Next Meeting of Leith Links Community Council – your questions about parking!

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be held on Monday 27th March at 6:30pm, online (via Microsoft Teams). The meeting will be held in partnership with our neighbour Community Council Leith Harbour and Newhaven.

March Agenda and Previous Minutes (February) are here.

We have special guest speakers attending, Gavin Brown and Gavin Graham of the City of Edinburgh Council, who have agreed to share information and answer questions about the Controlled Parking Zones (CPZ) that are about to be introduced to Leith and North Leith.

Members of the public from these areas are welcome to attend – we are hoping for a large attendance. Please email contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk and you will be sent a link for the meeting. (Please do this BEFORE 27th March if possible as ‘last minute’ requests are difficult to fulfil.)

Our speakers have asked that your questions about the CPZ be sent to them in advance of the meeting so that they can be prepared to answer them.

What would you like to know about the imminent Controlled Parking Zones?

Please send your questions in (fairly briefly worded please) as soon as possible, either via the Comments below, or by email to contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk
and we will forward these to our Council speakers for next week.

Please note that the topic of this meeting does NOT cover the whole Leith Walk area, but only Zones N8 (and by implication, adjoining ‘grey zones’) on the map below.

Leith Local History Society, Tuesday, 21st February

After an absence of two years due to covid Leith Local History Society returns with a programme of talks over the next five months. Unfortunately numbers of people attending meetings have dropped as some members have moved on.

It would be great to see new faces so if you’re interested in finding about the history of the local area it would great to see you

The next meeting of the Leith Local History Society will be held on Tuesday, 21st February at 7.00pm in Leith Community Centre. The Talk will be by Ashleigh Thompson, City of Edinburgh Archivist who will tell us about new items added to the city collection

 

llhs_flyer_for_feb_2023

Best wishes

Jim Scanlon

Communal Bin Hubs – have your say!

Communal Bin changes – tell the Council what you think by 18 December, via https://bit.ly/bin-hubs-survey

Do you use communal bins?  Have you noticed the changes the Council has made recently to your bins? The Council has been creating ‘bin hubs’ providing new bins, more bins, some different bins and – they say – more frequent collections. In some places they have moved the location of the bins. The overall aim is to improve the amount of waste which can be recycled, though it is also expected to improve street cleanliness if bins are emptied more regularly, and overflow less.

The Council now wants to know what you think about these changes, and whether your recycling habits have been affected. A short online survey has been set up by the charity Changeworks (posters about it have been placed on the inside stairwell doors of over 500 buildings across 96 streets in the Leith area). Residents can access the survey by scanning the QR code on the poster or typing the web address (https://bit.ly/bin-hubs-survey) into a browser. (Anybody can participate and input their views, you don’t necessarily have to have a poster.)

Please use this chance to have your say – the deadline has been extended to 18th December

Survey questions cover communications about the changes and whether you think things like street cleanliness have improved as a result of the new bin hubs. The survey does not ask directly if you are happy with the location of the new communal bin hubs, but there is a ‘comments’ box that you can use to say what you think about where the Council chose to locate the bin hub. Is it in a sensible place that you can access easily? Is it too close to windows or doorways? Are there problems with noise, or smells, or parking? The Council did not consult people prior to installing them in Leith. If you are unhappy with the location of your bin hub, write the details into that comments box AND don’t hesitate to contact one of your Councillors and the local Community Council and we will see how we can help.

Tell your Councillors

If you miss completing this survey, or find it inaccessible, you could also contact any of your local Councillors about this issue and/or let the Community Council know your views – we would all love to know what you think about the changes. Contact details:

Elected City Councillors:

Cllr Chas Booth – chas.booth@edinburgh.gov.uk

Cllr Katrina Faccenda – Cllr.Katrina.Faccenda@edinburgh.gov.uk

Cllr Adam McVey – adam.mcvey@edinburgh.gov.uk

Leith Links Community Council – contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk

***

The Council say they will share the findings of the Survey with us in the New Year. The Community Council also monitors the state of communal bins and suggest improvements. Any additional information or views from local residents is really helpful for us, to be able to represent your views and experiences of this important local service, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Death of Her Majesty the Queen: Disruption in city centre

Good morning,

Buckingham Palace announced the death of Her Majesty The Queen yesterday. A range of ceremonial events are planned to take place in Edinburgh and the Royal Household will confirm plans for events in the coming days.

We’re working with The Scottish Government and Police Scotland on plans to accommodate large crowds of visitors to the city who wish to pay their respects and attend the events.

We expect significant disruption in the city centre, and we want to advise you, and the residents and businesses in the Old Town, about road closures and changes to some services that may impact you, and your stakeholders, and access for deliveries to businesses and homes in the area.

Some of the services that will be affected include changes to parking, public transport, bin collections, some city centre school closures and diversions. Please visit our website to find out which services are impacted and how this will impact you and your stakeholders. We will keep it updated with the latest information as it becomes available. Please check it regularly for updates.

City of Edinburgh Council

Bin Strikes expected from Thursday 18th August

City of Edinburgh Council have issued the following notice:

Members of Unite the Union and GMB are planning strike action in Edinburgh from Thursday 18 – Tuesday 30 August.

Assuming the strike goes ahead, we’re expecting this to cause significant disruption to bin collections and street cleansing services across the city.

We’ve created dedicated web pages on our website with information about the strike, how it will affect residents and how they can manage their waste safely and responsibly during this time. We’ll update these pages and our Twitter feed regularly as new information and updates become available, including information on when services will restart.

Council leader Cammy Day said:

“My position remains firmly that our colleagues across the Council deserve to be paid fairly for the work they do, and I once again call on the Scottish Government to properly fund our capital city and its services.

“There are further meetings planned in the coming days and I hope that this can be resolved favourably as soon as possible.”

 

Leith Links Master Plan Consultation closing soon – have your say!

Have you looked at the proposals for the improvement of Leith Links park? Have you taken the chance to comment on them? This weekend is your last chance, as the public consultation closes on 31st July. Please go to the survey and add your views.

https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/leith-links-masterplan/

Or, if you prefer, email in your comments to Lindsay.Grant@edinburgh.gov.uk

The plan as it stands has incorporated ideas from all sorts of local people and groups who know the park well, but there is still room for new ideas and /or modifications of the ideas proposed. Or is there something in the plan that you downright disagree with? Now is absolutely the right time to state clearly your objection and the reasons for it!

Some of the proposals could perhaps be implemented fairly quickly, but lot of what is proposed is still entirely ‘aspirational’ in that there is not yet funding in place to make it happen. But if the plan is adopted, then various bodies can start to try and raise funds, and the improvements could be actioned in stages.

A Toilet Saga

We love the public toilets on Leith Links! People have also commented on how clean they are – thanks to the toilet attendants. So, overall, it’s a big ‘Thank You’ from us, not a complaint!

BUT  – 11 weeks to get basic information informing the local community…..can you believe it? Here’s the timeline…

12 May 2022 – temporary (Portakabin style) toilets are delivered to the Links.

Someone living locally just happens to see the vehicle delivering them. At no time did the Council officially inform the Community Council of the plan of action for the toilets, or the timescales, although we were ‘tipped off’ that they were coming sometime soon.

Sometime (unclear) in May – The toilets are connected up and made functional,  attendants are appointed to look after the toilets, and start work. No announcement, no information.

June 8 – One local reports that the toilets are open and working.

Throughout June – Numerous locals keep asking, repeatedly; Are there toilets coming? Where are the toilets? Why are the toilets closed? When will they be opening? No signs, no information, the doors are always closed, no sign of life……

26 June  – Your Community Council asks the Council, via our three elected Councillors,  for clarification and full information about the situation.

27 June – The Community Council is informed by a Council Officer working for Councillor Adam McVey that the toilets are open from 10-8pm, 7 days a week, with a full time attendant. They are just hidden from view behind hedges and look closed.

29 June – At the behest of the Community Council, the Council Officer agrees to ask toilet supervisor to put signs up detailing opening hours. A local asks the toilet attendant to leave the external door open during the day so people can see they are open. There are two attendants, each working 4 days on, 4 days off.

29 June – Your Community Council posts widely on this site, on our own social media (Facebook & Twitter) and on ‘I Love Leith’ to spread the word about where the toilets are, and when they are open, etc., attracting many grateful comments from Leithers who had been unaware of them or confused about opening hours etc.

1 July – Doubt and confusion persist. It is very clear that what is missing is signage. Your Community Council asks the Council:

“PLEASE can we have 
1. an instruction to the attendant to leave the door open when the toilets are open, so people can see they are open.
2. A sign on the door or on the outside of the toilet block announcing its opening hours.
3. Signs around the Links pointing to where the toilets are located
4. A couple of A-boards on the Links nearby ( eg at the Playpark) that the attendant puts up as he comes on shift, that says ‘toilets OPEN until 8pm’) 
Meanwhile the Community Council is doing its bit to try to raise awareness on this matter. It seems a pointless waste of Council money and effort to put toilets on the Links that don’t get used because people don’t know they are there / open.
Surely some signs must be possible?
Thanks”

2 July – Since the Council have not produced any signs, your Community Council designs, prints, laminates and ties numerous signs to fences around the Links. (Some of these are still there, some have blown off or been torn down.)

At some point in July (unclear) – A couple of handwritten notices go up on the back of the building, on a gate and on the toilet doors stating that opening hours are 10 – 6pm.

Your Community Council was never informed of an official change to the opening hours. However, a local person had observed that the toilet attendant was closing up earlier than 8pm on several occasions, and this was reported to the Council. A reply came back from the Council that this was due to “anti-social behaviour”. (Unclear what this consisted of, no details available.) A recent conversation with the very helpful toilet attendant reveals that there has not been any official change of hours and it should still say 8pm. The handwritten signs are now smudged and unclear.

22 July – a Council vehicle and workers are observed putting up official ‘Public Toilet’ signs around the Links  (at least in the area nearest to the playpark and toilets). Hurrah!

From this we conclude that it takes the Council almost three months to deliver the most basic of information signage, with regard to public facilities – and only as a result of  repeated requests from the community. Given that the toilets are only there for about five or six months altogether, this seems indicative of woeful carelessness if not incompetence. Yes, it’s just a small thing in the grander scheme of things, but surely Councils should be able to get the small things right (or we might just doubt their ability to get bigger things right….)

Let’s be clear – we are all EXTREMELY GRATEFUL for the public toilets on Leith Links! 

However, we know this must all cost a lot of money and it seems a pathetic waste of money to put toilets and attendants there without making the public aware of them. Could the Council do better at thinking things through fully and in a joined-up way?  – basically, if it thought about things from the point of view of the community it is there to serve, rather than from its own point of view (forgot, cheaper, easier, low priority, too busy – whatever)? And if it shared information with the community organisations  – such as the Community Council –  whose very role is to share information with the local community?

Next year, please can we have toilets again, and PLEASE (rather than being kept secret) can they be provided in conjunction with information to the local community?

New MasterPlan to improve Leith Links – your views? Urgent!

Leith Links is a great park and we all love it –  BUT it could certainly be EVEN BETTER!
In
recent months, a new 10 year ‘concept MasterPlan’ for improving the Links has been developed, by a team led by the City of Edinburgh Council’s ‘Thriving Greenspaces Project’ and including representatives from a number of local organisations; ourselves i.e. Leith Links Community Council, Earth in Common / Links Activity Park group, Leith Councillors, some local residents, and consulting a wide range of ‘stakeholders’ such as Leith Athletic, Leith Franklin Cricket Club, Duncan Place, local Primary Schools etc.

The final draft has now been published and it is open to public consultation  RIGHT NOW (closing on 22 July 2022).

        
You can see the plans and give your views via the Council web site
If you don’t like using the Consultation Hub with its usual forced route through leading questions, then please feel free to write / email in with your thoughts and ideas to thrivinggreenspaces@edinburgh.gov.uk (and it’s a good idea to copy to your local Councillors),  and/ or use the comments facility below to record your thoughts and we will forward them to the project team.
Whichever route(s) you choose, please do it NOW, before the holidays, otherwise you might forget, and miss your chance!
The draft master plan is based on the conversations we have been leading and facilitating  over the past year, about what local people need and want. It lays out a vision of what could happen in the future, but there is no guarantee at this stage that it will actually happen; significant new funding is still to be found, and support from the local community is vital (if there are objections or new suggestions, there is plenty time for these to be taken into account, the details of the plan are NOT a ‘foregone conclusion’).
  
The plan includes lots of great ideas (yes, including permanent toilets!), such as nicer benches, better bins, improved lighting, wheelchair accessible picnic tables, cycle parking, wildflower meadow, use of surfaces for heritage mural, arboretum (started already), ping pong tables, a ‘trim trail’ and 3km fitness loop and a ‘natural play area’ at the east of the Links. Also a modern bandstand (or ‘outdoor performance space’), and many other upgrades.
         
To bring the old bowling greens area back into productive use, there is a proposal for an ‘Activity Park’ that could incorporate a bike pump track and a skatepark.
A skatepark came out as a very popular suggestion, in last year’s surveys that we carried out, and is likely to be heavily promoted by its supporters – but there are also issues to be explored about what impact it might have on near neighbours.
Please make sure YOUR voice is heard!
 

Public Toilets on Leith Links

Hurrah! The temporary public toilet block for spring / summer on Leith Links has now been delivered and should be linked up for plumbing and power very shortly.

Public toilets are vital for everyone especially as the days get longer and warmer, and more people spend longer out of doors in the park. Public toilets also empower the community as a whole, because community events involving large numbers of people can be organised.

As last year, the toilet block will be manned by a Council attendant. We are very grateful to these guys for their work and we ask the community to treat them with respect. However, they cannot be expected  to do ‘everything’, especially if it involves putting themselves at risk. If serious anti social behaviour occurs in the park while they are present they will call the police.

 

City of Edinburgh Council to consider Custom House feasibility report

The City of Edinburgh Council will consider a feasibility report on the future of Custom House at its Culture and Communities Committee meeting due to be held on Tuesday 26 April 2022.

The report being laid before Councillors in the name of Paul Lawrence, the Councils Executive Director of Places guides them towards the future of Customs House being ‘Mixed-use community and creative hub’, which would not be in keeping in with the previously expressed wishes of the Leith community.

We at Leith Links Community Council encourage our community to read the report, and to make their views known to Leith Ward Councillors as soon as possible before the meeting. The Leith Ward Councillors are;

The meeting can be viewed live, or after the event by clicking this link.

The report being considered can be viewed by clicking here.

1 2 3