The next meeting of Leith Neighbourhood Partnership will take place on Thursday, 14th June in Nelson Hall, McDonald Road Library at 6.30. Meetings are open to the public. Agenda and Minutes attached.
All welcome
Over the past few weeks there has been an increase in odour emissions from Seafield. It’s disgusting and ruins local residents’ enjoyment of this good spell of weather. I’m disappointed to report that Veolia have been slow to react to public concerns and if SEPA and City of Edinburgh Council have taken any action they haven’t communicated that to the community council or local residents association who have been working hard on your behalf for many years. Rob Kirkwood from Leith Links Residents Association and I will be meeting with Ben MacPherson MSP on Monday evening to raise our concerns. I will then give you a full update on where we go from here.
Please come along this Sunday 20th May to help with a joint cleanup with the WoL Conservation Trust..
Come along and help us for a couple of hours. As well as making a difference you can enjoy the sunshine and meet new people who also care about cleaning up the litter, plastic and general rubbish that spoil were we live and work
The weather looks good with warm 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 of were that is – it’s off Coburg St opposite the Ostara cafe
http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=326616&Y=676474&A=Y&Z=106
Hope to see you there.
Please, find attached this month’s Newsletter from the Leith Community Education Centre Management Committee with very important information. Please, make sure to circulate this Newsletter among your group members to make sure that everyone is aware of the changes to come. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Also, please note that there is a special meeting set up by the Management Committee on the 26th of April, Thursday 7:00pm in the café to discuss the possible changes to our community centre and how they will affect the groups.
The Chairperson and Treasurer of our Management Committee are stepping down in September this year and if we won’t find volunteer to take their place we might have to shut down the centre, as it cannot run without a Management Committee.
The weather forecast for next week is for us to have some sun. If you have some time to help us then please come along on Tuesday 17th April 10.30am – 1pm. We are having a clean up along the paths along the Water of Leith. We want will clean-up both sides of the river and walkway between Coburg Street car park – and West Bowling Green Street. We will be joining the WOL Conservation Trust Volunteer Team and staff from Change Works. The event will also be advertised as part of Changes Work’s Earth Day,
If you are coming please wear weather appropriate clothes you do not mind getting mucky. The WOL Conservation Trust will provide all equipment for the clean-up (gloves, black bags, litter pickers etc). We are meeting in Coalie Park and work with the team during the morning. Here is a link to a map where an arrow points to the start location.
http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=326616&Y=676473&A=Y&Z=106
Hot drinks will also be provided halfway through the clean-up.
City of Edinburgh Council will take away the litter at the end of the clean-up.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any clarification.
Applications are now closed for £eith Chooses. Thank you to all applicants for choosing to participate and for making the effort to meet the somewhat tight deadline.
The next bit is the really fun bit! Come along to the Leith Community Centre (Kirkgate) on Saturday 3rd March, meet the applicants, hear/chat informally about all the great projects on offer, and cast your votes for your favourites! We also have free food and refreshments, face-painting, glitter tattoos and balloon modelling to tempt all the family to come and join in. (Leithers over 8 can vote)
There is £116,000 available for community projects in Leith.
Applications for £EITH CHOOSES are being accepted NOW – and there is not much time to get them in – deadline is 31 January 2018.
Download Guidance and Application Forms here.
Voting will be in March 2018.
Support Sessions are offered 12-2, and 5-7 Monday -Thursday between now and 31st January – check details of time and place here. Please come along and talk to us, and get your application in order.
Keep up to date via the £EITH CHOOSES own website, Facebook and Twitter.
Just to start the Leith year with a bang – Great Junction Street is being (partially) closed for resurfacing work. Please see details of closures and bus re-routings etc. in the attached letter to local residents. This work is scheduled to last approximately 4 weeks depending on weather and other circumstances.
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
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.
