The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be held on Monday 30th April
at 7pm, in the Shore Room, Leith Community Education Centre, New Kirkgate.
Visiting Speakers on update of Leith Links Playpark
All welcome
LLCC draft Minutes March 18 Agenda 30.4.18
After the Community Council was contacted by local residents about a burning smell coming from Seafield I contacted Scottish Water and received the following response.
“Veolia have confirmed that at around 18:00 on Sunday, a blockage was detected within part of the sludge treatment process. This unexpected issue meant that one stream within the process had to be taken offline so that the problem could be quickly resolved. A short controlled release of air from the thermal hydrolysis plant was required so that personnel could safely gain access to carry out the repair. This release of air lasted for around 30 minutes. This early intervention to fix the issue minimised the impact on operations and any longer term potential impact on the community.
This short release of air briefly caused an odour that was detected in localised areas within the community. Veolia apologise for the impact this had on the local community but would like to reassure you that this is not a routine event, and that there were no other equipment problems at the time, including the siloxane filter.
In assessing and responding to the query, Veolia have been undertaking spot checks out in the community at various times today and feel that the issue described above has been addressed.”
Veolia and Scottish Water want to be good neighbours so I’ve asked them to review their communication system with the public. As Scottish Water have said the incident was unexpected and dealt with quickly but they have to keep the public informed.
Both Scottish Water and Veolia who operate the plant have websites to make the public aware and I have also suggested they contact me so that the CC can post on this site to make the locals who suffer the most aware of what’s going on.
PRESS RELEASE
Historic community space to reopen in Leith
Crucial step forward for Leith community as Duncan Place is awarded £1.2m for refurbishment.
Plans to re-open Duncan Place in Leith as a community resource under local management
are set to go ahead after receiving an award of £1.2m from the Scottish Governments Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF). This funding will allow the building to be refurbished prior to it being transferred to the newly registered charity, Duncan Place. This community led organisation aims to have the much needed space re-opened by 2020, which will be in time to celebrate Duncan Places centenary!
The vision for Duncan Place is to create a thriving community hub providing affordable studios and offices for charitable organisations, support services and social enterprises alongside community space for events, classes and workshops with a focus on arts, health, education, well-being and reducing inequality in Leith.
Carol Leslie, Chairperson of Duncan Place, said “This is a such a boost for the folks in Leith. It was a busy, lively centre and a great resource for everyone who used it before its closure. When it re-opens the centre will be a fitted out with up-to-date facilities, have disabled and lift access and be an energy efficient building. Duncan Place will be a fantastic space for groups, clubs and classes to meet and come together. It will be community owned, community-led with office and studio space to help sustain the community activities and resources”.
Carol added, “We would like to thank the council along with our members and Leithers who have helped to get us to this stage. We invite everyone to get in touch and to follow the progress on Facebook at Duncan Place Leith, on twitter using @duncan_place or via the website duncanplace.org”
The community saved the historic building from demolition in 2014, and since then the dedicated trustees of Duncan Place have worked tirelessly to secure the building and return it to the Community of Leith. The trustees have had great support from the residents of Leith, working closely with them and with the City of Edinburgh Council to get to this point. Together they have raised close to £1.5m of funding to refurbish and re-open the much loved and used community space.
Leader of City of Edinburgh Council, Adam McVey, said: “This is brilliant news for Leith and the city! Another community hub is to be brought back to life due to regeneration funding from the Scottish Government. This project is an excellent example of what collaboration and partnership working between the public and voluntary sectors can achieve.
“We’ve worked well with the group taking forward this project and knowing those involved from the community, I’m chuffed they’ve done such a fantastic job in bringing back Duncan Place back into use.
“The funding will help to reduce inequality through the provision of much needed affordable space for events, classes and workshops on health, education and well-being and I’m excited to see the next phase of the project develop.”
Press Contact – info@duncanplace.org
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
Link Group Ltd are holding a drop in event to view proposals for a new housing development on Salamander Street consisting of 199 homes for mid market rent.
The drop in will take place on:
Wednesday, 31st January from 4pm-6.30pm
St.Mary Star of the Sea Church Hall, 106 Constitution Street
You will have the opportunity to view the proposals and question staff from Link Housing
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
Last week there was a protest in Leith Links outside the Abbot’s House hostel, against the Council’s use of B&Bs for homeless people, especially for families with young children. This Community Council supports the protesters and stands with the vulnerable people who suffer in this horrible situation, caused initially by Council and government cuts, benefit capping, sanctions and welfare ‘reforms’. This Community Council has questioned the use of such accommodation – in some cases, basically slums – in the area for many years, but the Council continues to pour money into the pockets of a few rich landlords, instead of building new houses or as a minimum in the short term, ensuring that temporary accommodation is at least safe and clean. This has reached crisis proportions as Edinburgh’s population grows, rents soar sky high, and cuts bite.
As the joys of Christmas recede and while those of Hogmanay are still to come – let’s all think about sewage! And odour nuisance from Seafield.
Last month, consultants commissioned by Scottish Government published their draft review of Seafield Wastewater treatment works. The full draft report is 100+ pages but there is a readable summary, with short, medium and long term recommendations.
Click here to read: Seafield summary
(The full Draft Report is available on the Scottish Water website, accessible here: www.scottishwater.co.uk/seafield)
Leith Links Community Council, in partnership with Leith Links Residents Association, is preparing to submit a Community Response to this draft report. This is a major opportunity for the local community, who have been suffering from these dreadful smells for years, to have a say directly into shaping the future policies and actions of government and city council.
Leith Links Community Council would greatly welcome YOUR views and comments on the draft review and its recommendations. You can use the Comments form on this website, or drop us an email (Feedback), or comment via the LLCC Facebook Page or Twitter (@LeithLinks_CC), and we will incorporate your views into the Community Response (anonymous unless you specifically ask to be named).
Time is very short!
Indirect comments, via LLCC, should reach us if possible by Monday 8th January, 2018.
Members of the public can make their thoughts known directly to the consultants by e:mail to seafield-draft@cranfield.ac.uk Direct comments to the consultants should be submitted by Friday, January 12, 2018.
Thank you!
Your Community Council
The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be on Monday 27 November, at 7 pm in the Shore Room, Leith Community Education Centre, New Kirkgate All interested local people are very welcome.
Minutes October 2017 (draft until adopted) Agenda November 2017
Also – did you know you can go and talk to one of your local Councillors, if you have a private matter you need to discuss (just turn up, no need to ‘book’):
Last week we attended a meeting with the consultants, amec foster wheeler and Cranfield University who had been appointed to carry out the strategic odour review of Seafield Wastewater treatment works. The community now have until 12th January to make comments. LLCC will be meeting with Leith Links Residents Association and elected City councillors to formulate our response. Members of the public can also make their thoughts known directly to the consultants but the CC would welcome any comments to be included in our submission and these would be treated in confidence
The full draft report has over 100 pages but the consultants also prepared a summary which I’ve also attached. Seafield summary
The summary includes short, medium and long term recommendations which we will be commenting about after discussion with LLRA.
The Draft Report is available on the Scottish Water website, accessible here: www.scottishwater.co.uk/seafield
Comments should be submitted by e:mail to seafield-draft@cranfield.ac.uk no later than Friday, January 12, 2018.
