Annual Conference: Association of Scottish Community Councils - Saturday 14th November at the Scottish Parliament

The 2009 ASCC Annual National Conference will be held on Saturday 14th November at the Scottish Parliament from 10am to 4pm. All Community Councillors in Scotland are welcome but priority will be given to member Community Councils. Speakers include:

* Jim McKinnon (Scottish Government Director of the Built Environment and Chief Planner for Scotland) - New planning laws and how they affect Community Councils.
* John Mayhew (Director, Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland) - The rural agenda for Community Councils
* Dr Evelyn Silber (Glasgow CC Empowerment Pilot Project) - The Glasgow Pilot - You can too!
* Henry Shanks (Solicitor, Retired CCllr ) - The legalities of CCs & Of Common Good
* Dr Nicola Welsh (National Development Officer) - Dialogue with Comm Cllrs

Tree Warden Scheme

The Tree Warden Scheme is a national initiative to enable people to play an active role in conserving and enhancing their local trees and woods. Tree Wardens are volunteers, appointed by Friends of Parks groups, Community Councils or other community organisations who gather information about their local trees, get involved in local tree matters and encourage local practical projects to do with trees and woods. A Tree Warden Scheme has been run in Edinburgh since 2004 and there are nearly 25 volunteers who help look after the trees and woods in their area.

The City of Edinburgh Council's Parks and Greenspace Forestry Service has taken over the running of the Tree Warden Scheme in the city and are now looking for new volunteers to get involved. A series of events have been arranged for the next year, including tree identification and tree planting. The Calendar of events gives the full programme. If you are interested in becoming a Tree Warden please contact steven.webley@edinburgh.gov.uk with your name, contact details, the group you represent and the training event you would like to attend.

News from Edinburgh World Heritage

A newsletter has arrived from Edinburgh World Heritage with items of news about the Edinburgh World Heritage site.

These include: Doors Open Day; Shandwick Place restored to its past glory; Nelson and Burns Monuments; international interns' and Edinburgh's historic graveyards added to Watch list - Occtober 2009

Quartermile Square almost open

The public square at the middle of the Quartermile development is reaching completion but none of the surrounding buildings seem yet to be occupied.

Anything for PC Yocksan Bell

Unfortunately Yocksan Bell, the local community beat police officer, could not attend tonight's community council meeting. He asks anyone with a query or concern to contact him directly.

PC Yocksan Bell
CBO - St Leonards
662 5022

yocksan.bell@lbp.pnn.police.uk

New office bearers

At this evening's community council meeting the following were nominated and (there being only one candidate for each office) appointed as office bearers. The blog contact details have been altered accordingly:

Chair: Melanie Main

Vice-chair: Sarah Sandow

Treasurer: Sarah Marchbank

Secretary: Alastair Philp

AGM of Meadows Festival Association - Tollcross Community Centre at 19:30 on 12 Nov

The Annual General Meeting of the Meadows Festival Association will be held at Tollcross Community Centre (Tollcross Primary School, 117 Fountainbridge Edinburgh EH3 9QG) on Thursday 12 November 2009 at 7.30 p.m.

The Meadows Festival is run by a small group of local people who are the members of the Association. It can't happen without community support. They have started planning a 2010 Festival, but always welcome new help and new blood.

If you use Facebook you can signal your intention to attend by visiting the event page for the meeting.

Next MSCC meeting is on We 14 Oct at 7:30 at St Catherine Argyle on Grange Road

The next MSCC meeting is on We 14 Oct at 7:30 at St Catherine Argyle on Grange Road.

Agenda:

1. Sederunt and Apologies.
2. Minutes of Meeting held 9 September 2009
3. Matters Arising
4. Police Report.
5. HMO update

6. Neighbourhood partnership update
7. Lunch club
8. The Future/election of office bearers
9. A.O.C.B.
10. Next meeting Wednesday 11^th November, 7.30pm

South Central Neighbourhood Partnership meeting will be on Mo 12 Oct 09 at 7pm at City Chambers

The next meeting of the City of Edinburgh Council South Central Neighbourhood Partnership will be held on Mo 12 Oct 2009 at the City Chambers Business Centre.

Papers will shortly be available and I will post a link on this blog entry. I imagine that the agenda will feature reports from the sub-group on HMOs and an update on the Meadows Manifesto.

update (20:42 on Tu 6 Oct 09) - links to papers added below. There will also be a presentation on the Edinburgh Trams Project

agenda

Previous Minute 10.08.09

Report - Neighbourhood Partnership Review - Update	Report - Fairer Scotland Fund Progress Report Dumbiedykes	Report - Meadows and Bruntsfield Links Group	Report - Tollcross Regeneration update - Proposed Shop Front Improvements	Report - Southside Corridor Environmental Improvement Plan
Report - Neighbourhood Partnership Community Grants Fund	Report - Temporary Greening of Development Sites	Report - A City for All Ages - Edinburgh's Joint Plan for Older People - Progress Report	Report - Public Question Form