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

Bike Marking – Middle Meadow Walk. 29 Oct between 3 and 6pm. First few free!

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

Volunteering For Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland – You have the power to change lives.

Every week over 1,200 volunteers across Scotland help Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) to deliver its services and / or help us to raise the funds needed to pay for them.

Delivering over 125,000 hours of volunteering, this equates to an economic benefit of over £1,200,000 to CHSS.

Volunteering is therefore vital to our charity and a highly valued way for people to interact with our charity and those that use our services.

If you would like to assist (volunteers in the Marchmont shop particularly welcomed) please contact Laura Croft who manages the Shop.

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

What do you think about online communications from the planning department?

The City of Edinburgh Council Planning Department are undertaking a short survey to get feedback on their online communications.  

Details of the survey can be found on the Planning Edinburgh blog.  

The survey shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to complete.  You can also take the opportunity to sign up to our blog.  Please respond by 8 Sep.

Please feel free to share the survey.

Edinburgh Local Development Plan - Second Proposed Plan - what do you think (by 3 Oct)?

The Council has prepared a Second Proposed Edinburgh Local Development Plan. It sets out policies and proposals to guide land use and development.

The Second Proposed Plan is accompanied by a Environmental Report - Second Revision, a Second Proposed Action Programme, a revised Draft Habitats Regulations Appraisal Record and a number of other supporting documents. These include a Schedule of Representations, which explains what regard has been had to representations made in 2013 to the first Proposed Plan.

All of these documents are available for inspection from 22^nd August – 3^rd October 2014 at:

• Planning and Building Standards Reception, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh between the hours of 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday.
• All Council libraries during normal opening hours.

A summary of proposals relevant to South Central Edinburgh is now available too.

Representations can be made on the Second Proposed Plan. These must be submitted in writing using the form provided by 5.00pm on Friday 3 October 2014. Representations can be submitted electronically to localdevelopmentplan@edinburgh.gov.uk or by post to Local Development Plan Team, City of Edinburgh Council, Business Centre G.3, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG.

Copies of the representations form and guidance note on submitting representations are available on the above website, at Waverley Court and in Council libraries.

If you made a representation to the first Proposed Plan in 2013, please note that you will need to resubmit your representation if you wish it to be formally considered by the Council and dealt with through the examination process.

Written comments can also be submitted on the Environmental Report, Action Programme, Draft Habitats Regulations Appraisal Record and other supporting documents. These should be sent to the above email or postal address by Friday 3^rd October 2014.

Drop-in engagement events have been arranged to provide further information on any aspect of the Second Proposed Plan:

• North West Edinburgh, Rosebery Hall, Queensferry, 26 August, 3.30-6.45pm.
• West Edinburgh, Drumbrae Library Hub, 28 August, 4-7pm.
• South East Edinburgh, Kings Manor Hotel, Milton Road, 1 September, 4-7pm.
• South West Edinburgh, Gibson Craig Hall, Currie, 3 September, 4-7pm.
• South East Edinburgh, Faith Mission Hall, Gilmerton, 4 September, 4-7pm.
• General session, Urban Room, Waverley Court, East Market Street, 22 September, 4-7 pm.

For more details see www.edinburgh.gov.uk/localdevelopmentplan

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.

Easy Read version of the Policy Memorandum for the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill

An Easy Read version of the Policy Memorandum for the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill has been published on the Scottish Government website.

Scottish Independence Referendum: Register to vote

1 in 10 residents are still not registered to vote

Don’t be the odd 1 out

The Scottish Independence Referendum takes place on Thursday 18 September 2014. But to vote you must be registered by 2 September 2014.

Not sure if you are registered?  Aged 16 or 17?  Moved home?

Contact the Electoral Registration Office on 0131 344 2500.

Being on the register gives you the chance to have a say on important issues that affect you. It can also improve your credit rating and help with background checks.

Find out where, when and how to vote in the Referendum

Use, don’t lose your vote

Engagement exercise on a new Climate Change Adaptation Framework for Edinburgh

An engagement exercise on a new Climate Change Adaptation Framework for Edinburgh has been launched.

The  draft Climate Change Adaptation Framework for Edinburgh and supporting Evidence Base  will set out the city’s approach to adapting to the impacts of a changing climate over the next five years. We want to ensure that the Framework is an accurate, up-to-date reflection of the impacts and risks of climate change to the city, and of the work already being done, in the process of being done, or planned to adapt the city to a changing climate. This includes updating and adding to the case studies included in the draft Evidence Base.

The Council are looking for your views on the high-level actions proposed and the suggested lower level actions, and how these actions should be taken forward.

Please spare a few minutes to fill in a short survey before 29 August. 

West Mains Allotments Open Day 27 July 1-5pm

Watch out: there's a thief about

Shopkeepers and residents in and around Roseneath Street should be aware that thieves have struck again in the area.  Several premises were broken into during the week beginning 6th July.

Make sure that doors and windows are kept locked (especially stair doors) and look out for unwanted visitors.

Keep the police aware. Community PC Thomas Archer (e-mail: EdinburghMeadowsMorningsideCPT@Scotland.pnn.police.uk; telephone: 101) at St Leonard's will be glad to hear from you.

A chance to help shape healthcare in Lothian

NHS Lothian have set out a draft strategic plan - Our Health, Our Care, Our Future – that describes what they propose to do over the coming decade to to help people live healthier, longer lives and continue to provide a high quality, sustainable healthcare system for the people of Lothian.

The plan outlines a range of proposals which will allow them to:

• improve the quality of care
• improve the health of the population
• provide better value and financial sustainability.

The full plan (PDF) is now available for your comments! 

You can read a 16 page summary (PDF) and fill in an online response form by visiting the Our Health, Our Care, Our Future pages of NHS Lothian's website. Responses are requested by 8 Aug 2014.

Edinburgh Canal Festival and Raft Race is this Saturday (21st) from noon

Edinburgh Canal Festival and Raft Race is this Saturday (21st) from noon.

Agenda for MSCC meeting on We 25 Jun 2014 at 7:30pm

Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council will hold its June meeting on 25 June 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 ninth and final meeting of 13/14.  We will then take a break until 23rd September when our regular practice of meeting on the fourth Wednesday of the month will resume.

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, 28 April 2014

 3                     Matters arising from the minutes 

·            Jawbones removal/refurbishment

·            Regulation of temporary sign size

·            Interaction with school councils

 4                  Police Report

·       Break-ins to local businesses

Items for discussion

 5                   Prioritisation system used for carriageways and footway

 6                  Marchmont Crescent Notice board

Items mainly for information

 7                   Treasurer's report

 8                    Planning matters

·            Local planning applications

 9                  Temporary Road Orders

10                 Neighbourhood Partnership

11                 Royal Edinburgh and Astley Ainslie Developments

12                  AOCB

13                  Date of next meeting: 24 September 2014