Ian Murray MP Working Hard for Edinburgh South
Welcome to my first eMagazine of 2018. I hope you had a long and relaxing festive break.
This eMagazine contains important updates from Edinburgh South and Westminster as well as the usual speeches, articles and planning updates.
This month I have also restarted my street surgeries around the constituency. I hold regular advice surgeries in the office but I realise this isn’t always convenient for everyone. That is why I offered everyone in the constituency a home visit during the last Parliament and aim to do so again in this one.
As usual, if you have any issues or concerns you would like to raise with me, you can contact me using the below contact details.
Casework
Constituency
Westminster
Planning
House of Commons
Select Committees
Media
Notice Board
Sick Kids Exhibition –the second exhibition was attended by 133 people with 62 feedback forms completed. For more information on the latest proposals please contact Marchmont and Sciennes Community Council on: pagsk2017@gmail.com
Harley Davidson Garage on West Mains Road –a change of use application is with the Council. If approved, the garage will be converted into a funeral director’s parlour. Comments have closed but you can view the application using the reference: 17/05085/FUL
Lower Gilmore Place – Glencairn Developments are holding a Pre-Application Consultation on Thursday 1st February between 3.30pm and 7.30pm at Kings Church Edinburgh EH3 9PL (The Side Hall – to the left of the main entrance on Gilmore Place).
Land East of Winton Gardens – residents in Winton will not be surprised to learn that Miller Homes are gearing up for a further application after the last one was refused. As yet no application has been lodged but Miller Homes have written to local Councillors making its intentions clear.
Astley Ainslie – residents have started preliminary discussions regarding the future of the Astley Ainslie site. In January my colleague Daniel Johnson MSP chaired a meeting to discuss the potential for a community buy out of the site. Another such meeting will be held on 21st February and I will be supporting residents in any way I can through this process.
For more details of the meeting please contact the Grange Association: http://gaedin.co.
This is just a selection of my speeches in Parliament in December and January. You can visit my YouTube channel for a more comprehensive look.
MESSAGE FROM NEIGHBOURHOOD ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME:
Some of you may have service users and volunteers that are residents in the South Central Neighbourhood partnership area (map here). £60,000 from the roads capital budget of the Neighbourhood Environment Programme will be allocated this way.
Edinburgh Council’s Neighbourhood Environment Programme (NEP) roads proposals for the 17/18 financial year for South Central have now been proposed . Proposals include the resurfacing of particular roads, the installation of zebra crossings and the replacement of trees. These proposals were developed working with local residents.
Residents in the area can now vote on these projects to see which ones will win the funding. All proposals can be viewed on the Neighbourhood partnership website here. Voting can be done online using the following link – https://www.surveymonkey.co.
Three pop-up events in local venues in the area are being planned for January. The date, time and location of each will be communicated in early January by the Council.
NEW VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED IN EDINBURGH
Breast Cancer Now are once again recruiting for volunteers to train as lifestyle coaches to join their team and support the delivery of the ActWELL trial in Edinburgh.
ActWELL is a research trial that will deliver advice to women over 50 on how they can reduce their risk of breast cancer through lifestyle changes.
Volunteers will be trained to support trial participants to make sustainable lifestyle changes, focusing on physical activity, diet and body weight.
Find out more about how you can become an ActWELL lifestyle coach at http://breastcancernow.org/
Warm Home Discount
The Warm Home Discount is a scheme which allows some people a rebate of £140 off their electricity bill. Constituents may be eligible if they get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit or if they are on a low income and meet your energy providers criteria for the scheme. You can still qualify if they use a pre-pay or pay-as-you-go electricity meter.
To find out if you are eligible please contact your energy provider.
Constituency data of the percentage of UK drivers with drink or drug driving (DDD) offences
The latest research by MoneySuperMarket has revealed constituency details of the percentage of UK drivers with drink or drug driving offences on their car insurance policies in the last year.
The data reveals that 0.55 per every 1000 motorists in Edinburgh South have a drink or drug driving (DDD) offence. This is one of the lowest rates in the country, falling in the bottom 50 regions for DDD offences.
This month your local charities and community groups have the opportunity to apply for between £500 and £20,000 raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
On 14th February the latest funding rounds for the People’s Postcode Trust, Postcode Local Trust and Postcode Community Trust will open for applications.
People’s Postcode Trust seeks applications for projects that focus on the prevention of poverty, promotion of human rights and equal rights. www.postcodetrust.org.uk
Postcode Local Trust supports community gardens, play areas, wildlife and green energy projects. www.postcodelocaltrust.org.uk
Postcode Community Trust focuses on grass-roots sports, arts, recreation and healthy living programmes. www.postcodecommunitytrust.
The funding round closes to applications on 28th February.
Ian Murray MP
http://www.ianmurraymp.co.uk/