Tag Archives: Community engagement

Leith Neighbourhood Partnership News

Leith’s Local Community Plan 2014-17

The Leith Neighbourhood Partnership is now gathering information for its Local Community Plan for the next three years. This plan sets out what we will focus on achieving from 2014 – 2017. We want our actions and priorities to reflect Leithers’ views. The Leith community, including the people who live, work, volunteer and study here are best placed to know what Leith needs. This survey is the first step in finding out what local people want. Click here to give your views online (open until 31 March 2014). Paper copies are available in McDonald Road Library and Leith Library, or by contacting Loraine Duckworth. Survey results will be shared on the Neighbourhood Partnership website by the end of April.

Community Conference

A Community Conference will be held on 16 May 2014 at 2.00 pm in the South Leith Parish Church Halls, Henderson Street to discuss the survey results and other available information about the local area and its needs. The conference will help to start developing the Local Community Plan 2014 – 17 and set out how we can keep working together to make Leith an even better place. This event will be open to all who wish to attend.

Understanding Leith Public Meeting

The Leith Neighbourhood Partnership covers two council ward areas of Leith and Leith Walk. These wards are recognised for their high density, variety of activities, and diverse populations. How much do we understand about Leith and Leithers? A public meeting is being held at 7.00 pm on Thursday, 3 April 2014 Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pairce (Parkside Primary School) Bonnington. A presentation will be given on information from the 2011 Census. Everyone welcome.

Community Grants

A new financial year from 7 April 2014 brings with it a budget of £44,184. £22,092 to be allocated through the Leith Funding Panel in grants of up to £3,000 and £22,092 allocated through the next £eith decides programme. The Funding Panel meet on 9 April 2014, therefore any community grants applications submitted with all supporting documents by 28 March 2014 will be considered at that time. See the Community Grants Website Page to download an application.

£eith decides Participatory Budgeting

Thank you to everyone who participated in our fourth successful £eith decides. 1,035 Leithers allocated £22,885 to 26 local projects, choosing from a wonderful range of 43 projects.

Other Local News

Leith Time Bank is an exciting new idea that gives people the opportunity to share time and skills to develop their community. Time banking is a way for people to exchange their skills and time. For every hour members ‘deposit’ by doing something for someone, they are able to ‘withdraw’ equivalent support in time. In this way a new structure is provided for neighbourliness, creating a sense of community. For more information contact Mary O’Connell at marytimebank@btconnect.com or Anne Munro on annemunro@btconnect.com -or phone 553 2559.

Do you rent your home from The City of Edinburgh Council? Not much time left to have your say in the survey Your Rent, Your Priorities, which asks tenants what is most important to them and what their rent should be spent on. The consultation will run until March 2014.

Congratulations to All Together Edinburgh who have secured £10,000, from the Santander Social Enterprise Development Awards to create opportunities for people with learning disabilities.

DIARY DATES

Understanding Leith Public Meeting – 7.00 pm, Thursday, 3 April 2014 at Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pairce (Parkside Primary School) Bonnington.

Leith Funding Panel – 6.30 pm on Wednesday, 9 April 2014 at McDonald Road Library.

Meet the Funders – 1pm to 4pm,Thursday, 1 May 2014, Assembly Rooms , 54 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2LR

Leith Neighbourhood Partnership Board Meeting –6.00 pm, Thursday, 15 May 2014. Venue to be advised.

Community Conference – 2.00 pm, Friday. 16 May 2014, South Leith Parish Church Halls.

Online information

SfC Neighbourhood Team Facebook Page

Vote for £eith decides facebook page.

www.edinburghnp.org.uk/leith

The Cockburn Association (The Edinburgh Civic Trust)

This body exists to protect and enhance the beauty of Edinburgh. Its work includes

protecting Edinburgh’s historic skyline
supporting ‘repair and reuse’ of historic buildings
the development and proper use of sustainable transport systems, with priority given to public transport, cycling and pedestrian environments in Edinburgh

On Monday 21 march, Marion Williams, director of the CA, spoke to Leith Central CC about how the two bodies could work together to influence the forthcoming local development plan. Both LCCC and CA wish brownfield sites to be used before any more encroachment on Edinburgh’s greenbelt occurs. To support such efforts, or to influence CA’s policies, please consider joining CA, either online or by downloading, completing and submitting this form:

Leith Central CC ratified Minutes, 17 February 2014

Click to download: 2014_02_17 final

These minutes were adopted with no changes from the draft version published on 26 February.

Feeling Safe Community Forum

The latest meeting of the Feeling Safe Community Forum, a sub group part of Leith Neighbourhood Partnership, was held on Tuesday 4^th March 2014. Twelve members of the public attended this first weekday evening meeting. (Previously meetings were held on Saturday mornings.)

The Forum will no longer be selecting ‘Safer Neighbourhood Priorities’. This is because Police Scotland now set local Leith officers’ annual priorities. Instead, the forum will now select four quarterly ‘Feeling Safe neighbourhood priorities’ which will be led by Edinburgh Council’s Community Safety Team.

The next Forum meeting is due to be held in early June (exact date to be advised).

Local community plan 2014 – 2017

Leith Neighbourhood Partnership is now gathering information for its 2014–17 Local Community Plan. This plan’s actions and priorities should reflect Leithers’ views: people who live, work, volunteer and study here are best placed to know what Leith needs. A survey is the first step in finding out what Leith people want and is open until 31 March 2014.

Take the survey by 31 March 2014 – https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LeithCommunityPlan

Leith to accommodate more housing?

The Edinburgh Council Planning Department recently organised a briefing about changes in the latest Local Development Plan (LDP) for all Leith community councils as more land is needed for housing.

The Local Development Plan is a key strategic document that sets out a vision that shapes the future of Edinburgh for the next 10 years. Having made various comments on the latest LDP which was approved in March 2013, Leith community councils thought that they could put it at the back of the bookshelf until a further one came along in the next 5 year review.

However, Edinburgh’s housing requirement is set through the Strategic Development Plan (SDP). In approving the SDP in June 2013, Scottish Ministers significantly increased the housing requirement for Edinburgh (see below) and hence there is now a need for a revised Local Development Plan (LDP) to identify sites to meet the SDP’s increased housing requirement, a total of some 7,700 homes.

Leith with its extensive brownfield sites is an obvious candidate for increased housing, especially the Waterfront where the proportions of housing, proposed open space and docks are not yet written in stone, but there are also various sites in Bonnington.

The revised LDP is due to be considered by the Planning Committee on 15 May. There will be an opportunity to comment on document during a 10 week representation period – indicative dates are 27 June to 5 September.

Here’s the presentation from that briefing: Leith CC Briefing 270214

Leith Central Community Council

Representing Albion, Bonnington, Easter Road, Hillside, Leith Walk, Pilrig and South Leith