Tag: city council

Edinburgh’s Christmas lights up the capital to thank key workers

  • Edinburgh’s Christmas lights are switched on with a specially lit 18 metre Christmas Rainbow on the Mound to accompany the Tree gifted by Norway.
  • The Christmas Rainbow symbolises both Edinburgh’s celebration of Christmas and gratitude for front line workers
  • Edinburgh’s Lord Provost and Norway’s Honorary Consul General switched the lights on following an online meeting between the Lord Provost and Vestland County Convenor, Jon Askeland.

Edinburgh looks very different this Christmas to any other year in recent memory. However, despite the lack of any live activity, City of Edinburgh Council and its Edinburgh’s Christmas producer, Underbelly, wanted to mark Light Night, the traditional switch-on, which is usually seen by thousands of locals every year, with something different to mark 2020 – the Christmas Rainbow.

The illuminated rainbow, which sits at over 18 metres wide on the Mound and adjacent to the Christmas Tree gifted to Edinburgh by Vestland in Norway, gives thanks to Edinburgh’s and Scotland’s front-line workers who have given so much during the recent pandemic and so provides a one-off festive celebration for Edinburgh.

The Christmas Tree and the Christmas Rainbow were switched on by The Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Frank Ross and the Honorary Consul General for Norway, David Windmill on Friday the 27th November, which succeeded an online meeting between the Lord Provost and the Vestland County Convener Jon Askeland.

Charlie Wood, co-director of Underbelly for Edinburgh’s Christmas, said: “There is no denying that Christmas this year will be a tough time for most. Many have lost loved ones and lots of us will be unable to spend the holidays with friends and family due to the Covid-19 restrictions.

“This was one of the reasons that we wanted to continue the tradition of the Edinburgh’s Christmas light switch on, in a safe and physically distanced way, and, most especially, why we wanted to mark what has been such a negative year with the Christmas Rainbow and the Christmas Tree, as symbols of colour, of light, of celebration, of positivity and of gratitude.”

Frank Ross, Lord Provost said: “Our annual Light Night signals the start for the festive season for me, but this year, like most things, we are doing it differently. 

“Whilst we can’t come together as a city for Light Night, I hope this year’s Christmas rainbow helps us enter the festive spirit, spread some happiness whilst celebrating and paying tribute to those in in our communities, NHS, key workers, volunteers and businesses who have gone above and beyond in this most challenging of years.

“With our partners Underbelly, we are committed to do all we can to bring Christmas spirit to the Capital and keep some of our traditions.  Our priority throughout remains people’s safety and making sure everything we deliver is Covid-secure.

“The Christmas lights will be switched on throughout the city in the coming days and we hope this helps to create a festive atmosphere and I sincerely wish that we can all have the happiest Christmas we can.”

David Windmill, Honorary Consul General for Norway said: “In a year when there has been so much change and difficulty for us all it was important for Norway to maintain its tradition of gifting the Christmas tree to the City of Edinburgh.

“This beautiful tree in the centre of the city reflects the gratitude of the people of Vestland on the west coast of Norway for help and support in the past and also the hope that this time next year we shall be celebrating the joyous and traditional Christmas in Edinburgh that we all know so well.”

Edinburgh unveils plan for ending poverty by 2030

Edinburgh skyline

The city council has unveiled a ten-year delivery plan outlining the actions it will take to help eradicate poverty in the Capital by 2030.

Published just under two months since Edinburgh became the first UK local authority to set a target date for ending poverty, the End Poverty in Edinburgh Delivery Plan 2020-2030 will be considered by the Council’s Policy and Sustainability Committee on 1 December. 

It sets out key actions to be taken by the Council over the next decade in response to the final report from the Edinburgh Poverty Commission, which was published in September this year. 

Preventing poverty through people-focused and “poverty-proofed” Council services, helping households maximise their incomes, establishing Edinburgh as a Living Wage City and pressing the UK and Scottish Governments for changes to housing investment and social security policy are among the priority actions outlined in the delivery plan.  

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “Tackling poverty and inequality in our City drives the choices we are making as a Council. We have to act decisively if we’re to eradicate poverty in the Capital by 2030. The first iteration of the delivery plan, just weeks after we received the final recommendations from the Edinburgh Poverty Commission, is the next major step towards that aim. 

“The ongoing impact of the Covid19 pandemic has hit those on lowest incomes hardest, this should challenge all of us to join the fight to end poverty in Edinburgh. We’ll be ensuring this is central to the choices we make when setting our budget and refreshing the Council’s Business Plan in early 2021.

“This isn’t something the Council can achieve in isolation, however, and this plan is only the first step towards meeting the call to action the Commission has set for us all. The next year will be critical in making sure we pull together and start the long-term work we need to do to end poverty in Edinburgh.

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “It’s estimated there’s as much as £80 million in unclaimed benefits in the city. Making sure people are able to access all the financial support they are entitled to is one vital step we can take towards ending poverty in Edinburgh.

“The Edinburgh Poverty Commission report showed us that there are already a number of excellent support services working hard in this city to help Edinburgh residents do just that, but there is much more we need to do. Eradicating poverty in Edinburgh will take a massive collective effort – a ‘whole city approach’ – and this new delivery plan will see us working with our partners across the city to extend these supports and make sure high quality services to prevent or help people out of poverty are embedded in every community in Edinburgh.

“We’ll also continue to press the Scottish and UK Governments hard on making essential changes to housing investment and to social security policy and implementation to build a stronger support system for Scotland that, to quote the Edinburgh Poverty Commission report, ‘is based on a fundamental objective of providing income security sufficient for people in Edinburgh to live free of poverty‘”.

The End Poverty in Edinburgh Delivery Plan 2020-2030 highlights 13 priority actions needed to accelerate progress towards the goal of ending poverty in Edinburgh by 2030, and 44 actions identified for delivery and implementation through existing or forthcoming mainstream Council plans and strategies.

The Plan’s actions span seven ‘action areas’, as outlined in the final report from the Edinburgh Poverty Commission: 

  • The right support in the places we live and work
  • Fair work that provides dignity and security
  • A decent home we can afford to live in
  • Income security that offers a real lifeline
  • Opportunities that drive justice and boost prospects
  • Connections in a city that belongs to us
  • Equality in our health and wellbeing

If approved by councillors on the Policy and Sustainability Committee on 1 December, the Delivery Plan will then be implemented, with a detailed progress monitoring framework brought back to Committee within two cycles. 

In October, the Committee agreed to endorse a Team Edinburgh approach with other partners and organisations to become the first UK local authority to commit to ending poverty by a specific date.

On the day the Capital Coalition made their announcement on poverty targets a protest was taking place in Muirhouse, one of the capital’s poorest areas.

Living Rent campaigners staged an ‘Enough is Enough’ event to highlight the intolerable conditions council tenants are living in.

WALL OF SHAME

Muirhouse residents highlight council’s repairs failures

  • This afternoon Muirhouse Living Rent members will be highlighting Edinburgh council’s home repairs failures in chalk outside Pennywell Road shops before hand delivering their demands regarding the repairs process within Edinburgh Council properties to council buildings on West Pilton Gardens
  • This action comes after repeated instances of residents’ repairs’ needs being ignored, delayed or delivered to a poor standard and seeks to call Edinburgh council’s attention to the wider repairs system
  • Tenants demand that Edinburgh city council introduce measure to improve delays, satisfaction and communication regarding repairs

Today, from 1pm – 3.30pm, Living Rent members from Muirhouse will gather to protest the failure of Edinburgh City Council to provide an adequate standard of repairs to council properties in the area.

Members’ will write a wall of complaints in chalk complying with social distancing measures to bring the council’s attention to the significant delays, lack of communication, and poor quality repairs across these properties which have left many residents living with long-term mould, damp, drafts, and leaks.

Information received from a Freedom of Information request shows that despite there being less than 5,000 council properties in the North West locality of the city, to date there are 1,390 uncompleted repairs jobs.

Residents also learned that in the last year alone, the council received over 2,815 repairs complaints relating to heating systems and 1,472 relating to plumbing works with the average time taken for a repair to be completed being 35 days – this is despite a 2019 Edinburgh council report revealing that 90% of homes in Muirhouse required repairs [1].

Ongoing issues with severe damp, mould, and leaks in Muirhouse residents’ homes is contributing to respiratory health problems with one resident being told by her doctor that her mould-ridden property was no longer safe for her and her child to live in.

Edinburgh council advice to residents suffering with extreme mould and damp is to ventilate and heat the property, but owing to the structural insulation problems across many of the blocks, heating the properties sufficiently is a costly process.

Some families across the blocks estimate their winter heating costs to be as high as £50/week – adding to problems of fuel poverty in an area where one in three children live in poverty [2].

Amidst a global pandemic, accessing secure, safe and quality housing is more important than ever, and residents fear that the upcoming winter will exacerbate the consequences of unaddressed repairs issues.

Following the chalk wall of shame on Pennywell Road, tenants will proceed to march down to the West Pilton Gardens Council offices where they plan to deliver their letter of demands by hand.

These demands include:

– A new system by which tenants must sign-off on all repairs jobs prior to the council closing the case
– Tenants to be given ‘repairs process’ satisfaction forms after the completion of each repair
– Having a named council employee who works in the repairs department who is designated to be responsible for all repairs cases across Muirhouse
– Tenants to be given a deadline for any second repairs visits within 24 hours of the first visit by a tradesperson or council worker
– Tenants request Edinburgh council provide a reasonable timescale within which all repairs should be resolved

Muirhouse tenant and Living Rent member, Shafiq, said: “I have been waiting for over nine months for a leak repair. My home is permanently damp and causing respiratory problems during a pandemic – and I’m not even living in the worst flat in my building!”

Another Muirhouse-based Living Rent member highlighted that “this type of behaviour by Edinburgh council shows the need for an in depth review of their system which is clearly failing tenants in the middle of a pandemic, when access to warm, secure and quality housing is crucial to health”.

Notes

[1]https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-council-finds-90-cent-muirhouse-flats-need-repair-141071

[2]https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/shameful-figures-show-extent-child-18153034

[3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-45508172

[4] https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/authority-acting-like-a-slum-landlord-wbncv9nr8

[5] https://nen.press/2018/09/13/slum-landlord-muirhouse-high-rise-conditions-insufferable/

www.livingrent.org

City Council ‘must do better’

Over the last four years many services provided by the City of Edinburgh Council have improved, its finances have been well-managed and ambitious strategies to improve the lives of local people and the economy have been agreed.

In a report published today the Accounts Commission says, however, that since 2016 there has been mixed progress at a strategic level, across community engagement and continuous improvement.

The council must now put in place a long-term financial strategy and a more effective workforce plan.

Both are essential for the council to address the additional pressures the impact of Covid-19 has placed on the council, and support how it will fund and manage its vision for the future. Strong leadership and clear, collaborative working with local partners are vital to realise these ambitions.

Across Scotland, Covid-19 has exacerbated existing inequalities, an issue of significant concern to the Accounts Commission.

Whilst Edinburgh is, overall, a prosperous city, the Commission urge the council to continue to lead and progress its commitment to reducing poverty and inequality across the city.

The council should also do more to embed community empowerment throughout the council’s culture, enabling local people to improve public services and their communities.

Elma Murray, Interim Chair of the Accounts Commission said, “The City of Edinburgh Council can do more to maximise its potential to improve the city and the lives of local people.

“Whilst the ambition of the council and its partners is impressive, the detail of how it will deliver, monitor and report on its key strategic goals must be in one accessible and coherent plan. It is the responsibility of all local councillors, working together, to ensure the city and its services continue to improve.

“It is important for the council to focus on continuous improvement and the creation of long-term financial and workforce plans. I expect the council to act swiftly on our report. Doing so will support the council’s ambitions to improve the lives of its residents.”

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Responding to the report, Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We welcome the Accounts Commission’s constructive feedback in response to the Best Value Assurance Report carried out by the Controller of Audit and we are pleased to note their positive comments about the levels of ambition we have shown in addressing our key priorities of poverty, sustainability and wellbeing.

“The Controller of Audit acknowledged the improving picture of our core services, while our bold strategies to put people at the heart of how we design public space, our proven ability to take difficult decisions like taking trams to Newhaven, and extensive consultations with residents and stakeholders to put communities at the heart of our decision-making are all cited as strengths.

“Of course, we’re always striving to improve wherever we can so that we deliver the best possible services and achieve what we’ve set out to achieve on behalf of the people of Edinburgh. We are now carefully reviewing the full report and will work hard to address areas in need of our attention going forward.”

Depute Leader, Labour’s Cammy Day said: “The Council delivers more than 700 services for Scotland’s Capital, from care for the most vulnerable in our communities and maintaining several hundred miles of roads and pavements to educating our children and putting roofs over people’s heads, and much more besides.

“Our frontline colleagues continue to pull out all the stops to keep vital services going during hugely challenging circumstances right now and I want to thank each and every one of them for their hard work and dedication. 

“These are especially testing times for all local authorities given the ongoing global pandemic and straitened public finances so it’s vital we are equipped with as much information as possible when making decisions affecting our communities.

“What we’re doing now is reviewing the Best Value Assurance report and the Accounts Commission’s findings in full with elected members. We’ll then draw up our detailed response setting out how we plan to use the findings in the best interests of the whole city.”

The Best Value Assurance Audit report and Accounts Commission findings will be considered and scrutinised by the Policy and Sustainability Committee on 1 December, by the Governance, Risk and Best Value Committee on 8 December and by Full Council on 10 December. 

MUIRHOUSE DESERVES BETTER: Day Of Action


📍Thurs 26th 13:00 at Pennywell Road shops: https://fb.me/e/LVcOQRcz

Living Rent Muirhouse members are inviting local residents and union members to draw in chalk their housing problems which are not being dealt with by their landlord – Edinburgh City Council.

Members and residents will then hand in a list of their demands about repairs to the Edinburgh City Council offices. This has gone on for long enough: Muirhouse Deserves Better!

SOCIALLY DISTANCED/ COVID MEASURES

– online tweets and fb posts for those shielding
– masks and hand sanitiser provided
– physically distancing measures enacted

Trams: ‘Business case remains sound’

First track laid on Trams to Newhaven route

The controversial Trams to Newhaven project passed another milestone this week when the first tracks were laid in Leith – on Friday 13th.

Contractors have begun constructing the 2.91 mile line and are currently working on the sections next to Ocean Terminal and in Tower Street, Leith.

Thursday’s full council meeting approved the continued construction of the line in light of an updated Final Business Case (FBC) reflecting on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the project.

The report includes a series of scenarios, developed to stress-test the FBC, each of which demonstrate the economic case for the project remains positive, and in all but one scenario the impact on Council reserves if the project is cancelled would be greater than continuing construction.

On Friday, Council leader Cllr Adam McVey visited the site at Ocean Terminal to see work progressing.

He said: “It’s fantastic to see tracks in the ground in Leith – it’s a real milestone for this major project. We’re already beginning to see the route take shape and get an idea of just what a positive impact it will have on the local community.

“It’s particularly encouraging to know that the economic and business cases for Trams to Newhaven remain sound, despite the challenges of this year. Now we can progress with this exciting stage of the scheme safe in the knowledge that it will deliver the maximum benefits for local residents and the city as a whole.”

Despite the council facing mounting financial challenges the Trams to Newhaven project has the full backing of the Labour group, the SNP’s partners in the ‘Capital Coalition’.

Depute Leader, Labour’s Cammy Day, said: “It’s essential that we continue to invest in sustainable, clean transport and Trams to Newhaven is a key example. There is no doubt in the positive effects this scheme will have on the environment, the local economy and in encouraging development along the line.

“I’m delighted that the updated business case supports this as progress with construction continues apace.”

Work on the Trams to Newhaven project was instructed to stop on 25 March following guidance from the First Minister on COVID-19 and recommenced in June. An updated programme shows that the project is still working towards Spring 2023 for completion and is forecast to be delivered within the agreed £207.3m budget.

The council says the project’s completion will play a key role in the future growth and development of the city.

Delivering the tram line to Leith will unlock a large area of the city for housing and economic development, while providing a low-carbon, clean mode of transport to densely populated communities, they maintain.

Meanwhile rumblings persist that all is not well with the project’s finances, and Lord Hardie’s inquiry into the original Edinburgh Trams fiasco – years late, tens of millions of pounds over budget and delivering far less than was promised – rumbles on …

Find out more about Trams to Newhaven online.

Shop Here This Year!

Edinburgh residents are urged to celebrate what’s on our doorsteps in a festive season campaign that encourages shoppers to support local businesses when looking for the perfect present.

Launched today and extending through 2021,  the ‘Shop Here This Year’ campaign shines a spotlight on 11 neighbourhoods and town centres across the city.  It celebrates the quality independent retailers, eateries, and personal shopping experiences which bring our local high streets to life.

Highlighting unique aspects of each area, the campaign, aligned to the Scotland’s Towns Partnership Shop Local activities, will roll out across the Council’s digital platforms under the hashtag #shopherethisyear.

Businesses and shoppers are urged to get behind the campaign, sharing on their own social channels and supporting the local businesses which have such a vital impact on the city economy, local supply chains and local jobs.

The 11 areas that will be the focus of the campaign include: Leith & Leith Walk, Gorgie & Dalry, Bruntsfield & Morningside, Nicolson & Clerk Street, Tollcross, Royal Mile, Greater Grassmarket, Queensferry, Corstorphine, Stockbridge and Portobello.

For each location, the campaign will use real customer reviews to champion the range of unique experiences and products available across Edinburgh.

To mark the campaign’s launch an ultimate Christmas hamper of Edinburgh goodies, worth around £400, from businesses across the neighbourhoods is up for grabs.

Prizes include a tour and delicious samples from local gin distillers, Harris Tweed face coverings, luxury shortbread, selected fine wine, local jams, chutneys, cheeses, baked goods, festive treats and more.

To explore these fantastic vendors by bike, Just Eat Cycles include an annual pass in this giveaway and Edinburgh Zoo are giving away a VIP pass for the whole family to their Christmas Zoo experience.

For a chance to win, Edinburgh residents are asked to take to social media and share what makes their favourite independent shops special, using the hashtag #shopherethisyear and tagging @Edinburgh or @ThisIsEdinburgh on Instagram. Terms & Conditions apply, please go to Edinburgh.org for more details. 

Councillor Kate Campbell, Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, said: “There are so many amazing independent retail businesses across our city offering a unique and personal experience while contributing much to our local communities, local economies and providing jobs.

“It goes without saying that all sectors have suffered because of the Covid-19 pandemic this year. That’s why, more now than ever, it’s so important that we all support our local businesses.”

Vice Convener Councillor Mandy Watt said: “It’s so important that businesses get behind this campaign so we can all share the collective message that people across Edinburgh should #shopherethisyear – we’re all in this together and its inspiring to see the hard work put in by retailers to keep customers safe while they shop local.“

Small Business Champion Councillor Lezley Marion Cameron said: “Edinburgh businesses have invested in, innovated and adapted their operating arrangements to comply with continuing Tier 3 restrictions to keep patrons, customers and staff safe.

“They deserve our thanks and, more importantly, our support – as a Council, and as a city.  With the festive season and #SmallBusinessSaturday2020 (on 5 December) fast approaching, I hope Edinburgh residents and businesses will embrace the #shopherethisyear initiative: by shopping local, by creating, liking and sharing posts on social media and by encouraging families and friends to do so too.”

Beth Edberg, who runs Scottish food emporium Cranachan and Crowdie on the Royal Mile, said: “Businesses across Edinburgh have never needed residents to shop local more than they do now in the run-up to Christmas. That’s why this new Shop Here This Year campaign is so very welcome”.

The campaign, aligned with the #ForeverEdinburgh city-wide partnership initiative, has been funded by Scotland’s Towns Partnership as part of the wider Scotland Loves Local campaign which is designed to encourage shoppers across the country to think local first.

Limited youth work set to restart

Green light for community centre reopening

Youth work can restart in Edinburgh community centres following an agreement reached by Councillors yesterday.

The City of Edinburgh Council approved the Community Centres and Libraries Reopening (update) report which recommended allowing community centres to apply for permission to reopen for indoor youth work as long as they can provide assurances they will be following national guidance to keep everyone safe.

The youth work that can be carried out is targeted as defined by Youth Scotland which is limited to small numbers of vulnerable young people.

Up to now their management committees could ask permission to open their buildings for essential voluntary or urgent public support services such as food banks, homeless services, blood donation sessions, regulated childcare or access to retrieve equipment for outdoor youth work.

Today’s decision means community centres can reopen for youth work through agreement with the Council who have already written to all the management committees to gauge the level of interest in restarting youth work indoors.

Eleven of the 35 management committees have replied looking at gaining access to provide some children services and or youthwork – ranging from one session a week up to several sessions for different groups.

The Council has also asked the management committees what support they may need and assurances that they are confident they can reopen in line with the latest Scottish Government guidance.

The Council’s ambition is to have a planned, phased reopening of libraries and community centres for the wider public as part of Phase 4 of the Scottish Government’s Scotland’s route map through and out of the crisis – subject to public health guidance and the capacity to support the safe use of the buildings.

As part of this Councillors also discussed plans to reopen more libraries in the coming weeks building on the success of the six venues that reopened last month – Kirkliston, Newington, Fountainbridge, McDonald Road, Stockbridge and Central.

As part of the next phased reopening four more buildings – Wester Hailes, Craigmillar, Gilmerton and Drumbrae – would aim to open their doors in the coming weeks.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “It’s really important we do everything we can to support our young people in these challenging times and youth work is a key element of this.

“I’m pleased we’ve now seen substantial progress to support and enable specific community centres to reopen and the agreed process will see further community centres open up their buildings for this vital service.

“As always our top priority is the health of our citizens so we have to make sure the buildings are safe to reopen. We’ll work with management committees to help them meet national guidance, such as increased cleaning measures to keep everyone safe and prevent spread of infection.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “There’s already a range of youth work services being provided by both the Council and our third sector partners across the city but opening up our community centres allows more of our young people to access these important facilities.

“We know how much young people benefit from the stability and normality youth work provides so I’m sure they will be pleased at today’s decision. We really appreciate everyone’ support and patience as we gradually reopen our services – it’s really important to make sure what is being provided continues to keep our young people as safe as possible.”

Green light for ‘town centre’ regeneration projects

Funding for Pennywell Culture & Learning Hub and Granton Station

Five projects across the city are to benefit from the city council’s Town Centre Fund. Gracemount public realm, Craigmillar town centre, Westside Plaza Phase 3, Granton Station, Pentlands Community Space and Pennywell Hub have all been chosen to receive a share of the £1.454 million being allocated.

The funding for all of these local projects was passed at today’s City of Edinburgh Council full council meeting.

The money is part of £3.567 million of total investment that the City of Edinburgh Council received, over two rounds, from the Scottish Government Town Centre Fund. The funding seeks to drive local economic activity and invest in inclusive growth which supports town centres to become more diverse and sustainable, creating more vibrant, creative, enterprising and accessible places for their communities.

Local MSP, Ben Macpherson, has said that “the £747,000 investment for the Granton Station project will create a new destination in the heart of North Edinburgh for locals and visitors alike, and is an exciting aspect of the wider Waterfront development.”

Edinburgh Pentlands MSP, Gordon MacDonald, was also delighted to see “two brilliant local projects in Edinburgh Pentlands receiving the backing they need to take them another step closer to becoming a reality” as Westside Plaza Phase 3 and Pentlands Community Space were confirmed as they received £300,000 and £75,000 respectively.

The projects receiving funding also includes the Craigmillar town centre project and their bid to receive £170,000.

This funding will support them to turn a vacant site in the heart of the Craigmillar regeneration area into a hub for the local community and provide spaces for new and existing businesses.

The Edinburgh East MP, Tommy Sheppard, has said “This is an imaginative project that can help stimulate business in Craigmillar in a way that works with the grain of social distancing. It’s the kind of smart, targeted investment we need to bounce back from the pandemic.”

Commenting on the city wide funding, Convener of Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work, Cllr Kate Campbell, said: “We know that the impact on businesses from the pandemic has been especially hard, and that jobs and livelihoods are at risk. It’s important that we are doing everything we can to boost economic activity in our town centres so this allocation of additional funding to the Town Centres fund could not have come at a better time.

“We’re investing in public realm in areas of the city that we know have high levels of poverty. These are communities that need this investment.

“Most of these projects focus on transforming public realm. At Granton and Craigmillar this is going further, and creating a space that can be used for outdoor markets and pop up food and drink stalls.

“I’m really pleased that we are creating economic opportunities in the communities that will really feel the benefit. It’s about quality of life – creating public space that is safe, well designed, pedestrian and cycle friendly, and a place that people want to be. When we create spaces like this, we encourage people to use their local town centres in a way that’s good for the community and good for local businesses.

“The other benefit of these projects is that they all involve construction – so at the same time as benefiting communities, and improving public space, we’re also creating jobs at a time when they are desperately needed.”

Guide Dogs Scotland express concerns over capital’s Spaces for People programme

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has said that Edinburgh Council must urgently review their Space for People project to meet the needs of people with sight loss.  

A recent FOI request by Mr Briggs revealed that no safety audits had been carried out by Edinburgh City Council ahead of putting new measures in place.

Guide Dogs Scotland have contacted Edinburgh City Council about a number of concerns they have with the Space for People initiative, the foremost being the lack of consultation with most vulnerable road users.

A key concern is that the Commonplace online map, an online tool for consulting on changes, has not been fully accessible to people with sight loss.  

Another concern raised is a lack of transparency, with the walking and cycling charity Sustrans, managing the funds, providing advice and having developed the evaluation framework for the programme.

Particular safety concerns which have been highlighted include ‘floating bus stops’ and ‘bus boarders’ that require pedestrians to cross an uncontrolled crossing before and after they board a bus. For people with sight loss, this presents a particular challenge as many won’t be able to see approaching cyclists.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “The ill-thought-out Spaces for People initiative has created a number of significant changes to streets and roads across Edinburgh and has clearly impacted negatively on people with sight loss.

“From the outset Edinburgh City Council has failed to consult with local residents and must now act and take on board this guidance from Guide Dogs Scotland and fully consult with those who are visually impaired.   

“Floating bus stops and bus borders are issues which have been highlighted as especially hazardous for people who have sight loss and these real concerns must be addressed urgently.”

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Edinburgh has secured almost £2m in additional funding from Sustrans to improve conditions for walking, cycling and wheeling, it’s been announced.

The £1.95m award, comprising of Spaces for People and Places for Everyone funding, will add to £5m already received from the Scottish Government, via Sustrans, to implement temporary measures supporting travel by foot, bike or wheelchair.

This latest boost will help us to complete the proposed programme of temporary improvements first approved by Policy and Sustainability Committee in May. It will also allow the Spaces for People team to enhance schemes where possible, carry out more road and pavement resurfacing and increase the removal of street clutter.

Since May, we’ve introduced many temporary changes across the city to provide safe and protected routes, helping pedestrians and cyclists to travel while physically distancing. Amongst these are widened pavements in key shopping streets, segregated cycle lanes on main roads, closures on roads leading to popular parks and beauty spots, and improvements around schools.

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “This is fantastic news and is testament to the hard work of our Spaces for People team, who are developing schemes which support people to walk, cycle and wheel while COVID restrictions are in place.

Additional funding will help us to deliver an even better package of routes and improvements which not only create more room for physical distancing but help residents to make healthy, active travel choices whenever they can.

Transport and Environment Vice Convener Councillor Karen Doran said: “We’ve already delivered a whole range of projects – helping children to get to school safely, creating space to spend time on shopping streets and giving cyclists safer, segregated routes for travel.

“This funding will help us provide additional improvements including removing street clutter to help reduce obstacles to pedestrian movement and improving some projects already on the ground, for example by renewing surfacing, and potentially adding some new projects.”

An update report to Transport and Environment Committee last week outlined the next steps for Spaces for People in Edinburgh, including amendments to existing interventions, several more complex schemes and improvements developed as a result of public feedback.

This has been referred to Full Council today (Thursday 19 November) for final approval.

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