Tag: City of Edinburgh Council

Worrying…

We recently posted here a discussion about the heavy concentration and ever-increasing number of ‘hotel’ rooms around our area. There have been recent further developments.

Local residents may have seen press coverage last week that Edinburgh City Council is using unlicensed HMOs to house homeless people. This is very relevant to Leith Links area, indeed quite possibly the issue disproportionately affects this area, compared to other parts of the City.

In Scotland an HMO (house in multiple occupation) licence is mandatory for properties that meet the following conditions:

  • The property is rented to three or more unrelated people.
  • The occupants share basic amenities such as bathrooms and kitchens.
  • The property is their primary residence.

So, any property ranging from individual flats shared by 3 or more unrelated people to student halls of residence with hundreds of occupants must have an HMO licence.

There are quite a few HMOs, mostly former hotels or hotels that combine HMO and hotel operations around Leith Links. Where the Council houses people in a hotel for longer than a few days we understand that because this becomes the person’s place of residence and their home, then if there are 3 or more unrelated people living there, the property becomes an HMO.

Yesterday the Council received a report at its meeting which highlighted that ‘The Council therefore remains in breach of its HMO Licensing Duty by maintaining the support of homeless persons and households in some unlicensed HMO properties’. This has also been reported in the local press as ‘Council breaking law ‘on industrial scale’ by use of unlicensed temporary accommodation’ with the numbers involved said to be 30 properties and 700 rooms.

The full report can be viewed here Item 7.4 – Monitoring Officer Report Conflict of Legal Obligations.pdf (edinburgh.gov.uk)

The public register of licences applied for and granted can be found here: Licensing registers civic – The City of Edinburgh Council  It’s a clunky excel spreadsheet on which all applications over time are recorded, so searching for an address will bring up all previous applications as well as any current licence.

We will not list here, for the moment, the exact addresses of the particular properties around Leith Links that apparently fall into the category of premises used by the Council that do not currently have HMO licences (though they may have had such licences in the past).  However, searching the register just for Hermitage Place and Johns Place alone (there are several other locations as well) revealed: 3 large properties (total of 65 occupants) with expired licences; one new application not yet determined (10 occupants); 3 applications for ‘continuation of licence ‘ which have been marked as ‘incomplete’, ‘incompetent’ or ‘invalid’ (60 occupants); and 1 application for continuation that is as yet undetermined, with no details of capacity or occupancy.

So apparently in these properties alone, where data is available from the register on proposed occupancy, at least 135 people are being housed in unlicensed HMOs around Leith Links.

It is our understanding that the Council has called for a report.

Having done a bit of digging recently into HMO standards, we suspect that these properties are perhaps unable to meet the physical standards for HMOs. It is a Licence Condition that ‘The licence holder must ensure that the physical standards for HMO living accommodation assessed as suitable by the local authority when approving the licence application are met at all times.’ (HMO3)  However it so far appears to be impossible to find a copy of the physical standards the Council has adopted against which HMO3 is judged – they can only be found in a pre 2012 Committee paper when read with 2012 guidance from SG.  (By contrast,interestingly, they are easily found for many other Councils as standalone policy documents.)

In response to a recent FOI request on this, the Council said they would improve the information on the website about the standards – but that has yet to appear.  It appears that the Council may have ‘adopted’ without change the suggested physical standards that appear in the body text and Annex A to the Scottish Government’s guidance for Councils on HMO licensing issued in February 2012 Microsoft Word – HMO licensing – Guidance – updated for overprovision and discretionary link – 20 January 2012.doc (www.gov.scot).  Would all these local properties be able to meet the requirements in relation to kitchen facilities and space per person?  Back in 2012, the Council apparently decided to not apply some of the expectations on renewals of extant licences as a ‘transition’ to the new standards, but there seems to have been no end date for that transition. We also noet that, framed in 2012, the requirements for HMOs are actually less extensive than they are for STLs.

This is worrying. We think a review and update is overdue.

 

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Off on hols, and your Postal Vote has not arrived yet? Emergency Voting facility available!

Emergency facility for postal voting

If you haven’t received your postal vote yet, it should be delivered by 29 June. Keep an eye out for your post, and then return it as soon as possible.

If you are going away on holiday shortly and won’t be at home to receive and return your postal vote, then the Council have an emergency drop-in facility where you can pick up a postal vote ballot pack from Friday 28th June, at the City Chambers.  You will need to bring along photo ID.

This facility is not a polling station – you pick up a postal vote form, complete it on the spot, in private, and then put it into the Royal Mail postbox outside the City Chambers. The City Chambers will be open from 9am-5pm today (28 June) and over the weekend (29/30 June).

This facility is only for people who will not be at home to receive their postal vote. If you will be in Edinburgh next week please wait for delivery. Only contact the council early next week if you are still without your pack.

You’ll find information on the council website  www.edinburgh.gov.uk/postalvotes

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Joy to the World

Seasons Greetings

If you were writing a new Christmas Panto script and you were looking for an idea, then Leith’s Christmas tree could be it.

Our sad tale begins in Leith with tram works and a modern-day plague.

Constitution Street and Leith Walk ripped up, and then Covid strikes.

The Christmas Tree that was installed and stood proudly in the Kirkgate for many, many years had to find a temporary home, and after little or no consultation a decision was taken by council officers to place a tree in Taylor Gardens instead, with 6 lights (4 working) added to lamp standards.

It’s a nice enough tree, but really not the true location where  Leithers would expect it to be, and that is something council officials don’t grasp in their decision making process.

It was supposed to be a temporary move, not permanent, but although it may tick boxes with council officers they miss the point of how the community view things.

When I first asked our elected councillors why the tree hadn’t returned to the Kirkgate, Councillor Faccenda kindly wrote to council officers and received a reply with reasons why it couldn’t go back to the Kirkgate. But all of those ‘problems’ really could have been worked out, had there been a willingness from council public servants.

“Unfortunately due to the installation of the Tram lines we are now unable to provide any festive Lighting on Leith Walk which involves working at height. The installation on a cut Christmas Tree involves using a telehandler to lift the tree into position and then a cherry picker later to install the lights”

Where there’s a will there’s always a way of achieving the impossible?

Someone in the council also had the idea to plant a fir tree in Taylor Gardens which could become the Leith Christmas tree of the future.

 

 

In reply to Councillor Faccenda the council said about this tree (- and please don’t laugh but I suppose it’s panto time. It’s behind you!)

The decision to move the Kirkgate Christmas Tree along the road to Taylor Park has enabled us to plant a tree which will hopefully be ready for dressing with lights within the next 5 years or so. We will continue to provide an 8m cut tree here until the planted tree is ready.

Now as I’m of a certain age and don’t have a life, I’m drawn to TV programmes like Gardeners’ World and Landward, and having done a few Christmas Quizzes I can confidently say that planted tree will not be ready in ‘less than 5 years’

Quiz answer is 15 years before an average Christmas tree is ready.

So why do council officers put nonsense in emails and expect us to accept what they say without challenging them? I suppose their get-out clause legally was ‘or so‘.

They apparently know even less about trees than me and it comes across that they really don’t care,and possibly haven’t been down to Leith to have a look because they call it Park not Gardens.

They reply in a confident ‘I know what I’m talking about because I’m a council officer’ manner then they don’t expect to be called out for nonsense speak, they expect the community to just say ok,move on.

However they miss the point that it’s not just about location of a tree on a spreadsheet.

They don’t take into account how people who live in the area view it, and have shared memories of good and bad times

The historic heart of Leith for a tree has, for as long as I can remember, been the Kirkgate beside Queen Victoria’s statue. If you take a walk down there today it looks drab and uncared for, and especially at this time of year it could do with some cheer.

We keep getting told that Leith is hip and has a vibrant community and is a top 10 destination as a place to visit and stay.

You wouldn’t think that if, as a tourist, you arrived at the Foot of the Walk by tram to an area that Christmas seemed to have by-passed all because of council bureaucracy which prior to lockdown had never been an issue.

But if you get it right, people will keep coming back, and spend money in our community, and tell their friends what a great place it is with friendly and helpful locals.

It doesn’t have to be over the top flashy lights.

It just has to be welcoming, which is supposedly what we in Leith are good at.

I would like the community to support me in bringing the tree back to the Kirkgate in 2024 and hopefully with help from local businesses in the Kirkgate, to brighten the place up.

Take a trip out to Davidson Mains Street or the front at South Queensferry and you will see what some communities and businesses can achieve at this time of year.

Let me know what you think, and more importantly hit the email inboxes of your elected Leith Councillors, MP and MSP

Don’t moan, just drop them a quick email: BRING BACK THE CHRISTMAS TREE TO THE KIRKGATE

Yes, I know life is hellish at the moment for many, many people, and you can’t eat Christmas trees, but let’s give it a go for our own pride and self-respect returning.

Thanks, and have a peaceful and enjoyable festive holiday.

Jim Scanlon MBE

Chair, Leith Links Community Council

 

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O Christmas Tree O Christmas Tree

In last weeks Evening News, there was an article detailing where the council would be installing Christmas trees around the city this year. Leith wasn’t mentioned.

Last year because of ongoing tram works the council decided not to put one at the usual central Leith spot at the Kirkgate.  I know we all have enough on our minds with fuel and food costs going through the roof but a bit of Christmas cheer would be welcomed.

When I asked why another location couldn’t be found to place a tree, I was informed that the council had planted one in Taylor Gardens.

Exhibit 1

The council did eventually install a full size tree, which we welcomed, but could have been placed more centrally possibly at the Shore outside Malmaison or outside Bank of Scotland in the Kirkgate where many more tourists and Leithers pass during the day.

This year we had the same excuse about tram works for no tree at the Kirkgate but the council told us they had planted a tree beside Leith Library.

Exhibit 2

The council also intend to install a full size tree in Taylor Gardens but when I passed there yesterday there was one Christmas light from the bottom of Leith Walk stuck on a lamp post.

Why have I decided to moan? Because I feel the people of Leith deserve better and have stoically put up with continual disruption to their lives from ongoing tram and road works.

Having had a year to investigate alternative sites, it should have been simple for the council to find somewhere for a tree in Leith’s historic centre where more people pass including much welcomed visits from tourists.

Rightly or wrongly it does give the impression that the council really don’t care.

From an environmental point of view I applaud them for their tree planting but it could be 20 years before these trees are mature enough to be decorated.

After all Leith has been through over the last few years surely it’s not a lot to ask for a Christmas tree to be located in the heart of the community to be enjoyed by all.

Jim Scanlon MBE

Chair, Leith Links Community Council

 

 

 

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Volunteers needed to support Vigil queue following death of HM Queen Elizabeth ll

Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll, Volunteer Edinburgh is recruiting volunteers to be a part of an historic event.  Volunteers are needed to provide light-touch support and most of all, a welcoming, friendly face to members of the public who are queueing as part of the vigil.

Her Majesty’s coffin will travel from Balmoral to Edinburgh, where there will be a period of rest at St Giles Cathedral before removal to London.  During this period of rest there will be an opportunity for members of the public to pass through the cathedral, past the coffin.

Members of the public will be allowed into the cathedral from 1730hrs on Monday 12th September, with viewing permitted until 1600hrs on Tuesday 13th.

It is anticipated that as many as 88,000 people may transit through the cathedral during the period of the vigil.

Queue Support Volunteers will not be responsible for crowd management or safety.  This function will be undertaken by professional marshals from G4S.  The role is to provide information and light-touch support to people in the queue.

Volunteers will operate in groups, on shifts lasting three or four hours, starting at 0800 on Monday 12th and ending at 1700 on Tuesday 13th.  Volunteers should be comfortable being outside and on your feet.  You’ll be able to sign up to shifts online and Volunteer Edinburgh’s team leaders will be on hand to support volunteers on the day.

If you are interested in supporting this event of national and international significance, please follow the link below to register your details.

voled.in/unicornform

For more information on the role please seehttps://www.volunteeredinburgh.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Unicorn-Volunteer-Role-Description.pdf

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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

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Next meeting of Leith Links Community Council, Monday 27th June at 6:30pm, online

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be held on Monday 27th June at 6:30pm, online (Microsoft Teams)

Papers for the meeting will be issued soon.

Scottish Water and the operators of Seafield, Veolia, will be attending to give an update on the sewage plant and answer questions about recent odour issues.

As always, our meetings are open to interested members of the public. If you wish to attend, please email contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk and you will be sent an invitation / link for the meeting.

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Street Traders Licence Application – Leith Links

We have been informed this week by City of Edinburgh Council that an application has been made for a Street Traders Licence in relation to a food & drinks unit on Leith Links.

Any person can make a representation with regards to the application but they must present that to City of Edinburgh Council by 3 May 2022. Leith Links Community Council will be submitting a representation, and should you have any comments which you feel should be considered as part of that representation please let us know in the comments area below. Please avoid only writing that you support or object to the application, please tell us why you object or support etc in the comments section below.

Below is a map of the location, and the formal notice of the application being considered.

Please note that we have published all the information relating to the application that we have been provided with.

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Additional / improved street lighting for Leith Links?

We have learnt that City of Edinburgh Council took the decision last week to fund street lighting improvements in parks, with a budget of £150,000.

It is clear that citizens across Edinburgh will hoping for some of that funding to be spent in various parks, and it is highly likely the Council officers and Councillors will already have some intentions about which parks will benefit from the cash.

Therefore, if you feel that Leith Links requires additional or improved street lighting, it is important that you make that view known as soon as possible by emailing parks@edinburgh.gov.uk, and also emailing one of the Leith Ward Councillors;

When emailing them it is important that you are specific about your request (for example, just saying the whole of Leith Links is unlikely to receive support but if you identify a particular route through Leith Links that requires lighting for example that may be better received.  You should also say why you feel the additional  or improved lighting is needed perhaps share your feelings when walking through the route currently).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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