I hope you had a good Christmas and New Year break and I wish you all the very best for 2015!  I came down with flu the week before Christmas and am left with a chesty cough which I would not wish on anybody.  So I had a bit of enforced rest, but a good one all the same!

I have attached a briefing paper on the way that our local Portobello/Craigmillar Neighbourhood Partnership community grants fund will be decided this year, through a participatory budgeting event and process whereby local people decide who should get a share of the money we have.  These might be small one-off voluntary projects that may grow into bigger ideas. I also have a poster which I can send if you want to promote it through your networks. In the past, the applications have been decided throughout the year on a first-come-first-served basis and the decisions have been made by a small group of people including local Councillors and local representatives, largely behind closed doors. Now we are experimenting with a tried and tested way of developing capacity and devolving power to the people to decide.  We’ve called ours ‘You Decide!’

There are other funders out there as well, if you are keen to get something started or match fund what you already have for a good cause.  SCVO’s have relatively new funding website where you can search 800+ funders, here: http://www.fundingscotland.com/  And OneCity Trust Grant Applications are open click here: goo.gl/vHVus2

Find out about Portobello’s Timebank, click on this link You’ll find out what they have been up to, a Timebank promotional video.  Phone: 07968 090 530 or find them on Facebook: Portobello Timebank

The week before Christmas, planning consent was granted for Aldi’s detailed application for a store on Portobello High Street, the high controversial Scottish Power/Baileyfield site.  Committee also approved in principle a housing application from Crudens on the rest of the site. The full report can be found here: Report There were a large number of objections and also a large number of supportive comments on the joint application.  Broadly, most of the objections related to the store.  However, in planning terms the weight of three previous Reporter decisions – the most recent one upholding the Committee’s decision to refuse consent for a Lidl on the derelict Appleyard garage site – firmly established that this site was an acceptable ‘edge of town centre’ site for a store. In my own view, there was nothing to be gained for our community by pretending otherwise.  I voted for a continuation, because I felt the design was simply not good enough.  Some will be pleased, some outraged and others indifferent – no doubt.  You can’t please all of the people all of the time.

A public consultation is now live as part of a new pilot school streets initiative for the Capital. Locally, Towerbank, Duddingston and St John’s RC Primary Schools are among the 11 schools taking part in the pilot, which is designed to improve the environment around schools and encourage safer and healthier ways for pupils to travel to and from school. These locations have been experiencing ongoing road safety issues caused by too many drivers bringing their vehicles too close to the school gates. The pilot schemes will prohibit traffic on streets outside or around school entrances at specific times of day. The online consultation will run until Friday 27 February 2015. In addition, a series of drop-in information events will be held in each of the school communities. January 14 at Duddingston Primary School, 3-6pm; January 28 at Towerbank Primary School, 3-6pm and February 4 at St John’s RC Primary School, 3-6pm.

A map of proposed 20mph limits for hundreds of Edinburgh streets attracted nearly 3,000 responses. 20mph speed limits encourage more considerate driving, leading to safer streets for all road users, including motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. The lower speeds reduce the risk and severity of road collisions.  The new 20mph network, which will go before members of the Council’s Transport and Environment Committee in a report for approval next Tuesday 13 January, might see the majority of the city’s residential streets and streets in shopping areas become 20mph zones.  If the proposed 20mph network is approved by Committee an implementation plan will be presented to the Committee in March, providing details on how the Council will roll out the 20mph network across the city over a maximum of three financial years. The debate will be live streamed, then available on the Council’s archive and you could watch it here on Tuesday or afterwards: Livestream 20MPH Debate

Life Under Occupation in a Divided Land: Sunday 18th January, Portobello Joppa Parish Church 7-9pm
Portobello and Musselburgh Quaker Meeting has invited Bronwen Currie to give a talk about her experience in the West Bank on Sunday 18th January at 7.00-9-00pm at Portobello Joppa Parish Church
(St Philips), Brunstane Road, EH15 2DL. Bronwen lives with her husband in Islay, where she works part-time as an administrator for Quakers in Scotland. From April to July 2014 she served as human rights observer with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, http://eappi.org/en, based in Al Ram just north of Jerusalem and covering the Ramallah governorate, as well as travelling within Israel and further afield in the occupied West Bank. While there Bronwen wrote a weekly blog which can be found at https://broncurrie.wordpress.com/. All welcome.

Come and join the Apple Wassail at the Community Orchard on Sat 24 January 2-4pm January is tra­di­tion­ally the time for singing rowdy songs in orch­ards to cel­eb­rate the har­vest from the pre­vi­ous year, chase away evil spir­its and so ensure a good crop in the com­ing sea­son.  Please bring noise mak­ing equip­ment (drums, whistles, pans), bread to hang on the trees, apple juice to soak the bread in, and wear scary clothes if you wish, to scare away any evil spir­its that may be lurk­ing… Come and drink spiced apple juice and sing round the bon­fire. All welcome! This year the was­sail­ing songs will be taught at Portobello Community Choir ses­sions  — Weds even­ings on 7^th, 14^th and 21^st January 7.15 – 9.30pm at Portobello Baptist Church Hall, 189 Portobello High St.  £6/4 con­ces­sions. All wel­come (you do not need to be a mem­ber of the choir to attend these was­sail­ing ses­sions) — songs will be taught by ear so no singing exper­i­ence or abil­ity to read music required.  Children and young people wel­come provid­ing they are able to con­cen­trate and join in.

A few people have been in touch with me about nuisance calls and I picked up a guide they would like me to circulate..  Do you know what to do if you get cold called? 66% aren’t sure. Check out this simple guide: bit.ly/stopnuisanceca… pic.twitter.com/8LUB8X62S2

If you haven’t already, it would be helpful if you could make sure you complete Portobello Community Council’s survey on possible public toilet closures, closes next week, on 16 January : portobellocc.org/loos.php  Be sure to have your say.  Portobello Community Council have put in an interim response to the Council’s Budget Consultation strongly objecting to the proposals.

Craigmillar has a beautiful Art Deco Castlebrae Business Centre which was originally built as Niddrie Marischal Secondary School and opened in 1943. The Peffer Bank facility clearly visible from the local East Office and The White House on Niddrie Mains Road, is owned by Edinburgh Council but operated by social enterprise Cre8te, of which I am currently a Council-appointed non-executive director.  Cre8te uses the Business Centre to support and accommodate local businesses, charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises bringing much needed jobs and economic activity to the area. We were granted £1.9 million of funding from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund last year to refurbish the building.  The contract was awarded to GHI Contractors. In partnership with Edinburgh Council, we made sure there are substantial community benefit clauses in the contract, so the local community will benefit from the actual building work as well as the completed upgrade of the building. The 50 week programme of work starts on 19 January and the building work should be completed by Christmas 2015.  Cre8te are really excited about welcoming many new tenants to the new and improved modern offices and workshops and are taking enquiries now on 0131 661 8888. When the work is complete, Cre8te will be able to house twice as many organisations.

A year of funding is available for the promotion of walking! This supports the promotion of walking in local communities and the Council welcome applications which seek to address any of the following:  Health inequalities; Target the inactive; Reduce social isolation; Increase social capital; Work with those with long term conditions Grants available are focused on two areas: (1) Grants to map and produce walking maps of a local area or community. Up to £1000 and (2) Grants to promote walking through the purchase, issue and promotion of pedometers.  Up to £500 (50 pedometers). The year of walking initiative aims to works alongside local community organisations, health partnerships and voluntary groups to fund and develop walking within the city with the  long term aims of increasing physical activity participation through the promotion of walking and reducing health inequalities. Successful applications will be expected to produce an evaluation on the outcomes of their funding. To find out more and apply email Sean Webster – sean.webster@edinburgh.gov.uk

With wild and wintry conditions hitting us now, the Council is urging Edinburgh’s residents to heed advice on how to keep themselves, their properties and their vulnerable neighbours safe in bad weather. The Council’s website is stocked with information on what to do when gales and storms are forecast, such as parking vehicles in garages or away from buildings and trees etc or securing loose objects that could be blown away. As temperatures look set to plummet once again towards the end of the week with snow in the forecast as well, residents can also log on to see an interactive map of salt bins across the city and find out the priority streets and pavements for gritting patrols. You can now use our online forms to report problems with salt bins or to request a new one for your area.  Preparing for wintry conditions is strongly recommended and the Ready for Winter web page includes tips such as investing in a good, strong snow shovel and arranging a winter health check for your car. During severe weather, remember to check on your neighbours, particularly if they are older or live alone. Keep up to date with roads, schools and travel information on the website, via Twitter and local radio. 

The Bridgend Inspiring Growth (BIG) Committee are getting excited about the Farmhouse renovation project and kicking off 2015 with a celebration and gathering. They have organised a Ceilidh on Saturday 17 January, at Richmond Church in Craigmillar. If you book now you can get advanced concession prices for £6, or £10 full price. Welcome for all ages, with children under 5 getting in for free. There is lots of free parking nearby, it is less than a 30 minute cycle from the city centre, and the buses that go there are: Lothian Bus Nos 2, 14, 21, 30. The N30 Night Bus also runs there through the night. Do book your tickets soon to guarantee a place. See more details below or to order tickets go to : http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1036501. Also, the open drop-in at the farmhouse will be starting back soon, on every Sunday 11am-3pm at Bridgend Farmhouse from Sunday 18 January. Do pop along at any point during those times on any Sunday to get involved in the renovation and find out what is happening.

Have a good weekend

Best wishes

Maureen