Dear All

Thank you for all the encouragement and sponsorship that enabled the four of us Portobello/Craigmillar Ward Councillors to finish the Kiltwalk challenge for the Thistle Foundation in Craigmillar.  We four raised a Team Total of £2,130 which will be matched by a 40% contribution from Sir Tom Hunter. This will help ‘stop the wait’ for just a few more people with long term health conditions to get the support they need, right when the need it – like Malcolm Scullion: https://www.thistle.org.uk/blog-articles/stop-the-wait. Lovely to be greeted by Malcolm himself at the finish line!

The fab new St John’s RC Primary School building is open for the Local community to have a peek inside and a guided tour around this afternoon up until 4pm. TODAY! Might see you there?

It’s a real pleasure to be closely involved with the Edinburgh Living Landscapes Partnership and champion its work across the city.  Now there is a photographic competition for the best picture of a living landscape in Edinburgh.  More about it all here: https://edinburghlivinglandscape.org.uk/ and the competition here: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/5933/edinburgh_living_landscape_photography_competition_guidelines

The second liaison meeting about the Brighton Place setts reconstruction project was on Wednesday, concentrating mainly on a presentation which included the bus diversions and a package of measures designed to help local businesses during the road closure.  In summary: Tuesday 27 September – contractors will be on site, preparing it, putting up signs and so on; Monday 1 October – Brighton Place closes; Saturday 1 December – Brighton Place re-opens for the Christmas period. Monday 7 January – the work resumes. Duddingston Road will re-open before Brighton Place closes.  The original estimate of 60 weeks duration for the road closure includes the reopening at Christmas/New Year. Roads officers are confident the work will take much less time.  The company doing the work is a Council framework contractor Mackenzie Construction Ltd. whose bid came in at £698,000, considerably less than the Council Capital Programme allowance of £1.2 million.  This firm have experience of setts work elsewhere in Edinburgh.  A dedicated project manager will be appointed and the contractor will have a liaison officer there, throughout the works, to help with any day-to-day issues.  I can send you the full details if you want.

If you have not yet signed up for the brown bin garden waste collection service, there is another window of opportunity now.  The numbers signing and paying  up is already well beyond expectations. See here: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/gardenwaste

Next Monday is the last Monday of the month and the next Portobello Community Council Meeting is scheduled for 7.30pm in the Portobello Baptist Church Hall.  Details here: http://www.portobellocc.org/pccpn/2018/09/17/360th-meeting-draft-minutes-and-361st-meeting-agenda/

The Council wants to increase allotment provision and the network of community gardens and food growing initiatives. There are well over 65 community garden projects across the city and 44 allotment sites. Eight community garden is are being either planned or constructed at present, including one at Greendykes. The Council needs to create 1,300 more plots, over and above the current total of 1,552. The Council’s Allotment Strategy seeks to provide these by sub-dividing existing large plots and supporting communities to fundraise to create allotments or community food growing gardens. If anyone wants to take on a particular bit of greenspace in Council ownership for a community garden or allotment in Portobello/Craigmillar, do please get in touch with Darren Ryan: darren.ryan@edinburgh.gov.uk.

The Portobello-based beach volleyball are getting involved in Sport Scotland’s Club Open Doors week. Get along to see them at Portobello Beach in front of the Swim Centre on Monday 24 September for a taste of their exciting sport.  There is something for everyone. For more info email:  edinburghbeachvc@gmail.com 

The next iteration of Edinburgh’s Local Development Plan (LDP), which will help shape the built environment, all across Edinburgh up until 2030, is kicking off and your views are welcome.  In putting together the first stage, a ‘Main Issues Report’, the NE Locality has a workshop for interested residents on Monday 5.30pm to 7pm in Northfield Community Centre.   Full details and how to sign up for a workshop are here: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/cityplan2030

The last LDP allocated a lot of land for housing, which meant the Newcraighall village population has expanded hugely.  As a result, three new classrooms need to be built at Newcraighall Primary School with work starting this weekend. This project was delayed after a swift nest was discovered on a shed that was due to be demolished. The re-started works are expected to be complete in early November. 

Two years ago Edinburgh, as a whole, started a process of asking what we citizens want the City to be like in 2050. Portobello High School senior pupils helped start off the conversation.  Now it is continuing, under the Lord Provost’s leadership, and he want as many Edinburgh citizens as possible to take part in contributing to a City Vision 2050.  Click here: https://www.edinburgh2050.com

Portobello’s very own volunteer-run Book Festival is 5-7 October this year. Tickets can be picked up from Portobello Library, Rosefield Place and all events are free, although a contribution is always welcome. Some of the tickets have already all gone from the Library, but there will be a number of tickets held back and available at the door. Of you can no longer go and have a ticket, it would be helpful if you could hand it back to the Library so  get a chance to swell the audiences.  Programme here: https://portobellobookfestival.wordpress.com/

The Wellsprings Community are hosting ‘Spirit Rhythms’ at Caffe Nero, Fort Kinnaird this Sunday 23 September 5-7pm; a spiritual fair with live music. Free event.

The work on the long-awaited footbridge over the Niddrie Burn and path works in Hunters Hall Park over towards the Royal Edinburgh Hospital has gone out to tender and the Council’s procurement section are in the process of formally appointing a contractor. This work is to be funded jointly by Sustrans and the Council’s Active Travel Team budget. 

The fabulous Friends of Figgate Park are having a clean up on Sunday 30 September. They start from 9.30am and will provide all gloves, litters and bags. Plus, there will be tea and biscuits. Meet at the notice board near the pond.

A fantastic effort at the latest beach clean in Portobello last weekend! The survey team found and removed 521 items of litter in a 100m survey area. This included tiny items like nurdles up to larger litter pieces including straws, sweet wrappers and cans. With your help, they managed to remove this and more from Portobello beach, so a massive thanks to everyone who lent a hand. Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) have been working in Portobello this summer as part of our My Beach, Your Beach campaign to help improve bathing water quality. If you have a few minutes to spare, please do fill in the feedback questionnaire:  https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Porty Your responses are much appreciated and will help shape their future work at Portobello. Further information about the My Beach, Your Beach campaign here: www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/mybeachyourbeach. 

I love David Calder’s Porty Podcasts!  What a wonderful archive of Portobello’s active  community and the positive stuff going on here!  It’s hard to keep up, but I think the latest No 96 (?!) is actually about the above beach clean up!  https://porty.org.uk/news/porty-podcast/

Happy listening!

Maureen

Councillor Maureen Child

Labour Councillor Portobello/Craigmillar Ward

Office: 0131 529 3268

Mobile: 07718 666 481

Facebook Page: Maureen Child Standing Up for Portobello/Craigmillar

Twitter: @MaureenChild1

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