Tram to St Andrews Square - probably

St Andrew Square

After just over 5 hours Edinburgh, councillors voted at eleven minutes past eleven tonight to continue the tram to St Andrews Square, subject to satisfactory funding arrangements.   The decision on funding must be taken by 1st September at the latest.

As to the voting, unusually, several people were not present for differing reasons.  Each of the five parties proposed their own solution, and the smaller parties declined to swing in behind other parties when their proposal was eliminated.

Lib Dems: Continue to St Andrews Square subject to further information - 16 votes
Labour:  Haymarket - 15 votes
SNP: Referendum - 12 votes
Conservative: More information required - 8 votes
Greens: 3 votes

Meadows assault culprit faces jail

18 year old Michael Hughes pleaded guilty this week to three counts of robbery in the Meadows on 12th November last year.  Hughes, from Gilmerton Dykles Crescent faces prison at his next court appearance on August 5th.  He is currently on bail and subject to a curfew.

More details here.

Trams - a leadership gap

Here are three of the key failures of leadership which have contributed to the current parlous situation.

1. The case for the tram project has not been made effectively to the city.  There was, and is, a disconnect in understahnding between a large proportion of the electorate and those who took the decision.    An example is the myth that the tram was not going to the airport.  That canard was never true yet it is even now easy to find people who think the line is planned to stop well short of the airport. That constant drip was not, and has not, been plugged.  The political leadership allowed the facts to be dimmed by rumour and the siren voices of those who wanted to believe otherwise.  With the failure of the publicity resources of tie, that also constituted a failure of political leadership.  Such a major project needed leadership able to identify such issues and to respond to the challenges such as these to the project.
2. The divided nature of the administration meant the council was open to exploitation.  Certainly the SNP were entitled to oppose the project and their opposition was part of the coalition agreement from 2007.  Notwithstanding the political legitimacy of such opposition, it weakened the major party in the council and encouraged challenges to the project at a number of levels which undermined negotiations and the credibility of the Council.
3. The third failure of leadership was a failure to intervene.  Cllr Gordon Mackenzie was moved to lead the ailing project in May 2009.  It was too little, too late.  The collegiate nature of Lib Dem internal governance does not give their leader the authority to appoint spokespersons and the paralysis lasted too long.  Intervention was also required to remedy the ineffectiveness or failure of tie ltd, the arms length council company charged with delivering the project. It is easy to see in retrospect that it was a half way house which ailed and failed.  The directors (non executive, political, industry experts) failed to raise the alarm.  Most importantly, nor did the leadership of the Council - whose intervention in favour of direct negotiations was too little, too late.

I should say that up to a point, as one of the 58 councillors I consider myself part of that failure.  Nonetheless, in terms of access to accurate information, my ability as an opposition councillor to find out the real story which is now emerging was limited.

This is the fourth in a series of tram posts: tram Thursday; the compelling case and what went wrong. 

Taste of Edinburgh this weekend

The Meadows is this year's location for Taste of Edinburgh, a showpiece for chefs and their food.  A very popular event, it returns to the Meadows after a spell at Inverleith Park.

It runs from Friday 1st July for three days in the East Meadows opposite the Sick Kids Hospital.

Many of the sessions have sold out. See here for more details.

Local Dog Aid Society AGM

Rescued: Charlie

Amongst many local charities within the ward is the Blackford based Dog Aid Society.


Details of its activities can be found on its website here.  The Annual General Meeting is being held tomorrow in the organisation's premises at 60 Blackford Avenue.

Touch World Cup results

I suppose it was to be expected that Australia and New Zealand would ran off with the honours at Peffermill.  The results can be found here.  Select Fixtures and results.  Previous post here.

Trams: What went wrong

Many things have gone wrong and whichever way you add it up it amounts to a shambles.   Here is my estimate at this stage of key things which went wrong.

1. Skills gap:  Those commissioning the project did not have the necessary skills.  Neither the councillors, the key council officers who supported the original decision, nor those who have managed the Council's side of the project.
2. Advice gap:  The solution to a lack of skill for a project is to go out and secure the necessary expertise.  The tram project has been notable in its failure so to do effectively.  That might apply to efforts to get the right contract, reliable legal advice, reasonable risk advice, independent directors. For example, we were told that extra money had been spent at the stage of letting the contract which transferred 95% of the risk to away from the Council.   There were repeated assurances that tie was on the right side of the majority of the contractual disputes.  The evidence on both these points suggests such expert assurances were wide of the mark.  Nor has expensive legal advice racked up a reputation for reliability.
3. Governance gap: The delivery model -  the arms length company tie ltd is now being downsized to a skeleton.  That reflects its failure to successfully manage the delivery of the project.   There seems little room for doubt that it was not the right way to govern the project.

The next post will look at what could and should have been done to give effective political leadership of the project.

Previous posts in this series here and here.

The compelling case for trams

On Monday I will address what has gone wrong with the tram project identifying three of the key failures.  But today, the case for trams.

I was persuaded that a tram system was best for the future of Edinburgh around four years ago as I contemplated the inefficiency of buses in Princes Street as they transported large numbers of people.  It is still not unusual to see upwards of half a dozen buses queued at a stop waiting for a few intending passengers to get on the first bus.  The public in the following buses (and following cyclists and other traffic) just wait.  The Edinburgh buses do a good job in covering the city (made more efficient by the bus app for android and iphone!). But they are inefficient for conveying large numbers of people. So here are key factors which make a compelling case for trams.

1. Efficiency: Trams are more efficient in transporting large numbers of passengers on high density routes.
2. Growth:  Trams are needed to move a growing population.  The population of Edinburgh grew by 4000 to 5000 per year between 2006 and 2009.  The figure for 2010 was up around 8,460 (+1.8%) according to official estimates taking the current population up to 486,000.  But the number of visitors are also on an upward trend with the success of Edinburgh airport numbers particularly striking with a year on year rise of 14% to May 2011 (albeit slightly skewed by ash clouds and snow the previous year).  We will be guilty of failing to plan for the future if we seek to respond to growth - well, by doing nothing.
3. Congestion: Trams are needed to counter congestion.  Transport delays affect the lives and livelihoods of people and businesses.  Efficient transport also gives people to have greater choices - to work in or travel to different locations.  
4. Regeneration:  Trams are a stimulus for regeneration - and we certainly need that in significant areas of the city.  It is also notable that there has been very strong support for trams from many of Edinburgh's large institutions and trade bodies.
5. Air quality:  Trams are more environmentally friendly.  Although there will be little difference in total emissions, harmful emissions will be removed from heavily populated areas (back to the power station which generates the electricity).  That will bring a significant benefit for air quality and consequently the health of residents.  It will also contribute to meeting the more stringent air quality standards which Edinburgh is required by law to meet.

On Monday I will address what has gone wrong - and later posts will examine the options.  None of them are good options - but some are much better (or worse) than others.

Missing woman found in St Leonard's area

Alexandra Gibson (46), reported missing from the Craigour area since June 8th, has been found safe and well in the St Leonard's area, according to this STV report.

University rugby - in Brazil

Rob Cuthbertson (playing for York)

Edinburgh University rugby team has just completed a four match tour in Brazil.  They played the Brazil national team twice losing once and drawing the other game 20-20 when Rob Cuthbertson scored all the student team's points.  Details here.

In the past year they won the Scottish Universities title with nine wins from ten matches.

Edinburgh Trams decision due next Thursday

Over the next week leading to the decisions to be taken on June 30th, I will welcome comments and your views - and I will be giving you my views on what has gone before and revealing my thoughts on where we should be going now.

But first, the report which was published today with the background and recommendations of council officials for the way forward.  It is 22 pages long with 13 pages of appendices.  Just a word of warning.  Whilst it contains much useful information it is written to argue the case for a particular decision next Thursday.

The report is here.  Comments (and advice) should be on the theme of what is best for Edinburgh!

Peffermill Touch results plus Touch for kids

The Touch World Cup ongoing in Edinburgh

Children from local schools were given an introduction to the sport of Touch, with the Touch World Cup being held at the University Sports Centre at Peffermill.

See here for a report of schools involvement, including Prestonfield, and here for results and fixtures in the various competitions. 

Dick Place resurfacing from Monday

Part of Dick Place between numberr 32 and Lauder Road is scheduled for resurfacing from next Monday (27th June)

Weans on wheels

The Bike Station has organised a try-out session for parents considering taking their children on a bike with them. 

• Wednesday 22nd (tomorrow) at the Pavilion Cafe beside Jawbone Walk between 12noon and 2pm
• The Bike Station, Causewayside on Friday 24th June between 1pm and 4pm

Details here.

Note for commuting cyclists, there is also the Bike Breakfast in the City Chambers Quadrangle on Wednesday morning between 8am and 10am.

World Cup at Peffermill this week

The Touch world cup comes to Edinburgh with teams from all over the world limbering up in the parks of South Edinburgh for the event which begins tomorrow.

Touch is a minimal contact sport which grew out of Rugby League (in Australia - where else?) in the 1960s. More on what it is here.

The Fiji team training in the Meadows

The event brings 2000 competitors to Edinburgh from 28 national teams including Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and South Africa.  And the tournament starts at the playing fields at Peffermill on Tuesday 21st.

Public Meeting: City Housing Strategy

Southside Community Centre

A meeting to take views from any member of the public will be held at 6:30pm on Wednesday this week.  It will be held in Southside Community Centre in Nicolson Street.

The meeting is being sponsored by the South Central Neighbourhood Partnership of Edinburgh Council.  It is estimated the city needs 3,660 new homes every year for the next ten years. This aspiration has implications - and the meeting will provide a forum for involvement in the Council's strategy.

Meadows & Bruntsfield Links Friends AGM

FOMBL are looking for a new convener and a new secretary at their AGM on Thursday. 

Friends of the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links convenor Chris Wigglesworth is retiring and there are other vacancies on the committee. 

The AGM is at 7:30pm on Thursday 23rd and is held in the Croquet Club in the West Meadows just off Leven Terrace.  Alison Johnstone MSP will be the guest speaker.

Round up: miscellaneous

1. Meadows Wine robbery:   The BBC report an update on the 3rd June robbery at Meadows Wine in Melville Terrace with other wine shop robberies being linked by police.  Deja vu?
2. Caravan fire, Prestonfield: Here is a Evening News report of a fire in Peffermill Road.
3. Prestonfield School:  There is an advert out for the head teacher position at Prestonfield Primary School.  See the ad here.
4. Finally:  A story about another local resident, this time 23 year old Colette Stewart who is grateful to a plastic surgeon.

Round up: Sport

Extreme unicycling

1. Cricket:  Today sees a top of the table clash between Carton Cricket Club, based in Grange Loan and Forfarshire.  Both are unbeaten this season.  The twist is that the Forfarshire vice-captain Umair Mohammed is a dentist who lives close to the Carlton ground and trains with them.  Both teams are unbeaten this season.
2. Chess:  The 118th Scottish Chess Championships take place between the 9th and 17th July.  As we now expect Sciennes Primary School is well represented (Captiva and Ecsher Mills, Rishi Pandya)  in the appropriate section. See here.
3. Unicycling:  Local resident Jason Auld, who has featured on this blog before, is planning to set a world record for non-stop extreme unicycling.  See here for details.
4. Basketball: The former Crags Sports Centre is set to become a basketball hub after the Boroughmuir Blaze Basketball Club joined forces with basketballscotland to run the premises.  As this report details there will be other uses for local residents.

Round up: University news

Now returned from a few days in Shetland, over the course of today I will pick up some of the local news which has accumulated over the week.  First up, Edinburgh University news.

1. With revolution sweeping across the Arab world Tom McMaster, a 40 year old Masters student at Edinburgh University was uncovered as the author of a hoax blog A Gay Girl in Damascus.  Meanwhile the University announced an enquiry and suspended his use of IT facilities.
2. We note the tragic death of Robbie Cammack, a University medical student, while climbing in the Alps.  A member of the University Mountaineering Club, Robbie, aged 19 and from Aberlour, was a gifted sportsman and academically promising.  See the STV account of this tragic but inspiring life here.
3. The work of students Mikael Ullero and Christopher MacKeand in initiating and running work with a water charity active in Malawi is recorded here.
4. A new gene has been named after the father of Scottish veterinary medicine and founder of the Dick Vet after a student's research at the Summerhall building a decade ago resulted in discovery of a new gene sequence.  The BBC has the story here.
5. MBE's were awarded in  the Queen's Birthday Honours to Lesley Forrest  for her work with (transplant athletics) and Jill Pilkington (St Kilda sheep). More details here.

Students of the future arrive

See loads of young people around town today - often accompanied by a parent?  Are the cafes full?

Today is an undergraduate Open Day for prospective students at Edinburgh University.

Details here.

Life for older people and their carers

King's Hall, South Clerk Street

A  forum and drop in for older people and their carers is being held later this week in the King's Hall in South Clerk Street.

There will be specialists present to give advice on

• housing adaptation
• benefits
• debt management
• recycling
• health eg basic blood pressure and weight checks

Activities on the day will include art, music and dancing, indoor curling.   All are invited to the event between 1pm and 4pm on Thursday 16th June.  More details at the Neighbourhood Partnership website.

Light blogging

Blog posts may be rather rare in the next few days as I have other fish to fry.

World class tenor moves to Grange

David Hamilton is described as one of Australia's finest opera singers.  He has recently moved back to his native Scotland and has taken up residence in the Grange.

More details here, including his forthcoming performance this weekend.

Fringe centre of gravity moves south

Get the Fringe festival programme

"Focus  (of the Fringe) will be increasingly around Bristo Square to the south of the city this year, as Assembly moves from its normal George Street base to George Square, behind the Gilded Balloon, while a controversial refit of its usual venue takes place."  Chortle

 As the Fringe programme was launched yesterday it was noted that with the Assembly Rooms out of action this year more of the Fringe has moved south into the Southside & Newington ward.

Odeon plan refused by 8-4

Proposals by Duddingston House Property for the Odeon in Clerk Street were refused this morning by the council planning committee.  The proposals, a resubmission of those approved by the committee in 2008, were for partial demolition and the provision of artist studio space, restaurant, gallery space, internal courtyard and hotel.

The proposals foundered because the building is B listed and the applicants failed to persuade the committee the statutory requirements for part demolishing a listed building existed.

Over 8 years have now passed since the premises were used as a cinema.  Now, who will get this building back into use? And how soon?

For the record I voted for the plans, which would have retained the section providing the Clerk Street frontage, to be approved.  The biggest disappointment is that the there is still no clarity in when we will get this vital part of the Southside back into use.

Dick Vet sold - in record time

As you can see from the sign now on display at Summerhall, the Dick Vet set of buildings has been sold by Edinburgh University.

Details have yet to emerge as to the identity of the new owner, or his/her intentions, but it is understood the date agreed for exchange of missives will not be until near the end of the year.

It is less than three weeks since the development brief was approved by the Planning Committee.

Chalmers Crescent killing accused hearing

Stewart Taylor

Frank Moore (43) is accused of killing Stewart Taylor on February 7th in Chalmers Crescent.  He appeared today before the High Court in Glasgow when he was remanded for trial at a future date.  He is also accused of attempting to kill Taylor's partner Lyndsey Anne Methven.

More details from STV and in previous posts on this blog beginning here.

Potterrow: resurfacing under way

Work is under way to resurface the roadway in Potterrow between Marshall Street and Crichton Street.

It should take less than a week.

Summerhall charity shop fire deliberate

Police are investigating the fire at the Bethany Charity shop on Saturday evening - as reported on this blog on Saturday here - as suspicious.

The shop, in Summerhall Square, is the ground floor of a tenement block of flats and a woman and child from the houses above were treated for smoke inhalation.

See the BBC report here and the STV report here.

Robbery at Meadows Wines - again

A man made off with a three figure sum at 9pm on Friday (3rd June) evening from Meadows Wine in Melville Terrace.  He was chased by the manager up towards Sciennes Place but he evaded capture.

For a description of the culprit, including the beige beanie hat he was wearing, see here.

After a robbery at the same premises on 27th January this year, police reported a  culprit was later arrested.

Update 6.6.11: This Scotland on Sunday report gives additional information - including the rather inportant point that the culprit presented what appeared to be a gun.

Fire at Summerhall Bethany

Police and fire services attended a fire at the Summerhall Bethany charity shop on Saturday (4th) evening.

This view was taken at 10:30pm when the emergency services were still in attendance.

Jawbone appeal at Meadows Festival today

The Meadows Festival is under way.

The event is getting some excellent publicity - with this BBC item.

The Meadows Jawbone Arch Appeal will be at the Jawbone this afternoon from 1-5pm.

Jawbone Arch public appeal under way

The public appeal is under way.  From today donations can be texted from a mobile or transferred at the Just Giving website online with a credit card or debit card.  See here for the background and incredible history of the jawbone arch - which is a testament to the vibrancy of industry, science and art in the Victorian era.

Donations can be made in these ways:

• Online: visit www.justgiving.com (Meadows Jawbone Arch Appeal). You will need a credit or debit card and if you are a taxpayer, you can have the tax reclaimed
• With your mobile:  you can now text up to £10 from your mobile.  Just text 70070 with the appeal code EWHT27 and the amount £?? (up to ten pounds) you wish to give. Tax can even be reclaimed on whatever you give. (Donors will receive an acknowledgement text with reclaim details)
• Mail: Sent your contribution to EWH, 5 Charlotte Sq., Edinburgh EH2 4DR

Edinburgh World Heritage are supporting the project to conserve and restore the jawbone arch and are kindly handling the donations.

Election posters in Edinburgh banned

At the meeting of full council today a decision was taken to ban election posters on lampposts at future elections. 

They were following decisions which have been taken by most Scottish Councils in the last few years.

What will I do with the extra time on my hands?

Odeon decision next Wednesday

A decision on the Odeon is due to be taken next Wednesday when it comes before the Development Management Sub-Committee.  I note the papers do not seem to be online yet but will be available here shortly.

There are two applications - the first (08/00197/FUL) is for the Duddingston House Properties proposals and,originally recommended for approval in 2008, is now recommended for refusal.  The second (11/00394/LBC) is for Listed Building Consent for the partial demolition the first application would require.  This is recommended for refusal.

I will post up the links when they are up and I get a chance. 

Update 0800 4.6.11: Amended to include the links and to correct (italics) the error as to the recommendation for the first application.  H/T Philip McDowell

Hollywood to Alloa - via Marchmont

Sang Cha

Sang Cha lived in Sciennes until last week when he moved to Alloa to take up the post as minister at St Mungo's Church of Scotland.  After an assistantship at Marchmont St Giles church in Kilgraston Road, he is to be inducted in Alloa tonight.

Sang, who is South Korean, has spent much of his time in the US working in Hollywood where, as this BBC article reports, he was earning $3m a year - rather more than he will as a Church of Scotland minister.  More info here.

Update 1540hrs: I see the Guardian and Real Radio  amongst others, have joined in with more background details.

Betty Brown leads from Crimewatch

Betty Brown

Detectives say they have four new leads after the Crimewatch publicity on the mysterious death of Betty Brown.  See the following sites for more information

• the background on this blog
• BBC update on new information
• Crimewatch

TV not working?

Craigkelly transmitter

That will be the digital switchover then.  Part one took place today in the ward area.  The next stage will be on 15th June.

Find out more:

• Digital UK website
• Council website

Your views on local policing wanted

Local police have advised me the Lothian and Borders Police public perception survey is under way.

Your views are welcomed.  Click here to complete the survey online.  Some randomly selected addresses will receive questionnaires delivered.

The survey is open until 30.6.11

21st birthday street party

The Engine Shed celebrates 21 years with a street party on Friday 10th June between 12:30 and 3:30pm.

The summer picnic will take place at St Leonard's Lane at their premises.  Do call in.

If you can't make it, the Engine Shed Cafe is open 10:00 to 4:00pm Monday to Saturday.