Throughout 2019 our website has continued to go from strength to strength as it continues to grow in terms of the information published & stored, and also in terms of extending our reach amongst our community.
In 2019 our website has had 34,765 visits (1/1/19 to 12noon on 28/12/19). This compares to 10,661 in 2018 and 12,243 in 2017.
A local community member has highlighted the deteriorating condition of the former Leith Town Hall (now Leith Police Station) on Queen Charlotte Street.
Leith Links Community Council intends to discuss the condition of the building at its next meeting on Monday 27 January 2020, at 18:30, in Leith Community Centre.
The building was used as Leith Town Hall until 1920 when Leith amalgamated with the City of Edinburgh. The building currently services as a Police Station.
With significant concerns amongst our community as to the future of Leith and how it will look & feel in years to come due to significant local development work, important community assets linked to our heritage & history are important to many.
Although it is unusual for our local Members of Parliament to attend our meetings, they are members of our Community Council in the same way that our local Members of the Scottish and European Parliaments are.
Following General Election 2019 the following Members of Parliament are returned as ex officio members of Leith Links Community Council:
Earlier this month we let you know that City of Edinburgh Council are considering an application to for a funfair to be brought to Leith Links in 2020 as part of Leith Festival.
We invited our community to submit to us their views, suggestions & questions on the application.
The event application has been considered by the Leith Links Community Council Sub Committee on Parks & Greenspaces, who have submitted the below response to the City of Edinburgh Council. This application specific response is our addition to our standing policy on requests for events on Leith Links.
Dear Sir/Madam
I am writing to give the response of both Leith Links Community Council and the members of the public who responded to our asking for comments on our website.
Firstly, LLCC is happy for this event to proceed. The fair has been setting up on the Links during around the time of Leith Gala Day for a long time and their has never been a problem with that. Our only concern is around the short timescale initially given for consultation. As you will know, there are a lot more events that are being planned for the Links and we would ask yourselves to give us and the public sufficient time to respond to these.
Regards,
David Igoe
Leith Links Community Council
Comments Received on the Leith Links Community Council Website
“Is this around the same time as the Chef Food Fair that you advised us of? The consultation is insulting to the intelligence of the interested parties. There is insufficient information given here about:
Where exactly on Leith Links the Funfair will be located.
How many rides and stalls it will consist of and what their nature will be.
Hours of operation.
Sound/music/noise nature and volume during operation.
Management of the site including rubbish and recycling.
Charges and revenue that will be generated and how that money will be used improve Leith Links
Making good any damage after the event.
Also I suggest all properties facing Leith Links are distributed with information about the proposal, they are the most likely to be affectedly noise etc and better effort should be made to inform and consult them
Unless better information is provided to consulates, no decision to approve this should be made
It should also be clearer what the Councils decision criteria are in these cases.”
“It’s a simple ‘no’ from me. For the last four years a resident I’ve had to put up with road closures, building works and noise. I’ve simply had enough.”
“The level of information provided is very poor and not enough to form any decision.
There is not enough information about numbers expected, how the crowds will be managed, how they will protect the grass etc, what their plans are to fix any damage, how they will manage any additional traffic etc. How will they manage the impact of music and noise on other park users, local residents and local businesses etc.”
“I am supportive of this application, provided that the event organisers minimise vehicle use on the Links (i.e. only for set up and take down, no driving on and off/around in between times) ensure scrupulous litter prevention/collection and cease noise by 1pm or midnight if not before.
This is a traditional event linked to a community event that has been coming for many years. Local residents enjoy it and is good for young people, unlike any of the events that want to use the Links, it does not last long, local peopler used to it, it does not generally attract young people from outside the area so no problems with traffic congestion, parking problems,ms etc.”
The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will take place on Monday 25th November, at 6:30 pm in the Shore Room, Leith Community Centre, New Kirkgate. Local residents are welcome to attend.
Minutes of the October meeting are here and Agenda
Past documents can be found in our Library
On Monday 28 October 2019 Councillor Gordon Munro, acting as Returning Officer for the Leith Links Community Council election of 2019, declared eleven members of our community to be elected unopposed as elected members of Leith Links Community Council.
Also at the inaugural meeting members elected office bearers, and appointed members to key roles & sub committees, which are as detailed below:
We currently have eleven elected Community Councillors out of a possible twelve.
We also have six vacancies for nominated representatives of local interest groups.
The first meeting of the newly elected and reconstituted Leith Links Community Council will take place on Monday 28th October, at 6:30 pm in the Shore Room, Leith Community Centre, New Kirkgate.
The Community Council did not meet officially in September due to Community Council elections.
Minutes of the August meeting, and notes from interim informal discussions can be found in our Library
Feedback
Thank you to all you 60+ local people who have used our on-line reporting form to complain about the dreadful series of ‘odour and noise nuisance events’ from Seafield over the past couple of weeks.
The stench recently has indeed been appalling, unusually widespread, and it greatly upset many people in the community who were trying to enjoy the beautiful late summer sunshine at the end of September/early October. The noise must have made the experience doubly unbearable for those who suffered it.
Please rest assured your comments have been noted, both by us and by the various elected and other officials to whom they are forwarded. We are considering what action to take next, but it is really important that you don’t stop reporting the smells and noise whenever they occur.
It is obvious that, although the numbers are growing, many people still don’t know about our reporting system, or don’t believe it is worthwhile using it, as they may feel that ‘no-one listens’. Please believe that it has already made a difference and will continue to do so, so please encourage neighbours, friends, anyone in Leith who is affected, to get into the habit of always reporting, even if well after the event – it is still recorded.
We will be taking part in Leith Volunteer Fair #2 alongside colleagues from Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council.
We’ll be recruiting volunteers to get involved with various events and activities organised & participated in by Leith Links Community Council
Pop along to Leith Volunteer Fair #2, being held in Leith Community Centre (12a Newkirkgate) from 4pm until 7pm on Thursday 10 October 2019.
Over thirty organisations are taking part with one off, occasional & regular volunteering opportunities in Leith and the wider Edinburgh area.
