Dear All

Resolving the thorny issue of the caravans at Kings Place is a key priority for all four local Councillors and Council officers. My colleagues say it is the one issue they have had the most correspondence about in their term of office.  And it is not an easy one to solve.  The Council talk regularly with the people living in the caravans and are actively supporting them to find alternative accommodation. 

The Kings Place part of the ‘Spaces for People’ scheme is being put in place now. This will restrict the opportunities for parking, restrict further access to the site and create a safe segregated section of the Promenade for active travel. Officers will be monitoring all the temporary measures and they will make adjustments to mitigate any impacts. The Council will soon re-start engagement with the wider community on the future design of Kings Place. Further information about how they’re implementing temporary road measures to support safe walking, wheeling and cycling is available at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/spacesforpeople

Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home  is doing a fundraiser today – ‘In the Dog House’. The original plan was to have the volunteers at the Home but they are now in their doghouses at home. Here is a link to EDCH’s page which shows all the 16 fundraisers, including my colleague Councillor Callum Laidlaw.  https://edch.enthuse.com/pf/ken-stahly-82a39

Callum was one of the kind 50 sponsors for my Kiltwalk Challenge for the Thistle, which eventually topped £1000.  That sum was doubled by the amazing generosity of Sir Tom Hunter and his Hunter Foundation.  Not just the 50% he originally promised, but twice the amount Kiltwalkers each raised in vital sponsorship for our various charities!

The 376th meeting of Portobello Community Council will be held on Monday 28th September 2020 at 7:30 pm via Microsoft Teams.  All details for how to attend and the agenda are here: http://www.portobellocc.org/

I recently picked up this link to some history of public wash houses, written by Steven Robb, which includes our very own Wash House in Portobello, now our community centre: https://www.bathsandwashhouses.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/boec.-public-washhouses.pdf

After that 23 km walk right round Portobello and Craigmillar, I’ve continued the walking habit as far as I could manage this week, although a 7.5 hour digital Meeting session deciding in planning applications on Wednesday got in the way.  A walk around Figgate Park was necessary to restore my sanity.  I do love those chance meetings with people when walking about.  And it was excellent to meet up for a pre-arranged walkabout in and around Craigmillar with Will Golding who is has recently started as the Link Up worker for Connecting Craigmillar based at The Thistle Centre for Wellbeing.  A 10 km walkabout was well worth it. 

It was great to see the history of the fabulous Craigmillar Festival take centre stage in the Cockburn Associations ‘Hidden History’ series this week with my Craigmillar Now colleague, Andrew Crummy. It will be available on line for those who missed it.  For more events, click here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cockburn-conversations-opening-the-doors-to-hidden-histories-tickets-121025082279

It’s good know that the lighting project in the Innocent Railway Tunnel has been finished ahead of schedule and this vital cycle route will once again at 5pm tonight (Friday 25 September).

Surfers Against Sewage are hosting a beach clean in Portobello and all are welcome to take part.  Volunteers are meeting at the foot of Kings Road at 10am on Sunday.  It will be compliant with Covid-19 rules and socially distanced.

Portobello Market is not this weekend, but next Saturday, the first one in October.  Stall holders here: https://www.pedal-porty.org.uk/food/portobello-market/portobello-market-stallholders-for-saturday-3rd-october-2020/

Portobello Art Walk continues this weekend.  Details here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-lockdown-diaries-tickets-121216296205

Portobello Book Festival coming up too! https://portobellobookfestival.wordpress.com/

Have a good weekend!

Maureen

Councillor Maureen Child