Leith Links Community Council Meeting, 26th August 6:30pm, Leith Community Centre

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be on Monday 26th August , at 6:30pm in the Leith Community Education Centre, New Kirkgate.

If you live in the area, you are warmly welcomed to attend.

This is also election year for Community Councils and we hope that you may be keen to join us. If you are available to volunteer in your spare time and have an interest in a wide range of local issues we would be pleased to hear from you. The Community Council election period starts on 9th September.

 

What being a Community Councillor means to me: Sally Millar

Later this year Leith Links Community Council (LLCC) will be holding its next election.

The last LLCC election was held in 2016 when seventeen candidates stood for election (with twelve positions available). 586 members of our community voted which represented a turnout of 6.9%.


Despite living in Leith Links since 1987, I had never heard of the Community Council until I started a campaign against the giant biomass incinerator that Forth Ports proposed building in Leith Docks, in 2010. I needed to learn – and fast! – about all sorts of things like Scottish energy policies, how planning permission works, who all the key players were, in local and national politics, and how to find and mobilise friends and supporters for a campaign to fight off a threat to the local community. One staunch source of local support turned out to be members of the Leith Community Councils, (Biofuelwatch and Friends of the Earth Scotland were other important allies). We won, by the way! (2012).

After that, I really valued the work of the Leith Links Community Council and took the opportunity to become a full member in 2013, standing again for election in 2016. I have been Secretary for the past 3 years and I am intending to stand again for election this year because I feel that some experience and continuity could be useful, to balance and support input from new members.

I firmly believe that although many people aren’t even aware of its existence, the Community Council is a force for good in the local area.

Meetings are always interesting and it is a good chance to meet and get to know the local City Councillors, who usually, attend, as do the Community Police. Community Councillors are also invited to many other meetings and projects – a great way to learn about and participate in local activities and events. To be honest there’s a lot more ‘paperwork’ than ‘manning the barricades’ in Community Council work, but while that can be tiring and frustrating at times, being able to (sometimes) have a direct positive influence on important services and decisions, is a source of satisfaction and pride.

Being a Community Councillor has certainly really helped ME to truly become part of my local community, to feel active and useful, to learn new skills, and to get to know and work with so many interesting and committed local people, and worthwhile causes. It is a good way to learn how the City of Edinburgh Council works, and to learn the true facts and the complicated ins and outs of so many important matters that affect us all. (Almost nothing you read in the Evening News is a true representation of any situation!) I feel that it is privilege and a pleasure to ‘serve’ the local community to the best of my ability.


Click on the picture for more information.

Leith Community Centre extends opening hours

Leith Community Centre (Where Leith Links Community Council holds its regular monthly meetings) is extending its opening hours from Monday 2 September 2019.

Leith Creative recently described Leith Community Centre as the town hall for Leith.

The Community Centre is managed through a partnership between Leith Community Centre Association SCIO and City of Edinburgh Council. For fifty years the Community Centre in the Newkirkgate has been supporting the Leith community to access opportunities to learn and be active. The centre provides eight rooms & halls for community activities such as adult education classes, sports, exercise & dance classes & activities, local community & interest groups and even hosts the annual Leith Chooses voting event.

From Monday 2 September 2019 the new opening hours will be:

  • Monday to Friday: 9am – 9pm
  • Saturday & Sunday: 9am – 5pm

In order to support new community groups & activities to take advantage of the new Sunday opening there is a special Sunday offer for new regular bookings, entitling them to up to two hours per Sunday free for the first four weeks providing their booking starts in September.

The centre still has availability through the week, and on weekends.


 

Click on the picture for more information.

 

 

 

Proposed Carriageway Resurfacing Works – Duncan Place and Great Junction Street

The carriageways on Duncan Place & Great Junction Street (between Cables Wynd and Pirrie Street) will be resurfaced during August in advance of the work to extend the tram line.  The resurfacing work will commence on both streets on Monday 12th August with Duncan Place resurfacing to last for 2-3 days while Great Junction Street will take slightly longer at 5-6 days.

Duncan Place will be fully closed to vehicles for the resurfacing work (access available for residents parking) while a one-way system will be set up for the work on Great Junction Street using Cables Wynd and Henderson Street.

There will also be some minor footway works next week (in advance of the resurfacing work) on Duncan Place to reinstate a footway buildout for the school crossing patrol officer, unblock and clean out the drainage, renew some old pedestrian guardrail and remove any redundant street furniture.

Click on the picture for more information.

 

Consultation: Lady Boys Of Bangkok propose to use Leith Links in 2019

We are currently considering proposals submitted to City Of Edinburgh Council to allow The Lady Boys Of Bangkok to use Leith Links as a venue during August 2019.

As we are a statutory consultee we will be submitting a response in due course, as we consider our response we are particularly keen hear & consider the views of others on the proposals.

We have created a brief easy to use web form to help people submit their views to us.

We will publish our response to the proposals on our website as well as our Facebook & Twitter channels.

 

The Lady Boys Of Bangkok propose to use area 9.

 

 

Breast Screening

During August to October ladies, aged 50-70,  from Bangholm, Restalrig and Leith Links medical practices will receive appointment letters asking them to the screening centre at Ardmillan House in Gorgie. If you’re in the age group and attend Leith Links Medical Centre you should receive an appointment in the post. If you want to find out more please contact

South East Scotland Breast Screening Service, Ardmillan House, 42 Ardmillan Terrace

0131 537 7400

Seafield Terms of Reference agreed

On behalf of the CC I attended a meeting at the Scottish Government at Victoria Quay on 1st August. Also in attendance were Ben MacPherson MSP, Rob Kirkwood from Leith Links Residents Association (LLRA), Prof R Jackson and SG civil servants.
Scottish Water have appointed consultancy firm, Amec, Foster Wheeler to carry out the strategic review of Seafield Waste Water Treatment Plant and the sewage network which supplies Seafield. The firm have been chosen to give an independent evaluation and have no financial connection to the plant and would not benefit financially from their report by awards of contracts if work was required.
Our meeting was to agree the terms of reference so that the consultants can gather information on the state of Seafield and we hope that they will be able to present their findings within 6 months but will also be in the position to give an interim report on progress to the Seafield steering group in October. The CC and Residents Association have asked to meet separately with the consultants in late September so that we can voice any concerns.
The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Roseanna Cunningham has ordered this review and at the meeting our local MSP Ben emphasised again that odour issues at Seafield have become a priority for the government.
The terms of reference instruct the consultants to undertake a detailed evidence based review of the operation, design and maintenance of the plant with a direct focus on the way odour is managed and to reduce as far as practicable odour nuisance under all operating and weather conditions .Using analysis of appropriate odour generation and dispersion statistics.

They will consult with community groups and relevant stakeholders (Scottish Water, SEPA, City Council) to gather information on our perspectives and what we want to achieve. The consultants have already met with LLRA and I plan to meet with them next week. They will also want to speak to members of the public about how odour nuisance from Seafield impacts on their lives.
When the review is completed the consultants will provide recommendations on improvements to infrastructure, repair, replacement or enhancement on the site.
In plain language this means that if capital investment is required the consultants will identify the areas where work could be carried out and how much each option may cost.
Reviews have been carried out at Seafield in the past but nuisance odours have continued because of lack of investment. Both Leith Links CC and LLRA have agreed the terms of reference for this latest review with some changes in wording.
We also gave our support to the review with some reservations and concerns that as in the past only the cheapest options will be considered. Over the following months I will keep you updated on progress as the consultation continues. Jim

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