What’s it like to live in Oxgangs, Firrhill, Colinton Mains? July 2019 SUMMARY Within South West Edinburgh Locality, the Oxgangs area is prioritised as one of the four small areas due to the level of deprivation. To understand this community’s needs and what is required to be improved, a community engagement exercise was undertaken. Taking a bottom up or grassroots approach was essential. This community engagement exercise took place with the people living in Oxgangs, Firrhill and Colinton Mains during January to June 2019. What is seen as good • Public transport scored high and generally seemed to meet people’s needs • The amount of good quality, natural space was felt to be a key strength of the area What could be better • More local employment and training opportunities • More activities for older children and young people and places for them to socialise • To be able to easily walk around the area at all times (of the day and throughout the year) for everyone • Solving the issues of rubbish and dog mess What’s important to the community • Affordability if that be for child care, recreational activities, places to socialise, and housing • Reducing the priority that the car has in the area as well as improving the issues of speeding, traffic congestion and parking • For everyone including young people, to know how to get involved in their community, and be able to take part in decisions and help change things for the better What are the opportunities for immediate action • Make the most of all the local resources in the area ensuring that they are welcoming places and are maximising social connections for everyone • Continue the dialogue and build trust with this community • Assess whether outcomes set out for the Oxgangs area in the South West Edinburgh Locality Improvement Plan are progressing and having a positive impact. 1 1. INTRODUCTION Within South West Edinburgh Locality Improvement Plan, Oxgangs area is a small area prioritised due to the level of deprivation in the area. The Oxgangs population is approximately 3,600 people with a higher than average proportion of children and older residents, compared to the rest of the city. The under 16 years old population has risen in recent years, while the number of over 65 years old has remained the same 1. The area has seen some significant regeneration beginning with the demolition of the high rise flats, commonly known as “The Comiston Luxury Flats" which started in 2005 2. There after the mix of tenure changed, resulting in larger proportions of privately owned properties or those managed by housing associations such as Dunedin Canmore 3. More recently there has been the development of the Allermuir Health Centre in 2017, which accommodates Craiglockhart Medical Practice and Firrhill Medical Practice, and also provides podiatry and child health services. To understand this community’s needs and what is required to be improved, a community engagement exercise was undertaken. Taking a bottom up or grassroots approach was essential. The South West Edinburgh Public Health Practitioner led on this exercise, on behalf of the Oxgangs Forum. The Oxgangs Forum membership ranges from voluntary sector including housing, advice agencies and faith organisations operating in the area, Firrhill Community Council representatives, Army Welfare Service and public sector including City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership, NHS Lothian, Police Scotland, and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. 2. APPROACH and METHODOLGY This community engagement exercise was undertaken with the people living in Oxgangs, Firrhill and Colinton Mains during January to June 2019. The Place Standard Tool 4 was used for this engagement exercise with the local residents around what it’s like to live in the area. A training type session was initially undertaken with the members of the Oxgangs Forum with the help of the City of Edinburgh Council’s Place team in January 2019 so members of the Forum could see how they could get involved and use the tool. Two members of the Firrhill Community Council attended this session and saw the benefit of being involved; so much so that they organised an event using the tool with other members of Firrhill Community Council as well as extending the invite to people who lived in the area. Following the advice from the City of Edinburgh Council’s South West Edinburgh Life Long Learning team, engagement focused mainly with current groups/ people attending local activities already meeting in the area at local community places. The plan and details of these engagement sessions is available on request. There were a 1South West Edinburgh Locality Improvement Plan October 2017 2 http://www.digitalsentinel.net/uploads/2015/09/Village-in-the-sky-book-40pptext-Cover.pdf 3 South West Edinburgh Locality Improvement Plan October 2017 4 https://placestandard.scot/ 2 mix of promoted drop-in sessions at these local places (at different times of the day including weekends) as well as arranging to meet with local groups and people attending these local activities. When planning these sessions the Scottish Community Development Centre’s resources VOiCE were used to ensure that they were planned to the National Standards for Community Development. All the partners in the Oxgangs Forum were encouraged to support this engagement exercise and get involved: Edinburgh & Lothian Greenspace Trust, Army Welfare Service and Dunedin Canmore Youth Project all organised focused sessions. A wide range of stakeholders, who operate in the area but are not currently involved in the Oxgangs Forum were also contacted to see whether they wished to be involved. The link to the online survey, whereby people could complete it themselves in their own time was promoted on relevant social media using local contacts e.g. Facebook. This link to the online survey was also widely advertised on all the fliers for any engagement session including drop-in sessions. From January to May 2019, a total of 93 people were involved with this community engagement: 81 people from all ages in face to face discussions as well as 12 people completed it online. Around 20 different local groups/ activities being run in the area were approached and participated. Discussions were either 1:1 interviews (total of 27) or group discussions (13 in total). In the month of June, Firrhill High School used the tool in their classes with all pupils in S2-S6 with around 1000 young people being engaged. Each session went through all 14 themes outlined in the Place Standard Tool, asking for a rating on a scale from 1 to 7, where 1 means there is a lot of room for improvement and 7 means there is very little room for improvement. If respondents were unsure or didn’t know, a rating of 4 was recorded. The overall results for each theme reported includes: the average rating from Firrhill High School, along with the ratings from all the other different sessions. These ratings were analysed, looking at the range of ratings. All the comments were collected in order to be analysed and collated. It is the comments from the respondents that are the most important aspect of this exercise. The analysis of the ratings and comments are available in Appendix 1 (Please note that Appendix 1 is a separate document). With the analysis of the data, it should be noted that: • There should be consideration into where these interviews and group discussions took place i.e. in local community places where the respondents were using the facilities and services. • The ratings should only be taken as indicators due to: o the geographical area being very mixed o a need to understand the respondent’s context o the small numbers involved in this engagement exercise. • However, to minimise any bias: 3 o the online web link and drop-in sessions were promoted o the interviewer emphasised the fact that the re was no right or wrong answer. 3. RESULTS Summary of results Rating: 1 means there is a lot of room for improvement 7 means there is v ery little room for improvement Diagram 1: Radar chart of results for each theme from all groups 4 3.1 Moving Around Can I easily walk and cycle around using good quality routes? The topography of the area was raised by most people especially older people and families with the example of the difficulty of pushing a buggy or wheelchair up hill. Positives Areas for improvement Opportunities • Generally respondents • But paths and pavements • Active travel felt that there are lots of are uneven, not wide • Make routes more paths for walking, if you enough, and with accessible for everyone know the area potholes including families, older • Lack of lighting makes it people and people with unsafe at night and in the disabilities at all times (of winter months the day and year) • Parking and the amount of traffic especially around the schools makes moving around harder and less safe • More cycle paths and dedicated cycle lanes 3.2 Public transport Does public transport meet my needs? The public transport in the area is a bus service managed by Lothian Buses (LRT). Positives Areas for improvement Opportunities • Generally people were • Frequency of buses • Increase links between very positive particularly the No 400 Oxgangs and Wester • No connection between Hailes Firrhill Neuk with the • Include a new route of main road of Colinton Firrhill Neuk to/from Mains Drive/ Allermuir Allermuir Medical Medical Practice Practice • Bus tracker system: Not • Young people’s discount available at bus stops/ to travel shelters and inaccuracy if • Better live bus using the App information for customers 3.3 Traffic and parking Do traffic and parking arrangements allow people to move around safely and meet the community’s needs? Positives Areas for improvement Opportunities • There were very few • Parking: more places to • Change the perception positive comments; park and improve that the car is the priority however the ones made people’s parking in public • Active travel to school: did recognise some of places changing behaviour of the effort to try to • Safety: mainly crossing travelling to school improve this e.g.