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Plus ça change, plus ce n'est pas la même chose

Dear Spurtle,

The abruptly cancelled August Leith Central Community Council meeting was to have included a presentation and Q&A on Drum’s latest proposal for Stead's Place - a key part of the pre-application process enshrined in planning legislation.

In an update to your report on that cancellation, you quote an unnamed Council spokesperson claiming Council advice has not changed.

I invite your readers to judge for themselves.

On 6 July 2020, CEC advised:

These changes can be interpreted as giving more leeway should community councils wish to re-start physical meetings. There is no requirement to hold physical meetings during this phase. However, we do wish to give you the option.

On 5 August 2020, CEC advised:

It is our strongly recommended position that all Edinburgh’s community councils also continue to meet remotely during this period. We believe that this in the interest of safety and public health.

Arguably, at least the form of words has changed. Given that the August advice came with the authority of the body charged with public-health responsibilities for Edinburgh, and was signed by the Chief Executive Andrew Kerr, there is really only one interpretation of its meaning.

On 7 August we asked for the reasons that caused the change in CEC guidance. It is regrettable that to date we have not received a response.

Yours sincerely

Harald Tobermann

Vice Chair

Leith Central Community Council

 

YORK PLACE CLOSING WESTBOUND TILL 11 OCTOBER

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COUNCIL URGES RESIDENTS TO LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

York Place (Conan Doyle–Elder Street) will close to westbound traffic for eight weeks from Monday.

Diversions will be put in place via Broughton Street and the New Town.

The closure is required while Laing O’Rourke carry out new footway, cycleway, and drainage works as part of the Edinburgh St James project. They plan to complete by 11 October.

NEWS FROM THE MEWS 43

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1899

TO-DAY’S POLICE NEWS.

EDINBURGH CITY—Before SHERIFF MACONOCHIE

TWENTY-FOUR HOURS’ CRIME.

There were 30 new prisoners brought to the bar. The charges were: Incapable; 12, assault, 5; disorderly, 4; loitering, begging, and theft, 5 each; and drunk in charge of horse, drunk in charge of child, and cruelty to children—one each.

COUNCIL CHANGE OF ADVICE SCUPPERS STEAD'S PLACE CONSULTATION

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An abrupt change of advice from City of Edinburgh Council means Leith Central Community Council’s meeting on 17 August has been cancelled.

The event – the first ‘properly constituted’ meeting of its kind since March – was to have been held in the Out of the Blue Drill Hall under strict social-distancing arrangements.

It was planned on the basis of Council advice issued on 6 July saying physical meetings were now possible under Scottish Government guidelines.

FUNDING WORKSHOP FOR LOCAL GOOD CAUSES

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A Zoom workshop to help local charities, volunteer organisations, and community projects access funds from the People’s Postcode Lottery takes place tomorrow at 10.00am.

The session is free, and is open to groups based in the Edinburgh North & Leith constituency.

Katherine Sellar is the PPL’s Community Programmes Advisor. She says, ‘The money raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery is making a huge difference in communities across the country.

NEWS FROM THE MEWS 42

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1898

SENSATIONAL AFFAIR AT STOCKBRIDGE.—A considerable sensation was caused in Church Lane, Stockbridge, Edinburgh, yesterday afternoon, in connection with the attempted execution of a sanitary inspector’s warrant for the examination of a dwelling house there.[1]

NEWS FROM THE MEWS 41

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July–September 1897

AN UMBRELLA IN A FOOTBALL DISPUTE.

In Edinburgh Police Court this forenoon—Sheriff Orphoot presiding—James Tocher, engineer, 5 North East Cumberland Street Lane, pleaded guilty to assaulting a man named Donaldson on the 20th inst., on the stair leading to Marshall Street Hall, by striking him on the mouth with an umbrella.

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