Most minor country lanes would have a 30mph limit, with a 20mph limit through rural hamlets and also on a small number of minor lanes that are the most used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “Edinburgh led the way in 2015 by agreeing to become Scotland’s first 20mph city and since then its positive impacts have been made clear.

“Not only are speeds continuing to fall across the network, but casualties have also reduced, which is extremely encouraging. Independent research has shown that the number of collisions has fallen by 30%, and the number of injuries has dropped by a similar amount.

“We know appetite for extending 20mph limits has grown over the years and we want to bring these benefits to even more people, creating safer, more relaxing streets to live in, visit and spend time in.

“This is along with proposed speed limit reductions on many of our rural roads, most of which have the national 60mph speed limit. I would encourage as many people as possible to take part in the consultation to make sure changes work for everyone.”

In the consultation the Council asks for comments on its recommendations for speed limit reductions across our Capital, but I hope and expect residents will consider urging it to go further by demanding more streets are included.

The consultation opened on Weednesday (16 November). Views on the scale of the proposed extension to the 20mph network and on individual streets where lower limits are proposed will inform final recommendations to Transport and Environment Committee.

Lower speed limits support the aims of the City Mobility Plan by improving the way residents and visitors can move about and enjoy the city. By creating a safer environment for walking, wheeling and cycling as an alternative to private car use changes are intended to help tackle climate change, reduce congestion and improve air quality, as well as contributing to the Council’s Vision Zero approach to road safety.

Take part in the consultation, Speed Limits Review: 20mph and Rural Roads, on the Council website.

Drop-In Event: Restoring Heritage at Granton Castle Walled Garden

MONDAY 21 NOVEMBER 11am – 4pm

EDINBURGH Residents are being invited to take part in a free stone masonry workshop next Monday (21 November) to celebrate work starting to restore the Granton Castle Walled Garden B-listed wall and dovecot.

Organised by the City of Edinburgh Council in partnership with Friends of the Walled Garden with Scottish Crown Estate marine asset funding it is hoped the workshop will give people of all ages a chance to learn new or develop existing stone masonry skills.

The Council is also working with Friends of the Walled Garden on a vision to transform the historic site into a working market garden and local attraction. The project to restore the Granton Castle Walled Garden is part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s wider £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront.

Council leader Cammy Day said: “Being a heritage city, stone masonry is one of the skills it’s really important we keep alive in Edinburgh.

“This workshop is an ideal way to help people from across the city and the local area come together and celebrate this great craft as works begins to restore this historic site to be enjoyed by locals and visitors for generations to come.

“It’s great to see the community in and around Granton Waterfront being so creative and dedicated to their area and I’d encourage anyone looking to try their hand at repairing the beautiful old stone wall to give this a go.

The wider £1.3bn transformation of Granton Waterfront as a new sustainable coastal town is well underway with several housing developments under construction, the restoration of Granton Station almost complete and work soon to begin to bring the iconic gasholder back to life.

“I’m very much looking forward to seeing the Granton Castle Walled Garden being enjoyed by the local community as a working market garden and quality visitor destination in the years ahead.”

Anyone who would like to take a group along is being asked to contact the organisers in advance. There’s even free tea, coffee and cake!

Restoring heritage at Granton Castle Walled Garden (23 West Shore Road) EH5 1 QB drop-in event – Monday 21 November – 11am to 4pm.

Come and help repair the beautiful old stone wall using traditional heritage skills in stone masonry using lime mortar.

If you’d like to come with a group please email grantongarden@gmail.com.

Boyack warns against ‘cliff-edge’ in housing support

Sarah Boyack has warned against a “cliff-edge” in housing support in Lothian as a report reveals the number of open housing advice cases hit its highest point on record after pandemic protections were stripped away.

“Housing Options” services provide support and advice for people facing homelessness or other housing issues. Most people who seek advice through this system will go on to make a homelessness application, with this being the outcome in 55 per cent of cases in 2021/22.

In Edinburgh, in 2021/22 the number people approaching this service fell by 2 per cent, however, the average time taken for the local authority to deliver this support rose by a shocking 179%, up to 148 days in 2021/22 from 53 days in 2020/21, making it highest increase among all local councils.

The number of open cases in Edinburgh climbed by 13 per cent to the highest point since records began in 2014/15.

The number of people in Scotland approaching the service at risk of homelessness because of termination of tenancy or mortgage due to rent arrears or default on payments soared by a staggering 53 per cent in a single year.

This sharp increase is likely the result of emergency protections introduced during the pandemic ending. Labour have called these figures a “stark warning” and urged the SNP government not to repeat its mistakes when measures introduced to manage the cost of living crisis come to an end.

Commenting, Scottish Labour Lothians MSP Sarah Boyack said: “This damning report lays bare how badly tenants and homeowners were abandoned after the pandemic.

“In Edinburgh, the council is struggling to cope with rising demand, with the need for high quality, affordable housing being more pressing than ever.

“People arriving from Ukraine are also in desperate need for accommodation.

“What will happen when the current rent freeze and evictions ban draw to an end?

“No-one should lose their home because of this cost of living crisis – we need a real long-term plan to prevent homelessness, protect tenants, and help homeowners, before a second wave of homelessness hits.”

Table 4a: Number of open PREVENT1 approaches as at 31 March, in Edinburgh: 2015 to 2022

2015	2,555
2016	2,875
2017	3,210
2018	3,515
2019	3,880
2020	4,725
2021	6,520
2022	7,370
Change 2021 to 2022 %	13%

Table 6a: Reason for PREVENT1 approach: 2014-15 to 2021-22

	2020-21	2021-22	Change 20-21 to 21-22 %
All Approaches	37,412	40,062	7%
Homelessness type reasons: Termination of tenancy / mortgage due to rent arrears / default on payments	361	554	53%

Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-options-prevent1-statistics-in-scotland-2021-to-2022/documents/

Sir Geoff Palmer receives the Edinburgh Award 2022

Professor Emeritus and Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University Sir Geoff Palmer has been presented with the prestigious Edinburgh Award 2022 in a ceremony at the City Chambers last night.

The coveted annual award honours an outstanding individual who has made a positive impact on the city and gained national and international recognition for Edinburgh.

Surrounded by family, friends and invited guests, Sir Geoff received an engraved Loving Cup from Lord Provost Robert Aldridge and was reunited with a set of his handprints preserved in stone in the City Chambers quadrangle.

The Edinburgh Award celebrates Sir Geoff’s ground-breaking contributions to academia, and his indefatigable defence of human rights in Edinburgh and beyond.

Sir Geoff has a long association with the city of Edinburgh, he first arrived in the Capital in 1964 to pursue a PhD in Grain Science and Technology jointly with the then Heriot-Watt College and the University of Edinburgh.

Upon completion of his doctorate in 1967 he began working at the Brewing Research Foundation where he developed the industrial process of Barley Abrasion and pioneered the use of the Scanning Electron Microscope to study cereal grains.

In 1977, he returned to Heriot-Watt University as a staff member and gained a DSc degree for his research work in 1985. In 1989 he became the first black professor in Scotland and remained in Edinburgh until his retirement in 2005. In 2021 he was appointed Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University.

Sir Geoff was knighted in the 2014 New Year’s Honours for services to human rights, science, and charity. In 2018, he was appointed Jamaica’s first Honorary Consul in Scotland and is the 2020 recipient of the Jamaican national honour, the Order of Distinction (Commander Class).

Between December 2020 and June 2022, Sir Geoff chaired the independent Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review Group whose work has been vital in profiling the Capital’s historic links with Slavery and Colonialism in the public realm. The findings and recommendations of the Group were endorsed unanimously by councillors on 30 August and the actions they suggest will form the basis of the Council’s continued response to these key issues.

Sir Geoff is the 16th person to receive the award, succeeding last year’s Fergus Linehan (2021) as well as fellow academics Professor Peter Higgs (2011) and Sir Timothy O’Shea (2017).

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Robert Aldridge said: “It’s an honour and a pleasure to present one of the Capital’s most prestigious accolades, the Edinburgh Award, to Sir Geoff Palmer.

“In a career spanning over fifty years, Sir Geoff has done much to promote Edinburgh to the world, celebrating the positive impact that higher education has on this city. His dedication and passion for the sciences, activism, and for our city as a whole – its people, its legacy and its future – is an inspiration to us all.

“I am delighted that the people of Edinburgh have acknowledged his contributions and have chosen Sir Geoff to receive the Edinburgh Award 2022, an honour which he truly deserves.

“Sir Geoff has contributed substantially to the betterment of this great city, and I am confident that his legacy both in academia and activism will live on for many years to come and his handprints immortalised in stone on our very own Edinburgh Award ‘walk of fame’.”

Sir Geoff Palmer said: “This award is more than a great honour; it is a recognition of all the people whose goodness has contributed to my life and work. I arrived in Edinburgh as a research student in 1964 and I thank the City of Edinburgh Council for all it has done for the community.

As part of the Edinburgh Award ceremony, Hannah Lavery, the Edinburgh Makar, recited a poem in Sir Geoff’s honour.

Green light for gasometer restoration

Restoration work will now begin on the iconic gasholder, which sits at the heart of a planned new sustainable coastal town at Granton Waterfront.

A report approved by the City of Edinburgh Council’s Finance and Resources Committee yesterday (10 November) recommended McLaughlin & Harvey Limited carry out the work, which it’s anticipated will start in January and is due for completion in 2024.

The future vision for the space within the restored gasholder is to have multi-sensory play zones, a dedicated space for permanent and temporary public art, relaxation area, outdoor trails and tracks for exercise as well as using a large outdoor space for sports, markets, seasonal events, community use, festivals, performance arts, exhibitions and play.

Work will also be carried out to plant trees, shrubs and wildflowers improving biodiversity and local habitat in the area.

Council leader Cammy Day said: “I’m delighted with the committee decision. Our plan is to transform the structure, the centrepiece of our £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront, into a visitor destination with high quality open space for everyone to enjoy.

“Using money received from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund the contractor can crack on now and get spades in the ground to do the restoration work required and we’re in the process of trying to secure the additional funding we need to deliver the high quality open space element. We’ve also submitted a planning application for this exciting next stage to make sure we’re ready to go ahead when we get the funding that we need.

“The wider regeneration is about using brownfield land to develop a sustainable 20-minute neighbourhood it’s residents will be proud of. It will be an area where people live in affordable environmentally friendly homes, have excellent transport and active travel links and access to lots of open and green space, arts, sports and culture. Restoring the gasholder is the first step in unlocking the wider regeneration.”

The project will benefit from £16.4m from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund.