Dear All

A rather short one this week as –  by rights –  I really should be away on holiday! 

Portobello Timebank’s Autumn Coffee Morning is tomorrow, Saturday 20 October 10am – noon Baptist Church Hall, Portobello High Street.  Free entry. Come and find out what this Timebank thing is all about!  Thy are amazing, by the way! 

Wellsprings Community are hosting ‘Spirit Rhythms’ at Caffe Nero, Fort Kinnaird this Sunday 21 October 5-7pm; a spiritual fair with live music – a free event.  The Newcraighall Autumn Fair, is on Saturday 3 November at Wellsprings (the old church building), 71 Whitehill Street, Newcraighall EH21 8QZ (flier enclosed) 10 am to 5pm with crafts, Christmas gifts and vintage stall and more. 

I had a bit of a walkabout and a meet-up in Newcraighall this week, of which I hope more later!

This week we heard the great news that Cre8te in Craigmillar won the Best Social Enterprise & Community Regeneration 2018 award at the 2018 Scottish Enterprise Awards.  Huge congratulations to our amazing team and everyone involved! More here: http://cre8te.co.uk/

Last night was the EGM of Castle Community Bank, our locally based Credit Union, with HQ in Leith and a branch office in Craigmillar. We members voted unanimously to expand the Common Bond area which will enable us to lend to more people who are applying for affordable loans through our portal.  It was lovely to get a lift home with our star Craigmillar volunteer Owen along with Margaret and Joe.  I picked up a bit of Council casework too! More here: https://www.castlecommunitybank.co.uk/

Everyone is warmly invited to two Family Days during the Craigmillar Book Festival, on Saturday 10 and 17 November 11-3pm! Do join in all the great free activities Craigmillar Literacy Trust have got planned at Craigmillar Library. More here: http://craigmillar.org.uk.gridhosted.co.uk/craigmillar-book-festival/

A much needed upgrade of the Council’s Planning and Building Standards IT systems will start Thursday 1 November with completion expected on Wednesday 7 November.  This will mean some considerable disruption to the service during that time, and I can give you more details if you need them of the arrangements and what will or will not be possible during that time.

The ‘Save the George’ Campaign took another step forward this week.  The Scottish Government Reporter dismissed the developers’ appeals against Committee’s refusal of the applications for planning permission and listed building consent for retention of principal facade of former cinema and erection of a residential building of 20 flats at the former George Cinema at 14 Bath Street in Portobello.  What now, I wonder?

For those who are comparing and contrasting the value of this listed cinema building to the old St John’s RC Primary School, the petition and campaign is far, far too late.  Had the saving of this building this raised at any point with Craigentinny/Duddingston Councillors or Portobello/Craigmillar Councillors, even as a whisper of an issue, at any key point, over the last five years, rather than on the point of demolition, we might have been able to do something about it! Yes, it is a great pity, but we are going to lose that building and the land will become Treverlen Park, as planned.

“I would like to see more wild landscape and accessible shoreline.’” And “Just seeing those birds and knowing that they’re threatened, sort of makes you feel more responsible…” are two Portobello quotes added to the Edinburgh Shoreline coastal map so far! Join the Edinburgh Shoreline team on Wednesday 7 November at 7pm at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, EH3 5LR to add your own thoughts.  They want to know what’s good, bad and ugly about the Edinburgh shoreline and your aspirations for Edinburgh as a thriving coastal city of the future. To book your free ticket visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/make-your-mark-on-our-coastal-map-tickets-51335450715. More events are listed on the website

I joined the Tool Library at its last session in Portobello Library before it moved properly into the lower floor at Tribe Porty, 19 Windsor Place. I have yet to borrow that electric drill I don’t have, for a job that won’t take more than few minutes.  But when am I ever going to get round to it?!  More here: https://edinburghtoollibrary.org.uk/

See you soon!

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