How to get a calendar for recycling collections in Edinburgh...

Red and Blue Boxes 

Green, brown and food bins

Civil Enforcement of Bus Lane Contraventions

The City of Edinburgh Council have written to the secretary of the Community Council to inform us that they propose to promote a new traffic regulation order. This will allow contraventions of bus lanes to be enforced by the City Council using cameras rather than relying on the police.  


Formal objections are not yet invited: statutory consultation will follow. 


However any immediate comments are welcomed, by 20 August, to john.richmond@edinburgh.gov.uk. 

for comment: draft planning guideline on Change of Use in Residential Properties

The City of Edinburgh Council are seeking views on a draft planning guideline: Change of Use in Residential Properties. 

This has been prepared to support local plan policy dealing with changes of use in residential properties.  It will replace existing guidelines on: Guest Houses (1998); Private Day Nurseries (1999); and Working from Home (2006). 

When approved in its final form, the guideline will be used by the Council to assess planning applications for change of use in residential properties.

Comments are invited by Tu 13 April to rachel.gillen@edinburgh.gov.uk.

for consultation: planning guidance on Biodiversity, and Landscape and Development

Draft planning guidance has been produced to advise on good practise when considering Biodiversity and Landscape issues. Comments are now requested on:


*  Edinburgh Planning Guidance – Biodiversity (PDF, 2mb)
*  Edinburgh Planning Guidance – Landscape and Development (PDF, 2.5mb)


Please respond to naturalheritage@edinburgh.gov.uk before 23 April 2010.

Comments requested by 10 May: Developer Contributions for Public Realm

A Draft Developer Contributions for Public Realm Guideline  is now the subject of a consultation. This follows on from The Public Realm Strategy, which focuses on providing developers and practitioners with an understanding of the Council’s aspirations for a consistent and high quality approach to public spaces. The Public Realm Strategy states that funding for public realm projects can no longer be considered solely the responsibility of the public sector.


Whilst comments are welcome regarding any aspect of the guide, the Council would be particularly interested to hear your views regarding the following:


- Is the principle of developer contributions a good way of delivering public realm?


- Should the area of contribution be limited to the Central Area?


- Is the level of contribution acceptable?


Comments are requested by Monday 10 May 2010 to craig.wood@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Draft for consultation: Antisocial Behaviour Strategy (2010-13)

A draft 3-year Antisocial Behaviour Strategy (2010-13) for Edinburgh is now available for public consultation.  This has been jointly prepared by the City of Edinburgh Council and Lothian and Borders Police.  Comments are welcome; please respond to antisocialbehaviour@edinburgh.gov.uk by 9 March 2010.

A paper copy is available from the MSCC secretary.

Volunteers sought for The Risk Factory interactive safety centre

The Risk Factory is Scotland’s only interactive safety centre, teaching children important safety messages in a fun way. Volunteers are vital to the delivery of the programme and help make our centre a roaring success.  Volunteers are trained on every scenario and given advice on how to deliver the safety messages as efficiently as possible as if the children were in a real life situation. The training includes regular talks from experts; “shadowing” following an experienced volunteer round to see ‘volunteering in action’; and one to one training and support from our volunteer co-ordinator.


Over the last three years the centre has gone from strength to strength, creating a great environment for children to learn about dangers they may face in the real world.  Recently the volunteers completed a questionnaire and when asked what they found most rewarding about volunteering, they answered seeing the children’s reaction, enjoyment, enthusiasm and participation in each scenario. If you would like to find out more and have a few hours spare either daytime or evenings, please contact Angela Hall.

Should Public Information Notices be published electronically? Let the Scottish Government know your view...

Comments on the Local Authority Public Information Notices (Electronic Publication) (Scotland) Order 2010 are sought by February 12, 2010. 

This order will enable electronic publication as an alternative to the duty to advertise in printed media.


Local authorities will be released to make informed decisions about providing the most efficient and effective service for their locality whether digital or printed media.

Public information notices are announcements that local authorities are legally required to publish. There are two types of PIN:

• Statutory Notices give required notice of an intended action, such as road closures, construction, licensing and planning/property developments.
• Public Notices inform people of changes to services, such as refuse collection.

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

Consultation on Built Heritage Strategy: comment by 14 Oct

A draft Edinburgh Built Heritage Strategy (PDF) is currently out for consultation, until 14 October.

This strategy "maintains and extends the Council’s commitment to the conservation of the built heritage by providing a statement of the Council’s strategic aims for the built heritage, and establishing comprehensive and integrated principles"

For more details and to make comments please contact Jack Gillon.

Comments invited on Draft Public Realm Strategy (by 16 Oct)

The City of Edinburgh Council is consulting on a Draft Public Realm Strategy.

Public Realm is defined as - ‘the parts of the city (whether publicly or privately owned) that are available for everyone to see and use without charge 24 hours a day, including streets, squares and parks.’ The city has an excellent track record in delivering public realm, but many key areas are yet to be improved. Undertaking these public realm improvement works will be critical to maintaining and enhancing Edinburgh's economic success as a place to live, work and do business.

The Strategy focuses on providing developers and practitioners with an understanding of the Council’s aspirations and vision for a consistent and high quality approach to public realm. It also highlights funding requirements to progress the implementation of this Strategy.

Before finalising the Edinburgh Public Realm Strategy the Council is making the draft strategy available for comment: please contact gina.bellhouse@edinburgh.gov.uk by 16 October 2009.

Breaking news: Events on Meadows restricted to 4 weeks?

Breaking news: The full Edinburgh Council today debated the manifesto on events on the Meadows.

Unconfirmed reports are coming in by e-mail (from Friends of the Meadows & Bruntsfield Links) that the council voted to restrict events to a four week duration.

More details will be posted as they become available.

Update (22:23): BBC News carries confirmation of the 4 week limit.

Update: Edinburgh Parks Events Manifesto - The Meadows and Bruntsfield Links

The most recent version of the Edinburgh Parks Events Manifesto: The Meadows and Bruntsfield Links has been published. It will be considered by the City of Edinburgh Council Policy and Strategy Committee on Tu 4 Aug.

It is disappointing to see that the points made regarding maximum period of occupation in the Short-life Working Group on the Meadows, and through the consultation by all but the Urban Circus, have been ignored.

The Friends of the Meadows are organising a deputation to the committee on Tu.

Update: controlled parking proposals rejected

Cameron Rose's newsblog this evening informs us that proposals to redraw the boundaries of parking zones 7, 8 and S1 have been rejected. The proposal made by MSCC to merge 7, 8 and S1 is to be re-examined.

update (29 Jul at 07:20): It has been brought to my attention that the MSCC proposal is actually to merge PART of zones 7,and 8 with S1.

Controlled Parking Zone - Amendments to Zones 7, 8 and S1

The Transport, Infrastructure and Environment Committee of the City of Edinburgh Council will consider a proposal to amend controlled parking zones 7, 8 and S1 (PDF) at their meeting on 28 July 2009. The proposal is not to merge zones 7,8 and S1 as proposed by MSCC but to amend some of the boundaries and introduce shared use bays.

Further changes to planning system

In addition to the changes to the planning mechanisms that started in April, further changes will come into force on 3 August. City of Edinburgh Council has written to us to draw our attention to these, including:

* New application types to replace outline and reserved matters applications.

* The Council will be carrying out neighbour notification instead of the applicant

* New requirements for design and access statements

* New requirements for notices to tell us when development starts and finishes

* Changes to how long planning permission lasts for

* New statutory scheme of delegation and changes to the current scheme of delegation. These schemes allows planning officers to take decisions on planning applications provided certain criteria are met

* A new appeals/review process. Local developments decided under the new statutory scheme of delegation will be open to review by the Council's Local Review Body rather than appeal to the Scottish Government.

* New enforcement powers regarding fixed penalty notices

Further information on these changes and on the previous ones are laid out in download-able leaflets. If you have further questions please contact mary.clarke@edinburgh.gov.uk or jo-anne.laidlaw@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Edinburgh Open Space Strategy

A city-wide open space strategy is being prepared for Edinburgh. The strategy aims to ensure that a coordinated approach is taken to protecting and developing the city’s network of open space. It will set standards of provision that the Council will be expected to meet. The strategy will be accompanied by action plans prepared in participation with the 12 Neighbourhood Partnerships in Edinburgh.  

The first stage of the project, the Draft Open Space Audit, is now complete and available for comment (until 10 Jul 09). Responses will be taken into account in finalising the audit, and will be the basis of detailed analysis which will inform the preparation of the draft strategy and action plans this autumn. There will be further consultation on the draft strategy and action plans early in 2010.

The audit identifies all significant areas of open space within the urban areas of Edinburgh and its western settlements. An interactive map presents basic information about the type, area and quality of open space.

You can give your views  by filling in an on-line questionnaire or by writing to Ben Wilson, Principal Planner, at openspacestrategy@edinburgh.gov.uk.  

An information stand will be at the Meadows Festival on Su 7 Jun and at the Canal Festival at Edinburgh Quay on Sa 27 Jun.  A series of consultation events (.doc) are also being held, including at the Gillis Centre at 18:30 on Th 25 Jun.  

If you would like to take part in a survey of play spaces for children and young people please contact Naomi Sandilands via openspacestrategy@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Do you receive Outlook newsletter from City of Edinburgh Council?

Members of some Community Councils in Edinburgh have indicated that certain areas in the city do not receive copies of Edinburgh Outlook from the City of Edinburgh Council.  If you, or a neighbour, do not receive Outlook please email your postcode to linda.c.murray@edinburgh.gov.

Neighbourhood Partnership meeting to discuss events on the Meadows

The South Central Neighbourhood Partnership will meet on Monday 11th May at 7pm in the City Chambers Business Centre.  

One of the matters to be discussed is events on the Meadows and in particular general comments on the approach to be taken (as laid out in a paper to be presented to the City Council's Policy and Strategy committee.

Other papers for the meeting are also now available.  

1. Go to Council Papers online. 
   
2. Click on "go to committee search"
3. Pick "South Central Neighbourhood Partnership" as committee name and "11 May 2009" as date.
4. Click "search"

events policy: paper to city council policy and strategy committee

As promised: the link to the paper on events including those in parks, to be discussed at the City Council's Policy and Strategy Committee meeting on 12 May 09.