DRYLAW/Telford Community Council is to introduced fortnightly litter picks across the area following the success of a recent cleanup on the cycle path near the Red Bridge.
The first one takes place this Sunday – location and meeting time will be confirmed when the community council meets at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre tonight.
To get involved, to suggest clean-up hot spots or for further information check out Drylaw Telford Community Council on Facebook or email CC secretary Pam Higgins at pamhigginsdtcc@gmail.com
SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN TO SAVE DRYLAW NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE
DRYLAW Telford Community Council will meet tomorrow (Wednesday 27th April) at 7pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre..
With the council elections just a week away, the Community Council has invited Inverleith ward candidates along for an informal opportunity to meet CC members and find out what issues are important to them.
Unfortunately the meeting is not open to the public.
Secretary Pam Higgins explained: “Due to covid restrictions – room size specifically – we cannot accommodate an open meeting at present.
“This is a meeting for the candidates to meet their potential Community Council so that the transition is easier post elections. We hope that in the near future we can fully open up to the community again.”
The following ten candidates are standing in Inverleith:
Jule BANDEL – Scottish Green Party
Stuart HERRING – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
Phil HOLDEN – Scottish Family Party: Pro-Family, Pro-Marriage, Pro-Life
Tam LAIRD – Scottish Libertarian Party
Stephen MCNAMARA – Independent
Max MITCHELL – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
Mhairi MUNRO-BAIN – Labour and Co-operative Party
Vicky NICOLSON – Scottish National Party (SNP)
Hal OSLER – Scottish Liberal Democrats
Malcolm Alexander WOOD – Scottish Liberal Democrats.
Four of them will be elected to represent Inverleith next Thursday.
Inverleith councillors elected last time (May 2017) were:
Gavin BARRIE – Scottish National Party (SNP)
Max MITCHELL – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Hal OSLER – Scottish Liberal Democrats
Iain WHYTE – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre faces closure this summer unless £70,000 can to found to meet essential running costs.
Drylaw Community Association chair Alex Dale told a meeting of Drylaw Telford Community Council that please for council support have fallen on deaf ears and that the Centre is gearing up for another ‘Save DNC’ campaign – the second in four years.
With restricted opening and restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic, membership has fallen and efforts to re-engage with the local community were thwarted by lockdown.
The Centre continues to operate a number of groups and activities but these will be put in jeopardy if core funding for running costs cannot be found. The deadline is seriously tight – Alex said Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre will close in June or July if no financial support is forthcoming.
Drylaw Telford Community Council, who recently resumed their monthly meetings in the Neighbourhood Centre, agreed to submit a letter of support at last night’s meeting.
Two years to the day Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the UK’s first lockdown, Drylaw Telford Community Council meets in person again tonight.
February’s community council trialled face-to-face meetings and, with restrictions being lifted, it was agreed that Drylaw Telford will continue to meet in public.
Tonight’s meeting, at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, starts at 7pm.
While much has changed in the last two years – whoever heard of Zoom pre-Covid? – some issues remain the same:
With 2022 just around the corner – The Scottish Engineer wanted to give all of Drylaw Telford Community Council a little present to start the year!
From next Monday (3rd January) you can enjoy 25% off food for the whole of January.
To qualify, simply tell your server you are from Drylaw Telford Community Council facebook group when requesting your bill and the discount will be applied automatically.
You may use this discount as many times as you like throughout January and no booking if required.
There’s been another deliberate fire in North Edinburgh – for the third successive weekend.
This time, a garden shed in Easter Drylaw Drive was set ablaze in the early hours of this morning. Police, fire and ambulance services were on the scene from 1.30am and the road was temporarily closed while the fire was tackled.
It’s the third weekend in a row that there have been wilful fireraising incidents in the North Edinburgh community – and all have taken place in the early hours of the morning.
Last week’s meeting of Drylaw Telford Community Council discussed the arson incidents that took place on 18 September and the group issued an appeal on their Facebook page:
‘These fires were devastating to those affected and we are extremely lucky that more people were not injured. The “what if’s” do not bear thinking about.
‘The unusually dry weather for September that we have had recently would make any fire spread faster therefore It is so important that the perpetrators are caught and for this not to happen again.
‘The police have been talking to residents that have CCTV but we would urge anyone with CCTV, ring doorbell camera’s etc who have not yet been contacted to please contact:
The Police on 101 quoting incident number 0765 of the 18th September 2021.
Anonomously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
Message this page and we can forward information
‘Likewise, if anyone has any information at all, then please make contact using the above methods.’
Drylaw Telford Community Council meets tomorrow evening following the summer recess.
As well as the usual agenda items, topical issues include the state of Drylaw Shopping Centre, an update on Drylaw House and Easter Drylaw Park issues.
The meeting will be held on Zoom and starts at 7pm.
For details on how you can participate please email DTCC secretary Pam Higgins, pamhigginsdtcc@gmail.com
An application to build new homes in Telford is facing opposition.
Port of Leith Housing Association has lodged plans to build eleven flats on the site of the shops on Telford Drive, but one resident has appealed to Drylaw Telford Community Council to challenge the application.
At one time there was a row of shops on the site at the heart of the scheme – older readers may recall a fish and chip shop, a haberdashery and a general store there – but the last remaining convenience store closed last year.
The nearest shops for Telford residents are at Ferry Road ‘shopping centre’ in Drylaw or over the busy Telford Road at Craigleith Retail Park – and at least one Telford woman thinks this is wrong.
She told Drylaw Telford Community Council: “When the shop closed in January 2020 it was to make way for flats and a convenience store included, but with covid that all fell through.
“We have waited on the same plans to re-emerge, only to find out that the council are giving planning permission according to a report in Edinburgh live yesterday , for the flats only.
“I am outraged as our nearest shop is the Today store in Drylaw and it is a long journey for most and to carry shopping is very hard.
“I have lived in this street for over 50 years and we have always had a shop here – Sohil the shop owner was reluctant to give up this land but he was promised a new shop would be built and he would have a choice to come back and run it.
“The residents of Telford Drive need a shop in our street – not everyone has a car.”
Drylaw Telford Community Council will discuss the application at their August meeting.
Drylaw Telford Community Council is to meet local police tomorrow following a spike in antisocial incidents across the area.
Recent weeks have seen two serious street attacks in Wester Drylaw along with a number of other incidents of vandalism including refuse bins being set on fire.
The community council was alerted to one incident by an Easter Drylaw woman last month: “My neighbours house (unoccupied) was set fire to last night by kids setting fire to wheeliebins.
“I had 4 small children in my house petrified and screaming as we couldn’t get out our front floor for flames. It is same group of kids constantly causing trouble in street cutting through street to skate park.
“I have had my windows smashed, fire posted through letter box and glass bottles thrown at my dogs. Its getting our of hand last night luckily someone seen the fire taking real hold last night or a dread to think what the outcome would have been today. It is now putting peoples lives in danger. What has happened to this area?”
The community council has now been able to arrange a virtual meeting with local police officers to discuss community concerns. The meeting will take place via Microsoft Teams tomorrow evening at 7pm.
If you would like to submit question to local police or you are interested in attending the meeting, please contacr vickynicolsondtcc@hotmail.com or visit Drylaw Telford Community Council’s Facebook page.
