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Councillor report

Green councillors report April 2019

Policy and ward work highlights from the Edinburgh Green councillors

Policy work

Steve Burgess hosted a political table at Transition Edinburgh’s Climate Emergency event at the City Chambers. He also met with Edinburgh Sustainable Development Partnership to discuss how the Climate Emergency can taken forward most be effectively at a city-wide level.

As part of her role as Education lead Mary Campbell continued working with parent councils, councillors and school leadership teams in Westerhailes on the best next steps for Westerhailes Education Centre, who are looking at improving their building, their links with local Primary Schools, and rebranding with a new name and logo.

Gavin Corbett argued successfully on Licensing Sub Committee for the much loved Meadows festival to have a lower licence fee applied which otherwise would have put the event at risk.

Claire published a video explaining why it’s so important that the Greens have won backing for a dedicated Empty Homes Officer to be employed by the council, bringing empty homes back into use across the city.

In Planning, Alex Staniforth argued for a hearing on the Boatel application at Fountainbridge but was outvoted.

Melanie Main is working in Council on a ‘Sat Nav says No’ programme for commercial lorries on residential streets with Roads Officers, and on establishing a measure of ‘Environmental capacity’ for residential streets.

Ward Work

In Craigentinny and Duddingston, Alex Staniforth has been arranging for Edible Edinburgh to meet with the locality manager with a view to starting growing projects in the ward.

In Portobello/Craigmillar, Mary Campbell has been meeting with residents who formed a Bingham Tunnel Action group, to discuss improvements needed to a key pedestrian and cycle tunnel linking Bingham with Niddrie. She has asked council officers for improvements to the netting, lighting and cleaning in the tunnel, to improve the space before residents create a community mural that will cover the walls.

In Fountainbridge-Craiglockhart, Gavin Corbett was delighted that a bid for funding for development of a community garden and other greenspace improvements in the Hutchison area was successful; and he also attended the opening of the fantastic Castle Mill Works at Fountainbridge, restoring what is left of the old rubber factory on the site.

In the City Centre ward, Claire Miller hosted an event on over-tourism with a screening of the documentary ‘Crowded Out: The Story of Overtourism’ followed by facilitated discussions by the Edinburgh Active Citizenship Group.

In Southside-Newington ward, Steve Burgess has been actively supporting Sciennes primary school and parents in their bid to close the road in front of the school to vehicle traffic extend the playground to provide much needed space for pupils.

In Morningside, Melanie Main continues to work on helping residents to reclaim their streets, with a new proposal for Braid Crescent which will close the street to vehicle access from the main road. She has also acquired her very own graffiti removal kit, and is helping volunteers tackle graffiti across the ward.