CCePosterCommunity Councillors are elected every three years to represent local views to Edinburgh Council on everything from bins to planning to health and beyond – in fact most things that affect living in our local area.

Over the last year Tollcross has been involved with a wide variety of issues, and have represented issues from Tollcross to:

    • South Central Neighbourhood Partnership, South West NP, City Centre NP
    • Health and Wellbeing (SCNP sub group)
    • Edinburgh Health Forum
    • Alcohol Focus Scotland
    • Environmental Forum (now joined with Town Centre Group)
    • Meadows & Bruntsfield Links Advisory Group (MBLAG)
    • Safer Neighbourhood Teams
    • Houses in Muliply Occupancy subgroup (South Central NP sub group)
    • Tollcross Community Centre Management Committee
    • Fountainbridge Canal side Sounding Board
    • Fountainbridge Canal Initiative
    • Edinburgh Equality and Rights Network

Some of the issues that have exercised us have been the Fire Museum, overprovision of student accommodation, managing the Meadows, Street audits and their follow ups, pavement ownership, publicity, street lighting, public toilets, CCTV, short stay flats/hen nights, graffiti, barbecues, the Thornybauk recycling site, trees, recycling, road & pavement repairs, street cleaning, long events on the Meadows, Licensing and Planning etc.

We have been involved in many consultations but have been unable to take part in all the consultations offered. Some examples include the Strategic Development Plan, Government review of planning, Planning for Student Housing, New Planning Guidance, cycling routes, meadows activities, public toilets, 20mph limits, police priorities, planning management, CEC budget consultation, overprovision and zoning of licensed premises, Fountainbridge Greenspaces etc etc.

We are also engaged with the Police, Environmental wardens, our Councillors, the Neighbourhood Partnership Teams, EUSA, Brandfield St. Residents, West Tollcross Residents, Developers, local churches, Fountainbridge Canalside Initiative, TCAN and various concerned members of the public.

With all this going in our Community Council of only 12 volunteers have achieved a lot in the last three years and we are now looking to seek new Councillors from the Tollcross area for elections in September/October of this year. If we get more than 12 nominations we go to a poll as below – 

  • Timetable for 2016.
  • Elected Representatives
    • Monday 5th September Notice of Election (start of nomination period)
    • Monday 26th September Close of Registration (forms to Returning Officer)
  • Thursday 6 October Notice of Poll (if a poll is required)
    • Thursday 27 Oct Polling Day (if a poll is required)
  • Nominated Representatives
    • Monday 5 Sept Notice of Election
    • Monday 26 Sept Close of Registration (forms to Community Council Liaison Officer)
  • TBA Meeting of registered Local Interest Groups to elect
  • Nominated Members (if necessary)

Further details are in Edinburgh’s scheme for community councils, or contact Edinburgh’s Community Council Liaison Officer (email community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk, telephone 0131 469 3838 for forms to stand etc.)

If you are interested in standing as a Community Councillor in Tollcross our next meeting will be on 31st August 2016, 7pm at Fountainbridge Community Centre (we do not meet in July or December).

The forms for nominations require two other people who are registered to vote in the Tollcross Community Council Area (See map at bottom of page) and we need more people to get involved!

This could be your opportunity to join a thriving group of local representatives and have a direct influence on local matters.

There are elections for all Edinburgh community councils this autumn. All current members will stand down – they are of course eligible for re-election.