Brexit anniversary

Scottish Patliament where the EU flag still flies. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com

It is three years since the UK left the EU, and those who are still pro-EU or pro Remain, will take to the streets tonight to mark the occasion.

The torchlight procession begins at 5pm at Pollock Halls and moves down the Galloping Glen to Holyrood where there will be a rally.

Time for Scotland would like you to buy a flaming torch here. You have to buy in advance.

The Scottish Parliament will debate three years of leaving the EU when it meets on Tuesday afternoon. More information here.

Affordable housing

The council has approved proposals to create more than 200 affordable homes in Edinburgh including the purchase of 23 empty homes at Dreghorn from the Ministry of Defence. In addition 140 new homes have been approved at Greendykes, of which 74 will be council homes.

Another 73 homes will be created at Wester Hailes on a derelict site at Murrayburn Gate, next to the Westside Plaza shopping centre, of which 41 are council homes.

Councillor Jane Meagher, the Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “Never has our need for affordable housing been greater as we face a cost-of-living crisis and a climate emergency. The decisions made this week demonstrate our Council’s commitment to urgently creating the homes Edinburgh needs.
“I’m particularly pleased that we’ll be able to deliver so many homes for social rent. We want to provide everybody with a safe and warm place to live but we’re facing growing homelessness in Edinburgh. This remains a challenge, but these new properties that we’re buying and building are going to help many people in desperate housing need.
And, as we build these new homes, we’ll create well designed places. Innovative offsite manufacturing of net zero homes such as those planned for Greendykes will help tenants and residents to keep their fuel bills down. This work will be taken forward alongside retrofitting many of our existing homes, so that older Council properties are also brought up to a better standard.”

The Who

A band established in 1964 is coming to play at Edinburgh Castle this summer, or at least two of the original members are, and they are bringing an orchestra with them. Tickets go on sale on Friday.

Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey have announced their summer tour in the UK which includes two dates outdoors on the Castle Esplanade once the seating is put up there in readiness for The Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Read more here.

Subscribing to The Edinburgh Reporter

Today would be a good day to buy a subscription to The Edinburgh Reporter monthly newspaper as our paper just went to press last night and should be available at some of our outlets later today.

If you subscribe then you will help us keep our online coverage free to access and also ensure the future of our newspaper for this year.

Buy a subscription here

The Pride Bridge

Lindsay Road Street Bridge (Dreadnought). Photo: © April 2022, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com

Answering a Freedom of Information request the council has said that the cost of putting up barriers on the Dreadnought Bridge, or the Pride Bridge or the Lindsay Road Bridge (they are the same bridge) is just short of £30,000.

The council said in their reply: “We can confirm that the cost of installing the steel MASS barrier was £8k and the concrete wall a further £17k.

“The recent works to reinforce the Heras fencing under Span 2 was £2k. These works were required due to repeated vandalism of the Heras fencing erected under Span 2 to prevent access to an area of the bridge soffit which is potentially dangerous due to falling material.

“We do not have a record of the costs of the installation and maintenance of the Heras fencing on the deck superstructure The installation costs for protective fencing is not itemised for each site.”

Now the council is to debate three possible alternative solutions for the bridge, but all involve removing the deck of the bridge which has been declared unsafe.

Read more here.


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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.