community assets – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

North Edinburgh Arts secures £250,000 Community Ownership funding

LOCAL ARTS ORGANISATION REACHES 80% OF FUNDING TARGET

North Edinburgh Arts has been awarded £250,000 from the UK Government’s Community Ownership Fund to support the Millan Hub project.

The announcement marks a significant step forward in NEA’s capital development journey, bringing the organisation closer to achieving their fundraising target: they have now reached 80% of their total goal.

Communites across the UK will benefit from over £50 million in funding to support community ownership of local assets.

North Edinburgh Arts was one of eight successful applicants in Scotland at this stage of the process. Another Edinburgh applicant was Portobello’s campaign to renovate their Town Hall. They receive £90,000.

This £250,000 awarded to NEA will be added to funds already secured for the ambitious build from Foundation Scotland, The Garfield Weston Trust, The William Syson Trust, The Robertson Trust, The Binks Foundation, and the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.

Reaching four fifths of the target gives a real boost to NEA’s Board, team, participants, visitors, and volunteers alike.

A NEA spokesperson said: “We are grateful for the overwhelming support we have received from our local residents, with over 96% backing our mission to keep NEA at the heart of a creative, connected, inspired, and inspiring community.

“Your unwavering belief in our vision has been the driving force behind this achievement. Thank you for your ongoing support!”

NEA is a well-loved and well-used venue but we had outgrown our building. To meet the needs of current and future generatons of North Edinburgh residents it needed to be redeveloped.

As part of the new MacMillan Hub the NEA capital programme will:

 Increase the footprint of NEA by 380m2, adding two foors of studio and work/ space
 Extend the café to look/ into MacMillan Square, and ofer enhanced community facilites
 Provide bespok/e work/shop space for the ommunity Shed
 Reduce the carbon footprint through beter insulaton, lightng and environmental design and constructon
 Be a fully owned community asset.

With the build scheduled for completion early in 2024 NEA has set up a welcome cabin in front of the site to ensure local residents can find out more about the build, join up as NEA members (htps://northedinburgharts.co.uk//membership/) and share their aspiratons for the space.

The refurbished, redesigned and expanded venue will be a welcome space for all, ofering local residents high quality culture, arts, enterprise and meetng spaces. In additon, our venue will link, on site, to the city council’s new Library, new Learning and Skills Hub, new Early Years Centre and social housing.

Lesley Hinds, Chair of North Edinburgh Arts said: ‘North Edinburgh Arts is delighted to receive funding from Community Ownership Fund.

This funding from the Westminster Government shows the confidence they have in NEA and its future in the expanded facilities at MacMillan Hub.’

For more information, visit northedinburgharts.co.uk/development/

Granton Youth Centre: Community Meeting

TUESDAY 2 FEBRUARY, 5.30pm

We are holding a short community meeting on Tuesday 2^nd February from 5.30pm in the Main Hall at GYC to raise awareness and discuss issues and concerns regarding the City of Edinburgh Council Revenue Grant budget cuts and finances moving forward for GYC.

Young people, volunteers, staff and the wider community have been invited to attend and we warmly invite yourself. The purpose of this meeting is as follows:-

1. Information regarding City of Edinburgh Council Budget Cuts

2. Impact on GYC’s work, services and staff.

3. How you can continue to support GYC in 2016/2017

4. Contacting Edinburgh Council on behalf of GYC, to raise concerns

We sincerely hope you can come along and offer any input on the evening.

If you are able to attend we would appreciate it if you can please let us know by return email.

Wendy@grantonyouth.com

0131 467 5854

Granton Youth Centre, 3-11 West Granton Road, Edinburgh EH5 1HG

www.grantonyouth.com

One million acres

Community Land Ownership: government sets ambitious target

A strategy to significantly increase the amount of land in community ownership has been published today.

The report by the one million acre short life working group recommends a number of proposals to deliver the one million acre target by 2020 and spread the benefits of community ownership, including:

stimulate demand for community owned land through raising awareness
build capacity of communities to take land ownership projects forward
improve access to support services and develop a network of support providers
address issues around the availability of land and barriers to the supply of land

The report identified 480,000 acres of land already in community ownership, which has recently been increased to over 500,000 acres by the acquisition of land by The Pairc Trust since the report was finalised.

Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Aileen McLeod said: “I welcome this report from the one million acre short life working group, which looks at ways to reach our target of one million acres of community owned land by 2020. This ambitious target has the potential to transform the fortunes of communities across the country.

“I would like to thank the group for all their hard work and I look forward to considering the recommendations in this report alongside current land reform legislation to help ensure we empower communities with practical powers as well as support sustainability.” Continue reading One million acres

Communities: seize the day!

‘giving communities the power to make their own choices is one of the most effective ways to tackle poverty and address inequalities.’ – Local Government & Community Empowerment Minister Marco Biagi MSP

Development Trusts Association (DTA) Scotland, the national organisation for development trusts, says the introduction of the Community Empowerment Act presents communities across Scotland with an ideal chance to ‘seize the day’ as their rights and opportunities in relation to assets, land and participation increase.

Development Trusts, community groups and representatives who gathered for the Associations’ two-day Annual Conference in Inverness yesterday heard that there has never been a better time for community-led regeneration, as more and more communities look to take control of their future through the acquisition of assets.

Ian Cooke, Director of DTA Scotland (pictured) said: “The introduction of the Community Empowerment Act brings with it ground-breaking opportunities for communities across Scotland in the acquisition, development and management of land, buildings and other physical assets.

“Often driven by the need to save community services and iconic heritage assets, community groups have historically had to work against the odds and with minimum support to take on assets and services.

“However, now, more so than ever before, communities have an opportunity to stimulate sustainable growth and lasting change thanks to favourable policies like the Community Empowerment Act which encourage, support and help resource this kind of community-led activity.

“We would urge that anyone considering taking on an asset, however early the stage, gets in touch with the team at the Community Ownership Support Service to find out how they can help support the process.”

Under some of the notable provisions of the new Act, most of which are expected to come into effect in the summer of 2016, communities throughout Scotland will:

Have the right to request to purchase, lease, manage or use land and buildings belonging to local authorities, Scottish public bodies or Scottish Ministers;
Have extended Community Rights to Buy Land in Scotland incorporating both rural and urban settings through amends to the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, and;
Have the right to put forward their ideas for how services could be changed to improve outcomes for their community through a participation request. This could include community bodies taking on delivery of services.

In his Ministerial address at the DTAS Conference today, Minister for Local Government & Community Empowerment Marco Biagi MSP is expected to say: “These are remarkable times in Scotland to be an active citizen. We have almost unprecedented levels of participation and engagement from people in communities the length and breadth of the country and the Scottish Government wants to build on the enthusiasm that people have been showing and get them more involved in local decision making, so that we can release at a local level the energy that comes from employing those talents, and allowing communities to guide the changes and improvements that they want to see in their local areas.

“In June this year the Scottish Parliament passed the Community Empowerment Act, the focus of which was to put forward legislation that helps give communities the means and ability to greater control their futures. Communities in the driving seat, that is the aim of the Act.

“We want to go beyond consulting, go beyond engaging and get into the true participation and partnership that is the only way communities can be empowered. We know that giving communities the power to make their own choices is one of the most effective ways to tackle poverty and address inequalities.”

Also addressing conference today will be Rob Hoon, manager of the successful Out of the Blue arts and education trust based in Dalmeny Street.

Entitled ‘Assets, Enterprise & Creativity‘, DTA Scotland’s conference – the organisations’ twelfth – has brought together Scotland’s experts on community-led regeneration, along with the development trusts and community organisations and groups looking to deliver innovation and sustainable change on the ground.

Topping the agenda is ensuring that delegates are aware of the opportunities available to them as a result of the introduction of the new legislation. Once again a sell-out, the Conference is providing an invaluable forum for the sharing of ideas, experience and good practice.

Carry on at your convenience!

Community ownership for public toilets?

Toilets at Granton Square and Canonmills will be among the first tranche of public convenience closures, it has been confirmed. The local public conveniences are among ten that will close over the summer, saving £300,000.

Ross McEwan, administrator of Granton Improvement Society, has called for the local public toilet to be acquired as a community asset.

It’s not a cr*p idea: in other areas across the country enterprising local communities have formed Trusts to save local assets – including public toilets.

One group in Devon successfully took over the running over their village toilets when faced with council closure. Not only did they save the facility, they upgraded it – with the help of Lottery funding, the villagers of Barbrook refurbished the toilets and added a community information room next door too!

During Edinburgh’s budget process in 2011, the Council agreed to reduce the budget of the Public Conveniences service by £300,000, a saving that was delayed until the 2015/2016 financial year.

Earlier this year an initial list of toilets proposed for closure was selected based on the number of people using the facilities, the conditions of the buildings, alternative facilities available in the local area and the potential for a Community Toilet Scheme.

Prior to final closure of these facilities, consultation has been undertaken with the wider community to establish views on the proposed closures and identify any steps that could be taken to lessen the effects of losing these facilities.

The results of this survey can be found here .

Following consideration of the feedback, the decision has been made to close the following toilets:

· Ardmillan – end of July 2015

· Canaan Lane – end of July 2015

· Canonmills – end of July 2015

· Currie – end of July 2015

· Granton Square – end of July 2015

· Joppa – end of August 2015

· Juniper Green – end of July 2015

· London Road – end of August 2015

· St John’s Road – end of August 2015

· Tollcross – end of August 2015.

Two other public conveniences have been spared – at least for now. The toilets at Hawes Pier and Middle Meadow Walk will not be closed at this time, while the options for these sites are reviewed.

To lessen the impact of the closures, the Council is establishing a Community Toilet Scheme with interested businesses across the city.

This would result in participating businesses allowing members of the public to use their toilet facilities without expecting them to make a purchase, in exchange for an annual payment from the Council.

A number of businesses have already expressed an interest in participating through the public toilets survey and some businesses in identified areas have also been approached with information about the Scheme.

A council spokesperson said: “The decision to close these toilets has been a difficult one and it is appreciated that there will be some impact following these closures. To help mitigate this, there have been over 60 additional toilet facilities identified in Council buildings around the city that are available for the public to use.

“These are located in various Libraries, Community Centres, Edinburgh Leisure facilities and Neighbourhood Offices; information about these toilet facilities is available here on the Council’s website.”

Nearly 20 public toilets will remain open.

If you would like to make an enquiry about public toilet closures, please call 0131 529 3030 or email public.toilets@edinburgh.gov.uk.

If you do choose to call the telephone number, be prepared for a lengthy wait … might be worth going for a pee before you call!

Unlucky for some: thirteen BoS branches to close

Bye, bye Blackhall: Bank of Scotland branch to close

Bank of Scotland has announced plans to close thirteen branches across Scotland this year. Among the unlucky thirteen is the Blackhall branch on Hillhouse Road. The branches will close by 18 September.

The announcement follows a strategic review of the business which was announced in October last year.

Edinburgh bears the brunt of the closures and is set to lose SEVEN branches. As well as Blackhall the city will lose Fairmilehead, Holyrood, Marchmont, St James Centre, Murrayfield and Sighthill. Four branches will also close in Glasgow and one in Aberdeen. Another branch in Moray closed earlier this month and was replaced with a mobile branch service.

A Bank of Scotland spokesman said: “Our focus has been on urban areas where there is another Bank of Scotland branch nearby. Branches continue to play an important role for us.”

The nearest local branches for BoS customers will be Deanhaugh Street in Stockbridge, 43 Comely Bank or the Barnton branch on Queensferry Road.

The Bank of Scotland news comes hot on the heels of the Royal Bank’s announcement of several branch closures – including Goldenacre – earlier this week. Clydesdale Bank customers – brace yourselves!

Here for you? RBS Goldenacre branch to close

Goldenacre is one of eight RBS branch closures

The Royal Bank of Scotland’s Goldenacre branch is to close on 13 August.

The bank says the decision to close the branch on the corner of Ferry Road and South Trinity Road ‘has not been taken lightly’ and cites a number of reasons for the branch closure, including a decline in the number of people using Goldenacre and an increasing take-up in mobile and telephone banking.

RBS Stockbridge at North West Circus Place will become the new ‘local’ branch for RBS customers when the Goldenacre branch closes in the summer. RBS say they also plan to invest in their Davidsons Mains branch this year.

In a letter to branch customers, RBS Local CEO Debbie Pows said: “Over the next three months we will be actively engaging, helping and supporting our customers and the local community on how they can continue to bank with us in the local area. If you’d like to talk about the decision or about the services that are available in the area you can come into the brnach, call me on 07826 664071 (Minicom 0800 404 6160) or email me at debbie.pow@rbs.co.uk ”

Edinburgh’s Tollcross is another of the eight RBS branches earmarked for closure across Scotland.

Fans First! Greens set out plans for fan-owned football

Hearts were on the brink, there’s deep disquiet about investment at Hibs and the mighty Rangers are in trouble once again. All is far from well in the world of football finance, so can the Scottish Greens score with Fans First?

The Green MSPs have confirmed long-standing plans to bring changes to land reform legislation to give football fans the right to buy their clubs.

The proposals were set out in a consultation response to Holyrood’s Local Government and Regeneration Committee, which is about to start consideration of the Scottish Government’s Community Empowerment Bill.

The submission also sets out plans by Green MSP Alison Johnstone, who is leading the Greens’ “Fans First” campaign, to broaden the 2003 Land Reform Act to include intangible community assets, not just land, in line with the general principles of the Scottish Government’s proposals. This would help communities to take on and run vital services like pubs, local cinemas, and even public transport.

Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian, said: “The time has come for the Scottish Parliament to give fans the power to take on their clubs when they come on the market or when they go into administration, or possibly even at any time for a fair price.

“We’ve always argued that fans will tend to be the best custodians of the clubs they love, and that the long-term security and strength of Scottish football requires a move towards the kind of community ownership common elsewhere.

“Scottish Ministers have set up a working group under Stephen Morrow to look at this issue, which we support. However, the group will report after this legislation has been considered, so it’s vital that this legislative opportunity shouldn’t be missed. The changes we’re proposing will still mean fans’ trusts will require Ministerial signoff, just as is already the case with land reform, so the only risk would be if Parliament rejects our proposals, leaving fans with no prospect of progress any time soon.

“So we’re encouraging all the trusts in Scotland to make their views known. Do they want to cross their fingers and rely on the current slow move to fan ownership, or do they want Parliament’s support to put them in the driving seat?”