Blog no longer in use – please visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk

With the launch of the Council’s new website in September, this blog is no longer in use. Please visit our site at www.edinburgh.gov.uk.

If you are looking for school closures or other information relating to bad weather, please see www.edinburgh.gov.uk/severeweather

The following report will be available at the usual committee papers page on the council’s website soon.

In the mean time access though the following link:

Severe Weather – Interim Report – 18jan11 v2.0

Talking about cities: new Edinburgh Lectures series launches

The Edinburgh Lectures 2010/11 series will be launched at the Usher Hall tomorrow by Councillor Deidre Brock, Culture and Leisure Convenor and Andrew Dixon, CEO of Creative Scotland.

Andrew Dixon, CEO of Creative Scotland

Entitled ‘Talking Cities’, the 19th annual lecture programme will feature thought-provoking and illuminating sessions about everything to do with cities: their role in society; their potential for the future; their relationship to the rural sphere; how their design influences their identity; how they are presented in literature and the arts and how they can be a force for societal and economic development through their creative industries and architecture.

Calling all dog lovers!

Dog-loving amateur photographers can fetch an exciting prize by entering our new City Art Centre competition.

Baxter plays the piano in the Conductor's Suite at the Usher Hall. Pic courtesy of The Scotsman Publications Ltd

This competition is being run in conjunction with the William Wegman: Family Combinations exhibition currently on show at the City Art Centre, which features witty and captivating images of the photographer’s family of Weimaraners.

Edinburgh voted favourite UK city in the Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards

Edinburgh has been voted favourite UK city in the prestigious Conde Nast Readers’ Travel Awards 2010.

Scotland’s Inspiring Capital scooped the top spot with high scores across the board particularly for aesthetics/architecture (93.72) and user-friendliness (90.46).

Having come second in the same awards in 2009 with a total score of 90.88, the city took top spot this year with a total of 91.76. Readers were asked to score each city out of a maximum of 100 according to criteria such as service, culture and value for money.

Preferred candidate selected for Council chief executive

Sue Bruce

The City of Edinburgh Council has offered the post of Chief Executive to Sue Bruce following the conclusion of short-list interviews by the recruitment committee today (2 September 2010). The appointment still has to be ratified by the Council at its meeting on 16 September.
 
Council Leader Cllr Jenny Dawe said: “It is essential that we have the right calibre of Chief Executive for what is a difficult, but rewarding, role at the best of times. We have had a strong field and a rigorous recruitment process. Sue has emerged from that as our preferred candidate and I am confident that her outstanding knowledge, experience and leadership will be a real asset to the Council as we deal with the budgetary and other challenges we face.”

New council website promises major savings and better service

New design, structure and content for Council website
Costs of new site met from efficiencies, and more savings expected
Intended launch date confirmed for 15 September

The City of Edinburgh Council is to make major savings following the launch of its new website. Scheduled to go live on 15 September, the site at www.edinburgh.gov.uk will also provide much easier ways for users to make payments, request information and ask for help.

While there is a one-off cost of £210,000 for creating the new website, there will be significantly lower annual costs for software licensing, support and hosting compared to previous systems. As well as a new website and intranet for the Council specifically, the new system also provides a ‘platform’ for around 200 other websites that the Council is involved in supporting. Initial savings will be around £190,000 per year with the potential for a further £100,000 annually as these other websites are moved.

Council Finance Convenor Cllr Phil Wheeler welcomed the development: “This is going to be real progress for the Council and improve markedly the experience that people have of using our website. Having seen how the site is progressing I’m confident that users will see a modern design that really works and helps them to do quickly and efficiently what they came for. The fact that we are saving money at the same time as improving what we do is exactly what we are trying to achieve in dealing with the challenges of the current budget situation.”

Papal visit to Edinburgh (16 September) – public information and advice

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI will arrive in Edinburgh on 16 September 2010 at the start of the first ever Papal state visit to the UK. Please see our Papal Visit pages for information and advice.

If you want to direct other people to these pages, you can use the following link: www.edinburgh.gov.uk/papalvisit

Appeal launched to fund clean water for Pakistan flood survivors

As flood waters continue to rage in Pakistan, Edinburgh today (30 August) launched an urgent appeal to raise funds for the millions affected by the disaster.

The Edinburgh Disaster Response Committee is calling on people to donate via Edinburgh based relief agency Mercy Corps, to help the people of Pakistan recover from the floods.

Mercy Corps has been operating in Pakistan since 1986, in many of the communities hardest-hit by this year’s floods. The charity is providing emergency aid on the ground now, in the form of health clinics and distribution of food, water and clean-up equipment, but is also looking ahead to the long term needs of affected communities.

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost George Grubb, who chairs the Edinburgh Disasters Response Committee, said: “I’m pleased to have seen fast action from the British Government and aid agencies to deal with the immediate impact of this disaster. I would ask the people of Edinburgh to give everything they can to support Mercy Corps’ efforts to provide assistance to communities beginning the long process of recovery. It will make a real difference to the lives of thousands of families in Pakistan.

“The capital has a long and proud tradition of reaching out to those in less fortunate circumstances, and I hope we will see that compassion and generosity in action as a response to this appeal.”

John Cunningham of Mercy Corps said:  “Access to clean water is critical to prevent potentially lethal water-borne diseases like cholera spreading, particularly in areas overcrowded with those made homeless by the flood waters. If untreated, cholera can kill a child in less than 24 hours. The floods have had a huge impact on the whole of Pakistan, and there’s a real risk that water-borne disease could take hold and make this tragedy even worse as the months go on.

“Immediate emergency aid is crucial, but it is just as important to make sure that people have access to clean water supply once the flood waters recede and the recovery and rebuild effort begins. With the help and generosity of the people of Edinburgh, we will build 50 lasting, sustainable water sources that will benefit more than 50,000 people in Pakistan. It will have a real impact that will still be felt for years to come, and will be one that the people of the Capital can be extremely proud of.”

How you can help:

The Edinburgh Disasters Response Committee is calling on people in the city to donate to the appeal through Scottish aid charity Mercy Corps, at www.mercycorps.org.uk  or by calling 0845 245 0686 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

 

 

Award-winning prison library receives £5,000 cheque

 

 

 

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill with City of Edinburgh Councillors, Ron Cairns and Paul Edie, and HMP Saughton Governor Nigel Ironside.

The pioneering library at HMP Saughton in Edinburgh has been given £5,000 for winning a prestigious award in recognition for the life-changing impact on inmates.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill and Prison Governor Nigel Ironside received the money from the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Cilips) for coming first in the Libraries Change Lives Award.

Saughton Prison Library and its City of Edinburgh Council Librarian – Kate King – have tirelessly worked to reduce re-offending by tackling the issue of low literacy levels amongst the prison population.

The work is aimed at encouraging prisoners to engage with the library and aims to give them the skills to improve their chances of employment on release, and contribute to reducing re-offending levels. The librarian has also worked with their families to improve family literacy.

The award money will be used to further this work, improve communications with prisoners and open up more channels of access to the library and its resources.

The cheque was handed over at a special event in the library this week.

Additional information:

Opened in a purpose-built extension in November 2008, less than two years later Saughton Prison Library has become the only library in Scotland with a waiting list, welcoming more than 12,500 prisoners through the doors in its first year alone.

Furthermore, damage done to library books has reduced significantly from 80 per cent to zero since the new library opened, demonstrating the new-found value the prisoners have for their library.

The library’s mission is to offer a service which addresses social inclusion issues amongst the prison population and provides support opportunities for education and employment, thereby improving the transition from prison to outside community life. 

Statement on High Court child abuse case – 25/08/2010

Cllr Marilyne MacLaren has released the following statement about today’s child abuse case at the High Court involving children known to the Council’s social work service.  We cannot be specific in our details of the case because of the risk of identifying children involved but we want to make some important points clear.

City Children & Families Leader Cllr Marilyne MacLaren said:

 

“This was a terrible case and we are pleased that it has resulted in a conviction. It’s a tragedy when any child has to endure fear and abuse inflicted by an adult. It’s our job to get in and tackle these situations quickly and that’s exactly what we did with this case. 

 

“We have strong, tried and tested procedures in place to help us identify where children are at risk. There had been contact with this family about other matters but there was never any indication or evidence of physical abuse before the weekend in question (when abuse took place). 

 

“A social worker had previously arranged to visit the house on the Monday (2nd March) in connection with other family support matters and quickly picked up indications that the children may have been harmed.  

“Because of the quick thinking of our social work team, the children were immediately taken out of the very dangerous situation they were in. It is the view of our social work professionals that if they hadn’t intervened when they did, the situation could have become much worse.

 

“Social Work staff continue to work with the young people affected by this and any specialist support they need will continue.”

Edinburgh raises the green flag

Parks across Edinburgh have been celebrating their achievement of  green flag status. The awards were announced at the end of July, and Edinburgh was awarded an additional eight flags, taking its total to 13 – which is half of the total number of green flags in Scotland.

Figgate Park

The Green Flag scheme recognises and rewards the best parks and green spaces in Britain. It  highlights parks with particularly high environmental standards, facilities and community involvement.

Friends of Easter Craiglockhart raise the green flag

The eight new flags were awarded to  Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park, Corstorphine Hill, Craigmillar Castle Park, Figgate Park, Inverleith Park, London Road Gardens,  Portobello Community Garden and  Station Road Park in South Queensferry.

Portobello Community Garden

These parks join previous green flag holders, Pentland Regional Park, Harrison Park, Braidburn Valley Park, Hopetoun Crescent Garden and Easter Craiglockhart Hill in being awarded the impressive  accolade.

Friends of Corstorphine Hill raise the green flag

 The Friends of Corstorphine Hill were also awarded a Green Pennant Community Award.

Staff at Craigmillar Castle Park with their green flag

Residents urged to register vote for by-election

Voters in the Liberton and Gilmerton ward in Edinburgh have until 25 August to register to vote or apply for a postal vote for the by-election on 9 September. A vacancy has been created by the resignation of Cllr Ian Murray who was elected to the UK Parliament in May.

To register to vote or apply for a postal vote people should contact The Electoral Registration Office on 0131 344 2500 or by visiting www.lothian-vjb.gov.uk.

The polling stations, which will be open from 7am to 10pm, will be:

· St John Vianney RC Primary School, Ivanhoe Crescent

· St Gregory’s Church Hall, Bellenden Gardens

· Liberton Kirk Halls, 30 Kirkgate

· TA Centre, 126A Alnwickhill Road

· Gracemount Leisure Centre, 22 Gracemount Drive

· Liberton Northfield Church Hall, 280(A) Gilmerton Road

· Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre, Moredunvale Place.

· Valley Park Community Centre, 37 Southhouse Road

· Gilmerton Community Centre, 4 Drum Street

The election will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system where voters rank candidates in order of preference rather than using a cross. Voters can give a rank to as many or as few candidates as they like.

The results of the by-election will be announced on 10th September.

Council responds to campaign’s class sizes claim

The following letter was issued to the Edinburgh Evening News in response to claims by the ‘Kids not Suits’ campaign that the Council has allowed class sizes in Edinburgh to rise.  City Education Leader Cllr Marilyne MacLaren points out that the Council has lobbied extensively for the Government to bring in a legal cap to prevent classes from growing beyond 25.

Sir,

 

While I understand some of the concerns that Peter Gregson (Kids not Suits) has about class sizes, I feel that I must make it clear that we have no powers, as yet, to keep P1 class numbers down to 25 at Roseburn Primary or at any other school. 

 

Mr Gregson seems to take aim at the Council, accusing us of allowing class sizes to rise. This is simply not the case.

 

I have been lobbying the Scottish Government for some time to get a legal limit in place and we are assured that legislation will be brought forward soon. Until then, the limit must be 30 because, if we try to keep it at 25 without a legal backstop, parents can appeal and classes can grow beyond 30 pupils. 

 

City Education Leader Cllr Marilyne MacLaren.

City Art Centre reopens

Edinburgh’s beloved City Art Centre on Market Street is back in business after a 15-month refurbishment.

The gallery was formally reopened by Councillor Deidre Brock, Convenor of the Culture & Leisure Committee.

During the refurbishment, the City Art Centre’s very popular gift shop was relocated from the first to the ground floor, while visitor facilities were further enhanced with a new reception area, cloakroom and improved toilets. A major part of the refurbishment was to install air conditioning throughhout the building – essential both for visitors’ comfort and to conserve the artworks.

The event also saw the City Art Centre’s summer exhibitions go on display as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival.

Works by world-renowned US photographers Edward Weston and William Wegman are on show, along with a selection of images from the City’s own art collection, entitled In Our Own Image.

The exhibitions will be on display until 24 October 2010.

For more information, visit the new www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk website.

Caring for dementia as new building officially opens

Cllr Norman Work, Vice Convener for Health and Social Care in Edinburgh, cuts the ribbon at the official opening

A brand new building to help those with dementia has been officially opened in the Capital.

The Seagrove Centre, run by North Edinburgh Dementia Care, was officially opened on August 6.

More than 100 people use the service every week. Read more

Updated – Council statement on the Riggi family

Update

In the interests of clarity, we would like to add that there was no court order for child protection measures, rather an order to assess the situation once the family were located by Messengers at Arms (representing court).  Beyond that - as is standard practice - an application could have been made to the Sheriff by the Council relating to the protection of the children.

Council statement on the Riggi family

Yesterday we saw a tragic incident unfold in the Slateford area of the City.  Our thoughts are with those affected but it is important to provide some details surrounding the situation from the Council’s perspective.

 

Prior to yesterday we had no knowledge of the Riggi family or of their presence in Edinburgh. We received a phonecall yesterday afternoon from lawyers regarding the court proceedings involving the family. The court’s ruling was then faxed through to us at 15:05. In this fax we were asked to assist with the family’s situation if and when they were found by the Messenger at Arms (representing the court).   

 

It is also important to make clear that there was no social work case involving the family while they were in Aberdeenshire. Therefore there was no case to handover. The only point from which we as an authority would have become involved was from yesterday after we received notification from the court. 

 

The Police notified us of the incident at Slateford Road at 15:00 on Wednesday. 

Exam results are in – Edinburgh maintains good progress

The wait for exam results is over and the early indications are that candidates have performed well in 2010 and that Edinburgh’s overall good performance has been maintained.

Year round assessment contributes to results

While candidates have been on the emotional rollercoaster waiting for results, the Council’s schools staff have been busy number crunching to work out how the city has performed as a whole.

Highlights include:

* Performance in Highers has continued to improve in S5 and S6
* Numbers of presentations and passes have increased in Advanced Highers
* 92% of candidates sitting English and Mathematics at S-Grade achieved SQA level 3 or better
* Good performance in the first year of Baccalaureate and Interdisciplinary Projects

Further Caltongate reaction from Councillor Buchanan

“We are extremely disappointed that, despite lengthy negotiations, the administrator was unable to conclude a deal with a suitable buyer for the site. This Administration remains adamant that it will not allow Edinburgh to return to the times of the 1970s and 80s when the city was littered with unsightly gap sites.

“This does, however, present us with an opportunity to re-examine the Council’s own assets, such as the old Canongate school and the arches on East Market Street. We will now enter into dialogue with a range of potential developers with a view to finding an imaginative solution that brings the area back into productive use  – while, of course, remaining sympathetic to the needs of local residents.”

Council leader welcomes opportunity of Papal visit to Edinburgh, 16 September

Comment by Councillor Jenny Dawe, Leader of the Council:

“This is a superb opportunity for Edinburgh to be seen on the world stage and to showcase the city as an excellent host of major events. While many people overseas already appreciate Edinburgh’s qualities as a place in which to work, study and holiday, I hope that some of the millions watching the Pope’s arrival in the UK are encouraged to come and see our city for themselves. It is undoubtedly a significant visit and I’m sure that the city will, as usual, rise to the occasion.

“There is a significant amount of work to be done in preparing for managing the Pope’s visit and it will of course be essential to ensure that any costs borne by the city are recovered from our partners or kept to minimum levels.”

For more background please see the report to the Council’s Policy and Strategy committee yesterday.

You can also view the Papal Visit tab above for links to external sites giving more information about the visit, which we will also be updating with details relevant to the Council’s responsibilities.