environment – Page 101 – The NEN

Action Plan for Safer Walking and Cycling in Edinburgh

Council to close more streets to car traffic

An action plan has been drawn up for creating safe and accessible spaces for walking and cycling in Edinburgh during the coronavirus outbreak, and when the city emerges from the crisis.

On Thursday (14 May), members of the Policy and Sustainability Committee will consider a report setting out criteria for temporary walking and cycling infrastructure, as well as a package of short and long-term measures to establish safer routes for cyclists and pedestrians.

We have already begun implementing changes to help those making essential journeys and taking daily exercise by foot or bike to stay 2m apart, with road closures in Greenbank, Leith and Silverknowes.

Additional improvements are proposed for other ‘pinch points’ across the city, such as road closures, the introduction of bus gates and temporary cycle lanes. As restrictions are eased and traffic increases, further changes to facilitate safe movement are likely to include pedestrian priority at signalised road crossings, extended bus lane hours, widened pavements and a review of speed limits.

To provide extra space in the city centre, and as residents return to a ‘new normal’, it is also intended that key proposals from the Edinburgh City Centre Transformation plan are brought forward to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists.

In particular, Bank Street, East Market Street and East Princes Street would be closed to car traffic while on Victoria Street and Cockburn Street through traffic would be eliminated and parking provision reduced.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We’re leading the way with our approach to safer, more accessible streets and we’ve received a huge amount of support for our plans to create more room for pedestrians and cyclists. It’s clear that people want and need to make essential journeys and take daily exercise by foot or bike safely and we need to give them the space to do so.

“It’s no secret that we face many months of upheaval as we work to emerge from this crisis, and this will no doubt impact on the way we move around the city. As we return to a ‘new normal’, our citywide strategy will support people to make journeys by foot, bike or public transport while continuing to observe physical distancing.

“We’ve been working closely with the Scottish Government and Sustrans to make improvements such as these easier in the long term. By bringing forward more permanent plans to prioritise these modes of transport, we’re also looking to a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future for Edinburgh.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “We’re already seeing the benefits in areas where we’ve implemented changes and we’re working to introduce improvements to other pinch points across the city, helping people to reach nearby open spaces, essential services and to get to and from work safely. We’ve already identified several streets but we’d also welcome any suggestions from the public.

“It’s crucial that these measures work for everyone living on or near the streets concerned. We’ve been engaging closely with local communities to make sure access is maintained for deliveries, those with mobility issues and emergency services, and these conversations will help us as we continue to roll out changes.”

David Hunter, from the Living Streets Edinburgh Group, said: “With the need for physical distancing continuing, and more people walking and cycling, it’s vital there are safe ways for people to get around. Walking should be the top option for people to get around their local community.

“Living Streets Scotland and the Living Streets Edinburgh Group welcome the council’s intent to help people walk and cycle safely. We’re especially keen to see practical measures which give adequate space to pedestrians in congested streets.”

Since the implementation of restrictions in March, it is estimated that cycling and walking has increased by 15 to 20%, while travel by car and public transport has dropped. During this time, we have seen a rise in reports of congestion on pedestrian and cycling routes, with people finding it difficult to maintain physical distancing.

As we plan for Edinburgh’s recovery, we are expecting to see a change in the way people move around the city. By facilitating a growth in walking, cycling and public transport use, we want to sustain improvements to air quality seen during recent months as well as contributing to meeting the Capital’s target to be carbon neutral by 2030.

On Thursday (14 May), councillors on the Policy and Sustainability Committee will be asked to approve the submission of an application for funding from the Scottish Government’s £10m ‘Spaces for People’ scheme supporting local authorities to deliver temporary improvements for walking and cycling.

Our own criteria for making improvements would be in line with the Spaces for People objectives and measures would seek to:

Make space for people to exercise.
Make space for people to travel safely around the city.
Reduce risk to people who use the carriageway for travel or exercise.
Make space for people in shopping streets and in the city centre.

We are currently reviewing our existing active travel programme to identify routes which could be brought forward to support these objectives. We have been working with key stakeholders and Police Scotland to highlight other streets which are not part of the programme but where changes would improve the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

These include:

The closure of Waverley Bridge to traffic.
Temporary footway widening on Morrison Street, Morningside Road and Easter Road.
Temporary footway widening and cycle segregation on George IV Bridge.
A 24-hour bus gate with loading and parking restrictions on Liberton Road, Craigmillar Park and Minto Street.
The closure of road on East Fettes Avenue.
Installation of bus gates on Dundee St at Fountainbridge and closure of Viewforth, as well as some temporary cycle segregation on Dundee Street.
The introduction of a bus lane on Queensferry Road.

Measures would be subject to a detailed design and risk assessment process, which may result in an alternative approach. Officers will consult with local ward members and other public services to prioritise routes and changes for implementation.

Full details of proposals are available in the report, Creating Safe Spaces for Walking and Cycling, which can be downloaded from the Council website.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is expected to encourage active travel when he gives the UK Government’s coronavirus media briefing later today

MSP calls for community support to clamp down on ‘dumb dumpers’

Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, has called on the support of the local community to crackdown on illegal fly tipping in the area during lockdown.

Councils across Scotland have temporarily closed waste and recycling centres to help them prioritise the collection of general refuse and protect public health during the coronavirus outbreak – a course of action described as ‘necessary’ by Zero Waste Scotland.

However, while those maintaining essential waste services in Scotland work hard in difficult circumstances, reports of fly tipping across the country have increased. This has led to calls for local residents to keep a watchful eye out in Edinburgh and report anyone dumping rubbish illegally to the ‘Dumb Dumpers’ website online.

Responsibility for recycling centres lies with councils but the Scottish Government is working closely with COSLA and its partners in local authorities on the prioritisation of waste services and on what further guidance and practical steps may be required on recycling centres.

The MSP has also echoed calls from Zero Waste Scotland and SEPA for the public to act responsibly with their waste until recycling centres re-open – stressing that now is not the time for large-scale clear-outs.

Gordon MacDonald MSP, said: “This is a difficult time for all of us, but we owe a huge thank you to those in the waste industry who are working to keep as many services running as possible.

“The safety of these workers and the general public has to be the priority, and councils also need to consider staffing shortages and physical distancing before our local recycling centres can re-open.

“While these workers do their best for us, it’s important that we continue to do what we can to help them by pitching in to crack down on illegal fly tippers across Edinburgh.

“Now more than ever, we also have to responsibility for managing our waste during this period – that means keeping larger items at home until the centres re-open.”

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Refuse collectors are working in exceptional conditions to maintain as many essential services as they can. Now is a good time to avoid wasting so much as this is ultimately the best way to help councils cope.

“Zero Waste Scotland is working with key partners to communicate changes to householders and businesses in Scotland in the meantime. We’d encourage everyone to visit the campaign website to find out how they can best manage their waste.”

Lothian Conservative MSP Miles Briggs has called for local recycling facilities to be reopened as soon as possible. He said: “It’s clear households across Scotland have significant amounts of waste and recycling built up over the lockdown.

“After seven weeks of closed local dumps and greater levels of household waste, we are now seeing a perfect storm which is driving a fly-tipping surge.

“This week the UK Government outlined how recycling centres in England can reopen with social distancing measures in place.

“It is clear that we need to see progress to safely lift the restrictions on recycling centres in Scotland and for SNP Ministers to outline how this can be achieved as soon as is safely possible.”

Car use is rising despite the lockdown

Figures show a steady increase breakdowns and average miles driven per day
More than a third of drivers say they are using their vehicles more for food shopping as well as trips to DIY stores

Ahead of this weekend’s announcement on how the UK might begin to ease the current lockdown restrictions, an RAC study confirms drivers are already using their cars more than they were earlier in the coronavirus lockdown.

The study analysed RAC ‘black box’ driving data, breakdown numbers and route planning figures since the lockdown began. Comparing the second week of lockdown with last week, 11% more cars were on the road and 23% more daily miles were driven, based on analysis of hundreds of thousands of trips taken by RAC Black Box Insurance customers with telematics units fitted.

Vehicle breakdowns are also up, with those attended by RAC patrols up by nearly a fifth (18%) across the same period.

The number of routes planned via the RAC Routeplanner is also increasing, suggesting a rise in trips being taken by drivers. More routes were planned on Monday 5 May 2020 than on any other day during the lockdown, with 16% more planned on this day than just a week earlier.

Comparing lockdown week two (w/c 30/3/20) with lockdown week six (w/c 27/4/20), there were:

11% more cars on the road

23% more daily miles driven

18% more RAC breakdowns

The data is supported by the findings of a new survey by the RAC which suggests that four-in-10 drivers (41%) admit they are now using their vehicles more frequently than earlier in the nationwide coronavirus lockdown.

The survey of 1,500 drivers found that the top reason for using a car more was for food and grocery shopping (almost a quarter, 23% of drivers), while 9% said that they were doing so to pick up essential supplies or for trips to a pharmacy.

But worryingly, a small but appreciable 5% said they were using their vehicle more now to specifically purchase alcohol, while the same proportion (5%) said they were going out in the car specifically to visit DIY stores as Britons look to make home improvements while spending more time at home.

A slightly smaller proportion of drivers (4%) said they were using their car more to drive somewhere to do exercise, and the same percentage said they were using their vehicle more for work purposes.

A fraction of drivers (1%) said they were taking their car solely to give it a run, with the same proportion citing the reason as driving to a beauty spot. The same percentage (1%) said they driving to see relatives or friends though it is unclear whether these relatives are vulnerable and require assistance.

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “There is now mounting evidence that people are venturing back out in their vehicles for more essential, as well as arguably non-essential journeys.

“This perhaps is being driven by lockdown fatigue and boredom while the sunny spring weather might also be enticing drivers back into their vehicles. Additionally, some who are indoors might have chosen to carry out home maintenance and DIY, so have taken an opportunity to visit DIY stores that are now open.

“Our own data clearly shows a slight, but nonetheless steady, rise in the number of drivers using their vehicles, and the distances they are travelling in them on a daily basis, compared with earlier in the lockdown. As we near the end of the seventh week of the lockdown, all eyes are on what the Government announces this weekend in terms of how and when movement restrictions might be lifted.

“Until anything concrete is confirmed, the current advice remains to only go out when necessary for essential purposes, or where you cannot work from home. Even where drivers need to head out to pick up food shopping, this should be done as infrequently as possible to help stop the spread of the virus. The question drivers should ask themselves before venturing out is ‘do I really need to?’

“By only using the car for essential journeys at this time, we’re not only helping prevent the virus spreading, but are also reducing the risk of being involved in a road collision and avoiding putting any further pressure on the NHS.”

Edinburgh traffic reduced by 77% Since COVID-19 lockdown

Since the lockdown on 23^rd March, car leasing firm Leasing Options have been monitoring the traffic in UK and ROI cities.

https://www.leasingoptions.co.uk/news/blog/uk-roi-traffic-before-after-the-covid-19-lockdown/6266

Using TomToms’ live traffic data, they have worked out the average percentage decrease in traffic for each city, at weekday 8am in April (last week) versus the same time in 2019. Here are the results:

City	% Decrease in Traffic
London	77.61%
Birmingham	81.03%
Liverpool	74.07%
Dublin	83.16%
Edinburgh	77.27%
Cardiff	83.07%
Manchester	82.60%
Belfast	83.52%
Newcastle	80.36%

Edinburgh remains one of the busiest cities in the UK, with even London seeing a bigger reduction.

Using Google Maps, they have also compared the traffic pre- and post-lockdown to see how we have responded to the new restrictions on travel.

They recorded the post lock-down traffic at around 8.30am on a weekday in April, (peak travel time for many commuters) and compared this to Google’s historical traffic data from before the lockdown.

Here is how Edinburgh looks, for example:

According to the Department for Transport, 1.96 billion vehicles travel through the City of Edinburgh in a single year.

But as the Scottish capital respects the announcement of our PM and Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party, you can see that road traffic has significantly reduced, post-lockdown. Statistics from TomTom show that traffic has dropped by as much as 64% in April, when compared to the 2019 average.

You can find the data for Greater London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Dublin, Cardiff, Manchester, Belfast, and Newcastle on Leasing Options blog here: https://www.leasingoptions.co.uk/news/blog/uk-roi-traffic-before-after-the-covid-19-lockdown/6266

Silverknowes Road closed as council introduces emergency measures

The City of Edinburgh Council is set to introduce emergency measures to help pedestrians and cyclists to travel safely while observing physical distancing guidance.

The council has been working closely with Transport Scotland and Sustrans to develop an approach to re-designating road space. This will benefit from support from a £10m fund to help local authorities introduce temporary active travel solutions, announced by the Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson on Tuesday.

Over the coming weeks Edinburgh will be implementing several changes to help prioritise walking and cycling. Immediate actions will tackle areas highlighted as pinch points for pedestrians and cyclists and will include some road lane closures and the implementation of temporary cycle lanes.

There has been significant, understandable public demand for action to help facilitate safe daily exercise and the movement of essential workers.

In the medium term, as lockdown measures continue and are eventually eased, the council will develop a citywide approach to more significant changes, such as expanded cycle lanes and the creation of bus gates.

Longer term, it is proposed that progress on more permanent schemes under the Active Travel Programme is brought forward.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: The way we move around the city has changed significantly over recent weeks and it’s clear that we need to respond to this.

“We’ve been working closely with the Scottish Government to develop measures to help pedestrians and cyclists travel safely while remaining socially distant, so we’re delighted that Transport Scotland has confirmed funding to support local authorities to meet this challenge.

“Our commitment to encouraging and facilitating safer, more convenient walking and cycling in Edinburgh remains as strong as ever. We want to ensure that our city can support essential journeys and let local people access their local open spaces by creating safe, accessible routes to do so.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “As we plan for the city’s recovery, we must consider ways in which we can help people make daily journeys while limiting the potential impact of coronavirus, and maintaining physical distancing is essential to this.

“We’re going to be making changes around the city over the coming weeks to achieve this, as well as progressing plans to further improve infrastructure as we emerge from the crisis.”

Immediate measures will include the closure of the following roads:

Silverknowes Road (implemented by today – Thursday, 30 April)
Braid Road (implemented by Sunday, 3 May)
Links Gardens (implemented by Sunday, 3 May)

These locations have been identified in close dialogue with relevant Council services and Police Scotland who have expressed concerns in each area.

Further emergency measures are being investigated for implementation in the weeks beginning 4 May and 11 May and these will be communicated as soon as possible.

The council will continue to address other ‘pinch points’ and local issues, making use of Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders where necessary, which allow urgent amendments to be made to road layouts to help create more space for people on foot or bike.

The next steps will see a report brought to the Policy and Sustainability Committee in May outlining a citywide plan for more significant changes to the road network to create additional space for walking and cycling.

Alongside this, council officers will be investigating early delivery of some of our more ambitious active travel projects which will help people to make essential journeys safely and quickly as we move towards a new normal.

Further information on the Council’s response to the coronavirus outbreak is available online.

Campaigners welcome funding for active travel infrastructure

Living Streets has warmly welcomes the announcement of £10m funding for active travel infrastructure from the Scottish Government.

Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, yesterday announced a new active travel infrastructure programme, funding pop-up walking and cycling routes, and temporary improvements to existing routes.

The programme will also support local authorities to make improvements such as widening pavements and cycle lanes.

Stuart Hay, Director of Living Streets Scotland, said: “Space for physical distancing when walking and cycling is a vital part of long-term strategies to tackle COVID-19. It’s important councils are bold in terms of reclaiming road space and removing redundant parking spaces to create the space that is urgently needed in towns centres.

“Filtered neighbourhoods, banning cars from certain roads and tackling pavement parking can all help make our daily exercise easier and safer.”

“As we approach National Walking Month, we echo Mr Matheson’s calls for local authorities to “come forward with bold and ambitious plans for implementing temporary active travel measures.

“We strongly encourage members of the public to contact their local councils and call on them to take up these measures.”

Brown bin collections back next month

Garden waste (brown bin) collections will resume in Edinburgh from week commencing 11 May.

The service was suspended in April as part of the city’s response to the coronavirus crisis, allowing us to divert resources to other, essential waste collections and helping crews observe social distancing measures.

The return of team members from absence, as well as the bedding in of new collection arrangements, means we will be able to reintroduce garden waste collections.

Anyone with a garden waste permit will be compensated for the break in service with an extension to their permit to cover this time. We will contact customers in due course with further information.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We’ve made every effort to continue to run core services, including waste collections, and I’m grateful to residents for their understanding of why we’ve had to make some temporary changes under these extraordinary circumstances.

“Its thanks to the enormous hard work of the Council’s waste team that we’re beginning to see those services returning to normal.

“I know many residents will be keen to get out and tend to their gardens and I’d like to thank them for their patience while brown bin collections were temporarily suspended to help us respond to the coronavirus outbreak.

“We will be extending the time period that the current payments cover to make sure residents get the number of collections they paid for and we’ll be writing to households with further details later in the year.

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “Recent changes have helped to protect the safety of workers and I’m pleased to see that the service has adjusted to these. The crews who pick up our bins play a crucial role, and it’s thanks to their hard work that we can reintroduce brown bin collections.

“I hope residents help us to keep protecting crews’ safety by storing any excess garden waste for their next collection, as otherwise bins may become too heavy to lift.”

Residents should check their collection calendars to find out when their brown bins will next be picked up.

We’re encouraging people to store any excess garden waste that won’t fit in the bin until their next collection dates – overflowing bins, heavy bins or waste placed at the side of bins won’t be collected.

We are writing to and emailing all those who have signed up for the garden waste service with details of its reintroduction, as well as plans for compensation for the collections that have been missed.

From today, (Tuesday, 28 April), the council has also reintroduced kerbside glass recycling collections, which were suspended in March.

During the first weeks, residents are asked to put out only one blue box and to store any excess glass for the next collection, as boxes may become too heavy to lift, posing a health risk to crews.

Special uplifts are currently suspended while Household Waste and Recycling Centres remain closed but efforts are being made to reintroduce these services as soon as it is safe to do so.

Anyone with symptoms of coronavirus is encouraged to follow the guidance on how to dispose of waste correctly to help protect the safety of bin collection crews.

Further information on changes to bin collections and other services can be found on the Council website.

Jobs secured as Pure Electric takes over 11 Halfords Cycle Republic stores

Specialist electric mobility retailer, Pure Electric, announces the opening of eleven UK wide former Halfords plc ‘Cycle Republic’ stores earmarked for closure, securing 85 jobs
Founded by entrepreneur and investor Adam Norris, Pure Electric made its name in electric scooters and is now moving to e-bikes and wider e-mobility
Norris calls on the government to ‘get a move on’ with proposed legislation for E-Scooters, which are currently banned in the UK but legal in most other countries such as Germany and France

Pure Electric, the specialist electric mobility retailer formerly known as Pure Scooters, has announced its rapid retail expansion plans for 2020.

The company was looking at four key locations across the UK, but now has a fantastic opportunity to accelerate its growth by taking over eleven of Halfords plc’s Cycle Republic stores earmarked for closure, securing a total of 85 jobs.

Halfords plc made the announcement to colleagues at the eleven Cycle Republic stores on Monday, including the store on Lothian Road, informing them that their jobs would be safe and employment transferred to Pure Electric; all jobs at those stores will be retained.

The announcement bucks a high street trend of closures and marks the beginning of a transport revolution, says the company.

Last month, the Department for Transport (DfT) launched an open consultation in March 2020 entitled “Future of transport regulatory review” which calls for evidence on whether e-scooters and other micromobility vehicles should be permitted. The DfT stated that micromobility could “help us decarbonise transport and tackle congestion and air pollution, make travel more affordable and convenient.”

Launched fourteen months ago by entrepreneur and former Hargreaves Lansdown director, Adam Norris, Pure Electric has ‘a passion to make a real, meaningful positive impact on the way we all travel every day’.

Norris’ passion for game-changing technology is aiming to help tackle urban transport and climate problems by delivering fun, affordable and practical mobility solutions.

The company has recently diversified into e-bikes, stocking the iconic Brompton Electric with a broader e-bike range planned when stores open. In 2018 in the Netherlands, e-bikes outsold regular bicycles equating to €823m of €1.2bn in bicycle sales in 2018. In a similar trend in Germany in 2018, e-bikes outsold electric cars.

Last year, Deloitte predicted that 130 million e-bikes are to be sold globally between 2020 and 2023. It also noted that “the number of e-bikes on the roads will easily outpace other e-vehicles by the end of next year.”

The 11 Pure Electric branded stores are due to open by early summer 2020, subject to government lockdown restrictions.

Pure Electric stocks market-leading ranges of electric scooters, electric bikes and accessories and is calling on Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, to accelerate legalisation on electric scooters.

Electric scooters are becoming hugely popular in the UK but are only allowed to be ridden on private roads with the landowner’s permission, because of the archaic 1835 Highway Act, despite being legal in most other countries.

The company recently launched a petition, already gathering 3,000 signatures, calling on the Government to get a move on with proposed legislation to bring the UK up to speed on electric scooters.

Adam Norris, Founder of Pure Electric, said: “The world of mobility is moving incredibly fast and we’re absolutely committed to being at the forefront of this exciting sector by opening prime city-centre locations.

“Our products have the potential to have a huge positive impact on our transport system. Recently, we’ve seen the role that e-scooters and bicycles have had in providing transport to key workers across the UK, helping them avoid public transport where risk of transmission is much higher.

“We need to look hard at the future of our transport system and COVID-19 has accelerated the scrutiny of the status quo. Last week, in a YouGov study, just 9% want a complete to return to normal and 51% have noticed cleaner air. The time for change is now.”

He added: “A staggering 24% of all trips by car in the UK are under one mile and it’s these short journeys which can be swapped out by e-scooter or e-bike, with monumental impacts to congestion and air quality; travelling by these methods is fun too.

“The government needs to work fast to provide these future options, especially as we come out of the current lockdown restrictions. Public transport isn’t the safest option in terms of transmission, so we should be urgently looking at other options, without adding to air pollution.”

Norris concluded: “Our new stores show our vision and the market potential to not only transform the way people move, but the way people try and buy e-scooters and e-bikes. We can’t wait to serve customers a bigger range and offer free e-bike test rides.

“Every store will have a fully equipped workshop for servicing and repairs providing a first class service for commuters. We’re delighted that in the process of our expansion, we’ve been able to secure 85 colleague jobs from Halfords plc, and look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to the Pure Electric team. We thank Graham Stapleton (CEO Halfords plc,) and the team at Halfords plc for their collaborative approach.”

Peter Kimberley, (previously MD of Cycle Republic and Tredz Bikes), now Pure Electric International Managing Director, said: “I know these fantastic high street sites well and I’m looking forward to bringing the Pure Electric brand from online to major cities across the UK, opening up new personal services including test rides to commuters and everybody who is interested in changing the way they move.

“It’s an incredibly exciting time for the world of e-bikes, e-scooters and mobility solutions. Personally, I’m really delighted to be able to bring along some great colleagues from Cycle Republic into the Pure Electric family. We can’t wait to open our doors and start serving the needs of customers across the UK.”

For more information, please visit www.pureelectric.com

The Citizen Network: A Revitalised City is Possible

There is no better time for the citizens of Edinburgh to pitch in and contribute to a Manifesto for the City Creating Our Manifesto for the City ⋆ The Citizen Network

Calls for no return to unequal and unjust normalcy following Covid-19 have come from many quarters, some of them quite unexpected, and there’s no doubt that many of the persistent problems of city life will be reassessed by those who govern us, whether that be Westminster, Holyrood or Edinburgh City Chambers.

But let’s not fool ourselves, what’s promised by politicians now may never transpire. Real change will not happen without direct action by citizens; for Edinburgh, Citizen’s Manifesto is the first step.

The need for citizens to hold politicians to account is already evident from reports of ‘stakeholder’ discussions pertaining to post-pandemic Edinburgh.

Consider first what Council leader Adam McVey had to say about the city’s Summer festivals: “By working together we can make sure that when our festivals return, they do so with even more of a focus on our people, place and environment.” So far so good but one is tempted to question the ‘even more’ – there has been scant attention to people place and environment in festival planning in recent years.

[“Edinburgh festivals face calls for overhaul before they return in 2021”]

In the same Scotsman article note that the city’s residents are absent when our cherished heritage is flagged up as needing not just preservation but enhancement by the festivals. Clearly, this pipe-dream does not extend to those who live in this ‘remarkable backdrop’.

But it’s the reaction of Essential Edinburgh that confirms that not all stakeholders are thinking about anything other than business as usual post Covid-19.

Roddy Smith, the Chief Executive, says “We need to reactivate the city, promote it strongly and widely and seek over the next couple of years to return to our numbers pre the virus.”

The same message can be deduced from the report from the meeting last week of the new tourism ‘oversight group’ for Edinburgh.

The group includes Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG), Edinburgh Airport, Festivals Edinburgh, Visit Scotland, Essential Edinburgh and the Chamber of Commerce – again not one resident has a seat at the table. Adam McVey reported that the group had reaffirmed the aims of Edinburgh’s new Tourism Strategy which was agreed pre-pandemic.

How can this be? Have we learned nothing these last few weeks?

So, the coronavirus will not miraculously change our world for the better. The citizens will have to insist on it, and the Manifesto for the City is an excellent starting place.

Let’s face it, change is difficult – most of us are stuck with at least one foot in the past and are in some way resigned to the way things are. To paraphrase a French philosopher, we are all ‘half accomplices’, demanding radical change while at the same time clinging to what we have become accustomed to.

But the city will change whether we like it or not, and citizens need to rise to the challenge and drive that change – now is the time to articulate our values and our aspirations; now is the time to really get beyond ourselves.

SEAN BRADLEY

Image credit: Astrid Jaekel

Kerbside glass recycling collections resume next week

Kerbside glass recycling collections will resume next week after being suspended under changes to help the city respond to the coronavirus outbreak.

We’ll begin collecting blue boxes for glass recycling from Tuesday, 28 April, returning to usual fortnightly collection schedules.

The service was stopped in March to help prioritise resources for other essential bin collections while enabling waste collection crews to observe social distancing guidelines.

Following the return of several team members from absence, as well as the bedding in of new collection arrangements, we will be able to reintroduce kerbside glass recycling collections.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We’ve been working extremely hard to deliver essential services with as little disruption as possible during this challenging time, so I’m pleased that we’ll be able to reintroduce these collections after a short break.

“It’s with thanks to the hard work and dedication of crews that we can do this, as well as continuing normal collections for most bins, so I’d like to recognise their efforts over recent weeks. This contribution has been crucial to keeping the city moving and helping residents to adjust to this unprecedented situation.

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “This is a particularly unsettling time and I’d like to thank residents for their patience during the changes we’ve had to make.

“It’s been heartening to see so many people looking out for one another and I hope they’ll be able to continue checking on neighbours and family and offering to put bins out for anyone who is unable or might be self-isolating.

“We’d also urge residents to only put out one box at a time, with boxes only filled to the top, and store any excess glass for their next collection, to help us protect the health of our crews by reducing the need to lift heavy boxes.”

In March the number of operatives in refuse lorry cabs was reduced in order to give crew members the space to stay two metres apart, meaning we needed increased resources to carry out the collection of kerbside and communal general waste, food recycling and dry mixed recycling.

While the glass recycling service will recommence on Tuesday, 28 April residents should check collection calendars for their next blue box collection date. We’re encouraging people to put out only one blue box and to store any excess glass for the next collection, as boxes may become too heavy to lift, posing a health risk to crews.

Garden waste collections and special uplifts are currently suspended while Household Waste and Recycling Centres remain closed though we’re working hard to reintroduce these services as soon as it is safe to do so.

Anyone with symptoms of coronavirus is encouraged to follow the guidance on how to dispose of waste correctly to help protect the safety of bin collection crews.

Additional measures taken to safeguard waste and cleansing workers’ health have included the increased provision of hand sanitiser supplies, in addition to hot water handwashing points in a number of vehicles, the washing down of lorries at the end of shifts and efforts to encourage social distancing in depots.

Further information on changes to bin collections and other services can be found on the Council website.