The Council has endorsed the Community Care Plan 2000-2003, and asked the Director of Social Work to advise the Scottish Executive of its decision. The Plan was submitted in draft form to the Scottish Executive in November 2000.

As in previous years, the Community Care Plan has been developed in partnership with joint planning partners, users and carers, and is the basis for service developments that will be reflected in Council departmental service plans.

(Executive of the Council, 19 December 2000)

Children and Young People’s Commissioner

The Scottish Executive’s Child Strategy Statement aims to ensure that the needs of children are taken into account at all levels, in all areas of government. In view of this and similar initiatives to promote children’s rights in Wales, Oxford and London, the Council has agreed to consider proposals for a Children and Young People’s Commissioner.

The Commissioner’s role could include:

consulting with and listening to young people’s views;
researching and proposing solutions to difficulties;
proposing new and innovative ways of working with young people, including developing their participation in the community;
helping young people to ensure that local and national agencies are addressing their needs;
working with those in power to ensure the inclusion of a young people’s agenda;
reflecting and representing young people’s issues at senior levels within the Council and its partner agencies.

In order to firm up the proposals, the Council has agreed to hold a seminar to learn from the experience of developing children’s rights in Oxford, Wales and London.

Invitations to the seminar will be sent to the Council’s elected members, added members of the Executive for Education matters, senior board members of partner agencies, senior officers of the Council and partner agencies, local MSPs and appropriate Scottish Executive representatives. Organisations representing Edinburgh’s young people and young people themselves will also be invited to attend.

Following the seminar a further report will be prepared on the role of the Commissioner, the financial implications and options for funding.

(Executive of the Council, 16 January 2001)

A City for All Ages

A report by the Chief Executive and the Director of Social Work to the Executive of the Council on 7 November 2000 summarised the outcome of the consultation on the City Plan for Older People, A City for All Ages. There is widespread support among older people and their organisations, and the Council’s planning partners, for the broad strategies outlined in A City for All Ages. Transport, personal finance and income, community care and housing were all issues highlighted during the consultation. There was strong support for setting up an older people’s forum for the city.

The report also detailed a revised set of twenty-one strategic aims for a City for All Ages.

The Executive’s decision to approve A City for All Ages was called in and considered by the Social Justice and Older People Scrutiny Panel at its meeting on 28 November 2000. Discussions were particularly directed towards the allocation of additional resources to meet the strategic aims identified, and the Panel made a number of recommendations to the Executive.

The Council has

approved the City Plan for Older People: A City for All Ages and its revised strategic aims;
noted the outcome of the consultation;
noted progress made on the 2000/01 priority actions;
agreed that the action plan priorities for 2001/04 are taken into account in the budget preparation for 2001/02 and are reflected in departmental service plans for 2001/04.

Among a number of other things, the Council has requested that the Directors of Social Work, City Development and Education prepare a joint report on community transport services in the context of the Local Transport Strategy, and that service departments identify targets to measure success in implementing the strategy over a ten year period.

The Edinburgh Partnership Group is to seek formal approval of A City for All Ages and its action plans for 2000/05 from all partner agencies.

(Executive of the Council, 19 December 2000)

Leith and Portobello

The Council has recognised that Leith and Portobello might be sidelined due to the concentration on the Granton Waterfront development. Particularly in Leith, social indicators and unemployment figures show that the community is not benefiting from the general upturn in Edinburgh’s economy. To redress the imbalance, the Council has agreed a number of priority measures for the two areas.

As the problems of the two areas are quite different, they require different solutions. In Portobello there will be a series of low key environmental improvements. In Leith there needs to be a more structured response involving the Council and other agencies.

The regeneration of Leith through commercial and housing developments around the docklands area has resulted in a fear that Commercial Street could act as a social divide between people living in Leith’s tenement heartland and those in the more "upmarket" properties. The Director of City Development has reported on a number of initiatives designed to create economic, physical and social links between the areas.

The Leith Local Access Network has been established to maximise the economic benefits and employment opportunities of developments, including Ocean Terminal. Edinburgh’s Local Labour Agreement provides a framework for maximising training and local recruitment to jobs in new developments. Close links will be established with the Waterfront Recruitment Centre.

As part of the Leith community capacity building programme, the Council will establish a community development resource in the area. Through developing the community skills base, local people will be empowered to influence and participate in the decision making process.

The Council’s Housing Department has prepared a strategy for tackling housing problems in the area. Among other things, it will implement an Affordable Housing Policy, with the City Development Department, to make the provision of affordable housing a requirement of certain housing proposals.

In Portobello, the Council will carry out a number of physical improvements to the Promenade area, including renewal of railings and painting of street furniture. There will be a range of environmental improvements at and around Portobello Beach. A programme of promotional activities is underway to increase visitor numbers and support economic and tourist developments in Portobello.

The Council has, among other things, noted the progress being made and agreed the action outlined in the Director of City Development’s report. The Director is to report further on a number of matters, including additional measures to improve Portobello Beach and the Leith community capacity building project.

(Executive of the Council, 19 December 2000)

Administration and Funding of Elections

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA) has written to all local councils asking for their views on the future planning of elections. In particular, comments were invited on the administration of Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections held on the same day, and the funding of elections.

The Council has agreed that the views expressed in the report by the Returning Officer be forwarded to CoSLA. The Returning Officer advised that it was essential that the issue of the timing of election counts be addressed, and that a comprehensive review of the funding of national elections should be undertaken. The Council has also recommended that election counts for Parliamentary and local government elections should be carried out on different days.

(The City of Edinburgh Council, 25 January 2001)

Local Economic Forums

The Council has approved its response to the Scottish Executive’s draft national guidelines for Local Economic Forums.

The Council supports the proposal to establish Local Economic Forums, and as a democratically elected body anticipates taking a leading role in the development of the local Forum.

Among a number of responses to specific questions, the Council has said it was essential that Forums were seen as part of the community planning framework, and that it was recognised that local authorities have the lead role in the community planning process. The Council also believes there is a clear need to establish a monitoring and evaluation group for each area that would be responsible for recording, reporting and monitoring the performance of the Local Economic Forums.

(The City of Edinburgh Council, 25 January 2001)

Review of Penalty Charge Notice

The Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) level is currently set at £40, discounted to £20 for payment within 14 days. This level applies throughout the Special Parking Area (SPA).

The Council has agreed to raise the level of penalty charges issued within the SPA from £40 to £60, while maintaining the 50% discount level. The Council noted that the extra sums raised would be allocated to transport projects, and recommended that as part of the budget process charges for on-street residents’ parking be frozen.

The Director of City Development’s report said that the purpose of increasing the level of the penalty charge was to increase the deterrent effect and improve compliance with traffic regulations. The new charge is expected to increase income to the Council by approximately £1 million.

(The City of Edinburgh Council, 25 January 2001)

Urban Fox Sightings

The Director of Environmental and Consumer Services has reported that during the year October 1999 to October 2000 there have been 150 reported sightings of urban foxes in Edinburgh. Complaints raised concerned damage to gardens, interference with refuse bags and barking.

There are approximately 50 family groups of foxes in Edinburgh with each group consisting of between two and four adults plus cubs born that year. The Director notes that many members of the public are pleased to see foxes in their neighbourhood. Judged against the volume of complaints received, damage done by foxes within the city is not considered to be a serious issue.

The Council has agreed:

that the Department of Environmental and Consumer Services should continue to act in an advisory capacity in relation to deterrent methods, including fencing and approved fox repellents;
to note that members of the public could employ the Department to undertake the trapping and humane destruction of urban foxes on a rechargeable basis.

(Executive of the Council, 16 January 2001)

Gull Problems

At its meeting of 16 January 2001, the Executive of the Council considered a report by the Director of Environmental and Consumer Services proposing options for dealing with the city’s seagull population and to reduce the nuisance caused by feral birds. The Executive agreed:

to continue consideration of the matter for discussions with the Scottish Executive and the UK Government on methods of dealing with the seagull population as it was not a statutory responsibility of the Council;
to instruct the Director of Environmental and Consumer Services to report on the full costs of a culling programme, and detail the effects of the containerisation of waste programme on the seagull population;
to investigate the legal position in regard to access to communal roofs of tenements to deal with nesting sites.

The Council has approved the decision of the Executive. The Council has also agreed to ask the Director to report on the implications of a pilot programme offering residents a service of nest removal, egg pricking or oiling as appropriate. The Director’s report will also include the implications of contacting owners of public buildings not owned by the Council to encourage them to undertake similar procedures on their properties.

(The City of Edinburgh Council, 25 January 2001)

Capital City Homes

The Director of Housing has reported on progress in developing the Local Housing Company, Capital City Homes (CCH). The company aims to develop new affordable housing within Edinburgh to address the growing shortfall.

The Shadow Board of CCH has now agreed a draft business plan on the basis of the following assumptions:

Council land transferred at nil-consideration for joint venture development;
full utilisation of the £2 million New Housing Partnerships grant for new affordable homes, by 31 March 2002;
transfer at nil-consideration of Below Tolerable Standard pre-1919 stock and long-term empty homes;
rents will be set at current housing association rent levels, plus inflation uplift;
tenancies will be "assured" with no right to buy, subject to the likely creation of the "Single Social Tenancy" in the proposed Housing Bill.

The draft business plan identifies a three-year development programme, with a total of 884 new homes being built. This is based on the assumption of a transfer of approximately 12 hectares of Council land at nil-consideration. Half of these homes would be available for social rent, the rest for affordable sale and/or market rent. The CCH programme is additional and complementary to the traditional Housing Association programme.

The Council has agreed to the preparation of a tailored outline Business Case for the Council and to the secondment of a member of Housing staff to CCH. The Council has noted the requirement for land transfer at nil-consideration to support Capital Homes’ activities and the Council’s corporate objectives.

(Executive of the Council, 16 January 2001)

Festivals in Edinburgh – Financial Review

The Chief Executive previously reported on the importance of the festivals to Edinburgh’s economy and international reputation as a destination for cultural tourism. His report looked mainly at the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh International Science Festival. The Director of Recreation has now reported on the financial position of the other festivals which are supported by the Council. His report also looks at the possibility of re-launching a Folk or Traditional Music Festival and the means by which local community events can be supported.

On the basis of the detailed financial position for each festival, the majority of festivals are in a reasonable financial position. Over the period 1996/97 to 1998/99, the festivals’ total income was made up of:

Council funding, 18.2%;
sponsorship and donations, 23.4%;
box office receipts and ancillary income, 58.4%.

By and large, the festivals as a group are performing well. In addition to financial support, the Council offers other assistance including officer support and help in kind.

The Council currently offers support to community festivals and events through grants, sponsorship, officer support, use of Education and Recreation premises for meetings and administrative support by Community Education.

Due to accumulated deficits, insufficient sponsorship and low box office returns, the Folk Festival ceased operating in December 1999. The Council would look at any re-launch carefully prior to any financial commitment. The Recreation and Education Departments are working with a number of interested parties on the development of traditional music. The Festivals Strategy, currently in preparation, will provide guidance on the positioning of any future Traditional Music Festival.

Among other things, the Council has agreed:

to introduce funding agreements for all new and existing festivals, which set out key targets and performance indicators that could be monitored and reported;
to require festivals in a financial relationship with the Council to prepare, and submit for scrutiny, a three-year business plan;
to adopt a consistent approach to the objectives that are set by festivals in their funding agreements with the Council and, in future, to give more emphasis to social inclusion goals.

Further reports are to be submitted on future Council support for community festivals and events and on the re-establishment of a Folk/Traditional Music Festival.

(Executive of the Council, 21 November 2000; Social Justice and Older People Scrutiny Panel, 9 January 2001)