A reminder that Drylaw Telford Community Council’s local election hustings event takes place tomorrow (Tuesday) evening at 7.30pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre (off Groathill Road North).
Meet the Inverleith ward candidates and get your questions answered. All welcome.
Ian Moore has been chosen as Drylaw’s Citizen of the Year. Drylaw Telford Community Council members met earlier this week to decide the recipient of the annual Thomas Tierney Award for Good Citizenship, and Ian was the popular winner.
“There was a bit of a delay in making our choice for 2011 because of some other pressing local issues, but we got there in the end! Ian is a well-known figure in the area and we’re sure he will be a very popular choice”, said Mike Clark, Drylaw Telford CC chair.
Ian will receive his award at a reception in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre on 25 April at 7:30pm. All welcome
Two Inverleith Ward community councils have organised hustings for the forthcoming council elections, giving you an opportunity to meet and hear the candidates and get your questions answered.
Craigleith Blackhall CC will hold their hustings on Thursday 19 April at 7.30pm in St. Columba’s Church on Queensferry Road, while Drylaw Telford CC’s election event takes place on Tuesday 24 April at 7pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre (off Groathill Road North).
All welcome.
Get in touch if you know of any more hustings events in Forth or Inverleith.
Council official John McFarlane has responsibility for street lighting, and last month he attended a Drylaw Telford Community Council meeting to hear concerns over inadequate street lighting in the area. As well as just listening, however, Mr McFarlane decided to see the problems for himself and left the meeting with a small group of local residents to visit some of the problem areas. Last night’s community council meeting heard that Mr McFarlane has been in touch and is now relooking at lighting in Drylaw.
In an email to community council Chairman Mike Clark, Mr McFarlane said: ‘I can confirm that the residents’ concerns were noted at the walkabout and my design team are currently working on a few change scenarios which will hopefully address these concerns. It is our intention to install alternative solutions in separate areas in Drylaw after which we will liaise with adjacent residents to determine the effectiveness of these solutions. Once a preferred solution is agreed through consultation with the residents we will implement these changes”.
Mr McFarlane added that he would be delighted to attend a future community council meeting and will contact the community council again ‘once we have progressed things at our end’.
Speaking after the meeting at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Mike Clark said: “This is a positive development. Our February meeting was one of the best attended for some time as local residents wanted to make their concerns known. With the new lighting, some people feel that parts of the neighbourhood are just far too dark. It’s encouraging that the council is listening to those concerns and, more importantly, appears willing to act to address them”.
Street lighting has dominated Drylaw Telford agendas for some months now, but among other issues also discussed at last night’s meeting were the proposed skate park for Easter Drylaw Park, the cost of upgrading and maintaining Drylaw Field in Wester Drylaw and two forthcoming special meetings – the annual Thomas Tierney Award presentation and, with the council elections coming up, a hustings event.
The community council also discussed the curious case of the missing goal-posts – this long-running mystery may yet be solved at a future meeting. Watch this space, all may be revealed!
Drylaw Telford Community Council meets on the last Wednesday of the month at 7pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. All welcome.
Do you know someone living in Drylaw or Telford who goes that extra mile to help their neighbours, or a local person who carries out outstanding voluntary or charity work? If so, Drylaw Telford Community Council would like to hear from you. The community council is seeking nominations for their annual Thomas Tierney Award for Good Citizenship.
The community council set up the award in 2000 to commemorate the work of local activist Tam Tierney who died in 1999. As well as being a founder of Pilton Sporting Club and an enthusiastic member of Craigroyston Community Centre and Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre’s management committees over many years, Tam was also a great supporter of the local community council. Drylaw Telford decided that an annual award to encourage community activism and good citizenship would be a preferable legacy than a bench or commemorative plaque. The annual award has become the highlight of the community council’s year – certainly the biggest social event – and the search is now on for a worthy recipient of the 2011 award.
“Henry MacDonald received the award last year and it was a case of ‘keep it in the family’ as Henry’s dad Harry was the very first winner of the award!” said Mike Clark, chair of Drylaw Telford Community Council. “Nomination forms are going out now and we hope there will be a great response. We’re sure that there are many people, young and not so young, doing good things in our community and we want to hear about them and recognise their achievements”.
Nomination forms will be available at community venues including Drylaw Parish Church and Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre over the coming days, and forms will also be available by email from community council secretary Ian Greenhalgh at ian@scotfloor.co.uk
Get those nominations in soon!
