Drylaw Telford Community Council meeting tonight

WEDNESDAY 23rd NOVEMBER at 7pm

in DRYLAW NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE

Drylaw Telford Community Council holds it’s last meeting of 2023 tonight in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre.

The meeting starts at 7pm.

ALL WELCOME

POWER TO THE PEOPLE?

Prime Minister to put local people in control of more than £1 billion with long-term plan for left-behind towns

  • Fifty five towns – seven in Scotland – given £20 million endowment-style funds each over 10 years to invest in local people’s priorities
  • Long-term Plan for Towns will empower communities across the UK to take back control of their future – taking long term decisions in the interests of local people 
  • Funding to be spent on local priorities; reviving high streets, tackling ASB, improving transport and growing the local economy   

The UK Government has unveiled 55 towns that will benefit from a £1.1 billion levelling up investment, as part of a long-term plan for towns that provide long-term investment in towns that have been overlooked and taken for granted. 

Towns that will be given the opportunity to develop a long-term plan supported by a Towns Board include 6 in the North East, 10 in the North West, and 4 in the West Midlands. In total, 55 towns will benefit from the UK-wide approach, including 7 towns in Scotland and 4 in Wales.  

The Government will work with local councils and the devolved administrations to determine how towns in Scotland and Wales will benefit from funding and powers under the long-term plans. In Northern Ireland, we look forward to working with a restored Executive to determine the approach to providing support there. 

Under the new approach, local people, not Whitehall-based politicians, will be put in charge, and given the tools to change their town’s long-term future. They will:   

  • Receive a ten-year £20 million endowment-style fund to be spent on local people’s priorities, like regenerating local high streets and town centres or securing public safety.    
  • Set up a Town Board to bring together community leaders, employers, local authorities, and the local MP, to deliver the Long-Term Plan for their town and put it to local people for consultation.   
  • Use a suite of regeneration powers to unlock more private sector investment by auctioning empty high street shops, reforming licensing rules on shops and restaurants, and supporting more housing in town centres.     

More than half the population live in towns, but half-empty high streets, run-down town centres and anti-social behaviour undermine towns in every part of the UK.

Yesterday’s announcement marks a change in approach that the government hopes will put an end to people feeling like their town is ignored by Westminster and empower communities to take back control of their future, taking long term decisions in the interests of local people.  

The announcement came on the eve of the Conservative party conference – perhaps the last gathering of the Tory faithful before the general election. 

This plan builds on the Government’s ‘central mission’ to level up the UK by putting more power and money in the hands of people who know their areas best to build a brighter future for their community, creating bespoke initiatives that will spark the regeneration needed.    

Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “Towns are the place most of us call home and where most of us go to work. But politicians have always taken towns for granted and focused on cities.  

“The result is the half-empty high streets, run-down shopping centres and anti-social behaviour that undermine many towns’ prosperity and hold back people’s opportunity – and without a new approach, these problems will only get worse. 

“That changes today. Our Long-Term Plan for Towns puts funding in the hands of local people themselves to invest in line with their priorities, over the long-term. That is how we level up.”

Levelling Up Secretary, Michael Gove said: “We know that in our towns the values of hard work and solidarity, common sense and common purpose, endeavour and quiet patriotism have endured across generations. But for too long, too many of our great British towns have been overlooked and undervalued.  

“We are putting this right through our Long-Term Plan for Towns backed by over £1bn of levelling up funding.   

“This will empower communities in every part of the UK to take back control of their future, taking long term decisions in the interests of local people. It will mean more jobs, more opportunities and a brighter future for our towns and the people who live and work in them.”

The government’s ‘Long-Term Plan for Towns’, published today, is carefully designed to complement the wider levelling up programme, working alongside funding for specific projects across the UK, our targeted support to the places most in need through Levelling Up Partnerships, and initiatives supporting economic growth in wider city regions like investment zones.     

The Long-Term Plan for Towns will require town boards to develop their own long-term plan for their town, with funding over 10 years and aligned to the issues that research shows people want the most, including:  

  • Improving transport and connections to make travel easier for residents and increase visitor numbers in centres to boost opportunities for small businesses and create jobs
  • Tackling crime and anti social behaviour to keep residents safe and encourage visitors through better security measures and hotspot policing    
  • Enhancing town centres to make high streets more attractive and accessible, including repurposing empty shops for new housing, creating more green spaces, cleaning up streets or running market days   

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “I wholeheartedly welcome the launch of the UK Government’s Long Term Plan for Towns.

“It’s great to see that seven Scottish towns will benefit from £20 million each from the latest round of levelling up funding which so far has seen us invest more than £2.4 billion right across Scotland to help grow our economy and level up the country.

“I look forward to seeing these towns – and the communities within them – use this investment to breathe new life into the places where they live, work and play.”

Local people will be at the heart of decisions, through direct membership of a new Towns Board, which will include community groups, MPs, businesses, cultural and sports organisations, public sector agencies and local authorities for each town and through a requirement to engage local people on the long-term plan for each town. 

These Town Boards will have direct government support in addition to the funding and powers they receive through Long-Term Plan for Towns, and will be required to engage local people on their long-term plan. 

The Government has also announced a new ‘Towns Taskforce’, sitting in the Department for Levelling Up and reporting directly to the Prime Minister and Levelling Up Secretary. This will help town boards to develop their plans, and advise them on how best to take advantage of government policies, unlock private and philanthropic investment and work with communities.      

A new ‘High Streets and Towns Task Force’ will also be established, building on the success of the existing version, providing each selected town with bespoke, hands-on support.   

Further information 

  • Towns have been allocated funding according to the Levelling Up Needs Index which takes into account metrics covering skills, pay, productivity and health, as well as the Index of Multiple Deprivation to ensure funding goes directly to the towns which will benefit most, without new competitions or unnecessary hurdles. A full methodology note will be published.  
  • This commitment to towns follows other initiatives designed to support towns, including driving economic growth in 101 areas through the Towns Fund, and the £1 billion Future High Streets Fund, which is creating thriving high streets.
  • Local authorities will be the lead delivery partner for plans.  This programme has been developed following our work with local authorities, with funding designed to be spent flexibly over a number of years based on local and evolving needs, and distributed through an allocative rather than competitive process.      

Towns receiving funding 

  • Mansfield 
  • Boston 
  • Worksop 
  • Skegness 
  • Newark-on-Trent 
  • Chesterfield 
  • Clifton (Nottingham) 
  • Spalding 
  • Kirkby-in-Ashfield 
  • Clacton-on-Sea 
  • Great Yarmouth 
  • Eston 
  • Jarrow 
  • Washington 
  • Blyth (Northumberland) 
  • Hartlepool 
  • Spennymoor 
  • Darwen 
  • Chadderton 
  • Heywood 
  • Ashton-under-Lyne 
  • Accrington 
  • Leigh (Wigan) 
  • Farnworth 
  • Nelson (Pendle) 
  • Kirkby 
  • Burnley 
  • Hastings 
  • Bexhill-on-Sea 
  • Ryde 
  • Torquay 
  • Smethwick 
  • Darlaston 
  • Bilston (Wolverhampton) 
  • Dudley (Dudley) 
  • Grimsby 
  • Castleford 
  • Doncaster 
  • Rotherham 
  • Barnsley 
  • Scunthorpe 
  • Keighley 
  • Dewsbury 
  • Scarborough 
  • Merthyr Tydfil 
  • Cwmbrân 
  • Wrexham 
  • Barry (Vale of Glamorgan) 
  • Greenock 
  • Irvine 
  • Kilmarnock 
  • Coatbridge 
  • Clydebank 
  • Dumfries 
  • Elgin

Creating a National Care Service

Community engagement funding to ensure groups are heard

Third sector organisations are being awarded new funding to help ensure as many voices as possible are contributing to the design of the National Care Service.

The funding will facilitate contributions from minority ethnic communities, LGBTI people, children and young people and those with experience of homelessness or the justice system.

Organisations will each receive £5,000 to encourage the communities they work with to have their say on how future community healthcare and social work services should look.

Social Care Minister Maree Todd said: “As we build a National Care Service that best fits the needs of everyone in Scotland, we need to hear from people directly.

“The new National Care Service will set the standards and guidance to support the design and delivery of community healthcare and social work services locally.

“The complexities of getting this right should not be underestimated. People with experience of the current system, whether receiving health and care support or delivering it, are the experts. We need to hear those voices – and those of groups who are often overlooked.

“We know that minority ethnic communities, LGBTI people, children and young people and those with experience of homelessness or the justice system are under-represented in our co-design work to date. We also know that people affected by dementia are a key group we want to hear more from and we will benefit from partnering with an organisation with expertise in this area.

“I am confident the funding to support co-design activity with seldom heard communities will help us shape a system we can all benefit from and be proud of.”

The partner organisations are:

  • LGBT Health and Wellbeing
  • Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project (MECOPP)
  • The Simon Community
  • Scottish Association for the Care and Resettlement of offenders (SACRO) 
  • Alzheimer Scotland

NHS Lothian urges the public to get involved ahead of Annual Review

NHS Lothian is encouraging the public to get involved ahead of the Health Board’s Annual Review, by submitting questions relating to healthcare in Lothian.

The Annual Review is the formal process through which the Scottish Government assesses the performance of each Health Board. NHS Lothian’s annual review will be held on 18 October, with the public invited to attend the public session from 1-2pm, either online or at the Carrington Suite, Inverleith Building, Western General Hospital, EH4 2LF. 


The review is an opportunity for a Government minister to meet clinicians, colleagues, and representatives of patients, carers and communities, and to hear about the work and performance of NHS Lothian over the past 12 months. This year the Review will be chaired by Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health & Social Care.

NHS Lothian Chair John Connaghan said, “We are delighted to be able to welcome the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to NHS Lothian, and to invite the public to join us either in person or virtually.

“This will be an opportunity for us to set out the progress we have made in developing our strategy in the aftermath of the pandemic, and to outline some of the challenges faced by NHS Lothian as we plan our services for the future Please send in your questions for NHS Lothian. The Minister will ask a selection of these at the public meeting.”

Questions can be emailed to get.involved@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk with Annual Review in the subject line, by 22 September 2023. 

Alternatively, you can post your questions to NHS Lothian using the following address:  

FAO Georgia Sherratt
Chair and Chief Executive’s Office
NHS Lothian
Waverley Gate
2-4 Waterloo Place
Edinburgh
EH1 3EG

If you are able, please let us know if you wish to attend the Annual Review in person and if you require any additional support. You can do this using the email address above.

Details of how to watch the online livestream of the meeting will be shared with the media, and on NHS Lothian’s social media channels and website  – https://org.nhslothian.scot/keydocuments/annual-reviews/ nearer the time.

What makes a strong community?

What do you think makes a strong community?
 How can we improve or change things for the better? 
Are you interested in climate and environmental issues?
 
Your voice and opinion matters!
 
June 7th 
 
Workshop 1    10.30 – 12.00 am
Workshop 2      7.00 –  8.30 pm
 
 
You are warmly invited to come along to a relaxed and informal workshop and be part of a conversation about these questions.  We’ll have free refreshments on offer and the discussion will be supported by a couple of facilitators who will help guide the discussion.  No previous knowledge is required, we simply hope you will bring along your thoughts, opinion insights and hopes for your community’s future.  
 
Please let me know if you’d like to take part in one of these sessions by emailing lynne.porteous@heartofnewhaven.co.uk and letting me know whether the morning or evening workshop works best for you.  Please also let us know if you have any specific dietary requirements.


 
This event is organised by Restoration Forth, Heart of Newhaven and WWF (World Wildlife Fund) to gather information on community resilience.  Your contribution is voluntary and confidential, but the anonymised results from discussions will be used to build a better picture of people’s perceptions, attitudes and practices around the Firth of Forth and the local community 

EACC meets on Thursday

EDINBURGH ASSOCIATION of COMMUNITY COUNCILS

NEXT MEETING: Thursday 25 May 2023: 18.50 for 19.00 on Microsoft Teams.

Speakers:

Harald Tobermann; Chair, Edinburgh Bus Users Group:

Building the client relationship with Transport for Edinburgh.

Angela Benzies, HE Consultant, Edinburgh:

Community Council pathways for the support of local small business.

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Here is the Microsoft Teams link:  

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 322 644 206 999
Passcode: TwTidj

Download Teams | Join on the web
Learn more | 

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Update:

CEC Spatial Policy and Active Travel are promoting Clean Air Day on 15 June with a promotional “Clean Air Day Toolkit” which I attach with this email.

Other links offered are

Clean Air Hub: What Can I Do about Air Pollution?

and the

WWF carbon calculator

The link to the Scottish Air Quality monitor site is here.

Lots to consider, then.

Finally, slides from the last EACC meeting on 27 April are on the EACC site. Go to Meetings on the menu bar and to EACC Documents >> Meetings 2023.

The EACC website homepage is:

Edinburgh Association of Community Councils (edinburghcommunitycouncils.org.uk)

_______________________________________________

Edinburgh Association of Community Councils (EACC)
EACC Secretary; Ken Robertson

secretary@edinburghcommunitycouncils.org.uk

Jackie Weaver to give evidence as Committee marks 50th Anniversary of Scotland’s Community Councils

‘YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY HERE, JACKIE WEAVER!’

The Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee is holding a session on community councils to coincide with the 50th anniversary of their establishment in Scotland, with two panels of witnesses scheduled to give evidence.

As part of the first panel the Committee will hear from Jackie Weaver who rose to fame after a video of her managing a virtual meeting of Handforth Parish Council went viral in 2021.

The Committee has invited Jackie Weaver to share her insights and experiences in local governance and management, particularly in relation to supporting parish councils.

The Committee will also hear from a panel of community councillors representing Edinburgh, Shetland, Aberdeenshire, West Lothian, Moray, Clackmannanshire and Cambuslang in South Lanarkshire who will provide evidence in a roundtable format.

The session is part of the Committee’s ongoing work looking at the Scottish Government’s Local Governance Review which aims to reform the way that Scotland is governed to give greater control to communities.

Ariane Burgess MSP – Green

Commenting ahead of the meeting, Committee Convener, Ariane Burgess MSP said: “Fifty years on from the establishment of Community Councils, it’s important that we recognise and celebrate the contributions that individuals and groups involved make to their communities.

“We also hope this session can contribute towards shaping the Scottish Government’s Local Governance Review, ensuring communities continued to be empowered and supported to do so in the decades ahead.

“The Committee are looking forward to welcoming Jackie Weaver and Community Councillors from all over Scotland to share their experiences of community involvement in decision making, and their views on how this can be improved.”

Drylaw & Telford residents to have their say on local parks and green spaces

Dylaw and Telford Community Council is delighted to announce that funding has been secured to carry out a community wide consultation to seek the views of local people on what can be done to improve the greenspaces in our area. 

This work will build on a previous consultation carried out more than 15 years ago which saw more than £500,000 worth of investment in improving local open spaces.

The £5,000 funding from the Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership’s Community Grants Fund will enable the community council to work with Edinburgh and Lothian Greenspace Trust (ELGT) again on this exciting project. 

Over the next few months there will be a wide range of opportunities for local people to give their views on what could be done to improve some of the open spaces in our area. 

Community Council Chairperson, Jimmy Galloway, said: “We are very fortunate in our area to have some great big parks and open spaces for locals to use. These areas are busy and well used and it is now time to see what else could be done to make them even better. 

“This consultation will ensure everyone within the community gets the opportunity to give us feedback. That could be by completing an online survey or attending one of the many events that will be taking place. 

“We are really looking forward to getting started in the coming weeks and I certainly can’t wait to see the results. 

“We are working with the Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust on this – they have worked with us in the past and have a great knowledge of the area and a proven track record of delivering projects.” 

Charlie Cumming, Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to be working with Drylaw and Telford community Council again to help develop plans to improve the local greenspaces. 

“There are many opportunities to help make the area greener and more biodiverse which will mitigate against climate change. The aim being to create a great place for future generations and to encourage greater use of the greenspaces for local families.”

Drylaw Telford CC meets tonight

Drylaw Telford Community Council meets tonight (Wednesday 25th January) in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre at 7pm. All welcome.

AGENDA

  1. Welcome & Apologies
  2. Declarations of Interest
  3. Minutes of Last Meeting
  4. Chair Report
  5. Secretary Report
  6. Police Report
  7. Treasurer Report
  8. Councillors Report
  9. Update on DNC
  10. Open Space Consultation
  11. Any other business?

Date of next meeting 22nd February 2023

Audit Scotland: Scotland’s councils face mounting financial challenges

Councils across Scotland faced significant financial challenges during 2021/22 and are now entering the most difficult budget setting context seen for many years. Increasingly difficult choices about spending priorities will need to be made.

The Accounts Commission, the independent body that holds councils to account, said that even with additional Covid-19 funding during 2021-22, councils had to make significant savings last year to balance their budgets.

Many councils have also used reserves to bridge funding gaps and fund vital services. This is expected to be the case in 2022/23. The £570 million of additional funding for 2023/24, announced in the December budget, will help councils address upcoming cost challenges, but further change and reform across all councils is required to ensure longer-term financial sustainability.

When compared to the 2013/14 Scottish Government revenue funding position to local government, 2021-22 represented the first real-terms increase in six years (excluding one-off Covid-19 money). But an increasing amount of council funding is either formally ringfenced or provided on the expectation it will be spent on specific services and national policy objectives. This supports the delivery of key Scottish Government policies yet removes local discretion and flexibility over how these funds can be used by councils.

William Moyes, Chair of the Accounts Commission, said: “It’s clear the financial situation of councils is increasingly fragile. Councils are having to deal with the effects of inflation, the increasingly desperate cost of living impacts and rising demand for services, whilst at the same time delivering vital day to day services to their communities.

“To be financially sustainable, councils must deliver savings and reduce reliance on non-recurring reserves to fill budget gaps.

“If they are to find a safe path through the difficult times ahead, councils need to focus more on service reform, alongside meaningful engagement with their communities, about what services can be provided given the financial pressures they are facing.”