West Pilton West Granton Community Council
meets on TUESDAY 7 FEBRUARY at 7pm
in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre, West Pilton Grove.
All welcome.
AGENDA
Police are appealing for witnesses following a robbery in North Edinburgh on Thursday night. The incident happened at around 10.30pm on West Pilton Gardens. Continue reading Police seek witnesses following hammer threat
Victim ‘left shaken’ by knifepoint robbery
Police in Edinburgh are appealing for witnesses following a knifepoint robbery near the red bridge by Crewe Toll on Tuesday.
The incident happened at around 1.30pm.
A 30-year-old man was walking on the cycle path between the red bridge on Ferry Road and the rear of the Morrisons supermarket when a male approached and presented a knife.
The victim was then threatened and robbed of his rucksack before the male made off.
Anyone who can assist police with their investigation is asked to come forward.
The suspect is described as white, early to mid-twenties, 6ft tall with an unshaven complexion and a pronounced Adam’s apple. He was wearing a navy blue hooded top with zipper and white drawstrings, navy blue trainers and scruffy white trainers.
Detective Constable Andy Cory said: “Fortunately the victim was unharmed but is obviously very upset at the theft of his rucksack and was left shaken by this incident.
“Anyone who remembers seeing any suspicious activity in the area is asked to contact police immediately. In addition, anyone who recognises the description of the suspect is also asked to get in touch.”
Those with information can contact Police Scotland on 101 or alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Police Scotland have confirmed that a 39-year-old man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder following the incident that occurred last Thursday (7 May) in West Pilton Place.
Another man was stabbed in the incident which happened on the day of the general election.
The accused man was due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today.
Edinburgh excels in 2015 housing design awards shortlist
West Pilton Crescent is among five Edinburgh housing projects shortlisted as part of the 2015 Saltire Housing Design Awards, it was announced today. The social housing development, which was visited by then Housing Minister Margaret Burgess last November, has been nominated in the Multiple Housing Development category.
Recognising housing design excellence throughout Scotland, the Saltire Society’s prestigious awards represent a long-standing commitment to celebrate innovation and excellence in Scottish house building and place-making.
Represented across three of the five available award categories, the shortlisted Edinburgh projects are:
o 1 Rosefield Avenue Lane, Portobello, a refurbishment and extension project to create a desirable family home in the conservation area of Portobello; and
o 38 Ravelston Dykes (above), a modernisation project to upgrade the electrical and plumbing systems, making the house more energy efficient and fit for purpose in the 21st century
o West Pilton Crescent (top), a modern, energy efficient social housing development in a range of unit sizes; and
o Ellersly Road, Wallace Gardens, a high quality accommodation mix of townhouses and apartments that reflects the qualities of Edinburgh’s West Murrayfield Conservation area
o Murphy House, Hart Street, a contemporary new build within the World Heritage Site of the New Town.
The Multiple Housing Development category is particularly strong for 2015 with the Edinburgh projects facing competition from Glasgow projects, Phase 1A of the Glasgow Laurieston Transformation Regeneration Area and the Duke Street / High Street social and affordable housing development.
Also shortlisted in this category is the St Andrews West Burn Lane project, an innovative 14 unit development that had to overcome the challenge of presenting a contemporary housing solution within existing Medieval, Georgian and Victorian dwellings.
The two remaining categories are the Innovation in Housing Award, supported by the Scottish Government and new for 2015, the Landscape in Housing Award. All short-listed entries will receive a Saltire plaque marking their achievement.
The shortlists for all five award categories were announced by the Convenor of the Housing Awards panel, Jude Barber from Glasgow-based Collective Architecture, earlier today.
Those on the shortlist will now be subject to site visits by an expert judging panel consisting of architects, developers, academics, clients and tenants. The judging panel will then decide the winner of each category under the chairmanship of renowned Glasgow-based visual artist Toby Paterson.
The winners will be announced at a special ceremony on 22 June in the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation, with winning projects automatically being considered for the Saltire Medal, which is accompanied by a separate cash prize of £1,500.
Past winners of this coveted accolade include North Gardner Street in Glasgow, the transformation of a semi derelict workshop and office building into a calm, private city house, designed by Cameron Webster Architects and the Artist Residence, in Perth by Fergus Purdie Architects.
Convener of the Saltire Society Housing Design Awards, Jude Barber from Collective Architecture said: “It is my great pleasure to announce the shortlist for the 2015 Saltire Society Housing Design Awards, with the standard of entries as ever being immeasurably high.
“The Housing Design Awards were established to recognise and celebrate Scottish architecture and I am greatly looking forward to the next stage of the process when the panel will have the opportunity to visit the shortlisted sites.”
Jim Tough, Executive Director of the Saltire Society said: ““The Housing Design Awards were the very first Awards scheme initiated by the society, and have been around longer than any other design awards in Scotland.
“Established in 1937, the Awards not only promote the importance of good design and housing for all, but have evolved to help to honour and encourage creativity, excellence and innovation in modern Scottish place-making.
“As we look forward to the forthcoming site visits, I wish all those shortlisted the very best of luck.”
Our popular Tea Dance is on the last Friday of each month from 1 -3 pm
£1 per person – Come along and dance to our live music!
This video of last month’s community clean up event in Pilton was made by Alex Godlewski for the Action for Pilton community group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDyTdOY8A0w (Preview)
You can find more about the group and what they are doing by visiting:
www.actionforpilton.org.uk
Shots were fired at a house in West Pilton March in the early hours of this morning. The house in West Pilton March was targeted at around 1am but no one was injured in the attack.
Police Scotland have launched an investigation. A spokesman said: “Police in north Edinburgh are investigating a report of a firearm discharge at a house in West Pilton March.”
We will update this story as more information becomes available
Two men have pleaded guilty at the High Court in Glasgow for attempting to murder a Chinese man in Pilton last October. Garry Reid (19) and James Hogg (24) pleaded guilty of the attempted murder of Jie Yu, who was attacked in West Pilton Park on Wednesday 1 October.
The incident sparked outrage in the local community and residents demanded action against crime and antisocial behaviour at public meetings in West Pilton. That community concern instigated the formation of the multi-agency #StrongerNorth initiative, which is ongoing.
The two men were swiftly apprehended after the attack. Police followed a positive line of inquiry and, acting on intelligence and local information, Reid was arrested and charged on the day after the attack; Hogg was apprehended the following week.
Mr Yu suffered stab wounds and his injuries gave cause for concern at one stage. He was treated for serious injuries at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and then at St John’s Hospital in Livingston but he was later released and now continues his recovery at home with his family.
Hogg pleaded guilty to attempted murder, while Reid pleaded guilty to attempted murder with racial aggravation. They will be sentenced at a later date.
Detective Inspector David Pinkney said: “This was a brutal attack on a well liked and regarded member of the West Pilton community. Officers worked quickly in order to bring Reid and Hogg to justice for their crimes. Now that Gary Reid and James Hogg have pleaded guilty, I hope Jie and his family can move on from this ordeal.”
Community Inspector David Happs said: “This was an incident that shocked residents in the West Pilton community and led to the launching of Stronger North.
“This is an ongoing initiative, which has seen positive changes in the local area. While there is still work to do, we are committed to working with our partners to create and maintain a better community for the people of North Edinburgh.”
One local resident, who has supported the #StrongerNorth initiative since it’s launch, said: “That attack was one of the blackest moments in this area’s history, it was an awful incident but some good has come of it. It is good that we can move on from this now and work together to ensure that Pilton is known as a welcoming place for everyone to live and work”.
Six rescued from West Pilton Rise stair fire
Fire chiefs have urged residents not to leave rubbish or bins in common stairwells in tenement blocks. The appeal follows a fire in a stair in West Pilton Rise on Monday morning.
Sixteen firefighters from Crewe Toll, Tollcross and McDonald Road fire stations attended the fire, which was also attended by Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland personnel. Police Scotland also set up a Casualty Care Centre in West Pilton Park during the incident.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus quickly extinguished the fire using a high pressure hosereel. Six people were rescued from the building by firefighters, two of whom were taken to hospital for a precautionary examination suffering from smoke inhalation. Both were later released.
Group Manager Steve Gourlay, the City of Edinburgh Prevention and Protection Manager, said: “We would urge people not to leave rubbish or bins in the common stairwells of tenement blocks. This can be very attractive to fire setters and increases the risk of a fire.
“Discarded items of furniture and rubbish can produce large amounts of toxic smoke and also impede access for emergency responders. In Edinburgh, roughly 100 deliberate property fires occur every year with many of these involving combustibles in stairwells and the casualties and damage caused are preventable and we need to reduce them.
“This fire could have had far worse consequences and the impact for the families affected is likely to be significant. Any incident like this, where we have to rescue children and adults from windows, using ladders due to thick black smoke, always has the potential to have a tragic ending. Fortunately, on this occasion, those taken to hospital were for precautionary checks only but again this is not always the case.
“You can reduce the risk of fire for yourself and your neighbours by keeping common stairs clear and free from obstruction and making sure main doors are kept locked. Steps should be taken to ensure the door entry/intercom system is working.
“Local firecrews revisited the location yesterday to provide vital advice, reassurance and a home fire safety visit for those who need it.”
He added: “I would like to stress the importance of having a working smoke alarm. Every household should have working smoke alarm and test them every week. We provide free home fire safety visits and fit smoke alarms where required.
“If you know someone who can benefit from our service, why not get them to give us a call? It is important that you know what to do if a fire does occur in the stairwell and how to keep safe. We can advise on this as part of the visit.
“If you or someone you know could benefit from a visit, please join Scotland’s fight against fire and request a visit by calling the SFRS freephone number 0800 0731 999, or by contacting their local fire station.”
A wide range of tips on how to keep yourself and your home safe from fire are available on the SFRS website: www.firescotland.gov.uk
