Scottish Government legislation to regulate Short Term Lets in Edinburgh has been branded “not fit for purpose” by Liberal Democrat councillors, and is causing frustration for people across the city.
The SNP-written laws, which were meant to allow parity between planning permission and the licensing system, have a built-in loophole which has allowed some Short Term Let operators to continue operating even after refusal of planning permission from the Council and the Government alike.
Mandatory Condition 13 allows a licence to be in place and an operator to trade, as long as a planning application has been lodged. This means that operators can re-apply for planning permission after refusal, which has clagged up the Council’s system and caused confusion.
Liberal Democrat Councillors believe it would be far more sensible to require planning permission to be in place before a licence is granted.
At Thursday’s City of Edinburgh Council meeting, Lib Dem councillors are explicitly calling for that loophole to be closed and for the Council leader to write directly to the First Minister about the issue, after Scottish Government ministers have dismissed the concerns being raised by Edinburgh residents.
Commenting on the proposal, Regulatory Convenor Councillor Neil Ross said: “The primary purpose of Short Term Let regulation is to enhance safety.
“The system the Scottish Government have put in place has complicated matters and it’s been incredibly frustrating they’ve not listened to either Edinburgh residents or councillors who’ve repeatedly brought this loophole to their attention.”
Development-Management sub-committee convenor Councillor Hal Osler said “Regulation must be applied consistently.The current laws are hampering the Council’s ability to do this and assure residents that enforcement resources are being put in the right place.
“We’ll keep raising this issue until the Scottish Government allow Edinburgh to properly control Short Term Lets.”
Other items on a full Agenda today include the sudden closure of North Edinburgh Childcare (as things stand, NEC is set to close it’s doors for the final time tomorrow) and the impending eviction of arts and culture organisations from St Margaret’s House at Jock’s Lodge.
North Edinburgh Childcare will close THIS FRIDAY, making staff and sessional workers redundant and causing a huge problem for scores of local parents.
The sudden closure is dreadful news for the North Edinburgh community. NEC was seen as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the Pilton Partnership activities in the 1990s, when local activists saw their dream of an affordable local childcare facility become a reality at last. Today, it seems that dream is over.
NEC staff member Astrid Hederson wrote on Facebook:
Dear Families of North Edinburgh
‘As many of you will now be aware, North Edinburgh Childcare will be closed suddenly this Friday . As a member of staff, it saddens me deeply that our journey has ended this way.
‘We were kept in the dark — under the pretence that surveys were being taken to improve the company, while behind closed doors decisions were being made that affected all of us. They didn’t reach out to parents, carers, or the community — and they didn’t reach out to the staff who are here from 7am till 6pm, Monday to Friday.
‘Our General Manager has been off sick and effectively disappeared — and while we respect that people need time away, what we needed most was a leader.
‘We needed someone to stand with us, someone to fight for us, someone to help us navigate what was happening. Instead, we were left without guidance, without answers, and completely unprepared for what was coming.
‘It feels like we were abandoned — and we believe there was so much more that could have been done to save our service.
‘We have stuck by this community through the tragedies, the hard times, through COVID, and through some really wonderful, good times too. We want to stay. We want to fight. But we can’t do it alone. We need our parents, our carers, and our community to back us up — just as we have always backed you.
‘This workplace isn’t just a job to me — the people there are my world. I’ve been through so much with some of them. This is the family I don’t want to lose.
‘As staff, we weren’t given the opportunity to fight — not just for our jobs, but to fight to stay and serve the children we love, the families we care about, and the community we are part of.
‘We weren’t given the chance to say goodbye to the children we love, serve, and protect. We don’t get to say goodbye to the parents and carers we’ve grown so close to — the ones we’ve walked alongside, watched their children grow, shared joys and worries and dreams with.
This post is not to ask for money. It’s simply to speak the truth — because the truth deserves to be heard. I don’t know how far this will reach, but our children still need us. The parents still need us. We deserved better than to be left in the dark.
‘If this matters to you — please reach out. Speak to your MP, your councillors, anyone who will listen. Stand with us, just as we’ve always stood with you.
North Edinburgh Childcare’s website states:
North Edinburgh Childcare first opened its doors to children in the spring of 1997.
The organisation developed in response to an identified need for high quality, childcare in North Edinburgh that would enable local parents and carers to access opportunities for work, training or education.
A group of local residents campaigned over a 6 year period for the creation of a custom built (state of the art) childcare facility. In the Spring of 1997, the dream became a reality.
Since opening the organisation has gone from strength to strength and grown into the multi stranded operation that it is today. Our early learning and childcare services currently consist of a nursery service which takes place within the organisation’s purpose built centre and an out of school care service which is delivered from various locations across North Edinburgh.
Continuous feedback from the Care Inspectorate ensures that we never stop adapting and striving to always reach the highest of standards and our unwavering focus is with the ongoing development of our child-centred approach.
North Edinburgh Childcare strives to be the provider of choice through the delivery of services that are of the highest quality. As a forward looking organisation we actively embrace equal opportunities and social inclusion in the creation of learning environments that enable people to confidently reach out for the future.
In a statement released this afternoon, North Edinburgh Childcare said: “It is with enormous sadness that North Edinburgh Childcare announces that the organisation is facing insolvency and is closing on Friday 30 October 2026. For the avoidance of doubt, we will be open as normal on Friday 30th but will be closed thereafter.
“The Board of Trustees has explored every possible option and scenario to keep the organisation open and financially viable. Sadly, despite our best efforts, a sustainable way forward cannot be identified and, having taken legal advice, the decision has been made to close forthwith.
“This is a devastating outcome for an organisation that has supported children, families and the local community for many years. Our thoughts are very much with the children and families who rely on our services, and with our dedicated staff who have worked so hard to support them.
“We continue to liaise with the City of Edinburgh Council to ensure that all available support is identified for families affected by the closure and for our staff during this very difficult time.”
SNP Education spokesperson Cllr Euan Hislop said: “North Edinburgh families deserve better than this.
“The closure of North Edinburgh Childcare’s nursery and out-of-school clubs from Monday 2 November will leave families across Davidson’s Mains, Ferryhill, Forthview, Pirniehall/St David’s, Trinity (FortELC) and Juniper Green facing huge disruption, with no alternative provision in place.
“This crisis was foreseeable. As SNP Education Spokesperson, I repeatedly warned that withdrawing funding from established childcare providers put services at risk. SNP colleagues called for the cuts to be halted and alternatives found, but our warnings were ignored.
“Labour and the Liberal Democrats must answer for the decisions that brought us here.
“I will be tabling an emergency motion at Thursday’s council meeting demanding answers and calling for emergency assistance for families who have no alternative childcare.
“If your family is affected, please get in touch. We need urgent action, not excuses after the damage has been done.”
THE NORTH EDINBURGH COMMUNITY TURNED OUT IN FORCE TO SAY A FINAL GOODBYE TO BETTY McVAY THIS WEEK:
I first met Betty back in the 1980s. I can’t remember what the details now, it was such a long time ago, but it was something to do with Drylaw Telford Community Council, Pilton Sporting Club and Pilton Central Association. What I do remember was some advice from PCA’s development worker, who helpfully warned me: “Betty’s bark is worse than her bite”.
I received quite a grilling from the feisty wee wifey who was Betty McVay that day. Fortunately she didn’t actually bite me, and while her bark was certainly sharp enough, I did survive the ordeal.
That first encounter was the first of so many over the forty-odd years that followed, and I found that her initial suspicion and mistrust was built on years of community experience. Betty was scathing of ‘incomers’, projects and community workers being ‘parachuted in to help the poor people’.
Maybe because we shared a common background, both born and raised in the Old Town, we developed a bond and a trust that grew over the years.
Betty could be painfully forthright about many things and many people. Woe betide any worker or politician who tried to soft soap Betty: sometimes I would wince when she turned her withering fire on some hapless individual or other along with a steely stare that would curdle milk!
The wrath of Betty was a force to behold, but there was another softer, gentler side to her too. She was fiercely supportive of causes she believed in and was a loyal friend to so many individuals and organisations it would take just too long to list.
I felt really privileged to receive an invitaion to attend Betty’s 80th birthday party at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre – it was as if I had made it at last and finally accepted into Betty’s ‘circle of trust’ after all these years!
I worked with and learned from Betty in a number of organisations and campaigns over all those years: initially through the Pilton Partnership and Greater Pilton Community Alliance – the ground-breaking initiative to break down barriers between North Edinburgh’s individual communities and work together as one to tackle poverty.
I remember I interviewed Betty when she was awarded an MBE for her service to communities – ‘Arise, Oor Betty’ was the headline on our front page splash!
Then there was the Edinburgh Community Representatives Network, joining forces with other communities to challenge the inequities of the (unfair) Fairer Scotland Fund. We lost that fight, but Betty had many successes too – the jewel in the crown being the establishment of her beloved North Edinburgh Childcare Centre.
In later years, when Betty was supposed to be slowing down after a health scare, I worked with her through Community Action North to organise an Older People’s event as a final activity to wind down Pilton Central Association.
I would schedule an hour for those planning meetings, which we held at North Edinburgh Arts – but that was never going to happen! The agenda quickly went out the window and Betty embarked on a roller coaster of stories and recollections, barely pausing for breath and covering a spectrum of local, national and even international characters and events spanning half a century and more! We did find the odd ten minutes to discuss the event we were supposed to be planning, though!
It was never easy to make sense of my notes after these marathon sessions, but the Older People’s event did take place eventually and it was a great success!
And even in those final years, right up to the end, it was always a joy to spend time with her, especially when there was a wee spark of the old venom: she may have mellowed, but Betty was still Betty! Biting back, right to the end.
Now that the schools are back, are you looking for a job to fill the time but don’t know where to start?
Our Nurturing Futures programme has been designed to support parents in North Edinburgh looking to get back to work. Working with our Employability Officer, Lynne, you will build skills and confidence to get the job you really want.
As well as receiving support from Lynne with job searching, you may also take advantage of the free childcare support available to allow you to attend interviews or training or just free up time to focus on their job searching.
As you may or may not be aware our minibus was stolen on 24/03/2021, although the police are currently looking for it, we are under no illusion that it is highly unlikely that we will have it recovered.
As such we have started a fundraising page so that we can attempt to attain a new minibus for the children who attend our care.
We also had a people carrier for many years and it was only in February that the insurance had to write that off due to vandalism so we have lost both of our vehicles within two months and we now have no transport for the children at all.
As a charity this is totally devastating and would ask that if you can help in these terribly hard times then please do. We really appreciate any amount, small or large.
Any donations big or small would be very much appreciated
