Ian Murray MP Working Hard for Edinburgh South
Welcome to my first eMagazine of this new Parliament. When Theresa May called the election I could not possibly imagine being re-elected with a majority of over 15,500 votes. It has been the privilege of my life to represent you and the place I call home in Parliament. I am more determined than ever to work every single day to make sure your voice is heard in parliament. My brilliant team and I spoke to tens of thousands of residents on the doors during the campaign and I will make sure we act on the issues you told me were important to you.
We haven’t stopped since the General Election. We have had street stalls and been back knocking on doors so I can hear from you what you want from your MP in this Parliament.
I can’t thank every single one of you enough for returning me to Parliament. I will not let you down whoever you voted for or even if you didn’t vote at all.
What made election evening even more special was the news that I was to be joined in parliament by 6 other newly elected Scottish Labour Members of Parliament. I have some friends at last! The last two years have been incredibly rewarding but very hard work being the only Scottish Labour MP. The “magnificent 7”, as we have been tagged, will work very hard for our own constituencies and Scotland in the months and years to come.
I hope you enjoy my latest eMagazine. If you have any comments or feedback please get in touch using the details below. As always, I’m delighted to hear from you.
Casework
Constituency
Westminster
Guest Blog
Planning
House of Commons
Media
Notice Board
The recent Council elections have meant there has been no Planning Committee meetings since March. As such there is not much to report. Once the Committee gets back to work there will be a huge backlog to clear so plenty of developments in next month’s edition.
Greenend Gardens 17/02274/PPP – I met with residents at Greenend Gardens during the General Election campaign to discuss the latest planning application for their precious green space. Hundreds of concerned residents have already registered their objections and the community are exploring community ownership options to secure the green space permanently. I have submitted an objection.
New Primary School in South East Edinburgh
Update from the Council:
I am writing to advise you that at its meeting on 29 June 2017 the City of Edinburgh Council approved all the recommendations in the ‘Outcome of the Statutory Consultation’ report relating to the Proposal to establish a new non-denominational primary school and implement catchment changes to address school capacity and accommodation pressures in south east Edinburgh.
The report recommended that Council approves the proposal to establish a new non-denominational primary school and nursery in south east Edinburgh and implement the school catchment changes outlined in the statutory consultation paper. The catchment changes will be implemented in the November prior to the opening of the new school (currently estimated to be August 2020).
In addition to the recommendations set out in the report, it was agreed that further consultation would be undertaken to consider the issues raised by the deputation from the Gracemount Primary School Parent Council. It was also agreed that the Council would have a right to review the position that no sibling guarantee will be offered closer to the time that the new school was to open.
The full ‘Outcome of the Statutory Consultation’ report is available to read and download on the Council website at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/
CHANGES TO THE TAXICARD SERVICE
A new, improved Taxicard Service will begin on Monday 24 July 2017. We have chosen to work in partnership with Central Taxis to provide this service which will meet the requirements of all users. From Monday 24 July 2017, Central Taxis will be the only taxi operator who will accept Taxicard. This will not have any adverse effect on your journey requirements.
This service will provide users with the opportunity to utilise both private hire vehicles and traditional Black Cab taxis. The service will be managed by the Council to ensure that the needs of all users are met and we will continue to operate a dedicated team to deal with the Taxicard scheme.
If you require a Private Hire vehicle ( saloon style ) please call 0131 442 4444 . If you require a black cab with full wheelchair access please call 0131 229 2468. You can also access the website www.taxis-edinburgh.co.uk.
To ensure that the service is maintained, delivers improved performance and is managed by experienced staff, the Council are introducing an administration fee of £20 for successful Taxicard applications. This means that any new or renewed Taxicards issued from Tuesday 1 August 2017 will incur a £20 charge.
Taxicard users will be eligible for 104 discounted taxi journeys per year over a three year period. As the Taxicard is generally issued for a period of three years, the introduction of a £20 charge should not have a major adverse effect on card holders.
This is an advisory letter and you are not required to take any action if you are currently the holder of a valid Taxicard. We will contact you when your card is due for renewal.
If you would like further information please contact Travel Concessions on 0131 469 3891.