Tag Archives: Environmental issues

Neighbourhood Environment Projects – how to get involved!

(adapted from an email from Loraine Duckworth of Leith Neighbourhood Partnership)

Leith Funding Panel has been working on ways of raising awareness of the Neighbourhood Environment Projects fund and increasing involvement from local people.

Please click to download a NEP Project Proposal Form. The process chart is to explain the process by which ideas for small(ish) environmental improvements from a community group or individual would be considered.  The proposal form sets out what is needed to process such an idea.

The next meeting of the Funding Panel is on 11 September. Please send ideas either to contact@leithcentralcc.co.uk or directly to Loraine.

Loraine Duckworth | Partnership Development Officer | Leith Neighbourhood Partnership | Services for Communities | City Centre

Leith Team| Cockburn Street| Edinburgh | phone: 0131 529 7403 | Mobile: 07739188437

New recycling scheme to be launched

(The following is adapted form an email to CC secretaries from Edinburgh Council.)

From 1 September Edinburgh Council will begin the rollout of the new recycling service in phases across the city, and it will be complete by summer 2015.

The Community Councils which will be affected in the first phase will be:

  • Craigentinny/Meadowbank
  • Northfield/Willowbrae
  • Portobello
  • Craigmillar
  • Liberton & District
  • Gilmerton Inch
  • Grange/Prestonfield
  • Granton & District
  • Trinity
  • Stockbridge/Inverleith
  • Drylaw/Telford
  • Leith Harbour & Newhaven
  • Leith Links

From September through until summer 2015, red and blue boxes will be replaced by wheelie bins and boxes.  Edinburgh Council will be rolling out this new recycling service to approximately 140,000 residents with individual wheelie bins.

The new service will allow residents to recycle more of their waste and make it easier by less sorting of items. They will also be able to recycle lots more plastics; including bottles, pots, tubs and trays and also small electrical items.

We will be supplying residents with a smaller wheelie bin (140L) that will be used for general waste. The green wheelie bin will change from being a landfill bin to a recycling bin. It will be used for mixed recycling (plastics, paper, cardboard, cans etc) and they will continue to use their blue box (for glass), food and garden recycling. The red box will no longer be used, and we will collect those that residents don’t want to keep.

All bin collections will be on the same day each week – one week it will be general waste and food bins. The next week it will be the recycling bin and box, garden waste and food waste bins.

Introduction of the new service will be done in phases to ensure that Edinburgh Council are able to resolve any issues as they arise, and can look to make any improvements, as the service roll out progresses.

How will you residents get to know about the changes?

Edinburgh Council will be running a full scale communications and engagement campaign to support residents throughout the roll out. This will include information being sent direct to those affected before the start of the new service with introductory information on the new service. Edinburgh Council will send another information pack near to the start date that will include a collection calendar, details on what items go in each bin, a sticker for their glass box, and where to find out more.

Posters, signs, press, web and social media updates will also happen throughout the roll out.

Edinburgh Council are running events across the city, to speak to residents about the new service.  These are listed on this page:http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20001/bins_and_recycling/22/roadshows_and_events. Edinburgh Council have also briefed their customer and neighbourhood teams to make sure they are aware of the changes.

Brief information on the new recycling service is on this web page: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20001/bins_and_recycling/1023/new_recycling_service

 

Information about affected streets and a map is on this web page, with a downloadable guide: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20001/bins_and_recycling/1074/when_your_bin_and_recycling_collections_are_changing

 

[Sent by]

Julie Dickson on behalf of

Justine Taylor MCIWM Chartered Waste Manager | Waste and Open Spaces Development Officer | Waste Services | The City of Edinburgh Council | 33 Murrayburn Road | Edinburgh | EH4 2TF | Tel 0131 469 5661 | Fax 0131 469 5149 Email justine.taylor@edinburgh.gov.uk

Waste Action Grants

(adapted from Leith Links CC)

Communities across Edinburgh are being urged to submit their applications to the City of Edinburgh Council for a Waste Action Grant as the deadline fast approaches.

Both small and large grants are available to fund eco-friendly projects that will encourage more people in the Capital to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Environmentally conscious householders, community groups, youth groups and schools are all being urged to submit applications for funding by Thursday 31st July.

A range of funding is available, from smaller grants of £50-£200 to larger grants of £500 – £2500.

For more information, see http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20034/funding_opportunities/650/waste_action_grant

Coomunity empowerment bill published

Headlines from the press-release (link below)

A new law will reform existing community right to buy and include measures to make it simpler for communities to take over public sector land and buildings.

The existing community right to buy will be streamlined and extended to cover all parts of Scotland, as part of plans to have one million acres into community ownership by 2020.

There is provision for communities to take over public sector land and buildings where they can show they can deliver greater public benefit with those assets.

Rules on Scotland’s local authority allotment sites will also be simplified strengthening the duty on councils to provide sites triggered by actual demand. The Bill will also protect allotment sites from closure.

The Local Government Minister also confirmed an increase in funding from the People and Communities Fund by £1.5 million to £9.4 million per year in 2015-16.

 

The following was sent by Scott Sayers | Community Empowerment Unit | 0131 244 0382

The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill was published today and can be found on the Parliament’s website at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/77926.aspx. You will also find the accompanying documents there; the Policy Memorandum, Explanatory Notes and Delegated Powers Memorandum:

The Analysis Report and Social Research findings on the responses to the second consultation have been published today and can be found via the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/engage. This link also directs you to all historical documents relating to the Bill.

Here is a link to today’s Scottish Government news release relating to the Bill: http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Increased-powers-for-Scotland-s-communities-d88.aspx

The Scottish Community Development Centre has launched a new website for communities, funded by the Scottish Government, today.  The website aims to puts communities in the spotlight by connecting people and sharing ideas: http://www.communityscot.org.uk/

REVIEW OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR NOISE REGIME: Call for Evidence,

What: call for evidence about antisocial noise policy
Where: via web(?)
When: 22nd May 2014
Who: 22nd May 2014
Cost: nil

Here’s the full announcement:

Please see the link to a consultation on the Scottish Government website.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2014/05/9660

This is a Call for Evidence to support a policy review of the noise regime under the Antisocial Behaviour (Scotland ) Act 2004 Part 5. The noise provisions which came into force in 2005 introduced a fixed penalty notice deterrent for domestic noise offences for any part of the day or night.

The regime is being reviewed with the objectives of ensuring that the implementing regulations and guidance remains fit for purpose.  The consultation runs till 25 August 2014.

I have also attached a flyer (PDF) which we are running in conjunction with Environmental Protection Scotland.  Places are limited and if you wish to attend please use the contact details on the flyer.

Please feel free to forward this email to others in your organisation.

Linda Story
Policy Advisor
Pollution & Strategic Delivery
Environmental Quality Division
Scottish Government
Area 1H North
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
tel. 0131 244 1521
fax. 0131 244 0211 e-mail : linda.story@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

 

Did you know that Noise Action Week 2013 is taking place between 19th and 24th May? Find out more about this initiative to tackle local noise problems atwww.noiseactionweek.org.uk.