Council agrees £22 million Budget ‘savings’

‘It’s a broken council which is failing it’s people and this budget must be rejected’ – Linda Garcia, WIG group

Councillors have set Edinburgh’s budget after a marathon meeting at the City Chambers yesterday. A raft of deputations from across the city urged the council to reject a budget package of cuts and service reorganisation aimed at saving £22 million this year, but councillors voted to approved the budget.

Leading the deputations was Royston Wardieburn Community Centre’s Women’s International Group (WIG). Royston Wardieburn was the city’s very first purpose-built community centre – it first opened in 1965. Two years ago – after years of hard work by the management committee – a brand new centre was opened, but members fear that all that good work could be undone by proposals to change the way community centres are operated.

WIG’s Anna Hutchison told councillors: “We are very concerned about these proposals. We have achieved a great deal in our Centre in recent years, but there is still a great deal of work to be done and we cannot build on our achievements when everything keep changing.

“Cutting CLD (community learning and development) staff and removing them from centres seems very short-sighted given that the Scottish Government is now requiring all councils to produce a CLD plan stating how they intend to build stronger, more influential and inclusive communities and improve life chances through learning and active citizenship.”

She warned that voluntary management committee members would ‘walk away’ if proposals to change the role of CLD staff in the running of community centres is implemented.

WIG’s Linda Garcia added: “We do not accept the proposed budget. We do not accept the way Edinburgh’s finances are being run. We do not accept that inequality, poverty and powerlessness are inevitable in our communities.

“We have been ‘trained’ to believe that no alternative (to cuts) is possible and that achieving a decent and fair society is just too damn complicated, so best not to try! We do not accept that this is the case. We want a council which puts citizens at it’s heart”.

“We believe that this budget is unacceptable to the citizens of Edinburgh. Unfortunately, despite a string of scandals, the Council seems unable to change. It is a broken Council which is failing it’s people and this budget must be rejected”.

“We demand that you join the campaign to secure additional funding from the Scottish and Westminster governments to safeguard our public services.

“We demand that you support Unite’s campaign to restructure the £1.2 billion debt owed by the Public Works Loan Board – paying £56 million in interest charges each year is completely unacceptable.

“We demand that the Scottish Parliament orders a Public Inquiry to examine the mismanagement of this Council, the numerous scandals and cover-ups by successive administrations.

She concluded: “We demand that you return power to the people.”

The group, joined by supporters in the public gallery, then serenaded councillors with a song! Based on the original Italian partisan song Bella Ciao, WIG’s words are:

The public sector is for the people

Oh bella ciao; bella ciao; bella ciao, ciao, ciao

The public sector is for the people

Not for sale to profiteers.

Oh we are singing for education

Oh bella ciao; bella ciao; bella ciao, ciao, ciao

We are singing for education

And an equal right to learn.

The rich get richer, the poor get poorer

Oh bella ciao; bella ciao; bella ciao, ciao, ciao

The rich get richer, the poor get poorer,

Unnecessary and unfair.

They cut the funding, they cut the workers

Oh bella ciao; bella ciao; bella ciao, ciao, ciao

They cut the funding, they cut the workers

Ain’t no ‘Big Society’.

Following that musical interlude, WIG were followed by a succession of deputations from across the city, each one urging the city to think again. EVOC, Edinburgh East Save Our Services, Edinburgh Tenants Federation, Edinburgh Trade Union Council, UNITE Edinburgh Not for Profit Branch, Edinburgh Anti-Cuts Alliance, Friends of the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links, UNISON and the EIS: each one advanced powerful arguments – but ultimately each one was unsuccessful as councillors voted to press ahead with the cuts.

Protecting frontline services in Edinburgh for young, old and vulnerable residents was a priority at the budget meeting, according to senior councillors. Investment in roads and pavements, investing in school infrastructure and working towards the redevelopment of Meadowbank Sports Centre and Stadium were other key priority areas.

Councillors say public opinion expressed during the recent budget consultation helped to influence key decisions as they attempted to balance the city’s books.

Cllr Alasdair Rankin, Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee, said: “Given the financial challenges all local authorities are facing over the next few years, we want to invest in the areas that are essential to Edinburgh and so it is important that the public continue to tell us what is important to them.

“This year we published the draft budget in October and 3,525 people gave us their views – five times the number of responses compared to last year. We also used a new online planner to give respondents the opportunity to express what they feel the Council’s priorities should be. The planner allowed us to show where we will incur costs in 2017/18, to demonstrate the impacts of increasing or decreasing spending in all of our services. This was extremely popular and 1,719 of those people took Edinburgh’s Budget Challenge.

Cllr Bill Cook, Vice-Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee, said: “We used the feedback received during the consultation process to help us make many key decisions such as maintaining funding for homelessness services, not increasing allotment charges and putting an extra £5m towards improving roads and pavements.”

The eight successive year’s Council Tax freeze maintains Edinburgh’s band D rate as the lowest of Scotland’s four major cities.

The council tax band levels for Edinburgh in 2015/16 will be:

A: £779.33
B: £909.22
C: £1,039.11
D: £1,169.00
E: £1,428.78
F: £1,688.56
G: £1,948.33
H: £2,338.00

The total revenue budget is £949m for 2015/16. Council Tax funds 25% of this with 75% coming from Government grants and business rates. The total capital budget (including the HRA) is £245m.

Key budget provisions:

Ensuring every child in Edinburgh has the best start in life

– Allocated an additional £5m of capital to support rising school rolls

– More than £4m invested in Early Years Change Fund for services for the very youngest children

Ensuring Edinburgh, and its residents, are well cared-for

– Maintaining funding for commissioned homelessness services

Providing for Edinburgh’s economic growth and prosperity

– Maintaining £1m to continue supporting the Edinburgh Guarantee, helping improve job opportunities for young people

– Support the Strategic Investment Fund with an additional £4.5m

Strengthening and supporting our communities and keeping them safe

– Continuing to invest in community policing

– Allocating an additional £100,000 to each neighbourhood to allow local people to have an even greater say in how their area can be improved

Investing in roads, pavements and cycling infrastructure

– An additional £5m investment in roads and pavements taking the total to £20m

– Commit 8% of the transport revenue and capital budgets for creation and maintenance of cycle infrastructure

Becoming more efficient

– Delivery of procurement transformational efficiencies

– Implementing the Better Outcomes Leaner Delivery (BOLD) programme

– Reducing the head count of the organisation by developing existing staff, revising roles and responsibilities and implementing structural change in the organisation through the ’Organise to deliver’ programme

– Maximising income

– Maximising savings through the rationalisation of the Council’s property estate

– Reducing carbon footprint and generating income through strategic energy projects

While the council argues that front line services are being protected, campaigners believe city councillors have let the capital down.

One Unite member who attended the lobby said: “This is a sad day for Edinburgh. You might have thought that a Labour-led council, supported by the SNP, would stand up for workers and communities – well, today’s vote shows you can think again. You can’t cut 1200 jobs without it having a huge effect on services and the people who will suffer most are the people in the poorest communities, the people who depend most on council services. People are angry – and rightly so, because these cuts will do real damage. Edinburgh is a rich city, yet our politicians vote through cuts on this scale? It’s shocking – they should be ashamed.”

A member of the Anti-Cuts Coalition added: “Deputation after deputation urged the council to reject this budget but it’s clear the councillors had already made their minds up. They blame Westminster, they blame Holyrood but at the end of the day our councillors have got to take a long, hard look at themselves.

“They have got to make a stand – if local councillors won’t support and fight for their communities, who will?

“Communities are being treated with contempt and remember – these cuts are just the start. We are facing another two years of austerity budgets, with more services slashed and hundreds of jobs lost – and when members of the public wake up to that it will be too late.”

Visit our Facebook page to see a webcast of the Budget meeting

http://l.facebook.com/l/PAQGWhuX2/www.edinburgh.public-i.tv/core/share/open/webcast/0/0/0/0//webcast/0/0/0

You’ll find pictures of the lobby there too

Mind your language: Adult Education Programme launched

From learning about Animals, Arabic or Archery to Walking, Creative Writing and Yoga there’s something for everyone in the new Adult Education programme …

A five week holiday language course is one of the highlights of the new Adult Education Programme launched by the City of Edinburgh Council.

It’s the perfect way to learn some local phrases before jetting off for your summer break. With more than 400 new day, evening and weekend courses available, the Council’s Adult Education Programme has something for everyone.

Most classes resume at the end of January with some beginning in February, and weekend classes in March. The holiday language course starts in April.

But if learning a new language isn’t for you, then how about a cooking class? There are courses in Italian, Indian and Spanish cuisine and many more. Or what about trying digital photography, creative writing, guitar, fitness classes or one of the many other subjects on offer?

For a full list of Adult Education Programme classes click here or phone 0131 556 7978 to get a brochure or pick one up from your local library, community centre or GP surgery. Classes can still be booked by post, phone or in person as well as online.

Councillor Cathy Fullerton, Vice-Convener for Education, Children and Families, said: “Every year, thousands of people of all ages and in all areas of the city take part in our adult education classes. Learning should always be enjoyable, and we hope the wide range of courses will inspire people to learn something new or in more depth.

“Taking up a class can help people develop confidence and keep mentally and physically active as well as acquiring new skills. Research shows that people who are in lifelong learning are more likely to be employed, to remain in work and to be involved in their communities. It truly is about learning for life and it’s never too late to start.

“I would advise anyone who has some time to spare over the coming weeks to look into what’s on offer and to book a place sooner rather than later.

“After listening to customer feedback we rolled out online booking last year and we’ve had a huge response with more than 15,000 places booked since September.”

Many other classes are held all over Edinburgh in schools and community centres. You can find full details at joininedinburgh.org/enrol

Affordable housing development opens in Lindsay Road

The latest affordable homes – and the first mixed-tenure development – by Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) and its subsidiary Persevere Developments Ltd, has been officially opened.

Councillor Andrew Burns, Leader for the City of Edinburgh Council, welcomed 111 households to a block of new, high-quality properties in Lindsay Road, making a significant impact in the regeneration of the area.

The £13.6 million waterfront development, compromising 58 social rent and 53 mid-market rent (MMR) properties, contains a wide range of housing types from one bedroom through to four bedroom apartments.

Features include car parking for 29 spaces and a communal landscaped garden area. Solar thermal panels located on the roof will provide hot water for a number of properties with condensing gas boilers supplying heating and hot water.

Councillor Burns said: “This is a fantastic development, forming an integral part of North Edinburgh’s regeneration. It is vital that we tackle the city’s shortage of affordable homes and projects like this are an important step in the right direction.

“The success of this project is testament to the partnership working between the Council, housing associations, Forth Ports and the community – a model that will continue to use in order to provide much-needed homes but also to create jobs and boost the local economy.”

This is the second affordable housing project within the Western Harbour development on Edinburgh’s waterfront, the first being Goosander Place completed in May 2010.

Keith Anderson, Chief Executive at PoLHA, said: “This is our second affordable housing development in Western Harbour and complements our existing mix through Leith and North Edinburgh.

“Much-needed, high-quality, affordable housing for local people to buy and rent is at the top of our agenda and we’re pleased to be able to offer both social and MMR properties. MMR is a new type of tenure to help households on modest incomes to rent high quality accommodation at an affordable level.”

PoLHA worked closely with the Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council which allocated £6.4 million of grant monies for the development. An additional £7.2 million was funded through private finance raised by the Association.

Council leader Andrew Burns is pictured with PoLHA Chief Executive Keith Anderson, PoLHA Chairperson Jack Hunter and Councillor Eric Milligan at Friday’s event

Rotary Club tees off support for new Fresh Start service

Previously homeless households in Edinburgh will be able to access a new food pack service later this year thanks to the generosity of the Rotary Club of Edinburgh. A donation of £28,840 will enable Edinburgh’s re-homelessness charity Fresh Start to produce the packs for the next three years, helping an estimated 2,500 households as they move into a new tenancy after a period of homelessness.

The money was raised at a special Golf Day at Muirfield, organised as part of the Rotarian’s centenary year celebrations.

The contents of the food packs are still to be finalised, but will contain store cupboard essentials to make sure people can make a basic meal when they first move into their new home.

The new packs will be given out to homeless households referred to the Fresh Start project and will be part of its wider Starter Pack service, which already sees it providing recently resettled families and individuals with much needed items, like bedding, small electrical items and kitchen items.

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Rt Hon Cllr Donald Wilson, called in at Fresh Start’s Pilton offices recently to inspect the packs and hear more about the new service. He also presented Fresh Start’s Managing Director Keith Robertson with the money raised from the Golf Day, enabling the charity to start work on getting the new service up and running.

The Lord Provost said: “Rotary International is admired the world over for its selfless support of individuals, families and communities and the Rotary Club of Edinburgh has been at the forefront of this for the past 100 years. Fresh Start is the latest in a very long line of wonderful and worthwhile causes they have chosen to help and my congratulations go to those who have put in so much time and effort towards raising this fantastic sum of money. I have no doubt that it will be put to good use, allowing the charity to continue their valuable work in helping people who have been homeless to get established in their new home.”

President of the Rotary Club of Edinburgh Bob Hislop added: “The amount raised is a significant sum in these challenging economic times and is not only a considerable achievement but a worthy legacy for the Rotary Club of Edinburgh’s Centenary Year. Edinburgh is a beautiful city but behind it hides poverty and it was for this reason we decided to choose Fresh Start as our Centenary Charity. We are delighted the Golf Day was such a success and that we are able to tee off a service that will help many families put a hot meal on the table.”

Fresh Start exists to help people make a home for themselves. Managing Director Keith Robertson said: “We are delighted to be chosen as the Rotary Club of Edinburgh’s Centenary charity and even more so that the money has allowed us to put in place plans for a new service. Very often people move into not a new home but an empty shell. We already provide a range of Starter Packs to help people have essential goods like bedding and crockery when they first move into a new house. Our new Food Pack service will help them to have a hot meal too – for some it might be the only thing they have to eat.”

The new service will operate from new premises and will be part of a larger food venture – details of which will be revealed soon.

Minister visits Gaelic school site

Dr Alasdair Allan, Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages has visited Bonnington Primary, the site of the new Gaelic School, in advance of works beginning. On Tuesday, Dr Allan met with Councillor David Key, Vice Convener of Education, Children and Families to tour the school which will see extensive work carried out to the tune of £3.53million in order to prepare the school for its new role.

Councillor Key, said; “This time next year we will be into the first term of our new dedicated Gaelic Primary and Nursery School. We are working with the Scottish Government to help deliver a modern educational facility that will nurture our young Gaelic speakers and help protect the future of the language. Pupils, parents and staff are currently being consulted on the name for the new school and I am pleased to say we should be in a position to make an announcement about it in the coming weeks.”

Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages Alasdair Allan said: “The Scottish Government has been clear on the benefits of funding this exciting development and I am delighted to visit the site to see for myself the scale of work that needs to be carried out over the next year. Edinburgh will soon have its first dedicated Gaelic Primary and Nursery School and I would encourage parents, whether or not they themselves speak Gaelic to consider the great opportunity this now presents for their children. I look forward to returning next summer to a newly refurbished facility ready for its first pupils.”

The school will replace the existing Gaelic Medium Unit (GME) based within Tollcross Primary School which was established in the 1980s – the GME unit has steadily seen its roll rise over the years as demand for GME education has grown.

The new school is due to open in August next year. Parent representatives are involved in a working group taking forward the development of the new school and the new Head Teacher will be appointed before Christmas.

Does Edinburgh really need a dedicated Gaelic school – isn’t Gaelic a dying language?

Can we afford this new school – shouldn’t that money be spent improving our existing schools? Let us know!

Council meeting to be broadcast live

Tomorrow’s full council meeting will be broadcast live in an attempt to ‘open up democracy’. Councillors have agreed that City of Edinburgh Council meetings are to be webcast live as part of a one year pilot programme, and the first meeting which can be viewed via the Council’s website takes place tomorrow (Thursday, 20 September) from 10am.

The council hopes that the project will open up democracy in the capital by helping to create a better understanding among members of the public about how the Council works and makes decisions. Viewers can either watch the meeting live or in the archive later. They can also see the reports and documents for each agenda item. Archived meetings will automatically be indexed by both agenda item and speaker to make it easier for viewers to choose items they are interested in.

Lord Provost, Donald Wilson, said: “The Council makes decisions which affect the lives of every single person in Edinburgh. We are committed to improving how we engage with Edinburgh residents and the pilot will be a great tool to help us to be more open and transparent. More and more people access news and information via the internet. Given that my background is in information technology I am very conscious of the need to take advantage of it and use it to engage with our communities and encourage them to take a greater interest in how the Council works.”

You can join in the debate on Twitter #edinwebcast’

Will you be following tomorrow’s Council meeting? Let us know!

City copes with latest deluge

With weather warnings now lifted, and today’s forecast showing signs of improvement, it looks like the worst of the weather is over – for the timebeing at least.

The city council was well-prepared for Wednesday’s deluge. Speaking yesterday, city transport convener Councillor Lesley Hinds (pictured above) said: “Our roads teams have been fully prepared to deal with predicted heavy rainfall and we are keeping in regular touch with partner organisations. A Flood Control Coordination Centre has been set up as part of the Council’s Emergency Flood Plan. Drains and waterways have been cleared of debris, while river levels and hot spot areas have been continually monitored throughout the day. Around 7,000 sandbags were ready to be deployed, some of which were delivered to households in response to residents’ concerns. Residents can be assured that the situation will continue to be monitored over the next 18 hours while the amber alert is still in place.”

Some local scenes yesterday:

While today’s forecast is for improving weather, it may be prudent to keep those wellies handy just in case …!