Legionella question at Westminster – Big things on the Beach in Portobello – Council transport strategy – Davidson’s Mains Gala Day today – Live Webchat with Lothian and Borders Police

Alastair Darling MP is the only Edinburgh MP who has not answered calls or emails from The Reporter,  but we are reassured that he is working away down in Westminster. Darling asked the following question in Parliament this week:-“To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions the Health and Safety Executive in Scotland has visited the premises operated by (a) North British Distillery Company, Edinburgh, (b) Macfarlan Smith, Edinburgh and (c) Burton’s Biscuit factory,Sighthill, Edinburgh, for the purpose of ascertaining that measures to prevent the development and spread of Legionnaires’ disease have been taken in each year from 2007 to 2012; and if he will make a statement.”

The answers given are as follows:-

In the case of the North British Distillery Company no specific visits have taken place to check for legionella, but a visit was made in March 2010 to assess major accident hazards.

In the case of Macfarlan Smith  “A visit to assess the management of legionella risks was carried out on 4 February 2010.”

And, in the case of Burton’s Biscuit Factory “A visit to assess the management of legionella risks was carried out on 17 June 2008.”
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Councillor Maureen Child tells us that there is a Big Things on the Beach meeting on Monday 18 June at 8pm at the Dalriada. “Want to find out more about Big Things on the Beach? Who are the trustees and how does this Public Arts Trust work? Come along to an informal information evening where you can find out a little bit about their history, plans for the future, and long term strategies and goals. Discover the different types of volunteering opportunities available; ranging from helping with one-off events, to joining their unique and innovative Commissioning Group or becoming a Trustee and helping steer Big Things on the Beach into the future. “
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Members of the public are set to be consulted on the quality of road works in Edinburgh as part of ongoing plans by the Council to ensure streets and pavements are safe and accessible.

The proposal is to re-launch and further develop the Edinburgh Road Works Ahead Agreement (ERWAA), which will be heard at the City of Edinburgh Council ‘s Transport, Infrastructure and Environment (TIE) Committee next week.

Detailed proposals will be developed over the summer to secure greater engagement from residents and the business community. Neighbourhood Partnerships, the Chamber of Commerce, business groups and community groups would be consulted on issues to improve the overall planning, management, and the coordination of road works.

Proposals include:

· Location, duration and contact details for road works planned by utility companies published on the Council website;

· Details and locations of completed reinstatements following utility works;

· The ability for the public to report defective signage, poor guardrails around road works and issues with the quality of reinstatements via the Council website;

· An increase in the inspection regime for reinstatements to achieve a 100% inspection of them all within 21 months of completion.

The ERWAA started on a voluntary basis in 2007, working with utility companies to minimise disruption caused by road works, improve the quality of reinstatement works and to make sure the public is informed of works.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport Convener, said: “The state of roads and pavements in Edinburgh is a high priority for the public and the new Capital Coalition, and it is extremely important to make sure that disruption is kept to a minimum.

“It is vitally important in terms of public safety that streets and pavements are reinstated properly, as defective repairs can be dangerous.

“It has become clear that there is a strong public desire for involvement in this process, which is why we want to give local communities a simple way of reporting any problems. They encounter road works and are very well placed to monitor their progress, so it makes perfect sense to allow them to help us.”

We published our audio interview with the Transport Convenor here when she gave us an outline of her plans for the months ahead.

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Davidson’s Mains Gala day is today and North Edinburgh News has more information for you in their article here.

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We are running a live web chat with Lothian and Borders Police and the West Neighbourhood Team on Tuesday morning. What questions do  you have for them? We should be pleased to hear from you. More details here.

 

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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.