Making Change Work on the Waterfront

The whole of Leith Ward are facing the massive changes of thousands of new homes. This means a greater demand for services and amenities. I think that it is important that we work, in this time of change, to preserve our older communities that make Leith Ward so distinctive and integrate the new.

Guesthouses used in East Hermitage Park

A few residents I met in the colonies that adjoin East Hermitage Park have raised concerns about a guesthouse that receives people from difficult backgrounds. People have been found drinking and then littering in the area, according to some residents, and there has been an incident of petty theft in a local cafe.

Generally, people I have spoken to are sympathetic. There is a concern that some may be abusing trust. However, there is also a policy to think about. Putting people into guesthouses may meet an immediate need, but if that is creating new problems in a new area, then the way the whole policy operates needs to be looked at again.

Anti-Social Letting in Hermitage Park

Residents in Hermitage Park were telling me of a young girl who had been assigned to the flat above them. She was very young, and acted in ways that could be described as less than considerate to her neighbours: inviting people back to party until the early hours - noise in the morning. Residents complained of having to take days off because of lack of sleep.

The young girl had been housed there by Orchard and Shipman. A letting agency that, so I'm told, will house people on behalf of local government. And this tenant was part of a trial run. Apparently, the scheme works down South where people who are unable to find accomodation or who need new accomodation will be put somewhere by Orchard and Shipman on the Council's behalf.

Residents were angry because many who were affected by this scheme were not consulted, and the company were less than cooperative with residents' complaints. According to one resident: 'We were told that there were to be no people admitted into this flat who have had an ASBO served on them. This young girl had three!'

There are 24 000 people who have housing needs at the moment. So understanding this scheme as an attempt to alleviate the problem is easy. But, there has to be a much, much stricter contract between letting agency, council and tenant which will see any breaking of the lease terms acted on immediately. We cannot have people suffering for one year as happened in this case.

I believe that this scheme should only be proceeded with if the terms are re-drawn and that they can be monitored much more effectively.

Tipping in Primrose Street

There has been fly-tipping behind flat 3 in Primrose Street. Understandably, the residents are upset as they do not want this to become a regular occurence.

Fly-tipping is a huge problem which costs the Council thousands each year. There are plenty of places to dump rubbish, but some people and tradesmen are quite willing to have others clean up their mess.

I do not think a community can keep itself as clean and pleasant as it would wish if there are many people with this sort of attitude. I think that regular tipping sites have to be monitored very closely and serious fines handed down on people who are creating an impoverished atmosphere.

Environmental Policies for Householders

There is a huge debate about our environment - about what the future holds and what we can do. Action on the environment has to be on a small scale as well as on a large scale. I want to see Edinburgh City Council create a city that is as sustainable as possible.

Safety and Sympathy in Pirniefield Place

I don't think that anyone would choose the life of street prostitution except from desperation or very difficult circumstances. Prostitution has moved to the junction of Seafield Road and the bottom of Claremont Park with some activity drifting up the Links. Having spoken to residents of Pirniefield there is a great deal of sympathy for the individual women, but there is also a desire that what comes with prostitution: kerb crawling, the type of litter and the feelings of intimidation that residents out at night experience be prevented.

In other areas of the new Leith Ward resident groups have moved prostitution on from their own immediate areas to other residential areas. It just shifts the problem to another patch.

If elected, I would propose two methods that have been successful in the past: a local campaign that would deter 'clients', and the installation of a CCTV camera for the same reason.

This would have the likely effect of pushing prostitution further-up the road towards the business park just before Portobello. This, I think, is the best solution. The area tends to shut up shop after 5, and it is non-residential.

It is important that action be taken so that the drift of prostitution up Claremont Park and the Links be prevented. A safe and sympathetic solution, in line with residents' wishes, can be found.

Update on Local Income Tax

The SNP have revealed new figures for their Local Income Tax plans. This means that the figures used on my old video blog are now out of date.

The new figure of 3p is lower than the original calculated figure. The new figure leaves a gap of £450 million according to the SNP website. The difference is to be made-up by 'greater efficiency'. This, when examined in detail, often means cuts to services or would require more funding from the Scottish Executive to local councils, which may entail a tax rise. In the end, it could just be more taxation from a different level of government.

My position along with the CBI and UNISON is that it shifts the burden unfairly on to working people and families.

A sense of urgency for Nisbet Court?

I met a friendly woman in Nisbet Court today whom I asked if there were any issues in the area:

'Don't ask', she said.
'Why not?' (I asked!)
'I could give you tears.'
'Yes?'
'I've got people above me and they've got ASBOs and they're drug addicts - they make so much racket...I'm keeping a diary each night to record everything that happens.'

This was the essence of our exchange.

It's sad for both sides. Drug addiction is sad and then inflicting misery on an older lady is sad. I think that it is important to remember as a councillor the human beings that lie behind the problems that come across your desk. In many cases there is real suffering, on a daily basis. People who have a drug addiction cannot be evicted into the street - but there has to be swift action to prevent residents from being forced to keep daily diaries recording how many times they feel they are being disturbed. Time is an issue, and hurrying things along, having a feeling of urgency about things is vital. The above problem had been ongoing for three years!

Swift action using the powers that are there is a priority. Hurrying those powers and processes along is a must. And if that is not enough then more powers must be sought.

An Eco-City

People don't just live in Edinburgh, they love Edinburgh. They love it for its buildings, its history, its quality of life and its setting. People realise that Edinburgh is a part of a larger eco-system and that we have to find ways of making sure the way we live in Edinburgh does not harm the environment we share.

I've attached a link to a youtube video called 'Koya moments'. It portrays powerfully the place of Edinburgh in a wider environment as well as being a stunning film in itself. (And with music from the brilliant Philip Glass.)

Edinburgh Labour is making the environment a priority for now and the future.

Environmentally Friendly Homes

The Green issue has become much more important in recent years. I can still recall, quite vividly, the newsreport that informed us that British scientists had discovered a hole in the ozone layer above the antartic. It set green issues on the agenda. It was followed quickly by theories about the greenhouse effect.

This was 22 years ago. It amazes me that it has taken so long for things to really happen. The issue seems to have been in the background without being taken all that seriously, but, recently, there is a general agreement that we have to start acting now. I believe this too.

Recycling has moved from 5% to 29% over the past 4 years, and the target is now 40%.
Edinburgh Labour will offer a FREE "eco-check" to all households covering energy, recycling, chemicals and water for every city home.

Recent reports say that, incredibly, after banning CFCs the Ozone layer is now recovering, although it will take 'fifty years' for a full recovery. By acting now we may be able to say something similar about climate change.

Leith - West to Leith

This is another snapshot of the new ward with key values highlighted and some policies from Edinburgh Labour's manifesto.

Seafield

I know that the smell from Seafield has been unpleasant for many years, but I'd like to start by noting the great work that the sewage works does. Seafield takes polluted, health-risking water and turns it into pellets useful for agriculture and water that is now clean and environmentally friendly. Time was when this would just be pumped into the Forth for nature to deal with.

This process, however, does produce an odour, and it is unpleasant to live with such a smell, especially in summer. (There was a sewage works half-a-mile from where I grew-up.)

Labour had originally passed a bill, intended mainly to sort the Seafield smell, a few years ago, but because the legal nature of Seafield it turned out was different from other similar plants, and this was discovered only during the process of trying to right it! (Ironically the other plants that benefited from this bill did have their odour problem solved.)

Now Sarah Boyack has identified available cash, after years of work by Susan Deacon, and has put the ball back into Scottish Water's court - it is now up to them to come to an agreement with Stirling Water and find a plan that will work. I realise that it has been a lot of hard work and frustration for many people, nonetheless a solution appears closer than ever before and I would certainly want to keep the momentum going.

Local Inome Tax - Video Response

The Liberal Democrats and the SNP are the only two parties proposing that local services be funded by a Local Income Tax. My views on the matter are recorded (slightly jerkily) below:

Family Values in Jessfield Terrace

The other day I was given a lift by a taxi driver who happened to be a neighbour of mine: he lived in Jessfield Terrace. We were talking about Edinburgh - I'm always keen to find out what people are thinking. He suggested that there is a lack of what he would call 'family values' in some areas of society. He pointed out some of the bad manners and even the intimidating atmosphere in some areas, especially at night. He felt there had been a definite decline in manners and behaviour.

Having a daily experience of young people and families in the area I know that families come in different shapes and sizes, and the values that my neighbour pointed out are not just values based on families but values for individuals and communitites too.

There is a problem with good manners and the behaviour of a few. So I believe we have to be strong on the issue of manners as it makes life much more pleasant for us all. Good manners comes from a generous heart - I think we have to look to encourage both in our community.

Re-starting an active Community?

On Wednesday night I attended a meeting set-up to try and re-start a Residents' Association in Lochend and Restalrig.

There were eight people in total and four were not actually members of the community. At the meeting we discussed the lack of interest: one man had delivered over 900 leaflets to whip-up interest in the meeting. It didn't appear to work. The people who were there had been members of the old Residents' Association that folded. It didn't feel like progress. So it appears people in the area aren't interested in their community?

I don't believe that people are interested...in 'meaningless meetings', as on person termed it. I believe they are interested in, as another said, 'successful results'. I agree: we need action to deal with community problems in Lochend and Restalrig, and all over Leith Ward in fact. It will always be my intention to listen, discuss and act on a problem, if I am elected.

Meetings are useful for identifying problems and outlining solutions, but unless there is action, we all lose interest. And the community loses most of all. I will do my best to ensure this does not happen.