COMMUNITY NEWS
- sillertonhill
- Sep 4
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
15 Oct: City of Edinburgh Council's Community Wealth Building (CWB) Plan, May 2025
This is an ambitious but promising initiative to boost local enterprise, local jobs growth, local incomes and local opportunities, building and retaining community wealth and community assets. It's an idea that works, as examples from elsewhere in the UK and overseas demonstrate.
The idea is in its very early stages in Edinburgh. Take a look and tell us what you think. Here is a link:
and another
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8 Sep: E Citizen News - Cllr. Pauline Flannery
Community Grants Fund. The CGF is a small grants scheme provided by the City of Edinburgh Council as part of the Council’s commitment to support grassroots initiatives. Southside Newington-based voluntary organisations, community groups or parent councils are invited to apply to the Community Grants Fund (CGF) for grants of up to £5000. The deadline for applications is midnight on Tuesday 30 September 2025. To apply use the online application form: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/cgfapply
Local Place Plan, shaping the City Plan 2040. There is still time for community groups to produce Local Place Plans which will be taken into account in preparation for the City Plan 2040. These will be considered up to June 2026.
Why should you engage? The opportunity to produce a Local Place Plan to put the local on the map. Groups can contact the Council via cityplan2040@edinburgh.gov.uk for an informal chat. Here is a link to more information. Local Place Plan – The City of Edinburgh Council
Astley Ainslie Local Place Plan. The Astley Ainslie Community Trust is drawing up a plan for the Astley Ainslie site and is seeking input and ideas from local residents. The current City Plan 2030 envisages up to 500 homes could be built there. The intention is to submit a Local Place plan to the Council to form part of the next city development plan 2040. The Trust is hosting an event at the Eric Liddell Centre on Saturday 27 September 10.00am till 4.00pm for residents to drop in and share their views about the site and the plan. More information about AACT is available here https://www.aact.scot/
Smartening up Ward 15, Southside / Newington.
Under the 'Pride in our City' initiative, the Council's Waste and Cleansing Division is deploying specialist teams to smarten up Edinburgh's neighbourhoods, tackling dog fouling, dumped items, graffiti and chewing gum. This is to be done ward by ward. Southside Newington, Ward 15, is expected to get its make-over later in the year, 2025. Meanwhile, to report litter, fly tipping or overflowing bins use: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/litter
Consultations: Trams from Granton to Edinburgh Bio Quarter and Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Beyond, closes 17 November 2025.
Grange Cemetery Open Doors Weekend, Grange Road, EH9 1TT, September 27 & 28
Committee Round-Up, August 2025:
Housing, Homelessness & Fair Work, 12 August - Allocations Policy Suspension Update & Costed Plan to Meet Homelessness demand.
Culture & Communities, 21 August - Firework Control Zones - Physical Activity and Sports Strategy for Edinburgh 2024 – 2034
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6 Jul: E Citizen News - Cllr. Pauline Flannery
Consultations B1 The Avenue Stores, Blackford Road, Oswald Court, Sylvan Place, Waverley Feu, Fountainhall Road, St Alban’s Road and Mayfield Road are just some of the areas in southern Southside/Newington which are misfits within the proposed CPZ parking. They house independent, local businesses and housing developments. While the consultation and post consultation period does not permit any modifications to design at these stages, comments and objections will have to be addressed and a report submitted to the Traffic Regulation Orders Sub Committee later in the year. For many it is an agonising wait. Details of TRO/24/01 are available here https://consultation.appyway.com/edinburgh-city/order/16de46f4-6d46-4936-b11a-9d2fa52b3b10
The Major Junction Review (MJR) which featured 40 priority sites across the city, 5 in Southside Newington, will now be subsumed into Active Travel Routes for development. Two, however, in the Southern area are to be paused: Potter Row to the Meadows & Marchmont to Blackford. The hazardous junction at Kilgraston Road/Whitehouse Terrace is now part of this. The benefits for development were described as ‘modest.’ Yet the junction serves two nurseries, two primaries and the High School, a university shuttle bus service and the No 9 to King’s Buildings. Frustratingly, calls for a site visit to this junction have been side-lined.
The City of Edinburgh Council Holiday Hubs announces a new set of criteria for access to the school holiday provision for children and young people currently in P1 – S6 with Additional Support Needs. This will apply to applications for the academic session 2025/26. Those with the most need will be allocated up to 4 weeks provision across the October and February break, the Easter and Summer holidays. Details of the new criteria and how to apply can be found at https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/support-pupils/additional-support-learning-1/2
Schools Out to our wonderful pupils, staff, support, admin and health & safety estate Teams a well-deserved break to you for the Summer. And for the many Seasonal Fairs at Prestonfield, Sciennes, Preston Street, James Gillespie Schools, and for the many fund-raisers and hard-working Parent Councils in all our vibrant Southside Newington Schools – Thank you!
Visitor Levy Advisory Forum
Newly appointed Chair, Julie Ashworth, has selected 12 Edinburgh individuals to form the city's first Visitor Levy Advisory Forum, bringing experience from the third sector to academia, the hotels industry to local communities. It is expected that the Forum will meet at least twice a year. They will advise councillors as they agree final details of how the proceeds of the scheme will be invested before it launches next summer. Further details on the responsibilities and personnel can be found at Visitor Levy Advisory Forum forms in Edinburgh – The City of Edinburgh Council
The Meadows Toilet Update
The following works are scheduled in the coming weeks: installation of on-site signage and the information board, connecting main path to boardwalk, placement of furniture, including benches, bike racks and a bin and handover to Facilities Management to support day-to-day operations. There have been unexpected delays with the installation of an electric meter to power up the unit. The meter installation is due to be installed on 25 July, and the Council is planning to open the unit as soon as possible following this. More details of the new toilets is available here https://www.thrivinggreenspaces.scot/news/article/31/exciting-progress-on-the-public-toilets-for-the-meadows-leith-links-and-inverleith-park
Council Committee Reports, June
Culture & Communities, 5 June
Education Children’s and Families, 10 June
Housing, Homeless and Fair Work, 13 June
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