Have your say on proposed electoral arrangements

Five more city councillors under latest proposals

The independent Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland (LGBC) has announced a 12 week period of consultation with the public on proposed electoral wards as part of the Fifth Review of Electoral Arrangements.

Its proposals contain recommendations for councillor numbers in each of Scotland’s 32 council areas and the number, boundaries and names of wards.

Proposed changes in Edinburgh would see an increase in councillor numbers: the city would have 63 elected members instead of the current 58.

Both Forth and Inverleith would retain four councillors under the latest proposals, but neighbouring wards Almond and City Centre would both gain an additional elected member to ‘address forecast disparities’.

Ronnie Hinds, Chair of the Commission, said: “Consultation is a vital part of our work and having completed our consultation with councils, and amended a number of our proposals in the light of these, we now want to hear from local residents, community groups and organisations.

“We have a statutory obligation to conduct reviews and we are required to ensure that the number of electors per councillor in each ward in a council area is as nearly as may be the same – but subject to that we also need to take account of local ties and the public are best placed to tell us about these.

“We look forward to positive engagement with communities across Scotland over the next 12 weeks and have today launched our consultation portal which will allow people to see our proposals and submit their comments to us online including suggested revisions to the maps setting out ward boundaries. Paper copies of our proposals are available at display points across council areas.”

When reviewing electoral arrangements the Commission is required to take account of the following factors:

 the interests of effective and convenient local government;

 within each council, each councillor should represent the same number of electors as nearly as may be;

 local ties which would be broken by making a particular boundary;

 the desirability of fixing boundaries that are easily identifiable; and

 special geographical considerations.

The proposals for consultation with the public:

 provide for 1,219 councillors in 352 wards: a decrease of 4 councillors and 1 ward relative to existing arrangements.

 preserve 120 existing wards.

 contain 95% of wards that are forecast to be within 10% of parity (only 83% of existing wards are within 10% of parity).  contain only 3 wards that are forecast to be 15% or more from parity (19 existing wards are forecast to be 15% or more from parity).

 mean that councillors will, on average, represent electorates that are forecast to be 4.6% larger or smaller than the council average – under the existing arrangements councillors would represent electorates that are forecast to be on average 6.0% larger or smaller than the council average.

Proposals for Edinburgh

LGBCS’ proposals for wards in City of Edinburgh council area present an electoral arrangement for 63 councillors representing five 3-member wards and twelve 4-member wards, increasing councillor numbers in the area by 5. The proposals:

improve overall forecast parity;
increase the number of councillors by 1 in ward 1 (Almond), ward 2 (Pentland Hills), ward 11 (City Centre), ward 14 (Craigentinny / Duddingston) and ward 17 (Portobello / Craigmillar);
address forecast disparities in ward 1 (Almond) and 11 (City Centre);
re-name ward 10 to Morningside and ward 16 to Gilmerton but make no changes to other ward names; and
make changes to ward boundaries throughout the council area to reflect the change in councillor numbers and to align with “natural communities” (a local geography used by City of Edinburgh Council).

A summary of ward boundary proposals is available in this Guidance Booklet part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 and part 6.

You can respond to this consultation by using the Consultation portal, or by email or post (details on this webpage). The consultation period ends on 22 October 2015.

The Guidance Booklet for this review contains a summary of the whole process.

LGBC has made material on the proposals available at Display Points agreed with the council across the city. They are:

City of Edinburgh Council, City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1YJ
Central Library, 7-9 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EG
McDonald Library, 2 McDonald Road Edinburgh EH7 4LU
Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue, Edinburgh EH15 1AU
Newington Library, 17-21 Fountainhall Road, Edinburgh EH9 2LN
Oxgangs Library, 343 Oxgangs Road, Edinburgh EH13 9LY
Kirkliston Library, 16 Station Road, Kirkliston EH29 9BE
South Queensferry Library, 9 Shore Road, South Queensferry EH30 9RD
Blackhall Library, 56 Hillhouse Road, Edinburgh EH4 5EG

LGBC expect to submit recommendations to Ministers in 2016. The resulting wards will be available for the local government elections in May 2017.

See plans for new development on Waterfront

Tuesday 23 June 3 – 6pm, Wednesday 24 June 5 – 8pm

Waterfront Avenue

Leading by example: share your views on community leadership

Community Leadership College – a game of two halves!

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard played his last game in front of his beloved Kop at the weekend. ‘Legend’ is an overused word, but in a football mad city, Liverpool-born and bred Gerrard personifies the word. Gifted, determined, he’s a giant who leads by example, inspiring and motivating those around him to give every last ounce for the cause.

What’s Stevie G got to do with Muirhouse and West Pilton? Well it’s not so much Gerrard the sporting hero, it’s his leadership qualities we’re interested in – and are the same qualities and skills needed by local people to speak up on behalf of their communities?

We’re running a series of ‘conversation cafe’ events across Muirhouse and West Pilton to get your views and opinions on what YOU need to be a more effective community activist, volunteer or campaigner.

We’ve almost reached ‘half-time’ – we’ve held four sessions and have at least four more planned (with more to be added too) so it’s not too late to share your views over coffee and biscuits. It’s a game of two halves!

Come along to any of the following sessons:

Monday 18 May: West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre, 4 – 6pm

Thursday 21 May: North Edinburgh Arts, 2 – 4pm

Monday 25 May: North Edinburgh Arts, 11am – 1pm

Monday 1 June: West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre, 4 – 6pm.

It would be great to see you!

For further information email: Comlc2015@outlook.com

Holyrood comes to Craigmillar!

Jack Kane Centre to host Scottish Parliament Day

People living in Craigmillar are being asked how changes to the benefits system have affected them as the Scottish Parliament visits the regeneration area on the south east side of the city tomorrow (Monday 18 May).

Holyrood’s Parliament Day initiative, introduced by the Presiding Officer, Rt Hon Tricia Marwick MSP, aims to take the Parliament out into communities around Scotland, encouraging local people to take an interest in and engage directly with the Parliament and its work.

The Welfare Reform Committee, which was set up to examine the impact of changes to benefits and welfare introduced by the UK Government, will hold a ‘Your Say’ session from 2 – 4.30pm.

Members of the local communities, including those from Craigmillar, Niddrie and Portobello are invited to come along and get involved.

In the evening, local people are also invited to a relaxed, informal Q&A session at 5:30pm, hosted by the Presiding Officer, where they can quiz MSPs about how their Parliament works for them. MSPs Gavin Brown, Kezia Dugdale and Kenny MacAskill will also be in attendance.

The Presiding Officer said: “We know that the people of Scotland want to be involved in the political process and that is why the Parliament is going out across Scotland and right into our communities.

“I would like to encourage as many people as possible to join us at the Jack Kane Centre. Together with my fellow MSPs we are looking forward to hearing about what matters to local people.”

Committee Convener Michael McMahon MSP said: “The Welfare Reform Committee was set up to examine the welfare reform programme and its impact on Scotland. Our research has shown Portobello/ Craigmillar to be the worst hit area of Edinburgh in terms of the welfare changes.

“Our Committee has put personal experiences at the heart of our work and we want to sit down with local people who have been affected by or are worried about changes to the benefits system.”

Welfare Reform Committee: ‘Your Say’ Informal Meeting

Jack Kane Community Centre, 208 Niddrie Mains Road
From 2- 4:30pm
Free entry, free refreshments

Local residents are encouraged to come along and talk to MSPs and others in an informal, welcoming setting about the changes to benefits that matter to you.

Public Meeting with the Presiding Officer and local MSPs

Jack Kane Community Centre, 208 Niddrie Mains Road
5:30pm
Free entry, free refreshments
Q&A session with MSPs

For more information, visit www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentdays

Have your say on Drylaw Telford’s green spaces

Nature in your Neighbourhood: see what’s being planned

Drylaw Telford Community Council has initiated a consultation on the area’s green spaces.

The city council has recently signed up to Edinburgh Living Landscape, a partnership project that will ‘create, restore and connect green areas of the city to make attractive and biodiverse landscapes’ (see below).

EdinburghLivingLandscape_exec_summary2

Drylaw Telford CC chairman Alex Dale said: “As a community council we have been asked to consult residents on the open green spaces and let them know what the city council’s Parks & Greenspace team plan to do in the local area.

“In Drylaw they are proposing ‘relaxed mowing’ of some highlighted areas: this means that they will leave these areas to allow grass to grow, only mowing a perimeter border. On bigger areas, they also propose regular cuts where there is a desired path line.

“If there is community support, the project planners will to look at creating areas of wild flower meadows in the future on some of these area. To that end we will have display boards in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre from 11th May until the 25th, and we hope local folk will come and have a look and comment on the proposals.”

DTCC Notice on Living Landscapes (2)

CEC Living Landscapes project www.edinburgh.gov.uk/livinglandscape

http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20064/parks_and_green_spaces/1160/edinburgh_living_landscape

An inconvenience truth

North Edinburgh to loo-se public lavatories?

Toilets at Granton Square and Canonmills are among a dozen public conveniences earmarked for possible closure by the city council. Local residents are being encouraged to take part in a survey to have their say about the closures.

The Council decided in 2011 to reduce the funding of public conveniences in order to make budget savings of £300,000. It’s believed that around ten public toilets must close in order to achieve these savings.

A list of twelve facilities has been identified for closure, based on criteria such as usage, accessibility and condition:

· London Road

· Tollcross

· St John’s Road

· Canaan Lane

· Middle Meadow Walk

· Joppa

· Hawes Pier, South Queensferry

· Granton Square

· Ardmillan

· Currie

· Canonmills

· Juniper Green

Members of the public are being asked for their feedback on how these potential closures would impact on them individually and their communities – this will help the Council to make the final decision about which public conveniences to close.

Residents can now take part in the online survey which will run until Monday 25 May.

There are currently more than 60 publicly accessible toilets across the city and a community toilets scheme is currently under consideration to further improve provision.

Listening to young people in North Edinburgh

North Neighbourhood Partnership is taking forward the Youth Talk initative as part of ‘Engaging Young People’ priority identified in both Inverleith and Forth Neighourhood Partnerships’ community plans. Youth Talk, originally developed in Liberton/Gilmerton where it was well-received, gives young people an opportunity to talk about facilities, activities and services in their local area.

It has now been launched in the Craigroyston Community High School, Royal High School and Broughton High School, where pupils were asked to vote/rate their local services. The results will be collated after the Easter break and the young people will then be gathered to map out their suggestions and discuss these in more detail.

It is intended that the outcome of the Youth Talk initiative will inform future service development and third sector commissioning. For more information contact info@totalcraigroyston.co.uk or scott.donkin@edinburgh.gov.uk

Police Scotland – Your Say, Your Way event

Have your say on making Police Scotland service centres work for you

Age Scotland has been contacted recently with information about events that Police Scotland are hosting across Scotland. The purpose of these events is to engage with the community to talk about contacting the Police through their call centres. They want to know what barriers there are and how we can improve things for everyone.

The main focus of the event is for people with communication needs that prevent them having equal access – for example:

· British Sign Language users

· people who are hard of hearing

· people without speech or who have issues with their speech

· people for whom English is not their first language

· people who have a physical disability that causes issues when using the phone / email systems to contact the police

· people with learning disabilities

· people with mental health issues

(Please note these are only some examples)

The Edinburgh event will take place on Monday 2 March (see poster, below) at Norton Park from 11am – 4pm.

PD_Invite_A5

Sorry for the short notice on this. Please can you circulate this invite to all your contacts / service users / staff and encourage them to attend.

This is a great opportunity for them to have their say on the way they prefer to communicate with Police Scotland both in an emergency and non-emergency situation.

There are a limited number of spaces at each venue please can you encourage people to book now to ensure their space is secured.

If you have any questions about the events please contact :

Constable Stephanie Rose A462

National Safer Communities, Equality and Diversity

Scottish Crime Campus

Craignethan Drive, Gartcosh G69 8AE

01236 814710

Laura Dunkel

AGE Scotland,

Community Development Officer (Edinburgh and Lothians)

Tell George Osborne what he can do with his Budget!

Did you have your say on the city council’s budget proposals? Have you got the taste for balancing the books? Well, you now have the opportunity to give Chancellor George Osborne some timely Budget advice. Read on …

What would you like to see in Budget 2015?

The government is seeking your views on what you would like to see in Budget 2015, which will take place on Wednesday 18 March.

The government encourages open and transparent policy-making, and welcomes original and innovative ideas. Your views will be considered by HM Treasury as part of the policy-making process.

Please submit your representation by filling in our short survey.

If you would prefer to submit your representation as a file attachment, please email budget.representations@hmtreasury.gsi.gov.uk

For information on the correct procedure for submitting your representation, please view the guidance.

To allow for full consideration in advance of the Budget, any submission should be sent to HM Treasury by Friday 13 February

Follow HM Treasury on Twitter for all of our latest news and Budget coverage.

Granton & District CC to meet 26 January

Please note that the next meeting of the Granton & District Community Council will take place on Monday 26th January at Royston & Wardieburn Community Centre at 7.00 pm.

Agenda: CCAgenda _Jan2015

Various items will be discussed:

Update on the cuts
Granton Harbour Development
Waterfront Development
20 mph campaign.

Hope to see you there.

Dave Macnab,

Secretary, Granton and District Community Council

http://grantonanddistrictcommunitycouncil.com/

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrantonDistCC