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Leith Neighbourhood Partnership News

Leith’s Local Community Plan 2014-17The Leith Neighbourhood Partnership is now gathering information for its Local Community Plan for the next three years. This plan sets out what we will focus on achieving from 2014 – 2017.  We want our actions and priorities to reflect Leithers’ views. The Leith community, including the people who live, work, volunteer and study here are best placed to know what Leith needs. This survey is the first step in finding out what local people want.  Click here to give yours views online (open until 31 March 2014).  Paper copies are available in McDonald Road Library and Leith Library, or by contacting Loraine Duckworth.  Survey results will be shared on the Neighbourhood Partnership website by the end of April.

Community Conference

A Community Conference will be held on 16 May 2014 at 2.00 pm in the South Leith Parish Church Halls, Henderson Street to discuss the survey results and other available information about the local area and its needs. The conference will help to start developing the Local Community Plan 2014 – 17 and set out how we can keep working together to make Leith an even better place. This event will be open to all who wish to attend.

Understanding Leith Public Meeting

The Leith Neighbourhood Partnership covers two council ward areas of Leith and Leith Walk. These wards are recognised for their high density, variety of activities, and diverse populations.  How much do we understand about Leith and Leithers?   A public meeting is being held at 7.00 pm on Thursday, 3 April 2014 Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pairce  (Parkside Primary School)  Bonnington.  A presentation will be given on information from the 2011 Census.  Everyone welcome.

Community Grants

A new financial year from 7 April 2014 brings with it a budget of £44,184.  £22,092 to be allocated through the Leith Funding Panel in grants of up to £3,000 and £22,092 allocated through the next £eith decides programme.  The Funding Panel meet on 9 April 2014, therefore any community grants applications submitted with all supporting documents by 28 March 2014 will be considered at that time.  See the Community Grants Website Page to download an application.

£eith decides Participatory Budgeting

Thank you to everyone who participated in our fourth successful £eith decides.  1,035 Leithers allocated £22,885 to 26 local projects, choosing from a wonderful range of 43 projects.  Without you all getting involved it would not be the fun, exciting, and community-spirited event that it was. Loraine Duckworth will be in touch with those not fortunate enough to be successful today to support you and advise of possible alternative funding mechanisms.Yet again, the Leith people carefully made serious and difficult decisions on grant funding, but with their usual sense of fun and community spirit.  For those who were not made an award, information will be available about alternative sources of funding at the Meet the Funders event on the afternoon of Thursday, 1 May 2014 at the Assembly Rooms, George Street.Without you all getting involved it would not be the fun, exciting, and community-spirited event that it was. Loraine Duckworth will be in touch with those not fortunate enough to be successful today to support you and advise of possible alternative funding mechanisms.

Other Local News

Leith Time Bank is an exciting new idea that gives people the opportunity to share time and skills to develop their community.  Time banking is a way for people to exchange their skills and time.  For every hour members ‘deposit’ by doing something for someone, they are able to ‘withdraw’ equivalent support in time.  In this way a new structure is provided for neighbourliness, creating a sense of community.  For more information contact Mary O’Connell at marytimebank@btconnect.com or Anne Munro on annemunro@btconnect.com -or phone 553 2559.

Do you rent your home from The City of Edinburgh Council?  Not much time left to have your say in the survey  Your Rent, Your Priorities,  which asks tenants what is most important to them and what their rent should be spent on. The consultation will run until March 2014.

Congratulations to All Together Edinburgh who have been secured £10,000, from the Santander Social Enterprise Development Awards, to create opportunities for people with learning disabilities.

  Contents:

 

Local Community Plan Consultation

Community Grants

£eith decides

Leith Time Bank

Your Rent, Your Priorities

All Together Edinburgh
DIARY DATES!Understanding Leith Public Meeting – 7.00 pm, Thursday, 3 April 2014 at Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pairce (Parkside Primary School)  Bonnington.

Leith Funding Panel – 6.30 pm on Wednesday, 9 April 2014 at McDonald Road Library.

Meet the Funders – 1pm to 4pm,Thursday, 1 May 2014, Assembly Rooms , 54 George  Street, Edinburgh EH2 2LR

Leith Neighbourhood Partnership Board Meeting –6.00 pm, Thursday, 15 May 2014.  Venue to be advised.

Community Conference – 2.00 pm, Friday. 16 May 2014, South Leith Parish Church Halls.

Online information:

SfC Neighbourhood Team Facebook Page

Vote for £eith decides facebook page.

www.edinburghnp.org.uk/leith

 Local Contacts:

Loraine Duckworth

Partnership Development Officer, Leith Library, 28 Ferry Road. Edinburgh.

Telephone: 529 6194

Leith Services at Leith Library: Phone numbers

Registrars: 554 8425

Library: 529 5517

Housing:

529 6170 / 6171 / 6173

 

 

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Towards a Litter-Free Scotland

Consultation on a strategy to tackle and prevent litter and flytipping – Analysis of Responses to the Public Consultation

The Scottish Government published the consultation paper ‘Towards a litter-free Scotland’ on 4 July 2013, with written responses invited until 27 September 2013.

The consultation put forward a package of complementary measures designed to challenge individuals who litter and flytip, support those who already dispose of their waste responsibly and encourage more recycling.

An analysis of responses to the consultation was carried out by our delivery partner Zero Waste Scotland, and can be viewed on the Zero Waste Scotland website at:

http://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/content/national-litter-strategy-consultation-0

In addition, the responses to the Consultation that we have permission to publish have been placed on the Scottish Government website.  These can be viewed at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2014/02/8418

The responses are now helping us to reach a decision on the final content of our National Litter Strategy for Scotland – the first since devolution – which we aim to publish later this year.

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Local Development Plan

A briefing on the Local Development Plan process was held at Waverley Court on Thursday 27 February.

Here’s the presentation from that briefing: Leith CC Briefing 270214

Edinburgh’s housing requirement is set through the Strategic Development Plan (SDP). In approving the SDP in June 2013, Scottish Ministers significantly increased the housing requirement.

A revised Local Development Plan (LDP) is needed to identify sites to meet the SDP’s housing requirement. The revised LDP is due to be considered by the Planning Committee on 15 May. Information was provided on the work involved in the preparation of the revised LDP.

Information was also provided on current planning applications/Planning Application Notices for housing on greenfield sites and other issues raised in representations of particular relevance to Leith.

The final part of the presentation provided the context for discussion on how the Council can help Community Councils and Groups prepare for the representation stage for the revised LDP which will run for 10 weeks from end of June.

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Feeling Safe Community Forum update

The latest meeting of the Feeling Safe Community Forum, a sub group part of Leith Neighbourhood Partnership, was held on Tuesday 4th March 2014.  Twelve members of the public attended our first weekday evening meeting, previously meetings were held on Saturday mornings.

The main news from the meeting is that we will no longer be selecting ‘Safer Neighbourhood Priorities’, this is because Police Scotland now set local Leith officers annual priorities.  Instead, the forum will now select four quarterly ‘Feeling Safe neighbourhood priorities’ which will be led by the Councils Community Safety Team.

Our next meeting is due to be held in early June, we will be in touch soon with more information.

LOCAL COMMUNITY PLAN 2014 – 2017

The Leith Neighbourhood Partnership is now gathering information for its Local Community Plan for the next three years. This plan sets out what we will focus on achieving from 2014-2017. We want our actions and priorities to reflect Leithers’ views. The Leith community, including the people who live, work, volunteer and study here are best placed to know what Leith needs. This Survey is the first step in finding out what Leith people want and is open until 31 March 2014.

Take the survey by 31 March 2014 – https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LeithCommunityPlan

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How to start a petition to Edinburgh Council – Event 25th March 2014 1.30pm

Do you have any burning issues with Edinburgh Council that you’d like to see resolved?

Feel that others would agree with you?

In this case you might want to start a petition and Edinburgh Council are holding an event that will explain how to go about it:

Petitioning the City of Edinburgh Council

Tuesday 25th March 2014              1.30 – 3.00pm 

Venue:  Drumbrae Library, 81 Drum Brae Drive, Edinburgh EH4 7EG

This session looks at how to raise important community issues by using the Petition System, within the City of Edinburgh Council, and how the system operates in practice.  A Committee Officer from the Council will explain the process and answer your questions.   Suitable both for members of community groups, including community councils, and for individuals in the community.

THERE IS NO FEE FOR THIS SESSION – THEY ARE ALL FREE OF CHARGE but places are limited so you do need to register, by contacting:

Cath Tansey            Tel. 0131 458 5095 / e mail  cath.tansey@ea.edin.sch.uk     or

Lawrence Arscott    Tel. 0131 334 9311 / e mail   lawrence.arscott@ea.edin.sch.uk

 

Please let us know if you have any particular access or other requirements.

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Duke Street – Road Works

Scottish Water works – Duke Street

Permission has been granted by CEC City Wide Traffic Management Board (after meetings with the Neighbourhood Roads Team, Lothian Buses and Police Scotland) to allow the closure of  Duke Street between Academy Street and Duncan Place to facilitate urgent sewer repair works by Scottish Water.

Due to the location of the sewer it is impossible to maintain vehicle access past the works area and a road closure is required to allow the repairs to proceed in a safe and timeous fashion. The duration of the works is anticipated to be in the region of ten days however it is hoped that they may be completed sooner if no unforeseen issues arise during the excavation.

Below is a bullet point summary of the key measures agreed by the relevant parties to mitigate the disruption to the road network.

•         The works area is located between Academy Street and Duncan Place and involves a 4 metre deep excavation in the middle of the carriageway.

•         Bus diversion arrangements will be posted on Lothian buses website and relevant stops around the affected area to minimise the disruption to public transport. This will include a temporary set of traffic signals(manned at peak times) to ensure access and egress from Gordon Street on to Leith Walk is possible. The diversion route is :-

Route – Foot of Easter Road to Gt Junction St – Diversion via Duncan Place, Qn Charlotte St, Bernard St and if necessary The Shore

Route – Foot of Easter Road to Leith Walk – Diversion via Easter Road, Dalmeny St or Gordon Street

Route – Foot of Leith Walk to Foot of Easter Road – Diversion via Constitution St, Qn Charlotte St and Duncan Place.

•         The diversion routes will be signed around the affected area to direct displaced general traffic.

•         Advance warning signs have been erected to fore warn road users of the restrictions.

•         Liaison has been carried out with local businesses to ensure deliveries can be maintained.

•         Scottish Water have carried out a mail drop to affected homes and businesses to inform of the works.

•         CEC have posted all relevant information on our website.

•         Any enquires regarding the works should be directed to :-

Scottish Water customer services 0845 601 8855

or  Engineering Works- contact- Charles Paul 0131 445 6431

It is envisaged that there will be delays to traffic flows over the initial days of the works however Scottish Water and their contractor will make whatever modifications to the set up should any be required.