Tag: 2021

Faeces in the Forth….?

Did you see the shocking recent report by The Ferret about Scottish beaches polluted by sewage? Portobello was one of them.

LLCC was concerned about the statistics as there have been issues in the past with beach pollution at Portobello connected to untreated sewage being released into the Forth from the Seafield plant. We felt it could be significant that the pollution was noticeably worse on Portobello West beach (ie. nearer to Seafield) than on the central beach. You can read our letter here, along with an extract from the original report.

Scottish Water have said that there is no link to Seafield Waste Water Treatment Plant. The official line is that sewage overflow is caused by heavy rain overwhelming the drainage system (they say overflow should be drained a mile out in the Forth, from a drainage pipe / tunnel, not near any beach). SEPA states that heavy rain washes animal faeces off the land into rivers / sea. LLCC has asked for further investigation.

MP for Edinburgh East Tommy Sheppard wrote to the Minister for the Environment at Holyrood about it, and you can read his letter here. Tommy Sheppard also said: “I’ve sent the attached letter to Mairi McAllan, the new Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform which I trust relates your concerns appropriately. My office has also sent a copy to SEPA for their information. I’ll of course update you on the response I receive”.

 

 

 

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Edinburgh Climate Festival,Leith Links(East) Saturday 14th August 12pm-7pm

Edinburgh Climate Festival will be coming to Leith Links on Saturday, 14th August

The event will be held on Leith Links East, 12-7pm, they have an exciting day planned. Highlights include an art installation by artist duo Bibo & Brian Keeley, upcycling workshops, sewing repairs, seed swaps, planting workshop, ebike and cargo bike trials, free bike repairs, a free shop, a live DJ and more!

There will also be some scheduled activities throughout the day:

* 12:00 Circle Dancing

* 13:00 Hatha Flow Yoga

* 14:00 Storytelling

* 14:30 Tai Chi

* 15:00 Yoga

* 16:00 Storytelling

* 17:00 Circle Dancing

* + Upcycle Bicycle Inner Tube Workshop (drop in anytime 12-15:00, 16-19:00)

Location

The Festival will be held at Leith Links East, Links Gardens EH6 7EB (grey pin on the map).

Unfortunately, they are not able to offer food, drinks or toilet facilities on site, but these can be found within walking distance from the venue. Staffed public toilets are available on the links by the tennis court here.

COVID-19 measures

Restrictions and precautions will be based on Edinburgh’s COVID-19 level (currently level 0) and the Scottish Government events sector guidance 

The organisers ask that you:

* Not to attend the event if you have COVID-19, have COVID-19 symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19.

* Organisers encourage you to wear a mask.

* Respect social-distancing.

 

The open day is a public event and photographs and films will be taken for use for marketing uses.

 

 

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Links Gardens to re-open on 9th August

The Community Council has just received official notification from the Council (Spaces for People team) that Links Gardens is due to be re-opened to traffic on Monday 9th August.

Below is a copy of the email received. It seems obvious that the re-opening is not permanent but conditional on matters relating to the tramworks and to the proposed Low Traffic Neighbourhood. So monitoring of traffic flow, safety issues, collection of evidence, and feedback of local views will continue to be very important.

In the meanwhile it is not entirely clear from the Council’s email exactly what conditions are to be placed on the reopening. A key sentence seems to be: “Measures are going to be considered by the Tram team to mitigate the impact of traffic using local diversion routes near the school.”    We will try to find out asap what this means in practice,and will keep you informed.

So all local residents will want to keep an eye on how the re-opening goes, and please keep taking photos, when relevant, and feeding back on what effect (positive and /or negative) you feel the re-opening has on pedestrians, cyclists, school children, buses, cars, deliveries, traffic congestion on nearby roads, etc.  Comments are open below – do tell us how you think it’s going.

Opinions are mixed on this issue, overall, but the one thing none of us want, probably, is the return of the densely parked (dumped?) camper vans, trailers and caravans etc., along Links Gardens. We will be asking (again) whether signs can be obtained, to discourage this.

COPY

From: spacesforpeople <spacesforpeople@edinburgh.gov.uk>
Sent: Monday, August 2, 2021 4:43:21 PM

Dear Councillors and Stakeholders,

I refer to the ongoing closure of Links Gardens which was implemented as part of the Spaces for People programme of works in response to the Covid pandemic. The Links Gardens scheme is an initial Spaces for People project, originally implemented during the early stages of lockdown when restrictions limited the duration/method of exercise people could undertake. The original objectives of the project were to provide increased safe space for socially distanced exercise and to link together both sections of Leith Links.  

It was agreed at the Transport and Environment Committee on 17 June that the closure of Links Gardens will be removed during tram construction in the area, but the reinstatement of the closure will be considered again in the future, subject to consultation with local people as part of proposals for a Leith Low Traffic Neighbourhood.

Accordingly I am writing to notify you of Links Gardens being reopened on Monday the 9 August in advance of the Tram works commencing at the Foot of the Walk. Measures are going to be considered by the Tram team to mitigate the impact of traffic using local diversion routes near the school.

I trust that this updates you on the current position however if you require any further information or clarification please do not hesitate to contact Barry Clarke, Senior Project Manager at barry.clarke@edinburgh.gov.uk

Regards

Andy Edwards

Dr Andy Edwards | South West Locality | Place | The City of Edinburgh Council | 10 Westside Plaza, Edinburgh EH14 2ST | email: andy.edwards@edinburgh.gov.uk |

 

 

 

 

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Public toilets empower our community

Seems everybody enjoyed our community picnic on Leith Links on Saturday (hurrah!). Yes, we were very lucky with the weather (phew!), but what actually made it possible was the public toilets.

You simply couldn’t organise any public event without toilets –  but only big commercial events can afford to buy in ‘portaloos’, not small community groups. So public toilets are not just vital for individuals, they are enabling and empowering for the community. A local community is a life force, not just a ‘place’. Feeling part of our community can help our mental health and well-being.

Thanks for our toilets, City of Edinburgh Council! (And thanks to Steven for manning them nobly on Saturday.) Please can we keep them?

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Leith Links Community Council responds to City of Edinburgh Councils Leith Connections consultation on a Leith Low Traffic Neighbourhood

Leith Links Community Council has now submitted its response to the City of Edinburgh Councils Leith Connections consultation on their planned changes to how we move around Leith.Leith Connections

Our full response can be viewed by clicking here.

Previous website articles by us can be viewed by clicking here.

 

 

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Annual Report 2020 / 2021

Once again we present to our community our Annual Report

With last year’s Annual General Meeting being delayed due to the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic, our Annual Report this year covers the slightly shorter than usual period from Autumn 2020 to Summer 2021.

Throughout the last year we have kept you all updated with our work by posting information on our website & social media channels, as well as through our monthly public meetings but this Annual Report is an opportunity bring together some of those updates into one easy to access space.

Our Community Council continues to work hard for our local community and we welcome the opportunity to meet with and hear from as many people as possible. Please do come along to one of our meetings, virtual or in person, over the next year as we are here to represent the views of everyone in our community, not just the those who shout the loudest or come to the most meetings.

In this years annual report we have included reports on…

  • Chair & Secretary’s report
  • Travel & Mobility
  • Collaboration with other Community Councils
  • Our changing membership
  • Leith Chooses
  • Planning
  • Licensing
  • Leith Links Plus
  • Engagement Officer’s report

We’re sharing our annual report on our website, social media channels and in our quarterly e-newsletter but please do feel share our annual report with your friends, colleague and neighbours if you feel they would be interested.

2021, Annual Report, Community Council Annual, July, Leith Links Community Council

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Community Picnic on the Links – all welcome – Saturday 17th July, 1-3pm

           

You are invited to a Community Picnic on Leith Links, Saturday 17th July 2021
1 – 3pm, on the old bowling greens area  – entry from Links Place gate 
….. weather permitting …..

Please do come along and join in a community get together.

Please bring your own food and drink (no barbecues, sorry).

Bring your own rug, cushions, folding seats, whatever.            

Bring musical instruments if you fancy doing a ‘turn’.

For covid safety reasons, this has to be a ‘low key’ event, but there will be a wee bit of a community vibe; fun activities for children, an opportunity to catch up with folk you may not have seen for a while, and a chance to discuss and ‘cast a vote’ for your favourite ideas for the future of the former bowling greens area.
                 Numbers on the bowling greens will be limited, and free snacks and juice may run out, so come early if you want to get a spot!

For more info: contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk

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Leith Links public toilets due to open on 23 June 2021

The City of Edinburgh Council intends to open the temporary public toilets on Leith Links from Wednesday 23 June 2021. Although it should be noted that this is subject to the Council having staffing in place, adequate supplies and that all connections are in place.

 

The toilets are located next to the disused bowling greens & derelict building will be open from 10am until 6pm each day until September 2021. The toilets will be staffed whilst they are open to ensure cleanliness and also that Covid-19 related social distancing is observed.

 

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Scottish Fire and Rescue Service – Long-Term Vision public consultation

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is seeking your views on its Long Term Vision.

Their online consultation survey can be completed by clicking here before 18 July 2021.

The website of SFRS says-

The safety needs of communities across Scotland are changing. To respond to this, we want to evolve the service we provide and at the same time further improve what we do so that the people of Scotland have the best fire and rescue service possible.

Our document ‘SFRS – Long-Term Vision’ details the four key principles that outline how we want to work and the eight priorities we want to achieve over the next decade and beyond.

This vision represents our future, but we remain, as always, your SFRS.

We have launched a public consultation for communities across Scotland to offer their views on the future direction of the SFRS and how to make the country an even safer place to live, work and visit.

Make your voice heard, take part in our consultation and help us create a safer Scotland for all.

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Reminder: Leith Links arboretum consultation closes on 18 June 2021.

Earlier this year City of Edinburgh Council began planting an eighty four tree arboretum on Leith Links as part of partnership working involving The Mushroom Trust, Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust and The Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh.

This image shows the site of the Leith Links arboretum, note that planting has already began on the site.

Their consultation on their plans closes on 18 June 2021, so if you have not yet taken the time to complete the consultation survey please do so over the next few days. It is important that as many people in our community as possible are involved in deciding whether there should be an arboretum, where it should be, how it should be used and the way in which it should be managed.

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