The Cockburn Association, Edinburgh’s oldest heritage watchdog, has launched a Manifesto for the City in advance of next month’s Local Government Elections. You can read it in full HERE.
The 4-page document stresses a need to rebuild trust between citizens and elected representatives.
It calls for:
- continuous public access to parks and green spaces and restrictions on their commodification
- real decision-making transparency and responsiveness to residents’ opinion
- commitment to Edinburgh’s Green Belt and landscapes
- properly resourced conservation-led development and planning
- higher standards for new housing, and guarantees to deliver truly affordable housing
- reduction of short-term lets’ scale and impact, and enforcement action against unauthorised operations.
In terms of city management, the Manifesto prioritises:
- better maintenance/repair of existing buildings
- improved aesthetics, design integrity, local fit, and effective delivery of all programmes and projects in public spaces
- a 20-minute neighbourhood Taskforce
- practical solutions now for climate-change impacts such as torrential summer downpours
- placing residents at the heart of consultation and decision-making
- improved understanding and management of Edinburgh’s common-good assets.
Spurtle welcomes the Cockburn’s identification of these important issues. They may help some participants in the Spurtle hustings on 20 April to frame their questions (details below).
Got a view? Tell us at spurtle@hotmail.co.uk or Twitter
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