Five things you need to know today

Transport and Environment Committee – City centre traffic – Portobello High win at Murrayfield – Help please! –  A night at the Museum

We have been at the Transport Infrastructure and Environment Committee meeting at the City Chambers this morning where the council decided not to erect a wall between two neighbourhoods in the north west of the city. This may sound a bit like science fiction unless you live in Silverknowes or Muirhouse. There were disturbances in the area last October and November when cars were damaged and windows broken.

Following this a public meeting called for increased police presence and increased use of CCTV. Then there came a demand for the access path between Silverknowes and Muirhouse to be closed off, and that was followed by a survey which has over time proved controversial in itself. Some residents say that they were not included in the survey so it could not have been representative.  After that £100,000 was spent in the area improving lighting and the police increased their patrols in the area to deal with any potential trouble swiftly.

Three deputations made their views known at the meeting this morning, and you can follow the coverage and listen to interviews here, but the outcome was that the committee accepted the officers’ recommendation to leave the access open as it would otherwise impact on safer routes to schools.

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Councillor Joanna Mowat who represents the City Centre Ward has been in touch about some of the traffic problems in the city centre. Today the new traffic lights at Broughton Street and Albany Street are to be put in place, and it is hoped that this will assist in slowing traffic along Abercromby Place and Albany Street. This seems to be causing problems of its own!

Councillor Mowat said:-” I am aware that there is some traffic backing up in the area at the moment and wanted to advise that the road markings are being changed to allow the new traffic lights to be switched on – there is also some use of a thermal lance to burn off old markings and put new ones in which is noisy and smelly. I am advised that this is temporary and the quickest way to get the lights switched on and doing it during the day means it isn’t being done at night. The lights should be switched on this afternoon.”

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Congratulations to Portobello High School rugby team who won the Brewin Dolphin U16 Regional Plate last night at Murrayfield. Full report here.

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Could you help us out? We have a n0tice board which is sadly a bit neglected due to lack of time, and is in dire need of some content. You could add your events to it – and we would be very grateful if you would. You will find it here on n0tice. Then at the beginning of next week we are about to announce an exciting new project involving n0tice….. Watch this space!

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On Friday 19 October from 19:00 – 22:30 RBS Museum Lates: Behind the Masque
National Museum of Scotland Tickets £10, £8 Concessions and Members.

Combination ticket with entry to Catherine the Great (normally £9) is £18 (£16 concession).
At this contemporary take on a Masquerade, a popular form of courtly entertainment amongst European rulers, visitors will be encouraged to wear masks or take inspiration from the museum’s collections to design their own on the night. The event links in with the Museum’s exhibitionCatherine the Great: An Enlightened Empress, which closes on Sunday 21 October. The Museum will be transformed into a sparkling world where nothing is quite what it seems, featuring a packed programme of bands, installations and performers.

Tickets are on sale now http://www.nms.ac.uk/lates or by phoning 0300 123 6789. Ticket holders can book tables at the Brasserie on 0131 247 4040 or 0131 247 4084.