Clean up planned for Restalrig Railway Path

A spring clean of Restalrig Railway Path is being held on Saturday 2 March 2019 from 12:30 until 14:30. Those interested in taking part should meet at the opening of the walkway at the Restalrig Road bridge, with litter pickers & gloves being provided.

The group plan on focusing on the area between the meeting point and Leith Academy.

Local Facebook group ‘Restalrig Road + Railway Path’ often promote such clean ups, with a Facebook event created for this specific clean up.

A number of Leith Links Community Councillors have participated in previous clean up events on the railway path and are likely to be at this one too. This is a really easy way for people to help improve their community and we would encourage as many people as possible to take part.

New development planned for 111-115 Constitution Street

Plans for a development of 49 residential dwellings and a commercial unit have been submitted to City of Edinburgh Council, the plans include demolishing some buildings already on the site including the Latto vehicle repairs garage.

The two planning applications are detailed below, by clicking on the links you will be taken to the City of Edinburgh Council planning portal where you can view the documents associated with the applications, you will also be able to submit your comments on the applications.

  • 18/10297/FUL. Proposed redevelopment of existing vehicle repair centre and derelict warehouse buildings to form residential development comprising 49 units and a commercial unit. Existing listed buildings and significant historic building to be retained as part of the development.
  • 18/10298/PN. Prior notification for demolition of buildings.

In addition to commenting on the planning applications you may wish to share your views with the three City of Edinburgh Councillors for Leith Ward;

Leith Links Community Council will also be considering its response, which will be available on our website in due course.

Formal review of Scheme for Community Councils launched

Following a preliminary consultation on possible changes to the Scheme of Administration for Community Councils in Edinburgh, which we wrote about here, a formal review of the scheme begins on 11 February 2019, and runs until 22 April 2019 following a decision taken by City of Edinburgh Councillors earlier today [7/2/19].

Proposals aim to improve and update the terms and provisions of the Scheme. This will include the introduction of a complaints procedure for dealing with breaches of the Community Councillor’s Code of Conduct.

Council officers are also holding a series of drop in information events accross the City, although they will not hold any in Leith.  The nearest ones to Leith are;

  • 28 February 2019, 4 – 5 pm, East Office, 101 Niddrie Mains Road
  • 6 March 2019, 5.30 – 6.30 pm, City Chambers, High Street.

The current intention is for a revised scheme to be presented to Councillors in August 2019, with a view to it taking effect in time for the October 2019 Community Council elections.

North East Locality Events Fund – Successful applicants announced

On 23 November 2018 we let you know about the North East Locality Events Fund which was making £20,000 available for the promotion of local cultural & artistic events.

32 applications were considered by a funding panel Chaired by Christina Hinds of EVOC.

The successful applications were as follows;

Organisation

Area

Funding award

Drake Music

Craigmillar

£2,329

Artlink

Lochend

£3,329.03

Think Circus

Craigmillar

£3,846.25

Lorne School Parent Council

Leith

£2,125

Art Walk Project

Portobello

£4,165

Northfield & Willowbrae

Various areas of NE Locality

£4,182

For further information please contact the City of Edinburgh Councils North East Locality Team;

‘Fascist political group plans to infiltrate Community Councils’ says The Ferret

The Ferret describes itself as an award-winning investigative journalism platform for Scotland and beyond, recently one of their contributors published an article claiming that the far right are planning to infiltrate Community Councils. Reproduced below is the article.

Edinburgh Community Councils will be holding their triennial elections this Autumn.

At the last triennial elections in 2016 Leith Links Community Council were the only Community Council in Edinburgh to hold a public poll. This was because we were the only Community Council in Edinburgh to have more candidates standing than the number of seats available, in our case we had 17 candidates for 12 seats.  If we had 12 or less candidates, they would have been given their seats without an election.  Information relating to our 2019 elections will be published soon on this website, and on our Facebook & Twitter streams.

It should be noted that Community Councils in Edinburgh are non party political but a number of Community Councillors across the City area members of political parties, pressure groups etc.


Billy Briggs wrote:

An extreme far right group modelled on Sir Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists plans to put candidates up for community council seats in Scotland.

The New British Union (NBU) idolises British fascist Mosley whose violent supporters wore Nazi-style uniforms in the 1930s and were known as Blackshirts.

The openly fascist group is recruiting on Twitter and is led by Gary Raikes, the British National Party’s former leader in Scotland.

An official NBU document seen by The Ferret reveals that NBU plans to stand supporters as independent candidates to build support locally across the UK.

The document explains what Raikes terms as the “Quiet Revolution”. It says: “The important action is that cells should try to center (sic) around a member willing to stand in parish/local elections as independent candidates and help get them elected.

“Blackshirt cells will develop into Blackshirt units in every village, town and city in the UK. The idea is to build fascist cells of two to five people in as many places as possible.”

The document adds: “The action is true, grassroots style politics – fostering change nationwide, from the local level. The fundamental application of this philosophy is the induction of true British nationalists in all forms and level of local government.

“We at the NBU have recognised that obtaining appointment to parish and community councils is both a symbolic, and practically necessary starting point, in the pursuit of this philosophy of action.

“The NBU is a young movement, yet already has a handful of parish councillors, and one county councillor we also have a number of our people about to take up seats on Scottish community councils.”

Raikes formed the NBU in 2013 after leaving the BNP. He was also a member of the anti-Muslim group, Britain First, led by Scottish Loyalist, Jim Dowson.

At the 2007 Scottish Parliament election Raikes was a BNP candidate for the North East Scotland region. In 2015 the NBU claimed it was targeting Elgin politically prompting a backlash from locals.

The NBU uses Nazi iconography while Raikes posts sinister propaganda videos of himself speaking while dressed in a black uniform. Another video on the NBU site is of far right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson, who is an advisor to UKIP.

Yaxley-Lennon is a former BNP supporter and football hooligan who has been convicted of multiple crimes including mortgage fraud and assault.

In one video Raikes says he is trying to “unite the right”.

Unite Against Fascism said: “Thankfully the far right in Britain is divided, whether this numpty has the ability to unite them remains to be seen. What can be seen from NBU website is that Tommy Robinson is the lightning rod that they are trying to use to unite the far right.

“Although the slogans and emblems of the NBU look old fashioned from the 1930’s we can see when they were used last year in the the “unite the right” rally in Charlottesville in America that they can become potent once again.

“‘Never again’ was the popular slogan after the second world war against fascism. We should never forget that and never give these dangerous idiots an inch.”

Scottish Greens justice spokesperson John Finnie MSP said: “It’s a sad reality that the Brexit mess created by the Tories has given confidence to those with extreme right-wing views. However, I’ve no doubt that communities across Scotland will continue to reject these dangerous and deluded groups who couldn’t organise a bun fight in a bakery.”

Raikes said: “We are not supporters of Tommy Robinson. We supported that specific issue not the man. We have been recruiting for six years. Social media is just one way of doing that. I fully expect you to deliver a bias twisted report detached from reality and know I will not be disappointed.

“British blackshirts fought and died for Britain in the last war just one of the many facts ignored by people like you. If you have read our website then you will know we are not a hate group we are simply offering people an alternative to failed democracy and a chance to discover the truth about Mosley and his ideas.”

Alfred the Owl

Leith Links will shortly be the home of Alfred the Owl, or rather a replica of him who may or may not be called Alfred. City of Edinburgh Council and University of Edinburgh are working together on a project called Parklife (funded by NESTA) which will see the owl installed in a tree to monitor & interact with park users.

Four parks across the City will have an electronic owl installed – Inverleith Park, Leith Links, The Meadows & Bruntsfield Links and Saughton Park.

The project will explore and develop new ways to use data and digital technologies to better understand how parks are used and valued by citizens, and how to engage park users in shaping the future of our parks.

Should park users wish to do so, they can connect with the owl via wifi in order to engage with each other for the purposes of sharing information such as the park users location & usage of the park etc.

Representatives of City of Edinburgh Council and University of Edinburgh will be attending a future meeting of Leith Links Community Council (date to be decided) to speak with us about the project. And of course we will publish more details as & when they become available. The meeting will be open to the public and we will promote the meeting in advance on this website as well as our Facebook & Twitter streams.

 

 

 

 

 

Cleanup along the Water of Leith

Please come along this Sunday 25th February to help with a joint cleanup with the WoL Conservation Trust..
I hope you will be able to spare a couple of hours to come along and enjoy yourself and at the same time pick up some of the plastic and litter that has collected since our last cleanup..
Very sorry for the short notice this time, 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.

http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=326616&Y=676474&A=Y&Z=106

If you do manage to join us please come and say hello

Next Meeting Leith Links Community Council; Monday 26th February 2018

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be held on Monday 26 February

at 7pm, in the Shore Room, Leith Community Education Centre, New Kirkgate

Our guest speaker is from Port of Leith HA to give an overview of their proposals for the Porthaven House site.

All welcome

Agenda26.2.18   LLCC Minutes Jan 2018 Draft3

Children’s Orchard Pruning Day SUNDAY 4 February

Children’s Orchard
Pruning & Clean-up Day
Sunday 4 February 2019
10.30am to 12.30pm
on Leith Links Eastern End

We’re holding a pruning day for adults interested in learning how to carry out pruning on young fruit trees. Demonstration will be provided by Ben Dell from the Royal Botanic Garden

All volunteers are welcome as there will be plenty to do with tree planting and general orchard clean-up. However, places available for pruning instruction are limited to 16, so please book in advance if that is your main interest.

Please bring secateurs and gloves if you have them, and wear suitable outdoor clothing and sturdy footwear.

All equipment for the clean-up is provided. Children must be supervised by a responsible adult. Wear warm outdoor clothing and suitable footwear. Lunch is provided

For more information please contact: chair.lccc@leithcentralcc.co.uk

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