Councillor Val Walker writes about revitalising our town and local centres with a 20-minute neighbourhood approach:
Being able to live well locally is incredibly important to our quality of life. Our town and local centres play a huge role in daily lives. Whether you live round the corner or in the surrounding area, many of us meet friends and family, shop, work, use libraries and other local services, and enjoy culture around our high streets.
The importance of town and local centres has been a leading thought in updating one of our key strategies to help people across Edinburgh live in places that are healthier, greener, more vibrant and inclusive.
The updated 20-minute neighbourhood strategy outlines our support for local living to give more people more choice within their neighbourhood, while also making it easier to travel further to reach the other services and facilities they need on public transport and by active travel. It’s one that many communities already enjoy, but sadly isn’t a universal experience for all of our residents.
Local centres that are easy to access and great places to spend time can boost our own health, help us to be more physically active, and make it easier to connect with the other people in our communities.
This work is already well underway in Craigmillar, Muirhouse and Pennywell where our regeneration projects have enhanced the local centres with the delivery of new community facilities, shops, and homes.
They will soon be joined by the new Community Hub at Macmillan Square, which will feature an early years centre, library, skills hub and expanded North Edinburgh Arts facility.
New active travel links with green spaces and areas for socialising are also being planned to make it easier to access the local centres and create a more pleasant place to live and visit.
We are also approaching the next stages of an exciting town centre revitalisation programme in Dalry and Portobello. These town centres are built around busy main roads with compromised and cramped public spaces.
Our engagement work in these areas earlier this year presented a real appetite for change and ideas for making local spaces more people-friendly. These ideas have helped shaped some of the very initial plans for development, which we will be presenting to the community through consultation next year. We strongly welcome everyone’s feedback.
This is our 20-minute neighbourhood approach in action, ensuring services and facilities are close to people, making them easier to access and helping make walking, wheeling and cycling to be the natural choice for shorter journeys.
If we work together, we can start to see how all residents throughout Edinburgh can enjoy a more thriving city that brings communities together in cleaner, greener spaces.
Nearly a quarter of Scottish councils warn of effective bankruptcy
EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL plans cuts to services, affecting millions of residents
New research out today from Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) Scotland reveals that nearly a quarter of Scottish councils fear they will not be able to balance their budgets in the 2024/25 financial year.
This is despite the fact that every single council in Scotland plans to cut spending on services in the next financial year, with around two-thirds of respondents cutting spending on education, parks and leisure, and business support.
Alongside planned cuts, nearly all (97%) said that they would be increasing fees and charges, and nine in ten (89%) that they would be spending reserves.
The first annual LGIU State of Local Government Finance in Scotland survey, found more than three quarters of respondents (76%) believe these cuts will be evident to the public.
Had it not been for the Scottish Government decision to unilaterally declare a council tax freeze, every council would have raised council tax, most often by a significant amount. The proposed council tax freeze has contributed to an increasingly poor relationship between Scottish Government and local government.
The current state of the economy, manifested in high rates of inflation, affects wages, utilities and food, thus making service provision even more expensive for councils and was considered to be a problem by every respondent who answered. The associated cost of living crisis – which puts additional demand on services – was also considered to be a problem by over 90% of respondents.
There was widespread agreement on the most pressing issues in council finances: in addition to inflation, ring-fencing, staff recruitment, cost of living crisis and pressures linked to demographic change were all considered to be problems by more than 90% of respondents.
Adult social care and children’s services were considered the greatest shortest-term pressures on council finances, and adult social care by far the greatest long-term pressure.
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU Scotland,said: “Councils in Scotland are raising a red flag that council finances are completely unsustainable. With nearly a quarter of councils warning they may be unable to fulfil their statutory duties, it is only a matter of time before we see the first council in Scotland declare effective bankruptcy.
“Councils are pulling every lever available to them to balance their books. Every respondent said they were cutting spending on services, 97% that they would be increasing fees and charges, 89% that they would be spending reserves. But it is not enough. Councils have little to no confidence in local government finance and the issues behind the crisis are not going away.
“Scottish Government must work productively with councils to restore trust, remove ring fencing, identify revenue streams and reform core funding for councils to ensure residents, and particularly the most vulnerable in communities, are able to access the services they need and pay for.”
Pupils at Dalry Primary School are set to benefit from safer streets and improved air quality with the introduction of a new ‘school zone’.
Following the results of a School Travel survey, the City of Edinburgh Council is introducing the initiative in both side streets of Dalry Primary School, covering two pupil entrances on Springwell Place and Cathcart Place.
School children shared their ideas to improve the school zone with the parents, carers and local residents following a day of engagement on 5th December.
The Council will receive £46,000 from Sustrans’ Temporary School Streets Fund to widen the footpath outside the school and reduce vehicle traffic in the immediate area surrounding the school.
Such ‘school zones’ offer a number of benefits for everyone, including increasing walking, cycling and active lifestyles for pupils, parents and carers, while also reducing the speed of traffic, congestion and pollution around school gates.
Dalry Primary School is working with the Council and Sustrans to collaboratively design the project, which could include some playful elements such as artwork, planters and benches or seats, so children feel safer and more relaxed.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “As part of our recent survey, parents have told us that the streets surrounding Dalry Primary School can be busy with traffic and difficult to navigate safely at certain times of the day.
“This new ‘school zone’ is part of our 20-minute neighbourhood approach in the local area to create a safer, more relaxed environment for everyone to move around and spend time.
“We have seen from other similar initiatives across the city that many parents have enjoyed being able to walk and cycle more easily with their children every day, and we look forward to monitoring the results of this project and hopefully delivering the same benefits right across Dalry in partnership with local residents and businesses.
“I know that many other schools in Edinburgh suffer from the same problems, so I hope that they will be able to learn from Dalry Primary School. No parent should have to worry about their child walking to school.
Elaine Honeyman, Headteacher at Dalry Primary School, said:“The safety and wellbeing of our students is a top priority.
By reducing traffic at pick-up and drop-off times, parents and children will feel more empowered to walk, wheel or cycle to school.
“Older pupils making their way to school on their own will be able to cross the roads much more safely.
Limiting car access also reduces noise and air pollution, creating a more pleasant and sustainable atmosphere for both our school and the surrounding community.
Eilish MacKay, P7 Pupil at Dalry Primary School, shared her thoughts: “I think this will improve safety around our school.
“It will encourage more families to do exercise, and walk, cycle or scooter to school.
“The improved width of the pavements will allow families to walk more safely without being squished up.
“If we can reduce the traffic in the streets around the school, it will decrease the pollution and give us cleaner air to breathe.”
Dr Cecilia Oram, Head of Behaviour Change, Sustrans Scotland said: “Creating a safe environment for young people is so important. Our latest Hands Up Scotland Survey revealed that nearly 50 percent of school pupils are travelling actively to school, either by walking, cycling, scootering or skating.
“Through the Temporary School Streets Fund, we can encourage even more families to leave the car at home in favour of cleaner air and safer streets.”
The school zone outside Dalry Primary School will reduce motor traffic on Cathcart Place and Springwell Place (where the school has its entrances) on school days between 8:15 and 9:15am, Mondays to Thursdays between 2:30 and 3:45pm and Fridays between 11:30 and 1pm.
Local access will continue for residents of Cathcart Place and Springwell Place, emergency services and blue badge holders.
An online survey is available until 15 January 2024, where residents, parents and carers can share comments on the current safety levels of Springwell Place and Cathcart Place, alongside their feedback and suggestions for the school zone project.
Three Edinburgh projects were honoured at the Scottish Public Service Awards 2023 this week (December 6).
The awards, which are in their tenth year, are run by Holyrood Communications in partnership with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament to help celebrate the contribution of public servants.
Edinburgh’s response to supporting Ukrainian refugees was a standout of the evening winning two awards.
Edinburgh’s Warm Scots Welcome is a community and voluntary sector partnership which has helped welcome more than 11,000 Ukrainian refugees since the Russian invasion early last year.
The initiative, which was organised in collaboration between the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) and Volunteer Edinburgh (VE), won the Voluntary Sector Partnership Award.
The Edinburgh Ukrainian Welcome Hub also won the Commercial Partnerships Award.
This was a partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council and NatWest Group/Royal Bank of Scotland which has supported Ukrainians arriving in Scotland by providing property and facilities management, opening bank accounts, raising aid, distributing donations, volunteering, running events, giving specialist expertise, and offering women and girls tech training and employment.
Approximately 3,000 Ukrainians (representing up to 900 households), currently reside in Edinburgh, with over 350 children and young people in our education system.
There was also a victory for the Integrated Regional Employability and Skills Programme (IRES), as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal programme, which took the Project and Programme Management Award.
IRES seeks to evolve regional labour market policy and practice to drive inclusive growth, promising to deliver an additional 14,700 skill improvements across the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region and help 5,300 people into employment.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “I’m absolutely delighted to see the fantastic work in our city being recognised.
“Edinburgh’s solidarity and support for Ukraine and the Ukrainians who now call Edinburgh home is unwavering. These awards highlight the extensive partnership work between local government, third sector, private sector and other partners that has taken place across the city since the start of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine in February 2022.
“As we shift our focus from welcoming our Ukrainian guests to helping with settling into their new lives here in Edinburgh, this strength of partnership is as important as ever. I’d like to wholeheartedly thank all our partners and the people of Edinburgh for all their efforts.
“Employment, upskilling, and improving the working lives of our residents are also key priorities, and it’s great to see that these have been recognised in IRES’s award.”
Nicola Benedetti CBE, was officially presented with the coveted Edinburgh Award by the Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge yesterday evening (December 5) at a civic reception at the City Chambers.
Since 2007, the Edinburgh Award has celebrated individuals who have made a truly unique contribution to the city and brought the Capital to national and international attention.
Alongside family, friends and invited guests, Benedetti received an engraved Loving Cup from the Lord Provost, an official award certificate, and a set of her handprints preserved in stone in the City Chambers quadrangle was unveiled. As part of the ceremony, a specially commissioned poem by Hannah Lavery, the Edinburgh Makar, was recited in Benedetti’s honour.
This year marked Benedetti’s first edition of the International Festival as Festival Director, which was a resounding success. Over 24 packed days, the Edinburgh International Festival saw performances from 2,500 remarkable and diverse artists representing 50 nations.
The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, and Chair of the Edinburgh Award Panel, Robert Aldridge said: “I was delighted to present Nicola Benedetti with the Edinburgh Award yesterday evening.
“Nicola’s handprints are now immortalised in stone at the City Chambers quadrangle, and she deservedly follows in the footsteps of some of the finest individuals associated with our great city.
“From heading up one of the world’s most important cultural celebrations in the Edinburgh International Festival, to being a globally renowned musician in her own right, she has represented the Capital with pride, dedication, and skill. Nicola is also one of the youngest ever recipients of the Edinburgh Award which shows the measure and scale of her talent and achievements.
“I’d also highlight the fantastic work of the Benedetti Foundation, based in the city, which focusses on musical education, participation, and experiences. Since its establishment in 2019 it has reached over 50,000 participants of all ages from 103 countries,
“I’d like to congratulate Nicola on behalf of the city, and I’m sure she will continue to do great things in the future, both here in Edinburgh and beyond.”
Festival Director of the Edinburgh International Festival, and Recipient of the Edinburgh Award 2023, Nicola Benedetti CBE said: “Each gift in our life, such as the role of Festival Director or a recognition such as this award, serves as a propellor – and an opportunity for choice.
“Each gift holds the potential for responsibility to others, that you choose to serve and grasp, or not. Each gift is a reminder of our place in a lineage of contributors to bettering life for ourselves and for others; a reminder of the collective potential we have when we all consider – in our own unique way – our civic and moral duty.”
Small Business Saturday returns this weekend (2 December) for its eleventh year in the UK.
Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign which highlights small business success and encourages us to ‘shop local’ and support small businesses in our communities. It takes place each year on the first weekend in December.
Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, Councillor Jane Meagher, has been out visiting small businesses and enterprises around Leith and the Shore to mark the occasion and celebrate the area’s recent recognition as ‘the best neighbourhood in the UK and Ireland’ at the 2023 Urbanism Awards.
Clockwise Serviced Offices – Located in what was originally a bonded warehouse, Commercial Quay, the building has been converted to create open-plan office space to suit any business.
Shore Deli – Recently opened under new management, The Shore Deli serves breakfast rolls, sandwiches and salads with a wide variety of coffees and cakes.
Destined for Home – An independently run interior and gift studio which places emphasis on high quality, individuality and purpose.
The ‘great neighbourhood’ award is one of five given out each year by The Academy of Urbanism, a network of built environment experts from across Europe. They recognise Britain and Ireland’s best place, street, neighbourhood and town and are based on several factors, including commercial success.
Small Business Saturday is an opportunity to showcase the great mix of independent shops that make Leith, and the rest of the city, such a special place to live, work and visit.
Councillor Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “It was a pleasure to visit some brilliant local businesses in Leith as Small Business Saturday kicks off. The small businesses in and around Leith and the Shore form a huge part of what makes the area so special, and the recent award is testament to this.
“Edinburgh is home to a number of fantastic small businesses that form the backbone of our high streets. They play a key role in our communities, creating vital job opportunities and contributing to the economy.
“As we continue to feel the effects of uncertain economic times, this year more than ever we need to make sure we support small enterprises and contribute everything we can to their success. I would encourage everyone to shop local, not only this Small Business Saturday but all year round.”
Support your local shops this Small Business Saturday
Small Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake urges everyone to support their local small businesses
Targeted government intervention is addressing gaps in accessing finance from traditional lenders to help them scale up and grow
Small Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake has urged everyone to go out and support their local small businesses this Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday is an initiative which encourages consumers to shop locally and support small businesses in their communities and it falls on the first Saturday of December.
In a call to action the Minister said: “I urge everyone to join me in supporting our local small businesses this Small Business Saturday. The best support we can give them is to shop local this festive season.
“Every penny spent at your local small business is an investment in your community.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed small businesses, charities and local communities to Downing Street for a Christmas Market Festive Showcase on Thursday 30th November ahead of Small Business Saturday, and Minister Hollinrake was able to meet with some of the businesses beforehand.
Engagement with Small Businesses is a government priority, and Minister Hollinrake was able to discuss the important topics of accessing finance as an SME, as well as the issue of late payments, which some of the businesses reported had improved since the Department of Business and Trade published the Prompt Payment and Cash Flow Review, signalling clear government intent to back small businesses in this issue.
Supporting small businesses to scale up and grow is a clear government priority. The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement had a clear focus on growth, creating a favourable business environment that keeps more money in consumer’s pockets and reduces costs for businesses, creating the right environment for businesses to start and scale up. The increase to the National Living Wage to £11.44 an hour, as well as cutting taxes for 29 million workers, increases consumer’ spending power, whilst businesses are supported by a £4.3 billion business rates package.
The government backed British Business Bank is supporting £12.4 billion of finance to over 90,000 businesses across the UK, of which 86% are outside London. The Bank is delivering a £1.6 billion programme of Nations and Regions Investment Funds, to support growing businesses outside London and South East.
Funds covering the South West, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have launched earlier this year, with more to follow. It has issued over 100,000 Start Up Loans since 2012 providing over £1 billion for entrepreneurs at the start of their growth journey, 40% of whom are women and 21% from an ethnic minority background.
UK Export Finance, the government’s export credit agency also provides government backed guarantees on financial products through banking partners. It was recently announced at their customer conference that it is introducing more flexible, fast-track financing for small businesses – making it easier than ever for UK firms to sell in international markets.
Scottish artisan chocolatiers spotlighted this Small Business Saturday
Business Gateway is celebrating the stories of the small business community in Scotland, including Edinburgh-based Quirky Chocolate.
The business creates and sells unique collections of artisan chocolate from a small workshop close to Arthur’s Seat. Founded in 2008 by designer, Sandra Colamartino, who was also the first captain of the Scottish women’s rugby team, the business combines her two favourite things: beautiful design and delicious chocolate.
Sandra began working with a chocolatier to create personalised chocolate bars with unique packaging, which has all been created using plastic-free packaging. Quirky Chocolate is also Fairtrade Cocoa certified, ensuring that the farmers who produce the cocoa that goes into their products are paid a fair price.
Sandra first connected with Business Gateway as she was launching the business, when her local adviser connected her with an accountant.
Having built up an established customer base, Sandra went on to create hand-rolled milk chocolate brussels sprouts in 2014, which became Not on The High Street’s best-selling product for three years in a row. The product resulted in a £1m turnover for the business alone.
Buoyed by these impressive sales, Sandra started to work on products that would sell all year long, and designed and produced the tartan collection, which includes a range of Scottish flavours such as cranachan and millionaire’s shortbread.
Sandra Colamartino, owner, Quirky Chocolate, said:“Our chocolate brussels sprouts were so well received, and generated more sales than we ever could have imagined. We needed to come up with new and exciting products to ensure this steady stream of sales continued.”
Having largely sold to a consumer audience, Sandra and the team began to move into business-to-business (B2B) sales, with a growing portfolio of top hotels in Scotland now stocking Quirky Chocolate products.
Sandra said:“It’s been healthy to have a balance of consumer, wholesale, and business-to-business. If you think of your business as a table, it makes sense that each leg symbolises a different avenue of potential income. If the table only has one leg, and something goes wrong, you’re completely out of the game.”
“The biggest challenge, no matter what field you’re in, is the multitasking element. You must become an expert at everything, whether that be working out insurance policies, how to pay an invoice, or developing a website.
“People tend to use the word ‘resilience’ when talking about setting up a new business, and I totally understand why.”
Since launching, Quirky Chocolate has grown to a team of 16, made up of chocolatiers, production staff, designers and tech gurus. The business has very recently become a living wage employer and plans to grow at a steady speed while taking their employees and freelance illustrators and artists on the journey with them.
Sandra continued:“As the business has matured, I’ve realised that there is so much support on offer from Business Gateway, which isn’t limited to start-up support.
“We’ve recently had a referral from Business Gateway and are looking forward to a member of the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS) speaking to our team about where we can make improvements.”
Hugh Lightbody, Chief Officer at Business Gateway, commented:“Small businesses are the backbone of Scotland’s economy. However, recent years have posed various challenges to the sector, which has contributed to Business Gateway receiving over 25,000 enquiries this year. It remains critical that we provide the necessary support.
“We know that business confidence is low in light of recent global circumstances, so it is important we take opportunities such as Small Business Saturday to highlight businesses like Quirky Chocolate, which produces some really beautiful and uniquely Scottish products.
“Our resources, workshops, webinars and network of local advisers at Business Gateway all play a vital role in guiding small business owners through every step of their journey, making sure they have the knowledge and resources needed to thrive.”
An initial draft of an action plan has been published by the City of Edinburgh Council as it works towards tackling growing homelessness in the Capital.
After officially declaring a housing emergency earlier this month – in recognition of close to 5,000 households now facing homelessness against a shortage of affordable housing – the beginnings of a 25-point Housing Emergency Action Plan will be considered by the council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee on Tuesday (5 December).
The plan proposes the council turns void homes around more quickly and spot purchases ‘off the shelf’ homes, to increase affordable housing supply at pace at a time when construction costs have risen exponentially. If agreed, a more detailed strategy featuring costings and specific targets will be created and brought to a full council meeting in February, with input from industry and voluntary organisations from across the city.
It comes as Glasgow City Council follows suit and formally declared a Housing Emergency yesterday (Thursday 30 November).
Councillor Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “We’re truly at a point where urgent, united action must be taken to do right by the most vulnerable in our city.
“Thousands of people in Edinburgh are finding themselves with their lives on hold as they live through the hugely stressful reality of losing their home.
“Every night, close to 5,000 households are now sleeping in temporary accommodation in this city, wondering when and indeed if they will receive the security of a permanent place to live.
“Having a home is a basic human right and by highlighting the issue we’re determined to do everything within our means to address it.
“We’ve seen an outpouring of support from the third sector and industry which gives me great confidence that we can work together to improve the situation and clearly Glasgow is in a similar position. We need to address this issue as a city and nationally at all levels of council and government.
“Despite our success with our partners building close to 7,000 new affordable homes since 2017/18 and having almost 2,000 under construction right now, plus very positive work with the third sector in preventing homelessness, the cost of living crisis means that demand for affordable housing is far outstripping supply.
“The added pressure of rising construction costs and reduced budgets mean we need to think differently. I hope this action plan forms the basis of what will become a wider city plan.”
The Homeless Action Plan will be considered by Committee alongside a series of housing reports which draw attention to the scale of Edinburgh’s housing challenges and opportunities to create more housing, if the funding required to achieve significant change is found.
The Strategy for Purchasing Land and Homes to Meet Affordable Housing Need demonstrates the success the Council has had delivering new homes despite challenging market conditions, which includes the delivery of 1,425 new Council homes and a further 508 currently under construction.
This has been possible through creative working, including for example the council purchasing the old Liberton Hospital site directly from NHS Lothian.
The annual Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) reveals a pipeline of over 11,000 new affordable and social homes could be possible through partnership working in Edinburgh over the next five years, but that would require Scottish Government grant funding of almost £900 million (based on current market costs), or almost four times Edinburgh’s current grant funding allocation for affordable housebuilding.
Further work will take place with Registered Social Landlord partners to understand the impact of the housing emergency to them and tenants, to work together to achieve next steps.
Official road signs are being installed on the boundary of Edinburgh’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ), with six months until enforcement begins.
The signs, which are being used in the four Scottish cities with city centre LEZs, inform drivers they are driving within the zone. In Edinburgh, additional warning signs will tell drivers that Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) will not be issued until 1 June 2024 and only to the most polluting vehicles.
On Wednesday, Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Scott Arthur met contractors installing some of the first signs and urged drivers to prepare for the changes coming into force from 1 June 2024.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “While enforcement against non-compliant vehicles won’t begin until 1 June 2024, these signs are a reminder that the changes will soon come into force.
“By allowing a two-year grace period we wanted to give people plenty of time to prepare for the LEZ. However, with six months to go there’s still time, and I’d urge anyone who’s eligible to apply for the support funds on offer.
“Essentially, reducing the most polluting vehicles from the city will benefit everyone. Air pollution harms both our physical and mental health, so the LEZ we will help create a healthier place for everyone, reducing inequalities and making the city centre a more welcoming place.”
Dona Milne, Director of Public Health, NHS Lothian, added: “Reducing air pollution has clear long and short-term health benefits for everyone.
“Our hope is that improved air quality will also encourage people to take advantage of more sustainable and active ways of travel, such as walking, cycling and public transport, which is beneficial for individuals and communities alike.
Some households and small businesses may be eligible for the Low Emission Zone Support Fund, funded by Transport Scotland and administered by Energy Saving Trust. This offers successful applicants grants to dispose of non-compliant vehicles and to help households invest in more sustainable forms of transport, including public transport or bike hire schemes.
Heather Quin, Senior Programme Manager at Energy Saving Trust, said: “We’re pleased to support the introduction of Scotland’s low emission zones (LEZ) through our delivery of the LEZ support funds on behalf of the Scottish Government.
“With the need to improve air quality in our cities, it’s important that lower-income households and small businesses get the support they need to adapt and make the switch to low carbon transport.
“This funding has already helped hundreds of individuals, families and businesses in and around Edinburgh adopt more sustainable travel options. With the introduction of Edinburgh’s LEZ just six months away, we hope to enable even more people to enjoy the many benefits that improved air quality and access to active and sustainable transport can bring.”
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, which support enforcement, will be installed in late 2023/early 2024 and a mobile enforcement vehicle will be active from June 2024 onwards.
In early 2024 there will also be changes made to some street layouts and signals around the LEZ boundary to cut congestion and improve safety for everyone. Full details of the changes can be found on the Council website.
Independent market research carried out in June indicates that a majority of drivers in Edinburgh continue to support the LEZ and think protecting public health is important. Data analysed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) earlier this year also revealed that overall compliance with Edinburgh’s LEZ emissions standards had increased from 48% to 78% over the last six years.
A city centre LEZ was introduced in Edinburgh on 31 May 2022, along with LEZs in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee, restricting the most polluting vehicles only and benefiting everyone’s health. In Edinburgh, a two-year grace period is in place, meaning no PCN charges will be issued during this time.
LEZ restrictions will apply to motor vehicles, except motorcycles and mopeds. Vehicles must meet the minimum emissions standards to drive within the zone, though national exemptions apply including for blue badge holders and emergency vehicles.
Edinburgh’s LEZ will issue PCNs, or fines, in line with Scottish regulations, from 1 June 2024. Full details on LEZ penalties are available online.
Campaigners staged a protest outside Edinburgh City Chambers on Friday (24 November) to call on the Lothian Pension Fund to divest from fossil fuels. The protest marked one year since Edinburgh City Council voted in favour of divestment, but the fund has still not enacted the request.
Lothian Pension Fund has at least £350 million invested in the fossil fuel industry, according to new analysis by Platform and Friends of the Earth Scotland. This is a significant increase from the £229 million investment it held when the research was last conducted in October 2021.
Lothian Pension Fund is the second biggest fossil fuel investor of all the council pension funds in Scotland. It invests in some of the world’s biggest climate polluters, including Exxon Mobil, Shell, Equinor, TotalEnergies and BP.
With virtually all oil and gas companies set to expand their operations, campaigners are calling on the Lothian Pension Fund to listen to councillors and stop funding fossil fuels.
The protest highlighted the role French oil giant TotalEnergies – that Lothian Pensions have investments worth £19 million in – is playing in worsening the climate crisis and threatening human rights.
TotalEnergies is currently developing the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, stretching 1444 km across Uganda and Tanzania. Building this pipeline is displacing communities and destroying livelihoods in Africa in order to pump oil out of the continent to be consumed by people living in the global north.
John Hardy from Divest Lothian said: “It’s extremely disappointing that as the climate crisis worsens, the Lothian Pension Fund has failed to follow the democratic will of the council to divest from the fossil fuel companies that are driving climate breakdown.
“In particular, their investments in TotalEnergies and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline harms our climate and puts local communities and important ecosystems at risk.
“The Lothian Pension Fund needs to listen to the people of Edinburgh and the Lothians and divest from all fossil fuel companies immediately. Our future is at stake, and we cannot afford to wait any longer.”
Sophie Burgess from Global Justice Edinburgh Youth Collective said: “We need to Stop EACOP for my future, the future of people in Uganda and Tanzania and the future of people globally.
“We cannot allow pensions to continue to fund fossil fuel giants like TotalEnergy, who are continuing to threaten all our futures with devastating projects like the East African Crude Oil Pipeline.”
The Lothian Pension Fund administers the pension funds of almost 90,000 members from the four councils in the Lothians and 59 other employers, including Scottish Water, Edinburgh Napier University, VisitScotland and Heriot-Watt University.
Council to contribute £60,000 towards renewed Edinburgh Filmhouse
£60,000 will be contributed to Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Ltd supporting the return of the Edinburgh Filmhouse building at 88 Lothian Road, the city council has announced.
Following the collapse of Edinburgh Filmhouse’s parent charity, the Centre for Moving Image (CMI), in October 2022, the Council has been working closely with key stakeholders to secure a future for cultural cinema in the Capital.
As a result of positive project development updates over the past few months, the Council has committed this support. The Council will continue to monitor progress in the coming months and work with Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Ltd, Screen Scotland, the Scottish Government, and other partners.
Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker said: “We’re delighted to see the progress of the fundraising campaign and to be in a position to contribute as a Council.
“Crucially, this funding is in-budget and has been agreed by elected members. Alongside the wider stakeholder group, we look forward to our continued dialogue and working with Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Ltd.
“We’re committed to having a home for cultural cinema in the heart of the city and for the wider sector going forward. Edinburgh is rightly one of the great cultural cities of the world and cultural cinema is a key part of this landscape.”
The Directors of Filmhouse (Edinburgh) said:“This is fantastic news and everyone who has their heart in the campaign will want to thank the City of Edinburgh Council for this tangible commitment to opening the doors of Filmhouse once more.
“Filmhouse, as a cultural institution that celebrates the art of film alongside the other artforms supported in Edinburgh, aims to re-open as soon as the total necessary funds have been raised.
“We plan to provide the broad range of cultural cinema that the city is lacking just now, as well as to host the diverse group of specialist and community film festivals which have been missing their longstanding home on Lothian Road.
“The funds are needed for a full refurbishment of the cinemas and public areas, including the much-loved cafe-bar.”
Director of Screen Scotland, David Smith said: “Screen Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council have worked together across the last year to support the return of the Filmhouse.
“It is a vital resource for Edinburgh and Scotland; providing a home for filmmakers, film lovers and film festivals, and a hub for film education. Its absence is keenly felt by us all, and Screen Scotland continues to work for its revival.
“It’s return would signify not just the reopening of a cinema, but the return of a vital home for the artform.”
