Author: LPL

A long-awaited report into the capital’s Common Good assets fund found that the city council pocketed thousands of pounds meant for the people.

The report by officials to go before councillors at the end of the month came after an expert in common good assets – properties historically owned by the taxpayer and managed by local authority custodians – claimed around £20m worth of such land had been mishandled.

The investigation fund that £70,000 from the sale of such property at Granton Road, between 1996 and 2003, was paid into the housing revenue account rather that the common good fund.

The Council was told that the money should be repaid to the common good fund and it has also called for changes in the “management and accounting principles governing the common good fund”.

The investigation also found that the Council’s city chambers, The Meadows parkland and some roads, but not property across the Old Town, New Town, Leith and Portobello, are assets of the common good fund.

Andy Wightman, a recognised Scottish land reform expert, claimed that the former Waverley Market on the south side of Princes Street was transferred out of the common good fund by councillors in 1982 before it was replaced by Princes Mall shopping centre.

The centre has since been sold on, but it was estimated that if it had remained in the common good fund it could have earned millions in rent and still be worth around £20m as a capital asset.

However, the new report by the director of finance, Donald McGougan, said that the council of 1937-8 transferred the fruit and vegetable market from Waverley to East Market Street.

He said: “Accordingly Waverley Market ceased to be part of the common good at the time of the transfer of the fruit and vegetable market to East Market Street.”

The balance of the fund as at March 31, 2007, was £1.67m, which has increased from a balance of £0.88m inherited from Edinburgh District Council on April 1 1996.

Author: LPL

If this position statement is to provide the basis for consensus across our community sector, it will need to be improved and filled out by our supporters. In particular, the achievement of a comprehensive menu of Action Points is only possible with extensive input from front line activists.

Download Position Statement here

Author: LPL

Meadowbank is still seen as a Council Cashline by many in the new administration. At the recent Full Council meeting (Dec 20th), councillors were presented with a report by Council officials that recommended the sell-off of part of the Meadowbank site to finance the upgrade of the Royal Commonwealth Pool, and to put the fate of what remains of Meadowbank on hold.

The only small concession that was made to public opinion (deputations from this campaign, athletes, cyclists, and Trinity Community Council voiced their opposition) was that councillors agreed that land at Meadowbank ‘may’ have to be sold, rather than ‘will’ have to be sold!
Clearly this is unacceptable to the centre’s users, the local and wider public, and consequently, the Save Meadowbank Campaign.

The main success of the public pressure exerted on councillors in the run-up to and during the meeting was the exposure of the Council’s plan to sell out our world-leading cycling community by selling off and not replacing their cycle track. They had intended to keep this quiet until it was too late; instead, now, if they decide to go ahead with their plan, they will have to do so openly, and in the face of strong opposition.

Their is no scope for any reduction in the range of sports provision currently on offer at Meadowbank, and the concept of selling off any part of this sporting land to finance the upgrade of the RCP is one that is lost on anyone who has been subjected to the pro-sport, pro-health, anti-obesity rhetoric of the Westminster, Holyrood, and local governments.

A long-term approach to the financing of sports provision in Edinburgh must replace the unsustainable sell-off now, pay later approach of recent decades. Meadowbank has enormous social and cultural value, on top of its obvious sporting function. It has a clear role in addressing health, social inclusion and anti-social behaviour issues, and the many thousands of people of all ages and social backgrounds that use the centre will vouch for its value in improving community cohesion. If the effort is made, many different budgets should be accessible.

This campaign continues to fights for the interests of all those who were originally (and deliberately) kept well out of this debate.

Please contact your local councillors and MSPs to let them know your opinion. Their contact details and more information can be found on our website: www.savemeadowbank.org

Author: LPL

The SNP made clear in its manifesto that it wants to support community empowerment and LPL understands that the Government’s proposed strategy on this will surface by the end of March. Many LPL supporters have been helping with the consultation led by Communities Scotland.

Download Position Statement here

Author: LPL

Most importantly, our position statement is an Action Plan which identifies the specific measures required to create the environment in Scotland for a thriving community sector. Some of these measures are structural requiring Government to take action but mostly empowerment happens at community level.

Download Position Statement here

Author: LPL

Our position statement outlines what we understand community empowerment to mean and the implications this has for current Government policies like community planning. We also outline why we consider community empowerment to be essential for the future prosperity of our country.

Download Position Statement here

Author: LPL

A global arts festival that began in Edinburgh last year is poised to treble in size after being flooded with interest from even more countries across the world. Organisers behind the Craigmillar World Community Arts Day said they had been “inundated” with calls and e-mails from community groups.

Artists from Europe, the United States, South Africa, India, Brazil and Australia have already signed up for the second festival, which will include art shows and a range of community projects set up over the internet.

Andrew Crummy, one of the organisers, said scores of events would be taking place – in Edinburgh and around the globe – during the one-day extravaganza on February 17.

He said: “We were surprised by the success of our first world arts day, but this year will be much bigger. We’re looking at having at least 300 events in countries all around the world, so we’re absolutely delighted by the response.

“There are African Aids charities and groups working with street children in Brazil who have contacted us about hosting events. The organisers behind the Brazil project even likened their work to the kind of thing we are doing here in Craigmillar, so it’s nice to see the event spreading further.

“In our first year we had groups from the United States, Mexico and Australia joining in, and they have all been back in touch about this year’s event.”

The inaugural world arts day was set up to commemorate the death in 2006 of Theatre Workshop creator Reg Bolton, who suffered a fatal heart attack at his home in Australia.

Mr Bolton, 60, was best known for his theatre and circus work in Craigmillar during the 1970s, as well as his vision of bringing performing arts to the city’s most deprived areas.

Among the installations planned for the 2008 festival will be a photography and folk music exhibition called Migrant Voices, which will be staged in Singapore by artist Sha Najak, and a special performance by acclaimed Indian dancer Saroja Vaidyanthan.

Both the Children At Risk Foundation, based in Brazil, and community groups in Slovenia, will run art projects for impoverished children in their respective countries during the arts day.

Closer to home, festival organisers have encouraged children from around the world to create paper boats containing positive messages.

The boats are expected to be displayed at this year’s Three Harbours Festival in Prestonpans.

Deidre Brock, the city’s arts and culture leader, said she was delighted to see that the event was growing in popularity.

She said: “It’s great to see this locally-based arts initiative growing and developing on a global stage.

“With a fantastic imaginative approach, word seems to be spreading fast, so I’m sure next year’s event will be a huge success.”

http://www.communiversity.org.uk/worldcommunityartsday.htm

Author: LPL

Residents of the tiny Hebridean island of Eigg are counting down the days until they get mains electricity for the first time.

The new environmentally friendly power source, nicknamed “Eiggtricity”, will come from a £1.5m solar, wind and hydro generating station that has been built on the island.

The Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust has formed a company to operate the new network, which will provide electricity to the island’s 87 residents. Most of the money for the scheme has been raised through residents’ donations and a grant from the EU’s regional development programme
The network was due to be switched on before Christmas, but bad weather and technical problems have caused delays.

The secretary of the trust, Maggie Fyffe, 58, said: “We have been working on this for more than five years and it is going to make a massive difference to people here, most of whom have to rely on dirty, expensive and unreliable diesel generators.

“Laying a cable across the sea from the mainland would have been much too expensive so we had to set about organising our own supply. We finally got all the money together just over a year ago and since then the biggest job has been laying cable to people’s houses, which are scattered all over the island.”
Simon Helliway, 55, who runs the Glebe Barn hotel, moved to Eigg 32 years ago. He said: “We took the lack of electricity as an exciting challenge early on. That novelty has worn off and you would like to be able to make a cup of tea without worrying about the power source. It will make a massive difference to us … The new supply will bring us into the 21st century at last.”

Author: LPL

A film made by 10 children from Knoydart is the only Scottish entry chosen in Best Film(under 12’s) category at the National First Light Movies Awards. The film, entitled `Munchatreeaforest`, is about forest regeneration and the effect it is having on them and their community. The film can be viewed at Film Street. See http://www.filmstreet.co.uk/thestreet/cinema/screenone/viewfilm.aspa?pageid=266&nodeid=189&videoid=230

Author: LPL

Statement from Dharmendra Kanani (CEO BIG Lottery) re Strategic Partnership Board

Dynamic Inclusive Communities

I confirmed that the Scotland Committee agreed a timescale and process for considering the responsive strand of this funding which would mean Outline Proposal Forms would have to be submitted by 31st January 2008. This is likely to result in decisions being made in this area in October. The Scotland Committee is keen to have an overview of funding in this area about how we can add real value to National Voluntary Sector Intermediaries and to reflect how this funding has synergy with the supporting voluntary action solicitation from SCVO. It is this desire to have a strategic overview which has led to this new timescale and process. Details of this are on our website. It should be noted that we recognise the impact of this new timescale on organisations and their plans and as a result the Scotland Committee will take a view on this timescale early in the New Year when we have a better idea of the number and quality of bids submitted to us.

Strategic Partnership Board

There appears to be confusion about the role and purpose of the Strategic Partnership Board (SPB). The establishment of an SPB is a result of the Scotland Committee’s consideration of and decision on SCVO’s Supporting Voluntary Action (SVA) solicited bid. The Committee is keen to ensure that there is a strategic overview of SVA to ensure that there is a wide cross-sectoral engagement in and delivery of this significant change agenda for the voluntary sector in Scotland. BIG is conscious of the fact that its investment needs to respond, be aligned to and form part of a wider set of institutional structures and funding across Scotland. The Chair of the SPB would be independent and the Board would be made up of a wide cross section of stakeholders and interests. Clearly, the interests and the needs of social enterprise will form part of the consideration of the board and its composition.