St Margaret's School future unfolds

St Margaret's in former times

Of three uses under consideration for future use of the former St Margaret's School, one was approved today by the Council Planning Committee and one was deferred for a site visit.

1. Care home:  The proposal to create a 60 bed care home from the properties on the north side of East Suffolk Road is to be subject of a site visit tomorrow by the Planning Committee and is expected to come back for a decision on 14th September.  The plans can be found here (11/02170).
2. Nursery with two flats: The proposal to create two flats in the building on the south east side of East Suffolk Road and use the majority of the remaining part of the building as a nursery was approved today.  The plans can be seen here (11/02170).
3. Cultural Centre: The former Craigmillar Free Church building, also in East Suffolk Road, is already occupied and being used as a Muslim cultural centre known as the Iqra Academy.

Chalmers Crescent murder trial update

Here is a report of yesterday's proceedings at the trial of Frank Moore for the murder of Stewart Taylor at 18 Chalmers Crescent.

Reports from the court last week can be found below:

• 23rd August
• 25th August
• 26th August

Local cricket club win premier league

Grange Loan home of Carlton

Carlton Cricket Club, based in Grange Loan became Scottish premier league champions today when their match was rained off. 

Congratulations.   More details here.

Google chairman at Festival Theatre

Eric Schmidt, chairman of Google, was in Edinburgh today, when he criticised UK education saying that

"the UK needs to reignite children's passion for science, engineering and maths"

The Google supremo was speaking at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in Nicolson Street at the Festival Theatre.

More from the BBC here.

Mosque Kitchen looking to expand

Having moved from their position in the shadow of the Potterrow mosque to Nicolson Square, the Mosque Kitchen are bidding to open a restaurant in Bristo Place. 

Their application for planning permission will be considered at the Planning Committee next Wednesday (31st Aug).  Details here.

Tram to St Andrews Sq decision overturned

Today the council voted not to accept the financial package proposed to fund the tram to St Andrews Square.  The continuing risks of delay and cost escalation were a significant factor in the decision.  In effect this means the project is pulled back from the uncertain costs of the Haymarket to St Andrews Square section


Council officers will now pick up negotiations with the contractor with a view to bringing the section of the tram from the Airport to Haymarket to completion.  A significant proportion of the works on this section has been completed and the majority of the risks have been bottomed out.

The final vote was:

• Restrict tram project to complete Haymarket Section:  25 votes  (Conservative and Labour)
• Accept the funding package and push ahead to St Andrew Square:  19 votes (Lib Dems and Greens)
• Abstentions:  13 votes (SNP)
• There was one councillor who could not vote because his company works as

Here is the STV report.

Trams: today's decision

Add caption

Full council is meeting today to decide on whether the funding of the line to St Andrew's Square.  The issues are not as straightforward as cancelling or continuing.  I'm travelling after the meeting but if I don't mange to get a post up I will tweet the result which will show in the twitter sidebar on the right hand side of this page.

2pm  I meant to point you to the report being discussed which is here.

Kilmaurs Terrace police incident - not

Kilmaurs Terrace

A bit of Crimestoppers police tape cordoning off part of Kilmaurs Terrace of Dalkeith Road heralded - a roofing repair.

The details - or what details there are - can be investigated here.

Blaze of basketball comes to Southside

Eponymous Salisbury Crags

Basketball is set to come to the Crags Sports Centre if the lease of the building to Boroughmuir Blaze Basketball Club and basketball Scotland is ratified next Tuesday.  The report recommends approval of a 25 year lease of £1 per year.  The report can be found here.

The establishment of a basketball centre could be a welcome addition to the community.   Unsuccessful bidders included the Bike Station and Sportsal.  Previous posts can be accessed here.

"City rescued from financial ruin"

The city chambers was in turmoil.  Massive development projects had plunged Edinburgh into the red and the city was up to its neck in debt . . .

Cover of new book

A few days ago I drew attention to a couple of persons after whom streets in the ward are named.  One was Lord Provost Duncan MacLaren.  Co-incidentally, Willis Pickard published a book "The Member for Scotland: A life of Duncan MacLaren" earlier this year.  MacLaren is credited with digging the city out of a mess and saving it from bankruptcy.

The review of it in today's Evening News begins with the quote at the top of this post. Some might think his story has parallels.  The turmoil bit has been easily achieved.  Now for the harder part of bringing stability and restoring the city's reputation.

Murder trial day two: the survivor

Here is the BBC report from the High Court on the Chalmers Crescent murder trial.  It focuses on the testimony of Lyndsey Methven, partner of the deceased.

Previous post with background links here.

Chalmers Cres murder trial under way

The trial of Frank Moore (43) for the murder of Stewart Taylor and the attempted murder of Lynsey Methven is now under way at the High Court in Edinburgh.  The charges relate to events on 6th/7th February at 18 Chalmers Crescent, a small block of flats managed by the Viewpoint Housing Association.

More details here.  Previous posts can be found here.

Sir Fred Goodwin back

According to this report, Sir Fred Goodwin is back in the Grange.

Sciennes teachers raising money for charity

A group of teachers at Sciennes Primary School teachers, along with a former pupil, are raising money through a sponsored cycle to Glasgow next month.

The good cause is Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres.

Details and donations here.

Carlton Cricket club march towards title

Grange Loan based Carlton Cricket Club are in the running for their first ever premiership title after another win in what has become a superb season for them.

At the week-end they beat second placed Forfarshire and success next week could see them champions.

Details here.

Fireraiser guilty of two 2009 ward fires

Rory McVey of Gracemount has been found guilty of setting two tenement fires in the ward in 2009 and is awaiting sentence.

The first was in Oxford Street on October 12, 2009 when he set fire to rubbish in a stair.  The second was in South Clerk Street on October 25th of the same year when he set fire to a mattress in a stair which resulted in the fire service using a turntable ladder to evacuate students in the stair.

More details can be found here.

Festival open day at the synagogue

Tomorrow is a festival open day at the synagogue in Salisbury Road.

It takes place from 12 noon to 3:30pm.  See here for details.

SNP retain seat in city centre by-election

Alasdair Rankin

The SNP today won the City Centre by-election by a whisker, maintaining the knife edged balance on Edinburgh Council.  The Lib Dem/SNP administration move back to 29 out of 58 councillors after the resignation of an SNP councillor in June.  The Conservative candidate Iain McGill pushed them very close, as the figures linked below show.

Congratulations to new councillor Alasdair Rankin.  The precise figures, blow by blow, can be found here.

Close finish in City Centre by-election

As the counting proceeds this morning in the City Chambers for the replacement for SNP David Beckett who resigned to pursue a course at Harvard, all that is certain is that the result will be very close.

The turnout was 23.4% with 3455 votes cast.  The votes are shown below and will be updated as they become available:

First Preference votes:
1st   837 - Conservative
2nd  797 - SNP
3rd  682 - Labour
4th   494 - Green
5th   394 - Ind. Carson
6th   251 - Lib Dem

After redistribution of Lib Dem second preferences
1st   904 (including +67) Conservative
2nd  825 (+ 28) SNP
3rd   716 (+34) Labour
4th   576 (+82) Green
5th   402 (+8)  Ind. Carson

After redistribution of Independent John Carson's 402 votes
1st   1043 (+139)  Conservative
2nd   893 (+68)   SNP
3rd    745 (+29)  Labour
4th    576 (+59)  Green

After redistribution of Green Party's 576 votes
1st  1110 (+67) Conservative
2nd 1081 (+188) SNP
3rd  968  (+223) Labour

After redistribution of the Labour Party's votes
1st  1368 (+ 287)  SNP  Winner
2nd 1264 (+154) Conservative

Update 13:30:  See new post for summary result here.
Update 13:45:  The 2007 result can be found here.
Update 16:00:  To correct error in SNP figure after first transfer 

What's in the name?

This is a relatively quiet week for ward news.  Tomorrow I will bring the result of today's by-election in the neighbouring City Centre ward (due about 1pm Friday 19th).

In the meantime, having recently recorded the name of the new street (Ascham Court) being created in the Archer's Hall development at Boroughloch, here are the origins of a couple of well known local streets.  Both are named for Lord Provosts:

Duncan MacLaren memorial

• Drummond Street, named after George Drummond who was elected Lord Provost of Edinburgh several times between 1725 and 1764.  It was formerly called Thief Raw. Harris suggests the old name may have been from theif, the old Scots word for a bramble or thorn bush.
• McLaren Road, situated off Cobden Crescent and Queen's Crescent near Dalkeith Road, was named after a later Lord Provost, Duncan McLaren, who held the post between 1851 and 1854.  He also served as Liberal MP for Edinburgh and, according to this account, extricated Edinburgh from financial ruin.

New video released by MacAskill

Danny MacAskill shot to fame with videos of his incredible skills on a stunt bike in the Southside and Newington area.

His latest video was not filmed locally - but in the interests of seeing what Danny has achieved, here it is.

100 up for Jose Adam

Marian House in the Grange is home for centenarian Josephine Adam who celebrated 100 years yesterday.

Congratulations.

More details and her life story can be found here.

Film footage of Edinburgh riot

I'm not sure if this incident was within the Southside and Newington ward but, although it took place a few days ago, some readers of this blog may not have had the opportunity to see the irresponsible and indefensible behaviour.  It is to be condemned outright - and anyone with information leading to the identification of the culprit should contact the police.

University attacked over Saudi links

Reported in today's Edinburgh Evening News is an attack on Edinburgh University's links with the Saudi royal family who have provided sponsorship to the tune of £5m over the last five years.  That figure is pocket money compared to the University's budget (expenditure 2009/10 £293.6m).  But the issue raised is whether oppressive regimes are buying influence through of sponsorship of reputable institutions, in a way which is harmful to democracy and human freedoms.

This issue has been raised before in this blog when concerns noted were in relation to the Confucius Institute hosted by the University as well as the Saudi links.  Articles discussing the issues are contained in the 2009 post.

Whilst dealings with unpleasant regimes may in some circumstances be inappropriate, searching questions need to be asked about whether the arrangement

• allows undue political influence from undemocratic regimes
• undermines the position of those suffering from oppression in the country concerned.

"Kafkaesque" bureaucracy on class sizes

Prestonfield Primary

Prestonfield Primary School is at the centre of a case challenging the implementation of the Government's class sizes legislation.  With primary 1 classes capped at a maximum of 25 children - whilst (at least nominally) maintaining the principle of parental choice - the procedures for resolving who gets in and who doesn't, are bureaucratic to say the least.

This article  describes some of the arguments which led Sheriff Frank Crowe to use the above word when resolving the situation for one child.

City Centre by-election

Whither now for Edinburgh's City Chambers?

David Beckett, has resigned as SNP councillor for neighbouring City Centre ward.  David was the youngest of the 58 Edinburgh councillors and found an opportunity to do a Masters course at Harvard which was too good to miss.

In 2007 the ward elected (under the PR system) a Conservative, a Liberal Democrat and now ex-councillor Becket.  The SNP (12 councillors) formed a coalition with the Lib Dems (17) councillors giving an administration with exactly half the total number of councillors dependant on the casting vote of the Lord Provost for a majority. (Labour have 15, Conservatives 11 and Greens 3).

The recent defection of Cllr Elaine Morris from the Lib Dems to the SNP has not changed the overall balance of the Council.  If, however, the by-election to replace David Beckett is won by a candidate from a non administration party then the Lib Dem/SNP groups will no longer have a majority and leadership of the council will be up for renegotiation - with all sorts of permutations possible.

The 2007 results proved very close.  You can find the detail here.  A list of the candidates can be found at this report of a hustings event.

Election hustings: McGill 'stole the show'.

Iain McGill: Savvy

Here is a report of a hustings for the key council by-election next Thursday (18th August) in the neighbouring City Centre ward.  The Broughton Spurtle's far from uncritical reporter at the scene reviews all the candidates concluding, Iain McGill was the 'best debater on the night'.   I have added the local reporter's full assessment below.

The result of this by-election could be key for the make up of Edinburgh's council - as I will post later today.

But if you are one of the voters in the City Centre ward, do take time to read the Broughton Spurtle report in full with its assessment of how all the candidates acquitted themselves. Meanwhile, here'e what he said about Iain McGill:

Iain McGill (Conservative)
Charmed and dominated this hustings. Effective, combative, ad hominem humour. Best debater on the night. Savvy appeals to change the regime. Particularly passionate and convincing in aspirations for health and social care management. First Tory candidate Spurtle has ever heard so widely applauded. Surprisingly stole the show. 

 I am assured that the Spurtle author is certainly not a Conservative!  

Southside/Newington avoids major floods

No repeat of Balcarres St flood in July

With the considerable and sustained heavy rain I have waited in vain for emergency situations in the ward.  I have just been informed by the Task Force of their recent involvement.  Remarkably, there have been only three relatively minor incidents (I said relatively!) - in Mayfield Road, Clinton Road and Kilmaurs Road/Drive.

There is more rain due over the next few days but the indications are that it will not be nearly as heavy or sustained as we have experienced.

Edinburgh University - generating companies

35 companies have been formed as spin-offs from work at Edinburgh University over the academic year 2010/11.

More details can be found here and here. 

Carrying children on bikes

The Bike Station in Causewayside are offering opportunities to try out various bikes and child carrying equipment throughout the summer.

• Fridays 1pm to 4pm at the Bike Station
• Wednesdays 12noon to 2pm at the Pavilion Cafe at Jawbone Walk

More information here.

Polar bear attack leader's local links

Andy Ruck (27), one of the leaders of the expedition which suffered the fatal attack from a polar bear on a remote Norwegian island, has local links.  From Brighton originally, he is a graduate of Edinburgh University, and earlier this year moved back to Edinburgh.

More details here.

Duncan Street: Indecent exposure

A man has been arrested for flashing in Duncan street just off Minto Street and the police will be keen to know of any other such incidents in the Newington area.

More details here in the police press release.  STV have a report here.

What's going on at the Dick Vet now?

It is an arts venue and has established itself in short order as part of this year's Fringe.

Here's an interview with Rupert Thomson, Summerhall's director.

Boxing: the next step for Arthur

Southside resident Alex Arthur is looking to move into boxing promotion - as well as continuing in the ring himself. 

More about Amazing Alex Arthur Promotions here. He has an event at Meadowbank Sports Centre on Saturday 27th August.

Long stay parking charges reduced

Ideal for android or iPhones

Parking prices in certain underused bays have been cut from £5.50 to £3.00 in certain nine hour bays in the Grange.  This is an extension of a previous trial when charges in some nine hour bays were reduced. 

Introduced 5 years ago, the nine hour bays have been largely underused because of the price and because of their location.  The changes mean that for a relatively modest charge the spare capacity can be used - which takes pressure off residents in highly congested areas just outside the controlled zone boundaries.

It is a long awaited and sensible move.  Some of the details can be found in this article and Council details on parking can be found here.

If you have an Android or an iPhone you can pay for parking very conveniently by mobile using the RingGo app which works very well.  Usage since it was introduced in Edinburgh has far exceeded expectations.  For this and other mobile phone payment options see here.

Familiar faces abound - Fringe under way

Paul Daniels

The Fringe is under way and household names abound in the central area.

Officially running from today to 29th August the Fringe promises (if that's the right word), 21000 performers, 41,689 performances, 258 venues and 2542 shows.  And more of the action than ever before takes place in the Southside & Newington ward.  Fringe site and booking details here and more details from the BBC here.

From John Malkovich to Fred MacAuley or Paul Daniels, you can spot them in the Southside.

Graffiti enquiry leads to charges

38 persons have been charged with graffiti offences in a recent operation by police.

This article particularly highlights charges against two teenagers for 75 instances.  Although the operation was principally on the west side of the city, I have no doubt some of those charged were responsible for some of the vandalism in the Southside & Newington ward.

Deaconess planning application

Formerly the Deaconess Hospital

The former NHS Lothian headquarters at the top of the Pleasance are the subject of a planning proposal to turn the building into student accommodation.

The pre-application, submitted today, is from a company  Graduation (Deaconess) Limited, and is described as "student residential accommodation (incorporating part conversion and part demolition of former NHS buildings)".

It is anticipated there will be public exhibition of the proposals on 14th September.

20mph zone in south Edinburgh goes ahead

 This morning the transport committee of the council approved a proposal for a 3 year pilot of a large scale 20mph zone in south Edinburgh.  You can find a map of the affected area on page 7 of this PDF.

It is an area bounded by the Bruntsfield Place/Morningside Road corridor on the west, Holyrood Park on the east, Blackford Hill to the south and Melville Drive in the north.

The above document rehearses some of the arguments in the public comments listed in Appendix 4 of the above PDF.

Some arterial and feeder routes are exempted.  Included amongst those which will remain at 30mph are the Strathearn/Grange Road route and the Marchmont Road, Kilgraston Road, Blackford Avenue and West Mains Road corridor.  The CausewaysideRatcliffe Terrace route is included in the 20mph limit as it is part of the new quality bike corridor from Kings Buildings to George Square.

Primark update

Outwith the ward, but I do get people asking me when Primark will open.

Work on the Princes Street Primark continues, with recent recruitment literature suggesting that the management intends to open the store in early December.  I note from this article that the opening may be in early 2012. Jobs at the store are being advertised here.

New Sick Kids delayed again?

Current Sick Kids from the south

A new and delayed date for the transfer of the Sciennes Sick Kids hospital to Little France on the South Side of Edinburgh is suggested in this article in today's Evening News.

Adam Morris, the paper's health reporter states the projected transfer date is now late 2016.

Prestonfield in Bloom

Preparations are under way for the judging later this week of the  Prestonfield entry for the Beautiful Scotland awards in.  The area achieved a bronze medal last year. 

The Beautiful Scotland website has more details of the award.   Edinburgh won the city award last year.