MORE YORK PLACE DISRUPTION – BE PREPARED
A temporary road closure will be in place next week from 9 am on Tuesday 12 April to 5 am on Wednesday 13 April.
‘Surfacing and lining work’ means eastbound lanes at York Place and Broughton Street will close completely, in addition to existing closure of westbound lanes. Traffic will not be able to exit Broughton Street by turning left onto Picardy Place.
Clearly signposted diversions will be via Abercromby Street, Albany Street and East London Street and/or London Road, Regent Road and South St David Street.
STAFFORD CENTRE SEEKS VOLUNTEERS
The Stafford Centre, on Broughton Street, is looking for two new volunteers in its work with people living in the Edinburgh area who experience mental-health difficulties.
Managed by Support in Mind Scotland, the aim of this local resource is to help people manage their mental health, gain greater self-confidence and become more integrated within the community.
There are two roles needing filled.
COCKBURN ISSUES 'MANIFESTO FOR THE CITY'
The Cockburn Association, Edinburgh’s oldest heritage watchdog, has launched a Manifesto for the City in advance of next month’s Local Government Elections. You can read it in full HERE.
The 4-page document stresses a need to rebuild trust between citizens and elected representatives.
It calls for:
DEMANDS FOR SAFER ELM ROW DESIGN
In a deputation to the Transport & Environment Cmte last week, the Community Councils Together for Trams Group (CCTTG) raised safety issues about the design of future public realm in Elm Row (east side, London Rd–Montgomery St) for pedestrians and cyclists.*
CCTTG (represented on Thursday by Leith Central Community Council’s Harald Tobermann and New Town & Broughton CC’s Mike Birch) describes itself as a critical friend of the Tram Project.
Wards 11 and 12 – spoilt for choice?
Dear Spurtle,
I note that the two areas with the most candidates for the upcoming Local Government Election are Wards 11 (City Centre, 13) and 12 (Leith Walk, 12). What does this say about these two polities?
It has been suggested that the number of candidates reflects the politically sensitising effect of active and well-run community councils, the number and seriousness of issues facing constituents, and a hyperlocal press alerting voters to where these problems are being discussed.
As a local resident, I sincerely hope that this will also translate into a record turnout, electing high-quality, active, independent-minded, locally focused and constructive councillors. And that the political parties have done a better job than they did in 2017 in weeding out unproductive, aggressive, sinecure-seeking candidates before they get onto the ballot paper.
Harald Tobermann
Pilrig Street
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EXPERT PROBES LEGAL ANOMALY
COULD FAG END OF FEUDALISM BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO AULD ALLIANCES?
When the United Kingdom exited the European Union on 31 January 2020, many Scots who had voted in the Referendum to remain thought the advantages of EU membership had gone forever.
Now, however, new scholarship suggests the truth for a very few Edinburgh residents may be more nuanced.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS – FULL LIST OF LOCAL CANDIDATES
Edinburgh Council has published the final list of candidates standing in the Local Government Elections on 5 May.
For Spurtleshire, they are as follows.
Ward 5 - Inverleith
Scottish Green Party - BANDEL, Jule
Scottish Conservative and Unionist - HERRING, Stuart
Scottish Family Party: Pro-Family, Pro-Marriage, Pro-Life - HOLDEN, Phil
Scottish Libertarian Party - LAIRD, Tam
Independent - MCNAMARA, Stephen
Scottish Conservative and Unionist - MITCHELL, Max