Tram line 3 still on hold

The Edinburgh tram network was always envisaged as having a line running through Southside and Newington. A route has long been safeguarded down the bridges and on to Cameron Toll and the Royal Infirmary. This article implies that it has been resurrected. In fact it has been a safeguarded route since the trams project started. That does not mean it will go ahead.

For sure, now is not the time to divert energy to bringing it forward. Certainly, the route should be safeguarded. It makes much more economic sense to have an additional route southwards from the city centre where the potential numbers of users is far greater than the ill fated line 1b to the north. But not now. Here is the proposed route. It should be noted there are current proposals for an amendment allowing the route to run parallel to Lady Road. This alteration would come if the current proposals to upgrade the Cameron Toll Centre were to be passed.

Melville Drive closed after collision

Melville Drive was closed last evening for to police investigation unit to carry out their enquiries into a collision which resulted in a 64 year old pedestrian being seriously injured after a collision with a car. The incident occurred near the pedestrian crossing opposite Victor Hugos near Livingston Place. More details here.

Lady Provost visits 108 year old

Helen Marshall from the Savile area was visited recently by the Lady Provost as this report records. An earlier post can be found here.

Wed: community councils & surgeries

Tomorrow you can visit me at my surgeries - the details are on this page.

Both Southside and Marchmont/Sciennes Community Councils meet tomorrow. Times, agendas and locations on their web pages. You don't have to be a community councillor to attend. All are welcome.

Local scientist defends climate emails

Scientists at the King's Buildings campus of Edinburgh University have close links to the group of researchers at the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia where the director Phil Jones recently stood down pending an investigation. For more local background on what has been dubbed Climategate see here.

Professor Tom Crowley, has been mounting a defence of the CRU researchers under fire and himself features in the leaked email correspondence. In an interview with the Washington Post he defends the technique which was referred to in the emails as 'Mike's Nature trick'. A detailed explanation and (critical) analysis of 'Mike's Nature trick' (which addresses the hockey stick concept of global warming) can be found here.

Professor Crowley also features in a BBC interview with Professor Phillip Stott here.

Local resident Professor Simon Tett, chair of Earth System Dynamics and Modelling at Edinburgh University also features in the leaked emails. He contributed to the last three IPCC assessments and has provided scientific advice to the UK government on the science of climate change.

Alex Arthur defeated

Local boxer and former world champion Alex Arthur lost his fight at the weekend and now ponders the future. Details here.

Sciennes young cancer patient provision

The Sick Kids hospital in Sciennes has opened a unit for young cancer patients. Further details here.

Amazing Alex Arthur in action again

Tomorrow local boxer Alex Arthur boxes to save his career, according to this article in the BoxRec News. Alex stays with his family in the Southside.

Observatory building repair programme

A programme to carry out repairs to the Royal Observatory has been unveiled. It is expected to result in significant changes in appearance. Details here.

£750k government grant for local charity

The Bike Station in Causewayside has been awarded the above sum to take measures to encourage people to use bikes and leave their cars at home. Details here.

If you use buses and have an iphone

Try Edinbus, an application your iPhonewhich tells you when the next LRT bus is due. Download the app here and find more information about how Gordon Christie came to develop it here.

150 at Newington parking meeting

Around 150 people crammed into the main hall at the Royal Blind School in Craigmillar Park last night to consider the latest proposals to alleviate the parking pressures in the area.

Amongst many suggestions and comments there were three themes which came through loud and clear in a heated encounter as local residents put their views.

1. The artificial boundaries and pressures created by the introduction of the S1 controlled parking zone 3 years ago must be rolled back to make better use of the roadspace currently largely unused. The measures to allow cheaper parking within S1 are too little, too late.
2. The Council should actively investigate and pursue some form of permit system for local residents in the most affected areas, possibly linked to the current proposals.
3. Measures which would reduce long stay parking of non residents were considered to be essential.

There were many more points made, especially recognising the futility of simply pushing the parking pressures from one area further out to a new area.

Responses to this informal consultation should be communicated to controlledparkingzone@edinburgh.gov.uk and it will be helpful if you can copy them to myself. Responses will be accepted up to the end of the first week in January.

Ceilidh praise for Prestonfield

Here is a letter in the local paper from a Prestonfield Primary School parent (Clare Clarkson) praises James Thomson and the Prestonfield Hotel for hosting the recent school ceilidh. (Scroll down to the last letter.)

St Patrick Square lights switch on

The Christmas lights in St Patrick Square will be switched on this evening. The event begins at 6:00pm. More details here.

Blind Poet moves on . . .

The Stevie Agnew Band is no longer the regular Wednesday night resident band at the Blind Poet in Nicolson Street - ending a 15 year run. Details here.

Newington parking consultation reminder

Tomorrow the plans for the new parking controls will be on display at a meeting at the Royal Blind School in Craigmillar Park. The display is from 6:30pm and there will be a question and answer session from 7pm.

More details can be found in this earlier post - or on the Grange/Prestonfield Community Council website.

Guerilla knitters strike Bristo Square

Look here to see the signpost in Bristo Square which has been lovingly prepared for winter.

Local writer Marjory Wilson dies

Blacket resident Marjorie Wilson died at the age of 97 recently. More details on her remarkable life here.

Congratulations on reaching 108

Congratulations to Helen Marshall, who lives just off West Savile Terrace, who will reach the age of one hundred and eight years tomorrow.

Red ribbons in the Meadows

World Aids Day is next week and the ribbons tied to trees in the Meadows have been authorised to mark the event.

Local scientists feature in climate emails

Following the internet publication of programme code and email exchanges amongst key climate scientists at the University of East Anglia, it has become clear that they indicate some local scientists have been close to those at the centre of the controversy.

The emails from the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia were published on 17th November and since then debate has raged about their significance.

There have been calls for the head of the CRU Phil Jones to resign (eg by George Monbiot here) and the controversy continues over the methods revealed in the emails and the robustness of the foundational research at the CRU which has been at the heart of public policy on climate change.

Edinburgh University scientists at the Grant Institute at Kings Buildings feature in the emails - showing their proximity to the CRU and aspects of these key areas of climate change debate. They include Gabriele Hegerl, Professor of Climate System Science and Professor Thomas Crowley, Director of the Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Environment and Society (SAGES).

See new Newington parking proposals

Following the fall of the extension of the controlled parking zone in Grange/Newington earlier in the year new, more limited, proposals are being brought forward. These include a first for Edinburgh - placing short sections of yellow line which prohibit parking for a one or two hour period during the day. This will prevent long term parking in these otherwise uncontrolled areas and ensure a turnover of use.

Maps showing these (and other proposals) can be viewed at a public meeting at 7.00pm on Tuesday 1st December in the Royal Blind School (Craigmillar Park). The draft plans will be on view from 6.30pm, and Council staff will be on hand to explain the proposals and to answer questions. A formal question and answer session will commence at 7.00pm.

The draft plans are also available to view at Newington Library, during their normal opening hours. Here are links to the three plan documents.

1. South Oswald to Blackford Avenue
2. Blackford Avenue to S Lauder Road
3. South Lauder Road to Mayfield Road
4. Mayfield Road to Mayfield Gardens

Background to the CPZ can be found here and here.

Comments can be made to controlledparkingzone@edinburgh.gov.uk

West Savile traffic lights to be installed

The Transport Committee today confirmed that traffic lights will be installed at the junction of Mayfield Road and West Savile Terrace. The work is likely to be carried out before the end of March 2010. Previous posts can be accessed from here.

In addition parking charges are to be reduced at 42 9 hour bays in the Grange. It will cost £2 to park for the full day. Details of the proposal can be found in this post.

St Leonards collision victim serious

A 56 year old male pedestrian is being treated for serious head injuries after a collision in St Leonard's Street near Lutton Place yesterday. The collision took place just after 8pm on Sunday evening. Details here.

Local work promises power revolution

Dr Markus Mueller of the University of Edinburgh and Alasdair McDonald are test marketing a radical new design of generator which has the potential to provide cheaper energy from lighter and more efficient generators. They work at the University's Institute of Energy Systems at King's Buildings. More information in today's Times.

The month so far

Some stories you may have missed this month:

1. The J K Rowling cafe reopens as Spoon
2. Man on crutches sought for Odeon breakin
3. The Royal Blind School unveils development plans
4. Remembrance in Prestonfield
5. Traffic 1: Proposals to improve Cameron Toll approach
6. Traffic 2: Parking proposals for Grange/Newington
7. Traffic 3: Parking prices to fall in Grange?
8. Local resident George Burley goes
9. Prestonfield hammer throwing star - Black is back
10. City economy watch

Parking prices in Grange to fall?

It is 3 years since the controlled parking zone known as S1 was introduced in the Grange area.

There is a report to the Transport committee next Tuesday which proposes to reduce the charge at forty two of the 9 hour bays in Lauder Road and Dick Place to £2.

The reason is to reduce the contrast between streets just beyond the outer edge of the zone (which are packed) and those within the zone (which now have relatively few cars).

You can read the report and see the map of the streets affected here. Any views will be welcomed

Herald award for Gavin Brown MSP

The 'One to Watch' award in the the Herald's politician of the year awards at Prestonfield Hotel last night went to Gavin Brown MSP.

Judges were impressed by 'his quiet authority in debate which has marked him out as a potential future leader of his party'.

Gavin is well know to many in the Southside and Newington ward having stood locally as Conservative candidate in 2005 and 2007. More details and other winners here.

Parking proposals for Grange, Newington

Following the abandonment of the extension of the controlled parking zone in the Grange area, new more modest local proposals have been brought forward for local comment.

The proposals will introduce single yellow lines to certain parts of certain streets for one or two hours only in certain parts of some streets. This is designed to limit long term parking. These proposals affect the area between Blackford Avenue and Mayfield Road. In addition there are yellow lines on parts of Blackford Avenue, and yellow lines on a few selected residential streets in the area bounded by Dalkeith Road, the South Sub railway, Mayfield Road and East and West Mayfield.

The draft proposals will be on display in Newington Library from this Friday (20th).

In addition, there will be a consultation meeting in the Royal Blind School (entrance from Craigmillar Park) on Tuesday 1st December. The proposal maps will be on display from 6:30pm and there will be a question and answer session from 7pm.

Community Council on Wednesday

Grange/Prestonfield Community Council meets tomorrow when the agenda includes the proposed traffic lights for West Savile Terrace at Mayfield Road, and details of proposals for parking changes in the Grange area.

George Burley goes

Local resident George Burley lost his job as Scotland manager yesterday.

Odeon break-in details

This newsblog reported earlier this month a break-in at the unoccupied Odeon premises in Clerk Street. Today the Evening News reports that a group of urban explorers have entered the premises as part of a range of exploits to take pictures in unusual places. However there is no indication the break-in reported earlier this month is connected to such exploits. The urban explorers break-in was reported in April this year.

NATO meetings go quietly

It was in November 2008 that fly posting in the Southside area of the ward trailed advanced planning by anti-militarists and extreme left and anarchist groups for an major demonstration for the November 2009 NATO meeting in Edinburgh.

In the event scenes from the Gleneagles G8 were not replicated over the weekend and the Meadows saw a small demonstration by about 20 people. Even the fly posting over the past week has been very limited with much of it quickly removed.

I understand many of the usual protestors, often billeted at the Bilston protest site, have been engaged at another Lanarkshire protest site. It may also represent a fall in support for the anarchy groups which have caused damage in the this area previously. I

Local resident under a spot of pressure

Scotland's 3-0 defeat by Wales has brought a bit of job pressure for the Scotland manager, George Burley who lives in the ward. The Daily Mail suggests this morning his job is safe whilst The Scotsman states his time is nearly up - as does the BBC.

Prestonfield hammer thowing star

Chris Black, a well known figure from Scottish athletics of yesteryear, is back making an attempt on the British hammer throwing record for his age group. Chris stays in Prestonfield. More details here.

Community Councils meetings this month

• Southside: 7pm tomorrow 11th
• Marchmont/Sciennes: 7:30pm tomorrow 11th
• Grange/Prestonfield: 7pm Wed 18th

Check the websites for agendas and locations.

Edinburgh Economy Watch

• Housing: The average house price in Edinburgh in September was 206k, that is 1k more than Sept '08
• Planning/Development: Planning applications and Building Warrants issued are both down on Sept '08
• City Centre: Footfall counters in Princes St outside Marks & Spencer Carphone warehouse show reduced traffic on Oct 08 but the George Street counter is markedly up
• Tourism: Almost 855,000 passengers passed through Edinburgh Airport in September 3.8% more than in Sept '08. Comparator airports all showed a significant decline. Sept '09 hotel room occupancy rose to 87%, up one percentage point from Sept 08. Takings per room was down although the number of rooms available is significantly up
• Labour Market: Unemployment is up to 3.1% (9,995 receiving Jobseeker's Allowance). The comparative rates are 4% for Scotland and 5.8% for comparator cities
• Investment: Measured by Business Gateway start-ups (123 in Sept '09, 21.7% fewer than Sept 2008) and Foreign Direct Investment (none in Sept '09 but the figures for 2009 so far are significant.

This post is an introduction to some figures which give an indication how Edinburgh's economy is coping with the recession. The figures are produced monthly by the Council's Economic Development Unit. The latest monthly figures in more detail are here.

All in all Edinburgh has not been hit as much as other parts of Scotland and the UK - and tourism has performed very well.

Remembrance in Prestonfield

The scene at Prestonfield War Memorial at the 2009 remembrance with about 65 people in attendance including local schoolchildren.

The ceremony was led by Jared Hay, the new minister of Priestfield Church.

Remembrance events locally

Tomorrow there will be services of remembrance throughout the city. The official city event will be at the at the war memorial outside the City Chambers at 10:45am on Sunday 11th. There will be other acts of remembrance services in churches through the Southside & Newington ward. The war memorial in Prestonfield Avenue will be the scene of a local remembrance service in the Prestonfield area. The location can be found here.

St Leonard's Nursery honour

The headteacher attended a Downing Street reception after being shortlisted in the sustainable schools category of the National Teaching Awards. St Leonard's Nursery is in West Adam Street off the Pleasance. More details here.

Craigmillar Park School to unveil plans

The Royal Blind School in Craigmillar Park is ready to unveil plans for their development over the next few years. It is expected there will be a planning application lodged around the end of November and they are looking towards Phase 1 of their upgrade to the campus to begin in the summer of 2010.

Last night they presented the plans to some local residents and Community Council representatives showing a model of the proposals.

Phase 1 is to address their top priority - to provide an accommodation block on the west side of the site - enabling them to release several accommodation properties elsewhere. Phase 1 is planned to last until the end of summer 2011, followed (resources permitting) by phases which will upgrade and relocate the swimming pool and the Scottish Braille Press building.

Prestonfield Hotel: route to top

James Thomson is the proprietor of the Prestonfield Hotel, Edinburgh's only 5 star hotel. he also runs the Witchery by the castle and the rooftop Tower Restaurant at the Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street. Here is an article in today's Independent sketching his background.

Proposals to improve Cameron Toll flow

Cameron Toll is recognised as one of the bottlenecks into and out of the city. A £750,000 scheme to provide a new bus lane southwards in Old Dalkeith Road on the approach to the junction will come before the transport committee on 24th of this month. If approved, the scheme will create a dedicated lane for buses, cycles and taxis - making way for a second southbound lane for other traffic. Here are some more details.

Man with crutches sought for break-in

Police have issued a description of a man they are seeking after a break-in at the Odeon on Saturday past. The man is described as white, in his late 30s, medium to heavy build, clean shaven with fair hair and using crutches.

A result of the Scottish Government enquiry into the current proposals for the Odeon is expected imminently. For those interested in the background debate, information can be found here and here.

More on Savile Terrace upgrade

For those who are following, here is an article from the Evening News on the proposed traffic lights at the junction of West Savile Terrace and Mayfield Road.

STV's Pete Jackson, Earthy and recession

Earthy Food Market at 33-41 Ratcliffe Terrace is run by Pete Jackson who is STV's gardening expert. Here, he features in a recent article on the recession.

Public meeting on parking: Nov 25th

I understand there will be a public meeting on the issue of parking in Newington on the evening of Wednesday 25th November. The meeting is expected to be in Mayfield Salisbury Church Hall.

In July, earlier this year, proposals to extend the controlled parking zone (CPZ) south of S1 were thrown out. This meeting is to test public views for some more localised proposals which have been worked up.

More information will be posted when it becomes available. In the meantime, book the date in your diary.

Rowling cafe opens again

The cafe in Nicolson Street where J K Rowling wrote some of the Harry Potter stories is to re-open as a cafe after years as the Buffet King. There will be an opening party this evening with public opening on Monday. More details here. This is another indication of the extraordinary growth in cafe culture popularity - as reported on this blog here and here.

Weekly Summary - to 31st October

Actually, today's catch-up summary covers two weeks.

1. Murder - in Nicolson Street
2. Local Noisemap - covers Scotland
3. Community Council - new chair
4. Hedgehogs - Prestonfield Hotel
5. London journalists - Meadows tennis
6. Murder - Sudanese man arrested
7. Savile debate - lights proposal
8. Cafe growth - in Southside
9. Higgs Boson - Edinburgh University
10. Car theft - courageous response

MacAskill stunt man injured

We have featured Danny MacAskill on this newsblog earlier this year. The videos of his sensational stunt riding were partly shot in locations familiar to readers of this blog such as George Square, the Meadows and Warrender Park Terrace. After tripping on a pavement, he has an injury which will keep him out of stunt biking for a couple of months - as this BBC article and video report. Danny is from Skye and lives in Leith.