Category Archives: News and Events

£500 grant for Edinburgh carers

Leith Walk-based charity VOCAL have requested we share the below information on their new Carer Recovery Fund;

VOCAL, Voice of Carers Across Lothian, is a local charity with access to substantial funds from the Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council to help support carers in greatest need – people who support for a partner, child, relative or friend who is frail, has a disability or additional support needs, a long-term condition or needs regular support.

Carers may be unable to work due to their caring role, be in receipt of welfare benefits,
may struggle with food or fuel payments, may need a break from caring or experience
other difficult challenges.

To help ease the challenges faced by carers, VOCAL can allocate financial support of up to £500 to individual carers in (greatest) need. We already reach over 10,000 carers in Edinburgh and Midlothian each year, but we know that over 60,000 people in Edinburgh
have caring responsibilities.

Learn more and apply on VOCAL.org.uk.

In addition to VOCAL themselves, the City of Edinburgh Council have a guide on carers’ rights, best practice and support.

Find out more about the Low Emission Zones coming to Scotland this year

Edinburgh will join Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow this year in introducing Low Emission Zones.

We’ve previously written about the Low Emission Zone coming to the city centre, but here’s an explainer from Low Emission Zones Scotland on what they are aiming to achieve and how to prepare;

LEZs help to improve air quality, protect public health and encourage people to use more public transport and cleaner vehicles.

LEZs will be enforced from mid-2023 in Glasgow and from mid-2024 in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh. They will stop the most polluting vehicles from entering the zone. Any vehicles entering a zone must meet minimum emission standards or will face a fine, certain exemptions will apply.

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Find out more at lowemissionzones.scot/are-you-ready.

City centre Low Emission Zone plans

On January 27th, the City of Edinburgh decided to proceed with a ‘Low Emission Zone’ primarily featuring in the centre of the city.

Map of the proposed Low Emission Zone
(c) The City of Edinburgh Council

Although this may not directly impact the Leith Central area, it will have an impact on everyone in Edinburgh who visits the Old Town, New Town, Southside or West End or uses those areas to cross the city.

In line with the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 and the Low Emission Zones (Scotland) Regulations 2021, Edinburgh Council is required to prepare a statement which sets out the details of the consultation undertaken in accordance with section 11 of the Act and set out details of how the Council has taken account of any representations received in the course of the consultation:

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Edinburgh Council is now commencing the statutory period during which the proposals for the Scheme are published and during which objections to the Scheme may be made.

The statutory period for objecting to the LEZ Scheme commences on 1 February 2022 and will run until 1 March 2022. Objections must be made in writing, stating the grounds of objection and must be submitted:

  • By email to low.emission.zone@edinburgh.gov.uk; or
  • By post to: Low Emission Zone, the City of Edinburgh Council, Waverley Court G3, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG

Bin changes: how’s it working?

As you may be aware, Edinburgh Council have been installing ‘Bin Hubs’ (aka those new metal barriers surrounding communal bins) across Leith, Pilrig, Bonnington, Easter Road and Abbeyhill. Sections of Hillside will also be installed this Summer.

Leith Central Community Council understands from correspondance that the new bin hubs will be emptied “every other day”, however this may take a while to get into the flow.

For up to 50 / 55 properties we are planning where possible to use the following bins per hub:
– 2 x 1280 or 1100 litre non-recyclable bin
– 2 x 1280 or 1100 litre mixed recycling bins
– 1 x 500 or 660 litre glass bin  
-1 x 240 litre bin food waste bin in housing

For new developments which include smaller housing developments those will progress through the normal planning process of ensuring that off-street arrangements is developed. […] I can confirm that all on-street bins including non-recyclable waste, mixed recycling, paper and food waste bins will undergo an assessment for either being fully refurbished or replaced as part of the communal bin review project.

The City of Edinburgh Council

As with any major change in our area, we want to ensure it’s done to the highest standrad. We want to invite residents to send us photos of locations/bins that don’t match the Council’s plans or haven’t yet been refurbished or replaced. You can find the plans of your local area by clicking on the map on this webpage and selecting ‘Drawings’.

You can get in touch either uring the Comments section below, our usual social media channels or emailing a community councillor listed on the ‘About’ page.

Gullies, drains and how to prevent flooding

With last summer’s extreme wet weather, many streets in the Leith Central area such as Newhaven Road experienced flooding. Residents may also remember the severe floods in nearby Canonmills and Stockbridge.

Having clear gullies may help mitigate any water issues in the future, and Edinburgh Council are urging residents to report any blocked gullies so they can clear them.

They’ve also produced a useful guide on how Edinburgh’s drains work and who to report more severe (sewage) issues to:

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Report a blocked drain or gullie on edinburgh.gov.uk