Pop Up Lighting at the Causey

Ever heard of guerilla lighting?  Nope?  well if you are about on 9th March you can get involved with The Causey.

And find out more about The Causey here

Starts with hot drinks and snacks at the South Side Community Centre, 117 Nicolson Street, EH8 9ER at 6.15pm, moves to the site and finishes with refreshments in a local bar at approx 9pm.

The Causey and surrounding area will be lit up, banishing the gloom of winter and showing some of our great buildings in a new light.

They need PopUP torch bearers (aged 18+) prepared to take the risk of having illicit fun. And tips for torchbearers…… 

• Wear dark, warm clothing – you don’t want to be seen
• It will happen whatever the weather – so bring wet weather gear
• Travel light – you may need to move fast – and don’t bring valuables
• All lighting will be provided

So do you fancy it?  You have to register to take part, send your name / address / telephone / email / any special requirements as soon as possible to info@thecausey.org to arrive no later than 3 March 2011. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis

Affordable housing to be built at old ERI site

 New buildings built at Quarter Mile, Lauriston

Hillcrest Housing Association is to build 174 new homes at the old ERI site now called Quartermile. So far luxury and exclusive flats, offices and shops have been built here and some apartments stretching into over £1/2 million.  The old nursing home, which was a listed building was demolished for glass cubes.  However this is good news that new homes are being built.

Lead architect Graeme Armet said: "The 174 affordable housing units are based around a central courtyard with as many balconies and external amenity spaces as we could achieve.

"It is cut away in the south-west corner because we wanted the sunlight and daylight to penetrate the central courtyard and for the units to have as many views across the Meadows as was possible."

Whilst affordable housing is welcome it is hoped that there will be rented secure tenancies offered to families, it is hoped that the homes don't start of as affordable but slowly escalate into expensive holiday lets or buy to let with landlords charging inflated rents.  We hope these homes can be protected to be affordable homes for more than just a couple of years.  The Old Town of Edinburgh has lost the bulk of its affordable housing through the right to buy where once council tenancies for families have been turned into unregulated hotels aka holiday lets.

The City of Edinburgh Council, through the Scottish Government backed affordable housing investment programme will be given £7 m worth of funding.

It was reported in the Edinburgh Evening Newws that Emma Hutchison, Hillcrest's business development manager, said: "We feel that the design perfectly complements the wider Quartermile development. We are providing a range of affordable housing which includes wheelchair accessible and elderly amenity flats.

"We are also providing larger family homes with dedicated terraced spaces which will benefit from magnificent views."

Councillor Paul Edie, the city's housing leader, said: "There is a desperate shortage of affordable housing in the Capital with an estimated 15,800 affordable homes needed over the next ten years.

"Many people cannot afford to get on the property ladder but developments like these represent a lifeline to them."

Granton Development Trust

The Granton sur Mer project are having an Open Community Meeting on Thursday 27 January at The Lighthouse, West Harbour Road. 

Residents, community organisation and business owners are invited to a meeting to discuss the possibility of establishing a development trust.

 Joined Up Master Planning, or JUMP, developed the plans for the Granton sur Mer project, which would see an area close to West Shore Road revamped, with an open-air swimming pool and community arts facility.

It said last summer it was finding it hard to attract investment for the £2 million plan because the city council did not want to give it a one-year option on the site. It hopes that setting up a development trust - a formal body of community members, which could lead the redevelopment - would make it easier to attract funding. It could also lead development projects in other areas.

An informal drop-in will start at 4pm, with a meeting and question and answer session from 6pm to 8pm. For more information call 0131-555 2280 or 0775-261 2607.

City Centre Neighbourhood Partnership seeking your views - complete the survey

Edinburgh is split up into Neighbourhood Partnership, the Old Town is based in the City Centre Neighbourhood.  Currently the Neighbourhood Partnership are seeking your views.  It would be good if many people completed the survey - feel free to use the blank boxes to get the matters you think are important to be included.

You can find the survey here

Your City Centre Your Views 2011-2014

19 January 2011

What are your priorities for the city centre? Take the survey and tell us what you think.

We would like everyone who lives, works, studies or visits the city centre to tell us their views on what the City Centre Neighbourhood Partnership can best do to improve the area over the next three years, 2011-14.
What do you think can make the city centre cleaner, greener, safer, better?
We are developing our new Community Plan which will prioritise the main issues you tell us are important to you. To help us do this, please take a few minutes to complete our survey. By clicking on the link below you will be taken to the survey page where you can access it:
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20056/city_centre_neighbourhood/1293/your_city_centre_your_views_2011_consultation
Your responses will help us improve the city centre for everyone
For more details, please contact Alan Dean on 529-7519 or alan.dean@edinburgh.gov.uk     

Gerry Rafferty singing The Royal Mile

Gerry Rafferty died today - January 4th 2011, so in his memory we thought we would post his song Royal Mile with a wee slide show off the Roayl Mile, Edinburgh