An Update From Councillor Max Mitchell Firstly, I would like to say thank to those in Inverleith Ward who supported me at the recent local election. Although it may sound a little cliché, I am genuinely honoured and grateful to be returned as a councillor and I will keep working for and with residents to improve our area and city. Communal Bin Review (continued) The Communal Bin Review, at least in the World Heritage Site, has been paused whilst the Council re-engages with resident associations and Edinburgh World Heritage to explore other possible options. The Council had come under a lot of fire back of the previous approach whereby it intended to continue with plans to install large bin hubs every 100 metres despite the concern and opposition of a majority of resident, and despite the concerns and mitigations suggested by Edinburgh World Heritage, which were not accepted. Interestingly, the pause was announced just before the local elections… A cynic may suggest this was a pre-election attempt to contain the outrage. I do hope that this summer the Council will properly engage with and listen to both resident groups and heritage bodies, who have our city’s best interests at heart, whilst exploring any other possible options. I am certainly curious, as well, if any alternatives can be shared with other areas outwith the World Heritage Site. ‘The Snakey’ I am pleased to say that the path between Glenogle Road and Saxe Coburg Place (aka ‘The Snakey’) has finally now been resurfaced and a new handrail installed. This small but important local project faced incredible delays because of Council departments restructuring, lack of resources, and, of course, the pandemic. The re-surfaced path is now very smooth and the new handrail has been replaced making it much safer and easier for residents to use. Spaces for People Since 2020, Spaces for People (sometimes now referred to as ‘Travelling Safely’) has divided opinion. The consultation response at the beginning of 2021 showed most residents were against most of the schemes except for those outside schools. The Council has decided to, not re-consult, but engage on retaining schemes that have remained in place such as Ferry Road, Crewe Road South, The Mound, and Queensferry Road. The feedback window is now open and plans can be viewed online at https://pclengagement-hub.co.uk/en-GB/folders/travelling-safely and comments can be sent to Edinburgh.Consultation@projectcentre. co.uk. Please don’t hesitate to contact Inverleith Ward councillor Max Mitchell by email, max.mitchell@edinburgh.gov.uk, or by phone on 0131 529 4409, with any local issues or questions.
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