Author: Bruce Ryan

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Parks and Greenspace management – what do you think?

(adapted from an email from Edinburgh Council’s Parks and Greenspace Service)

The Parks and Greenspace Service (P&GSS) is carrying out a review of the management of a small selection of the events held in Edinburgh’s public parks in 2014-15 and would like to hear your views and comments. P&GSS will use the information you give to identify specific issues and problems, seek solutions and implement any appropriate suggestions in time for next year’s programme.  The review will close on Thursday 1st October 2015.

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What matters to YOU?

(with thanks to the Scottish Community Alliance for permission to re-use their text in this post)

The idea to crowdsource a Fairer Scotland policy comes from a Government that says it wants to be more open and transparent than ever before. But that’s going to be easier said than done. There’s a whole series of local events being run – as you’d expect – but the hope is that communities will really take it upon themselves to have these conversations. Small grants are available to help with that if needed.

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Help shape the future of local tax

Marco Biagi MSP is hosting a public consultation on September 9th at August United Church on George IV Bridge from 7PM . It will be open to all who wish to attend. The event will require no prior or expert knowledge and is aimed at giving everyone a chance to contribute based on their own experience as Council Tax payers and city residents.

You can register and find more information on this event:
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/public-event-help-shape-a-fairer-future-for-local-tax-tickets-18131335312
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Watch out – there’s a car-thief about

Housebreakers in Edinburgh often aren’t after the valuables in your home now. Instead they want your car keys so they can joyride your car – and then set it on fire. Advice from Police Scotland is to not store your keys visibly near your front door. Instead, keep them out of sight so that house-breakers can’t make off with car.

(with thanks to Sgt Nick Davies of Leith Police Station)

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Demolition of Imperial Grain Warehouse

(Adapted from a post on the Cockburn Association’s Facebook page)

Forth Ports have applied for planning permission to demolish the Imperial Grain Warehouse, associated out buildings and external plant | Grain Silo Imperial Dock

The Imperial Dock Grain Elevator is a multi-phase category B listed grain storage building sited adjoining the deep water dock on Leith’s waterfront. The original building dates from 1933-4 and was designed by JD Easton and AH Roberts for the Leith Dock Commission. It was added to and extended in the late 1950’s and late 1960’s. Internally, the building comprises a series of concrete bins used as grain storage silos with an access floor to the top and another to the bottom. To the front, an elevator block still houses the original conveyors and lifts. The building was listed in 1995 when still in use, and was noted as a remarkable survival containing its early machinery.

To find out what Forth Ports want to replace it with, please log onto Edinburgh Council Planning Portal and enter 15/03779/LBC into the search box.

You have until 11 September to comment on this application to demolish a listed building.

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Grab a Grant for Autumn!

(adapted from an email from Edinburgh Council)

Grab a Grant for Autumn!

Action Earth is helping to get people and communities busy outdoors.  The campaign has grants to give to groups of volunteers who are carrying out environmental projects in Scotland.

Grants from £50 to £250 are available for practical activities that involve volunteers in improving outdoor spaces or creating habitats for wildlife. Grants can be used to purchase plants, tools and materials or to cover volunteer expenses.

The campaign is run by Volunteering Matters (formerly known as CSV) from April to December each year and is supported by Scottish Natural Heritage.

If you have any questions contact Robert Henderson on T: 0131 622 7766 or  robert.henderson@volunteeringmatters.org.uk

For more information and to apply online go to www.volunteeringmatters.org.uk/actionearth

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Consultation on revised Developer Contributions and Affordable Housing Guidance

(adapted from an email from Edinburgh Council planning department)

The Second Proposed Local Development Plan (LDP June 2014) sets out a new approach to developer contributions and the delivery of infrastructure linked closely with the second proposed Action Programme (Updated May 2105). The Action Programme sets out the infrastructure, including education, transport, and greenspace actions, required to help mitigate the impact of strategic and planned growth and to deliver the proposals identified within the Plan.

Policies Del1 (Developer Contributions) and Del2 (Retrospective Developer Contributions) of the Second Proposed Plan require developer contributions from any development if:

  1. It will have a net impact on infrastructure capacity; and
  2. It is necessary to mitigate that impact by providing additional capacity or otherwise improving existing infrastructure.

To support this new approach, planning guidance on how the Council collects Developer Contributions and the approach to Affordable Housing has been updated.

A questionnaire has been provided on the Consultation Hub – here, to guide you through the proposed changes. Responses to this consultation should be provided by Friday 25 September 2015.

If you have any queries regarding the consultation or the guidance please contact me on 0131 529 6232 or via emailkate.hopper@edinburgh.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

Kate Hopper

Senior Planning Officer

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Planning and Building Standards – customer engagement

(Adapted from an email from Edinburgh Council Planning)
In June this year the Planning Committee approved a draft customer engagement strategy which explains how we intend to engage and communicate with all of our customers.  We are also proposing changes to our customer charter.  This sets out the level of service you should expect from us.These changes are due to a number of factors such as increasing demand, how our customers access the service and how we can continue to improve performance.We have two short surveys on the draft engagement strategy and our revised customer service charter and would appreciate your views on both.