I think I'll start carrying my passport open at the page with the Home office 'indefinite leave to remain' stamp on it. Maybe I could get a certificate to show I passed the citizenship test....
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
Community Councils
(80 posts)-
Posted 14 years ago #
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"Maybe I could get a certificate to show I passed the citizenship test...."
Er...
If you did you'd have one(?)
Posted 14 years ago # -
well, you have to pass basically the same test for permanent residence as for citizenship, but you don't get a certificate. its quite useful stuff like dialling 999 for emergencies and the date of st david's day. (i'd quite like citizenship, but it costs quite a lot on top of what we shelled out for L-to-R , which you have to do first.
Posted 14 years ago # -
"the date of st david's day"
Hands up people on the forum who know that.
Posted 14 years ago # -
...and in case anyone is wondering, yes, I was asked 'when are you going home'? (or words to that effect, I was somewhat taken aback and may not have recalled the exact phrase).
Posted 14 years ago # -
"How long will you be in Edinburgh"
I think she asked
Don't worry, it stunned everybody else too, I checkedPosted 14 years ago # -
Do all community councils publish their minutes? I've been unable to find any web presence for the Craigentinny/Meadowbank CC.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Reanimating this thread for some cycling related updates from Northfield and Willowbrae CC
22/03/18 - Northfield and Willowbrae CC
HES are employing a traffic management consultant to look at cycle safety (lack of) Holyrood Park Low Road. They are also talking to Police Scotand about a 'close pass' operation in the park.
Green councillor Alex Staniforth has been re-raising the Powederhall railway path with council officials. There's a suggestion that some of the retaining walls, bridges, etc. are in need of renovation and the council are unwilling to take on the path unless Network Rail sort this out first.
At a recent public meeting to gather views on the Meadowbank development there was a small, but vocal, group very much against the development of a path on the Powderhall line due to perceived nuisance/privacy issues.
As part of the Meadowbank redevelopment, a foot/cyclepath along the route of the old Clockmill Road may be created, which would link any railway path with Holyrood park, via Clockmill Lane.
Posted 6 years ago # -
"a small, but vocal, group very much against the development of a path on the Powderhall line due to perceived nuisance/privacy issues."
Interesting. Presume mostly those in the bungalows on Marionville Ave/Park with rear gardens backing onto the railway line? Path unlikely to get that far in any case...
Posted 6 years ago # -
Interesting. A few people have been badgering council, HES, etc re Holyrood Park safety issues lately. Good to hear the CC have picked up on it.
Posted 6 years ago # -
19/04/18 - Northfield and Willowbrae CC
There would appear to be a fair bit of cash kicking around in pots (Housing Revenue Account and Environment Fund), each with it's own peculiar set of restrictions on how it can be spent, but all lacking projects to spend it on. The Environment fund could be used for cycling improvement projects so long as they are on council properties/facilities.
Only cycling related point was the proposed cycling statue for Meadowbank Terrace.
We are looking for members. Promoting cycling is one of our objectives so a few more like minded members would be good.
Our neighbouring CC at Craigentinny and Meadowbank has just relaunched and are, I'm sure also looking for members.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@urchaidh
I live in the Northfield Willowbrae area. Happy to help if I can.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Can I recommend to the house, this blog from @mummycycle.
http://www.mummysgoneacycle.com/road-lice/
Kind of sums up last week's MCC, where one Community Councillor took it upon himself to tell us which side of the street the cycle route should be "if you wanted to gas the cyclists".
Posted 6 years ago # -
Which side is that, out of morbid curiosity?
Surely it's rotationally symmetrical?
Posted 6 years ago # -
The Northfield and Willowbrae CC AGM is on May 17th in the Northfield Community Centre at 7.30pm if anyone wants to come along and get involved (or just lurk).
Not the most interesting of evenings I grant you, but we are for now a relatively rare pro-cycling CC and it would be good to keep it that way.
@ECT, apologies for not responding sooner, I'd missed your post. If you can make the AGM (or any future meeting), you'd be more than welcome.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Cheers @urchaidh
I've put a reminder in my diary, so will try to get along.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Live in Trinity?
https://twitter.com/spokeslothian/status/1336353835875446784
Posted 3 years ago # -
There are very few community councils that are at capacity. Almost every single CC has spaces and is able to coopt members at any meeting. This doesnt have to happen at the AGM.
Contact details are here - https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/directory/10208/a-to-z/A - or on facebook.
If anybody seriously is interested in joining a CC then rock up, ask to join and be coopted. It is that easy.
Posted 3 years ago # -
@WVAS
Balerno chocker when I went, was less than fascinating which is why I say chapeau to those that go assiduously.
I have a feeling could easily be wrong that when they were set up they were the mechanism for consulting the voters, now we also need public consultations. Guess this is a sort of progress where disparate views can be represented.?
Posted 3 years ago # -
“then rock up, ask to join and be coopted. It is that easy.”
My local CC asks people to turn up as ‘member of the public’ for 3 meetings (pre-lockdown).
No idea if that is ‘legal’.
Posted 3 years ago # -
“Guess this is a sort of progress where disparate views can be represented.?“
Well there’s the question.
CC’s are supposed to represent local opinion.
Difficult to know if that is possible.
Plenty anecdotal evidence that they represent views of individual councillors - or the demographic of the bulk of the councillors.
(All the more reason for ‘other’ people to put themselves forward.)
Posted 3 years ago # -
The three meeting rule is to test whether you can stay awake?
Posted 3 years ago # -
I chose to join our local amenity association as they have the ability to act in the local interest with a bit more freedom than Local CC which is for something quite different - namely representing local opinion. We're a membership organisation focused on local improvements that are out of scope for the council from a budget POV.
The main strength of local associations like this is patience from what I can tell. Things take AGES but tif you have enough things on the go they can be successful.
Quite interesting to see - The CAA have produced a few interesting maps etc for local walk. Also a member, over 2 years, led the installation of bike racks all around the local area. Also lots of other projects ticking along very slowly. I've gotten involved as transport covener. Most of my efforts have focused around getting Scottish WAter to adequately repair damage to local roads etc, and gettinc council to redo pavements and resurface specific bits of road. Also pushing more speeding control and hoping to get a funding application accepted for a segregated cycle route at some point. Local committee based activism takes LOTS of time.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Northfield and Willowbrae CC are looking for members too, if anyone in the area is interested.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I have been turning up to various CC zoom meetings of late - albeit as a visitor as I've been there to represent a positive voice for the Meadows to Greenbank Quiet Route which crosses various county lines.
One thing that is apparent is that in general those that I have attended have been run by a quorate of retired folk, presumably with time on their hands to devote time their community council. This is laudable.
The problem is that often they do not necessarily hear views from other demographics with an interest in their community. For example, when I presented the case for road safety outside primary schools and gave some examples of behaviour observed, many members were shocked and I had an extremely positive and sympathetic response from some who said they weren't aware of such problems.
It's been in general a very positive process, but there is some way to go in rebalancing some entrenched views which we are all aware of. After discussing driver behaviour where not long before an incredibly tragic accident had occurred, one member mentioned cyclists and the fact they don't adhere to the rules and cycle on pavements - queue an immediate collective response of a screen full of furiously nodding heads in boxes. Some way to go to introduce "balance" - but the various Spokes members who did turn up spoke very well in their rationed microphone time.
Posted 3 years ago # -
@algo good to hear.
Posted 3 years ago # -
In response to one of the old queries above, minutes of CCs are supposed to be public. They are also supposed to send these to the Council. If you are struggling to find certain minutes then email community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk and they will do their best to help.
chdot - cooption sits entirely within the gift of the CCs themselves. Thus if a majority of the members of the CC choose to proceed on this basis then it is legal.
Of course they cannot block you from joining at election time. Problem is, the next one of these isn't for 3 years or so.
Worth mentioning that if you wish to join as a local interest group then this is controlled by the Council, not the CC. As long as you have been in existence 12 months, have a publicly available constitution, operate within the boundaries of the CC and can fill in the required paperwork you will be approved. Again email community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk if interested.
Agree with the sentiment of the post about the amenity association above.
Community Councils aren't well funded or supported. They are also bound by specific legislative requirements which limit their flexibility. A community council isn't always going to be the best use of your time if you want to bring about change in your community. I'd head along and get a feel for things first before deciding to commit.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I wonder if there are statistics on the makeups of CCs in terms of age, gender and ethnicity with respect to the communities they are intended to represent?
If the anecdotal evidence is correct and there is a significant skew in at least one of these areas then ought the CEC/government attempt to try to do something about it?
What could they do? I think my perhaps counterintuitive-seeming suggestion would be to give them powers and a budget.
Posted 3 years ago # -
There aren't stats but there is definitely a skew - it's male retirees that make up the vast majority.
The Council tried to address this as part of the most recent governance review (encouraging engagement, youth membership, addressing poor individual behaviour and links with schools.) but ultimately you can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink; if a diverse selection of folk don't want to join CCs then little can be done to force them.
I would hazard a guess that the government just isn't that interested. CCs were set up in an age where people weren't able to communicate with local authorities by email and report a missed bin on the website. In their current state they don't achieve a lot but by the same measure they don't cause much harm. To get rid of them would cause a backlash.
Posted 3 years ago #
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