VERY IMPORTANT – YOUR VIEWS COUNT!

Decisions are being taken very soon on three very important issues facing Edinburgh, and Leith in particular. The outcomes will affect us all for many years to come. City of Edinburgh Council has opened these to consultation. Your view, as a citizen, a voter and a Council Tax payer, really does count.  Please will every one of you take a few minutes to fill in the surveys (they are actually not very long or complicated) and send in your views.

(1) Massive cuts to Council services  (otherwise known as ‘Budget Savings’)
The Council aims to cut £21 Million from the budget for 2018/19. Every single one of us will notice effects of these cuts, every day, in things like bin collection, parking charges, Edinburgh Leisure facilities, libraries, school transport, services to disabled people, and much more. This is your chance to speak out.

Read more information here: Budget Leaflet

Send in YOUR views: Council Budget survey

(2) Proposed new arrangements for Picardy Place

Picardy Place at the top of Leith Walk is a key junction connecting Leith to the rest of the city. As the new St. James Quarter is developed, there is an opportunity to improve Picardy Place. Do we want a vehicle dominated multi-lane gyratory, maybe a hotel in the middle, or can we keep our street sculpture, make space, plant trees and improve pedestrian, cyclist and public transport access, while also future-proofing for any extension to the tram? Are the Council taking local peoples views into account enough? Will they reach the right decisions? Many think not…..

Read more information here:  Council proposals ; Broughton CounterProposal  ; Other Views ; Dirty Work at the Crossroads?

Send in YOUR views: Picardy Place Survey

(3) Licensing Board (alcohol) policy

The Licensing Board (which is actually separate from the Council) is reviewing its policy. A lot of people believe that one reason for the relatively high rate of violence and crime in Leith is over-provision of alcohol in the area. A recent survey by the Leith Neighbourhood Partnership confirmed this position. This is a chance to revisit the issue.

Read more information here: alcoholLeith – revised Feb 2015

Send in YOUR views: Licensing Policy survey 

 

Leith to become Zero Waste Town

Press release from Changeworks

Leith to become Zero Waste Town

Leith is set to lead the way in becoming a zero waste town for residents and workers and drive forward Scotland’s waste-free revolution, as part of an initiative led by local environmental charity Changeworks.

Leith, along with Perth and central Edinburgh have been selected as the locations for Scotland’s third Zero Waste Town projects. Each will receive a share of nearly £900,000 in funding from Zero Waste Scotland and the European Regional Development Fund to ‘make things last’ in their communities.

Changeworks’ ambitious plan is to develop zero waste approaches to life and business in Leith working with community groups and partners and contributing to Scotland’s growing circular economy. Activities include using area-based street approach to tackling waste to develop a best practice model to roll out beyond Leith, engaging all stakeholders in school communities, a Zero Waste business charter, community clean up and campaigns to improve repair and reuse and cut fly tipping and food waste.

Changeworks’ plan will build on work already underway in the area, with benefits and legacy which go well beyond the funding end date of March 2020.

Teresa Bray, Chief Executive, Changeworks said:

“We’ve had such a positive response to Zero Waste Leith from community groups, businesses, schools and residents across the community. We engaged with people living and working in Leith earlier in the year to inform plans for what will happen to tackle waste reduction – Leith is very much at its heart.

“We’re hugely excited to be working with the Leith community to cut litter, fly tipping and food waste and improve recycling, repairing and reusing to get the most out of what we have. We’re building on what’s already happening – adding capacity, resource, support and energy – to ensure Leith leads the way in becoming a new Zero Waste Town. This is a united front by businesses, community groups, schools and residents to improve quality of life and create better places to live and work.

“Leith will be part of a bigger Zero Waste Town movement, working alongside the Zero Waste Perth consortium and SHRUB, and learning from the previous experiences of Zero Waste Towns Dunbar and the Isle of Bute. We’ll see lots of opportunities for people to get involved and make a difference locally, as well as contribute to Scotland’s ambitious targets.”

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland, said:

“Communities are right at the heart of delivering real, lasting behaviour change. With their new Zero Waste Town status these three areas will have new tools with which to build on their zero waste work – while contributing to coordinated action across the country to drive a more sustainable, circular, economy.”

Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, said:

“Re-using and recycling more, and making the most of the food we buy and grow, is something we can all do to reduce waste and keep products and materials in high-value use for longer.

“In Scotland we are working towards ambitious targets on waste, with 70% recycled or prepared for re-use by 2025, and a commitment to reduce food waste by a third by the same year.

“Action from households, communities and businesses is crucial for us to achieve this. That is why I am delighted to announce this funding which will help Scotland’s Zero Waste Towns come up with new and innovative ideas to bring these targets within reach.”

The Zero Waste Towns initiative forms part of the Resource Efficiency (Highlands and Islands and Lowlands and Uplands Scotland) operations of the £73 Million Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Accelerator Programme, funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

 

City of Edinburgh Council Local Event Fund

A new one-off £60,000 “Local Events Fund” has been made available by the City of Edinburgh Council in order to stimulate artistic and cultural events across the city. The one-off fund aims to inspire audiences and artists who might otherwise not have the chance to participate in cultural ventures to take up the artistic challenge.

Applications of between £2,500 and £10,000 can be made by community groups, arts/creative organisations and partnerships based in the four Localities of the city with each area receiving a total fund of £15,000 to award.

The fund is now open and applications need to be submitted by 15 December. Only one application can be made per organisation and anyone interested should submit their application by 12 noon on 15 December 2017. See attached guidelines, application forms and webpage link below for more information.

Applications now open for this fund, please promote through your local networks:

https://www.edinburghnp.org.uk/news/2017/11/local-events-fund-201718/

LEITH LINKS CC, NEXT MEETING IS MONDAY 27 NOVEMBER, 7pm

Your Community Council

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be on Monday 27 November, at 7 pm in the Shore Room, Leith Community Education Centre, New Kirkgate  All interested local people are very welcome.

Minutes October 2017 (draft until adopted)   Agenda November 2017

Also  – did you know you can go and talk to one of your local Councillors, if you have a private matter you need to discuss (just turn up, no need to ‘book’):

  • Councillor Chas. Booth (Scottish Green) Termtime Tuesdays 5:30 – 6:30 Leith Library , Ferry Road.
  • Councillor Adam McVey (SNP) 3rd Wednesday of month, 6pm Leith Library, Ferry Road.
  • Councillor Gordon Munro (Scottish Labour) 1st & 3rd Mondays of month 6:30 – 7:15 Leith Community Education Centre, New Kirkgate

Cleanup Water of Leith Sunday 19th November 2017

Friends of Water Leith Basin (Fowl) have organised a joint cleanup with the WoL Conservation Trust  this Sunday 19th November and we hope you will be able to spare a couple of hours to come along and help. Very sorry for the short notice , however the weather looks good with some sunshine so hope to see you there.

We are meeting at Coalie Park at 10.30am. See the link below if you are not sure were we are meeting.

LEITH FESTIVAL RECRUITMENT OF COORDINATOR

Adapted from an email from Nick Gardner, Chair of Leith Festival)

Leith Festival is looking for a part time co-ordinator to support its Board in achieving its goals through delivery of its 2018 Community based Work Plan. This exciting and varied role requires a highly motivated person who can demonstrate the ability to organise community events over an eight month period starting in January 2018. Interviews will be held during the week of 4th December.

Full details are in the job description: MS Word, PDF

Please send the following to Nick Gardner (Chair) by midday on 27th November:

  • CV
  • 1 sheet of A4 outlining how your experience matches the job description and person spec
  • Contact details of 2 referees

Applications can be emailed (nickcgardner@gmail.com) or posted (Leith Festival Association, 17 (1st floor) Academy St, Edinburgh, EH6 7EE)

 

Job Description Festival Coordinator,  Job Description Festival Coordinator

LEITH CHOOSES LAUNCH, WEDNESDAY 22 NOVEMBER

The three Leith Community Councils are teaming up with City of Edinburgh Council to create a pot of cash for the community in Leith, based on Scottish Government ‘Community Choices’funding.

Applications for £EITH CHOOSES will be invited very soon, and voting will be in March 2018. Many things will be similar to previous £eith Decides but there are a few exciting changes too.

The project Launch & first Funding Workshop will be held on 22nd November in Leith Community Education Centre, New Kirkgate, at 6.00pm.

Come along and find out more!

Keep up to date via Facebook and Twitter, or download the press release.

Setting the Council Budget 2018/19

Setting the Council budget 2018/19

City of Edinburgh Council is planning the budget for 2018/19 and is once again looking for your feedback.

The changes faced, just like other cities, continue:

  • our population is changing and growing
  • demand for our services, such as for schools and health and social care, is increasing all the time
  • Council income has not kept up with rising demand.

In 2017/18 the Council invested over £900m on services for residents, businesses and visitors. It focussed on the things you said are important like education, care for older people, culture and services for vulnerable children and adults.

The Council has saved around £240m since 2012/13 and continues trying to work more efficiently and to prioritise services.  Even with this, it is estimated that it needs to save at least £21m by 2019, over £100m by 2021 and £150m by 2023

Tell the Council what you think

Please give the Council your views on its budget proposals at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/playyourpart. You can also register to come along to Question Time on Monday 27 November, where you can put a question to a panel of senior councillors.

Seafield Consultation

Last week we attended a meeting with the consultants, amec foster wheeler and Cranfield University who had been appointed to carry out the strategic odour review of Seafield Wastewater treatment works. The community now have until 12th January to make comments. LLCC will be meeting with Leith Links Residents Association and elected City councillors to formulate our response. Members of the public can also make their thoughts known directly to the consultants but the CC would welcome any comments to be included in our submission and these would be treated in confidence

The full draft report has over 100 pages but the consultants also prepared a summary which I’ve also attached. Seafield summary

The summary includes short, medium and long term recommendations which we will be commenting about after discussion with LLRA.

The Draft Report is available on the Scottish Water website, accessible here: www.scottishwater.co.uk/seafield

Comments should be submitted by e:mail to seafield-draft@cranfield.ac.uk no later than Friday, January 12, 2018.

Cavity Insulation Project – Leith

A letter has been issued to all private properties within the EH6 area and will be landing w/c 30/10/2017 with local residents within the EH6 area.

The City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Government’s Home Energy Scotland are providing free cavity wall insulation* for suitable homes in the Leith area. If the cavity wall insulation has degraded, it can be removed and replaced for free. If properties do not currently have cavity wall insulation, they can be assessed and if suitable, insulation can be installed. It typically costs around £475** to install this type of insulation.  This offer is also available to private and social residents*** and will contribute to improving the EPC ratings of properties.

We would encourage you to ensure that householders are made aware of this offer as there is limited funding which may not be available in the future.  You can also contact Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282 in order to verify any information.

Changeworks
36 Newhaven Road
Edinburgh EH6 5PY

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