Forth Neighbourhood Partnership and Community Councils are in the process of developing an event focussing on the wider regeneration of the area to take place on Saturday 27 Septemberfrom 10am – 2pm in Edinburgh College Granton Campus.
We are currently working to bring together the community, landowners, the Council and its partners to share information about current and future regeneration plans and any opportunities that this can bring. This will also be an opportunity to learn of where key community aspects such as health, leisure, environment and social benefits are linked into any future developments.
It is intended that the event outcomes will help shape proposals wherever possible and keep people informed with what is happening in the Forth neighbourhood. It should also support the creation of a new vision for the area and potentially establish a wider Forth Regeneration Development Group.
We are awaiting confirmation of key speakers and felt that it was important to gauge interest in the event . I would be grateful therefore if you could use the link below to let me know if you and/or colleagues will be interesting in attending. A light lunch will be available on the day.
Further information is available from Michelle Fraser 529 3150 or myself.
Scott Donkin
Partnership & Information Manager | North Neighbourhood | Services for Communities | The City of Edinburgh Council | 8 West Pilton Gardens EH4 4DP | Tel 0131 529 5001 | scott.donkin@edinburgh.gov.uk
The City of Edinburgh Council has prepared a Second Proposed Edinburgh Local Development Plan. It sets out policies and proposals to guide land use and development.
Representations can be made on the Second Proposed Plan. These must be submitted in writing using the form provided by 5pm on Friday 3 October 2014. Representations can be submitted electronically to localdevelopmentplan@edinburgh.gov.uk or by post to Local Development Plan Team, City of Edinburgh Council, Business Centre G.3, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG.
Copies of the representations form and guidance note on submitting representations are available on the above website, at Waverley Court and in Council libraries.
If you made a representation to the first Proposed Plan in 2013, please note that you will need to resubmit your representation if you wish it to be formally considered by the Council and dealt with through the examination process.
Written comments can also be submitted on the Environmental Report, Action Programme, Draft Habitats Regulations Appraisal Record and other supporting documents. These should be sent to the above email or postal address by Friday 3 October2014.
Drop-in engagement events have been arranged to provide further information on any aspect of the Second Proposed Plan:
North West Edinburgh, Rosebery Hall, Queensferry, 26 August, 3.30-6.45pm.
West Edinburgh, Drumbrae Library Hub, 28 August, 4-7pm.
South East Edinburgh, Kings Manor Hotel, Milton Road, 1 September, 4-7pm.
South West Edinburgh, Gibson Craig Hall, Currie, 3 September, 4-7pm.
South East Edinburgh, Faith Mission Hall, Gilmerton, 4 September, 4-7pm.
General session, Urban Room, Waverley Court, East Market Street, 22 September, 4-7 pm.
Craigleith/Blackhall Community Council is holding a Hustings meeting in Blackhall St Columba’s Church (Large Hall) on Queensferry Road tomorrow evening (Thursday 14 August) from 7 – 9pm.
Still undecided about the Referendum? This is the opportunity to have your questions answered directly by a panel of four politicians, two from each side and all from different political parties. Each will make a short presentation followed by questions from the audience.
Plans to help stop antisocial behaviour from blighting Edinburgh’s communities have been agreed. Prevention and support are key elements of the city council’s Antisocial Behaviour Policy, which was approved by the Health, Social Care and Housing Committee today (June 17th).
Tackling antisocial behaviour is a priority for the city and the policy sends out a clear message that while steps will be taken to stop it from happening in the first place, serious or persistent cases will also be dealt with.
Antisocial behaviour can affect entire communities and their experiences have helped to shape the policy process: tenants groups, community councils and members of the public who participated during the consultation process supported the principles of the policy and agreed there is a need for a robust approach.
The new Antisocial Behaviour Policy supports the aims of Edinburgh’s Antisocial Behaviour Strategy 2013 – 2016, and is based on key principles:
Prevention and early intervention;
Management of tenancy conditions;
Effective partnership working;
Effective legal solutions;
Regular and effective communication;
Quality and performance monitoring.
Community Safety Leader Cllr Cammy Day said: “This policy was developed to help people live safely and free from the distress that antisocial behaviour causes. It was vital that local communities helped to shape this plan, and I am delighted that so many took the time to contribute.
“Any threatening or disturbing behaviour will not be tolerated and I want to send a clear message to those involved that there will be consequences to their actions. The policy also details our plans to target the underlying causes of antisocial behaviour through early intervention and support.
“Edinburgh is generally a safe and welcoming place and we will continue to work with the public and partner organisations to ensure that it remains so.”
Drylaw Telford Community Council appointed the following office bearers at last week’s Annual General Meeting held in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre:
Chairperson: Alex Dale – email alex.dale@blueyonder.co.uk
Secretary: Andrew Barnett – email andrew@abarnett.net
Treasurer: Jackie Brown – email catchjackiehere@hotmail.co.uk
Vice-Chairperson: Mhiari Curran – email mhairi.curran@hush.ai
The Community Council meets at 7pm on the last Wednesday of the month in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre – all meetings are open to the public and new faces are always welcome!
Archaeological dig unearths ‘treasures’ at heart of housing estate
World Heritage Site status following Drylaw discovery?
The ring of Brodgar, the standing stones of Callanish, Stonehenge – these world famous ancient sites have aroused wonder and speculation for centuries. Why were they built? Were they religious temples, astronomical navigation sites, burial grounds or even fantastic art creations by intelligent creatures from another world?
Channel Four’s ‘Time Team’ believe they may have unearthed some answers following an archaeological dig in North Edinburgh.
Late last year, scientists were alerted to some unusual ground activity following a prolonged period of torrential rain in the Drylaw housing estate in North Edinburgh.
Historic Scotland’s Barnaby Welton-Trowell explained: “The heavy rain had washed away layers of topsoil on a small roundabout, revealing a primitive stone circle which we believe may be thousands of years old. It’s a remarkable find, and it appears that the stone structure was built as a repository for important relics that span the ages. Drylaw’s standing stones will undoubtedly become as well known as any of the world’s most famous sites”.
A preliminary examination unearthed some fascinating artefacts.
Mr Welton-Trowell continued: “We first came upon ancient plans for a tram network, which we believe could date back to Roman times. Etched on a stone tablet, they were drafted by a man called David the Begg – we are currently researching him and believe he may have been one of a group of wise seers who once lived in the Lothians. The Begg’s blueprint even included a cost – five magic beans, which must be around £25 billion in today’s money – so you can see that transport and infrastructure schemes were just as expensive way back in antiquity. However the stone tablet was only the beginning – you can imagine our excitement as we had literally only really scratched the surface. What other treasures could we find?”
The stone tablet – an early forerunner of today’s hi-tech iPad – was sent for carbon dating, but Channel Four’s Time Team got wind of the discovery and rushed to Edinburgh. Now working with Historic Scotland and the local city council, the TV archaeologists have already made some startling discoveries on the Drylaw dig – and expect many more.
Tony ‘Baldrick’ Robinson (pictured above) said: “We are always amazed at the things our investigations can throw up and our Edinburgh visit has been particularly rewarding. Among the artefacts unearthed so far are an antiquated scrap of parchment which we believe may be Saxon or even earlier – clearly it is very difficult to decipher the hieroglyphics on the ancient manuscript, but one of our experts believes it may refer to the victory of ancient Hibernians in a battle in the West, where they won a momentous victory at something called the Scottish Cup. It is clearly very old and may well be very significant – it was always believed that this was the stuff of legend, a fairy tale, but it may actually have really happened after all”.
A tray of modern-day bridies
Also discovered was a fossilised piece of foodstuff. Tony Baldrick continued: “We had always imagined our forefathers were farmers, living on a fairly basic diet of grain and vegetables. However we have dug up what we believe may be an early Pictish bridie. If it really is – and we are very hopeful, as it was placed in a Gregg’s bag, perhaps as part of a religious ceremony as an offering to the gods – we may have to rethink the diets of our ancestors. Perhaps the pie, bridie and sausage roll were just as popular with the Stone Age Scot as they remain today. Carbon dating will reveal all – it will certainly give the scientists something to get their teeth into!”
VisitScotland senior marketing executive Ruaridh Culloden said the find offers a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ for the area. He said: “After a series of top level brainstorm and focus group sessions our team has come up with some wonderful ideas to really put the site on the tourist map.
RING of Brodgar: ‘No Drylaw’
“We’ve yet to visit the site, but we would envisage a Visitor Centre – probably on the site of one of the local pubs, either the Dew Pot or the Furry Boat, and a gift shop on the site of the current Drylaw church. We’d also like to flatten Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre and use the space to develop a fun theme park there.
Mr Culloden added: “It’s also very important that the Standing Stones are easily accessible so we would like to establish a big coach and car park where Ferryhill School is currently located, perhaps with any overspill directed to Easter Drylaw Park, where was also plan to build a hotel. So as you can see, we’re certainly not short of great ideas on how we can build on Drylaw’s heritage – quite literally”.
A spokesperson for Drylaw Telford Community Council said: “The interest generated has been amazing – we’ve had communications and inquiries from as far away as Trinity and Cramond. The roundabout was really just a bit of an eyesore, to be honest, so the events of recent weeks have taken us all completely by surprise. The stones have certainly put Drylaw on the map and it seems that our neighbourhood is going to be transformed. It’s simply unbelievable.”
Local people wishing to vote in three city Community Council elections will be able to do so online for the first time.
Following the closure of the nomination period, there were more prospective community councillors than there were places available in three areas – Craigmillar, Liberton & District and Portobello – so elections are now taking place, and for the first time an online option has been introduced making it easier for more people to take part. Votes can now be registered securely over a special website until the voting period closes at 8pm on 24 October.
All voters on the electoral roll in the three areas are being given the opportunity to vote over the internet, or they can attend a polling place on the 24 October to vote in person if they would prefer. Postal votes are also available for residents who prefer this option.
Councillor Maureen Child, Convener of the Communities and Neighbourhood Committee, said: “Our aim is to deliver democratic processes that people can take part in and trust. To offer a range of options for voting, including online voting, we hope to make it easier for people to have a say and that can only be a good thing for local communities. We hope that by offering flexible ways to vote that it will attract even more interest in these elections.
“Community Councils are an ideal way to support communities to thrive, to allow people from all backgrounds to meet and share ideas and to make change happen. They are a fantastic way of making public sector agencies aware of the needs of local areas, and can really help to make changes for the better.”
Community Councils each receive a grant to cover running costs and training is available for the members. They are represented on each of the city’s 12 Neighbourhood Partnerships and work alongside elected members, representatives from NHS Lothian, Police Scotland, the voluntary sector and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Community councils were first established in Edinburgh in 1980 and now more than 500 people are members of 41 community councils across the city. While elections are needed in three neighbourhoods, however, other areas are still looking for local people to make up their full complement of community councillors. Nominations are currently being sought for new members of the Gilmerton/Inch Community Council, and Drylaw Telford – one of the city’s original community councils – is one of a number of community councils with vacant positions.
“Following the nomination period we have five vacancies so we are very keen to encourage residents – old and new – to get involved”, said Alex Dale, chairman of Drylaw Telford. “Anyone interested in find out a bit about what we do should check out our website, or better still come along to our next regular monthly meeting on Wednesday 30 October at 7pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. Our meetings are always open to the public and It would be great to sign up some enthusiastic new members.”
Alex Dale (left) with former DTCC chair Mike Clark
Do you care about your community? Would you like to make your neighbourhood a better place to live? Well, there’s still time to put your name forward to become a community councillor – but nominations close at 4pm TODAY!
Indications are that nomination forms have not exactly been flooding in to Returning Officers in some neighbourhoods so far so it’s hoped that there will be a last-minute rush today!
Community councils are groups of people who care about their community and want to make their area a better place to live. Community councils give residents a say in how their communities are run by representing the views of local people on Neighbourhood Partnerships and convey these views to the Council and other organisations and agencies.
In North Edinburgh, Drylaw Telford was one of the city’s original community councils while Muirhouse Salvesen (pictured below), West Pilton/West Granton and Granton and District were formed to give communities a voice in new community planning arrangements when Neighbourhood Partnerships were introduced in 2007.
Community councils are always keen to hear from local people, and want more people to get involved in their work. They usually meet once a month, and in between meetings many organise and support local projects and initiatives that help the community or improve the area.
Get involved – get that nomination form completed and handed in today!
The inaugural meeting of Muirhouse Salvesen Community Council in March 2007
Aged lampposts in Edinburgh will be replaced with more energy-efficient equipment after an additional £1 million was sourced this year, the city council has announced.
The extra funding will be used to replace up to 760 old concrete and steel lampposts which failed an independent risk-based structural test.
The new aluminium columns are the first choice in street lighting designs as they do not need ongoing maintenance and have a design life of more than 50 years – almost double the design life of the old concrete and steel columns. They are also built using recycled material and can be recycled again at the end of their life.
Street lighting electricity costs are predicted to double by 2020 and the new posts will be fitted with energy-efficient white light lanterns, which will support the drive to reduce electricity costs whilst helping the Council to meet environmental targets.
Councillor Lesley Hinds, Environment Convener, said: “Replacing old lampposts with modern aluminium columns makes both environmental and financial sense. They last up to twice as long as the traditional designs, and can even be recycled once finished with.
This would be an ideal opportunity to save energy and our carbon footprint, as well as to reduce the amount paid to light the city. It would also help to improve safety of residents and visitors.”
The new street lights have not met with universal approval, however. Drylaw Telford Community Council raised concerns over the positioning and power of new lights when they were installed late in 2011.
Community council treasurer Jackie Brown said then: “The new lights are lower and less powerful so don’t shed nearly as much light. Older members of the community are feeling vulnerable. Some of them are carrying torches so that they can see where to put the key in the door lock when they get home, while some others are avoiding going out altogether when it gets dark. It’s not only older people who are affected by the new lights, though – lots of people are not happy with the new lights.”
The community council has since been working with council officers to improve lighting in problem areas, and recently conducted a consultation in Wester Drylaw Place.
Community council chairman Alex Dale said: “We publicised the consultation with flyers and leaflets and highlighted the issue on our website, but the volume of response to the survey was slightly disappointing – in all there were 19 postcard responses, and two further replies via Survey Monkey.
“The community council subsequently agreed to ask the council to close the consultation period and to go with the preferred choice of the respondents. It’s just a pity that at the end of the day a bit of apathy crept in to the whole campaign – it has been a lengthy process – but in the end we achieved some sort of democratic decision so for the Community Council it was a bit of success.”
A drive is under way to encourage more people to join their local community council and help represent the views of residents in their area.
Elections for all of Edinburgh’s community councils are due to take place in September, but some have struggled in the past to attract new members and all are keen to have fresh input. A campaign is now underway to seek nominations to ensure that community councils can continue to thrive and play an important role in the health of the capital’s neighbourhoods.
Cllr Maureen Child (pictured above) , Convener of the Communities and Neighbourhoods committee, urged people to get involved: “It’s all about local residents working together to make a difference to where they live. In my experience, the best community councils involve folk of all ages and backgrounds, but they rely on people putting themselves forward. I completely understand it may be a little daunting for those who haven’t been involved in anything like this before, but help and advice is available.”
Jim Henry, the chair of Liberton & District Community Council, said: “Community councils act as a voice that gives residents an opportunity to use their local knowledge to influence the future of their area. We also get involved in a wide range of activities to improve our communities, including clean-ups and gala days. Without the work of community councils, the city and its neighbourhoods would be a poorer place.”
Community Councils receive a grant to cover running costs and training is available. They are represented on each of the 12 Neighbourhood Partnerships established across the city and work alongside elected members, representatives from NHS Lothian, Police Scotland, the voluntary sector and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to improve the local area and allocate local grants.
Anyone aged 16 years or older and registered to vote can join. People can find their local community council using the Council’s interactive map.
Forth Neighbourhood Partnership and Community Councils are in the process of developing an event focussing on the wider regeneration of the area to take place on Saturday 27 September from 10am – 2pm in Edinburgh College Granton Campus.
It is intended that the event outcomes will help shape proposals wherever possible and keep people informed with what is happening in the Forth neighbourhood. It should also support the creation of a new vision for the area and potentially establish a wider Forth Regeneration Development Group.
