City of Edinburgh Council – Page 20 – The NEN

Free safer sockets

A new campaign to encourage people to swap their power socket adapters for safer alternatives is being launched by the city council at Leith Asda this Friday (1st February).

The initiative, run by Trading Standards officers, is aimed at older people and those on low incomes. This follows research which found that 92% of these adaptors examined had safety issues which could potentially cause electrically-related fires.

To encourage safer electrical use in the home, the Council is giving away ‘bar’ socket extensions, which are safer because they prevent excessive weight being placed on the socket. The campaign is funded by the Electrical Safety Council.

Cllr Cammy Day, community safety leader, said: “To take part in the scheme, you can simply turn up with an old power socket adapter and hand it over in return for a free bar socket extension. We hope those most in need will come and take advantage of this opportunity to make their home that bit safer.“

Lorraine Carney, Senior Campaigns Manager at the Electrical Safety Council said: “According to government statistics, almost half of all accidental fires in UK homes – that’s over 20,000 each year – are caused by electricity, so we are delighted to work with the City of Edinburgh Council to support their innovative scheme, and make people aware of where electrical dangers may arise in their homes and how to prevent them.”

‘Swap shops’ will be set up at six locations across Edinburgh. Come along between 11am – 2pm on the following dates in February:

•Friday 1st: Asda Leith Superstore, 2 Sandpiper Drive, EH6 6QL
•Monday 4th: North Neighbourhood Office, 8 West Pilton Gardens, EH4 4DP
•Tuesday 5th: South Neighbourhood Office, 40 Captain’s Road, EH17 8HN
•Wednesday 6th: East Neighbourhood Office, 101 Niddrie Mains Drive EH16 4DS
•Thursday 7th: South-West Neighbourhood Office, 10 Westside Plaza, EH14 2ET
•Monday 11th: Drumbrae Library Hub, 81 Drum Brae Drive, EH4 7FE

Trading Standards Officers will be present to provide guidance on electrical equipment safety.

A maximum of two extensions per household are available, although there is no limit to the number of adaptors that can be handed in for disposal.

Safety advice as Hogmanay celebrations set to go ahead

Organisers will be keeping an anxious eye on weather forecasts as Edinburgh’s biggest night of the year is here. High winds and rain wreaked havoc during the night, but the weather is forecast to improve later today.

With festivities likely to go ahead as planned, organisers of Edinburgh’s world famous street party are urging revellers to be warm, to stay safe and to enjoy all that Edinburgh has to offer this Hogmanay.

The City of Edinburgh Council, Lothian and Borders Police, NHS Lothian, G4S Events and the Met Office met on Friday to discuss arrangements and they have offered advice to help revellers bring in the New Year safely.

Cllr Steve Cardownie, Festival and Events Champion, said: “To make sure you and your friends have the best possible time seeing in the bells at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party, take some simple steps to look after yourself: dress for the weather, bring your New Year cheer in plastic bottles, and use your common sense. It’s also a good idea to heed the advice from police and stewards, who will be working extremely hard on the night to make sure everyone enjoys themselves safely, and to establish a pre-arranged meeting point in the event you become separated from your group. Look after yourself and your friends and help us welcome 2013 in style.”

Looking ahead to the weather forecast for Hogmanay, Graeme Forrester, Public Weather Service Advisor for the Met Office, said: “There will be a fresh to strong west to North West wind with rain affecting the Edinburgh area on Monday morning clearing away to give generally dry weather with lighter winds over the bells and temperatures staying above freezing at 2 or 3C. As always revellers should dress for the conditions and wrap up warm.”

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party organisers are offering a few extra tips for revellers to bear in mind:

Follow the instructions on the Hogmanay Street Party tickets
Dress for the weather
Look after each other and arrange a meeting point
Think about how to get home
Police and stewards are on duty to look after everyone’s safety – bags may be searched on entry
Revellers are encouraged not to bring under 16s to Street Party on the 31 December.
People under the influence of too much alcohol may be refused entry
No one will get in unless they have an Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party ticket
Don’t bring glass into the arena
Pay bars and food outlets are located within the Street Party Arena.day 30 December.

The three day Festival began with a torchlit procession last night, but the biggest draw to the programme is undoubtedly Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party. Now in its 20th year, the world famous event welcomes 75,000 revellers from around the world to the ‘Home of Hogmanay’. With a total of five live music stages featuring headliners The Maccabees, Reverend and the Maker, Admiral Fallow and Shooglenifty. Throw in one of the world’s largest New Year fireworks displays and you have the ultimate Edinburgh’s Hogmanay experience.

On the same night, Concert in the Gardens headliners Simple Minds will be having their own party beneath Edinburgh castle and are joined by special guests, The View. The Concert in the Gardens is opened by local Edinburgh band Bwani Junction.

If you like a bit more birl with the bells, then The Keilidh is the place to be. Dance the night away on the outdoor ceilidh dance floor on Mound Precinct to the very best in traditional music with Hugh McDiarmid’s Haircut, Ceilidhdonia and The Brechin City Rollers.

The fun continues tomorrow (Tuesday 1 January) with the Loony Dook, the annual dip in the River Forth at South Queensferry at 1.30pm. Revellers are also invited to come and join in Your Lucky Day. Atmospheric theatre, spoken word, unique musical performances and even a lucky tearoom will be hidden in destinations around the city from the Greyfriars Kirk to The City Art Centre, The Roxy Hall to The Hub. Revellers will be invited to start at Destination 1, the National Museum of Scotland, and to throw a dice to decide their first destination. They allow the dice to decide their route around the Old Town for the rest of the afternoon.

Lucky participants might join in the dancing at the Highland Ceilidh or the Hogmanay Hoedown, enjoy inspiring music from young Scottish singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni or shiver at the folk song ghost story Crows Bones. They might immerse themselves in Duncan Chisholm’s Kin, a beautifully crafted journey into the past using music, narrative and film, try The Luck Factor with Professor Richard Wiseman or enjoy a Scottish afternoon tea with a difference in The Lucky Tearoom. Audiences are expected to visit a number of performance destinations during the afternoon.

For full programme details or to book tickets for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay visit the official website or telephone the Box Office on 0844 573 8455. Tickets are available in person from The Fringe Office on the High Street, Tickets Scotland in Rose Street and Ripping on South Bridge.

Check for change to your festive bin collections

Edinburgh residents are being asked to check changes to their refuse and recycling collection days over the festive season. Collections will be earlier than usual in order to take account of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Collection dates for green household bins and food waste will change from:

Tuesday 25 December – Saturday 22 December;
Wednesday 26 December – Sunday 23 December;
Tuesday 1 January – Saturday 29 December;
Wednesday 2 January – Sunday 30 December;
Thursday 3 January – Saturday 5 January.

Red and blue box collections will be as normal apart from those due to be picked up on Christmas Day, which will change to Saturday 22, and New Year’s Day, which will change to Saturday 29. If boxes are not picked up on these dates, please leave them out until they are collected. Please note that services may be subject to change in the event of severe weather.

Christmas trees will be picked up by refuse collectors if they are left on the kerbside on brown bin collection days from January 7. They should have all decorations removed and cut into five foot lengths. Trees can also be recycled at any of the city’s three community recycling centres. Garden waste bins will not be collected from December 22 until January 6.

Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Hinds said: “It is important that residents make sure that they find out when refuse and recycling will be picked up during the festive season. “A lot of the rubbish we produce at this time of year is recyclable, like cardboard and wrapping paper, so take advantage of our recycling facilities and try to stick to the reduce, re-use and recycle message. “We have made special arrangements to make sure that no-one misses a collection at this time but we can’t control the weather so please check our website over Christmas for any possible changes if the weather is bad.”

For more information about rubbish and recycling, please visit the Council website.

Cheers! Leith’s best bar none!

An initiative to promote best practices within pubs and clubs honoured no less than twenty-one Leith hostelries at an event held at the City Chambers last night. The Best Bar None Scheme has operated in Leith for the past two years, and last night’s awards were a showcase of best practice as well as a celebration of Leith’s top bars.

The awards are unique to the licensed trade and involve an accreditation process that sets minimum standards of operation for venues in consultation with the Scottish Business Crime Centre, while promoting the sharing of best practice to ensure high standards of safety.

It encourages the licensed trade to work in partnership with Lothian and Borders Police, the City of Edinburgh Council and Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, in order to make their premises safer, and reduce alcohol-related crime and irresponsible drinking.

At the ceremony, which is sponsored by Diageo, Heneiken and Molson Coors, 21 premises were presented with Gold, Silver or Bronze awards for their participation and contribution to the scheme.

The Victoria Bar in Leith Walk has been named “Top Bar”, while the Leith Beer Company on The Shore has won the “Top Pub” award.

Both of these venues will now be nominated to go forward for the National Awards.

Councillor Eric Milligan, Convener of the Licensing Board, said: “The Best Bar None scheme has proved to be very popular and I’m delighted that it has proved to be such a success in Leith. It allows licensed premises to provide the best service possible and also reassures the public that they can enjoy a safe and happy night out and experience everything that the area has to offer.”

Lothian and Borders Police Licensing Inspector, Lynne Symington said: “When the public enjoy a night out within Leith they are entiled to do in a safe and secure surrounding. Managers have a responsibility to ensure to do all they can to deter criminal activity and that the terms of their licence are adhered to at all times. The Best Bar None scheme helps us recognise those premsies who work alongside police and other partner agencies to achieve best practice and help keep our communities safe when out socialising.”

The winning pubs and the award they received:

GOLD

Victoria 265 Leith Walk

Boda Bar 229 Leith Walk

Parlour 142 Duke Street

Bond No.9 84 Commercial Street

Sofi’s Bar 63-65 Henderson Street

Leith Beer Company 58 Shore

SILVER

Links Tavern 7 Restalrig Road

Carriers Quarters 42 Bernard Street

Granary 32-34 Shore

Cruz 14 Shore

Teuchter’s Landing 1c Dock Place

Malmaison 1 Tower Place

Foot of the Walk 7a Duke Street

King’s Wark 36 Shore

Malt & Hops 45 Shore

Marksman 13 Duke Street

BRONZE

Middleton’s 69 Easter Road

Four in Hand 218 Easter Road

Central Bar 7-9 Leith Walk

Tamson’s 280 Easter Road

Tam O’Shanter 39 Great Junction Street

Council welcomes Victoria’s temporary re-opening

The city council has welcomed NHS Lothian’s decision to re-open the Royal Victoria Hospital to help meet increasing demand and emergency admissions over winter.

Wards in the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) will be re-opened to provide extra capacity for the expected increase in the number of patients over the next few months. The move comes as the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh is facing increasing pressure from emergency admissions, with the situation then being exacerbated by the numbers of delayed discharge patients and other issues including the winter vomiting virus norovirus.

The temporary solution has been welcomed by the city council’s Health and Wellbeing Convener Councillor Ricky Henderson (pictured above), who said: “There is a growing demand for care and support services, especially at this time of year, so the reopening of the Royal Victoria Hospital will help to meet demand. The Council has been working extremely hard with NHS Lothian to address identified shortages and since April we have increased the level of homecare service the Council provides by an extra 4,000 hours per week. We have also made additional investment in our homecare overnight teams, intermediate care service and telehealthcare service to help ensure the essential care required is available for older people in their own homes.”

Melanie Hornett, Nurse Director, NHS Lothian, said: “We have taken a long, hard look at the facilities and resources we have available as part of our winter planning exercises and we know we don’t have the abilities to meet demand. As a result, we have put this temporary solution in place to allow us to serve patients in a timely manner, while increasing our capacity from within.”

The contingency plan was drawn up as part of routine winter planning, which in previous years has seen bed numbers increased on other sites, including Astley Ainslie Hospital, Royal Victoria Hospital and Liberton Hospital among others.

Two extra wards will be re-opened over the next few weeks, with the potential to increase as the winter progresses and demand increases as a result of winter weather.

The Royal Victoria Hospital closed in August after the last ward moved on to different sites within NHS Lothian, including the new Royal Victoria Building at the Western General Hospital and the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

North Edinburgh – weekly managed collections

Councillor Lesley Hinds gives an update on refuse collection issues:

Like all residents in Edinburgh , I am sure those living in North Edinburgh aspire to live in an area with clean streets and open spaces, efficient rubbish uplift and the opportunity to recycle. As the Convener of Transport and Environment Committee and a local Councillor for Inverleith that is exactly what I have been striving for since taking over this role in May 2012.

Following the article in October’s edition of the NEN I would like to clarify a number of important issues about the city’s Refuse Collection Service and dispel a few myths which seem to have arisen about this important issue.

My personal view, and the one shared by the Labour Group on the Council, is that we fully support the in-house refuse collection service. Over the past couple of years we had campaigned to oppose the privatisation of services like cleansing and in November 2011, while in opposition, we voted unanimously as a Group against the proposal to outsource Refuse Collection. Our position on this helped defeat the proposal and led to the Council abandoning the Alternative Business Model programme which would have resulted in a private contractor taking over refuse collection and other services in Edinburgh. Therefore for there to be a suggestion that my group or I would want to privatise the cleansing service could not be further from the truth.

As a Council we are required to meet challenging Scottish Government recycling targets and we have introduced managed weekly collections as well as expanding our recycling services throughout the city. The plan is that these measures will leave us in a good position to reach our 40% recycling target by 2013. All political groups on the Council have supported this policy. Also, all groups put the savings which will result from this service change into their budget proposals. This year and the following years the Council will achieve substantial savings. Instead of paying increasing landfill charges we will be preserving services in our schools, care for the elderly and other important services.

The massive change in the Refuse Collection Service is intended to make sure that we provide a top quality service for residents while also making best use of our vehicles. As everybody is aware there have been some problems with missed collections since the new arrangements were introduced but these have reduced significantly. To allow us to deal with these challenges; Agency staff have been employed as a contingency measures.

I have instructed the Director of Services for Communities to take steps to make sure that all work carried out by Agency staff should be looked at and where it is possible, permanent staff are employed to carry out the duties involved. There will be occasions where Agency staff are used but these should only be in circumstances such as sickness cover or during extreme weather. I have asked for the action described above to be carried out by January 2013 at the latest.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our staff for their efforts in recent months and can assure them and city residents alike that this Administration is determined that Edinburgh has a modern and efficient refuse collection service which will serve the city well in future years. In order to achieve this, Management, staff and Councillors have to work together and as part of this process I have already had a number of positive meetings with the Trades Unions.

I would also like to thank residents for their forbearance during this massive change and if you have any issues regarding the cleansing service in your area please get in touch at lesley.hinds@edinburgh.gov.uk

Councillor Lesley Hinds

On the Move in Inverleith

You may recall that we paid tribute to talented Broughton High School students in a previous post about the recent Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership community conference.

Well, on top of everything else the pupils did to ensure the conference was a success, they also took a few photographs of the event – correction, a few hundred photographs! A (very) small sample is included with this conference report by Broughton pupil Robbie Thomson:

It is always refreshing when Edinburgh youths and local residents alike are provided with the opportunity to pose any queries or concerns they may have in regards to their community. Even more encouraging is when people with the power to influence and change take the time out to listen.

Broughton High School was the venue for the Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership Community Conference on 15 November, with a focus on transport. Presented by North Edinburgh News’ very own Mr. Dave Pickering, around 100 attendees were given an opportunity to engage in open discussion with key figures of transport in Edinburgh.

The set-up consisted of six different tables; parking, winter weather, road safety, road maintenance, walking/cycling and public transport. Attendees at each table rotated throughout the course of the evening, offering everyone the chance to make their voice heard.

Mr. Tony Lear of Edinburgh City Council discussed winter weather issues at length, and with an admirable clarity. He claimed £750,000 has been funded to the local authorities by the Scottish Government to prevent expansion and water retention in potholes throughout the winter, while also confirming that more funds are to be set aside from the revenue budget for off-road cycle paths. This winter will see pre-treatment and gritting on North Edinburgh cycle paths for the first time. Mr. Lear also noted that local care homes, sheltered accommodation and school access routes are to receive priority treatment.

As parents attended in large numbers, road safety was a particular topic of interest. Many parents raised issues over the poor lighting in local streets over the winter months, and the crossing difficulties at the bottom of East Fettes Avenue. Miss Helen Bourquin also addressed concerns over cycling restrictions in the Comely Bank area.

While the cycling infrastructure in the local area was generally praised, Mr. Phil Noble announced that design standards for walking and cycling in Edinburgh are soon to be revised. The Scottish Government have also recently increased the budget for the marketing of walking and cycling. Mr. Noble also stated that in the next year, 5% of the total transport budget (around £16 million) is to be spent on cycling, which would amount to around £1.5-2 million. There was also praise for Mr. Ian Bieniowski in regards to Lothian Buses pricing system, customer service and general consistency.

Certainly worthy of a special thanks are Broughton High senior pupils Fraser Young and Calum Chapman. Voluntarily, they again devoted their time towards helping set up the technical aspects of the evening, an essential aspect in the event’s overall success – particularly the ‘warm-up’ musical performances from Broughton pupils. The pair regularly volunteer their technical knowledge and organisational acumen in all events throughout the school – they couldn’t have done it without them!

The only downside of an otherwise very encouraging evening was the technical issue with the event’s twitter feed. Broughton High School pupils who had volunteered to help out were given I-Pads to regularly update the event’s twitter feed through the hashtag #inverleithconf, but the server became unresponsive midway through the event.

Nevertheless, the evening generated very positive feedback, on the whole. It would appear that the future is bright for the local residents as far as transport is concerned.

Robbie Thomson, Broughton High School

Edinburgh’s green forever (and that’s nothing to do with Sunday’s Cup result either!)

Edinburgh has been recognised for protecting most parks and green spaces in the UK at a prestigious award ceremony. The City of Edinburgh Council was awarded Landowner of the Year at the inaugural Fields in Trust Awards 2012 ceremony that celebrated the achievements of the charity’s Queen Elizabeth Fields Challenge programme, and the city was also given £10,000 from Fields in Trust to spend on further improving the city’s parks.

The city received the award for dedicating more sites as part of The Queen Elizabeth Fields Challenge than any other UK landowner – a total of 25 sites across Edinburgh. This commits the Council to dedicating the named sites for the purposes of public recreation, in perpetuity, for the use of the residents of Edinburgh.

Councillor Jim Orr, the city’s Environment Vice-Convener, said: “Here in Edinburgh we have no shortage of beautiful outdoor spaces and this Council recognises the important role they play in boosting the well-being of communities. I’m delighted that Fields in Trust have recognised our efforts in dedicating many of our green spaces as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. This will have a lasting legacy for Edinburgh and reaffirms this city’s commitment to protecting our parks and green spaces for future generations.”

The dedicated sites are (local parks highlighted):

Easter Drylaw Park
Ravelston Park
Ravelston Woods
Starbank Park
Victoria Park
Figgate Park
Lochend Park
Rosefield Park
Portobello Golf Course
Braidburn Valley Park
Hermitage of Braid
Blackford Hill
Morgan Playing Fields
Morningside Park
Seven Acre Park
Colinton Mains Park
Easter Craiglockhart Hill
Hailes Quarry Park
Harrison Park
Saughton Park & Gardens
Ferry Glen
St Margaret’s Park
Union Park
Montgomery Street Park
Pilrig Park

Fields in Trust was founded in 1925 and is the only national charity working to safeguard and improve outdoor recreational spaces. The Queen Elizabeth Fields Challenge aims to protect outdoor recreational spaces as a legacy from HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Help yourself! Free sandbags for flood-threatened homes

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue service has teamed up with the city council to help Edinburgh residents protect their homes from flood damage. The initiative offers free sandbags NOW to residents who are concerned about potential flooding, rather than waiting for heavy rainfall.

Sandbags are now available to collect from specially built storage sheds at a number of locations across the city, including locally at Crewe Toll Fire Station on Telford Road and Powderhall Depot at 165 Broughton Road.

Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “It is understandable that, after the floods we have already seen this year, people in Edinburgh are concerned about what will happen if their homes are affected. Our advice is to be prepared and not wait for heavy rain as is often more difficult for us to reach people during or immediately before a flood.

“The fact that residents can now collect sandbags at their convenience will make it easier for them to feel confident that their homes are protected. I would also encourage people who are worried about flooding to have a look at the Council website for advice on how to protect their properties effectively.”

In recent years a number of Edinburgh neighbourhoods have been affected by extremely heavy rainfall, which led to the severe damage of some local homes.

John Dickie, Local Senior Officer for Edinburgh, Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Every year people are affected by flooding and it can cause significant disruption and damage for householders. One of the best things you can do is think about your risks before adverse weather strikes and take what steps you can to be prepared.

“We are delighted to be able to host self-service sandbag storage sites at our fire stations in Edinburgh. The public can help themselves to sandbags if they anticipate the need to protect their homes from flooding.

“You should also consider signing up for Floodline Scotland which will keep you informed about flood alerts. Preparing a plan for what to do if flooding strikes will also mean you are better able to react quickly in an emergency. Pack an emergency flood kit and make sure your home insurance is up to date.”

Residents who are unable to collect sandbags in person can contact the Council for assistance, by calling 0131 200 2000.

History to be made when councillors debate petition on Monday

The first valid petition submitted by a member of the public will be considered by councillors in Edinburgh on Monday (3 December) at a meeting to be webcast live from the City Chambers.

The petition, on ‘Kirkliston Public Transport Provision’, received 785 signatures of support.

Taking part in or creating a petition is one way that individuals, community groups and organisations can get involved in what the Council does. It allows people to raise issues of public concern and gives Councillors the opportunity to consider the need for change.

The Committee is part of a package of measures and a new committee structure aimed at creating a more accessible and transparent organisation by opening up decision-making and improving scrutiny of the Council’s work.

Members of the public and local businesses can make use of the Council’s e-petition facility. Paper petition forms can also be downloaded from the Council’s webpages and are available from libraries and other Council buildings.

Convener of the Petitions Committee, Cllr Maggie Chapman (pictured above), said: “It is a great start that we have a valid petition to consider in our first meeting. I hope that this will encourage others to come forward use this new opportunity to participate in local politics and to help improve the lives of people living, working and visiting our city. I am pleased that, in addition to the meetings in the City Chambers, we will also be taking the committee ‘on tour’ to reach a wider audience, and we will also ensure our young people are included by having youth focussed events.”

There is a range of agreed criteria for a petition to satisfy prior to confirmation of validity and consideration by the Committee. Matters that will not be considered include those currently being considered by a committee, included in a work programme or those that relate to a council or committee decision that has been made in the previous six months.

Further information:

* Petitions from individuals require at least 500 signatures though in some cases petitions with 250 signatures can be accepted.

* Petitions from local businesses need the support of at least 20 other businesses within Edinburgh before they can be considered.

* If a petition is invalid, the petitioner will be advised of the reason and given the opportunity to refine and resubmit it.

* Hashtag to use if tweeting about the Petitions Committee is #edinpetitions