Hilary Benn To Discuss Climate Change In Leith

Mark Lazarowicz, MP for Leith, has been circulating the letter below to advertise a 'Question and Answer Session' with senior Westminster MP Hilary Benn. Greener Leith understands that this meeting is open to the public so we reproduce it here so that you can attend if you wish. We will try to get someone to go, so if you have any questions you'd like us to put to Hilary Benn on your  behalf, please let us know in the comments section at the foot of this post.

  On Wednesday 10 September, the UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Hilary Benn MP, will be visiting Edinburgh. At my request, he has agreed to take part in a "Question & Answer" session for members of the public interested in these issues. I am writing to invite you to come along to this meeting.
  
  This will be an opportunity to meet with raise your concerns directly with a senior member of the UK government. Hilary Benn's department is the lead UK government department on Climate Change, including the pioneering UK Climate Change Bill currently going through Parliament. Other issues the department has responsibility for at UK level include the Marine Bill, food and agriculture, recycling and waste, and fuel poverty.
  
  The department also represents the UK at European and international level on environment and climate change issues. Hilary Benn led the recent UK delegation to the international negotiations on a successor to the Kyoto treaty on tackling climate change.
  
  This Question & Answer meeting will be held at Pilrig Church, at 6 pm, on Wednesday 10th September. Pilrig Church is at the junction of Pilrig Street and Leith Walk.
  
  I realise this is quite short notice, but details of the event were only confirmed this week. I hope you will be able to come along if you would like to come, please book a place either by sending an email to my office, to doranka@parliament.uk.

Pilrig Park Plagued By Litter And Vandals

The Pilrig Park Berry Hedge that was planted this spring by Greener Leith volunteers is going strong, and passers by have been able to enjoy the literal fruits of our labours recently, with the Raspberry canes fruiting already. We think about 95% of the individual plants we put in are now established. The hedge had managed to survive all summer without suffering serious vandalism, so we're sorry to report that three of the four apple trees we planted were broken in half last week. We did keep some money back to restock the hedge, as we thought this might happen, so it is not a disaster. It is just somewhat depressing to see mindless vandals do this in the park.

Broken Tree on Pilrig Park

There has been an increase in the amount of outdoor drinking going on in Pilrig Park this summer. This in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the people involved seem to leave their cans, and broken bottles all over the park. Whilst the police have been asked to try to keep an eye on things, we note that one local resident has been taking things into her own hands by leaving these remarkably polite notices attached to benches. We hope that the people enjoying a wee summer drink will take heed of the locals who do care about the park, and we praise the provider of the polite notices.

Volunteers try to encourage drinkers to tidy up after themselves

Friends of Lochend Park Meeting

Friends of Lochend Park are holding their first public meeting tonight at 7.30pm, at the St Ninians Church Hall, on the Marionville Rd Roundabout. If you're keen to see improvements to this park then go along.

You Lose Some, You Win Some

Despite the effort we put into it, the Forth Ports Outline Planning Application for Leith Docks sailed through the planning committee last Wednesday, as predicted. We were primarily concerned to raise the issue of green space, or the lack of it, in the Forth Ports proposals. However, due to the fact that we ended up with less than 2 minutes to address the planning committee, we left somewhat frustrated.

To their credit, both Cllr Munn and Cllr Thomas, our local councillors on the planning committee, did raise the issue of whether developers of the docks should pay money to upgrade Leith Links. As we understand things (and we may be wrong) developers did not end up being required to do this, although they will need to pay a considerable sum towards other things, like the tram line. This rules out a significant source of funding for future improvements to Leith Links, and will make it harder to take action on the outcomes of the Leith Links Ask. The application will now be referred to the Scottish Government for consideration, but we doubt that it'll meet many problems there. 

On a more positive note, Greener Leith did manage to have some positive influence over the final report on the Bonnington and Steads Place/Jane Street Development briefs. We did manage to keep the inclusion of the railway embankment green space to the South of Jane Street as an option, and to encourage the use of an access ramp from Leith Walk, rather than steps up to it. Although it's a great space in its own right, this green space would be the western access to any Leith Walk Green Bridge, so we felt it was at least important to preserve the space in the development brief.  Although the space is not exactly safeguarded, the Leith Walk Green Bridge idea has not been entirely ruled out either by the planners. We think the Leith Walk green bridge is an idea whose time will come, eventually. Even if it's not in our lifetime!

Given the industrial heritage and the rich history of the area covered by these design briefs, we felt it important that developers should consider interpretative signposting and public art to maintain a sense of place in open spaces and along cycle routes. This has also been included  in the final design brief. 

Green Spaces Keep Us Healthy

Greener Leith is happy to pass on two bits of news that are so well connected you'd think that someone had noted that Leithers are statistically more unhealthy than the Edinburgh average and decided to give voluntary groups the tools to do something about it.

First off, Greenspace Scotland have just released a report that seeks to bring together international research into the relationship between Health and Green Spaces. Key findings:

• The evidence demonstrates a clear positive relationship between greenspaces and health, although the mechanisms which generate these positive effects are not always clear.
• For physical exercise, the value of greenspaces as places to exercise is unquestionable. However, although people who use parks regularly appear to take more exercise, access to greenspace does not appear to be the key variable for explaining levels of physical exercise.
• On mental health, there is compelling evidence for the restorative effects of greenspaces. But the evidence base is insufficient to answer more detailed questions about different spaces and populations.
• In terms of social health, the review shows that greenspaces are one of the few remaining spaces that are available to all. Surveys show that greenspaces are important as places of memory, and are closely associated with neighbourhood identity.

So, we know that Green spaces can help to keep us fitter, happier and play an important role in developing our sense of neighbourhood identity. However, what can voluntary groups do to put these lessons into practice? Helpfully, NHS Lothian have just circulated a call for applications to their 'Community Health Development Grant Scheme'. Voluntary groups can access up to £3000 for projects that match these funding criteria. 

Greener Leith On National Radio

Greener Leith was on Radio Scotland this morning, as Frieda Morrison from the Beech Grove Potting Shed is a fan of our 'Shed-o-belia'. So our cult mugs and T-shirts now have celebrity endorsement. If you missed it, you can listen to the radio show for the next seven days on the BBC i-player, here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00d3f7q

Enjoy.

Rubber Stamped By The First Minister

The Forth Ports proposals for the regeneration of Leith Docks seem likely to speed their way through the planning committee next week. The plans are receiving uncritical coverage in the Evening News, planning officials have recommended that our councillors approve the proposals, and now we note that Alex Salmond has been writing to Edinburgh councillors in support of Forth Ports Plans. He has sent a letter to Charles Hammond, Director of Forth Ports as well as all local Edinburgh councillors, saying:

“I was very impressed by your plans for the area and the work which has already been undertaken. Our boat trip provided an excellent vantage point, and I look forward to seeing the project completed.”

Alex Salmond is the head of the body that must ultimately decide on planning decisions in Scotland, and so for him to intervene at this stage in the planning process is considered by many as ill-advised. Afterall, Alex Salmond was strongly criticised for ‘showing exceptionally poor judgement,’ by a committee of Holyrood MSP’s after he made similar public comments in support of the Trump golf course proposals near Aberdeen.

Greener Leith has objected to some aspects of the Forth Ports proposals and as a consequence we have been invited to address planning officials when they consider them next week. We will be asking the planning committee to ensure that:

•    Developers of the site are forced to provide more green space in the development or pay to significantly upgrade Leith Links to cope with increased demand. The current proposals do not provide enough open space within the Docks development.
•    Arrangements are made to ensure that open spaces are maintained properly for the long term.
•    The planning committee reject all proposals for tall buildings, as we believe that this will have a detrimental impact on Edinburgh’s historic skyline and the built heritage of the whole city.
•    The planning committee seek more detail on where important community facilities will be sited with the development.

However, with the leader of Edinburgh council clearly supportive of tall buildings near the city centre, and a First Minister lobbying councillors to approve the plans before the committee meeting, we’re not convinced that we’re going to have any influence over the process whatsoever. It feels as though the decision has already been taken to rubber stamp the proposals, even if no-one has broken the letter of any laws.

Public interventions like Alex Salmonds do little to encourage local residents to get involved in the planning system, as he gives the clear impression that he supports the developer and that he is using his influence to predetermine the outcome of the planning process. Greener Leith would like to see more evidence from our elected officials that they are acting in the best interests of everyone – not just the people who stand to gain financially from regeneration.

The choices facing our councillors are stark. Will the plans provide a modern development comparable to Edinburghs last New Town? Or, is this a blue print for a new Westerhailes by the sea?

Read the Greener Leith written submission to the Planning Committee here.

We Asked - 550 Leithers Answered

Regular Greener Leith readers will know that all summer Greener Leith has been running a consultation project called the Leith Links Ask, that aimed to give as many people as possible a say in the future of Leith Links. A staggering 550 people voted for their three favorite proposals for improving the park and so now we're pleased to be able to share the results:

1. Childrens Play Areas (263 votes)
2. Leith Gardens (246 votes)
3. Pavilion Cafe/Restaurant (244 votes)
4. Wildflowers & Mini Nature Reserves (217 votes)
5. Infrastructure Improvements (173 votes)
6. Football and Rugby Pavilion (166 votes)
   
7. Tennis Centre (146 votes)
8. Golf and Leith Links (85 votes)
9. Lawn Bowls (61 votes)
10. Cricket Facilities (47 votes)

People who voted on-line were also asked to indicate whether they felt each project was a 'high priority,' a 'low priority' or 'shouldn't go ahead' at all. 

It is perhaps no surprise that the children's play facilities topped most people's list as a key area that needs to be improved. Lots of people we spoke to wanted to see the development of a 'magnet' play area like the one on the meadows and when you compare the play facilities in the Meadows and the other main city parks, with what is on offer in Leith Links, it is easy to see why.

Overall, we think most people will be quite surprised to see that there seems to be more public support for non-sporting projects, given that sport is one of the main uses of the park at the moment. The Leith Gardens proposal came a close second to the childrens play area, and support for more wildflowers and mini nature reserves was also quite high. This shows that people do want to see a more diverse park, with areas of more formal planting and more wild areas.

Despite the fact that Bijou, a cafe on the edge of the Links obviously has a dedicated following of loyal customers, we were also interested to see the level of public support for cafe on the Links itself.

Turning to the sports projects, the proposals to develop a modern shared changing facility for rugby and football on the links recieved the most votes overall. However, there were slightly more people who thought that it was a 'High Priority' to bring back tennis to the links.

The only project that really seemed to polarise opinion were the proposals to make more of the parks historic links with the sport of golf. More than a third of people thought that this project should not go ahead at all, with another 39% of people viewing it as a low priority. People we spoke to during the consultation voiced safety concerns over the prospect of a permanent pitch and putt course on the Links.

You can download the full report by clicking here.

What happens next?

These results are really just the starting point in a much longer process that will no doubt  involve feasibility studies, funding strategies and the like. Greener Leith will discuss these results with the key council Neighbourhood Partnership & Parks staff, as well as other local organisations like the community councils. We hope to play an ongiong role in ensuring that the projects with most support are taken forwards. We would particularly like to explore the scope for establishing a non-profit 'Greener Leith' cafe on the links that could act as a focus for the park.

We will also be campaigning to ensure that developers of new housing around the park are forced to pay a contribution to upgrade the park facilities. With Forth Ports likely to get planning permission to take forwards the regeneration of the docks soon, it is likely that Leith Links will come under more and more pressure from the increased population in the area.  Greener Leith has been invited to address the planning committee meeting that will consider the Forth Ports outline planning application, so one of the first places we'll be highlighting the results of the Leith Links Ask could be with the councillors on the city planning committee.

A Summer Day In The Park

Congratulations to everyone behind the 'Summer Day in the Park,' event that took place today. As you can see from the photo the rain held off, there was a really good turn out - and even copious quantities of bunting.

The Friends of Montgomery Park have also produced a draft plan to improve the park, and they're having a second round of public consultation on it to make sure that it's exactly right. The redesign includes proper hard landscaping for market stalls, new entrances, and much improved play facilities. We hope to bring you more details shortly. 

Julienne Thurrot, the Chair woman of the Friends explained why the group had decided to take action in the Evening News this week:

"I’d been living in Canada for years beside a really nice park and I thought ‘Why don’t we have a park like that, we’ve got the space for it?’ I spoke to people and found there was a lot of support."

She said volunteer litter-picks had made a difference to the space already, but the real changes were still to come: “Local people are very fond of the park and I just think it will change the atmosphere. The play equipment that’s there at the moment is old but it’s well used."

Share Your Greener Leith News on Twitter

We're not sure how many of our readers use the on-line bookmarking service Delicious. Users of the site will know that keeping your favourite pages stored on-line is quite handy. Rather than have them stuck on one computer, you can access them from any computer with an internet connection. Not only that, Delicious allows you to 'Tag' any web page, and share it with other people.

We have already established a public Greener Leith 'photo pool' on the website Flickr, where anyone can submit photos of things they think are related to Greener Leith. Now, if you find a web page that you think is relevant to Greener Leith readers, you can tag it with 'GreenerLeith' on delicious and the page will automatically be shared with people who follow Greener Leith on Twitter, where we've established a sort of 'Greener Leith News Extra' for bits and pieces that don't quite make it to our main news page.

Confused? Don't worry - You can try Twitter, Delicious and Flickr out for yourself - they're all free!