Corstorphine/Murrayfield by election
It was an interesting evening at the Corstorphine Community Centre with six of the candidates in attendance. All questions and answers were delivered politely and respectfully as requested by the chair Shula Allan.
Questions from the floor followed statements by all six about why they are standing for election. This is the first of two hustings and it will be interesting if the second attracts any more support from existing councillors. There was one councillor at the husting, Alan Beal of the Liberal Democrats, and his party’s candidate, Fiona Bennett, did not turn up. No other candidate was supported by any elected members or party representatives, meaning they were all thrown in at the deep end as most are first time candidates.
The question of the night was of course whether any of the candidates on the night – Hugh Findlay (Cons), Richard Parker (Labour), Chris Young (Scottish Greens) Elaine Miller (Independent) Pete Gregson (Independent) and Gary Smith (Scottish Libertarian Party) – would have given the Roseburn traders any compensation.
This is the matter over which the former councillor, Frank Ross, resigned. Having apparently promised to the traders that he would get compensation for them, the SNP group then abstained from a vote which they could have won and could have awarded the businesses compensation for loss of business during the construction of City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL). Former councillor and Lord Provost Ross decided he could no longer be the local councillor.
Out of all candidates all said they would give the traders compensation (there is no statutory duty to do so) except the Edinburgh Greens candidate, Chris Young whose answer was an emphatic no. This included the Scottish Labour candidate who did promise this when he stood last year, but it is not clear that this is the party line.
The second (and only other) hustings will be held next Tuesday 28 February at Murrayfield Parish Church Hall at 7pm hosted by Murrayfield Community Council.
Hidden cinema
There is a cinema in the New Town which has only just come to our notice. The 50 seater venue is home to The Edinburgh Cine and Video Society. The society is rebuilding its numbers after the pandemic and is holding an open evening on 1 March 2023 at 7pm. The cinema is at 23 Fettes Row which originally the Waverley Cine Society bought in 1938.
Anyone with an interest in moving pictures might come along to discuss how the society can breathe life into the building again.
Repair bill for school swimming pool on the rise
The pool at Currie Community High School has been closed since last April. Now Cllr Graeme Bruce has raised the question of a further £22,000 which needs to be spent on the repairs – on top of £60,000 already spent – just to look at the ceiling.
Lighting up The Causey
The Causey wil be the place to be next Tuesday evening when the Causewayside Development Trust lights up the triangular area at the junction of West Crosscauseway and Chapel Street. This will be a one-off event when schoolchildren’s artwork will be animated and projects onto the nearby buildings.
‘Where will the Flight take Us’ will take place from 7.30pm at The Causey, an area at the junction of West Crosscauseway and Chapel Street which, thanks to years of campaigning and grassroots engagement, CDT hope will soon be transformed into a place that makes walking and cycling easier, prioritise people over vehicles, and allows for the creation of a new communal space.
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