JUNE 2024 MEETING - Summary

26 June Meeting: (Cllr. Pauline Flannery in attendance)

Dalkeith Road Bin Hubs: Ongoing local resident concern as hub sites are moved off Dalkeith Road into side streets and as real issues become apparent on inadequate bin capacities, missed collections and the seeming unwillingness of the Council to take a fresh practical take on what has been a desktop-planned exercise. Resident comments and queries (before any ‘complaints’) seem to get nowhere.

Contact Cllr. Flannery at Cllr.Pauline.Flannery@edinburgh.gov.uk . Provide her with pictures of overflows. Get in touch with the Waste and Cleansing Service at: Contact the Waste and Cleansing service – The City of Edinburgh Council

Community Grant Awards: The second round is underway with a closing date of 26 August for Southside and Newington. The Community Grants Fund (CGF) is a small grants scheme provided by the Council. Small grants of up to £5,000 can be awarded to constituted groups for local community activity. Find out more here: Community Grants Fund – The City of Edinburgh Council.

Police Reporting: Regular in-person reports to the community council are hard to come by. There is no question about police endeavour but the South-East Division is currently stretched. Whats App Group and Neighbourhood Watch links are a first line of neighbourhood defence against miscreants. Tighten-up here if you can.

Newington Cemetery: Work on the damaged wall repair is progressing, albeit slowly. Volunteer work on paths and planters within the grounds continues as ever.

Community Council Elections: We might expect these now in late Autumn after an amended framework has been agreed on how community councils are run and how they can be (much) better supported by the Council. Senior Elected Councillors paid tribute to the important role played by community councils at a 27 June Special Council meeting. However, most are in serious need of new members (individuals or local interest groups). Without the active involvement of local residents with whom they look to work, community councils wither. You have to back them, or lose them.