Category Archives: News and Events

Edinburgh Council Planning Service Update: 24 April 2020

Following on from this information about the SG’s planning guidance on pre-applications, Edinburgh Council’s planning department has emailed community councils about how it is changing services in response to coronavirus.

Dear Community Councillors

We are writing to make you aware of a recent change to our service.

We are adapting our service so that we can support communities and businesses across Edinburgh through this difficult time. Our aim is to boost online public input to planning processes so that we can make and issue decisions which will both help with a swift recovery and a positive future for the city. To do this we have introduced ways for people to stay informed and comment on planning proposals despite the coronavirus lockdown.

We are now:

Starting our publication of applications that we have received since the lockdown commenced in March.
Issuing neighbour notification letters by post, with the planning portal open for comments to be made on applications.

Continue reading →

What’s happening with £eithChooses projects?

(copied from a post on LeithChooses website)

The £eith Chooses team is of course very aware that normal service delivery and activities have been massively disrupted, for everybody. We have contacted all the community groups that won £eith Chooses grant funding awards in February 2020, to say that we would like to help in whatever way we can.

We understand that some organisations may not be able to deliver their project exactly when and how they had planned to, and that some really creative conversations will take place about possible /necessary adaptations.

We have allocated a named volunteer from the £eith Chooses Steering Group to link supportively with each project group, to join conversations about the direction groups feel they can safely take with their project, to reach the most vulnerable members of our community..
We are hoping that all groups can agree a plan before / by 28 June about how they will be able to use the funding within the spirit of the original agreement.
For example, project groups may aim to –

Stick pretty much to the original idea but tweak the delivery methods e.g. food going out to people rather than people coming to gatherings for food.
Deliver the original project idea but with a later start date (probably affecting the finish date).
Re-prioritise / redesign their original plan and suggest a new project idea that combats social isolation or food poverty right now, in this Covid-19 crisis.

Hopefully groups will not feel that their project cannot be rescheduled or tweaked or revamped in some way and want to return the funding.

Meanwhile, thanks and best wishes to all groups for everything they are doing in Leith

Pilmeny Development Project: alternative service provision during COVID-19

Pilmeny Development Project (PDP) is offering a range of alternative service provision during COVID-19 for local people. Its referral form is here as Word document(YP and Family Support) and a PDF.

Older People and Carers

PDP Risk Register: has been developed to indentify and prioritise older people and/or carers who may need increased levels of support
Telephone Befriending/contact – Regular weekly ‘Social Contact’ calls (to address social isolation and loneliness) or more often, as needed.
Volunteers: Recruited from within PDP & Leith Timebank to assist with practical tasks, e.g. shopping, collection of prescriptions etc
Provision of regular Newsletter (articles on safety and health issues, crossword, home based activity ideas, handy tips) which is posted out to older people. Many of our older folk in Leith don’t have smart phones and are not online so it is really hard for them to get information or feel in touch.
Partnership working: liaise with potential key partners/agencies to help with any queries or concerns raised by older people, carers or families in the course of our work.
Development of information and additional support: as identified by older people needs.

Children, Young People and Families

PDP Risk Register: Data base has been developed for young people and families
Telephone Contact: Regular, weekly social contact with all individual group members.Additional and more frequent calls for higher risk young people, where required.
‘Virtual’ Youth clubs: Activities to do at home, Health & Wellbeing (exercise, eating, dealingwith depression), youth issues and concerns
Alternative plans for our ‘Virtual’ Easter holiday Playscheme developed.
Volunteers – to provide practical help or support with basic tasks
Partnership working: Liaison with potential key partners and agencies to help with anyqueries or concerns raised by young people or their families.
Schools Work: Regular contact between PDP and Leith Primary School, 1-1 session withpupils via Zoom. Phone calls to parents that we currently support made on a weekly basis. The young people we are currently supporting have been invited to take part in virtual youth work sessions and activity packs are delivered by hand or sent out by post.

Please note – we have a new contact number as we are working remotely – 07375 918524. We can send out referral forms, in case you know of any older folk, volunteers, children, young people or families in NE Locality you think we could support or just get in touch! Stay Safe

Contact:

Anne Munro
Manager
Pilmeny Development Project
19-21 Buchanan Street
Leith, Edinburgh EH6 8SQ
PDP Mob: 07375 918524
Email: annemunro@btconnect.com www.pilmenydevelopmentproject.co.uk

Dryden Gait substation work completed

The new transformers have now been energised and the work has been completed along with the underground cabling work.

The contractors have now left the site and the road has been temporary reinstated of excavation on Dryden Gait this will be permanently reinstated once authorisation is given for Scottish Power Energey Network contractors to return after the COVID-19 crises are over.

Leith Central Community Council recieved an email from Scottish Power Energy Networks.