Author: Leith Central Community Council

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Voice Your Choice: Edinburgh North East

This Thursday 13th, you decide how North East Edinburgh employment services are funded.

From 10.30am at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Dalmeny Street, residents, workers and volunteers (16+) of Edinburgh’s North East locality can come along and vote for projects of their choosing in a participatory budgeting event similar to ‘Leith Chooses’ from January this year.

north_east__2_-1

How do I know if I live in Edinburgh North East?
Edinburgh services are now split into four localities. If you live in Broughton, Leith, Craigentiny, Portobello, Craigmillar, Niddrie or Duddingston, then you live in the North East locality.

locality map_680x479

More information
More info can be found on Eventbrite. This project is organised by Joined up for Jobs.

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Kiltwalk looking for Leith volunteers

The Edinburgh Kiltwalk is on the 16th of September 2018.

The Kiltwalk is a unique charity that enables walkers to raise money for any Scottish charity of their choice. By staging events that bring together thousands of walkers who fundraise for their chosen charity or cause, they support those in need of a helping hand After two successful Kiltwalks in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee which has hosted over 15,000 walkers, the Kiltwalk are excited to come to Edinburgh for the final event of 2018!

The Kiltwalk would love to involve the local communities they pass through on the walk. Part of the route goes through Leith and a pit stop is located in Victoria Park!

Kilties are needed to give their support at the event, keep walkers spirits up and create the most enjoyable day possible. All of the work you do, the time you give and effort you put in to makes the events what they are and is always recognised by staff and walkers alike.

For more info, please visit thekiltwalk.co.uk/volunteer/

 

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Stead’s Place applications to be extended

Below is the full correspondance from the the Convenor of LCCC’s Planning sub-group, Harald Tobermann and Kenneth Bowles regarding the extension for comments on the planning applications until the 28th September 2018.

Dear Kenneth Bowes

Regarding applications 18/04349/CON and 18/04332/FUL.

I write to request an extension for comments for both the above applications by four weeks to 5 October; this should apply to both community councils and local residents for the following reasons:

  • the applications were filed and advertised during the holiday and council recess period when many people are not in Edinburgh, including ward councillors whose advise is sought by their electors
  • there are a very large number of documents to consider, some very lengthy and complex
  • there is great local and wider public interest in these applications, possibly the most substantial since the application for Shrub Place (that went to appeal)
  • the timing of several local community council meetings where these applications will receive public scrutiny do not mesh with the currently advertised timeline

Finally, the application 18/04349/CON has been advertised misleadingly as concerning “156, 158B, 160 And 162 Leith Walk Edinburgh EH6 5DX” (the application form on the portal gives merely a grid sequence); however, it appears demolition is sought for 106-154 Leith Walk. This applies to a lesser extend also to 18/04332/FUL (which gives the same misleading address). To avoid subsequent legal uncertainty over the validity of the process, it seems to me that it would be prudent to re-advertise both applications with a new timeline, or – if the applicant supplied invalid information – to invite them to resubmit.

Harald Tobermann,
Leith Central Community Council

Dear Harald Tobermann,

In response to your email, the original address does appear to be incorrect. Therefore both applications are to be re-advertised with a new expiry date of 28th September 2018. This should provide the community council (and other interested parties) enough time to provide a response.

Kind regards.

Kenny Bowes
Senior Planning Officer
Majors Waterfront Team – City of Edinburgh Council

Leith Central Community Council have yet to formally submit their response.

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Making It Happen: Leith this Saturday

Making It Happen: Leith is an event is organised in collaboration with the Danish urban life organisation GivRum and Leith Creative. It will be a one day event focused on placemaking where local citizens can make small projects together to improve their local area. The event will be Challenge Anneka style, where participants have just one day to come up with an idea and make it happen! You can see a video of a previous event in Copenhagen.

The event is funded by the Scottish Government, and will use the Place Standard Tool as a way to analyse the area on the day, setting the foundation for the projects.

We would like to invite local members of the Leith Neighbourhood Partnership to participate at the event, to get a diverse representation from the public, private and civil sectors on the day which will offer many different perspectives to the challenge. If you would be interested in taking part it would be great to have you along. The event is open to all ages so you are welcome to bring any family members along as well!

Here is a link to the event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/383159288874910/

Starting from The Village in South Fort Street from 10am – 5.30pm

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Trams Business Consultation through September

(adapted from an email from the Edinburgh Council ‘Trams To Newhaven’ Team)

Businesses along the planned tram route to Newhaven will have their say on a raft of support for business proposals in a new consultation beginning next week.
In developing the proposals, Edinburgh Council is seeking to maintain the vibrancy, desirability and accessibility of the streets effected by the project during construction, supporting the diverse and independent range of businesses that exist along the route.

The online consultation will run from the 3rd to the 30th September 2018 and will seek views on a number of proposed measures in a support for business package totalling £2.48 million.

In recognising that the proposed tram works have the potential to effect business as usual in the local area, the Council would like to hear feedback from the local business community on a set of measures to help maintain the vibrancy, vitality and accessibility of the local area.

Some of the proposed measures have been developed following feedback from local traders, members of the public and interest groups who took part in the first round of public consultation.

The online consultation will outline each proposed measure and gives details on how much funding could be made available for each element. Some of the measures have the potential to make a longer-term impact beyond construction, leaving a lasting legacy.

In the consultation, respondents will also be asked to assess the merits of a range of business support proposals to be funded by the Council, namely:

  • A business continuity fund of £500,000 to help small independent businesses with short-term cash flow issues
  • Façade improvements – total investment of £500,000: a fund to pay for facade improvements or repairs, regular window for worksite-facing businesses
  • On street local guides – total investment of £400,000: to provide local advice and assistance eg help for those with impaired mobility
  • Business skills development – total investment fund of £100,000: eg website design and development, email marketing, social media best practice etc
  •  A Council-funded Business Development Champion (Legacy  included  as part of the business skills development fund: to help businesses build on their business case and plans for the years ahead
  • Investing in the arts during construction – total investment fund of £100,000: supporting local arts groups, artists and festivals
  • Market nights and shopping festivals– total investment of £100,000: eg day and monthly markets
  • Wider Open for Business campaign – total investment of £100,000: alongside the promotional campaign delivered by the contractor. This could include a digital open for business promotional campaign across the web, email and social media, wider wayfinding across the city for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers, advertising banners on key approaches and digital screens, etc
  • Local discount / voucher scheme – total investment of £50,000 
  • Targeted deliveries – total investment of £25,000: for example, use of cargo bikes and an app to act as a one-stop shop for people who want to shop local and arrange delivery of their goods.

In addition to the above measures the Contractor has been asked, as part of their tender, to make provision for a series of measures that will help to sustain business during construction, these are estimated to cost in the region of £500,000. These include: strategically located logistics hubs which can be used to store goods short-term and handle the movement of goods for the last or first mile of their journey; local transport hubs for parking, deliveries and temporary bus stops; wayfinding support, such as signage, maps and multiple crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists through the worksite; as well as an Open for Business promotional campaign.

After the consultation concludes on 30th September, the Trams to Newhaven project team will finalise support for business plans, which will be included in the Final Business Case due to go before councillors in late 2018.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport Convener, said: “If the project goes ahead, supporting businesses along the route, both during and after construction works, will be a top priority. From next week, we’ll be inviting businesses’ views on a raft of support for business proposals through our online consultation. We want to ensure that the range of measures we would put in place if the project gets the green light caters to everyone’s needs as effectively as possible. The over-arching aim is to make sure the whole area stays as vibrant and accessible as possible, not just during but also beyond the essential construction phase.

“Plans for taking Trams to Newhaven continue to take shape and we’re hugely indebted to businesses, residents and interested organisations for all their help in developing the proposals. We were delighted with the significant level of engagement and feedback in the first phase of public consultation in the spring. We then held a series of very useful workshops to focus on key points brought up during that six-week consultation process. The project team is currently using all the feedback to refine the plans ahead of further engagement at the start of October. This will feed into the Final Business Case going before councillors at the end of the year.”

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Animal Boarding Licensing Consultation

(adapted from an email from Edinburgh Council)

The City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) is currently undertaking a consultation exercise on proposed changes to the conditions and application fees applied to Animal Boarding Establishment Licences..

At its meeting on 26 June 2018 the Regulatory Committee was presented with a report which proposed to introduce:

  • revised conditions for animal boarding under the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963; and
  • a revised pricing structure for applications for Animal Boarding Establishment Licences.

Should you wish to view the proposed changes and comment, please complete our online survey before 16 September 2018:

consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/animal-boarding-establishments

For further information, please contact CEC at licensing@edinburgh.gov.uk