Leith Links Community Council response to ‘Leith Connections’ consultation

On Monday 1 March 2021 we held a virtual public meeting (using Zoom) where Community Councillors and assembled citizens gave due consideration to the City of Edinburgh Council ‘Leith Connections’ proposal & consultation.Leith Connections

We were very pleased that thirty two local citizens participated in the meeting, alongside our Community Councillors (and Councillors Booth & McVey) came along to engage with attending Council officials.

We used the discussions that took place as the basis of our formal response to the City of Edinburgh Council, which are we are pleased to make public this evening. Click here to view our response.

Our Chairperson, Jim Scanlon MBE said today ‘Firstly I’d like to thank Miles and Martyn from the City Council Leith Connections project team who gave up their time to attend the community council public meeting and answer questions from local residents.

We had an interesting range of questions and ideas from the community and hope that the team consider them as they produce finalised designs.’

 


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Scottish Parliament elections 2021: Notice of elections

Andrew Kerr, Chief Executive of City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for Edinburgh Constituencies has given official notice of the Scottish Parliament 2021 elections being called on 6 May 2021.The City of Edinburgh Council - Posts | Facebook

The formal notice can be viewed by clicking here.

If you wish to vote, or have someone vote on your behalf, you must make sure that you are on the Register of Electors at your current address. Click here for electoral information from the Lothians Valuation Joint Board.

The elections for Edinburgh constituencies are administered by City of Edinburgh Council who have posted various useful information on their website that can be viewed by clicking here.

 

 

 

Is this the right way to develop along Seafield Road?

There is an online public consultation event on Thursday 28th January, by  Manse (Seafield) LLP, between 3pm and 7pm. You can attend and give your views.

https://seafieldroad.scot

Manse are proposing to submit a planning application for the Peter Vardy Vauxhall site, at 22-25 Seafield Road, where they want to build 2 very large blocks of flats. This is not strictly speaking in the Leith Links area, but it borders on it. Any new development along there will undoubtedly impact upon the Leith Links area. We would urge you to look not only at the plans Manse bring forward, but to think about them in the wider context of what the whole Seafield Road area could become.

Is developing individual segments like this the right way to go? Or could this proposal be be seen as leading to uncoordinated piecemeal development?

Overall, Seafield is a huge site stretching from the Sewage works right along to the erstwhile bus garage at the Portobello end. We all want to see new homes built, but do we want just any old blocks of flats, or could we aspire to more, for this unique seaside site?

» Read more

City of Edinburgh Council considers demolition of disused Leith Links building

City of Edinburgh Council have this week announced that they are considering demolishing a disused building on Leith Links. The building which is located next to the tennis courts and bowling greens has been unused for some time.Image

Members of Leith Links Community Council were informed at our meeting of Monday 30 November 2020 that the demolition is being considered due to anti social behaviour at the site and the building being in a poor condition.

We are not aware of the Councils full intentions for the site at this time.

If any citizens have any views as to whether the building should be demolished or not please do share your views (as well as any questions etc) with the three Leith Ward Councillors;

And please do share your views in the comments box below so that we know your views.

 

 

Congratulations Councillor Ethan Young

Earlier today City of Edinburgh Council announced that Ethan Young (Scottish National Party) has been elected to represent the Craigentinny/Duddingston ward at the City Chambers.

Councillor Young now automatically becomes an ex officio member of Leith Links Community Council.

Speaking on behalf of Leith Links Community Council Chairman Jim Scanlon said;

On behalf of Leith Links CC I would like to congratulate Ethan and look forward to seeing him at our next CC online meeting. I hope we can work together constructively on issues effecting local residents.

Latest Spaces for People representation lodged with City of Edinburgh Council

Earlier this evening Leith Links Community Council submitted a further representation to City of Edinburgh Council regarding its Spaces for People programme.

The submission to City of Edinburgh Councils Transport and Environment Committee, and Leith Ward Councillors Booth, McVey and Munro has been made ahead of its meeting due to be held on Thursday 12 November 2020 from 10am. Click here to watch the meeting live on the internet and read the papers for the meeting.

Commenting on the submission Community Councillor Sally Millar said;

It does not seem right that decisions are being made about our area without consulting local people. And if the council really has monitored traffic and done impact assessments, then where are the data?

» Read more

£eith Chooses 2021 – it’s happening!

It was unclear whether or not £eith Chooses would be able to go ahead this year or not, but the good news is Yes! It’s happening!

The application process for £eith Chooses 2021 is now open – and your community group is invited to apply.

To find out more, and to download an Application Form, head over to the £eith Chooses website.

£eith Chooses (called £eith Decides, originally) is an annual event since 2010 in which members of the local community in Leith vote to make the decisions on how community grants funds are to be allocated to local community projects. It’s called ‘participatory budgeting’ (PB) but its more than that – it’s a brilliant form of community engagement and involvement,  as local voters get to know about the great community groups and projects in their area.

Leith Links Community Council has been very closely involved with this process for many years, having been the successful recipient of Scottish  Government  funding to support PB (between 2016 – 2019) and also very actively involved in the day to day running of the organisation of £eith Chooses (via the Steering Group – a partnership between the Leith Community Councils, the City of Edinburgh Council, and community groups in Leith).

City of Edinburgh Council by-election: Ward 14 – Craigentinny / Duddingston.

Due to a vacancy caused by a resignation, a by-election is to be held to elect one councillor to the Craigentinny / Duddingston multi-member ward of the City of Edinburgh Council.

  • Register to vote, or arrange a proxy or postal vote by 27 October
  • Polling will take place on 12 November 2020.

If you live in this area, please be sure to vote!

Thursday 12 November, from 0:700 until 22:00

Although most of the Leith Links Community Council area sits within the Leith ward (ward 13) area, the Eastern part of area sites within Craigentinny / Duddingston ward (ward 14).

Candidates standing in the by-election are;

  • Elaine Ford, Scottish Liberal Democrats
  • Margaret Arma Graham, Scottish Labour Party
  • Tam Laird, Scottish Libertarian Party
  • Andrew McDonald, Independent
  • Ben Parker, Scottish Green Party
  • Eleanor Price, Scottish Conservative and Unionist
  • Ethan Young, Scottish National Party (SNP)

For more information on the election please visit the City of Edinburgh Councils website by clicking here.

For more information on registering to vote, obtaining a postal vote or obtaining a proxy vote please visit the Electoral Registration Officer website by clicking here.

The map below details the Craigentinny / Duddingston ward area.

 

 

 

Seafield Update

Information received from Scottish Water:

“We wanted to make you aware that Veolia plans to clean the storm tanks at Seafield between Monday 21st September and Wednesday 23 September, next week.  This is the first available opportunity to complete this maintenance task following the recent heavy rainfall in the catchment area, and whilst weather conditions are forecast to be favourable.

In addition, as part of planned maintenance activities at the site, Primary Settlement Tank 1 (PST1) is to be drained and cleaned. This activity has been scheduled to commence today with work expected to take approximately one week.

Conditions are currently forecast to be favourable and every effort will be made to minimise the odour risk when carrying out these activities.

Both SEPA and the City of Edinburgh Council have been informed.

We will issue a further update once Veolia has completed the work.

Note: A link to this communication will be posted on social media and also on our website  – https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/seafield

As always if you smell any sewage it’s important that you complete our report form.

I can assure you that all public bodies and elected councillors sit up and pay attention to every complaint made. Your MSP Ben MacPherson has also worked hard on your behalf to secure a commitment by the Scottish Government to invest no regrets funding to reduce odour emissions in 2020/21 and a new state of the art sewage works will be built on the same site in 2030 hopefully to end the Seafield Stench.

Jim Scanlon

Chair, Leith Links Community Council

Rattray statue uncaged at last

After 10 years of fund-raising by Leith Rules Golf Society, amounting to an amazing £120,000 followed by motions to Parliament, Royal Consent and planning applications, the statue of John Rattray was cast by Powderhall Bronze and erected on its current position on the Links last September surrounded by a fence.

Finally, after a further year of negotiations with City of Edinburgh Council, the fencing came down yesterday.

Leith Links and Rattray have an important part in the history of golf. The original 13 rules of  the game were written down by Rattray for a competition on Leith Links in 1744. Those 13 rules were the foundation of the rules of golf up to the present day.

The statue belongs to the people of Leith and we should all be proud of this additional part of our rich history.

I hope we can all respect the statue and protect it from vandalism and I encourage you all, like me, to keep an eye on it to protect it.

Since yesterday there’s been lots of interest in Rattray and we hope it will attract visitors from all over the world who, fingers crossed, will also spend their money in Leith.

Jim Scanlon

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