Tag: Liberton

City council’s Twenty Minute Neighbourhood Strategy updated

A key strategy has been updated to help people across Edinburgh live well locally in places that are healthier, greener, more vibrant and inclusive.

The Council’s initial 20-Minute Neighbourhood Strategy was approved by the Policy and Sustainability Committee on 10 June 2021, outlining a vision for a city where everyone can meet most of their daily needs within a short walk, wheel or cycle from their home. A further report on 30 November 2021 gave an update on how the Strategy was being delivered.

This strategy has now been refreshed to provide the latest information on key projects that are being progressed, alongside the overall direction and delivery of the concept in Edinburgh. 

Through the 20-minute neighbourhood approach, the Council is working in partnership with local communities across the capital to help to deliver its strategic priorities of creating good places to live and work, while meeting its targets of ending poverty and becoming net zero by 2030.

The 20-minute neighbourhood approach in Edinburgh focusses on making it easier for people to access daily services and facilities in their local area. It is now being implemented through several key ‘building blocks’:

•    Working with local communities
•    Supporting people to access the services they need locally
•    Providing multiple services and facilities from a single location
•    Delivering mixed-use regeneration and development
•    Making our town and local centres greener, more inclusive and more people-focussed
•    Supporting local economies and businesses
•    Improving sustainable and active travel access to services and facilities

Councillor Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “We want to support people across the city to live well locally, and this latest update to our 20-Minute Neighbourhood Strategy shows how we are working to deliver this approach in different parts of Edinburgh. 

“The 20-minute neighbourhood concept is one that many communities already enjoy: ensuring services and facilities are close to residents, enabling walking, wheeling and cycling to be the natural choice for shorter journeys. 

“Now, we are starting to see how all residents throughout Edinburgh can fully enjoy this approach and live in a cleaner, greener and more thriving city that supports communities and brings people together. By putting local people at the heart of everything, each person living in the city can choose to participate in all community, cultural and heritage activities.

“The updated strategy outlines how our support for local living can give more people more choice within their neighbourhood, while also making it easier to travel further to access the services and facilities they need on public transport and by active travel. 

“We know people have strong views on this concept, and we believe engaging and collaborating with communities across the city to understand their needs is essential. That’s why we’re involving communities at an early stage of design projects as a key priority. If we work together, everyone can benefit from healthier, well-connected and thriving neighbourhoods right across the city.”

Read the full 20-Minute Neighbourhood Strategy here.  

Current key projects

These updates show different examples how the 20-minute neighbourhood concept is currently being embedded into key projects across the city.

Following initial engagement with communities earlier this year, proposals are currently being developed to make it easier to access Gorgie Dalry, Portobello and Craigmillar town centres by walking, wheeling cycling and public transport while improving the quality of local streets and public spaces.

Further information on these projects is available on the 20-Minute Neighbourhoods section of the Council’s website.

Pennywell & Muirhouse

The regeneration of Pennywell and Muirhouse is a long-standing objective for the Council and its partners.  Work completed to date includes a new School, medical centre, retail centre, improved public realm and new homes. There will be around 1000 new mixed tenure homes of which over 50% will be affordable.  730 new homes have been delivered to date across several sites in the area.

A community hub is also under construction at the local centre. The hub will have an early years centre, library, skills hub, six affordable homes and space for North Edinburgh Arts. 

The hub is being delivered in partnership with North Edinburgh Arts and aims to promote culture, learning, work and wellbeing within the local community. All staff operating from the hub space will follow a ‘No Wrong Door’ approach to make sure citizens can access relevant services in the space or be signposted where necessary.

The NEAT Connections project will deliver improved active travel links to the new local centre, schools and services. 

Granton Waterfront

The Granton Waterfront regeneration will deliver a new coastal town with an ambitious 20-minute neighbourhood vision over the next 10-15 years. The regeneration will deliver around 3,500 new net zero carbon homes (over 35% of them affordable); a primary school, commercial, creative, and community space, and a new coastal park. 

The project will create new employment opportunities, meaning residents of this fast-growing area will be able to access work locally. Partner organisations will deliver substantial new cultural and educational assets over the regeneration timeframe.

Early Action housing projects are well underway at Western Villages, Silverlea and the Demonstrator site at Waterfront Avenue. In March 2023, the Granton Station Square building opened and provides affordable workspace for artists and creative industries. 

New active travel and public transport infrastructure will be created throughout the regeneration area, including new cycle paths and a mobility hub.

Liberton

Planning permission for a new Liberton High School has been granted, with a GP practice and community facilities a key part of the design. 

The creation of a community campus will deliver a range of services and activities and aims to create a place where multiple services and partners can be accessed that contribute to health, wellbeing and learning of young people and the wider community. 

20_Minute_Neighbourhood_Strategy___August_2023Download

Police seek information following Greenpark housebreaking

POLICE are appealing for information following a high-value house breaking in the Liberton area on Thursday, 2 February 2023.

Between 5pm and 5.30pm a house on Greenpark was broken into and a five-figure sum of cash and a four-figure sum of jewellery stolen.

There was no one in the house at the time of the break-in and officers are keen to trace two men seen at the time. They left on foot in the direction of Burdiehouse Burn.

The first suspect is described as white, aged in his 40s, with grey hair. He was wearing glasses, a dark coloured jacket, blue jeans and dark trainers.

The second is described as white, aged in his 20s. He was wearing a baseball cap, black Puffa style jacket, black jeans, black trainers and was carrying a dark coloured rucksack.

Detective Constable Scott Lynas, of Corstorphine CID, said: “Officers have been carrying out extensive enquiries, including checking CCTV.

“We believe the property was targeted and we are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen these men, or anyone else acting suspiciously before and after the break-in. It is near an area popular with dog walkers so anyone with information is asked to get in touch.

“In addition, if you have private CCTV or dash-cam footage that could assist with our investigation then please also contact us.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police via 101, quoting reference number 3009 of Thursday, 2 February 2023. Alternatively, details can be passed anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

ReDrawing Edinburgh: free Cinescapes outdoor events

ReDrawing Edinburgh is a community-led outreach project designed to mark the centennial commemoration of the 1920 Edinburgh Boundaries Extension and Tramways Act.

It is coordinated by a community steering group comprising representatives from each of the boundary extension areas, with support from Council Archive, Library, and Museum services.

The city boundaries were extended in November 1920 to incorporate the Burgh of Leith in the north and the Midlothian parishes of Cramond, Corstorphine, Colinton, and Liberton to the west and south of the city. The expansion meant the city grew from 17 square miles to 53 square miles and increased its population from 320,000 to 425,000.

The ‘amalgamation’, as it was referred to at the time, was welcomed by some but opposed by others – in particular Leith Town Council who fought to retain its independence. The centenary commemoration provides an opportunity for everyone to understand how the city has grown and for the communities to reaffirm their own identities and heritage.

A series of short films created as part of Redrawing Edinburgh, were produced in a partnership between local heritage and community groups and Council Archive, Library, and Museums services. These presentations explore what happened in 1920 and celebrate the identities and histories of these communities.

It is the city centre of Edinburgh that often receives the most attention, however this project focuses on the communities that joined in 1920.

For general information about the project please contact archives@edinburgh.gov.uk or redrawingedinburgh@gmail.com

Free outdoor screening events, September 2021

All images © Lesley Martin photography

Join us on the 3-18 September for Cinescapes: ReDrawing Edinburgh, a series of five pop-up outdoor screenings of a new 15-minute film.

This film has been created from archive footage showing the 5 areas which were amalgamated with Edinburgh in 1920 through the Edinburgh Boundaries Extension and Tramways Act. ReDrawing Edinburgh celebrates the strong independent identities of the areas of Cramond, Colinton, Corstorphine, Liberton, and Leith and how they have retained them throughout the past century.

This isn’t just about nostalgia, it’s about identity. We’re celebrating the individual spirits that make up Edinburgh by screening the projections in the places that they are from.

Book tickets for these events via Eventbrite: 

Corstorphine on Friday 3 September

Colinton on Saturday 4 September

Cramond on Friday 10 September

Liberton on Saturday 11 September

Leith on Saturday 18 September

For general information about these events, please contact:

archives@edinburgh.gov.uk or redrawingedinburgh@gmail.com

Council welcomes funding for replacement schools

Education leaders in Edinburgh have welcomed the announcement today that the Scottish Government is providing funding for a replacement Liberton High School and Wester Hailes Education Centre.

Both schools were included in the funding submission by the City of Edinburgh Council to the Scottish Government as part of potential projects for Phase 2 of their Learning Estate Investment Programme.

The Scottish Government yesterday announced funding for a total of 25 projects from 18 local authorities. Alongside a replacement Currie High School this means Edinburgh has three schools included in their investment programme.

Cllr Ian Perry, Convener for Education, Children and Families at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Replacement of both these schools has been a top priority for the Council and today’s announcement will be really welcomed by their school communities.

“I’m very pleased that the Scottish Government has recognised the strength of our bid as we’re committed to building schools which provide the very best learning environment for our young people.

“Both these projects will provide us with significant opportunities to create, as part of an inclusive net zero-carbon city, community lifelong learning and sports hubs where public services can be co-located with links to active travel networks, green infrastructure and strategic public transport networks.

“It’s a real boost for our ambitious new school building programme which will see £500m planned investment over the next 10 years and we already have a number of schools across the primary, secondary and special sectors opening in the coming year.

“We will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government, COSLA and other partners as we drive forward our plans for new school campuses that are innovatively and sustainably designed so they are inspirational places for learning for the next generation.”

Cllr Alison Dickie, Vice Convener for Education, Children and Families at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This excellent news from the Scottish Government means we can now press on with building these much-needed new schools for Liberton and Wester Hailes.

“We want schools for the future that are fit for 21st Century learning and we’ll continue to develop our plans so that greater accessibility for all pupils and a more inclusive environment promoting greater health and wellbeing are key to their success.

“These projects will develop excellent facilities that meet all the aspirations of the Scottish Government’s Learning Estate Investment Strategy by connecting people, places and learning, improving outcomes for all and promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

“It also provides us with the platform to keep progressing our ambitious plans for the enhancement of Gaelic Medium Education secondary provision in the city.  GME has grown at all learning levels, and a well-designed co-located school within a Liberton campus, would support our vision of a fully immersive environment.

“We’re committed to all our new learning estate buildings being constructed in line with our bold commitment of being carbon neutral by 2030 and designed to meet the city-wide aspirations for the curriculum to address all inclusion, digital and outdoor learning requirements and ensuring all our children have the best possible learning environment in which to flourish.”

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs added: “I have been campaigning for a replacement Liberton High School since my election and a new school building is long overdue.

“This is excellent news for pupils and parents at Liberton High School who have been campaigning tirelessly for a replacement building.

“What is important now is that we get a time scale for the replacement school building, so that pupils can benefit from modern state of the are learning facilities as soon as possible.”

“I am pleased that Wester Hailes Education Centre, Penicuik High School, Mayfield Primary School Campus and East Calder Primary school have all been included in Phase 2 of the Learning Estate Investment Programme.”

Current schools projects under construction with their completion dates include: Frogston Primary School (spring 2021), Victoria Primary School (summer 2021), St Crispin’s Special School (summer 2021), a new primary school on Canaan Lane in south Edinburgh (end of 2021), Castlebrae Community campus (end of 2021) and Trinity Academy Phase 1 (spring 2022).

The Council is also committed to building a new Currie High School by summer 2024.