This week at the council
Tuesday – Policy and Sustainability Committee meets at 10am. Papers here. There is an update on the council’s engagement on a proposed Visitor Levy with another update expected in August this year when the legislation has progressed through The Scottish Parliament. There is a session at The Scottish Parliament on Tuesday when the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee will begin its scrutiny of the bill making line by line amendments. The council also reports that “overall emissions from rail and air travel in 2022/23 are 76% lower than pre-pandemic (2019/20) levels, but have more than doubled compared to the previous year (2021/22)”.
Wednesday – the council’s Development Management Sub-Committee meets and will be considering the pre-planning application for three important sites – the Artisan Real Estate development at Caledonian Brewery and the application for development of the SAICA Pack site on Cammo Road and the plots at Western Harbour where there is opposition by the Save Western Harbour Ponds group. The group want to preserve the ponds which have established while the land was left undeveloped following the property crash.
Planning permission for the development at 525 Ferry Road where an office block will be demolished and new homes built is to be reconsidered after the Chief planning officer has questioned the decision process. The permission carried with it an obligation to contribute towards Education – but as councillors were tied on the decision about how much that would be, the sum was decided on the toss of a coin. This increased the contribution from £1 million to £3 million which developers Artisan Real Estate said would make the development unviable. It is being brought back for the committee to reconsider. One alteration to the planning is that the developers will agree to begin the scheme to create 256 flats within one year rather than the customary three.
There is a Special Finance and Resources Committee meeting on Thursday and the 99-year lease of the South Bridge Resource Centre to the Fringe Society is to be agreed with rent of £1 and break options for the tenant at five year intervals. This looks likely to proceed on the basis that the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society (EFFS) sub-let some of the building to Canongate Youth and that they undertake the refurbishment of the building which is estimated at £2 million.
EFFS have deep pockets as they received £7 million from the UK Government last year for use on a capital project. Despite the EFFS denying that the money would allow them to move into “plush new offices” the reverse seems to be the case. The building will be used to create a year-round Community and Festival Hub, and while most other tenants (including adult education classes for around 1100 people each week) will be moved out the Fringe will have to continue to accommodate Canongate Youth as part of the deal. A lift will be installed creating an accessible space, air source heat pumps will replace the current gas boiler and lighting will become more energy efficient.
The building will be the public-facing home of the Fringe “offering support to artists, citizens and visitors and tell the story of the Fringe”.
Music at Custom House Leith
On 23 March there will be live double bass music at Custom House Leith at 7pm. Tickets on Eventbrite.
Former Gillespie’s pupil directs world first
The world’s first narrative short film in Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) and Irish (Gaeilge) has been recognised internationally at film festivals in Ireland, the UK, and North America. Le Chéile (Together) has been shortlisted for six festivals, including Toronto Irish Film Festival where it will premiere on the 24th March, 2024. It will also be screening in Belfast’s On the Pulse Short Film Festival on the same day.
This is a 12-minute long drama following a Rangers supporter and an Irish Celtic football supporter on a bus journey and linked by an almost common language.
Le Chéile, Writer and Director, Róise Nic an Bheatha said: “It’s brilliant seeing the film get national and international recognition. I’ve believed in the project for a long time but it’s taken a while to get it off the ground – particularly as the film was made on a small budget with minimal industry support. Interestingly, there has been a big response from Irish Film Festivals, despite the film being what I would consider a Scottish story. The Irish language aspect really appeals to audiences, especially off the back of successes like An Cailín Ciúin (Colm Bairéad). The quieter response in Scotland might hint at a lack of opportunity to celebrate Celtic languages within the Scottish film festival scene – evidenced by a lack of dedicated Gaelic language film categories.
As an Irish and Gaelic speaker, the film’s sentiment was inspired by my own experience of living and studying in Glasgow, Derry, and Edinburgh, and growing up speaking both languages. Language can sometimes be seen as divisive – particularly in the North of Ireland – but I’ve always seen it as a means of bringing people together. Moving to Scotland and observing the similarities and differences between Gaelic and Irish has only solidified this idea. The film title Le Chéile (which means ‘Together’) reflects this sentiment, complimented by the fact that the word is the same in both Irish and Gaelic. I’m really looking forward to bringing audiences le chéile in the upcoming months to view my film.”
Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit
The Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit is coming back to Edinburgh this summer, on Tuesday 13 August at 7.30pm.
It’s the best night of comedy on the Fringe, with some of the biggest names. Previous acts have included Michael McIntyre, Russell Howard and Katherine Ryan. It’s likely to sell out before the line-up is announced this year, so don’t wait around to book your tickets. All proceeds go to Waverley Care.
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This month’s paper celebrates the 100th anniversary of Sir Eduardo Paolozzi’s birth in 1924.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
