‘Home of Hogmanay’ seeks producers for Capital’s Winter Festivals

Underbelly no more?

Edinburgh's Hogmanay 2021 announcement

• Council seeks producers for Edinburgh’s Christmas and Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, with tender documents published
• Contract term for initial period of three years

Contract notices for both Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay festivals from 2022-2025 have been published on the Public Contracts Scotland website.

The specifications were devised in response to the findings of a major independent survey into the future of Edinburgh’s Winter Festivals conducted last year.

Overall, results of the 12-week consultation showed a wish to continue to provide high quality Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations but that they must be valued by residents and visitors.

The tender responses will be used to draw up a shortlist for further consideration, with the Council hoping to have a producing partner in place by the summer.

For both events and in line with the consultation responses received, the council is seeking a producer to:

Continue to provide high quality Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations which will be valued by residents and visitors, and continue to enhance Edinburgh’s reputation
Extend celebrations to other parts of the city
Deliver and evidence the environmental sustainability of the winter festivals, including through the local sourcing of products and minimising use of greenspace
Improve access for those previously less able to participate, including through physical accessibility, the design of activities for those with a range of needs, and for people on lower incomes and from deprived areas
Focus on making the celebrations family friendly
Maximise engagement with small and independent businesses to establish local market growth, including giving priority to existing and new local businesses and creatives

Also in response to the public’s feedback, the successful producer of Edinburgh’s Christmas will be required to minimise any use of greenspaces, introduce alcohol-free times and/or areas within Christmas celebrations, avoid overcrowding and improve access by distributing celebrations more widely throughout the city centre.

For Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, producers are being asked to deliver the traditional and favoured aspects of the festival, including a significant ‘midnight moment’ including for example fireworks, drones, lighting or any other significant intervention.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “Through our citywide conversation with residents, businesses and stakeholders last year, it was clear that there was overwhelming support for the continuation of Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations in the Capital, but with a revised format.

“More than 8,600 people and 35 organisations responded to the survey, with 87% expressing support for a Christmas celebration and 86% for Hogmanay.

“I’m confident that by acting on residents’ feedback, we can remain the home of Hogmanay and ensure our Christmas events, enjoyed by so many across the City, continue in a way that balances residents’ needs and aspirations for how they should look and feel in future.”

Council Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “Our Winter Festivals are internationally renowned and, from our conversation with the city, we were pleased that the majority wanted the Capital to keep its place on the world map for Christmas celebrations and as home of Hogmanay.

“As well as contributing to the wellbeing of our residents, our Winter Festivals deliver real economic impact, benefitting tourism, hospitality and leisure sectors in particular.

“With these new contracts, we want to continue to provide inclusive high-quality festive celebrations, further enhance the city’s reputation and allow the benefits to be shared across our town centres and communities.”

Intelligent management system unveiled at Edinburgh Bus Station

A new, state-of-the-art bus station management system has been officially unveiled at Edinburgh Bus Station, transforming the passenger experience for those travelling to and from Scotland’s Capital.

The management platform is one of the most advanced in the UK and features real-time arrival and departure information on intelligent display screens throughout the station, along with live updates on disruption, delays and events.

Upgrades include larger displays for people with visual impairments, which connect via Bluetooth to the RNIB React smart device app to read out departures, and multiple languages on some screens. Interactive ‘wayfinding’ signage has been installed to help users plan their onward journeys, with routes, travel updates and tourist information.

On Tuesday, Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes was given a tour of the improvements at the station, where more than 9000 bus and coach services pass through every month, departing to destinations across Scotland and the UK.

Councillor Macinnes said: “There is no doubt the new management system at Edinburgh Bus Station will transform the experience for anyone travelling through it. Not only is journey information much clearer and more accessible, but upgrades will really help people making onward trips around Edinburgh.

“It’s really fascinating to see the difference the improvements are making behind the scenes, managing the bus station more effectively, supporting safer departures and monitoring performance.

“By delivering a truly integrated, efficient service, these changes make travel by bus an attractive choice, which is central to our net zero target.”

Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “The use of new technology is helping to manage the bus station more easily and effectively. This means more accurate and more available information for passengers, including the automatic notification of any delays and incidents.

“We hope projects like this will give more passengers and visitors the confidence to choose travel by bus.”

The new management system also features a bus reversing facility, helping to manage departures from the station more effectively and safely, and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to automatically log the arrival and departure of every bus in the station.

At the centre of the platform is a Content Management System (CMS) combining live bus location data with scheduled information to provide accurate real time passenger information. This is distributed to displays inside and outside the station, as well as to Traveline Scotland, neighbouring local authorities, bus operators and local business parks.

Work to upgrade the city’s on-street 400 real time passenger information signs at bus stops, including the addition of more signs, will also begin this year, as part of the same contract. The main contractor delivering the improvements is Journeo.

Find out more about Edinburgh Bus Station on the Council website.

BT partners with local authorities in Edinburgh to boost mobile coverage

500 small cells will be deployed in towns and cities across the UK to enhance EE 4G coverage

BT is partnering with local authorities in UK towns and cities, including Edinburgh, to boost mobile coverage by mounting small cell antennas on street furniture such as lampposts and CCTV columns.

The technology and telecoms firm is also using its own assets, including phone boxes and its Street Hub 2.0 digital units, so its mobile arm EE can house hundreds of small cells to boost capacity in high demand areas.

Small cells are mobile radio cells that help to provide better coverage for customers at street level, where it’s often impractical to install larger mobile masts or where an offloading capability is required.

The programme will allow EE customers to experience uninterrupted data speeds of up to 300Mbps in the two Scottish cities along with others such as Glasgow, Leeds, Greater Manchester, London, Birmingham and Nottingham.

The infrastructure will be delivered over the next 18 months and can also support 5G network coverage in the future. In addition to enabling small cell deployment by EE, BT is also working with other UK mobile network operators to deploy small cells around the UK to help extend and densify their high-speed mobile network coverage.

Brian More O’Ferrall, Director, Mobile Operators in BT’s Enterprise business, said: “Around 200 of the small cells are already live and are helping to boost 4G coverage for EE customers in towns and cities across the UK.

“We have worked closely with our local authority partners to utilise their street furniture, as well as our own assets, to improve connectivity in these areas.

“Ensuring good digital infrastructure is a priority for many councils, especially with the rise in mobile device ownership and growth in demand for data and connectivity, and they have seen the benefits that such partnerships can provide.

“Not only does it mean that average download speeds can often double in some areas, but it’s also more efficient and means there is a reduced need for new cell masts in the localities.

“We’re pleased to be working with EE and other mobile network operators to deliver this coverage boost.”

EE was the first UK network to combine unlicensed and licensed spectrum in a single 4G small cell. Using Licensed-assisted access (LAA) allows network operators to exploit the additional capacity of 5GHz spectrum for a downlink to the mobile phone. Not only does this provide additional capacity but also improves the quality of service of key mobile functions, such as video streaming.

The small cells will be deployed across the UK including the following areas:

Birmingham
Croydon
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Leeds
Greater London (including numerous London boroughs)
Greater Manchester
Newcastle
Nottingham
Leicester
Cardiff

Depute Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council and Smart Cities Lead, Cammy Day, said: “This is an innovative use of space – using the Council’s existing CCTV cameras to accelerate the roll out of high-density mobile coverage and close the digital divide in some of our most disadvantaged communities.

“We are already investing in our CCTV to keep Edinburgh safe and make our systems modern and sustainable. And we know that there are lower levels of fixed or high-speed internet in parts of the city where we have CCTV coverage. That’s why we’re driving forward this initiative with BT, which will encourage providers to invest in improving mobile coverage, capacity and speeds in key parts of the city.

“It makes perfect sense to make the most out of the sites we already have and avoid any unnecessary extra street clutter, and it is innovation like this which is making sure Edinburgh has the very best mobile infrastructure in place and developing our position as one of the world’s leading smart cities!”

BT is using its new Street Hub 2.0 units to site small cells and further boost connectivity, which comes after a recent survey by the company found that two thirds of small firms agree that mobile connectivity could be improved in their area.

The new units have already been rolled out in Glasgow, Nottingham and London. Subject to local planning processes, BT is aiming to roll out around 300 Street Hub 2.0 units across the UK this year, working closely with local councils and communities.

Yesterday’s announcement also comes after the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport recently launched its new Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator (DCIA) scheme to enable telecoms firms to get easier access to public buildings and street lights, bus shelters and traffic lights to mount small cell equipment for 4G and 5G networks.

Through the pilots managed by DCIA, BT will be working closely with DCMS and local authority partners to further accelerate small cell deployment across the UK.

Gasometer lights up for Ukraine

Granton’s iconic gasholder was lit up in the colours of the Ukrainian national flag last night.

The Council in partnership with Edinburgh College hosted members of the local and Ukrainian communities to watch the switch on of the lights as a gesture of solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

This follows city leaders coming together at a summit held last week at the City Chambers to discuss Edinburgh’s ongoing response to the crisis in Ukraine.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “Last week when we met at the City Chambers with the Ukrainian community, we made a commitment to offer support wherever we can. Lighting the gasholder is a symbol of our support and solidarity with the people of our twin city Kyiv and all of Ukraine.

“As the humanitarian crisis escalates in Ukraine, the people of Edinburgh have been extremely generous in offering support and donating to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal to help those facing terrifying circumstances as they defend their country.

“We’ll also continue to fly the Ukrainian flag at the City Chambers and take local actions to support Ukraine further and condemn Putin’s illegal war.

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “There’s more people of Ukrainian descent living in the Capital than anywhere else in Scotland and so we’re lighting up the gasholder as a display of our support for them.

“I’d like to offer my thanks again to the people of Edinburgh for their outpouring of support at this time of crisis for the people of Ukraine. We welcome Ukrainian citizens to Edinburgh and we will do whatever we can to support them.”

Edinburgh College Principal and CEO Audrey Cumberford MBE FRSE said: “By lighting the gasholder in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, we, together with council colleagues, are demonstrating our solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

“At Edinburgh College, we stand with all of those who are suffering as a result of this war and are providing direct support to staff and students who are affected. We will continue to do what we can to support the local Ukrainian community in the city and are proud to play our part in Edinburgh’s collective effort to help.”

IWD: new Central Library mural celebrating Edinburgh women

To mark International Women’s Day 2022 we’re inviting residents and students from selected high schools, to help us create a brand-new mural for Central Library.

The mural will display portraits of an array of influential Edinburgh women, past and present. Inspired by a similar project that has been running in America since 2016 called ‘Work in Progress’, we’ll display the finished mural as part of an exhibition in the Central Library.

We’d like to invite you to get involved in creating the stencils of the nominated figures. Please join us at one of the three stencilling workshops at Central Library on 12, 19 and 26 March.

Book your place at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/edinburgh-reads-1650684470

To kick off the celebration and project, we’ve got a very special discussion with local author Sara Sheridan, who talks about her favourite trailblazing Edinburgh women.

Sign up to our blog, Tales of One City, to watch the video:

:https://talesofonecity.wordpress.com/2022/03/08/public-mural-project-to-celebrate-women-of-edinburgh/

Keep your eyes peeled for updates on social media!

#InternationalWomensDay22

#BreakTheBias

Scotland’s ‘contented, resilient and growing Capital’?

Latest Edinburgh by Numbers published

Edinburgh residents are some of the most content in the UK, according to the 15th annual Edinburgh by Numbers report compiled for … the city council!

When polled last year, Capital citizens scored higher than average for personal wellbeing – including life satisfaction and feeling happy.

Alongside evidence of a highly educated and more active workforce than other major UK cities and above average wages, the latest data also points to Edinburgh’s resilience during the pandemic as one of the UK’s most economically productive cities.

But the city is growing rapidly, with Edinburgh’s population projected to grow by 58,946 to 586,566 by 2043.

Some of the key findings, as recorded in 2021, include:

Edinburgh scores highly for life satisfaction (7.48), feelings of happiness (7.26) and worth (7.71); but higher anxiety than has been recorded in previous years (3.6 vs. 2.99 pre-pandemic)
Edinburgh has an impressive 35 ‘Green Flag’ parks – not only the greatest number of any other city featured in the data, but more than double that of the nearest comparative city Birmingham (15)
Edinburgh has an economically active (79%) highly skilled (42.7%) workforce, with lower unemployment levels than the national average (4.4% vs 4.7%)
A higher percentage of the city’s workforce is educated to a degree level or above against other major UK cities (62.1%) and the average wage is £15.64 an hour, which is at least £1 higher than other major UK cities
In the ten years to 2020, Edinburgh’s population grew by 12.3% from an estimated 469,930 to an estimated 527,620 people; in the same period Scotland grew by 3.9%.

Commenting, Council Leader Adam McVey said: Considering most of these numbers cover the pandemic they paint a picture of an extremely resilient and positive city. We’re one of the happiest cities in the country and our economy, which has endured so much, remains strong.

“Edinburgh is still growing at a rate of three times the national average, highlighting the need to continue to invest in public transport and more affordable housing. Our residential population has increased by more than 10% in a decade and is predicted that this will continue.

“We need to manage this level of growth, both in terms of the impact on our frontline services like schools, housing and transport, and the impact on our environment.

“While we’re at the forefront of tackling these changes, the magnitude of the challenge ahead of us means we need to maximise efforts to plan for the future.

“That’s one of the reasons the £1bn Council Budget we set aims to drive forward our net zero ambitions, tackle the cost of living crisis head on and spend millions on the future health of our communities.

“The investment we’re making now will prove vital as we prepare for what will be a period rapid growth and regeneration.”

Cammy Day, Depute Leader, said: “A sense of optimism shines through the latest Edinburgh By Numbers and there is evidence of the resilience we’ve seen our residents and City display over the last couple of years.

“It’s heartening that of the people polled, most said they remain satisfied with life in the Capital and all of the work we’re doing to support businesses through Covid and create a fairer and more sustainable economy will also help the city.

“That’s not to say that we don’t need to remain ambitious. While we’ve always been a hugely successful city, competing on the global stage economically and culturally, we still have some way to go before this success if fair and equal.

“By outlining £1.1m to address poverty in our Budget we’ve demonstrated our commitment to closing the poverty gap and we need businesses and other organisations to do their part.

“We’re progressing our Living Wage ambitions, and we’ll continue to focus our efforts on boosting employment opportunities and encouraging others to follow suit and help those who face barriers.”

For the full findings, visit Edinburgh by Numbers.

Edinburgh becomes a Queen’s Green Canopy ‘Champion City’

1270 trees planted in Stenhouse

Scotland international rugby player Marshall Sykes joined Edinburgh’s Lord Lieutenant Frank Ross, Culture and Communities Convener Donald Wilson and a team of volunteers to plant a series of Jubilee trees in celebration of Edinburgh becoming a QGC ‘Champion City’.

The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, which invites people from across the United Kingdom to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’.

Marshall Sykes joined volunteers from the local area at the launch event which saw 1,270 new trees planted, including Scots pine surrounded by meadowgrass, on 0.7 hectares of greenspace at Stenhouse on Broomhouse Drive.

The Queen’s Green Canopy is being delivered in partnership with Trees for Cities, a UK charity working at a national and international scale to improve lives by planting trees in cities. Together they are working to deliver community-led urban greening projects in all four nations of the UK as part of the Platinum Jubilee year.

As part of The Queen’s Green Canopy, a “Champion Cities” programme has been launched to celebrate some of the nation’s outstanding cities which have trees and woodland as a central part of their plans for greenspaces. The planting in Stenhouse reflects an extensive tree planting programme in Edinburgh, which has pledged to be both net zero and a Million Tree City by 2030.

Culture and Communities Convener Donald Wilson said: “It is an honour for Edinburgh to be selected as a “Champion City” as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy – this is a fantastic initiative that will not only help the environment but be a lasting tribute to the Queen’s legacy.

“We’re very proud that Edinburgh is already one of the UK’s greenest cities, with more trees than people. This is another step as we strive towards our hugely ambitious target of making the city net zero by 2030.

“Through our Million Tree City vision, our dedicated Parks, Greenspace and Cemeteries service are leading a project to increase tree cover to help Edinburgh fulfil its Climate Emergency commitments and become a Million Tree City by 2030. I would encourage everyone who is able to plant a tree for the jubilee.”

Scotland international and Edinburgh Rugby lock, Marshall Sykes said: “As a club, we’re delighted to support The Queen’s Green Canopy’s tree planting in Stenhouse to create a vibrant space for the city’s and local residents to enjoy.

“Rugby is all about togetherness, and this initiative will create a similar sense of community that all those living in the Stenhouse area can enjoy in the years to come.
I’m delighted to support this special Jubilee tree planting event to celebrate Edinburgh as a ‘Champion City’.”

Saving energy in Wester Hailes

Five hundred households, both private and council-owned, living in mixed tenure properties across the Wester Hailes area are to benefit from energy efficient upgrades and revitalised buildings.

This follows an extensive large-scale common repairs and maintenance works programme to renovate 66 low-rise blocks in the first year due to complete by summer this year (2022).

This is part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s ground-breaking three-year Mixed Tenure Improvement Service (MTIS) pilot which gave an update on progress to date for the blocks across Murrayburn, Drumbryden and Hailesland to the Finance and Resources Committee today (3 March).

The programme will now be rolled out across the city to help accelerate energy efficiency fabric maintenance and repairs in mixed tenure blocks to benefit more tenants. This is due to the success of the pilot to date in engaging with private owners – with scheme decisions to progress being made in 75% of minority council-owned blocks – and securing sizable energy efficiency grant support through the Scottish Government Energy Efficient Scotland, Area Based Scheme.

Councillors have also agreed to extend the Council’s Scheme of Assistance (SoA). This will, as part of the MTIS, offer enhanced debt repayment terms* to help all private owner occupiers meet their repairs and maintenance responsibilities and allow them to consider more options for funding their share of the cost of works within all Council-led capital improvement, mixed tenure property projects.

Works being carried out on behalf of all owners across the current MTIS pilot includes repairs and replacement of roofing, guttering, drying room facades, installation of external wall and attic insulation, together with the maintenance and decoration of communal stairwell spaces.

This MTIS pilot is aiming to carry this out in 181 mixed tenure blocks in Murrayburn, Hailesland and Dumbryden over a three-year period to the benefit of all residents and tenants, improving the aesthetics, energy efficiency, safety and security and the overall value of properties in the long term.

Cllr Kate Campbell, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “Bringing all our housing stock up to a good condition, making homes energy efficient, warm and affordable to heat is very important, both for tenants and for owners in these blocks.

“Council officers have worked hard to support private owners throughout this MTIS pilot. As a result, we’re helping owner occupiers meet their share of the energy efficiency improvement works by supporting them to access up to £15,500 each in Energy Efficient Scotland (EES) funding. Supporting private owner occupiers with enhanced re-payment terms will help too, and this is now being extended to others in a similar situation.

“The mixed tenure improvement service continues to be an incredibly successful as a pilot, and I’m so pleased that we are expanding this programme as it will play a crucial role in dealing with the legacy issues caused by right to buy. We can now invest in many more homes making much needed improvements to homes and blocks across the city.”

Cllr Mandy Watt, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Vice Convener, said: “We have a long way to go as part of this three-year programme to improve 181 blocks but this has been a great start.

“In this pilot’s first year we will have improved the standard of living and conditions of a huge number of people in Wester Hailes. The buildings that we’ve completed so far look fantastic and really lift the look and feel of these neighbourhoods.

“We hope once the programme has been completed across all of Murrayburn, Hailesland and Dumbryden, the communities will feel a real sense of pride in their homes which fit in so much better with the new build developments close by.

“We have strong ambitions as a Council and as a city to become a sustainable and net zero Capital by 2030. Housing is a huge factor in getting there and getting our existing housing stock better insulated and energy efficient will be key – which in turn will help to keep people warmer while helping to reduce energy bills.”

* extending the period for payment plans with the Council for owner occupiers to up to 15 years and a reduction in the interest rate from 6% to 4%.

Capital summit discusses support for people of Ukraine …

… but no further council action until 15 March meeting

City leaders have come together to discuss Edinburgh’s ongoing response to the Ukraine crisis.

At a summit held in the City Chambers, Council Leader Adam McVey and Depute Leader Cammy Day hosted Acting Consul General of Ukraine, Yevhen Mankovskyi, and Father Vasyl Kren of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Edinburgh.

They were joined by Lord Provost Frank Ross, EVOC Chief Executive Bridie Ashrowan, Superintendent Mark Rennie of Police Scotland, Vice Principal of the University of Edinburgh James Smith and Council Chief Executive Andrew Kerr.

Together, they reiterated the City’s condemnation of the ongoing Russian invasion and reaffirmed support for the people of Ukraine and Edinburgh’s twin city, Kyiv. They heard from Mr Mankovskyi and Father Kren about the scale of the crisis and what their people are facing, the Edinburgh-Ukrainian community’s ongoing relief efforts and what Edinburgh can do to support.

The group discussed the logistics required to coordinate and transport humanitarian aid to and from Poland and the level of support the Council could provide to Ukrainian family members and refugees arriving in Edinburgh, including accommodation, education and other services.

It was confirmed that Edinburgh no longer held any civic links with Russian cities, having previously ended its twinning with St Petersburg, and the Council is reviewing all significant contracts to determine what (if any) Russian links exist, to consider the potential for withdrawal. The Lothian Pension Fund has done likewise with its investments.

Following cross-party criticism of the invasion last week, Council Leaders confirmed they would seek to formalise political condemnation and confirm next steps at their meeting on 15 March.

Coordination of the City’s support will also be discussed at a meeting of the Edinburgh Partnership Board the same week.

The Lord Provost has already written to the Major of Kyiv to express Edinburgh’s ‘deep sorrow’ and support while a Russian Philharmonic concert, due to take place at the Usher Hall in May, has been cancelled.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “I want to thank the Acting Consul General and Father Kren for their time during what is a particularly harrowing and difficult time for them and their country.

“We have all witnessed the heart-breaking stories of loss and families torn apart in the media; but also of the great bravery and resistance by the people of Ukraine. We stand by everyone suffering this illegal war and the Ukrainian flag continues to fly defiantly above the City Chambers.

“Already people across Edinburgh have responded with incredible generosity, with countless individuals and organisations continuing to provide selfless offers of support, donations and solidarity. Today, we reiterated our support for the people of Ukraine and our commitment to do all we can to help as a City.

“We are considering practical actions to support people in our twin City Kyiv and across Ukraine and will work with groups across Edinburgh to coordinate efforts. We are united against this war and are also exploring actions to use the Council’s position to pursue further sanctions we can implement locally against the Russian regime. We’ll be asking Councillors to agree actions at the Council meeting later this month.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “Edinburgh has a long history with Kyiv and is home to more Scottish-Ukrainian descendants than anywhere else in Scotland. Together we stand ready to help, in any way we can. Edinburgh welcomes Ukraine citizens to our city, and all of us will do everything we can to support all.

“The outpouring of compassion and the sight of hundreds of residents protesting has been moving. I want to pay tribute to the incredible response from citizens and businesses from across the city and their generous offers of donations and support. We will offer our help to coordinate this across our city – now we need to harness the goodwill and do our part again to direct our time and support in the most useful way.

Acting Consul General of Ukraine in Edinburgh, Yevhen Mankovskyi, said: “We will defend ourselves and we will win this war.

“Thanks to the whole world’s support and humanitarian aid, our forces and our people, we will fight with all we have and continue to support our Ukrainian community abroad and here in Edinburgh.

“I am grateful for everyone’s support and I look forward to working together with our city partners on the challenges we currently face.”

You don’t have to wait until 15th March to support the people of Ukraine:

Council budget to ‘boost frontline services and community improvements’

‘For two years now, we have demonstrated incredible resilience as a Council’ – Finance Convener Cllr Rob Munn

A budget ‘designed to support residents through the cost-of-living crisis and invest in local communities’ has been set by the City of Edinburgh Council.

Agreed by elected members on Thursday (24 February), millions of pounds from the Council’s annual budget for 2022/23 will be spent towards shaping a more sustainable, fair and thriving future for Edinburgh post-pandemic.

A fair city?

Councillors have agreed to direct an extra £1.1m towards easing the cost of living crisis for the city’s most vulnerable and £150 for 33,000 low-income households across the city at a total cost of £4.95m. This is on top of national cash grants announced by the Scottish Government.

Alongside this, an extra £100 will be provided for every child within a low-income home (identified via free school meals qualifications) and an additional £450k will be made available by the Council in crisis grant funding.

Frontline services will continue to be protected and the Council’s rent freeze for tenants will remain in place for another year.

Together with the Council’s ongoing £2bn programme to build 5,500 sustainable, quality Council homes and invest £1.3bn over the next 15 years in a new, green, well-connected neighbourhood at Granton Waterfront, around half a million pounds will be spent to provide social care adaptations to people’s houses to allow them to live more independently in their own homes.

£112k has been earmarked to make sure every school in the city is equipped with a life-saving defibrillator, and the Council will continue to invest £454m in capital investment for new school facilities across the city over the next ten years, together with an annual £48m to help families access 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare.

The roll out of 40,000 digital devices to school pupils across the city to close the digital divide will also continue, thanks to investment of nearly £18m. In recognition of pressures faced during Covid, £1m of additional funding will be provided for Children’s Services, while a further £2m will be invested adopting the recommendations of the Tanner review.

A welcoming city?

A one-off £1.1m ‘deep clean’ will remove graffiti and address street cleansing in the city centre and local wards, while quarter of a million pounds will see a new, Neighbourhood Action Team created to tackle hot spot areas of unkept land and deal with issues like overgrowth and fly tipping.

An extra £1m will be set aside for road and pavement maintenance to improve movement around the city and £450k will help to improve park facilities, creating even better green spaces in every ward and improved lighting. Meanwhile an extra £325k will be invested in playparks and £130k in expanding provisions for food growing across the city.

There will be £200k invested towards temporary toilets in select parks – repeating successful arrangements from summer 2021 – and £60k will be set aside to provide seasonal improvements and rangers to Pentland parks. An additional £60k will be contributed towards works to complete the restoration of the Portobello Kilns.

This is alongside £150k to be spent regulating and monitoring short-term lets in Edinburgh and related issues of anti-social behaviour.

A thriving and sustainable city?

An additional half a million pounds will support Edinburgh’s Net Zero ambitions, accelerating the city’s One Million Tree City programme, and £200k will be invested in Energy for Edinburgh, the Council’s publicly owned ESCO, to allow a zero-carbon energy project to move forward.

Up to £100k will be spent through Participatory Budgeting, supporting local communities to be involved in the running of the city, and £200k will be used to support local community festivals, including Edinburgh’s Diwali and the Leith Festival.

A commitment of £60k will support the re-opening of the city’s libraries after use as Covid testing facilities and the new Meadowbank Sports Centre will open later this year.

Spend of £160k will be directed towards taxi regulation and enforcement; £180k of funding will be set aside to cover potential costs relating to the temporary Hostile Vehicle Mitigation arrangements protecting the city centre; and £50k will be used to upgrade the ForeverEdinburgh website to further drive footfall to local businesses as Edinburgh recovers from the pandemic.

Finance and Resources Convener SNP Councillor Rob Munn said: “This Budget signals a more sustainable, fair and thriving future for Edinburgh post-pandemic.

“For two years now, we have demonstrated incredible resilience as a Council and as a City, banding together to support those who have needed extra help. We have been at the forefront throughout and as life finally – and thankfully – starts to return to normal, we will continue to safeguard our services and focus on getting things back up and running.

“Our city centre and local high streets have suffered through lockdown restrictions and due to the cost of living, families on low incomes are struggling to make ends meet. The decisions we’ve made today aim to challenge these disadvantages and help our City and communities thrive in the year ahead.

“We’ll direct £1.1m each towards a ‘deep clean’ of the city centre and local areas and improving roads, helping to make Edinburgh a more welcoming place to be, and a further £1.1m will address poverty and inequality to create a fairer future.

“These are just a few of the very welcome spending decisions we’ve been able to make and I’m grateful to members in all parties for shaping these plans, but we do need to remain prudent. Times are hard and we know that the impact of Covid on our budget will continue into future financial years and significant savings will have to be made.”

Vice Finance and Resources Convener Labour Councillor Joan Griffiths said: “This Budget is about giving Edinburgh the chance to recover and grow as we safeguard our frontline services.

“The impact the pandemic continues to have on residents, on businesses and in our communities is clear. We’re now facing a cost of living crisis and it’s vital that we prioritise support for those who need it most.

“As we recover from everything the last two years have brought, investment enabled by a modest increase in Council Tax rates will help people in every single one of our communities, with the extra money raised used to maintain critical frontline services.

“We’re determined to use this budget to help us close the poverty gap, and we’ve also committed to keeping rents frozen this year for Council tenants. We’re putting more money into crisis grants, into new schools and new homes – while spending millions on community improvements.

“All of this will go towards making Edinburgh the most welcoming, thriving, and sustainable place it can be.”

This will be the SNP-Labour ‘Capital Coalition’s’ last budget before May’s council elections.

New Council Tax rates will be brought into effect on 1 April 2022 as follows:

Council Tax Bands 2022/23

A: £919.17

B: £1,072.36

C: £1,225.56

D: £1,378.75

E: £1,811.52

F: £2,240.47

G: £2,700.05

H: £3,377.94

Further details can be found at edinburgh.gov.uk/budget-finance.