Name – Chas Booth
Political Party: Scottish Greens
Ward: Leith
Chas Booth has been the Green Councillor for Leith on Edinburgh Council since he was first elected in 2012. He is Edinburgh Greens spokesperson for Planning and Communities. He previously held the transport, environment and culture portfolios for the Greens, and served on the boards of Transport for Edinburgh and the Edinburgh International Festival, amongst others.
Prior to 2013, Chas was a fuel poverty campaigner with the Association for the Conservation of Energy. He previously campaigned for Friends of the Earth Scotland; managed the Edinburgh office of sustainable transport charity Sustrans; worked for the Green Party in the Scottish and European Parliaments, and taught English in Bavaria and post-war Bosnia.
Chas was born near Lincoln and moved to Scotland at the age of eight. A graduate of Edinburgh University, he lives in Leith with his wife and two children.
What do you consider your or your party’s achievements or legacy during the last council session?
Personally, I’m proud of having achieved a commitment to a segregated cycle route alongside the tram extension on Leith Walk. This wouldn’t have happened without Green influence.
I’m proud of having secured a commitment to consult on extending bus lane hours, but disappointed this change wasn’t implemented before the end of the council term.
I’m proud of having secured an agreement to consult on requiring all new buildings applying for planning permission to be highly energy efficient, and I’m delighted this change looks set to be implemented once the new City Plan 2030 comes into force.
At a local level, I’m proud of having pushed for investment in Leith Links play park and improvements to green spaces around Leith. I also sought to support community assets in Leith, such as Duncan Place in their community asset transfer and Leith Theatre in their ongoing development. And I’ve also worked to support £eith Chooses, and to help it to become more accessible to the BME community in Leith.
What is the thing that few people would know about you?
When I was younger I played the bagpipes, and was a member of the school pipe band when we performed at the largest Highland Games in the world in North Carolina, USA.
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