04/06/2020 by Bruce Ryan

Hearing-aid battery distribution

(adapted from a post on CEC website)

Due to the closure of Libraries the advice for people who require hearing aid batteries is to contact the audiology department at Lauriston Place either by phone 0131 536 1637 – open 10am – 1pm and 2pm to 4pm or email Audiology@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk and they will send batteries out by post.

The Audiology Department advice that people either phone or email and not physically attend as they want to limit numbers of people visiting Lauriston Place as much as possible.

Individuals will get two packs of batteries for each hearing aid every four months.

If you have any queries regarding increased battery use please phone the Audiology office in 0131 536 1637.

Deaf Action on Albany Street will also have hearing aid battery supplies for NHS hearing aids

04/02/2020 by Bruce Ryan

Leith Distillery producing hand-sanitiser – for local bodies only

(adapted from a post by Leith Distillery)

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Leith Distillery is now producing hand-sanitiser to assist various local bodies, including the NHS and the police, with the vital work they’re doing at this time. It is providing this service free of charge and is NOT selling sanitiser to the general public.

HMRC has approved Leith Distillery to use our ethanol to produce hand sanitiser to WHO (World Health Organisation) specifications. This is a basic recipe and produces a liquid substance rather than the gelatinous sanitiser that is normally commercially available.

Leith Distillery has no dispenser bottles available and so is distributing sanitiser in 70cl glass Lind & Lime bottles so that it can then be decanted into empty dispensers.

This product is intended to plug a hole in the supply chain while it is needed. As soon as you are able to procure more standard sanatiser gel, please do so. The WHO recipe we are using is not particularly kind to your hands.

Leith Distillery will supply to NHS organisations, care homes, police forces, council workers and any other relevant organisations.

Due to the flammable nature of this product, Leith Distillery is unable to send it by courier elsewhere in the country. It is available by collection only from our stillhouse. Please contact Leith Distillery in advance to organise a collection – do not come without confirmation from Leith Distillery that stock has been allocated for you.

04/01/2020 by Bruce Ryan

Parks and Greenspace update (31 March)

(adapted from an email sent to LCCC on 31 March 2020)

Here are a couple of briefing notes that have been issued regarding the measures the Parks and Greenspace Service are putting in to place to help contain the spread of Coronavirus.

The first one details the general approach for all our parks and greenspaces across the city
The second regards those details specific to the Pentland Hills Regional Park.

All events that were scheduled to take place in April and May in a park have been either postponed or cancelled. CEC will keep you informed when any guidance is issued for those booked in June, July and August.

Obviously as time goes on litter/bins and things relating to health and safety in some parks may become issue’s. Can those who are not in self-isolation and who are taking their daily exercise in parks please keep their eyes out for any problems and report them via https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/report

There are still some Parks Officers, Rangers, Forestry, and others from Greenspace along with the Waste teams, still on the ground and inspecting parks and emptying bins. However, with so many areas for them to monitor, it’s taking a little longer than usual. So if we can alert them to serious problems in specific areas these can be prioritised appropriately.

Please just let me know if you need any further information.

Sarah Murphy
Senior Programmes Officer
Parks, Greenspace and Cemeteries
Level 3.1, Waverley Court
4 East Market Street
Edinburgh, EH8 8BG
Tel: 0131 529 7955
Sarah.Murphy@edinburgh.gov.uk

04/01/2020 by Bruce Ryan

Council resilience centres

(copied from an email sent by CEC on behalf of Cllr Adam McVey)

Council resilience centres are based in

Wester Hailes – South West Locality Office, 10 Westside Plaza, EH14 2SP
West Pilton Gardens – North West Locality Office, 8 West Pilton Gdns, EH4 4DP
Captain’s Road – South East Locality Office, 40 Captain’s Rd, EH17 8QF
Craigmillar – North East Locality Office, 101 Niddrie Mains Road, EH16 4DS
Leith – Criminal Justice/ Social Work Centre, Newkirkgate Shopping Centre Units C&D, Newkirkgate Shopping Centre, Edinburgh EH6 6AD

They provide a base for our teams to provide welfare, housing and household support by phone and email. Customers are asked to attend in-person only if it is critical, for example if you are

are experiencing homelessness
are experiencing threats to your wellbeing
need urgent cash payments.

This will help us to prioritise support for residents who face financial hardship. All the centres operate 10am to 4pm, with the exception of Craigmillar which operates 8.30am to 5pm Mon-Thurs and 10am to 4pm Friday.”

The latest information can be found on the following link: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/contactus .

Kind regards

Liam McCabe on behalf of Cllr Adam McVey, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, SNP Group and Councillor for Leith Ward

03/31/2020 by Bruce Ryan

Suspended CEC waste and recycling services

(copied from a post on Edinburgh Council’s website. That post also links to information on (1) Bin collections and recycling centres; (2) What to do with your waste if you have Coronavirus symptoms; (3) Recycling and waste collections; (4) Household waste recycling centres; (5) Litter bins, dog waste and street cleansing; (6) How you can help.)

Collections of bulky waste items

Service suspended from 24 March – If you have large items please keep them at home and only use communal and wheelie bins for your day to day waste and recycling.

Any uplifts booked in for this week will be collected as scheduled, and we’ll contact you if you have any booked in for next week to arrange a refund.

Household Waste Recycling Centres

Recycling centres are closed from 24 March until further notice. This is to ensure we are following government guidance on restricting non-essential travel and contact. If you have large items please keep them at home until our recycling centres reopen and only use communal and wheelie bins for your day to day waste and recycling

Kerbside glass collections (blue box)

Service suspended from 23 March to allow our crews to focus on other collections.

There are no public health risks associated with storing clean glass containers. Please rinse bottles and jars and store these at home. Don’t use on street or local recycling points to dispose of your glass. We don’t have the staff resources to empty these or collect fly-tipped material.

Bin delivery and repair

Bin deliveries are suspended as from 24 March. Uplifts of any unwanted waste containers are also suspended.

Missed bins

We might experience disruption to some of our bin collections today due to staff shortages. Remember to check our delays information to see if your area may have been affected.

Please ensure all waste/recycling containers are presented for collection for 6am as there may be changes to your collection time. Please look out for your neighbours and check they are able to put their bins out.

03/30/2020 by Bruce Ryan

Trams: shut-down plans overview (27 March)

(from the Trams to Newhaven newsletter dated 27 March)

Construction on Edinburgh’s Trams to Newhaven project will stop this week to protect the safety of workers and residents during the current Coronavirus outbreak.

The Council’s decision to instruct contractors Morrison Utility Services (MUS) and Sacyr Farrans Neopul (SFN) to cease site works follows advice from Scotland’s First Minister that all construction sites should close, unless the project being delivered is essential, such as a hospital.

SFN and MUS will make sites on Leith Walk, Constitution Street, Lindsay Road and Ocean Drive safe and secure by the end of the week before shutting down. There will be contractors on site as necessary for safety and security checks.

Emergency services have access to all sites at all times should they require it.

Work will continue off-site where this can be done remotely, including design, planning and scheduling, as well as drawing up a remobilisation strategy for returning to the site once restrictions are lifted. The project team will also be closely liaising with MUS and SFN to look at ways of mitigating the impact of work stopping on the wider project.

03/27/2020 by Bruce Ryan

COV 19 – What can I do right now in my street?

(copied from a PDF from Volunteer Edinburgh. Above all, BE SAFE AND STAY SAFE!)

FAQ’s for volunteers and potential volunteers during the Covid-19 pandemic

We have put together the following information to help people who are already volunteers and anyone who wants to help out during the current Covid-19 pandemic

I am already a volunteer what should I do?

In the first instance you should contact the organization you volunteer with to find out if they are still open and whether you should attend your normal place of volunteering. If you are still required it is likely that your volunteer role will change, for example you may be asked to contact service users by phone rather than face-to-face, or if possible you may be asked to work remotely.

It is also likely that organisations will require volunteers to do new and different roles, please consider what roles are available and whether you would be able to help out. Continue reading →

03/26/2020 by Bruce Ryan

Scottish Water CSO improvement project works on the Water of Leith stop until further notice – statement from SW

(copied from a post on the Water of Leith Conservation Trust blog)

Posted: 25 Mar 2020 09:17 AM PDT

Statement from Scottish Water

We would like to update you on our response to the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. Scottish Water’s priority is the provision of water and waste water services to its customers across the country.

As the spread of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) develops, we’re continuing to work around the clock to keep customers supplied with water and treat the country’s waste water, while maintaining the health of our employees and our customers.

We continue to work closely with water sector partners and follow guidance from UK and Scottish Government as well as the NHS.

Following the latest advice our capital investment programme has temporarily halted to protect public health and limit potential further spread of the virus, in line with government guidance.

With immediate effect, all construction / project sites will close and will be reviewed to progress works which have a critical impact on core water supply or waste water management.

Water of Leith Environmental Improvements

Therefore all preparations for the start of work on the CSOs along the Water of Leith will stop immediately. Please help us inform the local community in the area by sharing this message where you can.

We understand that this is an anxious time for everyone and we are acutely aware of our role in the communities we serve. Please go to our website for the latest information and advice for customers around Covid-19 – https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/help-and-resources/coronavirus-alert

We’re working around the clock to keep Scotland’s water cycle flowing – and we’re asking everyone across Scotland to help play their part.

Please remember:

Only flush 3Ps – toilet paper, pee and poo. Un-flushable items like wet wipes, kitchen roll, cotton wool or tissues should be put in the bin, not down the toilet.
Wash your hands regularly and properly with soap and water – but don’t keep the tap running.
Top up from the tap to stay hydrated