consultation – Page 52 – The NEN

Have your say on Edinburgh’s local development plan

EDINBURGH LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

SECOND PROPOSED PLAN

PERIOD FOR REPRESENTATIONS

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.

The Second Proposed Plan is accompanied by a Environmental Report – Second Revision, a Second Proposed Action Programme, a revised Draft Habitats Regulations Appraisal Record and a number of other supporting documents. These include a Schedule of Representations, which explains what regard has been had to representations made in 2013 to the first Proposed Plan.

All of these documents are available for inspection from 22 August – 3 October 2014 at:

Planning and Building Standards Reception, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh between the hours of 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday.
All Council libraries during normal opening hours.

The documents can also be viewed at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/localdevelopmentplan

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 October 2014.

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.

For more details see www.edinburgh.gov.uk/localdevelopmentplan

or contact Marius Hince on 0131 529 4692

or email marius.hince@edinburgh.gov.uk

Ben Wilson

Principal Planner, Local Planning Policy

Council seeks your views on Community Payback Orders

Edinburgh residents are being asked to comment on a scheme that requires offenders to carry out unpaid work in the community as part of their sentence.

Community Payback Orders can be imposed on offenders by the courts as an alternative to a short prison term, and can last between six months and three years. They give those involved the chance to address their behaviour and also to repay communities by carrying out unpaid work.

The public consultation has been launched by the City of Edinburgh Council, which administers the scheme in the city. Views are being sought on offenders working in communities and the effectiveness of community payback as a way to reduce re-offending.

Examples of unpaid work carried out by the scheme include:

Refurbishing rundown gravestones, including a memorial in Craigmillar to an abandoned baby;
Maintaining the Vat Run mountain bike trail in South Queensferry;
Clearing overgrown paths in Figgate Park;
Building and filling flower planters for the Queen’s Baton route.

As well as using the questionnaire to comment on the community payback scheme, individuals and community groups can also recommend projects that may benefit from unpaid work through the online suggestion form.

All local authorities are legally required to carry out an annual consultation on the unpaid work aspect of community payback orders.

Community Safety Leader, Councillor Cammy Day, said: “We’re really keen to hear what people think about community payback orders, and the work carried out by the people subject to them.

“They are an excellent way for organisations such as charities to get practical help, and they give offenders the chance to repay communities for their offences.”

Is twenty plenty? Have your say!

The City of Edinburgh Council proposes to introduce 20mph speed limits for large parts of the city centre, main shopping streets and other residential streets.

You can find out more – and give your opinions – at an information session in North Local Office, West Pilton Gardens, on Wednesday 3 September from 10am – 1pm.

Alternatively, you can express your views online at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/20mph

Maps detailing the proposals will be on display in local libraries from 1 September, and if you need more info you can also email 20mph@edinburgh.gov.uk

All comments must be received by 17 October – so don’t put it off!

20mph Leaflet

MP urges constituents to have their say on organ donation

Edinburgh North & Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz is calling on local people to make their views known on organ donation.

Mr Lazarowicz attended a public consultation in Leith on Labour MSP Anne McTaggart’s draft Bill in the Scottish Parliament which would introduce a new opt-out system of organ donation in Scotland, and he is now urging constituents to contribute to the consultation on the Bill which lasts until 25th September.

Under the Bill, in the event of someone’s death it would be presumed that the person consented to the use of their organs for transplant unless they had expressly stated otherwise or their family knew of an objection.

Mark Lazarowicz said: “I congratulate Anne McTaggart on her initiative and and I urge people in Edinburgh North and Leith to contribute their views to the consultation so that it can be properly debated and achieve its purpose in giving more people the chance of an organ transplant.

“Under the current opt-in system around 40% of Scots are on the organ donor register and this sign of quiet concern for others is something to be proud of – but that still leaves well over 600 people anxiously waiting for a transplant each year.”

Details of the Bill and public consultation including how to contribute can be found at

http://www.annemctaggart.co.uk/organ-donation-bill-consultation-launched

Last year the Welsh Government introduced a Bill to introduce an opt-out system which became law with the new system to become operational from 1st December 2015. It was influenced by evidence that suggested that an opt-out system could increase the number of organ donors by 25 – 30%.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland, the British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland and the British Liver Trust have all called for Scotland to follow suit.

Kicking antisocial behaviour out of the city

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.”

Time’s running out for budget comments

Edinburgh residents have only TEN DAYS to submit their views on the Council’s draft budget for 2014/15 – the consultation period closes on Friday 20 December.

Councillor Alasdair Rankin, the city’s Finance Convener is urging Edinburgh folk to make sure they don’t miss the opportunity to give their feedback on the proposals.

He said: “In my opinion, setting the Council’s budget is the single most important thing we do each year. Every other service the Council provides follows on from this key decision and it has the potential to impact on many lives across the city.

“That is why it is so important that people take some time to look at the proposals and have their say on how we are planning to spend money next year. As elected representatives of the city our priorities should of course reflect the priorities of our residents but we need people to give us that important feedback.”

The full budget proposals can be accessed at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/budget

Feedback can be given in a number of ways:

– fill in the simple online feedback form

– email councilbudget@edinburgh.gov.uk

– Write to Freepost, RSJC-SLXC-YTJY, Budget, Council Leader, City Chambers Edinburgh EH1 1YJ

– talk to a local councillor.

– tweet using #edinbudget

– comment on Facebook

NHS Lothian seeks your views on services for young people

NHS Lothian is looking for children, young people and parents to give their views on the services it will provide for children and young people from now until 2020.

A public consultation on the organisation’s draft strategy, ‘Improving the Health and Wellbeing of Lothian’s Children and Young People’, is now underway and will run until 17 January 2014.

The consultation documents and a short questionnaire are available on the NHS Lothian website and have also been sent to the four local authorities and to voluntary organisations that work with children and young people.

NHS Lothian’s vision is that every child should have the best start in life and grow up being healthy, confident and resilient.

The draft strategy and approach has considered the changes that may be made to services in anticipation of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill coming into effect and should allow the Board to respond to this while maintaining high quality healthcare services for children and young people.

The priorities identified in the strategy include a focus on prevention, more integrated working across services and the building of a high quality replacement for the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

Sally Egan, Associate Director and Child Health Commissioner, NHS Lothian said: “We provide a wide range of services for children and young people, from conception through the life stages, helping them grow up to become confident healthy people. For those young people that need ongoing specialist help we need to ensure a smooth transition to adult services.

“We want to make sure that our vision and outcomes for the next six years fit with those of the Scottish Government’s 20:20 Vision and are areas the people of Lothian want to see us focusing investment and resources on. I hope people take this opportunity to give us their views.”

The consultation documents can be accessed online at: http://www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk/OurOrganisation/Consultations/Current/Pages/default.aspx

By email: candypstrategy@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk, or alternatively by phoning, 0131 465 5549 to request a copy.

You can also complete the survey at the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NHSLothianCandYPStrategy

Ainslie Park housing consultation today

Community Consultation Exhibition

Former Telford College North Campus (Ainslie Park School) Crewe Road North

Miller Homes is hosting a second consultation regarding its proposal to develop this site. A drop-in exhibition to view the latest proposals is being held today:

Thursday 3 October between 2pm and 7pm

At Varcity North – Sales Centre

Crewe Road North

Further information from Caroline Owen at GVA on 0131 469 6068 or caroline.owen@gva.co.uk

Minister pledges support for community growing schemes

Scotland’s growing Grow Your Own movement was given extra support by Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead during a visit to Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre this morning. The minister was impressed by the Centre’s Drylaw and Telford Community Gardens project, and after meeting some enthusiastic volunteers Mr Lochhead endorsed the workings of the Grow Your Own Working Group.

Made possible through Climate Challenge Funding, Drylaw’s community gardens project has now been running for three years and – like the healthiest of plants – has continued to thrive. From small beginnings the project has flourished and now encompasses two orchards and vegetable and flower beds at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, along with a number of patches of once unused and unwanted across the area which have been transformed. And it’s not only flowers and vegetables that have flourished – the number of volunteers involved in the gardening project has grown too, and the group has supported te development of gardening projects at nearby Ferryhill and Rowanfield schools.

Richard Lochhead met Centre staff and volunteers to talk about the project before going on to plant some tatties with Brendan and Brandon, two green-fingered helpers from Rowanfield School. He also met members of the Centre’s enthusiastic gardening group who proudly displayed their recenty-created willow tunnel.

The Minister said: ” There are so many benefits to projects like this one, and I am really very encouraged and impressed by what I’ve seen in Drylaw today. It’s been great to see the contribution of the staff and the enthusiasm of the volunteers and it would be great to see these ideas replicated all over Scotland. I’ve also learned some posh new recipe ideas from some of the young volunteers, so well done to everyone involved!”

Mr Lochhead’s support for community initiatives like Drylaw Community Gardens follows the launch of a consultation on simplifying and overhauling Scotland’s allotment rules, and there are three meetings taking place for people to air their views – in Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Twenty seven recommendations were made in a report from the Grow Your Own Working Group (GYOWG) that covered six key themes: planning, legal, skills, community land, guidance and funding. The GYOWG has been working collaboratively with the Scottish Government and other partners to deliver these recommendations.

Mr Lochhead said: “More and more people are looking to get their hands dirty by getting back to nature and growing their own food. Growing your own food allows people to eat the fruits of their own labour and understand where their food comes from – a topic which is high on the agenda at the moment. The work of the Grow Your Own Working Group is making it easier for people to do this by pulling people together to develop best practice and practical advice, and encouraging more people and groups to get involved.”

David Jamieson, Chair of the Grow Your Own Working Group, said: “The wonderful garden in Drylaw is an excellent example of a community making the most of their local space to get active and grow food. We are delighted that Mr Lochhead is able to see for himself the fruits of their labour, and really pleased that the Scottish Government is doing so much to encourage communities across Scotland to do likewise.”

Cammy Day is vice-convener of the city council’s Health and Wellbeing Committee as well as being a member of Drylaw’s management committee. He said: “The health benefits associated with community growing include providing exercise in the open air – exercise which we can take at our own pace and therefore suitable for all ages; it helps to relieve stress and is of proven benefit to mental health and wellbeing. Locally produced food also contributes to healthy eating and helps to combat the risks of obesity and sedentary lifestyles. It also helps to reduce our carbon footprint, so contributes in a small way to the battle against climate change.”

He added: “The Community garden project has been a great success and it’s been a real community initiative that’s gone from strength to strength. I’d like to thank Roy (Douglas) and the staff and management committee at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, particularly Elizabeth (Graham) and her team of volunteers for all the hard work and effort they have put in.”

Jason Rust, also a city councillor, is legal adviser to Scottish Land & Estates. He added: “We are keen to see partnership working with public, private and community landowners making further land available for allotment sites and community growing spaces, and for awareness of the range of advantages to be increased. Drylaw is a great example of what can be achieved.”

The Edinburgh allotment consultation meeting will be held on

Thursday 16 May from 2 – 4pm in Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, EH11 3XD.

For more information about growing your community, contact the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens on 0131 623 7058, email scotland@farmgarden.org.uk or visit the website www.farmgarden.org.uk

You can also visit Drylaw & Telford Community Gardens on Facebook