Tag Archives: Environmental issues

Greenspace Masterplan and Feasibility Study – Leith Chooses Application for Funding

There are many small pockets of public land in Leith, currently barely fit for purpose, that could become desirable green spaces. Leith Central Community Council have joined up with Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council to make a bid for funding that could make this happen. We want to create a master plan for all of Leith’s greenspaces so that they can be adopted by the City of Edinburgh Council and their existence as green lungs for Leith ensured for the future.

If LCCC and LHNCC get funding we will search out those spaces to improve, some of which have already been earmarked by the public through a series of consultations and workshops by Leith Creative.  We will also take forward the comments from the 3000 individuals that took part.   Around one third made made clear their wish to improve greenspace in Leith.  These were some of their suggestions:

  • Form a green network in Leith connecting clean green spaces and waterways.
  • Improve the maintenance of the cycle path network. More green space management, more    bins.
  • Invest in smaller green spaces in Leith.
  • Designated ‘dog areas’ in larger parks, separate from children’s play areas.
  • Form a green network in Leith connecting clean green spaces and 
waterways.
  • Improve the maintenance of the cycle path network.

To have a chance of winning this funding we need as many of your votes as possible. The best way is to come to the Leith Chooses Event on Saturday 3 March at the Kirkgate 12noon to 3pm.

Am I eligible to vote?
• Anyone 8 years old or over, and you live, work, study or volunteer in Leith, can vote. This includes areas of Broughton, Bonnington, Bellevue, Abbeyhill and Newhaven. Your address/postcode will be checked.
• Visit Leith Chooses for more details and to view the map.

How do I Vote?
• Come along on Saturday 3rd March to the Leith Community Centre, 42 New Kirkgate, Leith, EH6 6AD and vote in person between 12pm-3pm.
• There will be FREE food and refreshments, face-painting, glitter tattoos and balloon modelling.  You can meet the applicants, hear/chat informally about all the great projects on offer, and then cast your votes for your favourites.  If you come along and vote in person, you also get a bonus online vote.

How will voting be done?

Everyone will vote three times – once each for the three different grant pots; small, medium and large. (The small, medium and large projects will be grouped together in three separate rooms.) Our project is in the large category.  You will just cast four votes per room, by ‘posting’ coloured vote cards for your favourite projects in that room. You can only vote once for any one particular project.
Online Voting
If you can’t get to the Voting Day social event, you can vote online, from 3 -10 March.  You can browse online, but in order to actually vote, you need to log in with a unique voter Access Code, which you can get from Leith Library, MacDonald Road Library, or from any of the Leith Chooses team (who will be out and about all week in various locations and also at Voter Support Sessions, see below).

Week beginning 5th March 2018, voter support sessions will be held as follows:
Mondays: Leith Library, Ferry Road, 12-2 pm and 5-7 pm
Tuesdays; MacDonald Road Library, 12-2 pm and 5-7 pm
Wednesdays; Leith Community Centre, 12-8 pm (Cafe)
Friday and Weekend – out and about around Leith (details later)

If you can’t get hold of an Access Code that way, you can email in and be issued (but not quite immediately) with an Access Code. The email address will not be live until voting opens on 3rd March.
Email:  leithchooses@edinburgh.gov.uk
Can Leith Chooses help you?
If you are unable to attend the Voting Day in person, or can’t easily vote online for whatever reason, Leith Chooses are very happy to do whatever they can to help you to vote. Please just get in touch as soon as possible, explain your situation and they’ll try and find a solution. You are most welcome to email with any queries you may have: contact@Leith Chooses

LCCC minutes: November 2017

Minutes of the ordinary meeting of Leith Central Community Council, held in Nelson Hall, McDonald Road library on Monday 27 November 2017 at 7:00pm

Actions and decisions are red underlined. nem con means that no-one spoke or voted against a decision. URLs added by minutes secretary. Continue reading →

Building Scotland’s Low Emission Zones (LEZs)

(adapted from an email from Transport Scotland)

Transport Scotland is trying to raise awareness of a Scottish Government consultation called Building Scotland’s Low Emission Zones (LEZs).

Air pollution in Scotland has progressively reduced over recent years, but poor air quality – predominantly caused by road transport – remains an issue at a number of hotspots in our towns and cities.

Following the May 2017 local elections, several local authorities in major Scottish cities have made positive statements around LEZs, and we are encouraged to see the strong political will across local government to support improvements to air quality. The Programme for Government committed to introducing LEZs into Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow between 2018 and 2020.

The Building Scotland’s Low Emission Zones consultation paper sets out the proposed arrangements and options to deliver a consistent approach to designing, building and managing LEZs in Scotland. Transport Scotland invites your everyone to respond to the consultation at https://consult.scotland.gov.uk/transport-scotland/building-scotlands-low-emission-zones/ or by emailing comments to lezconsultation@transport.gov.scot.

The consultation will close at 23:59 on 28 November 2017.

Have your say! Protection and maintenance of Edinburgh’s setted streets

(adapted from an email from Edinburgh Council)

The City of Edinburgh Council is working in partnership with Edinburgh World Heritage and Historic Environment Scotland to develop a strategy for the protection and maintenance of setted streets.

Stone setts add significant historic and cultural value to the streets of Edinburgh and are an important feature of our cityscape.

We have a duty to protect the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site, Conservation Areas and other historic parts of the city. This protection includes the setting of Edinburgh’s many listed buildings, where setted streets are an integral part of their identity and authenticity.

However, when setted streets are not properly maintained, they can have implications for walking, cycling and driving. Damaged setts are often replaced with alternative materials like tarmac as a temporary solution. This can result in an unsightly and uncared for appearance.

Have your say

To help inform the strategy we’d like to know what you think about setted streets and their value to the city. We are also interested to know what impediments, if any, you think setted streets can have on our movement.

You can give us your views until Wednesday 11 October 2017 on our Consultation Hub.