With the local council elections tomorrow (Thursday 3 May), the City of Edinburgh Council is reminding voters what they need to know to have their say on polling day:
Check where you should vote. Details of your local polling station will be on your poll card or are available from the online maps. If you have not received it or are unsure of where to go call: 0131 200 2315. Polling stations will be open from 7am – 10pm.
Bring your poll card with you to the polling station, it may speed things up. But don’t worry if you don’t have it, you can still vote without it.
Remember that this year you vote using numbers instead of using an X. Just put a 1 next to your first choice, a 2 next to your second choice, a 3 next to your third choice and so on. You can choose how many candidates to number from one, to as many as you would like.
If you’re unsure of how to complete your ballot paper, a member of staff will be able to help you. You can also watch a video of Victor the Voter, who can show you how.
If you applied for a postal vote, make sure it is returned by 10pm on Thursday 3 May. If you have left it too late to post back, you can drop it off at your local polling station or at the City Chambers on the High Street or to reception at the Council Headquarters on East Market Street.
Local campaign group North Edinburgh Fight Back has cancelled plans to present their anti-poverty demands to councillors at tomorrow’s full council meeting – the last before the 3 May elections.
Last month, the group announced their intention to present all 58 councillors with individual copies of the Community Charter scroll and to send a deputation to address Thursday’s meeting.
The group has been in touch to say that this will NOT now be happening and has asked us to let our readers know.
More information on why tomorrow’s deputation was cancelled – and when the scrolls will be handed over – when we have it.
Inverleith resident and former Scotland rugby star Scott Hastings officially opened Inverleith Park’s new fitness trail this morning. Scott was joined by members of the Friends of Inverleith Park group at a ribbon-cutting ceremony organised to mark the occasion.
Funded by the city council, wooden fitness equipment has been installed at ten stations around the park’s northern perimeter, and Scott was joined by his training companion Parker the dog as he demonstrated the delights of the exercise trail!
Inverleith Park is already a very popular location, used by a number of sports clubs, fitness groups and thousands of individuals, particularly joggers. The Council, along with the Friends of Inverleith Park and other user groups, decided that a fitness trail would improve the facilities and equipment for users of the park wanting to exercise.
Installation was completed at the end of March and fitness enthusiasts can now complete a circuit of the park whilst tackling bench sit-ups, a tyre run, wobble board and a number of other challenges along the way!
Scott said: “As a local resident and a regular jogger I am very impressed with the fitness trail. I am amazed at the number of people who have been using it to boost their exercise. I have had a bit of fun using the exercise stations as a break from my regular running route. Inverleith Park is a really fantastic space and this new fitness track enhances the amount of things that one can do whilst admiring the wonderful views across our great city”.
Friends of Inverleith Park convener Tony Cook added: “Comments about the fitness trail have been overwhelmingly positive and the new facilities will mean that even more people will come to enjoy this wonderful park.”
The following candidates will be seeking your support in the Local Government elections on 3 May. Four councillors will be elected in both the Forth and Inverleith wards from the following lists:
4. Forth Ward
Steve Cardownie – Scottish National Party (SNP)
Cammy Day – Scottish Labour Party
George Gordon – Scottish National Party (SNP)
Ruth Ann Henderson – Scottish Anti-Cuts Coalition
Allan George Jackson – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
Kate Joester – Scottish Green Party
Seumas Stiubhard Macmhicean – Liberal Party in Scotland
Vicki Redpath – Scottish Labour Party
Tim Wight – Scottish Liberal Democrats
5. Inverleith Ward
Nigel Bagshaw – Scottish Green Party
Gavin Barrie – Scottish National Party (SNP)
Scott Douglas – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
Lesley Hinds – Scottish Labour Party
Tim McKay – Scottish Liberal Democrats
Iain Whyte – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
John Young – Scottish National Party (SNP).
This election uses the STV (Single Transferable Vote) system, which involves putting numbers against preferred candidates.
You must be on the register of electors to be able to vote. You can register to vote for this year’s council elections:
if you are 18 or over, or will be 18 on or before 3 May 2012
if you are a British or Commonwealth Citizen
if you are an EU national
even if you are homeless or living in temporary or long-term hostel accommodation.
A registration form is sent to homes every autumn but you can check if you are registered to vote at the Local Government Elections on 3 May 2012 by calling the Electoral Registration Office on 0131 344 2500. But remember – you only have until Wednesday 18 April to register to vote, so check now!
Council official John McFarlane has responsibility for street lighting, and last month he attended a Drylaw Telford Community Council meeting to hear concerns over inadequate street lighting in the area. As well as just listening, however, Mr McFarlane decided to see the problems for himself and left the meeting with a small group of local residents to visit some of the problem areas. Last night’s community council meeting heard that Mr McFarlane has been in touch and is now relooking at lighting in Drylaw.
In an email to community council Chairman Mike Clark, Mr McFarlane said: ‘I can confirm that the residents’ concerns were noted at the walkabout and my design team are currently working on a few change scenarios which will hopefully address these concerns. It is our intention to install alternative solutions in separate areas in Drylaw after which we will liaise with adjacent residents to determine the effectiveness of these solutions. Once a preferred solution is agreed through consultation with the residents we will implement these changes”.
Mr McFarlane added that he would be delighted to attend a future community council meeting and will contact the community council again ‘once we have progressed things at our end’.
Speaking after the meeting at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Mike Clark said: “This is a positive development. Our February meeting was one of the best attended for some time as local residents wanted to make their concerns known. With the new lighting, some people feel that parts of the neighbourhood are just far too dark. It’s encouraging that the council is listening to those concerns and, more importantly, appears willing to act to address them”.
Street lighting has dominated Drylaw Telford agendas for some months now, but among other issues also discussed at last night’s meeting were the proposed skate park for Easter Drylaw Park, the cost of upgrading and maintaining Drylaw Field in Wester Drylaw and two forthcoming special meetings – the annual Thomas Tierney Award presentation and, with the council elections coming up, a hustings event.
The community council also discussed the curious case of the missing goal-posts – this long-running mystery may yet be solved at a future meeting. Watch this space, all may be revealed!
Drylaw Telford Community Council meets on the last Wednesday of the month at 7pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. All welcome.
North Edinburgh’s path network is set for a spruce-up as a £153,000 clean up kicks off. The investment was announced in February as part of the £2 million in extra funding made available by the City of Edinburgh Council, of which £650,000 was earmarked for street cleansing and environmental projects.
Other projects across the city include:
Cleaning up the Water of Leith basin and Niddrie Burn;
Improving access in Liberton Park;
Fixing fences and installing bike racks in the Meadows;
Constructing tree pits and replacing trees in Saughtonhall Drive;
Landscaping the entrance to Campbell Park.
Environmental task forces teams in each of Edinburgh’s neighbourhood areas drew up the list of projects they felt would benefit in the short term.
A total of £21,000 is being spent in the south west neighbourhood, £22,000 in Leith and the city centre, £26,000 in the west, £24,000 in the east, £20,000 in the north, £30,000 in the south, and £10,000 to paint play parks throughout the city. In North Edinburgh, the money will be spent on landscaping and habitat improvements to the North Edinburgh Path Network
David Lyon, Head of Environment at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This extra money means that we can carry out targeted improvements to local areas across the city which are in need of a bit of a facelift. It is an excellent opportunity to enhance some of our open spaces to the benefit of both local residents and visitors.”
Council tenants will continue to shape the city’s housing services after the green light was given to include them in future decisions. Tenant Participation Strategy 2012-2015 was approved at a meeting of the City of Edinburgh Council’s Health, Social Care and Housing Committee this week. The strategy’s aim is to improve the ways tenants can participate in decisions on housing and related services in their communities, and it builds on previous tenant participation events organised by the City of Edinburgh Council and the Edinburgh Tenants Federation including the annual Tenants’ Conference.
Housing Leader for the City of Edinburgh Council, Cllr Paul Edie (pictured), said: “It’s important that tenants have a voice in how their services are provided and this Strategy allows them this opportunity. They can tell us what matters most to them as we want to ensure the services we provide are meeting their needs. There are undoubtedly some huge housing challenges ahead but with the help and support of our tenants we can be confident that these issues will be tackled together.”
Betty Stevenson, Convenor, Edinburgh Tenants Federation, said: “I am delighted that the Tenant Participation Strategy has been passed by the Councillors. Volunteers from Edinburgh Tenants Federation have worked tirelessly with the Council to agree the content of the strategy and this is the culmination of a lot of hard work. We look forward to working with the Council to ensure there are better housing conditions and services by involving tenants in decision making.”
A series of events will be held in the city later in the year to promote the new strategy.
During severe weather the Council will do all it can to keep the city moving. However, our focus has to be on priority routes for buses and emergency vehicles and giving access to hospitals, health centres and schools.
The Council want local people to help clear snow. (Picture: Thomas brown)
In previous years, we have been encouraged by the number of residents who contact us to see how they can help. There is a lot you can do by clearing pavements in your area and checking on neighbours.
We are enlisting some volunteer snow wardens to be our eyes and ears in their community. They can tell us about specific problems and help residents with the local effort to clear snow and ice from pavements.
This week, Muirhouse and Salvesen Community Council launched their campaign to stop the Council closing paths that lead from Muirhouse into Silverknowes Eastway. The petition was launched following a public meeting organised by the Davidsons Mains Silverknows Association last month where they have requested the Council look to close off these public footpaths.
This is one of the paths that would be closed if the plans get the go ahead. (Picture: Thomas Brown)
As well as closing off the footpaths the Council are also looking at installing up to twelve CCTV monitors in private houses, two of which will be linked to the City in View system which will allow the Police to monitor them at a cost of £4,800.00.
The public meeting which took place on 17th November was attended by over two hundred residents from Silverknowes following a spate of vandalisms and an increase in anti social behavior. Natalie Hoy, Neighbourhood Manager for the West of the City, was in attendance along with Ruth Stanley from the North Office, local Politicians and representatives from the Police.
It was agreed that the Closure of the access points from Muirhouse was the “most important consideration in trying to solve these problems” and according to the Davidsons Mains Silverknowes Association website “there was an assurance this would proceed as quickly as possible”
This is a move, which has angered the Muirhouse and Salvesen Community Council and their Chairperson, Roy Douglas said ” We are disgusted to learn that residents of Silverknowes (who are technically part of Forth Ward) want to close public access footpaths. These footpaths are part of Muirhouse and lead into a newish housing complex that is part of Muirhouse and the Forth Ward. No “Berlin Wall” should be allowed to be built between Communities in this day and age. These paths are used by our school children to get to school safely away from busy main roads and are used by people to access local shops and bus routes.”
Local Neighbourhood manager Peter Strong has been crticised for his handling of this issue by Muirhouse and Salvesen Community Council
We are also disgusted to learn what Police resources have been used and how much is being spent in response to the residents of Silverknowes Eastway complaints. According to a Police representative who attended our meeting said reports have been minor incidents, a smashed window, car keying. In other areas of the Forth Ward they happen every other day. We acknowledge that there is a youth issue in parts of Muirhouse but with the involvement of our local professional Youth Agencies which have great success in engaging with local youth in resolving such issues, and we feel that resources should be given to them.
If the Council allow such division in communities where does the Equality and Diversity policies for our city stand? Peter Strong did apologise that our Community Council was not informed but he should hang has head in shame for allowing another Neighbourhood Partnership to become involved in the affairs of the Forth Ward. We are heading up to a local election and councillors of an adjoining ward want to scare monger and get support to the splitting up of communities and get votes for their parties. Leave our Community alone, do not create more problems with a wall of division.
Our Community Council have circulated petitions for residents of Muirhouse to become aware of this and sign. All we all want for Christmas is Peace and Goodwill lets achieve a New Year with Communities living in Harmony not peering over a wall at each other.”
Inspector John Cooper from Lothian and Borders police said “The main issues are youths passing through Silverknowes to congregate in the Davidsons mains area and this has lead to a number of minor vandalism’s such as car windows being smashed and cars being scratched.
At this moment in time we have not been asked to provide any evidence to suggest that closing these paths will resolve the problems currently being experienced. Over the past few months we have had undertaken a variety of tasks to identify these youths and this has included increased patrols in the area as well as the use of the CCTV van which has been located in the are for the past few weeks.”
Natalie Hoy the West Neighbourhood manager said “To be very clear the Council and Police committed to commissioning a Environmental Survey of the area using Safer by Design which is an accredited and recognised tool for assessing environmental factors in a local area, this survey is carried out by colleagues in Lothian and Borders Police.
Natalie Hoy says a summit will be held within the next few weeks
I must stress that the council have not committed to closing the footpaths, this will be subject to further discussion and will involve communities from both West and North. A cross neighbourhood summit involving senior officials from the police and council, elected members and community representatives will be convened in the next few weeks.
The Council has committed to offering CCTV provision in domestic properties in the area affected and to explore the Silverknowes Community Representative’s idea that he would like to see further cameras purchased, no cameras have been purchased and these discussions have commenced this week.
Significant work is already underway with young people in both the North and West looking at positive engagement and diversion, action will be taken in cases where this is appropriate jointly in partnership with our Police colleagues however we recognise that the vast majority of young people themselves want to live in a safe community. Council and Police work hard to tailor responses to local community issues and this is part of our neighbourhood working on a day to day basis.”
Almond Councillor Kate Mackenzie said “There have been lots of issues in and around the Silverknowes area caused by young people passing through. These issues have been mainly vandalism and local people have had enough of it. I am unaware what, if any, work has done been to engage with the young people that are causing this problem.”
Local Councillor Cammy Day said “I was made aware of the issues in Silverknowes Eastway, and a public meeting held in Almond ward regarding a few incidents that had taken place. Silverknowes Eastway is in the Forth Ward, and I was surprised not be invited to attend.
It’s important that we take this in perspective, and we take appropriate action to respond positively to any acts of vandalism or anti social behaviour.
I would be keen to have our community safety team and youth street work teams engage with the young people involved for a positive resolution.
A meeting of local representatives is to be arranged later this week to agree a course of action.”
What are your views on building fences to separate communities?
All Edinburgh schools will shut at noon today because of the high winds forecast and the expected severe disruption to travel and transport. School transport has been arranged to collect children at noon.
Children and Family Centres/Nurseries/Community Centres are also closing at noon.
All community use of schools from noon onwards today will be cancelled including the Adult Education Programme.
The Scottish Government has issued advice to all local authorities on this which you can see in its news release from this morning: severe weather update.
The Council has some general advice for the public and information on its own responsibilities on the high winds page.
With the local council elections tomorrow (Thursday 3 May), the City of Edinburgh Council is reminding voters what they need to know to have their say on polling day:
