Community Councils looking for volunteers

The time has come for the community council 'elections'.  Every three or four years local community councils are reconstituted - I put 'elections' in quotes because there are seldom sufficient volunteers and invariably no need to go to elections.

Nonetheless, volunteers need to be nominated formally by two people - who must reside in the Community council area.

Extensive details and nomination forms can be found here.

If you are in the Marchmont/Sciennes area, forms need to be sent to me (returning officer).  If  are in the Southside Community Council area then they go to Steve Burgess and Grange/Prestonfield - to Alison Dickie. 

Community Council boundaries can be found here.

Note:  I see there is a special meeting to encourage Black and Minority Ethnic residents to come forward.  Details here.

Sick Children's move delayed for another year - at least

Edinburgh’s new Sick Kids hospital won’t be open for at least another year, and fixing the latest blunders will cost the taxpayer an extra £16 million.

In a statement at Holyrood today, health secretary Jeane Freeman revealed problems with ventilation, water systems and drainage will “take time” to address.

She told MSPs: “It is clear that there is significant work to be undertaken to ensure the site is fully compliant.”

On top of the additional £16 million costs, NHS Lothian will continue to pay £1.35 million a month to the site owners at Little France, which will total a further £16 million by the time the hospital opens.  I am not clear what the extent of the penalty payment will be to Downing who have bought the site in Sciennes and have had plans passed for a range of different types of housing.

The replacement Sick Kids was supposed to open at the end of 2012, but has been repeatedly delayed due to a range of “catastrophic failings”.

Ms Freeman also told parliament today that the adjacent brain unit will be impacted, and may not open until the spring.

Deaconess Park marquee

Some have been asking about the marquee being erected in the Deaconess Park off West Richmond Street.

It is a promotional event in the festival spirit for Lidl.  They have free events for young children for three days from Thursday 15th along with free comedy events in the evening.  Details here.

The set comes down on 19th.  

East Crosscauseway resurfacing starts later this month

Back in January I advised that work was due to start on resurfacing East Crosscauseway in the Spring.  We now have a start date and the work includes Cowan's Close.  Here are the details now supplied to me.

Proposed Start Date: Monday 19^th August 2019 I am pleased to advise you that a tender for the above contract has been accepted and that work will commence on site on or around 19/08/2019.  The works comprise carriageway resurfacing, footway reconstruction, drainage improvements, road markings renewal and replacing existing tactile paving. The contract period will be 8 weeks and the Contractor for the works is LUDDON Construction Limited.
 

Crowdfunder for Greyfriars Charteris Centre

In the last couple of years the Greyfriars Charteris Centre has provided a venue for a dizzying collection of community events.  Planning problems have delayed progress on the redevelopment of the buildings but the Centre is now looking to raise finds for the project to bring the Centre up to a good standard.

They now have a crowdfunder page up and running - you can contribute here.

Housing at old Royal Blind School given green light

It is five years since Royal Blind moved out of their 1874 building in Craigmillar Park.  Yesterday CALA Homes was granted planning permission for 49 dwellings on the site.  There are to be 21 flats in the old school building and 27 new town house style residences with the renovation of the gatehouse making up the 49.

You can see the plans and details here.  Use the application number 18/10180/FUL to access all the planning papers.

Festival posters

In recent years the erection of hoardings for paid adverts has been very successful. It limits the amount of fly posting.  What remains, leaves the streets unsightly for the rest of the year. As well as being illegal, it costs money to the taxpayer on the occasions when it gets cleaned off.

The company, with the contract for erecting and maintaining the advertising hoardings, Out of Hand, also takes responsibility for cleaning down the illegal adverts nearby.

If there is any fly posting you think is not being addressed, feel free to email a picture to me for passing to the cleaners.