Leap Year Day!

Leap Year Day, today ... and some things (thankfully!) have remained reasonably constant:

*  4-years ago, I was rotavating a newly-aquired Allotment plot
*  and this year, I'm renewing the Allotment fencing!

Just where would I be without that Allotment to keep me sane?

Please don't feel compelled to actually answer that question ;-)

9-weeks tomorrow

9-weeks tomorrow, or 63-days to be precise, until Local Government Polling Day on Thursday 3rd May 2012.

I posted about the main Parties' preparedness a few weeks ago now - see here ...

... but still not that much progress (if any?) I'm afraid, on the various Parties announcing their candidates and/or manifestos:

• Lib-Dems; website seems to be updated now, but still no list of candidates or a manifesto
• Labour; as before, everything has been in the public domain since 3rd November 2011
• SNP; their local website now actually seems blocked, and still no list of candidates or a manifesto
• Tories; don't see any change, no 'candidate-list' or a 'manifesto-process'
• Greens; full list of 17 candidates now announced (hooray!) but no manifesto-process that I can see?

I can, sort of, understand the lack of manifestos at this stage - but no one seems to have even begun a public 'manifesto-process' ... maybe they're just won't be any outside of our own?

And as for candidate lists - we all know that several Parties have actually selected numerous candidates ... surely its not beyond their skills to get a full/current list into the public domain?

Policy and Strategy Committee

Policy and Strategy Committee meeting earlier this morning ... all the papers can be accessed here, with the main agenda here.

Most debate actually centred around the Transient Visitor Levy (bed tax) report, full text of which you can see here.

 

Believe it or not, there was broad agreement that a bed tax is the right solution for Edinburgh - with cross-Party agreement that it was a sensible way forward, with all political parties (expect the Conservatives) backing the policy.

 

Yet the local SNP and Lib-Dems - despite vocally backing the fact that the policy should be pursued - where unwilling to take the case directly to the Scottish Government?

 

There must be an election on the horizon :-(

 

Carbon emissions and energy generation

Been trying not to cross-reference to the main Edinburgh Labour site too much ... but please, if you're so interested, do keep an eye on that site in coming weeks as many of our Spokespeople are publishing articles expanding on our various draft manifesto commitments.

There's an article on carbon emissions and energy generation on the site today - here ...

... and several others have appeared in the last few weeks:

• local budget issues
• jobs and the economy
• libraries, parks, pitches and pavilions

- to mention but a few ;-)

Scotland V France

Managed to go and see the Scotland V France rugby international this afternoon ...

... somewhat depressing event; Scotland played reasonably well but still no victory on that final scoreboard :-(

Managed to compensate for the disappointment with a few beers either side of the match ;-)

COSLA and the Edinburgh Award

COSLA Leaders pre-meeting this morning ... packed business agenda, but most discussion/debate around wider political issues.

And attended the presentation of the Edinburgh Award this evening - to Professor Peter Higgs, who seemed a genuinely, humble man and a well-deserved 5th recipient of the Award :-)

Merchant Company hustings

Another hustings event this evening - organised by the Merchant Company, which took place in their grand Merchant Hall on Hanover Street ...

... fairly size-able audience, and an enjoyable debate between the four Parties represented.

And just like an earlier event in November, some food was provided after the actual hustings!

I'm obviously hoping that any remaining hustings-events will follow a very similar pattern and provide some suitable nourishment for their speakers ;-)

3,000 fewer affordable homes

Congratulations are due to the City Council for handing over some Council house keys - the PR-spin is here ...

... but, you won't hear too much about this;

Edinburgh's housing stock (annual) since 31 March 2006 to date (figures taken from Scottish Government returns)

2006                                  23,914

2007                                  22,996

2008                                  22,204

2009                                  21,859

2010                                  21,288

2011                                  20,808

Yes, over 3,000 fewer affordable homes in Edinburgh than 5-years ago.

A "desperate affordable housing shortage" - sadly, only too true :-(

Local parking pressures

Transport Committee has now revisited the long-running saga of parking pressures in the local Shandon area ... affects me, both as a Local Councillor and resident!

The Transport Committee papers are all available here - with the specific Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) report here.

I did get along to the Committee Meeting and briefly spoke to the report (attached for ease of reference).

The Committee did agree to recommendations a) b) and c) - thus abandoning the CPZ-process - but did adjust recommendation d) so that some actions can still be continued for consideration. The actual text agreed was as follows:


Committee agrees recommendations a) to c) and to replace recommendation d) with:

"Instructs officials to work through the existing Parking Panel and Neighbourhood Partnership to discuss with residents living in the area bounded by Harrison Road, Slateford Road, Shandon Crescent, the South Suburban rail line and the Union Canal - to develop a package of measures which are designed and tailored to relieve the specific parking pressures affecting the Shandon area throughout the day and night.

Agrees that the Director of Services for Communities should report to the Committee on the proposed measures by the September TIE committee and that this report outline the regulatory alterations and non regulatory changes required to bring into effect the proposals along with a timescale for their implementation.  The report to also include detailed costings and supporting parking survey data analysis that examines the potential impacts on the internal network and surrounding areas of parking alterations.

Instructs the Head of Transport, in consultation with local members, to write to residents informing them of the outcome of the consultation and decision of the Committee."


Any actual  'reduction' in the current CPZ-Order would have meant re-advertisement, which would almost certainly have led to further objections from the surrounding area.

I also raised the issue of the 'equalities impact' of the abandonment of the current CPZ (as several of you had asked me to do) and this issue was acknowledged as particularly serious, by Officers present, and there was a clear (oral) commitment to further consider any impacts when developing recommendations flowing from the new d) as above.

So - whilst the CPZ has been dropped, other controls will be investigated and hopefully implemented.

One can only hope that the next 5-years will not see the interminable-drift of the last :-((

Party-flats and some hope for consensus?

Down the Royal Mile at Holyrood earlier this morning for a meeting which Sarah Boyack had organised, on the seemingly intractable issue of Party-flats and the deeply distressing trouble they can cause for local residents.

Sarah has long-campaigned on this issue, but I was really pleased to see an SNP MSP present (Marco Biagi) as well as a Labour MP (Sheila Gilmore); along with three Councillors - myself, Alasdair Rankin (SNP) and Joanna Mowat (Conservative) - and several City-Centre residents who are directly affected by this problem.

Joanna Mowat had a motion on this - at the December Full Council Meeting (see Agenda item 10.11 here) - which was referred on to Health and Social Care Committee, and that body now meets imminently on Tuesday 6th March ... optimistic, following today, that some cross-Party consensus might just see the Motion approved and a report brought back to an early meeting of the new Council post-May 2012.

Here hoping, as it really struck me today that the residents deserve nothing less.

Its Sunday, so it must be the "Allotment Update" :-)

In the midst of what seemed like endless data-entry, following a great few-days campaigning, I did manage to sneak a couple of hours down at the Allotment :-)

As you can see from this picture THE WHOLE of the old & damaged, perimeter fence is now removed ...

... its only taken me seven months :-(

Lets hope I can get those second-hand fencing posts up with a bit more alacrity!

Actually thinking of abandoning the idea of the 'wooden straps' all the way round and might go for a run of old shipping-type rope ... if I can locate enough of it - any suggested suppliers welcome??

Fountainbridge Canalside Initiative 'Brewing New Life’ event

Managed to get along (for a short while) to an event organised by the 'Fountainbridge Canalside Initiative' this aftenroon - entitled "Brewing New Life into Fountainbridge" ...

... now, I hasten to add, this had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with alcohol :-)

It was in fact a very impressive, consultative meeting organised by a new(ish) local group who are looking to influence the upcoming development of the Fountainbridge Canalside area: more details on STV-local here.

Edinburgh South West NP Transport sub-committee

Edinburgh South West Neighbourhood Partnership (NP) Transport sub-committee earlier ...

... well attended and good, involved discussion about all the agenda items.

Rather sobering realisation that the next meeting isn't now until Friday 11th May 2012 - a lot will have changed by then; one way or the other!

Elections Consultative Group Meeting

Elections Consultative Group Meetings now becoming a little more frequent ... not long to go, after all!

Pleased to see that some sense has prevailed and the Local Government Elections count isn't going to take place until the Friday morning ...

... one has to wonder, given that both the Scottish Government in 2007 and the UK Government in 2010 took several days to form, just what is the compelling rationale for counting "any" election immediately after the close of the poll??

Now I think about it - there just isn't any compelling rationale ;-)

The number one priority?

Deeply depressing employment figures out again today - more details on the overall position in Scotland here and here ... with Edinburgh now having nearly 12,000 people on the claimant count; that figure having more-than-doubled in the last 5-years :-((

Almost as depressing as the figures (well, not quite!) is the constant 'blame game' going on amongst politicians of all colours. I'd just like the Government/s in charge - both at Westminster and Edinburgh - to make employment their number one priority and use every waking-hour to stop this being a repeat of the early 1980's.

I had to find my own, first full-time job in 1984 - it wasn't easy; and I don't particularly want my own 14-year old (or any other young person, for that matter) to go through the same travails ... or even worse ... in the near future.

And the last thing I'm sure any young person wants to hear right now are politicians constantly decrying each other :-(

Listening and responding ...

Managed to get along to a small presentation event this afternoon where the Council was awarded the "2011 Adoption of Best Practice Award" by the charities Refuge and Respect, in relation to the Local Authority's Domestic Abuse Policy. The award was being made in recognition of good practice (inside the Council) in increasing the safety and welfare of employees in relation to Domestic Abuse.

The presentation session involved the screening of a very powerful video, which was basically a personal testimony from a lady who underlined the crucial importance of just having someone to listen to - and respond to - the terrible personal situation she was in ... and that 'person' happened, in her case, to be her employer.

It was thus very good to hear that the Council appears to be leading the way in this area --- many congratulations to all those concerned in achieving the Award.

Keeping the Capital prosperous

My colleague, Councillor Norma Hart (our Economic Development Spokesperson), has a piece up on the main Edinburgh Labour website today which outlines how we would work towards keeping the Capital prosperous ...

... all part of the wide-ranging proposals contained within the re-draft of our Local Government Manifesto --- which you can view in full here.

Most importantly, details of how you can comment on any of the proposals are here.

I'd really welcome any further feedback prior to Sunday 19th February.

STV, snowdrops and snow

Back in Edinburgh after an enjoyable few days down in London - so much colder down there at the moment!

ERS Meetings on Friday/Saturday as scintillating as ever ...

... and on Sunday we managed to fit in a family-visit to the Chelsea Physic Garden - I'd never been before and was very impressed with it all.

Was a special 'opening-week' for the emerging snowdrops, some of which where on sale as pictured here. Didn't buy any for transport Northwards!

East Coast train journeys, in both directions, absolutely on-schedule despite fairly significant amounts of snow in Northern and Central England.

Edinburgh is positively tropical by comparison at the moment ;-)