The month of April included two weeks of council recess over Easter, so some of the Green councillors have enjoyed a welcome rest, while for others, work has continued.
We also had the sad news of the unexpected and sudden death of Labour councillor Val Walker, who was Convenor of the Culture and Communities Committee, and before she was elected had a long career in libraries.
As always, we look forward to catching up with some of you at the monthly member-councillor forum – all members are welcome to drop in and ask questions on any of the work we’ve highlighted here, or anything else that Green councillors have been up to.
Chas and Susan
Green group Co-Conveners
Councillor highlights from the month
Asked to pick one highlight from the month, our councillors chose:
Alex Staniforth
Alex has been working with Kayleigh and Chas on the group response to the Supreme Court decision on trans rights. As it was recess most of this month was focussed on casework for them.
Alys Mumford
Alys has been trying to get some council support for Porty Pride, to show our solidarity with the queer community, with some success so watch this space!
Ben Parker
Following his work in committee, Ben was pleased to see the council host an Accessible Housing Summit, bringing together colleagues from across Planning, Housing and Health and Social Care, as well as representatives from developers, private landlords, social landlords and disabled peoples organisations to discuss what more can be done locally to improve housing for disabled people in the city.
Chas Booth
Chas has been highlighting delays to Edinburgh’s walking, wheeling and cycling projects and pushing for action to get them back on track.
Claire Miller
Claire has been focused on reviewing and approving the council’s updated pay policy which should reduce pay errors but, importantly, will also ensure that the council treats workers more fairly if they are overpaid and need to pay back money in the future.
Dan Heap
Dan has lodged motions to end flypasts of aircraft as part of the Military Tattoo and other events, and also develop trial of public diners in Edinburgh, which would provide low cost meals, including vegan options to the public.
Jule Bandel
Jule is unwell and taking time off from council duties.
Kayleigh O’Neill
Kayleigh’s motion to Transport & Environment Committee passed which called for free bus travel for carers/companions of young people under 22. The next step is to determine whether or not the Scottish Governement will fund or part fund the scheme which will help young people who struggle to travel independently.
Steve Burgess
At Education Committee, Steve secured backing for a new strategy for Gaelic education and for pressing the Scottish Government on a potential site for a Gaelic High School.
Susan Rae
Susan has been busy with complex casework relating to renovation works taking place across the council’s high-rise estate. As the only councillor living in a council high-rise flat undergoing works currently, Susan has seen first-hand the shocking standard of works carried out across the board.
Committee updates
Committee updates and other things to look out for in the coming month.
Housing, Homelessness & Fair Work
The council is continuing to face extreme pressures in homelessness, with high percentages of people presenting as homeless to the local authority being turned away without provision of any temporary accommodation. The next iteration of the Housing Emergency Action Plan will be presented to the committee in June for consideration.
Transport & Environment
A chunky report on Holyrood Park is coming back to TEC after strong campaigning from Cllrs Burgess and O’Neill.
Health & Social Care
The budget cuts challenges continue. While we managed to find some solutions to the issues impacting the third sector, there are still big concerns about how we award contracts for health and social care, so that is the next focus.