Alternative bid muddies Leith waters

A community campaign to reopen Leith Waterworld has voiced concerns over a late £1 million bid to buy the building and reopen it as a soft play centre. Splashback are urging councillors to show conviction and to stick with commitments made in January.

Councillors voted to give further support the community initiative in January, and since then Splashback have been working with the city council to progress the feasibility of reopening Waterworld as a social enterprise – so news of a fresh bid for Waterworld has not been welcomed.

In a statement, the group said: “We were delighted when, on 31 January this year, the city’s Councillors overwhelmingly voted to work with Splashback and to establish a working group to develop the business plan for a community-run Leith Waterworld. This reflected the administration’s desire to work cooperatively with the citizens of Edinburgh, as set out in the Capital Coalition agreement. Over the last three and a half months, we have worked with Councillors and officials in good faith, and while there remains much still to do, we have made significant progress, including developing a fundraising plan and applying for charitable status.”

The statement continues: “The development of Leith Waterworld as a community-led social enterprise would support the first two partnership commitments of the coalition, namely ‘ensuring every child in Edinburgh has the best start in life’ and ‘reducing poverty, inequality and deprivation’. The coalition agreement acknowledged the breakdown in trust between the residents of Edinburgh and their elected representatives, and that the city will be able to judge the Council against the promises it makes in the agreement.

“Splashback understands that this new bid leaves Councillors with a decision to make at next week’s Full Council meeting – whether to continue working with us to achieve a revitalised Leith Waterworld, or to pursue the new bid at this stage. However, we have faith in the letter and the spirit of the amendment carried on 31 January, and believe that the conviction displayed by Councillors on that day will guide their decision. We look forward to continuing to work with the Council to deliver on the commitments they made in January.”

Senior councillors have stressed that no decisions have been taken ahead of next week’s meeting.

Councillor Richard Lewis, the city’s Culture and Sport Convener, said: “Over the last few months officials and elected members have been working closely with Splashback to progress the feasibility phase of their community bid to run Leith Waterworld. I’d like to thank Splashback for their continued commitment to developing their community bid.

“The council had agreed in January to re-market the property whilst we were supporting the feasibility phase of Splashback’s bid and in the intervening months we received two new unsolicited notes of interest in purchasing Leith Waterworld, one of which is being taken to council for consideration.”

Councillors will discuss the bid – and receive a progress report on the Splashback initiative – at next Thursday’s full council meeting.

Housing Minister welcomes Varcity North tenants

Housing Minister Margaret Burgess welcomed new tenants to the first completed phase of Miller Homes’ Varcity North development in North Edinburgh yesterday.

In total, 89 new apartments, consisting of one, two and three bedrooms, will be available at mid-market rental rates at the development.

In 2011, Miller Homes, the City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) created a limited liability partnership (LLP) as part of the National Housing Trust’s initiative (NHT), aimed at fast-tracking the delivery of new homes for mid-market rental throughout Scotland.

The LLP is working with managing agent Places for People to manage the completed properties, identify potential tenants and manage the rentals over the contract term.

Rent First@Varcity North will be available for rent to selected tenants, (employed on a minimum salary of £10k per annum, but struggling to find an affordable home to rent).

Under the NHT initiative’s rules, homes must be available to rent for a five year period, following which, tenants will have the choice to purchase their house at the market value or move on. Should tenants select not to buy, Miller Homes will sell the property on the open market.

Housing Minister, Margaret Burgess said: “It is fantastic to see house developers like Miller Homes embrace the opportunities offered by the Scottish Government’s pioneering National Housing Trust initiative. These new homes at Varcity North will go some way towards providing much needed affordable rented accommodation for Edinburgh residents.

“The initiative has been hugely successful, with deals secured with 13 developers to deliver over 1000 high quality homes for families throughout Scotland at very little cost to the taxpayer. A vibrant, expanding housing sector stimulates growth and protects and creates jobs in the construction sector and wider economy.”

David Knight, Managing Director, Miller Homes Scotland said: “We are delighted to bring the mid-market rental homes to market slightly ahead of schedule. Securing affordable housing in Edinburgh remains difficult and the challenging lending environment also means that buying is still out of reach for some households.

“The 89 apartments will go some way to helping those in employment secure an affordable rental tenancy. The apartments are developed to Miller Homes’ high standards of the quality of the build, fixtures and fittings and will form part of vibrant, modern development, which is quickly establishing its own sense of community.

“Rent First@Varcity North provides much needed homes at affordable rents for key workers and has also created vital local employment opportunities within the house building industry.”

Rents per month are set at £457.20 for a one bedroom, £594.39 for a two bedroom en-suite apartment and a limited number of three bedroom apartments available. Further details are available from Miller Homes.

Councillor Norman Work represented the city council at the event. He said: “The affordable homes available at Varcity North are a welcome addition to the market in Edinburgh. We continue to tackle the shortage in affordable homes and look for opportunities like the LLP with Miller Homes and Scottish Futures Trust to bring these very welcome homes to fruition.

“With around one half of the national uptake of NHT being in Edinburgh that gives us a sizable amount of homes available for rent. Not only will it enhance the local community, it will also offer a significant boost for those who are in work, who can’t afford to rent at full market rent.

“It is a great model to increase availability of the number of homes for rent in the city and gives people a real opportunity to become tenants and secure a home of their own and save for the future.”

Christa Reekie, commercial director at Scottish Futures Trust said: “I am delighted that the first phase of homes is now complete, providing hundreds of people in the capital with high-quality homes at affordable rents. We are pleases with the high standards of the Varcity North development which has already attracted a great deal of interest.”

Miller Homes purchased the Varcity North site as part of a larger transaction from Telford College, which comprised three campuses (Telford South, Telford West and Telford North). The development of Telford West campus for Home Scotland Housing Association (40 affordable dwellings) was completed in 2010.

Telford South is now known as Varcity South and has become one of the city’s – and Miller Homes’ – flagship developments. The last campus, now known as Varcity North, comprises 327 apartments within five new build blocks and a possible converted building. The apartments under the NHT initiative are within the Dundas Campus and the Dean Campus.

New Varcity North tenant Claire Wilson chats to Housing Minister Margaret Burgess

City shines with Silver of the Stars this summer

The Museum of Edinburgh on the Canongate is hosting the sparkling ‘Silver of the Stars’ exhibition, which makes a welcome return to the Scottish capital this summer following a triumphant six-year international tour.

On display until 21 September, this unique collection of contemporary Scottish silverware has been created by some Scotland’s best craftsmen and women in collaboration with world-famous Scottish actors, writers and musicians including Sean Connery and Ewan McGregor.

Commissioned by the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh to mark their 550th anniversary, the exhibition has attracted over three-quarters of a million visitors across Europe.

On display will be the ten silver drinking vessels that make up the Silver of the Stars exhibition, including a vintage car-inspired whisky set for actor Robbie Coltrane, a bejewelled teapot for singer Sharleen Spiteri and a rolling teapot for Billy Connolly.

This year the collection returns to Scotland and is being shown at the newly refurbished Museum of Edinburgh before making its way up north for exhibitions at the Swanson Gallery in Thurso, the St Fergus Gallery in Wick and the Inverness Museum and Gallery.

Councillor Richard Lewis, the city’s Culture and Sport Convener, said: “The newly refurbished Museum of Edinburgh will be the perfect venue for this wonderful exhibition that has proved immensely popular both in Scotland and internationally. We’re delighted to be hosting Silver of the Stars and I’m sure it will draw in the crowds with ease, particularly during the busy summer months in Edinburgh.”

The exhibition will be accompanied by an exciting programme of events including silversmithing and jewellery workshops, handling sessions and lectures.

Tom Murray, the Deacon of the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh, which commissioned Silver of the Stars to mark the Incorporation’s 550th anniversary, said: “Scotland is home to a unique community of artists working in silver. Their work is held by some of the world’s leading collectors and the demand from galleries to show this unique collection has been overwhelming. There is a huge interest in Scotland and its heritage and this collection combines ancient techniques and craftsmanship with superb artistry and new engineering solutions. In many ways it stands as a metaphor for Scottish talent and innovation.”

Council agrees: no eviction over ‘bedroom tax’

The City of Edinburgh Council’s Policy and Strategy Committee agreed to adopt a ‘no eviction’ policy for council tenants last week. The policy is in response to a series of national welfare reforms such as the new Under-Occupancy Restrictions (often referred to as the ‘bedroom tax’) which is expected to affect thousands of Edinburgh residents who receive housing benefits.

Where the Director of Services for Communities is satisfied that tenants subject to the under occupancy restrictions have done all they can to avoid falling into arrears and are actively engaging with Housing staff, they should not be evicted for failing to pay the part of their rent which is due to the new restrictions.

Convener of Health, Social Care and Housing, Councillor Ricky Henderson (pictured above), who proposed the motion, said: “We have a lot of challenges ahead and the welfare reforms implemented throughout the UK will have a significant impact on the city. It is essential that people make every effort to pay their rent as this funds housing services and investment. However, this decision will protect our tenants from losing their home due to the impact of the ‘bedroom tax’. We will do all that we can to support the people most affected by these changes and our ‘no eviction’ policy is an important step towards this.”

The Council recently announced that is has strengthened its advice services for people who are concerned about the reforms and has contacted residents who are likely to be affected to make sure they know about the support available to them.

Council seeks support to spruce up city

The city council is calling on local green groups to back Edinburgh’s 2013 Britain in Bloom bid by helping to spruce up their local neighbourhood.

It’s Your Neighbourhood, run by Keep Scotland Beautiful, is a scheme that aims to bring members of the community together to make a positive change to the place they live, work or spend their leisure time. It is open to groups of all sizes who are interested in cleaning up and greening up their local area.

The initiative forms part of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Britain in Bloom competition, in which Edinburgh is competing against Bristol and the London Borough of Hillingdon in the City category.

Local community groups or businesses who enter the It’s Your Neighbourhood scheme will be mentored by assessors in an effort to improve and progress local green projects. This could be help with identifying funding sources, gardening and maintenance advice or providing access to tools.

Successful participants are presented with a certificate of achievement of either Establishing, Improving, Developing, Thriving, or Outstanding.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, the city’s Environment Convener, (pictured above) said: “Edinburgh will be representing Scotland later this year in the prestigious Britain in Bloom competition and so we’re calling in all green-fingered city residents to back our bid and do their bit to spruce up their local neighbourhood.”

Derek Robertson, Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful – the independent charity which campaigns, acts and educates on a range of local, national and global environmental issues which affect people’s quality of life, said: “We would welcome any community group who is working to clean up and green up their local area in Edinburgh to register for this years’ It’s Your Neighbourhood campaign. It’s Your Neighbourhood is about giving community groups who work tirelessly year round, national recognition and support for their efforts, and currently we have over 70 groups registered from across Scotland.”

Registration for It’s Your Neighbourhood closes at the end of April. Further information can be found on the Beautiful Scotland website.

New affordable housing development opens in Leith

The latest affordable housing development in Leith has been officially opened, making a significant impact in the regeneration of the area. Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) welcomed the first of 100 households to a block of new, high-quality properties in Fox Street at a ceremony last Friday.

Speaking at the event to mark the opening of the development, Councillor Cammy Day, Housing Leader for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “These new modern affordable homes in the heart of Leith represent a significant investment by the Council and Port of Leith Housing Association. It is also a reflection of the shared commitment between the Council and housing associations to tackle the city’s shortage of affordable homes in the city. These new homes will also mean modern family homes and lower energy bills. This is our commitment to helping struggling families deal with the range of financial pressures they face.”

This £13m development comprises 60 social rent and 40 shared ownership homes – where people buy and own a percentage of the property and rent the remainder from the Association. There is a wide range of housing types from one bedroom through to four bedroom main door duplex apartments.

Features include secure underground parking and a central landscaped courtyard. 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.

This is the first of a number of affordable housing sites to be completed in Leith and North Edinburgh this year by the Association. Work is currently underway on four other sites and in conjunction with its subsidiary company, Persevere Developments, a further 189 new affordable homes – 101 for social rent and 89 for mid rent – will be completed this calendar year.

Keith Anderson, Chief Executive at PoLHA, said: “Fox Street is a significant development for PoLHA providing access to much-needed, high-quality, affordable housing for local people to buy and rent. This complements our existing affordable housing throughout Leith and North Edinburgh. It is the living embodiment of our commitment to developing vibrant and sustainable communities in homes people want to live.”

PoLHA worked closely with the City of Edinburgh Council which allocated £7 million of grant monies for the development. An additional £6.2 million was funded through private finance raised by the Association and from shared ownership sales receipts.

Council’s new property repair service begins next week

Owners of shared properties looking to organise repairs will be able to get help from a new Council service from Tuesday 2 April. The Shared Repairs Service will provide advice and information to owners through the process of organising repairs from finding a contractor to arranging payment. It will also signpost owners to other repair support services such as property factoring, property management agencies and mediation, and the use of legislative powers like the Tenement Management Scheme.

The Council will retain its statutory notice powers and will maintain the current 24/7 emergency service for urgent repairs.

An extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders last year identified that there is still demand for the Council to provide a project management service for more significant shared repairs. Options for this will be explored over the coming months, with a report expected to Council in about 3 months

Councillor Alasdair Rankin, Finance and Budget Convener (pictured below), said: “Maintaining the safety of Edinburgh’s properties is a concern for us all. Our aim is to find the right balance, based on the outcomes of the consultation exercise, with the Council taking a lead role in emergencies and providing support for non-urgent cases.”

From April advice and information will be available through the Council’s website, neighbourhood offices and libraries, getting in touch with the Council’s contact centre and by meeting with officers. The topics covered will include building inspections, working with neighbours, mediation, finding a contractor and arranging payment.

Cllr Rankin added: “This new service will be focused on our customers. Staff are receiving comprehensive training so that they can ensure property owners get the information and advice they need. We also know that there is demand from the public for the Council to have a bigger role in this area and we will be looking at potential options.”

The Property Conservation Service, which used statutory notices for emergency and non-emergency repairs, will cease operating from April 2013. However, work will continue to resolve outstanding complaints and to settle outstanding bills.

The new service was considered at a recent Council meeting, with councillors agreeing to a further report in the summer on options to expand the service.

Help strengthen Neighbourhood Partnerships

As you may know, Neighbourhood Partnerships across the city are being reviewed as part of the Council Governance Review. The aim of this is to strengthen and develop their role in delivering better outcomes for communities. Please could you take a few minutes to complete the following online survey to give us your views:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MM262F5

If you’d prefer a paper copy, please contact saty.kaur@edinburgh.gov.uk or 0131 469 5281.

The survey is open until 2 April 2013, and it would be great to have the views on all of you who have been involved so far in the Neighbourhood Partnership.

Elaine Lennon, Partnership Development Officer

Tel: 0131 529 5270

Council takes steps to tackle empty homes

The City of Edinburgh Council is set to introduce changes to council tax to tackle the issue of empty homes in the Capital. The Council’s Finance and Budget Committee agreed last week to reduce the council tax discount rate for empty and unfurnished homes from 50% to 10% after 6 months. After 12 months council tax will be charged in full with a 100% surcharge.

The planned changes come following new Scottish Government arrangements enabling councils, in certain circumstances, to use council tax as an incentive for encouraging owners of empty homes to bring them back into use and increase the available property stock. This is specifically to tackle empty and unfurnished homes that have been lying unused for extended periods of time. Council tax would continue to be waived for the first six months of a property being empty and generous discounts would be applied if the property is actively being marketed.

Councillor Alasdair Rankin (pictured below), the city’s Finance and Budget Convener, said: “Even though Edinburgh has a relatively low level of empty homes in both the social and private sectors, the Council has a duty to look at all the options open to us to deliver more homes. “It is of utmost importance that we bring more empty homes back into use and council tax is just one of the avenues that the Council is looking to use. This report is undoubtedly a major step forward in tackling this pressing issue.”

The work forms part of the city’s Empty Homes Task Force, which was established by the Council with the objective of bringing empty homes back into use. The Task Force has representatives from all political groups, Shelter/Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, Orchard and Shipman and Link Housing Association.

Councillor Cammy Day, the city’s Housing Leader, said: “The Capital Coalition has set up an Empty Homes Task Force to examine ways of bringing empty homes back into use. Link Housing Association – one of the task force members – has secured funding from the Scottish Government’s Empty Homes Fund. The Council also support a number of letting schemes to help owners of empty homes bring them back into use.”

Council records indicate that there are over 1700 properties classed as long term empty and approximately 5800 properties attracting second home discounts. The Council will review all classification to ensure accuracy on an ongoing basis. It is planned that the policy will be implemented in the second half of 2013/14 supported by an information campaign to raise awareness.

Easter hols: lots to do despite the weather!

The school holidays are upon us, the weather is still wintry and parents across Edinburgh are frantically planning how best to fill their children’s fortnight. Help is at hand, however, in the shape of the City of Edinburgh Council, which offers a wide variety of entertaining and educational activities for children and young people.

Cllr Richard Lewis, Culture & Sport Convener, said: “The challenge of filling a child’s holidays, particularly at this time of year, is not to be underestimated, which is why I would encourage parents to try something different during the Easter break.

“Between the Council and our partners, we can offer children of all ages and interests a wealth of exciting and rewarding activities, many of which are free.”

The Museum of Childhood is a fun day out for the whole family. Young people can learn about the children of the past and see a fantastic range of toys and games, while adults enjoy a trip down memory lane. Admission is free.

Meanwhile, just down the hill is the Museum of Edinburgh. Housed in the beautifully restored 16th Century buildings on the Canongate, it is the city’s principle museum of local history. Again, admission is free.

The museum’s newest attraction is Foundation Edinburgh. Watch the City’s dramatic history unfold in only 17 minutes – from the volcanic creation of Arthur’s Seat in prehistoric times to events today. Ticket prices are £4 (adults), £3 (concessions) and £2 (children).

The City’s 28 community libraries are, of course, open for borrowing – and much more besides. Visit the libraries’ website for further details or contact your local library for details of special holiday events.

But what if spring finally arrives? Where better to enjoy the breathtaking views of Edinburgh than from atop the tallest tribute to a writer in the world, the Scott Monument in East Princes Street Gardens? And at 287 steps high, it’s not bad for the calves either. Equally impressive is the Nelson Monument on Calton Hill. Admission for both is £3.

Edinburgh has another 140 parks aside from Princes Street Gardens and the new digital service Edinburgh Outdoors provides a unique way of exploring each and every one of them. The beautiful grounds of Lauriston Castle, laid out by William Henry Playfair in the 1840s, are also well worth a wander – especially this Saturday and Sunday (from 10am) when the cheery Castle staff host their annual Easter egg hunt. Further details of this and other Family Workshop Programmes are available from the website.

In case you haven’t noticed, the terrific Britain from the Air exhibition (picture below) is now taking pride of place in our streets and parks – where it will remain until 20 May. Featuring 111 breathtaking aerial photographs, including 11 of the capital, the exhibition is situated across 15 sites on a three-mile long and winding trail through Edinburgh’s historic city centre.

Finally, Edinburgh Leisure has a range of dedicated holiday activities for ages 3-13 years running throughout next fortnight at venues across the city including Ainslie Park, Craiglockhart, Drumbrae, EICA Ratho, Gracemount and the Royal Commonwealth Pool. Visit their website for further details.