Wester Hailes Community Council November meeting report

The Wester Hailes Community Council met yesterday, Wednesday 2 November 2016, at Wester Hailes library. Several important items were discussed including a report from Greig Robertson from Wester Hailes Edible Estates.

Greig began by giving apologies for his colleague Stacey Edible Estates’ community officer who was unable to attend due to illness. He reported that Edible Estates is currently hoping to expand into Dumbryden, Murrayburn and Hailesland. Greig was pleased to report that the small community garden they have established next to Michael’s shop has been successful with weekly workshops being run on Fridays at 2.00pm.

The group is currently looking at greenspaces in the area and have been carrying out a door to door survey, after speaking to 142 households, 52 were interested in community gardens and more children’s play facilities. The Community Council remarked that this was good to hear and congratulated Edible Estates on changing public opinion after a previous petition by residents against a community garden.

Wester Hailes Edible Estates is currently a project of the Health Agency, however their recent success has meant that they are now the same size as the rest of the Health Agency combined. The group therefore is now looking at becoming its own sepperate group so that it can continue to grow. Currently this change would mean that the group would change its name to South West Edible Estates. They are also beginning to look for new premises in Wester Hailes, possible sites they have identified include the old social work building and the Woods Centre.

The next item on the agenda was a report from Police Scotland. The Constable gave a detailed report of crime figures across Wester Hailes for October:

• 132 crimes were reported with 47 solved
• The Police received 679 calls
• 1 case of domestic break-in
• 2 cases of business break-ins
• 28 cases of assault with 13 detected
• 5 road traffic offences
• 13 cases of theft and vandalism with 3 detected
• 2 hate crimes were reported with 1 detected with the other soon to be detected.

The Constable added that a youth has been identified for dropping items on to the Bypass. He also reported that using social media Police Scotland have identified some of the youths responsible for some of the vandalism in the Calders.

Finally Anne Denholm, chair of the Community Council stated that she had received apologies from Edinburgh Council’s Sam Verner who was supposed to be giving an update on the housing developments in the area. She stated that the Dumbryden site which was previously thought to contain around 30 homes is now larger and will contain somewhere between 45 and 49 homes. She added that the Council will be having a drop-in at Wester Hailes library on Wednesday 30 November 2016 if any local residents would like more information.

Anne was also pleased to report that she had attended the Heathervale residential care home official opening where Councillor Fullerton gave a speech and read a letter she had received from the First Minister.

The next meeting of the community council will take place on Wednesday 7 December 2016, 6.00pm – 7.45pm at Wester Hailes library.