“It is crucial that the message from this march reaches all the way to Paris” – Environment Minister Aileen McLeod
Environment Minister Aileen McLeod joined thousands of people on a march through the streets of Edinburgh yesterday ahead of crucial United Nations climate negotiations in Paris next week. Continue reading ‘The stakes could not be higher’: Minister joins thousands on climate march
‘It’s important we send a strong message of support to them’
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, has lodged a motion at the Scottish Parliament calling for financial support for the 200 tenants of Lorne Street in Leith who face being evicted from their homes by the charity that owns their flats. The Agnes Hunter Trust wants to sell the properties, saying maintenance costs are too high. Continue reading Johnstone lodges motion supporting Lorne Street residents
East meets West to talk human rights tomorrow night
It couldn’t be more topical …
Pupils from Broughton and Craigroyston High Schools will be among those taking part in a Q & A session and discussion with original ‘Glasgow Girl’ Roza Salih following the screening of the film at North Edinburgh Arts tomorrow night.
All welcome.
The Power to the Power group is hosting a community meeting on the issue of fracking and underground coal gasification in the Forth next Tuesday (6 October) from 10am – 12.30 in Royston Wardieburn Community Centre.
A crèche will be available to allow people with young children to participate.
We are keen to raise awareness about this issue locally and will be supporting the action planned on the Forth Road Bridge on Sunday 11 October at 2pm. Please see the link below for further information :
http://www.ourforth.org/hands-across-the-forth/
Power to the People
Success for Canonmills campaigners
Canonmills campaigners are celebrating tonight following a decision by city councillors to reject an application to demolish a popular restaurant to make way for an ‘eyesore’ block of flats.
The planning battle over Canonmills Bridge has raged for over five years. Planning consent has already been granted for six flats, three townhouses and two restaurants on the site currently occupied by Earthy, but the developers still required permission to demolish the existing building because it is in a conservation area.
Save 1- 6 Canonmills campaigners have fought an energetic campaign to oppose demolition and put their arguments to a hearing of the planning committee earlier today.
Campaign leader Jan Anderson, representatives of both Inverleith and Stockbridge and New Town and Broughton community councils, urban designer Ross McEwan, Inverleith Society, the Cockburn Association and local councillors all spoke against demolition.
Committee members upheld the deputations’ views that demolition would have a negative impact on the Inverleith Conservation Area and noted that the scale of the proposed new development is much larger than the current one-storey building it would replace.
Campaigners are naturally delighted with the decision. One said: “The council has got it right this time and common sense has prevailed. We are so happy that the demolition has been halted but we are also very aware that this may not be the end of the saga, as the developer does have a right of appeal. So we have just won the battle, not the war – but today’s victory means we are ready for anything now!”
Locals vow to fight Earthy demolition at Canonmills
Campaigners in Canonmills have vowed to fight the demolishing of a much-loved local resource to make way for a new four-storey development. The campaigners plan to step up their action with a weekend of awareness raising on the bridge.
Led by local resident Jan Anderson and architectural/urban designer and lecturer Ross McEwan, the current campaign has seen a phenomenal response from the community who feel that they have been left in the dark over plans for the 18th century bridge in Inverleith Conservation Area.
And being left in the dark is exactly what will happen if the demolition goes ahead – as a four storey new build is due to be put in it’s place, overshadowing the area, blocking the views of the waters and wildlife and destroying the iconic skyline for residents and tourists to the area alike.
The traditional single-storey building at 1 – 6 Canonmills Bridge has found a place in the hearts of locals and visitors to the area, serving as an attractive and popular hub for social life around a busy junction. An online petition has attracted almost 2500 signatures in just two weeks and the momentum is set to continue with a weekend of partying and petitioning on the bridge to raise awareness this Saturday and Sunday.
If the demolition of the one-storey building is approved the space will be used to erect a mixed use development of two restaurants, six flats and three townhouses. The approval of that building was granted in 2009, but the applicants did not get the necessary permissions and approval needed to demolish a building in a conservation area – and the new development cannot go ahead unless the current building is demolished.
Jan Anderson said: “We want to ensure that this time everyone is aware of the plans for the area as to date it certainly hasn’t been made clear to the wider public what is happening with this beautiful historic, conservation area. We need people to know that it’s not too late and we can still stop the demolition by writing to the planning sub-committee, the local councillors and spreading the word.”
The demolition is due to appear on city council’s Planning sub-committee agenda on either 27 July or 12 August and the locals are gearing up to spend the coming weeks ensuring that Edinburgh council realises that this particular proposal is seen as a ‘bridge too far’.
TTIP: ‘an assault on public protections’ – Alison Johnstone MSP
Questioning the Minister for Europe at Holyrood today, Green MSP Alison Johnstone called on the Scottish Government to broaden their stance on TTIP, the free trade treaty currently being negotiated between the US and the EU.
She highlighted figures contained in a new report from Westminster’s Environmental Audit Committee (1) on the difference between chemicals regulation in the US and EU. 1300 chemicals are restricted for use in cosmetics in EU countries, whereas only 11 are in the US.
The Minister, Humza Yousaf, replied that while the Scottish Government has raised a number of concerns with the UK Government, TTIP as a whole is “difficult to oppose without seeing the final agreement”.
Alison Johnstone, Green MSP said: “This deal risks much more than our precious public services. There is a real risk that important environmental and public health protections will be weakened by this treaty, which would undermine decades of political progress towards a more sustainable world.
“Overall the components of TTIP add up to an assault on public protections with little evidence of any reward, and it should not be so difficult for the Scottish Government to oppose this.”
‘We need to shut the door on this deal’ – Alison Johnstone MSP
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, is warning against the “distraction” of the language used in the controversial TTIP trade deal, following the leak of a draft document.
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, being negotiated behind closed doors by the EU and US, aims to remove barriers to multinational corporations and could enable them to sue governments over profits. SNP ministers support the principle of the deal, as does Labour.
A leaked draft of what the EU wants excluded from the deal was reported by the BBC yesterday.
Alison Johnstone MSP said: “While some want to quibble over the wording, that is a distraction compared to the broader purpose of the deal. Greens have consistently opposed this blatant corporate power grab. It’s undemocratic and threatens not just our NHS but puts at risk jobs and wages throughout our economy.
“Promoters of TTIP claim it will produce jobs and growth, but when questioned about who will benefit they resort to a belief in workers eventually sharing the profits from increased trade. We need to shut the door to this deal, and focus instead on strong public services and meaningful support for Scotland’s small and medium sized businesses.”
Scottish Ministers have welcomed the publication of a series of reports into sectarianism and the impacts of marches and parades in Scotland.
The work, as recommended by the independent Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland, explored attitudes and experiences of sectarianism and the community impact of processions on Scottish society.
The research was discussed at a Glasgow conference yesterday which looked at how research is helping to shape our understanding of the nature and impact of sectarianism in modern Scotland.
The mix of quantitative and qualitative research was undertaken by independent researchers from Newcastle University, the University of Stirling, the University of Oxford and ScotCen Social Research.
Some of the findings within the Scottish Social Attitudes survey 2014 and the Community Experiences of Sectarianism reports include:
In addition, the study into the Community Impact of Public Processions found that:
Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs Paul Wheelhouse said: “The publication of this work is a significant step forward in helping us build the most comprehensive understanding of the nature and impact of sectarianism in Scotland that we have ever had. It will undoubtedly play a huge part in influencing collective thinking and shaping how we tackle sectarianism going forward.
“This research also shows us that there is a gap between the perception of sectarianism and the reality of people’s experiences, and this is something I know the Advisory Group will be considering in the coming weeks and months.
“Sectarianism has no place in Scotland in the 21st century and we are fully committed to help rid Scotland of the prejudices of the past and tackling this problem which has blighted many communities.
“Religiously aggravated offending is falling and is now at its lowest level in a decade, last year alone there was a 15% decrease, but we will always seek to do all we can to stamp out this problem. That’s why the Scottish government has invested £9 million over three years to tackle this issue, including supporting 44 community-based projects in their efforts to tackle sectarianism in Scotland.
“The final report of the Advisory Group is due later this year and this will include advice on the future development of our agenda on tackling sectarianism. The Advisory Group will ensure that the findings from today’s publications are incorporated into their report to ensure that the advice they are giving is based on the best and most up-to-date information available.
“This government fully respects the right to hold marches and parades but also recognises that this right needs to be balanced against the right of communities to go about their business undisturbed. We will be looking closely at the University of Stirling’s findings to consider how we can best achieve that balance.”
Chair of the independent Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland, Dr Duncan Morrow, added: “From the outset the Advisory Group has been clear that we need strong and robust evidence as a basis for our work on tackling sectarianism. I am delighted that the Advisory Group has been able to commission these excellent pieces of research with the support of the Scottish Government. There is no doubt that they are a significant addition to the existing evidence base and we will be using the findings to shape or final report to the Scottish Government later in the year.
“The research is clear. There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that sectarianism impacts negatively on people’s lives and that it is not confined to particular communities.
“The evidence highlights some of the complexities of the problem and that there is no single cause and no single solution. A culture of finger pointing, blaming and outright denial has provided comfort to many excusing the familiar behaviour that acts as a life support to anachronistic sectarian attitudes, but such a culture fails to address either the problem or provide a solution. That is why we believe that local solutions are central to tackling this issue, but also recognise that organisations and institutions must play a full role. This research points to the fact that there is a real thirst for change and that public opinion is overwhelmingly in favour of extinguishing the final embers of sectarianism.”
To read the research reports click on the links below:
Scottish Social Attitudes survey 2014: Public attitudes to sectarianism in Scotland
http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/02/5330
http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/02/6038
Community Impact of Public Processions
http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/02/3769
http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/02/9505
Community Experiences of Sectarianism: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/02/9920
