According to Lesley Porteous, Planner at CEC:
‘due to the Covid-19 lockdown the online consultation has been extended until 1 June 2020’
This follows public drop-in events that were held in January.
The online consuiltation is here: https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/leith-walk-halmyre-street-site-brief
Readers might be interested in Leith Central CC’s draft response: https://leithcentralcc.co.uk/2020/05/11/our-response-to-the-leith-walk-halmyre-street-consultation
CEC emailed LHNCC and many others on 7 May about an extension of the consultation-period on the draft place-brief for Leith Walk/Halmyre Street.
I may have written to you previously to tell you we were looking for views on the draft place brief for Leith Walk / Halmyre Street. The place brief sets out a vision and key principles to inform the design of future development on the site.
Due to the Covid-19 lockdown the online consultation has been extended until 1 June 2020. There is more time therefore to give us your views on the draft brief if you haven’t already done so. Here is the link to the consultation: https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/leith-walk-halmyre-street-site-brief.
There are links to the draft brief and some supporting documents including a summary of the previous consultations.
We hope to hear from you
Regards
Lesley Porteous / Planner / Spatial Policy / Place Directorate / The City of Edinburgh Council / Waverley Court, Level G3, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG / Tel 0131 529 3203 / lesley.porteous@edinburgh.gov.uk / www.edinburgh.gov.uk
Port of Leith Housing Association has a new fund for local community and voluntary sector organisations. It has made £50,000 available for local organisations to support their responses to COVID-19.
Please click to download the guidance and a short application form.
The association aims to make decision on applications once per week and payment should follow quickly.
The association has tried to keep any restrictions and administration to a minimum. If any organisation wants to apply for funds that they think sit outside this funding, they can call Anita Aggarwal to discuss it on 07825 971 742.
Kind regards,
Anita Aggarwal (she/her)
Community Support Co-ordinator
Port of Leith Housing Association
108 Constitution Street
Leith
Edinburgh, EH6 6AZ
0131 202 4403
07825 971 742
A message from Douglas Tharby, LHNCC’s chair.
‘Sunshine on Leith’ the song from our two famous local twin brothers was in my mind the other day. Indeed over the past six weeks the sun has shone most days although not today. That has made it all the hard for both resident Leithers and local businesses to cope with what is being referred to by some media sources as ‘the new normal’ that our lives will have to adapt to over the months ahead.
Permitted ‘exercise’ has become a matter of ‘social distancing’ from others as we walk, cycle and run when we have that strict ‘hour’ rule we are expected to abide by, that is unless we are going out for food or other essentials like pharmacy medicines etc.
As I have been walking, my elective choice (my bike) as yet has flat tyres and is still covered in the dust of winter storage, I have noted that Leithers are social distancing by the recommended 2 metres (surprised that nobody has questioned the fact that this is metric not imperial) and indeed a new politeness and courtesy now is evident which includes crossing the street to avoid one another or taking another route altogether to make this happen. Some have chosen to wear a mask in the street, others use this only when in a shop along with gloves to handle items of food and household supplies.
Curiously there are a number of gloves lying around on the ground, in hedgerows and on the grass and most of them right handed as well. Were they not missed by their owners at the time they were lost?
Windows have a rainbow or sometimes two, a symbol of hope and various messages, along with the thoughts and feelings of young children.
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The ‘comedians’ have been busy as well – we may have lost some freedom but certainly not our sense of humour.
On each Thursday evening at 8.00 p.m. we have remembered our ‘key workers’ in the NHS , and not to forget at the same time our ‘postie’ and ‘bin man’ for their continued services, we have been clapping our hands and cheering on balconies and in gardens, ships in the harbour have sounded their horns.
Some news today that we will have a relaxation in all of this in the near future. A time to think of families and friends that we might be able to meet with again as opposed to waving through the security of a glass window or on Zoom.
On behalf of Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council: Stay Safe, Stay Well and at least for now Stay Home.
Douglas Tharby
Chair
May 2020
The following was originally circulated by Ben Macpherson MSP on 20 April 2020.
As your local MSP, I’m writing to ask whether there’s anything I can help with or that you’d like to raise with me? I also want to update you on a few things, mostly to do with the coronavirus outbreak. As always, the best way to keep up-to-date with what I’m doing is to follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Working together with our Councillors, Deidre Brock MP, Tommy Sheppard MP and local organisations, my team and I have been very busy this month responding to a large number of enquiries about the lockdown and its consequences. Please do let me know if you or any of your neighbours need assistance.
In line with the emergency regulations and guidance, I have had to close my constituency office and cancel my advice surgeries because of the outbreak. However, constituents can of course contact me as normal at ben.macpherson.msp@parliament.scot or by telephone on 0131 600 0134.
This section of my website has various useful links too and recently the Scottish Government also launched a national helpline(0800 111 4000) to provide essential assistance to those who don’t have a network of support but who are at high risk of contracting COVID-19. Furthermore, please visit http://www.nhsinform.scot to access medical information and advice.
As some of you will be aware, in February I was appointed as Minister for Public Finance and Migration in the Scottish Government. I support the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Kate Forbes MSP. In recent weeks we have of course been fully focused on the government response to the pandemic and supporting both public services and businesses through this crisis.
Again, as you would expect, I have mostly been working to support constituents in need, local businesses and local organisations in this crisis.
As your local MSP, and as a Minister in the Scottish Government, I’m constantly working with colleagues to help as much as I can in this challenging time. It’s always great to hear from local members, so please do get in touch if there’s anything you want to raise or suggest – or even if you just want to say hello. And as mentioned previously, I regularly post updates on social media if you’d like to follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Let’s all keep doing what we can to stay safe and support others through this crisis.
Keep in touch, take care and best wishes,
Ben
Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith
IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING DOMESTIC ABUSE, HELP IS AVAILABLEDon’t delay in seeking help during the current coronavirus situation. Call the 24-hour Domestic Abuse Helpline in Domestic abuse is a crime. Call 101 to report it or 999 in an emergency. |
Letter from POLICE SCOTLAND – Edinburgh City DivisionI wish to convey my sincere thanks for your cooperation, support and fortitude during this period of unprecedented challenge. Many of you will have been directly affected by the unfolding coronavirus pandemic and my thoughts are with you and your families during these uncertain times. The sacrifices made by colleagues in health and social care are truly humbling and Police Scotland is committed to supporting NHS Lothian, the City of Edinburgh Council, statutory partners and the third sector to meet the welfare requirements of I wish to reassure you that, as ever, we stand ready to serve Edinburgh’s communities and keep people safe. You can contact us in the following ways should you require our assistance:
The Police Scotland website provides helpful crime prevention guidance and practical advice to stay safe. It can be accessed at https://www.scotland.police.uk. I have been heartened to witness, first-hand, Edinburgh’s communities pulling together and supporting each other in this time of crisis. Please continue to play your part by It’s important to me that we best meet your needs and those of your community. Therefore, I’d be grateful if you’d take a few moments to share your views and suggestions by completing the ‘Your Police 2020-2021’ survey which is available at the following link: https://consult.scotland.police.uk/surveys/your-police-2020-2021 Edinburgh is a strong, resilient and adaptable city, as are its people and your help and continued forbearance will see us through this testing period. Chief Superintendent Sean Scott Divisional Commander, Edinburgh City Division, Police Scotland. |
Click this link (https://edinburghcouncil.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=3f516cd826d04c76ad3e93d41be48341) to see mapped information on
We are not aware of how often the mapped information is updated, or when it was last updated. So please be careful!
(copied from an email from the Improvement Service)
Planning for Place programme have asked us to make you aware of an upcoming webinar (30 April, 4-5pm) on Reallocating Road Space for Walking and Cycling During Covid-19. Facilitated by Irene Beautyman, Place Lead at the Improvement Service, the webinar will be of particular value to council officers, elected members, community groups and all interested in pursuing the role of place as an enabler of healthier lives.
The online event is open to all those with an interest in facilitating active travel during the Covid-19 lockdown and in enabling safer conditions for walking and cycling.
Here is the link to sign up to the webinar: https://www.improvementservice.org.uk/events/reallocating-road-space-for-walking-and-cycling-during-covid-19
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:
(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
lhncc.org.uk 