Tag: Edinburgh Greens

Crisis: Gorgie Farm faces closure again

FUTURE OF POPULAR LEARNING CENTRE IN DOUBT

Love Learning released the following statement yesterday:

So sorry to release this folks 😞

Love to withdraw from Gorgie Farm

Love Learning have regrettably announced that their intention to return the lease on Gorgie Farm to the City of Edinburgh Council. Love will begin a period of formal consultation with staff on 4 January 2023.

Love CEO, Lynn Bell, said: “We have tried everything to avoid this situation, however with Covid and now cost of living crisis we do not believe we are able to support the Farm alone moving forward.”

CEC funding for the Farm was withdrawn in 2020 and over recent months Love have been seeking detailed discussions with City of Edinburgh Council over funding and the future operations of the Farm. Love have developed a plan for the Farm, based on the development of a Care Farm and utilising buildings on the Farm for respite accommodation for Looked After Children.

However, on preparation of the Love Learning 2021-22 accounts it became clear that Love was not able to take this forward without assistance.

Lynn added: “The support for Gorgie Farm from the public has been tremendous, and I would like to thank every single person who has supported the Farm over the last few years. Gorgie Farm is unique, and it has the potential to deliver so much for so many.

“We know that changes could be made to raise funds and support wider Council objectives around looked after children and tackling poverty, but we are not able to take this proposal forward unaided.

“A partnership approach has always been central to our plans, but this partnership has not materialised. While we have had many positive individual conversations ultimately there is a need for detailed discussions and agreements to allow the redesign of the Farms operations to meet wider needs.”

Edinburgh Greens have pledged to work for sustainable future for Gorgie Farm.

The much-loved local community farm in Edinburgh has announced that they plan to hand their lease back to Edinburgh City Council when it comes to an end.

Gorgie Farm has been run by ‘LOVE Learning’ since the previous long-term owners entered financial difficulties in late 2019.

Since reopening in early 2020, LOVE Gorgie Farm has become a community hub with programmes for local people to connect, and a young people to learn.

Gorgie Green Councillor Dan Heap said: “After 50 years of operation, Gorgie Farm is an integral part of the Gorgie community, and it is impossible to imagine Gorgie without the fun, life and incredible services the Farm brings the area.

“I think it is absolutely possible we can find a sustainable model for the Farm, and it is vital that all partners, including the City of Edinburgh Council, work together to achieve this.

“I will be working closely with them to ensure this happens.”

Lothian Green MSP, Lorna Slater said: “I am sorry to hear that Gorgie Farm is facing closure.

“It was a pleasure to have visited the farm in September and to hear about the exciting future plans that had been set out for this much-loved community farm.

“When the farm was threatened with closure in 2019, Green MSPs and Councillors were at the heart of the campaign to save it. I will work closely with local councillor Dan Heap and all partners involved in the farm and do everything I can to help in ensuring that it can have a sustainable future.”

Council: Lorna Slater calls for Labour and Lib Dems to reject Tory alliance

The Scottish Greens co-leader and Lothian MSP, Lorna Slater, has called for Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors in Edinburgh to work together with other progressive parties, rather than lining up in an alliance with the Tories.

Her call comes as Edinburgh Councillors vote to form an administration. This week the membership of the Edinburgh Green Party voted to support a draft coalition agreement with SNP councillors and will take the proposal to today’s Council meeting.

Scottish Greens MSP Lorna Slater said: “The last 24 hours have seen Labour and Liberal Democrat politicians in Westminster and Holyrood taking a stand against the cruel and out of touch Tory government and rightly calling for the Prime Minister to resign.

“We are living in a cost of living crisis and thousands of people across our city are struggling to make ends meet. The Tories do not have any solutions, and are actively making it worse. Energy bills are skyrocketing and the Tory solution is more cuts and austerity.

“This month’s election saw the Conservatives losing half of their councillors and thousands of votes in Edinburgh. Many people across our city will be shocked to see Labour and Liberal Democrat Councillors lining up in alliance with the Tories to form an administration.

“It is time for progressive parties to work together and build on the achievements that were made over the last term. That is why, even at this late stage, I am urging Edinburgh’s Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors to work with us, rather than lining up with the Tories. 

“We must grasp this crucial opportunity to build the fairer, greener city that our communities voted for.”

The SNP is the biggest party in Edinburgh, returning 19 councillors at this month’s elections.

The SNP has ran Edinburgh with the support of Labour in a so-called ‘Capital Coalition’ for ten years, but Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar ruled out any further coalitions in the run up to the local government elections.

Speaking after Labour launched it’s manifesto for the council elections, Mr Sarwar was emphatic: “And I think it’s right for us to say we shouldn’t be picking and choosing which is the good versus the bad. Both are bad for our country. Both are decimating local communities. And therefore I think it’s right that we see no formal coalition with the SNP or the Tories.” 

That seemed clear enough – but it now appears Mr Sarwar actually ruled out coalitions with the SNP, but finds partnerships with the Tories quite acceptable? For some disgusted Labour supporters that really is a step too far.

Mr Sarwar denies misleading voters.

5th MAY ELECTION RESULTS (62 councillors elected)

SNP – 19

LIB – 13

LAB – 12

GRN – 10

CON – 8

The council meeting takes place this morning at 10am. We will know who will be running our city later today.

Council budget: time for a ‘grown-up debate’

Edinburgh Greens propose small council tax rise to improve council services and combat cuts

calton hill

Green councillors in Edinburgh are proposing a small council tax rise to raise £10m to invest in services. They believe that combatting cuts in schools, social care and vulnerable children services should be the capital’s priority.

Green councillors in Edinburgh are proposing a 4.3% council tax rise for next year: equivalent to an extra 97p a week for the average Band D property.

The council tax rise, which is backed by 63% of respondents to the council’s budget consultation, would still leave the council having to make significant efficiencies and savings, but, according to the Greens, it would head off the worst cuts.

The £10m package includes

–          Retaining a properly-funded school music service
–          Blocking cuts to special schools and disadvantaged children
–          Keeping budgets for social care for frail older people
–          Supporting community centres, libraries and leisure centres.

The additional money would also allow the Council to recruit and keep more care workers to bridge a gap of 5,000 unmet care hours a week.  And it would see a substantial investment in long term repair and maintenance of schools.

The proposals are outlined in a blog published today by Green Finance spokesperson Councillor Gavin Corbett, ahead of the council budget meeting this Thursday (21 January).

Cllr Corbett said: “This year’s budget round is by far the toughest since devolution in 1999, with the city council looking down the barrel of £85m worth of cuts. That includes cuts to schools, libraries, swimming pools, social care and community centres.

“That is why almost two-thirds of people responding to the council’s budget consultation backed a council tax rise.  I agree with them and I am proposing 97p extra a week to reverse all of the worst cuts and also help tackle to mounting crisis in social care.

“So I believe the city council owes to it to the people of Edinburgh to have a proper grown-up debate about the right balance between new income and spending. To shrink away from that debate, to meekly accept whatever cuts central governments dole out is to infantilise the capital city, to impoverish vital services and to simply store up yet greater problems for the future.

“Let’s have that grown-up debate.”

Edinburgh currently has five Green councillors on a council that is dominated by Labour (21) and the SNP (17) so it would be a major surprise (i.e. there’s next to no chance) if the Green proposals were to be adopted.

When city councillors set Edinburgh’s budget on Thursday it’s expected that the Labour-SNP Capital Coalition will vote through budget cuts of £85 million. Up to 2000 jobs will be lost in what public services trade union Unison describes as ‘the worst cuts in living memory’.

You can find the Edinburgh Greens blog on the budget at 
http://www.edinburghgreens.org.uk/site/councillors/budget-2016/