 September 2014 |
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Business as usual
First 100 days of
trams
Sunday 7 September marked the 100th day since Edinburgh Trams began passenger
services and we were delighted to report that 1.5 million people travelled by
tram in that period. The numbers are very much in line with predictions and
with the business model and while it's obviously still early days, it's
certainly been an encouraging start.It's also very welcome to see the increase in passenger numbers at Lothian Buses. The most recent Census in 2011 told us that the Capital was bucking the national trend in having more people using public transport, walking or cycling to commute and it definitely appears as though this trend is continuing.
Harlaw Hydro
I am delighted that work has now begun to develop a hydro electricity
generation scheme at Edinburgh's Harlow Reservoir, a community led initiative
that will harness enough energy from the water to power more than 50 homes.Due to be completed by the end of the year, the project aims to save more than 129 tonnes of carbon dioxide and produce 260,000Wh of green electricity. It has the backing of 240 shareholders, myself included, with around 70 per cent from the local Balerno, Currie and Juniper Green communities. Further investment is still required and the project is calling for additional backers. As I've said before in this report, we are aiming to become a more Cooperative Council through, amongst other things, promoting the development of cooperatives and other social enterprises. Please visit the Council website for further information.
APSE awards
Congratulations to the three Edinburgh projects that made it to the finals
of this year's Association for Public Excellence (APSE)
national awards. The shortlisting of the Muirhouse Community Shop, the
Moredun/Hyvots Bank regeneration scheme and the Smarter Rehab project meant
that we were also in the running for 'Council of the Year'.Even though they weren't successful, it was a great achievement for Edinburgh, and despite increasing pressure on budgets and resources, it demonstrated that our frontline services continue to ensure that the people are well cared for and looked after. I would like to congratulate all staff across the Council for their hard work and dedication to providing excellent services for residents which led to these nominations.
Have your say on
20mph plans
Following a successful pilot in South Edinburgh, a 20mph speed limit is
now proposed for many city streets including the city centre, main shopping
streets, other main roads with more pedestrians, and residential areas. A
network of roads in suburban areas would keep a 30mph or 40mph limit.A consultation is now live to help draw up plans for new 20mph speed limits across the capital. We've been delighted with participation so far - we received more than 1,000 responses within just two weeks of promoting the survey. You can take part via the Council website or by attending one of the planned public meetings, roadshows and drop-in sessions being held across the city over the coming weeks.
Stay in the
picture
Keep yourself in the picture with our news section online. Watch
live full Council and some committee meetings on our webcast. Join the debate
on Twitter #edinwebcast If you wish to unsubscribe please email us. |
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Friday, September 19, 2014
September Leader's Report
September Full Council Meeting
All the reports are now up on Committee Papers On-Line (CPOL) and you can access the main agenda directly here; and each of the individual reports separately via this link.
Of course - as ever, if you're so minded, you can watch all the proceedings live here ... or the meeting will be archived a few hours after it finishes for viewing at your leisure!
Edinburgh Council Leader: 'Our City Shone'
Council Leader Andrew Burns speaks following the Referendum result
"The dust is still settling
following the outcome of the Scottish Independence Referendum, announced
earlier today at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston.
The media attention on Scotland, and on Edinburgh in particular, has been unparalleled and I am delighted that, as ever, our city shone.
The media attention on Scotland, and on Edinburgh in particular, has been unparalleled and I am delighted that, as ever, our city shone.
Credit is due to the many hundreds of Council, and other, staff who played their part in making this possible – both at Ingliston and elsewhere across the city.
Of course, whatever the result, Edinburgh was still going to
remain Scotland’s Capital and a wonderful place to live and work – and,
crucially, to do business.
We are in the unique position here in that we have a Labour-SNP coalition running the city – something that will continue at least until the next local council elections in 2017. We have successfully kept constitutional debate out of the Chambers for the first half of our term and there is absolutely no reason at all why that can’t continue.
We are in the unique position here in that we have a Labour-SNP coalition running the city – something that will continue at least until the next local council elections in 2017. We have successfully kept constitutional debate out of the Chambers for the first half of our term and there is absolutely no reason at all why that can’t continue.
I can assure you that our focus will remain on running the city
in the fairest and most efficient way possible and on keeping to the
pledges set out in our Contract with the Capital two-and-a-half years ago."
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
YES or NO - on Friday, we all need to work collectively
I will vote NO tomorrow, as variously explained over recent months and repeated in this blog-post from earlier, but whether the result is NO or YES; come this Friday, we are all going to need to work collectively together ...
... and here's a reminder of that plea I made on September 17th last year.
I'll certainly be keeping these thoughts at the forefront of my mind over coming days and weeks. I hope you can too.
------
A year to go until the referendum.
I've a shocking acknowledgement to make - I don't think the sky will fall in, if Scotland votes yes next year ...
... even more shocking - I don't think the sky will fall in, if Scotland votes no next year either.
Life will go on; the earth will continue to turn; the sun will rise.
Of course, the actual result will have a profound political impact on the country we live in.
But neither possible result - and I only wish more politicians would honestly admit this - will be a panacea for all of Scottish society's ills.
Now, it won't shock anyone to hear that I'll be voting no.
Just type 'devolution' in the top-left, blogger search-box; and scan through the results, and you'll quickly realise that I'm a (relatively) unusual - but hopefully consistent - unreformed, Labour Party (con)Federalist.
If I was to pick out one post, to illustrate my thinking, I guess I'd choose this one (and the links therein); but there are many more if you're inclined to undertake the suggested search ;-)
I have thought (rather sadly!) about these issues over several decades now, and basically remain fully committed to the cause of a Federal UK.
I completely accept that others, have arrived at a different decision - many of them may have settled on supporting Scottish Independence via a similar, constitutional (and political) trajectory to my own ... that's fine by me; I respect their view; and hope they respect mine.
366-days from now, regardless of the result, we'll wake up and the sky won't have fallen in; the earth will still be turning; and the sun will have risen ... and we'll need to collectively get on with attempting to make our country a better place to live in, for as many of its inhabitants as possible.
The vast majority of the people I know, on both sides of the referendum debate, are working to do just that today ... they'll be doing just that tomorrow; in a months time; and in years time.
Wouldn't the next 12-months be a little more interesting, and engaging, if we could all just keep that in mind as we move towards the morning of Friday 19th September 2014?
... and here's a reminder of that plea I made on September 17th last year.
I'll certainly be keeping these thoughts at the forefront of my mind over coming days and weeks. I hope you can too.
------
The morning after ...
* Friday 19th September 2014? *
A year to go until the referendum.
I've a shocking acknowledgement to make - I don't think the sky will fall in, if Scotland votes yes next year ...
... even more shocking - I don't think the sky will fall in, if Scotland votes no next year either.
Life will go on; the earth will continue to turn; the sun will rise.
Of course, the actual result will have a profound political impact on the country we live in.
But neither possible result - and I only wish more politicians would honestly admit this - will be a panacea for all of Scottish society's ills.
Now, it won't shock anyone to hear that I'll be voting no.
Just type 'devolution' in the top-left, blogger search-box; and scan through the results, and you'll quickly realise that I'm a (relatively) unusual - but hopefully consistent - unreformed, Labour Party (con)Federalist.
If I was to pick out one post, to illustrate my thinking, I guess I'd choose this one (and the links therein); but there are many more if you're inclined to undertake the suggested search ;-)
I have thought (rather sadly!) about these issues over several decades now, and basically remain fully committed to the cause of a Federal UK.
I completely accept that others, have arrived at a different decision - many of them may have settled on supporting Scottish Independence via a similar, constitutional (and political) trajectory to my own ... that's fine by me; I respect their view; and hope they respect mine.
366-days from now, regardless of the result, we'll wake up and the sky won't have fallen in; the earth will still be turning; and the sun will have risen ... and we'll need to collectively get on with attempting to make our country a better place to live in, for as many of its inhabitants as possible.
The vast majority of the people I know, on both sides of the referendum debate, are working to do just that today ... they'll be doing just that tomorrow; in a months time; and in years time.
Wouldn't the next 12-months be a little more interesting, and engaging, if we could all just keep that in mind as we move towards the morning of Friday 19th September 2014?
Referendum tomorrow ... it's a NO from me
It probably hasn't escaped your attention that there's a referendum here in Scotland tomorrow!
Huge amount of attention here in Edinburgh - not only will the Capital City result be counted/announced here, but the overall Scotland-wide result will also be collated/announced at the Edinburgh Count-Centre out at Ingliston.
I made a bit of plea, over a year ago, for all sides to keep the campaign in perspective ... because, come what may, this Friday morning/afternoon we'll all need to collectively get on with attempting to make our country a better place to live in, for as many of its inhabitants as possible. The vast majority of the people I know, on both sides of the referendum debate, are working to do just that.
In a moment, I'm going to re-blog that post, as my last entry before the polls open ...
... before that - here's a reminder of a much earlier post I put up; from way back in September 2011, before the referendum had even been finally decided upon - it really explains why I'll be voting NO tomorrow, whilst I remain completely respectful of anyone who takes the opposite-view:
------
Back to the backbenches
Now, my local political opponents shouldn’t get too excited as I’m not talking about the City of Edinburgh Council ;-)
No, I’m referring to the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) ... as regular readers will know, the ERS AGM was held a couple of weeks ago and I didn’t report on events then as the election of Officers (of the ERS Council) was postponed for a couple of weeks due to a few absences from the meeting in London on the 3rd.
So, this Saturday’s Council Meeting had the task of electing the Officers for the next 12-months.
And yesterday, I stood to remain Chair and lost the vote by the narrowest of margins – 1.
And I should start these reflections by congratulating the new Chair – John Ault – and wishing him all the best in the role for the coming 12-months. He’ll have my 100% support.
I’d taken the decision before the meeting, not to contest any other Officer post if I didn’t get the Chair’s position – as the title of this blogpost indicates, I’d concluded it was either Chair or ‘back to the backbenches’.
And that’s where I’ll now be for the next while on the ERS Council. Less trips to London, a lot less e-mails and possibly a bit more time to spend on that allotment ;-)
Inevitably the events of Saturday have led me to reflect on the state of the democratic reform movement as we move on from last May’s referendum defeat and into a new phase of campaigning. I’ve not engaged in the endless post-mortems about last May and that deeply disappointing result ... and I don’t intend to dwell on it here, given the acres of print already expended on the subject. Suffice to say, all of us involved in that campaign have to accept a degree of responsibility for what went wrong.
But I do want to reflect on wider issues and put May’s defeat into some sort of context.
If I had a pound for every time (since May) I’d heard someone argue that the democratic reform movement was dysfunctional and had achieved nothing, I’d be a rich man :-(
Of course, the ERS – and all the other non-Party Groups – have their problems ... as do all the major and minor political Parties in this country. Stick a bunch of disparate activists together in a campaign (non-Party or Party) and an element of dysfunctionality is beyond certain ;-)
Democracy, properly practiced, with real people, is messy, difficult and bloody frustrating.
And thank goodness for it.
But it’s the claims of ‘just what has the democratic reform movement ever achieved’ that have become just a tad annoying for my liking. I want to explain just why I think that.
I guess I first became involved in the wider movement back in late-1990 when I joined Charter88 (as it was then) when I lived and worked in Stoke-on-Trent, and shortly thereafter attended the Charter88 Manchester Convention in November 1991. It was a complete turning-point in my political awareness and a period of a few months for which I will be forever grateful. If anyone involved in organising that Convention is listening – you changed my political life.
Shortly after, during late 1991/early 1992 I think it was, I joined the Electoral Reform Society (ERS), and in 1993 I moved back to Scotland (Edinburgh to be precise) and went completely native within the devolution-movement and the imminent 1997 referendum campaign, first being elected to the ERS Council in the mid-1990s and eventually being elected as a Local Government Councillor in Edinburgh for the first time in 1999.
Back then, in the early 1990’s, many of the newly elected Members of this year’s ERS Council would still have been at Primary School and here’s what didn’t exist:
If you never experienced it, I can understand it’s probably hard to imagine what the UK looked and felt like prior to these reforms – what can I say ... politically, it was a pretty dispiriting state of affairs for any genuine democrat.
But these hard won reforms are not enough for me, and come 2031, I’d like to see the list above added to by the following:
Yes I do. The evidence of the previous two decades proves that these seismic constitutional changes can be won, with hard work, determination, and a willingness to learn lessons and keep going in the hardest of moments.
Just ask those involved in that first 1979 Scottish Referendum how they felt in the months after defeat?
But, many of those very same people were still involved in the later-1997 Referendum Campaign that led directly to the formal establishment of the Scottish Parliament.
Regular readers will know that I'm not really one for heroes - but looking back, if I do have any 'political heroes' it’s those people – some of whom I was lucky enough to work with in that 1997 campaign – the ones who kept the flame of constitutional reform alive after the darkest of days. And, eventually they did indeed achieve what they aspired for.
And I’ve no doubt whatsoever that the new Members of the ERS Council – and the many others who are working tirelessly for meaningful democratic reform – will see further achievements in the next two decades.
It may not seem likely right at this minute, but history tells me it will indeed happen.
But not if we spend any more time feeling sorry for ourselves or asking ‘just what has the democratic reform movement ever achieved’.
It’s achieved an enormous amount - literally having transformed this country’s politics.
But there’s some unfinished business and, for me, we simply now need to get on and complete the job.
Just like those 'political heroes' of 1979 did.
Huge amount of attention here in Edinburgh - not only will the Capital City result be counted/announced here, but the overall Scotland-wide result will also be collated/announced at the Edinburgh Count-Centre out at Ingliston.
I made a bit of plea, over a year ago, for all sides to keep the campaign in perspective ... because, come what may, this Friday morning/afternoon we'll all need to collectively get on with attempting to make our country a better place to live in, for as many of its inhabitants as possible. The vast majority of the people I know, on both sides of the referendum debate, are working to do just that.
In a moment, I'm going to re-blog that post, as my last entry before the polls open ...
... before that - here's a reminder of a much earlier post I put up; from way back in September 2011, before the referendum had even been finally decided upon - it really explains why I'll be voting NO tomorrow, whilst I remain completely respectful of anyone who takes the opposite-view:
------
Back to the backbenches
No, I’m referring to the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) ... as regular readers will know, the ERS AGM was held a couple of weeks ago and I didn’t report on events then as the election of Officers (of the ERS Council) was postponed for a couple of weeks due to a few absences from the meeting in London on the 3rd.
So, this Saturday’s Council Meeting had the task of electing the Officers for the next 12-months.
And yesterday, I stood to remain Chair and lost the vote by the narrowest of margins – 1.
And I should start these reflections by congratulating the new Chair – John Ault – and wishing him all the best in the role for the coming 12-months. He’ll have my 100% support.
I’d taken the decision before the meeting, not to contest any other Officer post if I didn’t get the Chair’s position – as the title of this blogpost indicates, I’d concluded it was either Chair or ‘back to the backbenches’.
And that’s where I’ll now be for the next while on the ERS Council. Less trips to London, a lot less e-mails and possibly a bit more time to spend on that allotment ;-)
Inevitably the events of Saturday have led me to reflect on the state of the democratic reform movement as we move on from last May’s referendum defeat and into a new phase of campaigning. I’ve not engaged in the endless post-mortems about last May and that deeply disappointing result ... and I don’t intend to dwell on it here, given the acres of print already expended on the subject. Suffice to say, all of us involved in that campaign have to accept a degree of responsibility for what went wrong.
But I do want to reflect on wider issues and put May’s defeat into some sort of context.
If I had a pound for every time (since May) I’d heard someone argue that the democratic reform movement was dysfunctional and had achieved nothing, I’d be a rich man :-(
Of course, the ERS – and all the other non-Party Groups – have their problems ... as do all the major and minor political Parties in this country. Stick a bunch of disparate activists together in a campaign (non-Party or Party) and an element of dysfunctionality is beyond certain ;-)
Democracy, properly practiced, with real people, is messy, difficult and bloody frustrating.
And thank goodness for it.
But it’s the claims of ‘just what has the democratic reform movement ever achieved’ that have become just a tad annoying for my liking. I want to explain just why I think that.
I guess I first became involved in the wider movement back in late-1990 when I joined Charter88 (as it was then) when I lived and worked in Stoke-on-Trent, and shortly thereafter attended the Charter88 Manchester Convention in November 1991. It was a complete turning-point in my political awareness and a period of a few months for which I will be forever grateful. If anyone involved in organising that Convention is listening – you changed my political life.
Shortly after, during late 1991/early 1992 I think it was, I joined the Electoral Reform Society (ERS), and in 1993 I moved back to Scotland (Edinburgh to be precise) and went completely native within the devolution-movement and the imminent 1997 referendum campaign, first being elected to the ERS Council in the mid-1990s and eventually being elected as a Local Government Councillor in Edinburgh for the first time in 1999.
Back then, in the early 1990’s, many of the newly elected Members of this year’s ERS Council would still have been at Primary School and here’s what didn’t exist:
- A Scottish Parliament
- The use of proportional representation (AMS) to elect that Scottish Parliament
- A Welsh Assembly
- The use of proportional representation (AMS) to elect that Welsh Assembly
- A Northern Ireland Assembly
- The use of proportional representation (STV) to elect that Northern Ireland Assembly
- A Greater London Authority (GLA)
- The use of proportional representation (MMP) to elect that Greater London Authority
- The use of proportional representation (Regional List System) to elect the European Parliament
- A House of Lords free from hereditary peers
- The Freedom of Information Act (England and Wales)
- The Freedom of Information Act (Scotland)
- The incorporation of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) into British Law
- The use of the Single Transferable Vote (STV) to elect Scottish Local Government
- I’m one of 1,222 Councillors in Scotland now elected by STV :-)
If you never experienced it, I can understand it’s probably hard to imagine what the UK looked and felt like prior to these reforms – what can I say ... politically, it was a pretty dispiriting state of affairs for any genuine democrat.
But these hard won reforms are not enough for me, and come 2031, I’d like to see the list above added to by the following:
- The implementation of fixed term Parliaments at Westminster
- The use of proportional representation to elect English Local Government
- The use of the Single Transferable Vote (STV) to elect the House of Lords
- and yes, the use of proportional representation to elect the House of Commons
- Votes for those of 16-years of age, for all levels of Government
- The formation of Regional Assemblies in England
- All as part of a federal-settlement for the United Kingdom
- All contained within a Written Constitution
Yes I do. The evidence of the previous two decades proves that these seismic constitutional changes can be won, with hard work, determination, and a willingness to learn lessons and keep going in the hardest of moments.
Just ask those involved in that first 1979 Scottish Referendum how they felt in the months after defeat?
But, many of those very same people were still involved in the later-1997 Referendum Campaign that led directly to the formal establishment of the Scottish Parliament.
Regular readers will know that I'm not really one for heroes - but looking back, if I do have any 'political heroes' it’s those people – some of whom I was lucky enough to work with in that 1997 campaign – the ones who kept the flame of constitutional reform alive after the darkest of days. And, eventually they did indeed achieve what they aspired for.
And I’ve no doubt whatsoever that the new Members of the ERS Council – and the many others who are working tirelessly for meaningful democratic reform – will see further achievements in the next two decades.
It may not seem likely right at this minute, but history tells me it will indeed happen.
But not if we spend any more time feeling sorry for ourselves or asking ‘just what has the democratic reform movement ever achieved’.
It’s achieved an enormous amount - literally having transformed this country’s politics.
But there’s some unfinished business and, for me, we simply now need to get on and complete the job.
Just like those 'political heroes' of 1979 did.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Change is coming; yes or no ...
The state has tried to control too much from the centre for too long The Scottish referendum is now just a couple of days away, but it’s already clear it will have a profound effect on the UK whatever the outcome.
The status quo is no longer on offer – the choice is between the gamble of separation or an unprecedented transfer of powers to Scotland within the UK. But this plan for more powers is only the start of the change we need in exactly where power lies.
Regions right across the United Kingdom, individual communities and the
households and individuals that make them up, all feel excluded from
power over the decisions that affect them day to day. The game is up for
top-down decision-making based in Whitehall as people make it clear
they want big change. The risk facing Scotland is that Alex Salmond’s
plan to replace centralised Whitehall control will just result in a new
top-down centralisation based in Holyrood.
Labour is developing ideas that have the potential to deliver the change that’s really needed. Andrew Adonis’ proposals for powerful city-regions will shift decision-making over transport, housing, regeneration, infrastructure and elements of welfare and the economy closer to the communities they affect. This is a start that will go further in future, and it would benefit the Scottish cities and regions just as much as those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Ed Miliband’s radical call for a people-power revolution in public services would see more power placed in the hands of those who use public services, rather than leave them subject to decision-making by the organisations that run them. In an age when people experience so much more control over their lives and their choices as consumers of goods and services, and with the age of deference long dead, it’s simply unacceptable that so many public services are offered on a take-it-or-leave-it basis by those who tell us they know best. For too long now, government, at all levels, has done things to people, when we should be doing things with people.
The state has tried to control too much from the centre for too long, whether that power is based in Whitehall or the town hall. We need to shift power as close as possible to the people it affects if we want to restore trust in the political system. Parents need more control over schools, patients need a bigger say in their treatment, tenants need more control over how their homes and estates are managed, victims need more power to help stop crime. That way we can harness the insights of individuals and communities to make public services more effective at doing the things people really want to see, and force organisations to work together in local partnerships that focus on local priorities and prevent problems from happening rather than try to manage failure.
We need to accept, too, that different places will do things differently. We should welcome that as the way to let innovation flourish. We can strengthen civil society, rebuild broken relationships within communities, and give people back the self-reliance they need to aspire to a better life by involving them in the decisions that affect them. All of this works best if the United Kingdom’s family of nations remains together, giving us the strength we need to support each other in a fast-changing world even as we devolve power down as close as possible to the people it affects.
Whatever the outcome, there can be no doubt that this referendum has changed Scotland. But it has not just changed Scotland; it will change Britain, because the thirst for democratic and economic change that has been heard from the Scottish people is shared by people throughout Britain. We need more power for every nation, region, community and individual in our country as part of a revolution that will change Britain for good.
Steve Reed is the Labour MP for Croydon North and former Leader of Lambeth Council.
Andrew Burns is a Labour Councillor and Leader of Edinburgh Council
(First published at the New Statesman 16/09/14)
Labour is developing ideas that have the potential to deliver the change that’s really needed. Andrew Adonis’ proposals for powerful city-regions will shift decision-making over transport, housing, regeneration, infrastructure and elements of welfare and the economy closer to the communities they affect. This is a start that will go further in future, and it would benefit the Scottish cities and regions just as much as those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Ed Miliband’s radical call for a people-power revolution in public services would see more power placed in the hands of those who use public services, rather than leave them subject to decision-making by the organisations that run them. In an age when people experience so much more control over their lives and their choices as consumers of goods and services, and with the age of deference long dead, it’s simply unacceptable that so many public services are offered on a take-it-or-leave-it basis by those who tell us they know best. For too long now, government, at all levels, has done things to people, when we should be doing things with people.
The state has tried to control too much from the centre for too long, whether that power is based in Whitehall or the town hall. We need to shift power as close as possible to the people it affects if we want to restore trust in the political system. Parents need more control over schools, patients need a bigger say in their treatment, tenants need more control over how their homes and estates are managed, victims need more power to help stop crime. That way we can harness the insights of individuals and communities to make public services more effective at doing the things people really want to see, and force organisations to work together in local partnerships that focus on local priorities and prevent problems from happening rather than try to manage failure.
We need to accept, too, that different places will do things differently. We should welcome that as the way to let innovation flourish. We can strengthen civil society, rebuild broken relationships within communities, and give people back the self-reliance they need to aspire to a better life by involving them in the decisions that affect them. All of this works best if the United Kingdom’s family of nations remains together, giving us the strength we need to support each other in a fast-changing world even as we devolve power down as close as possible to the people it affects.
Whatever the outcome, there can be no doubt that this referendum has changed Scotland. But it has not just changed Scotland; it will change Britain, because the thirst for democratic and economic change that has been heard from the Scottish people is shared by people throughout Britain. We need more power for every nation, region, community and individual in our country as part of a revolution that will change Britain for good.
Steve Reed is the Labour MP for Croydon North and former Leader of Lambeth Council.
Andrew Burns is a Labour Councillor and Leader of Edinburgh Council
(First published at the New Statesman 16/09/14)
Monday, September 08, 2014
Craighouse Hearing
I think it's fair to say that most local people (not to mention those further afield) where pretty stunned at the final outcome of last Wednesday's "Craighouse Hearing" meeting ...
... I had to leave the Hearing, having spoken in objection earlier, to get over to Glasgow for the early evening; and couldn't quite believe events as they unfolded before me, via twitter :-(
Given that the meeting was taken in the Main Council Chamber, the whole +7-hour event was webcast/recorded; and after some frustrating delays, the whole video is now up on the Council's archive site - here: http://www.edinburgh.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/145532
... if you're so interested, you can hear me speak, from here: http://www.edinburgh.public-i.tv/core/share/open/webcast/0/0/560/145532/145532/webcast/start_time/8929000
Just for the avoidance of any doubt, I'll list the vote - as cast and evidenced on the webcast - at the bottom of this post.
And I'll re-produce immediately below, the note I had before me, when I spoke to to the meeting ...
... and I am most definitely minded to support calls for this application to now be called-in by the Scottish Government. To that end, I will - as a local Councillor - write to the Minister for Local Government and Planning, within the next few days.
===
And crucially, I believe the new-build elements of the proposal do not meet the definition of enabling development, either within Scottish Planning Policy; or within English Heritage Policy ...
VOTED FOR GRANT
===
... I had to leave the Hearing, having spoken in objection earlier, to get over to Glasgow for the early evening; and couldn't quite believe events as they unfolded before me, via twitter :-(
Given that the meeting was taken in the Main Council Chamber, the whole +7-hour event was webcast/recorded; and after some frustrating delays, the whole video is now up on the Council's archive site - here: http://www.edinburgh.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/145532
... if you're so interested, you can hear me speak, from here: http://www.edinburgh.public-i.tv/core/share/open/webcast/0/0/560/145532/145532/webcast/start_time/8929000
Just for the avoidance of any doubt, I'll list the vote - as cast and evidenced on the webcast - at the bottom of this post.
And I'll re-produce immediately below, the note I had before me, when I spoke to to the meeting ...
... and I am most definitely minded to support calls for this application to now be called-in by the Scottish Government. To that end, I will - as a local Councillor - write to the Minister for Local Government and Planning, within the next few days.
===
Application 12/04007/SCH3 (Scheme 3)
Planning permission and listed building consent for the proposed Craighouse development (12/04007/SCH3) should be refused as;
The
proposals have been assessed against the relevant provisions of the
development plan and it is concluded that they do not fully accord with
development plan policy.
The proposed development is contrary to local plan policy to a greater or lesser extent in terms of:
·
the impact on the setting of the listed buildings
·
the impact on the character and appearance of the conservation area
·
the impact on landscape character and views to and from the site
·
the loss of trees
·
and the loss of open space, namely
- policies Des1
- Des3
- Des10
- Env3
- Env6
- Env11
- Env12
- and Os1 of the Edinburgh City Local Plan
·
Further,
it is contrary to Local Transport Strategy 2014-2019 policies aimed at
increasing modal share for active and sustainable travel
And crucially, I believe the new-build elements of the proposal do not meet the definition of enabling development, either within Scottish Planning Policy; or within English Heritage Policy ...
While there is no specific local plan policy relating to enabling development
Scottish Planning Policy states:
"142.
Enabling development may be acceptable where it can be clearly shown to
be the only means of preventing the loss of the asset and securing its
long-term future. Any development should
be the minimum necessary to achieve these aims. The resultant
development should be designed and sited carefully to preserve or
enhance the character and setting of the historic asset."
English Heritage Policy
There
is no specific Scottish guidance in respect of enabling cases and
therefore it is considered appropriate to consider the English Heritage
guidance 'Enabling Development and the Conservation
of Significant Places'.
The English Heritage document states;
"Enabling
development that would secure the future of a significant place, but
contravene other planning policy objectives, should be unacceptable
unless:
a) it will not materially harm the heritage values of the place or its setting
b) it avoids detrimental fragmentation of management of the place
c) it will secure the long-term future of the place and, where applicable, its continued use for a sympathetic purpose
d) it is necessary to resolve
problems arising from the inherent needs of the place, rather than the
circumstances of the present owner, or the purchase price paid
e) sufficient subsidy is not available from any other source
f) it is demonstrated that the amount of enabling development is the minimum
necessary to secure the future of the place, and that its form minimises harm to other public interests
g)
the public benefit of securing the future of the significant place
through such enabling development decisively outweighs the disbenefits
of breaching other public policies."
So, in conclusion:
·
I believe the Scheme 3 proposals are self-evidently contrary to numerous development plan policies
·
They
do not meet the definition of enabling development, either within
Scottish Planning Policy; or within English Heritage Policy
·
And there are therefore no material considerations which indicate that the development should be granted
I ask the Committee to refuse this application.
===
VOTED FOR GRANT
- Ian Perry; Convenor
- Denis Dixon
- Joanna Mowat
- Cameron Rose
- Dominic Heslop
- Eric Milligan
- Angela Blacklock
- Keith Robson
- Frank Ross
- Sandy Howat; Vice Convenor
- Nigel Bagshaw
- Deirdre Brock
- Adam McVey
- Ronnie Cairns
- Maureen Child
===
Friday, September 05, 2014
Find out where, when and how to vote ...
All the information you could possibly need on where, when and how to vote - via this one handy link!
And not a single mention of yes or no :-)
Whichever way you're thinking of voting - PLEASE DO VOTE.
Monday, September 01, 2014
Tony Benn: Will and Testament
A special event screening of Tony Benn: Will and Testament followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A.
Tony Benn: Will and Testament is a unique
autobiographical feature-length film - an intimate and personal reflection on
life, work, love and loss from one of the UKs most influential and charismatic
political figures - Tony Benn.
In the film Tony presents his own personal
reflections on his childhood and youth, marriage and family, political career
and retirement through intimate,
confessional interviews wonderfully illustrated by his personal photographic
and film archives.
Tony Benn was very proud of his Celtic
connections. His mother was born in Paisley, one Grandfather was a Clyde ship
worker and another an Irvine steeplejack.
It is therefore fitting that the
“Will and Testament Town Hall Screening Tour” should come to the City of Glasgow:
The Grand Hall, City Halls, Glasgow
Film starts at 7.30pm. Doors open 6.45pm
Buy tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/glasgow-tony-benn-will-and-testament-screening-and-qa-tickets-12125703305
Friday, August 29, 2014
Edinburgh Printmakers’ Future Home at Castle Mill Works, Fountainbridge
The ambition to save Castle Mill Works, a building of huge industrial heritage significance in Edinburgh stemmed from Edinburgh Printmakers’ search for the ideal home in which to build a world class contemporary arts centre specialising in printmaking, a vision that is now well on the way to becoming a reality.
Over the next 3 years of capital development, Edinburgh Printmakers’ artistic programme will deliver ambitious projects featuring art work by accomplished international artists, who will each in their own unique way respond to the distinctive and exceptional cultural heritage and legacy of Castle Mill Works whilst also reflecting on the proposed contemporary use as centre for artistic productivity.
Through ambitious and responsive commissioning of temporary artist interventions, permanent site-specific installations, and integrated community projects, Edinburgh Printmakers hopes to draw attention to the features of this historic building, addressing perceptions around the value of the building to the built environment and develop widespread support for retaining and preserving the industrial heritage of the city for re-use as a centre for cultural production.
Edinburgh Printmakers want local people to be at the heart of the project, sharing their knowledge and memories of the history of the area as a rubber manufacturing plant and getting familiar with the new role the building will have as a home for contemporary art practice.
During the programme the temporary installations on and around the building will have a thematic link to works on show at Edinburgh Printmakers gallery in Union Street.
To launch the temporary installations programme, Scottish artist Calum Colvin has created a stunning and unique intervention using the boarded up window recesses of Castle Mill Works. This installation comprises 120 posters consisting of 60 different images ... see photo above :-)
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Corporate, Policy and Strategy Committee
... what do you mean, you never noticed :-((
Anyhow - to make up for this death of scintillating Local Government Reports ... wait for it ... there are TWO Corporate Policy and Strategy Committee Committee meetings taking place in September ;-)
... all the papers for the first one - on 2nd September - are now in the public domain: the main Agenda can be found here ---
--- and the individual reports are all up on Committee Papers on-Line (CPOL) linked from here.
Reports that may well attract some attention and debate:
- Managing Retirement Policy
- Chief Social Work Officer Annual Report
- Public Protection in Edinburgh Annual Reports
Just click on any of the above links for access (as a PDF) to the specific report.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Register to vote - by Tuesday 2nd September!
I've long been a supporter of Votes at 16, and I'm absolutely delighted that the franchise has been lowered for this vote --- it must surely now come down for other elections?
As things stand at the moment, Junior will get a vote in a few weeks time on the constitutional future of Scotland (quite rightly so, as far as I'm concerned), yet on the first Thursday in May next year he won't be able to cast a vote in the UK General Election, and won't get to do so until May 2020 by which time he'll be 22-years of age :-(
But - all that aside - and whichever way you intend to vote on the 18th September ... I really hope you will vote!
There most likely will not be such a significant electoral event again in our lifetimes - and if you haven't yet got a Poll Card and/or you're not sure if you are on the Electoral Register; then you have until Tuesday 2nd September to register ... just go here: http://www.lothian-vjb.gov.uk ;-)
Saturday, August 16, 2014
August Leader's Report
August 2014 |
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Games set gold standard
Exams success
And speaking of success,
congratulations to Edinburgh's school pupils on gaining excellent exam
results yet again this year. The number of S6 and S5 pupils (61% and 54%
respectively) who achieved one or more Highers improved on last year
and over 23,000
awards were given out for the new National exams.
It's been a challenge for pupils
and our teaching staff to prepare for these new exams but I think the
results speak for themselves. Last week's figures also reinforce
recently published statistics from Audit Scotland that Edinburgh is
outperforming similar
city and neighbouring authorities when it comes to S4 results.
Greener EdinburghAnother priority for the Council is to make Edinburgh a greener city, and next month we'll be making it easier for residents who use our wheelie bin service to recycle. This new service will help us meet our target of recycling 70% of our waste.The range of things residents can recycle will increase, resulting in less waste being sent to landfill - allowing us to reduce both our carbon footprint and the amount of landfill tax we pay. The service will be rolled out in phases to 140,000 households over the next year with the first 20,000 starting in September. If you're in Phase 1, you will shortly receive information in the post, including a new collection calendar. You can find out more by visiting the Council website. Tram latestThis month, Edinburgh welcomes the world, with hundreds of thousands of people thronging the City to enjoy the festivals. And for the first time since 1956, Festival-goers can again travel in the Capital by tram.Trams continue to attract an average of over 90,000 passengers per week. We're very pleased with this consistent performance, which is in line with the business model, but we will continue to work closely with Transport for Edinburgh to ensure that any issues are picked up on and resolved swiftly. Two Celtic European Games at the BT Murrayfield Stadium went well, with thousands using the trams to get to and from the games. These events certainly put the Edinburgh Trams team to the test but I'm pleased to say they coped admirably with the large crowds. EdinburghAppsNext month, EdinburghApps will once again challenge residents to come up with high-tech solutions to help improve the lives of people visiting, living and working in Edinburgh.The first of its kind in the UK, the competition lets teams and individuals use Council data to create ideas and concepts for the benefit of the city. In its first year, it attracted a range of innovative entries, including an app to help Council lorries operate more efficiently and another helping residents locate their nearest recycling point. This year's event has two themes: Culture & Sport and Health. If you are interested in taking part, please visit the EdinburghApps website or email edinburghapps@edinburgh.gov.uk. Don't lose your voteThis week, more than 350,000 registered voters in Edinburgh (over 4m across Scotland) will begin to receive poll cards for the Scottish Independence Referendum, providing them with details on how and where they can vote on 18 September.
This is set to be the biggest
poll in Scotland's history with a turnout of more than 80% predicted.
But only people who are registered to vote, and are aged 16 or over on
the 18 September, are able to take part. That's why it's essential that
you register
by 2 September.
I would urge all those who want to take part in this historic vote to check their details are on the register by visiting
Lothian Valuation Joint Board's website or calling 0131 344 2500.
Stay in the picture
Keep yourself in the picture with our
news section online. Watch live full Council and some committee meetings on our
webcast. Join the debate on Twitter #edinwebcast
If you wish to unsubscribe please
email us.
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Friday, August 15, 2014
August Full Council Meeting
... all the reports are now up on Committee Papers On-Line (CPOL) and you can access the main agenda directly here; and each of the individual reports separately via this link.
Of course - as ever, if you're so minded, you can watch all the proceedings live here ... or the meeting will be archived a few hours after it finishes for viewing at your leisure!
Monday, August 11, 2014
Back in Edinburgh ...
Back in Edinburgh now, after a couple of weeks break with the family ...
... no Surgeries on Monday/Tuesday, due to ongoing School-holidays, but I will be at Fountainbridge Library at 6pm this Wednesday evening, and then back to the normal surgery-timetable from next week!
Please bear with me for a couple of days whilst I catch up on e-mails ... I've got an awful lot in the inbox to deal with ... but I will get through them by mid-week.
Hope everyone has had a restful Summer ;-)
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