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Edinburgh Council Planning Service Update: 24 April 2020

Following on from this post about the SG’s planning guidance on pre-applications, Edinburgh Council’s planning department has emailed community councils about how it is changing services in response to coronavirus.

Dear Community Councillors

We are writing to make you aware of a recent change to our service.

We are adapting our service so that we can support communities and businesses across Edinburgh through this difficult time. Our aim is to boost online public input to planning processes so that we can make and issue decisions which will both help with a swift recovery and a positive future for the city.  To do this we have introduced ways for people to stay informed and comment on planning proposals despite the coronavirus lockdown.

We are now:

  • Starting our publication of applications that we have received since the lockdown commenced in March.
  • Issuing neighbour notification letters by post, with the planning portal open for comments to be made on applications.

Continue reading →

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Kerbside glass recycling: reintroduction

(copied from a members briefing forwarded to LHNCC by Cllr Gordon Munro)

We will be reintroducing kerbside glass recycling collections from Tuesday, 28 April, when they will return to usual fortnightly collection schedules.

The service was suspended in March to help prioritise resources for other essential bin collections while enabling waste collection crews to observe social distancing guidelines.

Following the return of several team members from absence, as well as the bedding in of new collection arrangements, we will be able to reintroduce the collection of blue boxes for glass recycling.

We’re encouraging residents to put out only one blue box on their collection date, filled to the brim and not over-filled, and to store any excess glass for the next collection. This is to protect the safety of crews, as boxes may become too heavy to lift if overflowing.

Garden waste collections and special uplifts are currently suspended while Household Waste and Recycling Centres remain closed, though we’re working hard to reintroduce these services as soon as it is safe to do so.

Further information on changes to bin collections and other services can be found on the Council website.

For further information contact:

Andy Williams
Waste and Cleansing Service Manager
Email: andy.williams@edinburgh.gov.uk
Tel: 0131 469 5660

 

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Coronavirus (COVID-19): planning guidance on pre-application consultations for public events

(text copied from a post on the Scottish Government website dated 23 April 2020)

Guidance issued on the temporary suspension of the requirement for public events in relation to pre-application consultation (PAC) and on both the effect of the Town and Country Planning (Miscellaneous Temporary Modifications) (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, which makes that temporary suspension, and on alternative online consultation.

A PDF is available here: Coronavirus (COVID-19): planning guidance on pre-application consultations for public events Continue reading →

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LHNCC agenda: April 2020

Given the unusual nature of the circumstances we are in, we are doing our best for the Community Council and also the best in our responsibility to deliver upon our commitment to the community which we serve.

Because LHNCC is currently learning how to conduct meetings online, this will be a members-only ‘discussion’ meeting.

  • LHNCC welcomes public input in advance via the website contact-form at https://lhncc.org.uk/contact-us/.
  • Public input is equally welcome at any time after the meeting.

LHNCC is aware that online meetings exclude those who cannot access them, whatever the reason. However, this is the best it can offer under the current circumstances.

We would also like to thank all the valiant people who are providing essential services across all sectors in our community and beyond.

  1. Introductions, apologies
  2. Declaration of interests
  3. Minutes of February 2020 meeting
  4. Matters arising
  5. Police Report tbc
  6. Report from Councillors
  7. Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and tbc Vice Chair reports
  8. Standing reports
    1. Planning
      1. 20/01447/PAN (SCHEME): 106 – 162 Leith Walk, Edinburgh, EH6 5DX
      2. 20/01313/FUL: 57 Tower Street – 1 Bath Road, Edinburgh EH6 8BB
      3. Letter in response to CEC circular reporting on changes relating to Coronavirus
      4. Feedback from Cockburn Society Civic Trust meeting
      5. Scottish Government letter from Chief Planner – circulated to members
    2. Licensing
    3. Transport
      1. Trams/CCTT (Community Councils Together on Trams) – tbc Meeting 30 April
      2. EBUG (Edinburgh Bus Users’ Group) – Tbc Meeting with Lothian Buses 30th April
    4. Environment
    5.  Heritage
      1. Update on Steel Shed
    6.  Community
      1. Coronavirus
      2. Leith Festival Gala Day – Saturday 30 May 2020 tbc
  9. Choices for City Plan 2030 and City Mobilty Plan consultations – closing date extended to 30 April 2020
  10. Neighbourhood Networks
  11. AOCB
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What’s happening with £eithChooses projects?

(copied from a post on LeithChooses website)

The £eith Chooses team is of course very aware that normal service delivery and activities have been massively disrupted, for everybody. We have contacted all the community groups that won £eith Chooses grant funding awards in February 2020, to say that we would like to help in whatever way we can.

We understand that some organisations may not be able to deliver their project exactly when and how they had planned to, and that some really creative conversations will take place about possible /necessary adaptations.

We have allocated a named volunteer from the £eith Chooses Steering Group to link supportively with each project group, to join conversations about the direction groups feel they can safely take with their project, to reach the most vulnerable members of our community..
We are hoping that all groups can agree a plan before / by 28 June about how they will be able to use the funding within the spirit of the original agreement.
For example, project groups may aim to –

  • Stick pretty much to the original idea but tweak the delivery methods e.g. food going out to people rather than people coming to gatherings for food.
  • Deliver the original project idea but with a later start date (probably affecting the finish date).
  • Re-prioritise / redesign their original plan and suggest a new project idea that combats social isolation or food poverty right now, in this Covid-19 crisis.

Hopefully groups will not feel that their project cannot be rescheduled or tweaked or revamped in some way and want to return the funding.

Meanwhile, thanks and best wishes to all groups for everything they are doing in Leith

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Pilmeny Development Project: alternative service provision during COVID-19

Pilmeny Development Project (PDP) is offering a range of alternative service provision during COVID-19 for local people. Its referral form is here as Word document and a PDF.

Older People and Carers

  • PDP Risk Register: has been developed to indentify and prioritise older people and/or carers who may need increased levels of support
  • Telephone Befriending/contact – Regular weekly ‘Social Contact’ calls (to address social isolation and loneliness) or more often, as needed.
  • Volunteers: Recruited from within PDP & Leith Timebank to assist with practical tasks, e.g. shopping, collection of prescriptions etc
  • Provision of regular Newsletter (articles on safety and health issues, crossword, home based activity ideas, handy tips) which is posted out to older people. Many of our older folk in Leith don’t have smart phones and are not online so it is really hard for them to get information or feel in touch.
  • Partnership working: liaise with potential key partners/agencies to help with any queries or concerns raised by older people, carers or families in the course of our work.
  • Development of information and additional support: as identified by older people needs.

Children, Young People and Families

  • PDP Risk Register: Data base has been developed for young people and families
  • Telephone Contact: Regular, weekly social contact with all individual group members.Additional and more frequent calls for higher risk young people, where required.
  • ‘Virtual’ Youth clubs: Activities to do at home, Health & Wellbeing (exercise, eating, dealingwith depression), youth issues and concerns
  • Alternative plans for our ‘Virtual’ Easter holiday Playscheme developed.
  • Volunteers – to provide practical help or support with basic tasks
  • Partnership working: Liaison with potential key partners and agencies to help with anyqueries or concerns raised by young people or their families.
  • Schools Work: Regular contact between PDP and Leith Primary School, 1-1 session withpupils via Zoom. Phone calls to parents that we currently support made on a weekly basis. The young people we are currently supporting have been invited to take part in virtual youth work sessions and activity packs are delivered by hand or sent out by post.

Please note – we have a new contact number as we are working remotely – 07375 918524. We can send out referral forms, in case you know of any older folk, volunteers, children, young people or families in NE Locality you think we could support or just get in touch! Stay Safe

Contact:

Anne Munro
Manager
Pilmeny Development Project
19-21 Buchanan Street
Leith, Edinburgh EH6 8SQ
PDP Mob: 07375 918524
Email: annemunro@btconnect.com www.pilmenydevelopmentproject.co.uk

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UK Government coronavirus advice in several languages

(copied from an email from Police Scotland)

The UK Government’s COVID-19: guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection is available from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance

This includes information on staying at home in English, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Mandarin), French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Urdu and Welsh.

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National helpline numbers for coronavirus

0800 111 4000 is a national helpline to provide essential assistance to those who don’t have a network of support but who are at high risk of contracting COVID-19. Those with health problems are re-directed to phone NHS 111 (dial 111) or the NHS Inform website. More information is on the Scottish Government Website.

0800 028 2816 was the original helpline. It remains live for general advice and guidance on COVID-19. It is non-clinical.

GP practices remain available during usual hours.

Emergency services are unchanged on 999.