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Next Meeting: Thursday 26 September on Teams; 19.00 to 21.00.

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5 Jul: Reference: City Plan 2030 (CP 2030): This is now the template against which development proposals and applications in the city are measured and judged by CEC Planners. It is a 200 page-plus document of fine detail and precise wording and it is to be used alongside the equally detailed Edinburgh Design Guidance framework. Together they serve to set the standards by which Edinburgh shapes as it grows. Every community councillor - especially those who will take up their place after the next elections - should have a meaningful awareness of just what is in the two 'rule books'. Grange Prestonfield Community Council (GPCC) has just produced a really useful summary of the essential parts of both documents. This is an introduction which will put the novice on nodding terms with the mountain of detail in both documents, especially CP 2030. GPCC has generously asked to make it available to other community councils. You can find a copy by going to EACC Papers >>> Planning on the menu bar or by using this link: 2024 Jul City Plan 2030 GPCC Summary & Guide .

4 July: Reference: 1. City Plan 2030 was adopted by Edinburgh Council on 27 June as the city’s Local Development Plan (LDP). It is now with Scottish Ministers for comment and the final approval. A new LDP must be in place by May 2028 (City Plan 2040); work starts now. 2. The Scheme and Boundary Review enters Phase 3 consultation on 10 July for a four-week period. 3. Local Heat Networks: A slide and commentary pack from the 27 June EACC presentation by Clean Heat Edinburgh Forum (CHEF) is now on the website. ( Go to EACC Papers >>> Meetings 2024) As a preface, take a look at this 10-minute video from Dr Kira Myers (Edinburgh University and CHEF) who scopes the topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsPEv2YLRnI. The video illustrates scale of issue, scale of thinking and scale of challenge. When you round off the slide pack commentary (and have used the interactive map), ask yourself if your community will be impacted and, if so, how your community council might give an early lead to residents on what could be coming down the line. 4. The Polwarth Pavement Project: A really encouraging story of (Merchiston) community council small-team endeavour, also profiled in a slide and commentary pack from the 27 June EACC meeting (access as above). A pivotal ‘place’ in the community, a transport node crying out for reshaping and de-risking; detailed proposals and plans worked-up and tabled; support all round, including from Councillors. However....the message doesn’t yet resonate with CEC, 12 months on from this ‘local place plan’ submission. Powers still to be persuaded. On the other hand, Local Place Plans (LPPs) are to be a central feature of City Plan 2040. Use this story, alongside similar cases from Cramond & Barnton and Queensferry & District CC, to consider how better to manoeuvre and unlock the ‘LPP code’ from here. (There is a lot of help available from the sidelines, when you ring the right bells.)

26 Jun: Reference: 1. Scheme and Boundary Review: A final four-week consultat ion period will begin in July following a further report to Special Council on 27 June. The final report will go to Full Council for approval on 29 August. New community council elections will follow 'in the Autumn', it is said. It will be a tight timeline. 2. City Plan 2030 was endorsed by Planning Committee on 19 June and will be adopted by the Full Council on 27 June. It will be in Q3 to Scottish Ministers. 3. Now the attention turns to City Plan 2040. Local Place Plans will be a feature; here is a link to get you started: Resources - Planning Aid Scotland (pas.org.uk). 4. Planning Edinburgh has also opened a consultation on its amended West Edinburgh Placemaking Framework and Strategic Masterplan. West Edinburgh is recognised as a major development corridor within the growing city in City Plan 2030 and it will be a central feature in the emerging City Plan 2040. This link gives you detail and access to the consultation, which runs until 1 August: West Edinburgh Placemaking Framework Amendments . 5. Turning to Community Planning, CEC recently presented to Edinburgh Partnership Board a proposed new framework for the delivery of better Local Outcome Improvement Plans. It will mean changes to the Neighbourhood Network and Locality Community Planning Partnership structures. 6. CEC's Neighbourhood Environment Service is developing its plans to end the use of glyphosate-based weed control chemicals across its full estate, moving on now from CEC-maintained grounds to address roads, carriageways, pavements and hardstanding areas. This is work-in-progress. Self-help groups interested in taking on 'self weeding' programmes across their properties, so to avoid any use of chemicals, are invited to discuss this by contacting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

31 May: Reference: CEC Planning Webinar: May 30 CEC presentation note filed in EACC Papers >>> Planning (see toolbar). The focus was on the Development Management Process and on Development Planning (front-running City Plan 2040). See also the Appendix reference there to the Our Place Place Standard tool for community engagement in local place planning. A report on the 30 May EACC meeting covering Edinburgh Bus User Group, Licensing and Planning Issues can also be found in EACC Papers >>> Meetings 2024.

28 May: Reference: Funding The Public Sector Built Environment: The Scotsman (27 May) carries an opinion piece from Euan Pirie, head of major projects and infrastructure at Harper Macleod, where he talks of the funding pressures facing local authority housing projects and other public sector built environment challenges in the years ahead (including retrofitting, community building and city centre regeneration). Read about the innovative funding possibilities, here in the Harper Macleod publication The Blueprint .

27 May: Consultation: George St. to Meadows Active Travel Plan: Get the consultation detail on concept design here: Have your say on Meadows to George Street improvements – The City of Edinburgh Council. Big changes are in prospect. A series of outdoor public events to meet the project team and to illustrate the proposals will take place: Thurs 30 May, 8am to 6pm at Middle Meadow Walk / Sun 9 June, 10am to 4pm at Candlemaker Row / Sat 22 June, 10am to 4pm at the Mound.

Consultation documents will be on display at the Central Library on June 4-6 and 25-27 and at the National Museum of Scotland June 7-14. Big changes are in prospect. Floating bus stops are part of the plan. Blue badge holders may find access more difficult. There will be traffic displacement from George IV Bridge and the Mound.

 27 May: Reference: Transport & Environment Committee: From the meeting on 25 Apr 2024: Road Safety Delivery Plan 2024/25 - See this link . From the meeting on 23 May 2024: Business Bulletin Page 151; West Edinburgh Transport Improvement Programme Page 167; George Street and First New Town Project Page 257; Supported Bus Services, West Edinburgh Page 297; Neighbourhood Environmental Services Policy Assurance Update Page 310 - See this link .

17 May: Event: Planning Appeals Training for Communities: A DPEA webinar on Wednesday 12 June (18.00 to 19.30) offered by the Improvement Service (IS). DPEA: Planning appeals training for communities | Community Council (communitycouncils.scot). The IS Community Councils website (amongs many other things) also profiles a series of 'Skills Support for Community Councils' courses, some provided by the Open University and some by external providers like Microsoft and Google. There is a lot of 'digital' content on offer. Worth looking at here: https://www.open.edu/openlearn/skills-supportOU-CC

17 May: Reference: Scheme Review Phase 3: The Phase 2 consultation closed on 3 May. A revised Proposed Scheme draft goes to Special Council at 10.00 on 27 June. The papers for the meeting should be available on the CEC site on 21 June. A final four-week consultation period should begin on 1 July with a final report submitted to the Council for approval in August. 

Having listened to community council opinions expressed on the Phase 2 Proposed Scheme draft, the Members' Board made its own submission to the online consultation at the close on 3 May. On 14 May, it sent a short letter to all CEC Elected Councillors, setting out in-gathered assessments of the Proposed Scheme as it stands, along with a number of suggestions for improvement. You'll find a copy of the text on this site on the menu bar: EACC Papers >>> Community Council Support. 

Chairs and Secretaries: you may wish to express your own community council's views directly to your Ward Elected Councillors.  

17 May: Reference: Local Traffic Improvement: CEC's Transport and Environment Committee recently approved (25 April) a new Local Traffic Improvement (LTI) programme (replacing the Neighbourhood Environment Programme). "The LTI programme is intended to improve local access for people walking and cycling in our communities and consider the introduction of small traffic schemes to mitigate or eliminate the impact of intrusive road traffic in residential areas." 
Community councils can act as project sponsors. CEC is offering an initial budget of £500k, with a cap on individual projects of perhaps around £50k. 
Project assessment will be based on a strict methodology. You can find out more on the programme proposal in this link - go to Page 252:
Agenda Document for Transport & Environment Committee 25 Apr 2024
There could be real project potential here for some troublespot in your community. Write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

2 May: Event: Edinburgh Bus User Group (EBUG) AGM 6 June: It emerges Edinburgh's bus station may be on the move by 2027, but to where? CEC's lease on the property (currently owned by a pension fund) expires then. Quick thinking is going to be needed on all sides. The EBUG AGM gives you a chance to get closer to the debate, which is bound up in the need for additional terminating capacity in the city at east and west ends. Professor David Begg will be guest speaker. He is the former political transport lead at Lothian Region and the City of Edinburgh councils, chaired the Government’s Commission for Integrated Transport, was on the board of the Strategic Rail Authority and First Group Ltd. He publishes the Transport Times. (https://www.transporttimes.co.uk/) The event is on Thursday 6 June 2024, at 18:00 in the Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh.

1 May: Article: Grange Association Home Energy Event: 30 Apr: Climbing the ladder of home energy saving - good advice is essential almost right from the start. Edinburgh Building Retrofit and Improvement Collective is one of several early ports of call.

1 May: Reference: Planning Legislation: Pending 24 May: New Permitted Development Rights (PDR), under legislation due to come into force on 24 May, are intended to help support the deployment of domestic and non-domestic renewables equipment (including solar panels) and the alteration / replacement of windows to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. See this Scot Gov Policy Note , in particular Sections 1.9 - 1.11 and 1.26.(*The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2024)

30 Apr: Reference: Edinburgh - City Factsheet: Find out more on how Edinburgh ranks on key UK urban area indicators from the centre for cities site. Use the data tool.

19 Apr: Reference: Edinburgh by Numbers 2023: A fast-expanding city, drawing people and inward investment. 'Wellbeing' indicators hold up; strong employment levels in a high-skilled regional economy (led by health, finance and insurance sectors in employment numbers; finance and insurance and real estate in gross value added terms); big tourism (and hotel) rebound. See the detail here: Edinburgh by Numbers #17 . Read it in conjunction with the Edinburgh Partnership Survey Q3 2023 (https://www.edinburghpartnership.scot/downloads/file/219/ep-survey-results), which gives a better picture of what it is like to live here. 

19 Apr: Consultation: CEC Budget Engagement 2024: Opened 9 Apr; closes 28 Jul. The backdrop: a forecast cumulative budget shortfall of "£143m ... by 2028/29" for "the lowest funded local authority in Scotland" (Council leader Day). "To meet this shortfall, the Council must find new ways of becoming more efficient, reducing costs, or raising more money. We may have to reduce or stop providing some services. It is important that residents can influence these decisions." 

Where can the Council improve? Where is the Council doing well? Where can the budget and Council services be pared? Are the Council's business plan priorities the right ones? 

This consultation goes right to the heart of what it means to run a city. Some imaginative thinking needed, all round. Here is the consultation link: https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/cg/budget-engagement-2024/ .

19 Apr: Reference: City Plan 2030: Student Housing: The Report of Examination (below) considers ( as 'Issue 25') the many representations submitted in relation to City Plan 2030 policy proposals on Student Accommodation (See City Plan 2030 Page 123). Opinions submitted include on the one hand: over-provision at the expense of mainstream (affordable) housing; pressures on 'social fabric' of the 'balanced communities'; inadequate measuring / monitoring of 'demand' for student accommodation (by number of units and type), allowing too much 'speculative' development. On the other hand: there is significant under-supply of purpose-built student accommodation in the city; inclusion of mainstream housing in developments can conflict with the economics of purpose built student accommodation delivery. The Council concludes no modification in existing policy guidelines (within City Plan 2030) is merited. The Reporter shades at the margin the requirement for housing to comprise 50% of all student accommodation units on sites greater than 0.25Ha. Access the detail of the review here: Scottish Government - DPEA - Document (scotland.gov.uk) Go to Issue 25 on Page 1385. (Issue 23 covers Affordable Housing; Issue 26 covers Housing Policy.) 

10 Apr: Reference: City Plan 2030: This is Edinburgh's proposed Local Development Plan, now entering a new stage with the publication (5 Apr) of the mandated Report of Examination from the Scottish Government Reporters. The Report's recommendations will fall to be considered by the CEC PLACE Directorate and any modifications incorporated into City Plan 2030's next submission to the CEC Planning Committee and Council (likely in Q3). The Report is on the Scottish Government DPEA website here:  https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/Document.aspx?id=1002545

10 Apr: Reference: The Sunday Times (7 Apr) reported on the launch of a key report on how to reconcile projected continued expansion in aviation, airports as a driver of growth and job creation and decarbonisation towards net zero. The focus of the report, led by Duncan Maclennan (emeritus professor of urban economics at the University of Glasgow) looks at Edinburgh, a 'metropolitan economy' that must compete on a big stage and serve as a hub for central Scotland. The link to the report is here: Future flying: Up in the air? 

21 Mar: Reference: Planning Democracy and the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland (ARPS) recently concluded a series of webinars covering 'Scotland's Planning System / National Planning Framework 4 / Navigating Local Development Plans / Having a say in the future of your area'. View the series at: https://aprs.scot/event/joint-webinar-series/ . Planning Democracy offer guides on Planning Appeals and Responding to a Planning Application; you can view them here . In a wider context, the Improvement Service ('"The 'go to' organisation for Local Government improvement in Scotland") has a comprehensive Planning Skills Series where you can pick up a lot of technical detail. View the programme, along with a directory of 'Planning Links', at: https://www.improvementservice.org.uk/products-and-services/skills-and-development/planning-skills/planning-skills-events .

4 Mar: Reference: Slides and notes* from the 29 Feb meeting now available. Go to EACC Papers >> Meetings 2024. (*Gavin King, Head of Governance on the Scheme Review Phase 2, and Cllrs. Mandy Watt and Lewis Younie on the City's Budget 2024/25 outcome.) Go to the Consultation Hub link above to access the Phase 2 consultation. Note the following extract from Gavin King's remarks:

<Everyone would love to see CCs become more diverse and representative, but (CEC) nervous about doing anything prescriptive which boxes CCs into a situation where they become unviable. The changes which emerge have to be about how CEC can support CCs and encourage people to take part in them; that hinges on how ‘we empower CCs’, how CEC ‘supports… and works with’ them. The support has to be practical and it has to be effective.>

6 Feb: Reference: This is an update on the earlier (29 Jan, now deleted) reference to Our Future Streets - a circulation plan for Edinburgh, the far-reaching proposals intended to tie together the City Mobility Plan, 20-Minute Neighbourhoods and the drive to Net Zero 2030 among other objectives. The press highlighted the north-south tramline corridor, the congestion charge proposals and the closure of key city-centre routes to reduce car use by up to 30%. Our Future Streets went to the Transport & Environment Committee on 1 Feb. 

The  submission on the Tramline Extension is here: Item 7.3 Tram from Granton to BioQuarter and Beyond Consultation for Strategic Business Case Develop.pdf (edinburgh.gov.uk) . (A 12-week consultation is proposed.) 

The wider Our Future Streets (OFS) documentation is in three parts, with the links offered as follows:

The Place Directorate submission to the Transport & Environment Committee along with the OFS Appendix 1 Technical Summary Report Part 1 (49pp) here:

https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/documents/s66421/Item%207.2%20Our%20Future%20Streets%20-%20a%20circulation%20plan%20for%20Edinburgh_Part1.pdf

The OFS Appendix 1 Technical Summary Report Part 2 plus Appendices 2 and 3 here:

https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/documents/s66422/Item%207.2%20Our%20Future%20Streets%20-%20a%20circulation%20plan%20for%20Edinburgh_Part2.pdf

The OFS Integrated Impact Assessment Summary Report (Feb 24) here:

https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/34487/our-future-streets

OFS heralds raw transformational change in the way this city moves, designed around the adoption of an over-arching Streetspace Allocation Framework (SAF). Our Future Streets "must follow the principles of sustainable development, simultaneously providing better economic, social and environmental conditions for all". However, here is the ever-present pinch-point: "the ... next steps are dependant, to a greater or lesser extent, on funding bids and associated increases in employee resources."

29 Jan: Reference: Congestion charge plan and north-south tramline corridor profiled in The Times (Saturday 27 Jan). Closure of key routes to cut city centre car use covered in Evening News (29 Jan) and The Scotsman (30 Jan). Our Future Streets - a circulation plan for Edinburgh (the Circulation Plan) goes to the Transport & Environment Committee on Thursday 1 Feb. See this article: Bold plans proposed for Edinburgh’s city centre and key transport corridors | Scottish Construction Now .

The Transport & Environment Committee submission on the Tramline Extension is here: Item 7.3 Tram from Granton to BioQuarter and Beyond Consultation for Strategic Business Case Develop.pdf (edinburgh.gov.uk) . A 12-week consultation is proposed. The Framework for the Integrated Impact Assessment of the Circulation Plan is here: our-future-streets (edinburgh.gov.uk) . The Circulation Plan itself is decribed in overview and in technical detail here: Circulation Plan .

12 Jan: Reference: How does your council work? The Governance function sits at the heart of it - who does what and how it should be done. Take a look at this Committee Best Practice Guidance paper (December 2023), tabled at the Governance, Risk and Best Value Committee on 28 November 2023*. Note the Executive Committee Structure (P7): Policy and Sustainability; Culture and Communities; Education, Children and Families; Finance and Resources; Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work; and Transport and Environment. *Item 8.4 Committee Best Practice Guidance.pdf (edinburgh.gov.uk) 

The wider Committee structure is set out here: Committee structure - Modern Council (edinburgh.gov.uk)

01/05/24: Grange Association Home Energy Event: 30 Apr.

The further up the ladder of home energy saving you go, the more complicated it becomes and the more help and advice you need. This event was a very useful reminder of that, but it also reinforced the point that the early steps – draught-proofing and easy-to-access insulation – can be quick wins. On this, it’s never too late to make a start and to keep on top of it.

This Grange Association (GA) community get-together was anchored by Edinburgh Building Retrofit and Improvement Collective (EdinBRIC), a non-commercial, independent, member-led enterprise with both a RIAS and a RICS professional at the helm, currently in receipt of support from Edinburgh Community Climate Fund provided by the City of Edinburgh Council. The meeting also covered case-studies illustrating the practical home retrofit experience of three GA members. (For more detail, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .)

EdinBRIC is a knowledge and services network for re-shaping domestic energy consumption, in the home and in the community. It hinges on the Resilient Community concept. Take a look here:

About us – Edinburgh Building Retrofit and Improvement Collective (edinbric.scot)

About sustainable resilient communities – Edinburgh Building Retrofit and Improvement Collective (edinbric.scot)

In the same vein, Loco Home Retrofit CIC is a Glasgow-based co-operative (regulated by the Community Interest Company Regulator) with the same focus of improving the existing fabric of household buildings by reducing energy demand and moving on to low-carbon heating sources. Learn more here:

Loco Home Retrofit CIC Limited – Glasgow's Retrofit Co-operative

Both enterprises stand ready to bring together households, tradespeople and professionals to chart the complicated path towards home energy retrofit, leading from problem through knowledge share to solution. Whether the starting point is single household or shared ownership or residents’ association, community groups like EdinBRIC and Loco Home Retrofit begin to open up the ‘How to go about it’ manual.

See if what they have to say has any pointers for you. Check, too, with Home Energy Scotland ( About us · Home Energy Scotland ) and its network of local advice centres. If you have ideas to share with EACC, please get in touch.

End/KR

21/03/24: Scheme Review 2024: Reaction: Tollcross CC

Tollcross Community Council Response:    7 March 2024

Consultation on Community Council Scheme and proposal to amend boundaries. Phase 2

1. General Observations

There is a lot in the scheme that is very useful to Community Councils (CCs), especially when being set up.

The language of the Scheme gives the impression of the Council micromanaging community councils rather than it being a two-way process of negotiation. Examples of this include lots of instructions about the order of business at meetings, the amount of money to be held in accounts and a constant flow of documents to the Council (about 1300 from all Edinburgh’s CCs with a financial penalty for non-compliance, not mentioned in Government guidance).

It is clear that much of this wording comes directly from a series of documents from the Scottish Government to councils and so councils are constrained by this. However, changes such as demanding the accounts 3 months earlier and demanding a community engagement report, both with financial penalties for not complying, are not following Scottish Government guidance and appear dictatorial. Language is important if we are to feel that we are on the same team with common goals.

Read more: 21/03/24: Scheme Review 2024: Reaction: Tollcross CC

21/03/24: Scheme Review 2024: Reaction: Queensferry District CC

QDCC Proposals to Consider for Meeting with CEC Governance

Resources & Support

• Volunteer Resources - do officers fully appreciate CCs membership is voluntary, with no/minimal official support, financial or otherwise.
• Operating costs – grant could be expanded to meet other needs, eg webhosting.
• IT support - from CEC would help CCs be more efficient, eg website resource, dedicated email addresses.

 Meeting Definitions & Attendance

• SG/COSLA Joint Council ‘Model Scheme’ – why/where does CEC Scheme differ from the Model Scheme re meetings attendance & definition.
• Meetings Constitution – CEC to clarify what level of discussion/attendance constitutes formal CC meeting and thus requires publicising.
• Special Meetings – specifically what constitutes a special meeting and what is minimum attendance to be quorate.
• Public Attendance – which meetings exactly are open to the public?  
• Quorum – query is this 50% of elected members only or including nominated interest group members.
• Chair Term of Office – query background/rationale on max 5 year term and one term only.
• Removal of 10 day notice to public for operational meetings

 Ward Cllrs Role & Function

• Role – ex-officio members role to be defined.
• Attendance – minimum meeting attendance requirement for individual CEC Ward Cllrs (ie not as a group).  If not should there be? 
• Reporting –  CEC Ward Cllrs to formally report monthly to CCs on matters they have been involved with which impact directly on the CC area.

Keith Giblett: Queensferry & District CC

04/03/24: Cramond & Barnton CC: A List of Ongoing Issues

Ian Williamson, Secretary of Cramond & Barnton CC, was in touch recently to set out a list of ongoing issues which have 'exercised us in recent years'. It conveys a good deal of frustration and it will, as he puts it, 'resonate with other CCs'. Here is a summary of what he has to say. The question, then, is what you think should be done, could be done, to break the impasse. Let me know, please.

CEC Relationship: The absence of meaningful engagement and consultation - 'a constant feature'.

Planning: Lack of opportunity to check or challenge the breadth and accuracy of Planning Officers' Handling Reports prior to Development Sub-Committee Meetings.

S75 Developer Obligations: CEC to provide regular public reports on the scale and application of S75 payments.

Transport Strategy: Local CC input on commuter route road-charging, on demarcation of no-go 'rat runs' and on bus service provision.

Active Travel Safety: Insufficient attention paid by Transport Officers to locally identified traffic hazards and travel mode conflicts.

Road Works: Need for more effective management, control and monitoring of road work undertakings, timescales and quality of completion.

Bus Services: Regular Transport & Environment Committee reporting on levels of service provision: Bus operator obligation to pre-consult on substantial changes to route and service provision.

Affordable Housing Obligations (AFO): Regular CEC reporting on the progressive discharge of AFO in respect of individual major developments.

Council Finances: CC desire for stronger, more frequent information on CEC funding and expenditure on both current and capital accounts. More explicit information on expenditure on external service (including consultancy) provision.

Support for Community Councils: 

What are CEC's ideas and proposals for improved levels of practical support?

Community Empowerment: Do community councils actually want more specific, delegated responsibilities for community service provision (as imagined in the Scot Gov Democracy Matters consultation? Can they realistically anticipate being able to put in place the management and resource platform to deliver?

13/02/24: CEC Scheme and Boundary Review: Close of Phase 1

The Review was submitted and approved at the special session of the CEC Full Council on 8 February, accompanied by a small number of amendments. Two related to the naming of community councils; the others to community council 'shape'. Here is the link to the full documentation. 

Choose agenda document pack - City of Edinburgh Council 8 February 2024 - Modern Council

The framework within which community councils are to operate rests heavily on the Scottish Government 'Model Scheme for Community Councils'. The framework (including proposed boundary revisions) now moves to the Phase 2 eight-week consultation, which has been scheduled to start on 12 February and run to 8 April. In the documentation as tabled to the Council, CEC made no move explicitly to bolster practical assistance and support to community councils to aid their efforts to function well and to ensure relevance to their communities. (In fact, such provision as there is in the existing Scheme was dropped from the proposed Scheme which went for approval on 8 February.)

However, one amendment now attached to the Scheme for consultation over the course of Phase 2 may (or may not) prompt a shift in support. 

This Green Group amendment reads:

"1.3 Agrees to include in the above consultation the following options for improving access, equality and diversity : term limits for office bearers; gender balancing mechanisms for community councils; increased training for community councillors and office bearers focussed on running meetings, handling email workload and the duties of community councillors; additional resource for encouragement of candidates to community councils; resources to support attendance at community councils including transport and care costs.

1.4 Agrees that should the above require additional officer time then the launch of the next consultation should be delayed by no more than two weeks from the proposed 12^th February start date."

As you judge your own response to the Phase 2 consultation, you might ask whether that goes far enough and how you would see such support being practically delivered.

Otherwise, note a separate amendment relating to 'Election of Office Bearers' which would limit a person's role as Chair to a 'combined term of five years' (with annual election). The occupation of other Office Bearer posts would not be so limited. Does that compromise continuity and function, or would it open the way for others who would wish to lead?

End/KR

02/02/24: Community Policing: Maintaining contact.

This is an extract from a 23 Jan 2024 letter to EACC Chair, Steve Kerr, written by Superintendent Samantha Ainslie of Edinburgh Division. The letter follows up on a November 2023 meeting and it gives context to, and information on, current community policing arrangements. Do note the website and Facebook links:

<<<

Resonant with your own comments, I also found the meeting helpful, and I wish to acknowledge at the outset that we enjoy the great privilege of policing with and for our local communities, and that I fully appreciate the role and the support provided by Edinburgh’s Community Councils, individually and collectively.

Please be assured I understand that community policing representation at Community Council meetings is very much sought after and valued, however, as variously communicated, as a consequence of City of Edinburgh Council’s revised funding arrangements, circa 1 April 2020, we have been unable to commit to attending the meetings. Notwithstanding which, should community officers be unable to attend, we have given an assurance that officers will provide a locally focused snapshot report / newsletter, with this arrangement being well-established.

Noting your reference to the reports being uniform in nature, whilst serving an analogous purpose i.e., providing news, updates, useful contacts, an outline of local policing activities and our response to localised issues and themes, the content will vary, quite rightly so, informed by the bespoke nature of ‘place’ and reflecting our diverse communities.

That being said, I thought it helpful to include an outline of divisional scrutiny arrangements, and consequently, each newsletter will now provide the following standardised narrative and easily accessible links:

On a quarterly basis, the Divisional Commander attends and provides both a written and verbal report to Edinburgh Council Culture and Communities Committee, during which scrutiny is provided in terms of the Division’s performance against the Local Policing Plan and other ongoing or emerging issues.

Edinburgh Division Scrutiny Reports can be found:

Item 7.1 - Police Scotland Edinburgh City Division Scrutiny Report April 2022 to March 2023.pdf

This meeting is also freely available/accessible to view live or retrospectively.

Our Local Police Plan 2023-26 outlines our local Divisional priorities and is accessible via the Police Scotland website:

Edinburgh - Police Scotland

Members of Edinburgh Division’s Senior Management Team routinely respond to queries received from Elected Representatives, including MPs and MSPs and constituents’ concerns across a broad spectrum of topics.

From a locality perspective, each of the 4 Local Area Commanders chair local Community Improvement Partnerships and also form part of the membership of Locality Community Planning Partnerships. These fora are focused on addressing local concerns in partnership.

Police Scotland’s Quarterly Performance Report for the Scottish Police Authority, and performance statistics by council and Policing Division, can be accessed here.

As a signpost, Edinburgh Division’s performance data can be found on the ‘Data Div6’ tabs.

Recorded and detected crime data at Multi-Member Ward level, Road Traffic Collision (RTC) data (casualties and circumstances), and Stop/Search data can be found via

https://www.scotland.police.uk/about-us/how-we-do-it/crime-data/

https://www.scotland.police.uk/about-us/how-we-do-it/road-traffic-collision-data/

https://www.scotland.police.uk/about-us/how-we-do-it/stop-and-search/data-publication/

This raw data can be filtered to provide more accessible information, however, crime data is only provided on an annual basis.’

Advice and information, across a range of crime prevention themes, are available on our website Advice & Information - Police Scotland , and additionally, our Senior Management Team, and Road Policing colleagues, provide Edinburgh focused commentary within a regular Edinburgh Evening News ‘Capital Cops’ column. Not forgetting the regular local policing updates provided on our social media channels, including our Facebook page https://en-gb.facebook.com/EdinburghPoliceDivision .

>>>

End/KR

21/01/24: The Pavement Parking Ban: Uncertain and unwelcome consequences.

Parking on pavements is generally a nuisance and can often be dangerous.  Scottish Government legislation passed last year banned it while allowing some limited exemptions.  Enforcement has now been passed to local authorities.  CEC has given notice that it will enforce the ban from 29 January with no exceptions.

For most of the city, roads are wide enough to accommodate parking while those who live in the medieval centre and certain other very densely populated areas have long acquaintance with highly restricted parking.  However, for certain locations, notably outside the city centre where access to a car is more important or where streets are unusually narrow this ban introduces very practical difficulties.

There are streets which are so narrow that if residents cease parking on the pavement passage of emergency vehicles or waste collection lorries will become impossible.  In some locations residents have developed the informal practice of pavement parking down one side of the street simply to allow passage of local traffic and keep one pavement clear for disabled access etc. The no-exceptions approach ignores these practicalities and could of itself lead to dangerous consequences.

Residents in such areas may find that their nearest legal parking option is some distance away in wider adjoining streets where there may already be parking pressures.  They query whether this is fair or equitable. These issues are especially acute for disabled persons or simply the more elderly.  It is unclear how disabled parking spaces will be managed. There are concerns that the pursuit of revenue-generating ‘fines’ will mean an especial focus on ‘compromised’ narrow residential streets as ‘easy targets’.

Some are asking whether enforcement is being rushed and whether more detailed preparation and consultation could have avoided the issues.  Comparisons are being drawn with other local authorities who appear to be adopting a more common-sense and flexible approach.  “No exceptions” appears to rule out any mechanism to seek exemptions.

Is your community council affected?  If so, EACC would like to hear from you.

Bill Rodger, Trinity CC.

19/01/24: Clean Heat Edinburgh Forum: The shape of the LHEES.

Local Heat & Energy Efficiency Strategy (November 2023)

Summary and assessment by Sarah Mehrabi of Clean Heat Edinburgh Forum

(Received 18 Jan 2024)

The Strategy

The Edinburgh Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) is a long-term strategic framework aimed at improving the energy efficiency of buildings in the local authority's area and reducing greenhouse gas emissions resulting from heating. The strategy aligns with the Scottish Government's target of decarbonizing the heating of all buildings in Scotland by 2045 and the Council's goal of making Edinburgh a net zero carbon city by 2030.

The strategy sets out three central principles: taking a whole-system view, having an inclusive energy transition, and implementing a smarter local energy model. It also establishes two main targets: for 50% of Scotland's energy consumption to be supplied from renewable sources by 2030 and for a 30% increase in energy use productivity across the Scottish economy by 2030.

The strategy identifies key actions to support the transition to a climate-friendly energy system, including boosting advisory services for energy efficiency, providing support to remote and rural off-grid communities, and developing specialist knowledge and skills in retrofitting and zero emissions heating systems.

The document highlights the local policy landscape, with a focus on accelerating energy efficiency in homes and buildings and enabling the development of a citywide program for heat and energy generation and distribution. It also emphasises the importance of retrofitting social housing, developing regional renewable energy solutions, and establishing an Energy Efficient Public Buildings Partnership.

The strategy's findings highlight several challenges specific to Edinburgh's building stock, such as a high proportion of flats and mixed-tenure buildings, existing gas grid connections, an aged housing stock with listed buildings, and a significant number of homes with uninsulated walls. The analysis identifies strategic zones that provide potential pathways for decarbonizing the building stock and areas of pressure in terms of energy efficiency.

Overall, the Edinburgh LHEES aims to drive interventions and mobilise stakeholders to achieve the targets of energy efficiency and decarbonization, recognizing the need for significant resources and collaboration between the public and private sectors.

The Delivery Plan

The key points of the Delivery Plan for the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy of The City of Edinburgh Council for the years 2024-2028 are as follows:

1. The Delivery Plan focuses on actions that can be implemented between 2024 and 2028, with a particular emphasis on "no regrets" or "low regrets" actions that are feasible within the current policy context, funding availability, and existing powers.
2. The Delivery Plan identifies three thematic areas aligned with the national priorities of achieving net zero emissions and addressing fuel poverty: improving energy efficiency in areas at high risk of fuel poverty, piloting works to make homes heat pump-ready, and expanding the use of heat networks across Edinburgh.
3. The Delivery Plan acknowledges that the funding resources currently available are not sufficient to support the scale of interventions required. It also recognizes the limitations of a grant funding approach.
4. The Delivery Plan proposes the establishment of an "LHEES Office" as a dedicated project management office to coordinate the delivery of the Edinburgh LHEES.
5. The Delivery Plan presents a portfolio of projects consisting of 35 Delivery Areas and Heat Network Zones. These areas represent existing or potential projects related to energy efficiency and the transition to heat pumps.
6. The Delivery Areas and Heat Network Zones are categorised based on areas with high levels of fuel poverty and deprivation, areas suitable for retrofits to the Council's housing stock, and areas with potential for mixed tenure improvement services and other measures.
7. The Delivery Plan acknowledges that the actions outlined in the plan may overlap with those in the Council's 2030 Climate Strategy, but the Delivery Plan has a more specific focus on heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency actions that can be implemented during the specified period.
8. The Delivery Plan is subject to ongoing policy and regulatory changes, and future iterations of the plan are expected to have a broader focus as the context for delivery becomes clearer.

14/12/23: Delivering Edinburgh's Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy

1. On 15 December, CEC’s Policy & Sustainability Committee receives the Council’s Draft Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) and the related Draft Delivery Plan. Scot Gov has mandated all Local Authorities to prepare this kind of detailed thinking for the road to Net Zero Emissions by 2045. You’ll find the full set of documents in the Public Document Pack, Agenda Item 5.2, on Page 111. There is a lot of reading here. It is a very commendable piece of work, led by CEC Programme Development Officer, Kyle Drummond.

2. The LHEES papers are preceded (on Page 36) by the submission of the Draft Climate Ready Edinburgh (CRE) Plan 2024-2030, with a public consultation to follow. The CRE Plan updates risk assessments of why and where the city needs to adapt, building on big themes like Planning and the Built Environment, Coastal Adaptation, Sustainable Transport, the Natural Environment, Community Support and Climate Justice. It goes almost without saying that “as this work develops….the need for additional investment will become more acute”.

3. The CRE Plan is strong on concept and has a ‘vision thing’ – “Edinburgh will be a thriving, fair, resilient city and region where people, communities and nature flourish in a changing climate”. By contrast the Edinburgh LHEES and the Delivery Plan which follows (Page 293) are deep on detail, setting out ‘baseline analyses’ of where the city’s building stock falls short on energy efficiency, where it exacerbates fuel poverty and where it runs high on carbon emissions. The Delivery Plan translates analysis into activity and goes on to identify, almost by grid reference, a series of ‘priority areas of focus’ (also termed ‘strategic zones’) where walls and lofts will be insulated, heat pumps installed and heat networks stitched together. (The high-level ‘principles’ governing ‘how to start’ priorities are set out on Page 135. The high level ‘Considerations’ shaping the ‘pathways to decarbonisation’ – ‘how to get there’ – are summarised on Page 163. The mapping starts on Page 249.)

4. All of this goes towards identifying “a portfolio of projects that could potentially be delivered, or at least initiated/progressed, during the Delivery Plan period (2024 to 2028), subject to the necessary resources and powers being available” (Page 308). Note the conditionality. Specified are eight Delivery Areas relating to Energy Efficiency, 10 Delivery Areas relating to Heat Pumps and 17 prospective Heat Network Zones; a total of 35 physical intervention project localities. (Other declared projects include high-rise housing retrofit, old and historic properties retrofit and green heat.)

5. This is detailed drawing-board work (mapped from Page 319). Here are some of the acknowledged limitations. On Energy Efficiency: the interventions will not pay for themselves over time; they would likely need to be partly or wholly subsidised. On Heat Pumps: there are significant obstacles to embarking on any large-scale installation programme. On Heat Network Zones: how to plan and undertake the large-scale excavation which then disrupts almost every other element of city infrastructure.

6. The full Delivery Plan Schedule of Actions to be led by a new “LHEES Office” is set out on Page 390. There is much to be done, all of it hinging on the adoption of core high-level Principles to guide a “20-year journey to decarbonisation”. Here are some of the strands of thinking embodied within these Principles: Behavioural change will be vital. / There has to be a major structural change in electricity pricing. /  “The capital costs of implementing the Edinburgh LHEES are vast.” /  “…the Council does not currently have a budget in place for the delivery of the Edinburgh LHEES.” /  “…additional powers to compel change will be required to deliver heat carbonisation in a timeous manner.” / “…there are significant pressures on the availability of skills associated with heat decarbonisation.”

7. The LHEES Office is on a Scot Gov grant budget of £75k per annum for five years out to 2028. That is more or less all that is in the Council’s kitty so far for this massive decarbonisation project. The Council is currently facing “severe stress on its budget”. In prospect is a long-running programme whose “targets will be extremely challenging”, calling for “large-scale activity by both the public sector and the private sector and the commitment of significant resources”.

8. This is, in essence, a city redesign project.  “The total cost of delivering the Edinburgh LHEES – i.e. of improving the energy efficiency and decarbonising the heat of every building in Edinburgh – will be in the order of several billion pounds over the next 20+ years.” “A wide variety of stakeholders will require to be mobilised towards these goals.” Note that last verb. Be prepared to be disturbed.

Appendix

Energy Efficiency Delivery Areas
Restalrig & Lochend       /             Bingham & Magdalene                /              Restalrig & Craigentinny

The Calders        /             Granton, Wardieburn & Royston               /              Niddrie & Craigmillar

Clovenstone & Wester Hailes      /             Muirhouse

Heat Pump Delivery Areas

Lochend Butterfly Way                 /             Waterfront Park              /              Robertson Avenue

Fountainbridge                /             Oxgangs Avenue              /             West Pilton Grove

Craigour Place                  /             Elgin Street         /             Morrison Crescent

Craighouse Gardens

Heat Network Zones

New Town          /             Leith Walk          /             Old Town & Southside   /              Gorgie & Dalry

Craigleith            /             Granton              /             Leith      /             Portobello & Seafield

Morningside      /             South East Edinburgh     /             Colinton Mains 

South West Edinburgh   /             Heriot-Watt       /             Sighthill & Gyle                /             Ingliston

South Queensferry         /             Second New Town

Reference:

Policy & Sustainability Committee Papers, 15 December 2023

Agenda Item 5.2

Edinburgh Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy and Delivery Plan

(Public Pack)Agenda Document for Policy and Sustainability Committee, 15/12/2023 10:00 (edinburgh.gov.uk)

End/KR

06/12/23: Neighbourhoods - Low Emission, Low Traffic and 20-Minute.

Nick Marshall of Northfield and Willowbrae CC offers a quick summary of three core initiatives of  the Council on 'neighbourhood design'. 

This briefing is to provide clarification on various transport initiatives by City of Edinburgh Council (CEC). Several members of the public have raised concerns with the Community Council about these initiatives, often based on misinformation found online.  Rather than preparing a separate response for each person, this briefing will provide a basis for such responses.

Low Emission Zone (LEZ)

An LEZ (sometimes called a Clean Air Zone, CAZ) is an area in which the use of older or more polluting vehicles is limited or prohibited.  CEC is introducing a LEZ, covering an area slightly larger than Edinburgh city centre to be fully active from 1 June 2024.  It is currently in a testing phase.  Other LEZs in Scotland are in Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow.  Unlike the London ULEZ, there are no permits.  Vehicles considered more polluting (roughly pre-2015 (Euro 6) for diesel cars and pre-2013 (Euro 4) for petrol cars), are not allowed inside the LEZ perimeter, and owners/drivers are charged each time they drive into the zone.  Central Edinburgh air is badly polluted, and councils are legally required to take action to reduce such pollution (mainly nitrogen oxides and particulates) which comes mostly from vehicle exhausts. The LEZ is an attempt to reduce this pollution. More information:

• https://www.lowemissionzones.scot/
• https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/roads-travel-parking/lez-works

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN)

An LTN is an attempt to reduce traffic passing through a predominantly residential area, especially traffic which is seen as using residential streets to avoid busier main routes.  Vehicular access is maintained to all properties in an LTN, though journeys within the LTN may take slightly longer. Filters may be put in place which only allow some traffic, e.g. buses or emergency services, to pass. It is these physical filters which discourage through traffic.

The aim of an LTN is to make residential areas safer and more comfortable to live, travel and spend time in.  CEC is responding to Government policies to encourage Active Travel (i.e. walking and cycling) and to reduce private car use, to reduce pollution, reduce carbon emissions and address the obesity epidemic. CEC is introducing LTN trials in Leith and Corstorphine and may subsequently introduce them in other areas of the city.  More information: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/news/article/13101/developing-low-traffic-neighbourhoods-for-communities-across-edinburgh

20 Minute Neighbourhoods (20MN)
20 Minute Neighbourhoods is a planning initiative across the UK to promote towns and cities where everyone can access all of their daily needs within a 20 minute walk, including shops, post office, doctor, dentist, library and other council services, social venues, greenspaces and jobs.  This is very much how towns and cities used to be organised, before the advent of out-of-town shopping centres and long commutes. 

With 20MNs, Local Development Plans prepared by the CEC encourage developers, businesses and service providers to set up local branches or small businesses to set up near to residential areas and in local centres rather than on distant industrial estates.  Stories that 20MNs will restrict peoples’ movements are entirely unfounded - no one’s ability to travel for shopping, services or work if they wish to do so will be affected.  CEC is currently trialling 20MNs in Craigmillar/Niddrie, Gorgie/Dalry and Portobello, but will also introduce them to other parts of the city in due course, and with public consultation.

More information: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/future-council/need-20-minute-neighbourhoods

Are all these initiatives linked?
The LEZ is aimed solely at reducing air pollution in the city centre. LTNs and 20MNs are separate initiatives brought into the Edinburgh 2030 Climate Strategy which aims to reduce carbon emissions and is the city’s response to the UN Paris Agreement, UK Low Carbon Transition Plan and the Scottish Government Climate Change Plan.  CEC is therefore legally required to take action to (for instance) reduce private car use, increase Active Travel, insulate homes and other buildings, encourage businesses to be more energy efficient, reduce waste and create more low-carbon jobs.
More information: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/download/15068/2030-climate-strategy

 End/NM

06/12/23: Edinburgh’s next planning round: City Plan 2040.

CEC’s Planning Division have their heads down in earnest now, pushing to wrap up City Plan 2030 for adoption by mid-2024 and starting to shape the canvas for the one that comes next, City Plan 2040.

“Pie in the sky!”, I can hear, or worse. But that completely misses the point. A local economy needs to change and develop. The city needs to adapt and grow. Someone has to own the project. Better too early than too late.

So, as they say, ‘Fail to plan; plan to fail’. The Scottish Government has no intention of letting that happen. Local Authorities have their orders. The clock is ticking. Here’s a quick rundown on where things stand.

City Plan 2030 is the successor to the current Local Development Plan 2016. A local development plan carries a 10-year strategy along with policies and proposals to determine planning applications and an Action Plan to guide delivery.

City Plan 2030 was submitted to the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) for formal examination in December 2022. This process is close to completion. A Report of Examination should be returned to the Council in Q1 2024. It will carry recommendations and may include proposed modifications. The Council will decide on adoption of the plan. It’s expected that will take place by mid-year.

The legislative framework for development planning has now changed with the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. New procedures on the shaping and build of local development plans were announced by the Scottish Government in May 2023, along with new regulations and a change in the ‘planning style’ to be adopted. Every planning authority in Scotland is expected to have a new local development plan in place by May 2028. The over-arching National Planning Framework 4, which covers all of the country, stays in place for now. (It will also begin a journey of revision.) Other reference points include Regional Spatial Strategy and community-led Local Place Plans.

The new ‘style’ of City Plan 2040 will display three core characteristics. It will be:

‘Place-based’ – focused on illustrative local geographies; climate-crisis aware;

‘People-centred’ – prepared collaboratively through active public and community engagement;

‘Delivery-focused’ – targeted on achievable outcomes.

Notice that phrase ‘active public and community engagement’. City Plan 2040 is coming to you. At this very early stage of ‘Evidence Gathering’, you are being invited to say how you would like to be involved in, and to be kept informed about, the whole process. Here is the link to the survey that the Council has opened until 19 January 2024. Take the opportunity.

City Plan 2040 - Draft Participation Statement - City of Edinburgh Council - Citizen Space

The Evidence Gathering stage sits within the Development Plan Scheme (DPS) for City Plan 2040. The DPS is the ‘how to go about it’ framework. Work on the DPS will be accompanied by work on a draft Participation Statement, a summary of when and how the public and communities will be engaged over the course of the long planning programme. One aspect already in course is the live invitation for community groups to submit Local Place Plans to inform the planners’ early thinking.

As a community councillor, you are going to hear a lot about City Plan 2040. Community councils are there to serve their communities. Helping deliver that sought-for close engagement between the planners and the people is going to be a big item on their ‘to do’ list.

Here are some useful references:

Planning Edinburgh blog:

Planning Edinburgh

View the City Plan 2030 project webpage at:

https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/cityplan2030

View the City Plan 2040 project webpage at:

https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/local-development-plan-guidance-1/city-plan-2040

Sign up to the mailing list:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Questions about the content of the current local development plan:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Scottish Government Local Development Planning Guidance

Local development planning guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

End/KR

24/11/23: Licensing: Bringing more clarity and fairness to Licence Applications

Roger Colkett of Tollcross CC sits on the EACC Members' Board. He has many years experience of dealing with licensing issues raised at his community council. He is about to submit (as a member) a paper to the Edinburgh Licensing Forum making a series of recommendations which he feels would benefit both sides to the licence application review process; those parties making an objection and those parties making a representation. His paper will be marked as an EACC Discussion Paper. You can find the full paper (for download) on this site EACC Papers >> Appendix. Here is some of what he has to say on recommended improvements:

Clarity and Accessibility:

The process of responding should be much more user-friendly, particularly for first-time respondents.

1. Until a better online system is available, each response received by the Licensing Department should prompt a routine reply, attaching copies of the relevant operating and layout plans (in the case of major variations both current and proposed).

2. Layout plans are sometimes on very large sheets, details of which can be difficult to decipher from the provided copy. Respondents should be made aware that originals can be viewed at the City Chambers.  If possible, respondents, if they need to, should be able to view originals at a local council office.

Fairness:

3. Before they speak to their response, the Convener should ask each respondent if they wish to make any points in addition to those included in their submitted response. If so, the additional points would be noted separately and the applicant would be given the opportunity to ask for the application to be continued to a later meeting to give time for any amendment required.

4. Having had to speak first without prior knowledge of the applicant’s argument, the respondent should be asked after the applicant has spoken whether they wish to say anything more.

5. In support of respondents having to speak first, I’ve heard it argued that the convention is compatible with the presumption that applications should be granted unless there is an exceptional reason to refuse.  If so, in the interest of fairness and logical consistency, when an application relates to premises in an area of overprovision (in which case the presumption is reversed with the default being to refuse), the applicant should be required to speak before the respondent.  Moreover, if the requirement for the respondent not to deviate from the submitted response were to stand, the same requirement should apply to the applicant’s published application in an area of overprovision.

Recognition:

6. When respondents want to say something after the applicant has spoken, the Board and its convener (recognising that respondents are usually seeking to contribute to the process, not to frustrate it) should politely ask them to be brief, thank them for their contribution, take on board the points made and if what they have said fails to comply with the law or the Board’s policy, clarify how and why that is the case.

Convenience:

7. Of course, it’s difficult to anticipate how long the assessment of each application will take, and one doesn’t want the relevant application to be dealt with before the respondent is due to appear.  However, all applications for which responses have been submitted could be brought to the earliest possible point in the meeting and arranged in ascending order of complexity and/or likely controversy, ideally with allocated timeslots, so that unpaid volunteer respondents would have had as little of their time wasted as possible.

End/KR

31/10/23: Scheme Boundary Review: Size distribution of Edinburgh Community Councils 2011

Community Council population size; based on 2011 Census.