Five things you need to know today

TER Victoria Park 2

Feeding the 5000 – Vintage Nation at the Corn Exchange – Petitions Committee to be reviewed – Cycling with Sky Ride – Tonight at the Queen’s Hall

Yesterday Edible Edinburgh, an organisation backed by the council, fed thousands of people for free in Bristo Square. If you want to know why then read more here.

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There is a vintage event at the Corn Exchange today featuring not just old clothes but music, dance, tea in china cups, pop up beauty offering vintage hair styling, clothes and shoe customisation. Tickets are £5 and under 12s are free.  More information here.

If you go along then do tweet us some photos!

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As part of the council’s overhaul last autumn, a Petitions Committee was set up and 22 petitions proposed with a total of over 7,500 signatures from Edinburgh residents. This committee is devised to offer the public a way to get their views across as to what the council should be doing.

But it now appears that a third of all councillors believe that this committee is very unsuccessful and must be reviewed urgently. Another 15% thought the committee was fairly unsuccessful while only 11% hold the committee in high regard. The focus groups consulted by the council as part of the same survey believed that the petitions process appears lengthy and cumbersome for the people presenting petitions and so needs to be streamlined. One suggestion is that youth petitions should be introduced to allow younger residents a voice at the City Chambers.

The Governance Risk and Best Value Committee will hear the results of the survey carried out to determine performance across the council when it meets this Thursday.

9 petitions have been considered by the Committee with the following outcomes:

  •  Kirkliston Public Transport Provision: Committee agreed to take further action – referred to Transport and Environment Committee.
  • Dumbiedykes Bus Committee: Committee agreed to take further action – referred to Transport and Environment Committee.
  • Crackdown on Legal Loan Sharks: Committee agreed to take further action –referred to the Corporate Policy and Strategy Committee.
  •  A safer mechanism for reporting Edinburgh Council mismanagement: Committee agreed to take further action –referred to the Corporate Policy and Strategy Committee.
  •  Princes Street for People: Committee agreed to take further action – referred to ‘Building a Vision for the City Centre’ consultation.
  •  Bedroom Tax: – Committee agreed to take further action – referred to Health, Wellbeing and Housing Committee.
  • Remove religious observance from non-denominational schools: Committee agreed to take further action – referred to the Education, Children and Families Committee.
  • Retain religious observance in non-denominational schools: Committee agreed to take further action – referred to the Education, Children and Families Committee.
  •  Ban cycling on City Centre pavements by cyclists over 12 years: Committee agreed to take further action – referred to Transport and Environment Committee

 

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TER Sky Ride Edinburgh 39Thinking of going out cycling today? If you need some encouragement or help to go a bit further afield then perhaps you will be interested in joining a Sky Ride, even if Sir Chris Hoy is not around to lead off!

At 2.00pm today there is a ride called Cramond Caper which starts at Morrisons at Waterfront Broadway. More details about this and also next week’s cycle to the Innocent Railway and beyond on the Sky Ride website.

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Tonight at the Queen’s Hall the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain takes to the stage. Details about buying tickets (£20) here.

“The group that spawned a thousand ukulele orchestras and inspired millions of players return to Edinburgh after their sell-out Queen’s Hall show in 2012.

From the North Pole to Sydney Opera House, via Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, The Ukes of GB are touring planet Earth with their funny, stomping, toe tapping, all singing, all plucking obituary of rock’n’roll and melodious light entertainment. You’ll hear music you love and music you simply didn’t get transformed into a joyous, headlong stream of transcendent sounds featuring only ‘bonsai guitars’, a menagerie of voices and warm personalities. A world tour with only hand luggage.”