Lease agreed for Leith’s historic Custom House

‘It’s a great, mutually-beneficial partnership’ – Rob Hoon (Manager, Out of the Blue Arts & Education Trust)

The doors of Custom House are one step closer to being opened to the public thanks to a lease arrangement between the City of Edinburgh Council and the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT).

An in-principle deal with SHBT to lease the listed Leith building was confirmed last month, but received the official green light to proceed yesterday at a meeting of the Council’s Finance and Resources Committee.

The decision will allow SHBT to sublet the building on month by month basis, with cultural social enterprise group Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust the preferred tenant. The Council will remain landlord for the building, and will work with SHBT to develop a feasibility study into long-term plans for the building.

It is hoped local residents and businesses will be given a glimpse inside the building during an Open Day celebration later this year.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Culture and Sport Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The missives have been signed and the lease agreed, and the keys to Custom House will now be passed to SHBT. It is the oldest structure of its kind in Scotland having been built in 1812 and the Council will work with the Trust to carry out initial works to the interior and exterior of the building.

“Under the Trust’s watch and with the Council as landlord, the doors of this historic building will finally swing open to the public and the Custom House building will once again become a hub in the heart of the Leith community.”

Chair of the SHBT Board of Trustees John Campbell, said: “Although we are a small charity, we have a strong track record in saving important buildings at risk for communities across Scotland and we are delighted now to be involved in securing a future for the Customs House.

“Our first priority will be to make some repairs to the building and spruce it up so that pretty soon members of the public will be able access it. Its various rooms will be available for use whilst we develop the capital project from feasibility study through to completion.

“This is a very exciting project that will deliver a vibrant mixed use hub for the benefit of the people of Leith and beyond. A key element will be the presentation of selected artefacts and interpretation displays to highlight the historic importance of Leith as the gateway to Edinburgh and Scotland. Other uses may include offices, workshops and public rooms for meetings and events.”

Rob Hoon, Manager of Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust, said: “Out of the Blue will work with the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust to take a short-term lease to look after the Custom House building, use it for artist studios, and liaise with the community regarding a future museum/heritage centre for a few years before refurbishment. It’s a great mutually beneficial partnership.”

Light a candle for Nepal

Marking one week since the devastating earthquake in Nepal, Edinburgh residents and visitors are being invited to show solidarity at a candlelit vigil outside the City Chambers tomorrow.

The Lord Provost Donald Wilson lodged an emergency motion at a meeting of the City of Edinburgh Council on Thursday to call on local support for the Mercy Corps Nepal Earthquake appeal.

He said: “When an event as devastating as this take place, I believe it is important for residents to feel they have an opportunity to express condolences and provide united support.

“I urge everyone in Edinburgh to do and give what they can, whether they join us for the candle lighting ceremony, make a donation to the Mercy Corps, pause for reflection or say a prayer for the lives lost.

“Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world and is suffering one of the most horrific of disasters. The survivors of this terrible earthquake and all of the aid workers in Nepal urgently need sympathy and support from all corners of the world.”

Rajendra Bam, the Chair of the Nepal Scotland Association, added: “The effect on our country has been devastating. We represent about 800 Nepali people in Edinburgh and the Lothians and no one has been left untouched by this tragedy, everyone has a story. Our community is a very close one and what affects one affects another. We are working in cooperation with charities, such as Mercy Corps, towards the urgent relief programme. Anything that you can do to help us is much appreciated.”

Edinburgh-based international charity Mercy Corps has been working in Nepal since 2006. The humanitarian organisation has reacted with an emergency response in Nepal following the massive earthquake and their dedicated team has been working tirelessly, whilst dealing with their own tragedies, to evaluate conditions and deliver emergency supplies to desperate families.

Simon O’Connell, Executive Director, Mercy Corps Europe said: “Our teams have been working hard for the last week to meet emergency needs of survivors in Nepal and assess what is needed for the recovery of the country. We are distributing urgent relief to families in Kathmandu and in villages outside of the capital and working hard to get more emergency supplies in for families who are in desperate need. Time is of the essence and donations are critical to our ongoing relief effort.”

The City of Edinburgh Council is a partner of the Edinburgh Disaster Response Committee which is asking residents to help survivors during the aftermath of the disaster.

A fund has opened with the Edinburgh based humanitarian organisation Mercy Corps for urgent donations.

City’s lost treasures to be revealed

‘For us, this is a true lost treasure’ – David Patterson

Original architectural drawings of the Usher Hall, not seen in public since 1910, are to be displayed for the first time in the concert hall between 12 May and 1 September.

Vintage drawings of the Edwardian venue were recently discovered by an architect in Leicester that traced its roots to Stockdale Harrison & Sons, the architectural practice that won the competition to design the hall.

The folder of drawings only recently came to staff at the Usher Hall’s attention when the architect in Leicester contacted the venue. The archive contains over 200 items including early sketches of the venue, water colour impressions, detailed competition drawings, exquisitely coloured drawings of lighting and sculptural designs, blueprints for heating layouts, ironmongery and terrazzo floors.

The Usher Hall is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council. Councillor Richard Lewis, Edinburgh’s Convenor for Culture & Sport said: “It has been well documented that a competition took place to design the Usher Hall and that the winning idea was built thanks to funding from whisky distiller Andrew Usher, but the architects who worked on the building and their designs have remained a bit of a mystery.

“The design’s backlash against gothic buildings of the time and the venue’s unusual curved walls are as stunning today as they were 100 years ago. To rediscover these vintage drawings is one thing but to have them in our archives and put on public display is extra special.”

David Patterson, Collections Manager at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “For us, this is true lost treasure. I knew as soon as I saw the drawings how important they were, not just for the Usher Hall, but for Edinburgh. They represent a piece of the jigsaw of the capital’s history and we are delighted to be able to put them on show for the first time.”

In 1896 Andrew Usher gifted £100,000 to The City of Edinburgh Council. The purpose of the money was to provide a City Hall, to be used for concerts and recitals and in 1910 architects were invited to design a hall to the cost of £65,000. In total, 133 designs were considered and all were exhibited in the hall of the New Corn Market in Gorgie. The designs were voted on anonymously and the winners were announced on 22 July 1910. The preferred design was a joint entry from Stockdale Harrison & Son and Howard H Thomson of Leicester.

In addition to the architect’s drawings, a watercolour by Shirley Harrison, the architect’s son, will be displayed (above). The watercolour shows the building in 1914 and the venue’s first audience arriving in Edwardian dress.

Entry to the exhibition will be free of charge.

Council plan to speed up housebuilding

Proposals to accelerate the building of rented homes through a new ‘arm’s-length’ housing company are to be considered by the City of Edinburgh Council and its partners next week.

The idea builds on the capital’s current affordable housing programme, which has trebled the number of affordable homes delivered by housing associations and the Council to around 1,500 each year. Partnerships with developers to deliver around 1,000 new rented homes for working households are also under way across the city.

There is high demand for quality and well managed rented housing that building new homes for rent would help accelerate house building. Other Councils in the UK like Manchester have already taken forward similar proposals.

Members of the Health, Social Care and Housing Committee on April 21st will be asked to approve a bid, outlined in a report, to explore the feasibility of developing an arms length housing company to support delivering new market housing for rent.

The company would develop sites for investors and funders, and act as a guaranteed buyer from developers of homes to rent. If the report to committee is agreed, the model for Edinburgh Homes would be consulted on with stakeholders.

Councillor Cammy Day, Housing Convener, said: “We’re already investing a lot of money into building high quality affordable homes across the city, and with our housing association partners, have actually built record numbers in recent years. But we are a growing city and meeting the need for new, good quality, good value homes across all tenures is a top priority for this Council.

“Edinburgh is an attractive and desirable city but people wanting to live here can find themselves priced out of the market. Setting up Edinburgh Homes would provide much needed housing and also bring much needed investment into the city.”

Old hat? Tackle Edinburgh’s (nearly) new Vintage Trail!

Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be!

Fans of vintage goods will be able to track down their favourite vinyl, 50s dress and retro food and drink using a new Vintage Trail guide produced by the City of Edinburgh Council.

The guide, which takes you on a trip down memory lane, is packed with over 100 businesses. It includes retailers selling clothes, books, music, food and drink, clubs and markets, and was inspired by the number of high quality vintage outets in Edinburgh.

Cllr Frank Ross, Convener of the Economy Committee, said: “We’ve kept our definition of vintage as inclusive as possible and all of the entries are individual and unusual. The guide is also well indexed with handy maps to help you get around. It is one of many Council projects to help build stronger town centres and includes some areas out with the city centre.

You can create your own vintage trail whether you are heading for the beach at Portobello and South Queensferry or the hidden gems in Stockbridge, Leith and the Grassmarket.”

Robert Mullin of The Gently Mad on the trail, said: “The Gently Mad is a father and son business and we are passionate about, if not obsessed with, antiquarian and vintage books and have a particular interest in bookbinding and book restoration.

“Our bookshelves are crammed with hundreds of wonderful volumes specialising in children’s illustrated, natural history, and Scottish interest. Our small working bindery is on view to the public and we are always happy to discuss the traditional processes involved in repairing and making books.

“We are delighted to be included in the Edinburgh Vintage Trail 2015 brochure and hope that its readers will see that Edinburgh as a city has a lot to offer those with an interest in all things vintage.”

LIGHT IT UP BLUE!

Social media users can shine their support for World Autism Awareness Day by turning one of Edinburgh’s most iconic monuments BLUE!

Melville Monument in St Andrew Square will change to the condition’s symbolic colour if people tweet #blue to the City of Edinburgh Council’s Twitter account @Edinburgh_CC to mark the awareness day tonight (Thursday 2 April).

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time will be the topic of a special Giant Book Group, while a Dance Back to the Future club night and a free concert are also among the events taking place this week to mark the international day in the capital.

Autism affects around 5,000 people in Edinburgh and is a lifelong developmental disorder which can affect people with or without a learning disability – sometimes known as Aspergers Syndrome. It affects both children and adults, and can have a profound effect on the way a person understands and interacts with the world around them.

The Council runs a number of services and offers support to those with the condition and their families through its Autism Edinburgh campaign and its autism plan. Support includes trained autism champions; Aspire, which helps young people move on from school and college into further education or work; family support through Positive Pathways, and a specialised online training programme.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon will be discussed at the Giant Book Group in the Central Library from 6.30pm tonight, in advance of the stage adaptation at the Festival Theatre later this month. A panel consisting of Health, Social Care and Housing Convener, Councillor Ricky Henderson, Cerin Richardson from Edinburgh Theatres, Matthew Day from Autism Initiatives and parent Amanda Wilson will launch the event, at which members of the public will form groups to talk about the book.

Clubbers will celebrate the day at Dance Back to the Future at Electric Circus from 10pm.

Cllr Henderson said: “World Autism Awareness Day is a fantastic opportunity to consider how some of us struggle every day through no fault of our own, and reminds us to show compassion and understanding.

“The Council is committed to supporting those in need to reach their full potential and to lead happy and independent lives.”

You can find out more information about World Autism Awareness Day on the Autism Speaks website.

Life-saving defibrillator installed at Edinburgh’s bus station

Edinburgh’s transport leaders were treated to a first aid master class yesterday as they unveiled a brand new defibrillator for the city’s bus station. The life-saving equipment, which is used on people who have had cardiac arrests, was installed this week.

Public access defibrillators (AEDs) allow trained individuals to treat casualties in areas where ambulance access is difficult or while awaiting paramedics, increasing the likelihood of survival.

Staff at Edinburgh Bus Station, which sees between five and seven million customers a year, will now be given training to use the potentially life-saving equipment.

Transport Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “Safety is of utmost importance to us as a Council, so it makes absolute sense to install this life saving equipment in such a busy area of the city.

“The bus station welcomes a real variety of people through its doors each day and if the new AED were to save just one of these lives, it would be worth every penny.”

Alongside the unveiling, St Andrew’s First Aid offered councillors and members of the public first aid tips and advice, as well as demonstrating the use of the AED.

Jim Dorman, Operations Director from St Andrew’s First Aid said: “We are absolutely delighted that City of Edinburgh Council has arranged to have a defibrillator placed within the city’s bus station. It is the perfect place to site an AED bearing in mind the central location of the station and the amount of people passing through the station each day.

“Defibrillators are proven to save lives and having one readily available will enhance the chances of survival for someone should they have a cardiac arrest in or near the station.”

The Council recently agreed to install defibrillators in all of the city’s high schools, partly paid for with fundraising by parents and the local community.

Find out more about St Andrew’s First Aid and the courses on offer

on their website.

Pictured: St Andrew’s First Aid trainer Annemarie Pattison demonstrates the new equipment to Councillors LesleyHinds and Adam McVey.

Just capital! Free wi-fi in Edinburgh this Easter

Connected Capital: Enjoy free wi-fi this Easter

Edinburgh residents and visitors are to benefit from free wi-fi in 70 public buildings across the city as part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s Connected Capital Programme.

Attractions such as the majority of Edinburgh Leisure centres and the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh Zoo and Dynamic Earth, will be live in time for Easter and the rest will come on line in the coming weeks and months.

Those travelling on Edinburgh’s trams and Lothian Buses are already benefitting from free wi-fi as the project is rolled out across the city.

Edinburgh is one of 22 cities across the UK benefiting from the Government’s SuperConnected Cities £150m Programme, which is being delivered through Broadband Delivery UK.

Councillor Frank Ross, Economy Convener, said: “This is great news as the new service will mean that everyone will be able to get free access to the latest information on their favourite apps and websites while out and about and when going to the gym, taking in some art or when taking their children to one of Edinburgh’s many museums. It is also great timing as some of the attractions gearing up for Easter crowds already have public wi-fi installed.

“This project is central to the Council’s plans for growing the city economy, and encouraging residents and visitors to stay longer and increase their spend.”

Edinburgh Leisure, ICT Manager Stuart Fairbairn, said: “Edinburgh Leisure is delighted to offer free wi-fi in 13 of its venues thanks to this funding from the UK Government via our partners at The City of Edinburgh Council. It will allow us to provide our busy customers with a great opportunity to stay connected while working out or relaxing in these venues, giving them yet another reason to stay healthy and active with Edinburgh Leisure.”

Hugh Wallace, Head of Digital Media, National Museum of Scotland, said: “We’re already seeing a healthy level of uptake, and people connecting to the service are then linking to museum-based material on our website (what’s on information, downloadable apps, e-newsletter sign-up). When we fully promote the service we will encourage the sharing of content, engagement with the museum’s collections, and offer further downloadable options – something we hope will provide a real step change for our visitors.”

Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said: “I’m delighted Edinburgh took up the challenge to become one of the UK’s Superconnected Cities as part of the Government programme. It’s vital that our cities have the digital infrastructure like superfast broadband and wifi in place to deal with the demands of the digital age. Our investment in Edinburgh has delivered a welcome boost to the local economy, and is all part of our long term economic plan.”

Buildings that currently have free wi-fi include:

Edinburgh Zoo
National Museum of Scotland
Dynamic Earth
All Edinburgh Leisure centres with the exception of Warrender Swim Centre and the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena (EICA)

Buildings which will go live at some point in the next few months:

Queen’s Hall
Nelson Monument
People’s Story Museum
The Lyceum
Festival Theatre
King’s Theatre
City Art Centre
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Scottish Poetry Library
Out of Blue Drill Hall
Museum of Edinburgh
Museum of Childhood
The Writers’ Museum
Museum Collections Centre
Lauriston Castle
Old City Observatory and the Dome
Trinity Apse
The Church Hill Theatre
Usher Hall
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Traverse Theatre
Warrender Swim Centre and the EICA (EICA)

Free wi-fi is also being installed in a number of the Council’s community centres, care homes and young people’s accommodation.

See city streets exhibition

A touring exhibition tracing 100 years of town planning in Edinburgh opened at the historic Museum of Edinburgh on Saturday.

The 100 Years of Planning temporary display, which launched at the city council’s Waverley Court headquarters in September before touring different corners of the city, takes the visitor through ten decades of the Edinburgh skyline from 1914 to the present day.

From the father of modern town planning, Sir Patrick Geddes, to the man who designed Edinburgh’s iconic police boxes, Ebenezer James Macrae, the exhibition takes a look at the personalities who have made significant contributions to the cityscape of the Capital.

Providing a remarkable insight into the changes which have occurred in the city over the last hundred years, the exhibition presents the opportunity to learn lessons from the past. As Edinburgh adapts to the changing social and economic conditions of the future, Sir Patrick Geddes’ concept of ‘Conservative Surgery’ – keeping the best from the past whilst improving the environment of the city for the future – will remain an important consideration for planning.

Edinburgh was at the forefront of town planning many years before the establishment of the Royal Town Planning Institute, and the New Town of Edinburgh, built between 1765 and 1850, is considered to be a masterpiece of city planning. Along with the Old Town, this area of Edinburgh is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Councillor Ian Perry, Convener of the Planning Committee, said: “This exhibition offers a fantastic opportunity to take stock of planning in Edinburgh over the last century. Our Edinburgh World Heritage site is part of the city’s international status and the display provides visitors with a great insight into how this has been achieved.”

Councillor Richard Lewis, Convener of the Culture and Sport Committee, added: “Above the entranceway to the Museum of Edinburgh there is a an old Latin inscription which translates as Today to me, tomorrow to thee. To me, this sums up Edinburgh’s streets and buildings which change and grow as the city gets older and is inherited by new generations. A timeline will run through the exhibition so that visitors can understand the city’s architecture and streets in context with other events that took place in the city and the wider world over the last 100 years.”

The Museum of Edinburgh is housed in a series of 16th to 18th century buildings arranged around a close off the Royal Mile, making parts of the site up to 500 years old. The exhibition is free to enter and will remain in the Museum until 20 June 2015.

Visit the exhibition to find out about some of the important personalities that have shaped the streets and skyline of Edinburgh

1920s: Sir Patrick Geddes – Edinburgh is fortunate to be so closely associated with Geddes, the father of modern town planning in the 1920s.

1930s: Ebenezer James Macrae – Macrae was influential, both as an early adopter and promoter of the idea of conservation, and as the creator of large swathes of inter-war Council house schemes, numerous schools, and the iconic Edinburgh police boxes.

1940s: Sir Patrick Abercrombie – Patrick Abercrombie was an extremely influential figure in UK planning. Abercrombie’s proposals for Princes Street included the creation of three separate decks. The upper level was to be a service road with all traffic diverted from it. The middle level, in the gardens, to be a car park and promenade area, with traffic restricted to a tunnel a level underneath.

1950s: Councillor Pat Rogan – Rogan was a prominent campaigner in the move to improve slum housing in Edinburgh. He took Harold Wilson on a tour of the slums, and the future prime minister pronounced them the worst he had ever seen.

1960s: Sir Basil Spence – was one of the most important and versatile British architects of the post-War period. He is associated with many buildings of the period including the design of residential blocks on the Canongate (1961-69), Mortonhall Crematorium (1967), and Edinburgh University library on George Square (1965).

1970s: Desmond Hodges OBE – Desmond Hodges became the first Director of the Edinburgh New Town Conservation Committee (ENTCC) in 1972. During his 22 years overseeing the project, the ENTCC carried out over 1,200 repair projects and offered over £7.5 million in grants.

1980s: Sir Terry Farrell – An architect, he has been influential in Edinburgh’s modern changes and was responsible for the Edinburgh Exchange District as well as designing the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

1990s: Professor David Begg – Professor David Begg was a Convenor of Transport who promoted innovative transport policies in the 1990s. His policies included giving buses priority on key ‘greenway’ routes, such as banning cars from driving along Princes Street. Many people strongly disagreed with his methods, but they set out the transport agenda that is still pursued today.

2000s: Enric Miralles – Miralles was a Spanish architect and graduate from the School of Architecture Barcelona, whose largest project came in the form of the Scottish Parliament Building.

Let there be light …

Council apologises and agrees to ‘up the brightness’

The city council is to improve the brightness of street lighting following complaints from residents. New LED lights have been installed across the city over recent weeks but hundred of people have expressed concern over the quality of the new street lights. Now, following a review, the lights will be turned up next month.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We’ve been closely monitoring lighting levels in streets where we’ve had a number of complaints about the new LED lights not being bright enough. I held a meeting with the Vice Convener and officers to decide on a course of action and I’m pleased to confirm that after monitoring the situation and taking complaints into account, we’ll be upping the brightness in streets where this appears most needed. This adjustment work will start in April once all the new lighting in this first phase of the rollout has been installed.

“LED street lights are much better for the environment and as they are longer-lasting than sodium street lights and with energy costs predicted to double over the next decade, they could potentially save the city millions of pounds in energy costs. While they are also recommended by police as being safer and better than the old kind of street lights, clearly the brightness has to be set at a level which reassures residents that they can feel safe at night in their street.

“In response to the feedback from the first phase, the rest of the lights due to be installed in various parts of Edinburgh before the end of March will be set at this same increased brightness level. Residents will also receive letters advising them about the new lighting and the reasons behind its installation. I’m aware that there was inadequate communication with residents whose streets were first to get the new street lights and I apologise for this on behalf of the Council.”