Five things you need to know today Edinburgh!
Council meeting this week – Usher Hall Centenary – Waverley Care – Edinburgh Bookshop events – Trade Waste Pilots
When the council meets this week it will be the first of two meetings involving all 58 councillors in February.
The first meeting will have a normal kind of agenda covering business of all kinds, but the second on February will concentrate only on setting the council’s budget for the next year. The draft budget was published in October and the public were asked for their views until the end of last year. The council have restrictions on what they can spend their budget on, but they must make cumulative savings of around £95.2m by the year 2017-18.
This has been recognised from early on in this administration when they set out the need for savings in a report to the Finance and Budget Committee dated 15 November 2012.
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The Usher Hall, owned and operated by The City of Edinburgh Council, first opened its doors on 6 March 1914 and has an amazing history of entertainment over the last one hundred years. The versatility of The Usher Hall is shown in this series of concerts, proving that the Usher Hall is still one of the most impressive entertainment venues that Scotland has to offer.
The complete series of Centenary Events are:
Wednesday 5 March – Rufus Wainwright;
Thursday 6 March – 100th Birthday Concert; 1914 opening programme;
Friday 7 March – Gilded Comedy Gala when the line up will include Phil Jupitus, Barry Cryer and Gary Tank Commander.
Saturday 8 March – Mogwai with guests The Pastels, Remember Remember;
Sunday 9 March – Vienna Tonkunstler Orchestra conducted by Andrés Orozco-Estrada.
Tickets for all performances are available from usherhall.co.uk and 0131 228 1155.
The Usher Hall has made a significant contribution to the cultural life in Edinburgh and these celebrations mark the 100th anniversary of this land-mark venue.
Councillor Richard Lewis, Convener of Culture & Sport said:- “The Usher Hall has held a unique niche in Edinburgh’s history and has continued to thrive throughout a century. The grandeur of the venue both internally and externally and its qualities as a concert hall have led the Usher Hall to become one of the foremost buildings, enhancing the city of Edinburgh”.
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Waverley Care is an Edinburgh-based charity to help those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis. You can help them with their crowd funding to produce a deck of playing cards with photographs of Edinburgh on them. The photographs have been taken by the photography group set up by the charity.
So far they have raised over £250 out of their £800 target.
You can get more information on how to help here.
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Edinburgh Bookshop have changed their website and they have also changed how they stage events. From now on their events with authors will be staged in the Morningside Library. Their next event is in Wednesday 12 February 2014 at 7.00pm when the author coming along to talk about his book is Graeme Simsion who has just written The Rosie Project. This is described as original and compelling, poignant and funny. If you want to join them then you have to book by calling the shop on 0131 447 1917 or at the library.
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The council has decided to test out new arrangements to collect trade waste from businesses on Leith Walk at certain times from next month onwards. This will mean that waste should not be stored on pavements and that pedestrians should have an easier time of negotiating their way down the street.
The number of large industrial sized bins has increased over recent years and the council now believes that by getting rid of these bins they will be improving the appearance of the city’s streets for residents and tourists alike.
A further two pilot schemes will be trialled in Rose Street and the High Street where bins have also increased to the point where the council feels it is time to take action.
The whole point is that trade waste will now be collected twice daily and so businesses will no longer need large bins and should use bags or collapsible bins instead. Recycling of dry rubbish will also be accommodated as well as residual waste which goes to landfill. The more that businesses recycle the more they will save on collection costs.
The main problem which the council faces will be in relation to glass waste. Anyone who lives near a pub will know of the nuisance this can cause, but again there will be a twice daily collection meaning that smaller amounts are collected each time, hopefully creating less noise.
Businesses will be made much more responsible for disposal of their trade waste, in an effort to copy schemes in Manchester and Westminster where streets have been significantly improved.