Breaking news

MORE DETAIL NEEDED ON HOW TO PAY AND HOW TO MANAGE  

Councillors today voted to postpone a final decision on the Newhaven tram extension for another 18 months.  

The delay will allow time for further scrutiny of the business case, particularly in the light of Lothian Buses’ financial plans for the period 2017–19 which are due to be completed in Spring next year.

Another report containing recommendations on how to proceed will be brought before the Council in Spring/Summer 2017.

Last week we published James Blake’s letter to Councillor Hinds (and her reply) concerning ‘Recycling chaos in Bellevue’. 

Mr Blake yesterday received another Council communication, this time from a Community Waste Officer (CWO).

In it she explains that Bellevue’s new communal bins for dry mixed recycling are serviced by specialist side-loading vehicles, of which the Council has only a ‘limited number’.

On Monday we reported a recent planning decision in St Andrew Square, and lamented the current condition of the Gardens. 

In researching that story, we found references to the original principles behind opening the area to the public in 2008, but could not find an original document laying out those principles on the Council's online Planning Portal.

It is still not available there, although we understand that Spurtle's prompting means it will appear soon.

Broughton has so far got off lightly in the recent inclement weather. Storm Desmond passed without major flooding. 

The Water of Leith Conservation Trust reports that river levels peaked at noon on Sunday, with nearly 1.8m measured at the Murrayfield gauging station. 

When the river flooded in April 2000, the equivalent measure was over 3m. 

More to come

But don't put your wellies away just yet. With 20–40mm of rain expected widely across high ground, the Met Office has today issued a yellow warning of rain:

DETAILED PLANNING APPLICATION LATER THIS WEEK 

Proposals to rehome St Mary’s Music School and create new public performance spaces in the old Royal High School were officially announced this morning. 

A detailed application will be submitted to City of Edinburgh Council later this week. 

Essential Edinburgh’s controversial application to extend the coffee pavilion in St Andrew Square Gardens has been withdrawn (Ref. 14/04840/FUL). 

As first reported this time last year (‘Death by a thousand pees’), EE applied to upgrade:

Spotted in Vino’s – Edinburgh-based biographer Vin Arthey.

He was ordering wine for the launch at Waterstones on George Street of a new edition of his Abel: The True Story of the Spy They Traded for Gary Powers.

The event was timed to coincide with the Edinburgh release of Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, a film based on the same story and drawing heavily on Arthey’s researches.

BAD EGG WELCHES ON RASCAL OVER COAT 

The following unedifying tale appeared in the Caledonian Mercury on 18 March 1745, some four months before the arrival on Eriskay of Charles Edward Stuart and the outbreak of the Jacobite Rebellion.

Spurtle loved this lino cut when we called in at the Gallery on the Corner this morning. 

It's called 'Hunter', is by the very talented Alice Shaw, and forms part of a 16-artist joint Winter Print Show which previews this afternoon and will run until 23 December. 

There was an excited buzz about the gallery today, as there is before any launch, but also a trace of sadness. 

After five years, this particular social enterprise in the Autism Ventures Scotland stable has fallen victim to the Recession and will close at the end of the month. 

PARKING CONUNDRUMS RAISED BY LOCAL MOTORIST'S FOI REQUEST 

Reader Alastair Macfarlane has been dissatisfied for some time about parking problems around where he lives. 

So much so that in mid-November he submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Council asking for clarification of the facts and figures. 

He thinks that residents should be allowed to use the pay-and-display spaces for free if, despite holding a relevant zonal parking permit, there are no residents’ parking spaces available.