Dear All
It was Edinburgh’s Doors Open Day last weekend and good to see some local places putting up virtual tours. Bridgend Inspiring Growth was one of these: https://vimeo.com/329560266 . St Marks Church Portobello in its 200th year another: https://stmarksportobello.org/doors-open-day-2020/ and Portobello Baptist Church too https://www.doorsopendays.org.uk/places/edinburgh/portobello-baptist-church/. Next year I do hope Craigmillar Now can have a Doors Open Day at the fabulous old Church building at 58 Newcraighall Road.
Making more space for people, and taking it away from parked and moving vehicles, is something you may know I am pretty passionate about and Scottish Government has given us cash and powers to put temporary measures in place during the pandemic. The scheme for Castleview Primary School is coming up with the removal of the guardrail, extending the footway by 1m along the frontage of school and Sandy’s Community Centre and introducing a legal Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) for new waiting restrictions from school entrance to junction to improve visibility for pedestrians. More from spacesforpeople@edinburgh.gov.uk.
Those new ‘Spaces for People’ arrangements at Brunstane Primary School in Magdalene Drive have been put place in this week. They may be further tweaked and improved over the coming days and weeks if they do not bed in and are not working to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe. The increasing numbers of us who use motorised vehicles will have to learn new habits and realise the wider benefits to all of us of walking, cycling or scooting more often instead.
I’m sharing interesting article here this week that might chime with some of our local experience of traffic on residential roads like Brunstane Road, Coillesdene and Magdalene: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/25/rat-running-residential-uk-streets-satnav-apps and
How come I believe in all this? Click here: https://mobycon.com/updates/low-car-cities/
Some complex interagency work is continuing to make the public road at Kings Place caravan and vehicle free, but still meet the needs of any vulnerable people caught up in this situation. We need to have a wider discussion of how that space and Kings Road itself should be used. The idea of chevron, rather than parallel parking, has been mooted by some residents. In the not too distant future, controlled parking will be introduced throughout the city and it might well be brought forward sooner than currently planned for Portobello.
A couple of people have asked about how to get started litter picking, although some individuals do it all by themselves as they go about their daily lives. Here’s a link to advice: https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/local-environmental-quality/clean-up-scotland/handy-resources/
The monthly Portobello Market is this Saturday. Details here: https://www.pedal-porty.org.uk/food/portobello-market/portobello-market-stallholders-for-saturday-3rd-october-2020/
Remember it’s Portobello Book Festival this weekend? This week’s Porty Podcast will tell you more about it too: https://www.buzzsprout.com/71622/5600155?fbclid=IwAR1ZtDLUjkEMDFTxYM-dVH6GzeMtzrp-oMcxx234_pwUc-wgSuiDsuv9O08
I’ve been asked to promote this fundraiser to benefit the sporting efforts of our community’s budding rugby players. You might have seen them training on Portobello Beach. Click here to find out more about them: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/portyminis?utm_term=3rAqgxNRP
This is a really nice article on wild swimming off Portobello shore: http://barefoot-em.com/swims/swimming-at-portobello-edinburghs-seaside/?fbclid=IwAR1NP4NjjCbA5Y4S7g_zv_BR4Mzd48pcZ00DIplHndpzyxk3UUD0h_Bm8_8
I am delighted the application to build houses in part of Little France Park was dismissed by the Scottish Government Reporter and the Council’s original decision to refuse was upheld. Here is what locals are discovering about this fabulous green space: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=2s&v=9kIaHsckDBE&app=desktop. I am very much looking forward to our Living Landscape Partnership meeting next week about the park’s management and further measures to improve biodiversity on this vital bit of our local Green Belt. Map here: https://images.app.goo.gl/Xg1emHotmy9wsdB36.
The Edinburgh Poverty Commission, which we set up two years ago, reported this week. The full report, and actions for us all to take, is here: https://edinburghpovertycommission.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/20200930_EPC_FinalReport_AJustCapital.pdf
Have a great weekend!
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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