Street lights - keeping them on and the ward safe!

I've been contacted many times recently surrounding a number of street lights out in the area and this has found me taking greater notice of what is above my head when walking around the ward at night.

As the winter weather draws in and the light has gone by 4pm, the Council must ensure that street lights are kept working. Many people have complained to me that they don't feel safe if street lights are faulty.

This must be a top priority for the Council and I'll be ensuring any lights reported to me are brought to their attention immediately.

Positive action sees Gylemuir grit bin issues sorted in 48 hours

Following complaints by residents in Gylemuir on the 15th that their grit bins hadn't been filled despite contacting the Council a total of 4 times, I'm delighted to hear from a resident today that, just 48 hours later, the grit bins have been replenished.

Whilst the weather this year has been more mild than last year, it does not mean that the Council can avoid doing the basics to ensure that residents are prepared if the weather does get worse.

Misery for Mearenside residents over BusTracker removal

Following recent correspondence received from Mearenside residents, I have been in touch with the Council in respect of the broken / missing BusTracker situated beside the bus stop on Maybury Drive.

Unfortunately, due to continued mindless vandalism, Edinburgh Council, who operate in conjunction with Lothian Buses, have decided that the BusTracker will not be replaced.

Here is the body of the email I received today notifying me of the decision:

From: My BusTracker MyBusTracker@edinburgh.gov.uk 12/15/11

Dear Mr Brown,

Thank you for your email.

We have no plans to replace the Bustracker display at Mearenside. Unfortunately the Bustracker displays that were placed along Maybury Drive have been repeatedly vandalised and were all removed a few months ago.

After some community and local Councillor pressure we did reluctantly agree to replace the sign at Mearenside but on the strict understanding that if it were to be vandalised again, then it would be removed permanently. Unfortunately this has now happened.

This area has proven to be the worst location for such vandalism and the first location where we have had to take this action. I know that it will be a minority of mindless individuals that are causing the problem and it is the whole community that will suffer from the loss of the displays but the cost of repeated repairs is simply not sustainable.

Kind regards,
Stuart

Stuart Lowrie
The City of Edinburgh Council
Transport Policy & Planning

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I have since been in touch with Lothian & Borders Police re this regrettable action and will be meeting shortly with an Officer from the Safer Neighbourhood Team to discuss crime in the area and how positive prevention can help put forward a case for a return of the Bustracker.

More on this in the New Year!

Winter Weather Preparation a must for Drum Brae / Gyle

I've been working hard recently to keep up the pressure on the Council to ensure the city is prepared for winter weather.

Thanks to my Conservative colleagues at the City Chambers, the city is now better prepared if we have a repeat of the terrible weather we had last winter. Whilst the city centre was cleared relatively quickly, it was the outlying areas such as the Drum Brae / Gyle area that took too long to clear.

The following actions will take place should snow fall like last year:

1: More roads have been designated 'Category 1' meaning they will be cleared with greater urgency. For an interactive map of where your local grit bin is, and information on what category your road is, search online for 'Edinburgh Council' and Winter road and pavement maintenance'

2: 680km of Priority 1 pavements have been identified to be treated by the Council's 20 mini-tractors in the event of snow. These include pedestrian access to schools, medical facilities and essential local shopping areas.

3: Increased the Council's salt stocks from 7200 tonnes that were held at the start of last winter, to over 25,000 tonnes to be in place by the end of October.

If you have any further queries or issues, please do not hesitate to get in touch, or if you have any questions regarding the above items, please contact the Council's Winter Weather Team or email: winter.maintenance@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 529 3685

Rannoch Road Walkway improvements on their way

I am delighted to report that I have pressed local officials into re-opening the files on the Rannoch Road walkway weed misery, after almost 2 and a half years, literally, in the wilderness.

Following a recent meeting with frustrated local residents, I contacted the West Neighbourhood Team highlighting the eyesore shown in the pictures below.

Having previously installed a fence at a cost of £6k in Phase 1 of the project some time ago, the overgrown weeds and unsightly bushes are now back on the agenda thanks to my persistence in getting a positive outcome for fed-up residents.

I have been advised that there will be consultation letters going out to all residents regarding the refurbishment of the drying areas in order that the Council can achieve a practical long term solution to the maintenance of these areas.

After discussions with the Council officials, Phase 2 of the project which concentrates on the unused ground and the maintenance of the area is now thankfully under review and the project to be revisited in 2012.

By listening and taking on board resident's concerns, the project will not be seeking to put in place any seating or play facilities within the area.

There is however some fantastic news for the immediate rejuvenation of the area.

Correspondence received earlier this week from the Services for Communities team notes that whilst the long term plan is for full refurbishment, in the interim period the Council will carry out work to clear the area of weeds.

Taking residents issues head on and delivering actions – not words – is key for any aspiring Councillor. I will deliver what I promise and will takeup any and all issues on your behalf.

I promise that if elected next May, I will be a strong voice for you as your representative at the Council. I believe that many politicians forget about the local communities andthe people who live there. I promise to put local people first in any decision.

If you would like to discuss this, or any other issue in the area, please contact me either on 0776 4149767 or email at mark.brown@scottishconservatives.com