Next Meeting: Thursday 30 January 2025 on Teams; 1845 for 19.00 to 21.00.
>>> Events, Consultations, References and open-forum Articles. SCROLL DOWN for full Article texts:
11 Dec: Reference: Queensferry & District CC (QDCC) Promotion: Take a look at the smooth A4 promotional text front-running the community council elections; highlighting the importance of community 'representation', the scope of work done by QDCC and the responsibilities placed on members. This piece backed-up a Governance-led promotional event in South Queensferry on 9 December, with QDCC members and elected councillors in attendance. The file is carried as QDCC Election Promotion A4 Sheet within EACC Papers >>> Community Council Support.
10 Dec: Reference: Edinburgh Development Forum (EDF): From today's quarterly meeting: City Plan 2030 opens the way to early work on City Plan 2040. Get an update on the Edinburgh Local Heating and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) - ambitious, exciting, costly, disruptive. Get an update on the City Mobility Plan - equally ambitious, costly and divisive. Don't forget to add your views on the Princes Street and Waverley Valley Strategy - 'revitalise and conserve' is the central message. Much depends on Network Rail. The consultation closes on 21 February 2025. Download the EDF document (Rpt 24_12_10) from EACC Papers >>> Meetings 2024.
6 Dec: Reference: CEC Workstream Support for CCs: Principle support themes are: Promotion of CCs / CC comms and engagement / Hybrid meetings / Equality, inclusion, diversity and accessibility / Related specific training needs. The programme is underway and will build through H1 2025. See this link to the report to the Culture & Communities Committee, 5 December 2024 (Page 214).
6 Dec: Reference: Edinburgh Partnership: Culture and Communities Committee: 5 December 2024: The Edinburgh Partnership, the statutory body for community planning in the city, publishes a Local Outcome Improvement Plan Annual Report. The latest report, approved by the Board in September 2024, sets out the progress across the three priorities: alleviating poverty; providing access to work, learning and training; enhancing quality of life in the city.
"Whilst there is evidence of progress, the Edinburgh Partnership acknowledges that more needs to be done. Consequently, it is undergoing a Transformation and Improvement Programme to shape what it does and how it works in the coming years. This means some structural change but more importantly improvements to how it functions to ensure it can address the key challenges for the city. This will include the development of a new Local Outcome Improvement Plan bringing together into one plan the work of the whole partnership, with poverty prevention, just transition and health and wellbeing at its heart. A report on this work will be presented to (the Culture and Communities) Committee in the new year."
6 Dec: Reference: Colinton CC Call for Funding Support: Deputation to Culture & Communities Committee on 5 December. Read the submission in EACC Papers >>> Community Council Support.
6 Dec: Reference: November 2024 AGM: The report is now filed in EACC Papers >>> 2024 AGM Papers.
25 Nov: Article: Leith Links CC: HMO Applications: Teresa Perchard draws to your attention (Licensing Leads) a forthcoming 'Special' Licensing Sub-Committee meeting on 29 November to consider a recent sharp rise in HMO applicatons, whereby due procedures on local notification and advertising of applications may not have been followed, in certain cases. Leith Links CC has lodged strong objections to process within its own locality. More detail carried in the Licensing file on the menu bar. (See also the 15 Nov Reference below.)
22 Nov: Article: CEC Support for Community Council Elections: CEC's general programme of election awareness and promotion is now beginning to build. CEC Governance has offered a good deal of detail on how they can help (individual) community councils raise their local profile and deliver their own election message through print and social media. See more in the article below, on this page. Download detail by going to the menu bar and to EACC Papers >>> Community Council Support . Contact the Governance Team at:
15 Nov: Reference: Leith Links CC: Teresa Perchard has authored a further report on CEC's handling of unlicensed HMOs, changes in train and the need for better ongoing notification of HMO licence applications to community councils as 'competent objectors'. Contact Leith Links CC at
13 Nov: Reference: CEC Support for 2025 CC Elections: Go to Menu Bar, EACC Papers >> Community Council Support for detailed information on CEC facilities to help you promote your community council's election message and themes in Q1 2025..
10 Nov: Reference: Tree Felling on Conservation Areas: Clive Preston of Stockbridge & Inverleith CC sets out a reminder of the circumstances that see tree preservation procedures so frequently breached in practice. Go to the Menu Bar and to Planning & Place.
6 Nov: Reference: Edinburgh Visitor Levy: EACC representatives met today with CEC Project Manager, Katherine Kennedy, to offer observations on the interim shape of the pending Visitor Levy; enactment expected January 2025 with implementation in July 2026. The shape of the proposed final scheme will go the Policy & Sustainability Committee and to Full Council in January. The public consultation closes on 15 December. You can find the draft scheme in this link: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/download/15844/visitor-levy-for-edinburgh-draft-scheme . The Visitor Levy consultation document can be opened here: https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/visitor-levy/ .
5 Nov: Article: CEC Promotion of Community Councils: Following on from the 22 October meeting with CEC Governance, where we got some idea of the Governance promotion strategy for the March 2025 elections, a community councillor asked for the Governance team's take on the following questions: 1) Is there any real point or value in a CC? 2) What can a CC achieve or influence with CEC? 3) Does CEC listen and act? Scroll down to the Article below to see the response!
5 Nov: Event: Edinburgh Partnership Board (EPB): Poverty Commission Meeting: The EPB is the CEC-led forum of public sector and third sector agency service providers. There is a standing platform of work undertaken with the Edinburgh Poverty Commission (EPC, inception 2020) and End Poverty Edinburgh. This event considered the progress on the EPC Interim Review due for publication in 2025 (half-way towards the original EPC 2030 'End Poverty' target date). The 'End Poverty in Edinburgh Delivery Plan' looks set to dig deeper and community councils are likely to find themselves drawn to offer a greater involvement. I've asked that community councils be given a clear picture of any new undertakings in this delicate and detailed area well in advance of the elections. Here is the link to the Policy and Sustainability Committee Papers of 22 October carrying the End Poverty in Edinburgh Annual Report 2024.
1 Nov: Reference: Leith Links CC: Teresa Perchard (TP) note on local proliferation of unlicensed HMOs and on expansion of BT 'Street Hubs'. On the HMO issue, Leith Links CC will meet with the Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee on 6 November. See the EACC Papers >>> Planning file for the TP note. Contact
31 Oct: Reference: The Cockburn Association: Notes and links from the 30 October conference on 'Responsible Tourism: Solutions for Edinburgh's Future'. Strong undercurrent that there needs to be visible community payback in exchange for sharing the city's heritage with visitors. Remarks from the floor included a visitor guide's 'embarassment' at the 'state' of the city and the countryside in general. Go to Menu Bar and to EACC Papers >>> Meetings 2024.
28 Oct: Reference: Edinburgh Partnership Board: Update on the ongoing Transformation and Improvement Programme. Final report due to the Policy & Sustainability Committee on 10 December. Community councils may see a redefined role. Go to EACC Papers >>> Edinburgh Partnership Board.
23 Oct: Reference: Report on CEC Communal Bin Review Workshop; Go to the Menu Bar and to EACC Papers >>> Meetings 2024.
17 Oct: Reference: Community Council Scheme and Boundary Review: CEC formally advises today that the statutory consultation concluded at the Full Council meeting on 26 September 2024. CEC has written to community council Office Bearers to record the decisions and resolutions reached then. These include the promotion of public interest and participation in the work of community councils, along with the promotion of the next round of elections. Nominations for election as a community councillor will close on 27 February 2025. Where required, polls will be held on 27 March 2025. The new term for community councils will commence on 28 March 2025, to run until 2029.
8 Oct: Reference: Cllr. Cammy Day: Letter of Support for Community Councillors: Dated, 8 October, by email, I've just received the following text from Cllr. Day, Leader of CEC:
Dear Community Councillors,
Support for Community Councils
At the last meeting of the Policy and Sustainability Committee, a motion was approved that I write on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council on training and accessibility of Community Councils. The following motion was agreed by our members -
'To agree that making Community Councils more accessible to elected members, community councillors and the public plays an important role in enabling a greater diversity of people to engage with local democracy.
To recognise that a lack of equipment is only one potential barrier to Community Councils running hybrid meetings, and that in some cases, training on how to use the equipment may also be required.
To request officers to provide political groups with budget estimates for providing Community Councils with hybrid meeting equipment and training on how to use it as part of the 2025/26 budget, on the basis of their engagement with Community Councils.'
Following this agreement, officers have gathered estimates for the hybrid equipment which would be approximately £1400 per community council, or £65,800 for all 47 community councils. Training on how to use the equipment will be delivered by council officers. Further progress on this work will be reported to the Culture and Communities Committee on 5 December 2024.
I hope the above demonstrates how much we value our Community Councils and the important work you do as the direct links to those living in the city.
Yours sincerely. Councillor Cammy Day
8 Oct: Event: CEC Support for Community Council Elections: Meeting on 22 October: The elections are due to be held on February 2025. CEC is committed to offer strong promotional support and to offer substantial operational and training support once the new community councils are in place. Chairs and Secretaries should have received the invitation to attend the Tuesday 22 October meeting (18.00 to 19.30). The central issue, of course, is what form the promotion and support will take. The over-arching issue is the question of just how committed CEC is to backing a well-functioning, positive and meaningful community council framework. In the first instance, contact the Governance Team at
8 Oct: Consultation: Visitor Levy for Edinburgh: The Visitor Levy is an important development for the city. The consultation opened on 23 September and closes on 15 December. The full background is here: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/business/visitor-levy-edinburgh. This is the link to the latest press release: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/news/article/14067/help-shape-edinburgh-s-final-visitor-levy-scheme. The consultation document is here: https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/visitor-levy/. On Wednesday 6 November, EACC will meet a CEC lead (Katherine Kennedy) on this project (one of a series of meetings with stakeholders) to go through the proposed structure of the levy and its implications. I understand she may approach community council Chairs and Secretaries in the same vein. You can contact her directly - Katherine Kennedy, Project Manager, Business Growth and Inclusion - at
8 Oct: Consultation: Edinburgh Future Libraries Strategy: Following initial engagement work in Q1, this wider consultation (with a close on 18 December 2024) focuses on the draft Future Libraries Strategy 2024-2029. Access the Culture and Committee reports and respond to the consultation on the future shape of the library service at: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/futurelibraries. The shape stands to change quite dramatically. This is something for community councils to get to grips with.
8 Oct: Reference: Public Spaces for Events and Filming Policy: CEC has announced (1 October) details of the Public Spaces Process and Revised Charging Model for guidance on the booking of all outdoor space use. Separate technical details apply where any type of licence, building warrant or planning permission is needed. You can find the full background here: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/download/15852/event-planning-for-public-spaces
25 Sep: Event: Cockburn Association: 30 Oct: Responsible Tourism: Solutions for Edinburgh's Future: An afternoon discussion (12.00 to 17.00) on tourism pressures; city vulnerabilities and resilience; and actionable strategies; with contributions from those in the industry, academic observes and CEC. Here is the link to book a place in person or online: https://www.cockburnassociation.org.uk/event/responsible-tourism-solutions-for-edinburghs-future/ .
25 Sep: Consultation: Visitor Levy for Edinburgh: Councils in Scotland have new powers to introduce a visitor levy in their local area. CEC opened its consultation on this potentially key policy lever on 23 September (with close on 15 December). It's a hot topic. How does it fit with 'responsbile tourism'? Guide your neighbourhoods to speak up on this one. Here is the CEC consultation link .
25 Sep: Reference: Edinburgh Development Forum: This is a CEC-led round-table. From today's quarterly meeting: (1) City Plan 2030 should be formally adopted on 23 October and be approved at Full Council on 7 November. This opens the way for real work to begin on City Plan 2040, which needs to be in place by May 2028. Local Authorities are committed (by Scot Gov) to deep consultation and engagement with localities on 'place priorities' for CP 2040. CEC will have to devote significant ersource to this programme. On the other side, community councils have a big responsibility to play their part as 'agents of local opinion'. This is not something to view from the sidelines. (2) Report from the private sector: Edinburgh's commercial property market is vibrant, but precarious and arguably unstable. Demand for (scarce) high quality office space is strong.; sentiment is selective; 'poorer', older space is being given the shoulder. Building contractors are pressured by delays, costs, supply issues; 'construction risk' is driving some under. Property investors are loading up on (conversion) hotel space; qualiity inner-city office space (a lifeblood for the local economy) is evaporating; the imbalance is a bad sign.
25 Sep: Reference: Edinburgh Bus User Group (EBUG): Call to new CEC Transport Convener, Cllr. Stephen Jenkinson: Open Letter (published in the Edinburgh Reporter) calls for renewed CEC / bus operators combined focus on getting key priorities delivered on bus stops / shelters / live timetables / interchanges / highway infrastructure. The bus station issue needs resolved 'at pace'.
25 Sep: Consultation: Edinburgh Future Libraries Strategy: Following an earlier engagement exercise, this consultation opens 25 September (with 18 December close). Libraries stand to look very different in the future and to be used in quite different ways. This is for the CEC's Future Libraries Strategy 2024-29. We all have a stake in this. Here is the CEC consultation link .
23 Sep: Reference: Scheme Review: The final Report on the Review of Scheme for Community Councils and their Boundaries goes to Special Council on 26 September. You can view the papers and arrange to view the meeting on this link . A few questions on boundaries remain to be ironed out. Beyond that, our attention turns to the promotional support that CEC will be able to deliver for the community council elections in February 2025. This needs to be a big undertaking because public interest in community councils' undertaking is low and their credibility is thin. EACC hopes to be involved with CEC Governance in shaping the CEC communications programme. Please get in touch now with your own ideas and suggestions.
9 Sep: Reference: Scheme Review: Cllr. Val Walker: EACC Board Members Ian Doig and Ken Robertson today met with Cllr. Walker (Convener, Culture and Communities Committee) to underscore the need for CEC to publicise and promote the forthcoming community council elections in a comprehensive and imaginative manner. The promotional messaging should reinforce community councils' visibility and viability, their demonstrable purpose and influence and the future support and training of community councillors.
28 Aug: Reference: Transient Visitor Levy (TVL): More background and detail on this in a presentation by Edinburgh Tourist Action Group. Envisaged governance structure for the TVL is by way of a Visitor Levy Forum (where EACC will have a membership place) reporting to the CEC Policy and Sustainability Committee. Go to the menu bar link EACC Papers >>> Meetings 2024 to see the slide pack.
26 Aug: Reference: Edinburgh Transient Visitor Levy (TVL): This is now a live CEC project, with the draft scheme approved by councillors at the Policy and Sustainability Committee of 22 August. It will go out to consultation between September and December this year. Find out the detail (as it currently stands) on the CEC site: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/business/visitor-levy-edinburgh/2. Target for implementation is mid-July 2026.
16 Aug: Article: Local Place Plans; the early steps: Nick Marshall from Northfield and Willowbrae CC outlines how his community council have embarked on their Local Place Plan, with a view to submission around Easter next year. It's a time-consuming project that calls for a lot of commitment, but so far it's proving very worthwhile. You can contact Nick to find out more.
15 Aug: Reference: Neighbourhood Networks: A report on Neighbourhood Network functionality was presented to the CEC Culture and Communities Committee on 8 August. Outwith the North West Locality, the current framework essentially doesn't work, with low levels of engagement and support, a perceived lack of clout and competition for participants' time from other ongoing local groups and agencies. How the structure might change is part of a wider, ongoing review of community planning aspirations and needs. You can read more on the background in this link to the Agenda Papers. Go to Item 8.1, Page 601.
14 Aug: Reference: Edinburgh's Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES): Email
13 Aug: Reference: Planning: Following on from the EACC Guidance Notes profiled on 2 August, Ronnie Shaw of Liberton & District CC has profiled two nicely-formatted general guides to the Scottish planning system from Highland and Moray Councils. You can find them here: Highland Council Guide to the Planning System and Moray Council Guide to the Planning System. You'll find other important planning links on the menu bar under Planning & Place.
2 Aug: Reference: Grange Prestonfield CC recently published a Guide to the City Plan 2030 and Edinburgh Design Guidance frameworks, a short primer for new community councillors (pending) and for anyone else looking to catch up. With the same in mind, I’ve added three new EACC guidance notes on planning policy, drawn directly from Scottish Government material on Community Engagement, on Development Management and on Householder Permitted Development Rights. You can find them in the EACC Papers >>> Planning link on the menu bar. You will also find in that file a new illustrated guidance booklet for homeowners on Retrofitting Historic Sash and Case Windows. This illustrative paper has been offered by Dr Victoria Lee, a Lecturer at Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture at the University of Edinburgh. She notes it has been vetted by Edinburgh World Heritage, Historic Environment Scotland and CEC for accuracy and practicality.
2 Aug: Reference: Neighbourhood Networks and Community Grants Fund: Andrew Field, Head of CEC’s Community Empowerment and Engagement Service, is currently leading two reviews of the Neighbourhood Networks structure and the Community Grants Fund. Along with Joan Parr, CEC Service Director, Culture and Wellbeing, he is taking two reports to the Culture & Communities Committee on 8 August. Both reports are work-in-progress. Here is a link to the Culture & Committee Papers for that meeting with an outline of the background issues.
2 Aug: Reference: Edinburgh Partnership Board: CEC leads the Edinburgh Partnership Board (EPB), a city-wide forum of public sector and third sector agencies focused on health and social wellbeing and on related community needs. Within the Scheme for Community Councils, community councils are held as the “key community representative bodies within the local community planning arrangements across the city”. At EPB level, big change is in prospect in terms of how community planning functions and services can be delivered more effectively. Michele Mulvaney, Strategy Manager, Communities, at CEC, spoke recently to the Members’ Board about the Transformation and Improvement Programme underway at EPB. The presentation pack is in EACC Papers >>> Edinburgh Partnership Board: see 24_07_25 EP Transition Prog and NNs.pdf. There is a Q1 2025 timeline on bringing the change into play. Note that a central objective is to raise the scope and opportunity for active community involvement in community planning. That looks to mean a new front-line undertaking for community councils.
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
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
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?
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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 .
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)