city council – Page 83 – The NEN

Council looks to balance the books

City councillors will next week consider a report outlining proposals for a balanced overall budget for 2021/22 as uncertainty persists around future changes and financial pressures brought about by the ongoing Covid19 crisis.

The report was published yesterday, a day ahead of today’s planned announcement by the Scottish Government of the 2021/22 Local Government Financial Settlement.

Financial flexibilities already agreed with the Scottish Government have contributed to the balanced budget position for 2021/22, with an acknowledgement that more fundamental service reform, improvement and prioritisation will be required in future years.

At their meeting on 2 February the Finance and Resources Committee will also consider the Council’s new three-year Business Plan, titled ‘Our Future Council, Our Future City‘, which brings together the Council’s strategic priorities in a single plan responding to the need for change and seeks to shape a fair and green post-pandemic recovery for the Capital over the years ahead.

The Business Plan aims to deliver a sustainable, fair and thriving future for Edinburgh, responding directly to the aspirations tens of thousands of residents have shared for their home city as part of the 2050 Edinburgh City Vision process and guided by the Council’s three key priorities of tackling poverty and inequality, boosting sustainability and enhancing wellbeing.

As well as reporting a balanced budget position for 2021/22, the Revenue Budget report sets out a budget framework for the following four years.

During this time, due to a combination of rising demand, inflationary pressures, legislative reform and a level of funding that is not expected to keep pace, the Council will be required to save more than £100m whilst maintaining an appropriate level of reserves.

Difficult decisions on where to prioritise investment will therefore be unavoidable.

Finance and Resources Convener Councillor Rob Munn said: “Like all Scottish local authorities, we find ourselves in a difficult situation, both in terms of how long Covid restrictions will be in place and what further pressures the pandemic will place on our budgets in the months to come. We’ve already faced budget pressures of around £85m through increased expenditure and lost income.

“That’s why it’s entirely pragmatic to set a balanced one-year budget for the next financial year while preparing for broader reforms from 2022 onwards.

“Our recent Best Value audit by the Accounts Commission found that we’re managing our finances well but recommended that we set out longer-term financial plans and that we pull together our ambitious strategies into a single plan.

“Both the Business Plan and the five-year budget framework we’re proposing respond directly to this recommendation and, taken together, they will help us reprioritise and, where required, redesign services to address budget gaps and progress our core priorities over the coming years.”

Vice Convener Councillor Joan Griffiths said: “In setting out a balanced budget position for 2021/22, I am particularly pleased to note that, through careful financial management, we’re able to sustain vital frontline services; the services our communities have so depended upon during the incredibly difficult and challenging situation we’ve all faced since the pandemic began.

“We remain fully committed to our established priorities of tackling poverty and inequality, boosting sustainability and promoting wellbeing – all of which were set based on direct public feedback on what is most important to the people of Edinburgh.

There’s no doubt some very challenging times lie ahead but we’re determined to maintain our focus on investing in attractive, safe and sustainable places to live, building thousands more affordable homes and high-quality modern schools and early years settings to give our children the best possible start in life. The residents of Edinburgh deserve nothing less.”

The Business Plan sets out three core priorities for the city:

(i) ending poverty and preventing adverse outcomes such as homelessness and unemployment;
(ii) becoming a net-zero city; and
(iii) ensuring wellbeing and equalities are enhanced for all.

These will be aligned with the priorities set out in the Edinburgh Partnership Community Plan which were developed based on feedback from communities.

The priorities, shared by all members of the Edinburgh Partnership, are to ensure all citizens have:

Enough money to live on
Access to work, learning and training
A good place to live.

An update to the budget proposals will be reported to councillors once the implications for Edinburgh of the Scottish Government’s LGFS are known.

Edinburgh to gain two new Local Nature Reserves

Wester Craiglockhart Hill and Little France Park are both set to become nature reserves after plans were approved by the Culture and Communities Committee yesterday.

A Local Nature Reserve (LNR) is an area of land declared by a local authority because of its special nature interest and/or educational value. It is hoped the status, which is already held by seven sites across the Capital, will add more weight to funding bids and offer extra protection from future development.

The two sites, which cover over 55 hectares of land between them, are owned and run by the Council and managed by the Parks, Greenspace and Cemeteries Service in partnership with Friends of Parks groups and other partner organisations.

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener said: “Edinburgh is already a wonderfully green city and we want to ensure it remains that way for generations to come.

“There are many benefits that come with designating these parks as LNRs and there is no doubt that the ongoing pandemic has reinforced how vital access to greenspaces is to us all. The declaration of these as LNRs means that they are not just protected but they will be managed and improved with the conservation of nature as a priority.”

Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener said: “I’m delighted that we are able to designate these two new sites as local nature reserves. These are areas of natural beauty, rich in wildlife habitats and eco systems, and it is important that we recognise these and look after them for everyone to enjoy.

“We will be working closely with a range of partners and enthusiastic friends groups to preserve these important areas for the benefit of our future generations.”

The selection and designation of LNRs is in accordance with the Edinburgh Biodiversity Action Plan. The Scottish Biodiversity Duty section of the plan contains an action to ‘Continue a programme of developing and designating Local Sites’.

Councillors to debate new parking controls proposed for Leith, Gorgie and Shandon

The next steps will be taken toward introducing new Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) to help alleviate parking pressures around Edinburgh, if approved by councillors this week.

On Thursday (28 January), Transport and Environment Committee will consider the results of an informal consultation on proposals for new controls in Leith, Gorgie and Shandon, as well as details on the operation of measures. Designs for parking controls have been amended following consultation and, if approved, we’ll commence the legal processes for introducing them.

This is the first of four phases of implementation of parking controls around the city, developed as part of the Strategic Parking Review, which was originally approved in 2018. The review has taken a holistic approach to parking pressures across Edinburgh, assessing the city on a street by street basis.

This has led to the identification of areas where parking controls may be required to resolve challenges facing residents, in particular from non-residential parking.

The report also updates on timescales for phase two (Roseburn, Corstorphine, Willowbrae and Saughton), phase three (Southside and Fettes) and phase four (Newhaven, Trinity, South Morningside, Portobello, Stenhouse and Saughton), which have been impacted by COVID-19.

Transport Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “This review responds to the concerns of residents across the city, many of whom have told us that they want to see controls introduced to help limit the impact of non-residential parking.

Thanks to an in-depth, citywide analysis we have been able to identify the areas most in need of restrictions. Of course, the way we travel has changed immeasurably over the last year, but the introduction of new CPZs will be extremely beneficial to managing parking pressures when we eventually return to some sense of normality.

Not only do these controls help residents to park near their homes, but they can encourage those travelling into and around the city to consider alternative, sustainable modes of transport.”

The city council began the Strategic Parking Review in 2018 in response to comments from residents, community councils and ward councillors across the city, which demonstrated increasing support for new parking controls to limit non-residential parking.

An in-depth review split the city into five areas, further subdivided into 124 investigation areas, helping to generate heat maps for each location showing relative parking pressures by street. As a result, a series of new parking controls were approved in 2019, to be implemented in four phases.

On Thursday, committee members will also be asked to agree proposals to commence the legal process for introducing limited parking controls in Sighthill Industrial Estate to help manage parking demand there, as well as restrictions on the availability of permits for new or redeveloped properties.

The report details an approach to consultation for future phases in light of COVID restrictions, with virtual drop-in sessions, detailed plans online and opportunities to feed back on proposals via websites, interactive plans and questionnaires.

Consultation on phase two of the Strategic Parking Review is expected to begin in February.

Read the full report, Strategic Review of Parking – Results of Phase 1 Consultation and General Update, on the Council website.

You can watch Transport and Environment Committee live via webcast from 10am on Thursday (28 January 2021).

Seafield: This stinks, says Labour candidate

Katrina Faccenda, Scottish Labour prospective candidate for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, has called for Scottish Water reserves to be used for Leithers and those further afield who have put up with the Seafield Stench for decades.

“The scandal of not using the cash stash of £391m to fully resolve the problem of the Seafield Stench just stinks. Less than a third of this is what is needed to meet the demands of local residents and fully resolve the problem,” she said.

“Huge growth and development of housing in the area means an ever increasing number affected. In power since 2007 the SNP Scottish Government have still not solved this problem despite a promise made then to do so. Kicking it into the long grass until 2030 is not good enough when the money is there.

“I call on local MSP Scottish Government Minister Ben McPherson to use his position to make this happen. The money is there – all that’s needed is the will to make it happen.”

Long-surrering Links residents are raising funds to take legal action against the SNP -Labour run City of Edinburgh Council.

Spaces for People scheme proposed for Wester Drylaw

A new Spaces for People measure is being proposed for the streets around Ferryhill Primary School. The proposal would see:

Wester Drylaw Avenue closed at the junction with Groathill Road North (still allowing access for pedestrians & cyclists)

stop all motor vehicles (except residents/blue badge holders/waste vehicles & emergency services) at the junction of Wester Drylaw Avenue with Wester Drylaw Drive.

Share your thoughts or comments at Wednesday’s community council meeting on Zoom – you can email Drylaw Telford Community Council via DTCC’s secretary at pamhigginsdtcc@gmail.com

Alternatively you can email the Spaces for People team by midday on Thursday 28th January – their email address is spacesforpeople@edinburgh.gov.uk

Better late than never? Council to consult over Spaces for People

we’re beginning to think about the potential for retaining some of the schemes implemented as part of Spaces for People beyond the end of the pandemic, though we know this is some way off.
Transport and Environment Convener Cllr Lesley Macinnes

The latest review of Edinburgh’s Spaces for People programme proposes a citywide consultation and assessment criteria for retaining some of the schemes implemented once COVID restrictions are eased.

We’re rolling out measures across the Capital to create safe routes for walking, cycling and wheeling while physically distancing. Next Thursday (28 January) the Transport and Environment Committee will discuss recommendations to consider retaining some of the interventions, many of which align with the Council’s strategic aims, protecting vulnerable road users while encouraging active travel.

Assessment criteria have been developed to help ascertain whether current projects, or elements of them, should be continued, initially on an experimental basis. If agreed by committee, a citywide consultation would be carried out alongside this assessment, seeking the public’s views on which interventions they would like to see retained beyond the COVID pandemic. The results of this would be reported back to committee.

The Spaces for People Update report also puts forward several, more complex projects and the outcomes of a regular review of existing measures for approval. Two schemes have been recommended for amendments under the review, one of which is the Braid Road closure.

It is proposed to reopen the street one-way southbound to help reduce public transport times and limit the impact of intrusive traffic on local streets, in response to feedback from residents and Lothian Buses.

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “We’re continuing apace with our ambitious programme of Spaces for People measures designed to give people space to physically distance and to provide safe, protected routes for making journeys by foot, bike or wheelchair.

“We’ve had a great deal of positive feedback from people benefiting from these changes and we know from our own monitoring that many of them are having a positive impact on surrounding areas. That’s why we’re beginning to think about the potential for retaining some of the schemes implemented as part of Spaces for People beyond the end of the pandemic, though we know this is some way off.

“Of course, any longer-term project would involve a great deal of engagement and consultation with communities – we want to bring the people of Edinburgh along with us. But by focusing on an ‘experimental’ approach we would be able to continually monitor and evaluate projects, responding to residents’ needs to best serve the public.”

Transport and Environment Vice Convener Councillor Karen Doran said: “This latest update illustrates the breadth of work that’s gone into designing, reviewing and implementing these schemes. It’s with thanks to the Spaces for People team that we’ve been able to get so many interventions on the ground over recent months.

“Of course, we recognise that there have been concerns about some of the measures from community members, and it’s understandable with changes like these. We’ve made every effort to respond where possible, and continue to tweak and revise designs, as this review demonstrates.”

Amongst the schemes recommended for approval are the introduction of segregated cycle lanes and a quiet connection on Silverknowes Road while a protected cycleway on Slateford Road would link Spaces for People measures on Lanark Road and Dundee Street to provide an alternative route to the Union Canal.

Committee will also hear about the progress of improvements developed using public feedback from the Commonplace consultation as well as the latest designs for interventions on South Bridge.

An update on work to enhance access and safety around schools provides information on temporary road closures, footpath-widening and parking restrictions introduced at primary and secondary schools around Edinburgh.

In addition, efforts to create a better environment for pedestrians include a partnership with Living Streets to identify and remove non-essential street furniture, to which £300k has been allocated, and an extra £100k assigned to improving pedestrian crossings around the city.

Read the full report, Spaces for People Update – January 2021, on the Council website. You can watch Transport and Committee live from 10am on Thursday 28 January, on the Council webcast.

Lanark Road set for the ‘Spaces for People’ treatment

“we are aware of local concerns, and we’ve made a number of changes in response” – Transport and Environment Convener Cllr Lesley Macinnes

Work on measures to ‘significantly improve’ cycle safety on Lanark Road, Longstone Road and Inglis Green Road as part of the Spaces for People programme will begin next week, the city council has announced:

Following feedback from the community we’ve made several amendments to the scheme, which will include a segregated cycle lane on both sides of the road and speed limit reductions.

Along with pop-up cycle lanes on Slateford Road and Dundee Street/Fountainbridge, interventions will help relieve congestion on the Union Canal towpath and Water of Leith walkway. These shared use paths have seen a substantial increase in pedestrians and cyclists during lockdown with at least a 150% rise in cyclists during the summer. This alternative route will help reduce conflict and allow for physical distancing, particularly on narrower sections like the Slateford Aqueduct.

Since sharing the original proposals with stakeholders we’ve made changes to the designs in response to comments from local people, largely to maximise parking access for businesses and any residents who don’t have driveways.

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes (SNP) said: This scheme will introduce a much-needed safe and welcoming route for those making essential journeys by foot, bike or wheelchair, offering an alternative to the Union Canal towpath and Water of Leith walkway.

“It’s clear from our own monitoring that these popular shared-use paths are becoming over-crowded and we simply must provide other options for the many people who don’t own a car, who don’t feel comfortable using public transport at present or who want to take daily exercise on foot or bike.

“Of course, we are aware of local concerns, and we’ve made a number of changes in response. The beauty of the scheme’s temporary nature is that we’ll be able to continue monitoring its effectiveness too, making further tweaks where possible.

Transport and Environment Vice Convener Councillor Karen Doran (Labour) said: “This is all about providing safe, convenient options for those making essential journeys and this is a key route for those travelling out of the city.

“Our Spaces for People team have worked hard to respond to concerns from residents and businesses and as a result the designs have been changed. Ultimately, this is about protecting the safety of vulnerable road users, and providing space for people to physically distance, and schemes like these are essential for achieving that.”

Measures on Lanark Road and Inglis Green Road will include:

Segregated cycle lanes on both sides of the road, protected from traffic
A reduced speed limit, from 40mph to 30mph
The removal of the kerbside traffic lane, except on approach to junctions
The introduction of a bus lane on approach to Gillespie crossroads

Measures on Longstone Road will include:

Introduction of segregated, and advisory cycle lanes as space allows
A reduced speed limit, from 30mph to 20mph
Carriageway narrowing and parking restrictions at certain points
Safety improvements at Longstone Roundabout

Changes to designs following community feedback will see additional parking retained at:

Cranley Nursery
Lanark Road Nursery
Dovecot Park
Inglis Green Road
Kingsknowe Golf Course
Redhall area

As part of the development of the scheme we’ve liaised closely with a range of stakeholders, such as the emergency services, Lothian Buses, community councils, equalities organisations, Spokes and Living Streets to ensure designs don’t impact on essential services or accessibility and that they provide an improved environment for pedestrians, wheelchair users and cyclists.

Once introduced, we will continue to monitor the changes, carrying out regular reviews and tweaking where necessary.

This project is one of a range of improvements being made across the city as part of the Spaces for People programme, which is helping to provide safe, welcoming routes for walking, cycling and wheeling while allowing people to physically distance during COVID-19 restrictions.

Find out more about Spaces for People on the Council website.

UNISON: Tory hypocrisy as they clap workers on a Thursday and slap them on Monday

UNISON’s Edinburgh Council branch has reacted angrily to attacks on council workers by Conservative leader Ian Whyte in the Evening News (18 January), and has urged the public to get behind staff who have worked ‘above and beyond’ throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

Tom Connolly, UNISON Edinburgh branch secretary, said: “Councillor Whyte (below) should be praising the work of council staff who have been providing services above and beyond throughout the pandemic. Again this is an example of Conservative hypocrisy, clapping workers on the Thursday then slapping them on the Monday.”

Slamming Ian Whyte’s call for staff to be compulsorily redeployed to tasks ‘like winter maintenance’, Tom Connolly added: “I’m sure the public would have questions to ask if staff were taken off tasks like child protection or environmental protection to clear pavements. The fact is that council workers have volunteered in droves to help out throughout the pandemic, inventing new ways of working and ensuring services are delivered where possible. They deserve thanks not criticism.

“Thankfully, the public see the real picture. They see under-pressure, under-paid NHS, Social Care & Council staff and all key workers putting themselves on the frontline to help the vulnerable.

“Councillor Whyte’s comments are the more galling given the Conservative austerity onslaught that has seen local government cut to shreds with 50,000 public service jobs cut in Scotland. The local Conservatives should do something meaningful, such as calling for greater public sector investment

“The real lesson the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us is not so-called flexibility to cover up cuts. It is that if all public services had been adequately maintained and grown, we would have been in a much better place to respond.

“UNISON stands with our members and all keyworkers and thanks them for all that they have done and continue to do.”

Council leaders’ priorities for 2021

City Council Committee Conveners and Vice Conveners have set out their key priorities for 2021:

Council Leader Adam McVey and Depute Leader Cammy Day:

Our first and most pressing task in 2021 is to continue to steer Edinburgh through and – hopefully sooner rather than later – out of the global Covid19 pandemic. There’s no doubt these past nine months have been unbelievably challenging for all of us, and especially so for anyone who’s sadly lost a loved one during the crisis.

As we work with organisations and communities right across the city to help Edinburgh navigate whatever comes next, we’re clear that ‘back to normal’ won’t be good enough – we need to build back better, following the key principles of the Edinburgh 2050 City Vision to achieve a thriving, welcoming, pioneering and fair Capital for now and for future generations.

Our work will be guided and shaped by our core priorities of tackling poverty and inequality, boosting sustainability and promoting wellbeing. We’ll push on with implementing our 10-year End Poverty in Edinburgh plan as well as our Net Zero 2030 ambitions. 2021 is going to be a major and defining year for this incredible city and we’re determined to do Edinburgh proud.

Cllr Rob Munn and Cllr Joan Griffiths, Finance and Resources Convener and Vice Convener:

Our main focus for 2021 is to take the carefully considered decisions about where to prioritise spending for the Council over the next three years and setting a balanced budget that protects our most vulnerable citizens and helps our communities to recover from the pandemic. At the same time, we want to continue to deliver high quality services for Edinburgh.

Our budget process is, as ever, informed by direct feedback from the people of Edinburgh on which services they want to see prioritised and we’re very grateful to the 2000+ people who responded to our budget engagement survey before Christmas. This feedback is invaluable, especially given the exceptionally challenging year 2020 was and the impact that Covid19 has had and will continue to have for us all. It’s crucial we understand how people’s lives have been affected by the impact of the pandemic on our services as we work to steer the Capital towards a sustainable recovery.

Finally, the Council’s core priorities of addressing poverty and inequality, improving sustainability and tackling climate change as well as enhancing wellbeing, based on what people told us was most important to them, will remain at the heart of our budget setting for 2021 and beyond.

Education, Children & Families Convener Cllr Ian Perry and Vice Convener Cllr Alison Dickie:

The ongoing pandemic is having a devastating impact on us all and 2021 will still provide challenges for our education system and young people but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I have to pay tribute to all our dedicated teaching staff and young people who are showing amazing resilience in these challenging times. Even though there will be no exams this year our school staff will ensure pupils get the best teaching possible for their assessments. Our Edinburgh Learns plan will position education as the lever for a fairer, healthier and greener future. The support for our vulnerable young people, especially our Looked After Children, will continue to be a priority.

Our plans to create the very best learning environment for young people will continue with our £500m planned investment over the next 10 years for an ambitious new school building programme with Frogston Primary, Victoria Primary, St Crispin’s opening this year and the new Castlebrae Community Campus in early 2022.

The investment also includes new nurseries with more Forest Kindergartens opening up this month and we’ll be meeting the Scottish Government’s target of 1140 funded early learning and childcare by August this year.

Transport and Environment Vice Convener Cllr Karen Doran:

The events of 2020 have had an unparalleled impact on so many aspects of our lives. How we move around our city has of course been greatly affected.

During lockdown, roads emptied and travel by bike, foot and wheels surged. Our Spaces for People measures saw people take up cycling or walking where they might previously have driven, and we want to keep this momentum up.

In 2021, development of major plans, including the draft City Mobility Plan and Edinburgh City Centre Transformation, will revolutionise the way we interact with the city. Construction will begin on schemes like City Centre West to East Link and design will continue on several exciting projects to improve cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.

We’ll move closer to introducing a Low Emissions Zone and Electric Vehicle charging network while Trams to Newhaven will begin to take shape, alongside our excellent existing bus and tram services.

I know we’re on the right track for a sustainable, inclusive, carbon-neutral future for Edinburgh, and 2021 will help get us there.

Councillors Kate Campbell and Mandy Watt, Convener and Vice Convener for Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work:

In 2021, we will build more good quality, energy efficient, affordable homes. They’ll be good places to live, within strong communities. Our new and existing tenants will get the best service possible from us as their landlord; and we’ll make sure our tenants, especially those who may be struggling with the impacts of Covid-19, get the support they need.

We’ll continue work to improve temporary accommodation, reach out to our most vulnerable citizens, prevent homelessness whenever possible and make sure people are able to access the right support when and where they need it.

We want to help our economy to build back better and stronger, putting fair work and sustainability at the heart of our strategy to rebuild. We’ll do that by supporting businesses and, with a view to the long term, we’ll work towards building a wellbeing economy based on good jobs, job security and career progression.

We’ll begin by expanding our existing employability services so that people facing barriers to employment are supported to find work, learn new skills and gain confidence.

Culture and Communities Convener Donald Wilson:

I think it would be an understatement to say 2020 was extremely tough for the culture sector. As we look ahead to 2021 we will be doing all we can not just to survive, but to come back better than ever.

Our vibrant cultural heritage and festivals offering is at the heart of what makes Edinburgh unique and we are committed to supporting the sector’s return and future. The return of live audiences next year will be crucial to this recovery. The cultural sector makes a huge contribution to our economy and the quality of life of our communities.

We have made a start though with the City Art Centre reopening in September and we very much look forward to the reopening our other Museums and Galleries as well as opening our doors for performances at the Usher Hall.

So, in 2021, I’ll continue to fight for what I believe in: that it is the city’s duty to continue to nurture Edinburgh’s creative heart. Not just for the huge contributions to our economy but also to the lives of our citizens.

We may find those priorities changing come May, of course. Local government elections are still scheduled to take place on , when we may well see new political alliances and a new administration with new priorities for the capital. – Ed.

Council Leader: ‘Stay away from Holyrood demo’

Demonstrators ‘not welcome’

City Council Leader Adam McVey is urging members of the public to stay at home and not attend a planned demonstration at the Scottish Parliament today.

The council leader said: “We’ve been liaising with Police Scotland and we fully support their advice that people should stay at home. While people are entitled to express their opinions, to do so in this way and at this time puts our residents at unnecessary additional risk.

“This simply isn’t safe. To attend a protest like this now would be incredibly selfish and those doing so would be putting our families and communities at greater risk when numbers of transmissions are already far too high in Edinburgh.

“This attempt to create a crowd is utterly disrespectful to our businesses and residents who are sacrificing so much to try and keep all of us safe.

“Anyone thinking of breaking the rules by travelling to Edinburgh to attend this event should not do so – they are not welcome.”