Breaking news

The Treacle monkey on Broughton Street is undeterred by last-minute defeat against Wales.

Despite finishing an enormous piece of rock over Christmas, he is now back in peak physical condition and looks forward to swapping a bandana for international caps in games against England, Ireland, and a resurgent Italy.

He looks more confident than many Scottish fans feel.

Property occupiers within Edinburgh's Controlled Parking Zones 1–8, N1–N5 and S1–S5 have until 1 March to respond to City of Edinburgh Council's proposed changes.

Among the amendments would be more shared-use bays, a limit of 2 permits per household, extension of the area in which visitor permits can be bought, and removal of some yellow lines to make more parking spaces. There are also plans to scale fees according to vehicle emissions.

Architects' plans for 8 townhouses off Broughton Road will be presented at a public meeting on 1 March. Spurtle understands that  a 4-storey development is intended for steeply rising land somewhere between Broughton Rd and Heriothill.

Sir Frank Mears Associates will explain their proposal at 7.15pm in the Library at Drummond CHS.This is a pre-planning application presentation at which public opinion will be sought. You can make your views known at the meeting, or express them to the Community Council, or respond in writing later.

As expected, the Liberal Democrat–Scottish Nationalist Administration succeeded in voting through its widely trailed budget proposals on 11 February. A 1% cut in the City of Edinburgh Council's schools budget formed part of this package of measures.

Broughton Street traders are beating tramworks disruption with a series of promotions to retain old customers and attract new ones.

Loved-up locals could be the first to benefit.

Shoppers buying chocolates, roses, gifts, an evening meal, lingerie or champagne on Broughton Street over the St Valentine's Day weekend (12–14 February) will be entered into a prize draw for which the reward is a hamper.

Normally Spurtle researches stories rather than lifting them wholesale from press releases (unlike a certain other Edinburgh newspaper we could mention).

On this occasion, however, the City of Edinburgh Council event described is so unintentionally hilarious (it even gets the date of St Valentine's Day wrong), so half-baked in conception, so utterly unlikely to succeed that we recycle the details in full. They are beyond parody.

If any readers do attend this romantic get-away over the weekend, please send us photos and a full account.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that Broughton Street may be scheduled to reopen at the end of this month.

If proposals are adopted, one lane will reopen on 22 February allowing left turns into Broughton Street from York Place. Complete reopening in both directions will take place on 29 February. A clear decision is expected following the next Traffic Management Meeting on Monday 15 February.

In the meantime, local traders' reactions have ranged from stunned gratitutde to slack-jawed disbelief.

The Scottish Government's Climate Challenge Fund is backing Edinburgh World Heritage with £39K. The money is to address energy efficiency issues and fuel poverty in the Old and New Towns and adjacent Conservation areas.

As a first step EWH are running an online questionnaire. This will form the basis for distributing advice and arranging seminars in future.

In a partial but significant climbdown, Administration councillors are now promising to reduce the cut in the schools budget from 2.5% to 1%.

The devil, of course, will be in the detail, but Education Convener Marilyne MacLaren claims 'the Administration has listened to serious concerns expressed by teachers and parents and has done everything possible to protect schools'.

The Spurtle has approached all local politicians (see Directory) for comments about the City of Edinburgh Council's forthcoming school budget.

We're posting the responses as they come in, so check this story again later to check for new additions.

Comments are listed in alphabetical order by political party, and dated by time of receipt.

GREENS