Body found at Waverley Court – Tenants’ money safeguarded – Traffic forum – The Edinburgh Bookshop – Fireworks!
A man’s body was discovered on the roof of the council’s Waverley Court building on Market Street.
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Landlords have deposited millions of pounds into a scheme that aims to safeguard rent deposits for households in Scotland.
Since July, the Tenancy Deposit Schemes have taken over 35,000 deposits with a value in excess of £23 million.
The schemes are free for landlords and tenants and a free dispute resolution service is also available.
Tenants will have a quicker and cheaper alternative to taking legal action through a sheriff court to recover unfairly withheld deposits.
Approved schemes – SafeDeposits Scotland, Letting Protection Service Scotland and Mydeposits Scotland – are taking deposits from landlords or their agents for safekeeping.
By law, landlords will need to submit deposits to an approved scheme from between November 2012 to May 2013, depending on when the deposit was received.
Housing Minister Margaret Burgess said:
“It is estimated that between 8000 and 11,000 people have up to £3.6 million wrongly withheld deposits each year.
“This new legislation protects tenants and also the reputation of good landlords who are to be praised for depositing millions in the new schemes.
“Rogue landlords who withhold cash on spurious grounds tarnish the image of the private rented sector and exploit tenants
“The Tenancy Deposit Schemes are just one of many measures being implemented by the Scottish Government to improve quality for tenants in the private rented sector. “
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The City of Edinburgh Council is looking for up to six local residents who might play a key role in shaping the City’s transport future.
In their Coalition Agreement, the Capital Coalition pledged to set up a citywide Transport Forum made up of experts, interested parties and citizens, giving a greater voice to stakeholders and users of Edinburgh’s transport network.
The Transport Forum will meet four times a year, chaired by the Transport Convener, and will include a representative from the following organisations: Lothian Buses (representing other bus operators); Chamber of Commerce; Federation of Small Businesses; Essential Edinburgh or Marketing Edinburgh; NHS Lothian; Edinburgh Living Streets Group; Spokes; Bus Users Group; Edinburgh Airport; Transport Research Institute; Institute of Advanced Motorists or the AA; Rail Users Group; Edinburgh Transport Access Forum; Transport Scotland; taxi organisation(s).
The Transport Forum will act as an advisory and consultative body. Its progress, activity and performance will be reported annually by the Director of Service for Communities to the Transport and Environment Committee or the Policy Review and Development Sub-Committee as appropriate. The Forum will be reviewed after the first year.
Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport Convener, said: “The new Transport Forum will play an instrumental role in shaping solutions to Edinburgh’s future transport needs. This is an excellent opportunity for up to six citizens with a keen interest in transport issues to join the Forum and influence the City’s transport strategy and service.”
The application process is now open for the six available Transport Forum posts. Recruitment will be overseen by the Council’s Transport spokespeople and is expected to be completed by within the coming weeks to enable the Forum’s inaugural meeting – likely to be a half-day workshop – to take place in December 2012.
Applications can be made via the Council’s website and must be submitted on or before Tuesday 20 November 2012.
Applicants will be assessed on the following criteria:
1. Ability to take a city-wide view
2. Ability to work effectively with others
3. Ability to make decisions based on and supported by information available
4. Ability to communicate effectively in meetings, and to maintain confidentiality
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The Edinburgh Bookshop has been in touch to send you an invitation:-
Meet children’s author Philip Caveney at The Edinburgh Bookshop this Saturday 10th November from 11am.
Philip has been publishing children’s novels since 2007, his most famous series being the ‘Sebastian Darke’ adventures and the ‘Alec Devlin’ mysteries.
Philip will be with us on Saturday to talk about and sign his new book ‘Crow Boy’.
Set in Edinburgh’s Mary King’s Close it features young Tom Afflick, who, while attending a school trip to the Close, follows a ghostly figure and finds himself transported back to 1645, the year of the Edinburgh plague.
Apprenticed against his will to a plague doctor, Tom needs all his modern day skills to survive and find a way back to his own time.
This event is free.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
