City of Edinburgh Council consultation on priorities for public spending and suggestions for delivery of services

The City of Edinburgh Council are continuing to consult on our priorities for public spending, and suggest how services should be delivered:

"Your services are changing – play your part"

There’s still plenty of time to get involved and give views on what your priorities are for where you live and how they should transform Council services.  Responses are requested by 18 Nov.

Like other cities, Edinburgh is changing:

·         our population is growing and changing

·         demand for our services is increasing all the time

·         council budgets are reducing

·         technology is improving.

We need to think about the future and how we can change and improve services by making better use of technology, working with partners and involving communities.

Participants of a previous budget challenge campaign told the council that they would like to be involved in helping the Council to identify solutions for maintaining and improving the quality of services.  So please play your part if you haven’t already done so.

They’ve improved their online pages and made it easier for you to give your views.

Edinburgh 20mph Speed Limits – first signs and lines going down

Edinburgh is the first city in Scotland implementing a citywide 20mph network. The new limit aims to reduce the risk and severity of road collisions, encourage travel on foot and by bike and help make the city’s streets more people-friendly.

The phased roll out of the 20mph network is planned over 18 months between June 2016 and February 2018. The city centre and rural west Edinburgh form the first phase, with the installation of signs and lines commencing at the beginning of June.  Work is scheduled to take 8 – 10 weeks, with minimal disruption expected. The new speed limit for this phase becomes effective on 31 July 2016. 

Approximately 50% of Edinburgh’s residential streets are already in 20mph zones. The project extends the 20mph speed limit to the city centre, main shopping streets and residential areas while retaining a strategic network of roads at 30mph and 40mph. View a map of the 20mph network and implementation timetable at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/20mph.

Large 20mph signs will define the entrance and exit of a 20mph area where the speed limit changes, followed by smaller repeater signs or road markings with speed limit roundels. Quick drying paint, with a traffic cone system will be used to install roundels at night.

Police Scotland support lower speeds across the city and are working with the Council to achieve this. Other partners including NHS Lothian, Lothian Buses, Living Streets, Spokes and Neighbourhood Partnerships are working with the Council to deliver the strategy. A high level of publicity and awareness raising is scheduled around the time when the schools return in August and in September 2016.

Myplace Edinburgh: add a photograph of a favourite Edinburgh place & say what makes it special

City of Edinburgh Libraries and the planning and transport service are running a competition Myplace: Edinburgh, as part of Edinburgh’s contribution to activities for Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016.

Between 1 June – 10 July 2016 participants are encouraged to add a photograph of their favourite Edinburgh place to Edinburgh Collected  and say what makes it special to them.  

South Centra£ Decides - VOICE YOUR CHOICE - Sat 30 April

The South Central Neighbourhood Partnership has over £200,000 worth of funding available for distribution in 2016/17 and residents of South Central are asked to Voice your Choice and decide which projects get what.   Anyone over the age of 12 is eligible to vote so long as they live in South Central.  Voting will take place at a marketstall event in the main Hall of the Methodist Church Hall, Nicolson Square on 30th April.

The money is split into three different "pots" – Community Grant Funding and two different sections of the Neighbourhood Improvement Programme.   

Check out the South Central Neighbourhood Partnership website where you can get information on all three funds and lots more about what’s happening.  

Community Grant applications are currently being sought from local groups – the closing date is Friday, 25^th March so if your group is interested, please get a move on.   We are keen to reach the wee groups that are working away quietly in a local hall and who could really do with some money to buy some new equipment etc.  Groups will be given a stall at the event and local people can come and chat about the applications before they score them.

We want loads of local people to turn out on the day when you will able to wander round the three Zones we will create and then score the projects.  It’s should all be very easy and good fun.

If you need any further information please contact Mags Campbell, Partnership Development Officer.

Parking in Edinburgh - Consultation running till 31 October

A consultation is underway on parking in Edinburgh. The draft parking action plan  sets out a range of actions and was approved by the Transport and Environment Committee on 25 August. 

The main actions include:

·         The extension of parking controls to cover weekends/Sundays and into the evening

·         The roll out of shared use parking places

·         The introduction of visitor permits in the city centre

The City of Edinburgh Council want to know what you think about the parking proposals to ensure the Council makes the right decisions about parking in Edinburgh.  Once you’ve read the proposals, please fill in the questionnaire.

Drop in Events

Community - Monday 28 September from 2 – 5 pm, in the City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh

Business - Monday 5 October from 11.30 – 2.30 pm in the Consort Suite, Roxburghe Hotel, 38 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh

Further information and a full list of  local drop in sessions and engagement events is  available on the Council’s Consultation Hub at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/parkingconsultation. 

The consultation is open and you can feed back until 31 October. 

Comment on Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership Draft Strategic Plan (& consultation event 8 Oct)

The Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership are keen to hear from you on their first draft strategic plan, which sets out the priorities they propose to pursue in order to achieve the shared vision for a caring, healthier and safer Edinburgh.  Responses are requested until 31 Oct 2015. 

The financial environment continues to be challenging for local authorities and health boards. However a great opportunity now exists to plan and deliver joined up services with citizens and communities.   

The South Central and Liberton Gilmerton Neighbourhood Partnerships have organised a consultation event on Th 8 Oct between 2pm and 4pm in the Eric Liddell Centre, 15 Morningside Road (Holy Corner).  This event is designed to give those of you with a greater interest, the opportunity to discuss the plan in more depth.

New waste recycling service comes to the Grange in Phase 5 of the changes

http://www.theedinburghreporter.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/10440812_892468774115972_2635584351877980749_n.jpg

The new City of Edinburgh Council waste recycling service comes to the Grange in Phase 5 of the changes. 

A map showing streets included is also available.

Edinburgh by Numbers 2015

City of Edinburgh Council have published a useful Edinburgh by Numbers 2015 resource.  This is a online collection of city facts and figures, with links to more information.

You might also find an interactive mapping tool provided by Datashire Scotland helpful. This allows the entire map of Scotland to be searched by key 2011 census stats (e.g. postcode level, health board, parliamentary ward etc).

Teen Triple P Group in Tollcross for Dads, Step dads, Grandfathers and other Male Carers

City of Edinburgh Council are delighted to be able to offer a Teen Triple P Group for Dads, Step dads, Grandfathers and other Male Carers. This group will run at- 

Tollcross Community Centre

117 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh EH3 9QG

Wednesdays 6.30-8.30pm

30^th September- 9th December 2015 (excluding school holidays)

Please submit applications before Monday the 14^th September 2015

Sessions allow you to explore ways to

• build a strong relationship with your teenager
• resolve conflict
• manage problem behaviours
• help your teen stay safe.

If you are interested you can complete an online application form. Please state clearly if the application is for the Dad’s group.

Details of the other Teen Triple P Groups that are running across Edinburgh are also available.

Don't forget to vote in the UK Parliamentary General Election on 7 May 2015

The number of people registered and voting in the Scottish Independence Referendum was at a record level. Many people, including lots of older people, voted for the first time.  It would be great if people don’t just vote once in their lifetime but instead turn out every time to have their say on important matters.

Info from the council on how to find out where, when and how to vote

Your poll card tells you where your polling place is. Check that you’re going to the right place as it might have changed since the last time you voted.  You don’t need to bring your poll card with you to vote but it does help to make the voting process faster.

If you have a postal vote, follow the instructions carefully – your signature and date of birth on the statement are both needed.  A common reason for postal votes being rejected is the signature or date of birth not matching – make sure yours do. Please return your postal vote as soon as possible.

Whether you are voting in person or by post, make sure you vote with a single X. Please don’t write any other comments on the paper as then it might not be clear how you are voting.

Polling Places will be open from 7am until 10pm. Don’t leave it too late to cast your vote.

For more information about where, when and how to vote visit the City of Edinburgh Council website.

Why not join us on Wed 26 Nov at 19:30 to discuss matters of local importance?

new set of natural neighbourhoods for Edinburgh

The City of Edinburgh Council thank everyone who took part in their natural neighbourhoods consultation. They received thousands of responses using online surveys, a telephone survey and face-to-face methods. 

In a competition run jointly with Our Town Stories and Capital Collections  five lucky entrants won fabulous framed prints of their chosen “patch”.

The Council approved a new set of natural neighbourhoods for the city in September which you can view on an interactive map. These boundaries will be used by the Council and its partners to plan services, consultations and inform policy and strategy development.

If you’d like to know more, please contact the Business Intelligence Service at the City of Edinburgh Council.

Neighbourhood Partnerships – Making it happen

The South Central Neighbourhood Partnership’s local community plans 2014-17 are now available.

Thank you to everyone who gave their views to the Neighbourhood Partnerships, attended an event and completed a survey.  All the feedback gathered has been used to identify priorities to inform the new local community plans.  The priorities in the plans cover a range of themes including health, transport, environment, community safety, children and older people. 

Neighbourhood Partnerships bring together the community, Police, Health, Fire, voluntary sector and elected members, supported by officers from the Council.  Working together, Neighbourhood Partnerships aim to tackle the issues that matter locally and make neighbourhoods a better place to live.  

The South Central Neighbourhood Partnership local community plan 2014-17 is now available to view online at  Hard copies are also available from local libraries or neighbourhood offices.

To get involved in your local Neighbourhood Partnership visit one of our events, attend a Neighbourhood Partnership meeting or talk to us face to face in a local neighbourhood office.  You can also contact us online - tweet us your thoughts @Edin_NPs or send an email.

Convener

South Central Neighbourhood Partnership

Can you balance Edinburgh Council's budget? Have a go!

Edinburgh’s budget challenge The Council is facing a budget challenge which affects how much money they have to invest in our services in the coming years. The amount of money they get from the Government and through Council Tax has remained about the same, yet it’s costing more money to run services and there are more people in the city needing help. They need to save £67 million from their budget over the next three years and still make sure they can provide the services that are important to the people of Edinburgh. Play your part Tell them where you would invest and where you would save money to balance the Council’s budget. Please let them know your views by 19 December 2014. Watch a short animated film to find out more about the Council, the services they provide for the city and how you can have your say. Take the budget challenge with the online budget planner and tell them what services you would spend or save money on in 2015 to 2018. You can also comment on the 2015/16 budget proposals. Take a look at the overview, or download the full proposals. Your feedback will help the Council to make its final budget decisions on 12 February 2015. Find out more www.edinburgh.gov.uk/budget

Agenda for MSCC meeting on We 22 Oct 2014 at 7:30pm (including presentation on How the (City) Council works & Influencing the Council

Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council will hold its October meeting on 22 October 2014, at 7:30pm.  

The meeting will take place in our usual venue of St Catherine's Argyle Church halls on Beaufort Road/ Grange Road. 

This will be our second meeting of 14/15.  We will resume our regular practice of meeting on the fourth Wednesday of the month until June 2015 (with the exception of Dec 2014).

All who live or work in the area are most welcome to attend 

A G E N D A

 1                  Sederunt and apologies

 2                     Draft Minutes of last meeting, 24 Sep 2014 and matters arising (not otherwise on Agenda)

·       20mph response submitted

·       LDP response submitted

·       Letter about Christmas refuse /tree collections

 3                   Police Report

 4                  Presentation: How the (City) Council works & Influencing the Council

                  - Stuart McLean

Items for discussion

 5                  New planning applications (?)

 6                  Raising awareness of the Community Council (approval of leaflet)

 7                  Installation of new noticeboard

 8                  Cycle routes/ street improvements (Meadows to canal & Marchmont to Kings Buildings)

Items mainly for information

 9                  Update on Christmas tree lighting ceremony

10                  Treasurer’s report

11                  Reports of meetings

12                  Links to school councils

13                  AOCB

14                  Date of next meeting: 26 November 2014

Agenda for MSCC meeting on We 24 Sep 2014 at 7:30pm (including presentation on How the (City) Council works & Influencing the Council

Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council will hold its September meeting on 24 September 2014, at 7:30pm.  

The meeting will take place in our usual venue of St Catherine's Argyle Church halls on Beaufort Road/ Grange Road. 

This will be our first meeting of 14/15.  We will resume our regular practice of meeting on the fourth Wednesday of the month until June 2015 (with the exception of Dec 2014).

All who live or work in the area are most welcome to attend 

A G E N D A

 1                  Sederunt and apologies

 2                  Minutes of last meeting, 25 Jun 2014 and matters arising (not otherwise on Agenda)

 3                   Police Report

 4                  Presentation: How the (City) Council works & Influencing the Council

                  - Stuart McLean

Items for discussion

 5                  New planning applications (?)

 6                  Sciennes Playground

 7                  Raising awareness of the Community Council

 8                  Christmas tree lighting

 9                  20mph consultation

10                  local development plan

Items mainly for information

11                  Treasurer’s report

12                  Reports of meetings (neighbourhood partnership and civic forum)

13                  NP action groups: call for representation

14                  Community engagement survey

15                  Jawbone arch appeal

16                  Pedestrian Crossing: Marchmont Road (at W Pk Rd)

17                  Links to school councils

18                  Christmas refuse collections

19                  Noticeboard

20                  AAH redevelopment

21                  AOCB

22                  Date of next meeting: 22 October 2014

Speak up Speak out about children affected by drugs and alcohol

The misery suffered by children affected by alcohol or drugs is being spotlighted in the latest Speak up Speak out campaign. 


It’s the fifth in a series of campaigns by the City of Edinburgh Council, Police Scotland and NHS Lothian highlighting public protection issues. 




The campaign will tackle the issues and offer help, support and advice to youngsters whose lives are affected by drink and drugs:

• by targeting pregnant women, advising them to avoid drinking alcohol or taking drugs and educating on the risks of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
• by encouraging parents to act as role models and think about the effect of drinking in front of their children 
•  offering support to children whose parents have problems with drugs or alcohol supporting parents and carers to get advice on how to talk to their children about drinking and drugs
• signposting support services to children who are being pressured to take substances or are worried about friends
• asking neighbours worried about a local family to speak out on a child’s behalf
• by publishing a toolkit for professionals involved in the support of children affected by drugs and alcohol.

To coincide with FASD Awareness Day, a range of posters will be seen in venues across Edinburgh to spotlight the main issues and directing people to a variety of sources for help:

• edinburgh.gov.uk/speakupspeakout

• Social Care Direct, The City of Edinburgh Council’s social work service (0131 200 2324).

• Edinburgh & Lothian Council on Alcohol (0131 337 8188)

• Crew 2000 (0131 220 3404)

• ChildLine (0800 1111)

A radio advert will be aired on Forth One and Two from Tuesday 9 September and a series of child-friendly posters have been developed for primary and secondary schools.

If you’d like to hear more about the campaign or would like some campaign materials, please 
contact ann.duff@edinburgh.gov.uk

Proposed 20mph zone consultation

Following a successful pilot in South Edinburgh a 20 mph speed limit is proposed for the City Centre, main shopping streets and residential areas. Please see the map of proposed 20mph speed limits to see which streets will be affected.

Further information on the proposals can be found in a council report and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). 

Your views on the speed limit proposals are sought: please complete a questionnaire. Proposals will also be displayed in libraries and Council Offices from the end of August until 17 October.

A series of public meetings will be held. The one intended for Marchmont, Sciennes and Grange residents is at the City Chambers on Tu 23 Sep at 7pm.