Edinburgh Council’s Senior Housing Staff meet North Edinburgh Parents Action Group at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre
Last Wednesday (27th September), North Edinburgh Parents Action Group met with senior members of the Council’s housing management team and the Chair of the Housing Committee to discuss the issues raised in their report ‘SOS North Edinburgh’s Housing Emergency’ .
The group used the meeting to highlight many of the housing problems which sadly are common in most areas of North Edinburgh including mould and dampness, overcrowding, anti-social behaviour and an unacceptable repairs service.
Shocking
Group members shared their own personal stories about how these issues were impacting on their familiies’ physical and mental health. The housing staff and the chair of the Housing Committee were visibly shocked at some of the stories shared by members.
The senior housing staff gave a commitment to work with the parents group to address these issues as a matter of urgency. They also agreed to work closely with local families who have been involved in the project to try to resolve their ongoing housing problems and will use this process to identify what needs to change.
Susan Rowand, Chairperson of the Parents Group, said: “People have been waiting so long to get their housing issues fixed, many of them can’t wait any longer. We really hope that things begin to happen soon.
“A follow up meeting has been planned for the end of November to update the group on progress made.”
A group member added: ” I feel pain and anger at what my family have been through, maybe something will happen now – I don’t know.”
Next Steps
After the October break, group members will meet with Dr Olivia Swann, Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at Edinburgh University.
Dr Swann worked with the parents group earlier this year on their publication and told group members that “strong scientific evidence has shown that poor housing can affect someone’s physical and mental health throughout their life.”
This is a very worrying concern for group members and highlights the need to address the area’s housing emergency now.
BRIEFING from the Council Waste Team on the current bin collection backlog.
KEY POINTS:
Please do not put your blue glass box out for collection this week.
If your green recycling bin or grey non-recyclable waste bin has not been collected, please leave it at the kerbside and we’ll collect it as soon as we can.
Cllr Scott Arthur said: “As you may be aware, we are currently experiencing delays to kerbside wheelie bin collections (non-recyclable waste and mixed recycling bins) in some areas of the city due to unexpected staffing issues.
“There are a smaller number of delays relating to food waste collections.
Crews worked over the weekend to catch up on collections and will work hard to get the service back to normal as soon as possible, however delays are expected to last until the end of the week.
“To minimise the level of disruption and allow us to catch up on delays to these collections we are taking the following actions:
Suspending kerbside glass collections for this week. Residents due to have a blue glass box collection this week are being asked not to put their box out for collection. This service is expected to resume on Tuesday 4 June.
Anyone with a missed non-recyclable waste or mixed recycling bin collection should leave their bin out at the kerbside and we’ll collect it as soon as possible.
Food waste collections will take place as normal and residents should put their food caddies out on their normal collection day.
“Advice for residents and information on delays and affected areas is available on our website and social media updates will be sent out over the coming days: https://edinburgh.gov.uk/missedbin
“Please be assured that the service will be working hard to get back on track as soon as possible.”
Significant steps forward have been made to decide the future of the Gorgie City Farm site after a series of setbacks.
Dangerous buildings, frozen pipes, flooding, the barn roof being partially blown off and the collapse of a ceiling were events which all halted progress at various times. Structural damage to several of the Farm’s buildings was also discovered during a survey, and as a result the Farm site has had to remain closed to the public for safety reasons.
Despite unexpected events, a lot has been going on behind the scenes, and progress has really picked up pace.
Planning for the Farm site’s future is being supported by EVOC (Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council) alongside an advisory group.
A new Company Limited By Guarantee has been formed and the new company will apply for charitable status in the near future. The new company will lead on future development on the site, and local people will play an important role in progressing medium and long term ambitions for the Farm.
Local people have already contributed their thoughts and wishes for Gorgie Farm site’s future. An extensive community consultation exercise was led by Project partner Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, with hundreds of people contributing ideas.
Farm Site Manager Suzanne Campbell is pleased to see ideas for the site’s future taking shape: “The Farm has a very special place in the hearts of the people of Gorgie, Dalry and the wider city, and the input of local people to what the site might look like in the future has been outstanding.
“It’s taken longer than we hoped to start to put together options for its future, but we are now in the process of preparing a report which will be presented to the Council in August.”
The report will outline four fully costed options for the future of the Gorgie Farm site will be presented to City of Edinburgh’s Culture & Communities Committee on 24 August 2024.
The Scottish Parliament has been provided with an update on Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).
Shirley-Anne Somerville reiterated to MSPs that the Scottish Government continues to follow professional advice on RAAC, as it always has done and is working with local authorities and other partners to understand the extent of the issue.
Ministers have been reassured that the current guidance of the Institution of Structural Engineers and risk-based approach remains appropriate.
Social Justice Secretary @S_A_Somerville has provided reassurances on building safety during an update to @ScotParl on RAAC.@scotgov will continue to follow professional advice on the concrete and will work across the public sector on the issue.
Addressing parliament, Ms Somerville said: “The Scottish Government and the wider public sector has already done much to understand the extent of RAAC issues in Scotland, and we recognise there is more to do. Everyone with the responsibility for building safety takes this matter very seriously.
“Local authorities have a clear responsibility to ensure their schools are safe for pupils, staff and all their users. They are carrying out assessments of all their school buildings.
“We are aware that some parts of the school estate in some councils still need to complete full surveys. Ministers have been clear to authorities that these must be carried out as a matter of highest priority.
“Safety is the central consideration and there is robust guidance which is followed by every local authority to ensure these buildings are safe for the pupils, staff and the public to be in.”
COSLA President Shona Morrison said: “The first point to make is that there are many councils who own no buildings where RAAC is present.
“The safety of everyone in Scotland’s schools and all other council buildings is of paramount importance to councils. We treat the safety of everyone within our facilities extremely seriously. Scottish local authorities are aware of the RAAC issue in buildings across some of their estates and have regular inspections, put in place mitigations as appropriate and closed some buildings where this is required.
“We would stress that some councils have no RAAC affected buildings. We would reiterate that safety is the central consideration and there is robust guidance to ensure these settings are safe for the public to be in.”
Since it was announced that EVOC was to lead the drive to find a sustainable community-led future for the Gorgie City Farm site, extensive work has been going on behind the scenes to deliver on that goal.
The Gorgie Farm Site Steering Group have now appointed a Project Manager to help lead this work and look forward to Suzanne Campbell taking up the role from mid-July. Suzanne comes with extensive experience in service management with a particular focus on children, young people and families.
Suzanne Campbell (Project Manager) commented: “I am delighted to be appointed Project Manager of the Gorgie Farm Site Development and am looking forward to working with the Gorgie community, local organisations and a range of other stakeholders to develop a strong sustainable plan for the future of the site.
“The immeasurable passion, connection and impact Gorgie City Farm has had on people and the community is already clear to me and I cannot wait to capture more stories and get started.”
Cat Young will be working alongside Suzanne in the role of Partnership Facilitator, leading on participation and engagement for the project. Cat has a range of experiences to bring from her time working with Thrive Edinburgh – the innovative new strategy for improving the mental health and wellbeing of all citizens in Edinburgh.
Cat Young (Partnership Co-ordinator) said: “As a Gorgie resident I know first-hand how important this community-led project is and I look forward to working closely with Suzanne to continue the conversations that have already started around securing the site’s future.
“A key priority for the Steering Group is looking at ways to allow people to benefit from this green city space while the project develops. As a first step, Gorgie Farm Gardeners Group have been able to come back and start work on the gardens – bringing it back to life.”
In the meantime the Steering Group has been meeting monthly to to discuss operational and strategic matters. Working with Bridie Ashrowan, EVOC’s Chief Executive, they have been responding to offers of help and interest and building connections with both local and citywide organisations, businesses, and networks – particularly in Gorgie and Darly, where there is a long-standing network of local community organisations.
Bridie Ashrowan commented: “It has been a hugely busy couple of months managing a range of safety and maintenance issues on the Gorgie City Farm site, but the offers of help and levels of interest in the project have been really moving.
“Now that we have Suzanne and Cat on the team we can move onto the next phase of the project – they both have lots of experience helping people and communities to influence the design of community spaces and services, and will play a key role in working towards a sustainable and visionary future for the site.
“We are planning some engagement events for the local community to help do that and will share details of these very soon.”
Regular updates about the Gorgie City Farm site project are available on the EVOC website including a set of frequently asked questions.
Record investment of almost £8.5 billion was committed to support low income households between 2018-22, with almost £3.3 billion benefitting children.
The fourth annual progress report on child poverty, published yesterday, shows that all of the actions committed as part of the first Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, Every Child, Every Chance, have been delivered.
The plan focused on three drivers of child poverty reduction – work and earnings, social security and household costs – and on the six priority family types at greatest risk of poverty, including lone parent families and families with a disabled adult or child.
Key achievements over the life of the plan (2018-22) include:
introduction of the Scottish Child Payment, with more than 1.2 million payments between February 2021 and March 2022 – a £58.6 million investment
increase in the number of real Living Wage accredited employers, with the proportion of people earning the real Living Wage or more rising from 80.6% in 2018 to 85.6% in 2021
increase in the funded hours for Early Learning and Childcare from 600 hours in 2018 to 1,140 hours in August 2021, saving families up to £4,900 per eligible child in 2021
delivery of 35,095 affordable homes, 25,562 of which were for social rent – supporting an estimated 11,585 households with children into affordable housing between 2018-22
extension of concessionary travel to all under 22s, with approximately 930,000 young people eligible for support – saving families up to £3,000 by the time their child turns 18
expansion of universal free school meals to children in primaries 4 and 5, saving families around £400 per child and increasing School Clothing Grant to at least £120 for eligible primary school children and £150 for those in secondary school in 2021
Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “Over the last four years, we have strengthened the foundations of support for children and families and used our powers to support those most in need, particularly with the introduction of our new social security system.
“We are now supporting low income households, carers and helping disabled people lead independent lives through 12 benefits, seven of which are entirely new and not available anywhere else in the UK.
“We have made progress despite significant challenges. The pandemic and the continued impact of UK Government welfare reforms has disproportionately impacted the most disadvantaged and been severe. And, of course, households are all now facing the current cost of living crisis.
“That is why we remain determined to continue with our national mission to tackle child poverty. Our second Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan for 2022-26, Best Start, Bright Futures, is ambitious and has a range of actions to support families both immediately and in the long term to deliver change.
“We will also continue to call on the UK Government to reverse their welfare reforms, including the two-child limit. Analysis shows that reversing them would put an estimated £780 million in the pockets of Scottish households in 2023-24 and help to lift 70,000 people out of poverty, including 30,000 children.”
A ‘transformative project’ to deliver an inspiring new space for Scotland’s renowned collection of Scottish art has passed a series of crucial milestones and the main construction work is on track to complete this winter.
With all the major engineering challenges now successfully overcome, the project is entering its final phase. This means that members of the public can look forward to experiencing a brand-new suite of world-class galleries at the Scottish National Gallery in the summer of 2023.
The Scottish National Gallery Project will create a beautiful space for Scotland’s art right in the historic heart of Edinburgh, with striking displays drawn from the National Galleries of Scotland’s (NGS) broad-ranging collection alongside special loans from other leading arts institutions.
Large windows will offer spectacular light-filled views across Princes Street Gardens, inviting visitors to come in and discover the work of pioneering Scottish artists such as Phoebe Anna Traquair, William McTaggart, Anne Redpath, Sir Henry Raeburn and Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
Stunning exhibition spaces will enable visitors to experience Scotland’s greatest art anew and feel pride in their national collection. Scotland’s artistic legacy will be revealed through innovative presentations, with much-loved Scottish Colourist paintings appearing among other major works from the first half of the twentieth century, bringing to life key aspects of Scottish art and society.
New ways of looking at Scotland’s built and natural environments will be on offer, with early photographs of Scotland’s cities shown in the same spaces as grand paintings of majestic Highland and island landscapes.
Reimagined displays of drawings and sketches will celebrate artists such as Glasgow Style pioneer Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh and David Allan, whose depictions of ‘Edinburgh Characters’ will allow visitors to get up close to street life in the capital in the late eighteenth century.
The teams working on the Scottish National Gallery project have been dealing with an incredibly challenging location, situated within a World Heritage Site which comprises an iconic A-listed nineteenth-century building with several major modern additions from the late 1960s onwards.
The creation of new Gallery spaces has entailed extensive excavation underneath the existing building and its setting on the Mound. Unexpected remnants from previous developments added significant complexity to the building work.
These include deeply buried layers of dense concrete and other undocumented obstructions which had to be extracted before major waterproofing works could be completed to protect the new development for the future.
In addition, the location of a key area of the site directly above the three Mound rail tunnels, some of the busiest in Scotland, posed distinct logistical challenges. These challenges have all now been successfully overcome and the construction work is entering its final phase.
Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland, Sir John Leighton, said: “We are excited to be looking forward to a summer 2023 opening for the magnificent new spaces that will be delivered by the Scottish National Gallery Project.
“They will enable our visitors to discover and enjoy Scotland’s greatest art in a fully accessible suite of world-class facilities right in the centre of Edinburgh. Reaching this stage has been no mean feat, given the unique set of construction challenges faced by the Project all within the very difficult context of the global pandemic.
“With these now largely overcome, our attention can now focus on preparing the new Galleries for a joyous and celebratory unveiling next year.”
While construction has been ongoing, a wide programme of engagement and outreach for the Project has also been delivered, taking in schools in Fife, Orkney and West Lothian, social groups for older people experiencing loneliness in Edinburgh, and youth groups in the Borders.
Digital activity has further extended the reach of the Project through a rich and engaging series of videos about star works of art from the Scottish collection, and a painstaking monumental conservation project gripped online audiences during lockdown.
The first phase of the Scottish National Gallery Project was completed successfully in 2019. This included a new entrance area in East Princes Street Gardens, a new café, refurbished restaurant and shop, an elegant sandstone terrace, and new landscaping and paths to improve access to the gardens and the Galleries.
Statement from the CCC Management Committee (25/2/22):
We can now confirm that as of 23rd June 2022, CCC will be vacating their current premises at 191 St John’s Road after being served formal notice by the site’s owners. This is in line with neighbouring units.
We are currently in the process of assessing alternative sites for the continuation of activities currently undertaken by the various groups who use the Hub and are consulting with the group leaders.
In respect of the charity shop, this will continue to operate as usual up until the end of the lease and in the meantime we are also looking at alternatives as to where the shop may be based in the future. We are also communicating with the shop supervisors.
We will continue to update the local community, our members, volunteers and staff as we make progress to identify and hopefully secure other premises.
If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for alternative premises for the shop or activities please let us know via admin@ccchub.online’
Power companies working at pace to reconnect affected households
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon chaired a further meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) last night to co-ordinate the response to Storm Malik and Storm Corrie.
As the weather situation improves across the country, the amber warning for Scotland has now come to an end. A yellow warning is still in place covering Lewis, the Orkney Islands, much of the Highlands, Grampian and Tayside areas.
Of the 115,847 households that lost power as a result of both storms, all but around 7,000 are expected to be reconnected this evening. Power companies are confident that the vast majority of those affected should be reconnected by tomorrow, but recognise that there may still be some outages going into Wednesday.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Today we have seen an improving situation across Scotland following the two very serious storms over the weekend. The power companies have drafted in a large number of additional engineers and are making significant inroads into reconnecting customers, with work continuing at pace this evening.
“I want to thank all those who are working in difficult conditions to keep people safe and maintain our lifeline services.
“For those who will unfortunately not have power tonight, support with alternative accommodation is available to anyone who needs it. Those who have found their own accommodation can seek reimbursement from their suppliers.
“Special arrangements remain in place for vulnerable customers and local resilience partnerships continue to work together to provide welfare support.”
Members of the public can track estimated power restoration times on the SSEN and SP Energy Networks websites.
