APRIL 2007 Issue No
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The picturethis £50 CHRONICLE voucher to be won APRIL 2007 Issue No. 81 Free See page 14 for competition details Minister marks start of Greendykes regeneration MINISTER FOR Communities be given new homes once the first Rhona Brankin, marked the building phase is complete were start of work on the next phase involved throughout the consulta- of the £180 million regeneration tion process. They were on hand of Craigmillar last month. to join Rhona Brankin in launch- The Minister joined local resi- ing the start of works at dents in launching the start of Greendykes. infrastructure works on the 22- Greendykes resident Mrs acre Greendykes site, earmarked Stewarttold the Chronicle: “I’m for some 620 new homes. very happy that pensioners are The Scottish Executive used the getting the first houses to be built opportunity to confirm details of in Greendykes. There are a lot of £14.4 million grant funding for older people in this area and we PARC - the joint-venture compa- don’t want to move away. We ny leading the regeneration. want to stay together. The people Proposals for PARC’s first who are responsible for building Greendykes homebuilding phase, the houses have actually listened which includes 92 homes, is cur- to us - it’s a great thing.” rently being discussed by the Honor Flynn, vice-chair of the Council’s planning committee. Greendykes Neighbourhood If planning permission is Association said: “In many ways, approved, construction should this has been a model consultation start on this first phase later this process. Right from the start, the year with a completion date set for development team met with resi- early 2009. dents to discuss a range of issues The homebuilding plans for from disability access through to Greendykes are the result of a style and layout of the new homes. three-year consultation process “Residents’ feedback played an bringing together local residents important role in changing the and PARC. plans to make them more in line A group of elderly residents with what residents wanted. It from Greendykes Loan, a shel- sets a good precedent for the next tered housing complex, who will stage of development.” be amongst the first residents to .....Continued on page 3 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Niddrie Mill’s Mr Tedd Local artist’s window-dressing plans! delights page 6 Kenyan kids Higher Education on your doorstep: university Local primary school Niddrie set for autumn opening Mill has been forging close links pages 8&9 with schools in Kenya, Africa. This month the school was visit- April Stars: what’s in store for you? ed by children and teachers from Chogoria High School where page 15 ...continued on page 5 2 The Chronicle...April 2007 The Chronicle is an independent newspaper Council published by Craigmillar GREENDYKES: Community Newspaper Limited (CCN Ltd.) for the payment people of Greater Craigmillar. council denies offices CCN Ltd. is a Private Limited Company funded by the City move to of Edinburgh Council through the Craigmillar tenants are sitting on Partnership and the city centre Edinburgh Community Newspaper Trust. THE CITY OF EDINBURGH gas-leak ‘timebomb’ Council has announced new locations for a few city centre SOME OF THE AREA’S most public offices. vulnerable tenants are sitting on If you want to pay council bills a gas-leak “time bomb”. and rent or parking fines, the pay- That’s that claim of Sheila ments office will no longer be at Skelton, who is registered as dis- Waterloo Place but, at 249 High abled and in receipt of incapacity Street. This office also deals with benefit. She made the claim after council tax and housing benefit The views expressed in the insisting that an inspection by enquiries and residents’ parking Chronicle are not necessari- workmen failed to uncover a gas permits, enquiries and applications. ly those of the Editor or the leak in her ground floor flat in The licensing office - which Board of Directors. Greendykes Road. deals with enquiries and applica- Editor: Sally Fraser The flat underwent its annual tions for all licensing require- council inspection on 10th ments such as taxi, restaurant, bar Reporters: Fergus Grierson January, which it passed. and music venues - has also mov- Anne Glover However, engineers called to put ing to 249 High Street. in new gas wall heaters on 22nd The Council is urging people to The Chronicle February found there was a prob- telephone the general enquiries Unit 9A Castlebrae Business lem with a pipe connected to the line on 0131 200 2323 ahead of Centre, Peffer Place property’s boiler. any visit to the Council’s city cen- Edinburgh EH16 4BB Ms Sheldon explained: “I could Ticking timebomb: The pipe that was removed from Ms Skeldon’s boiler tre offices to check where servic- smell gas but, I could never work es are located. Tel: 0131 661 0791 out where it was coming from. change of tenancy. A complete many more families, the disabled, The move is part of the e-mail: Council engineers had been out and proper inspection was carried and the elderly are the council put- Council’s aim to rationalise its [email protected] and they couldn’t find it but, when out by a qualified gas engineer on ting at risk in the community? I’m offices, giving it a much more engineers subcontracted by the 10 January 2007. There was no scared it’s going to take an acci- efficient and less costly range of Printed by: council to put in the wall heaters gas leak at that time. dent here before we’re taken seri- properties in which to house staff Scottish County Press had finished and done all their “During the installation of sup- ously. I’m going to be pushing for and services. Delivered by: checks they could still smell gas. plementary heating on February compensation, because I’m a Local people can still make their Premier Delivery They checked the boiler and the 22 a section of pipe, including a smoker and they’ve left me in a payments at the Council office, pipe at the side and found it was valve, was removed as the gas house with a gas leak in my living Niddrie Mains Road or at Caring Registered in Scotland hissing because there was gas installer considered the valve to be room. If it had ignited I’d probably in Craigmillar, Community Registration No. 205722 leaking.” faulty. The gas supply was made not be here, or my neighbours.” Centre, 63 Niddrie Mains Terrace. Ms Skeldon says her gas was safe and four days later the coun- turned off immediately with the cil carried out a complete repair. ADVERTISEMENT council returning to fix the prob- “We take tenant safety very seri- COPY FOR lem the next week but, she also ously and would urge all our cus- insisted on keeping the offending tomers to contact National Grid AnnAnn SummersSummers INCLUSION length of pipe as evidence of what Gas (previously Transco) if they she says is negligence by council have any concerns about a gas The Ultimate inspectors. The valve on the pipe leak. We would like to reassure IN THE (pictured above) is noticeably customers that there have been no cracked. reports of a gas leak at this property.” MAY Ms Skeldon told the Chronicle: Work on new housing has begun LLAADDIIEESS “Before they discovered the leak I in Greendykes following a launch ISSUE MUST was using gas like nobody’s busi- last month by Communities ness. I have been in here for near- Minister Rhona Brankin. Much of NNIIGGHHTT IINN ly two years, and it makes you the area has been cleared, but REACH US wonder if it has been leaking since some of the housing stock left is day one. I think it’s got to the amongst the most run down in the No booking fee BY: stage where some of the council greater Craigmillar area. engineers are too lazy to do their Sheila Skeldon believes the 10% hostess discount WEDNESDAY checks properly; their men were problems she had with her gas only in for around 3-5 minutes.” supply are the tip of a much bigger Vacancies in your area 11th APRIL The Council denied the claim and deadlier iceberg, and that the with a council spokesman telling safety of Greendykes residents - Earn £15+ per hour the Chronicle: “We have checked many of whom are from vulnera- 2007 our records for this property and ble groups like the elderly - is there has been no report of a gas being put at risk. Contact Lynn on 07930 956 656 leak or smell of gas since the last She said: “It’s a time bomb; how The Chronicle...April 2007 3 Notice Young people tell bigwigs what Board THEY want to Cafe K see in new Niddrie LOCAL YOUNGSTERS MET Gavin Strang MP; Councillor Ian to host up in The Venchie last month to Perry, Chair of PARC; John tell developers what they want- Quinn, PARC Director; Steve ed to see in the new Niddrie. Birmingham, representative of ‘ASBO’ An ‘expert panel’ from Children’s Commissioner for Castlebrae High School made up Scotland; Paul Nolan, Community event Teachers praise early of Lynsey MacFadyen, Steffanie Council Chair; and several local Purves, Gemma Adams, Allanah young people and parents. Café K are holding an event on Kay, Mark Huggins and Tarige The group had put a lot of work Friday 13th April from 10.00am intervention project Hassan, and Ami Grozier from into their presentation and it was till 2.00pm at the Jack Kane Hunters Hall, gave an illustrated well received.