It’s not always easy to find time to shout about all the work we are involved in as Councillors, and sometimes the job can be quite opaque to members of the public. To try and help demystify just exactly what the job of a Councillor is, I’ve decided to start a monthly blog of activities I’ve been involved with. Whilst this won’t be fully comprehensive, I hope it will give a sense of the sorts of projects I’m working on, and just how varied the work can be.
Civic reception for Biodiversity Action Plan
It’s been 25 years since Edinburgh’s Biodiversity Action Plan was launched. In celebration, the city’s Lord Provost hosted a civic reception for partners involved in delivering nature recovery work locally. I don’t often join civic receptions as my motivations in council are usually focussed on political advocacy and supporting constituents. However, it was rewarding to spend time with so many people doing such vital work for the city’s nature.
Speaking with Scouts, the ETF AGM, and EVOC New Scots council
As always, I’ve spent lots of time out and about in recent months meeting different organisations in the city. Alongside my fellow ward councillors, I was pleased to speak with the local Explorer Scouts group about being a local politician. I was also thrilled to be the keynote speaker at the Edinburgh Tenants Federation’s AGM.
As well as speaking at some events, it’s also important to go along and listen. I was delighted to join the Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council (EVOC) as part of their New Scots huddle, where important discussions were had about supporting the city’s refugees and migrants. What I heard on the day is helping to inform Budget proposals the Greens are planning to bring forward in February.
The housing committee’s rent collection policy
At the housing committee meeting at the end of last year, we discussed and agreed on a new, more compassionate approach to rent collection, which we hope will make a real difference for council tenants who are struggling. I’m very grateful to Aberlour, who I met with on several occasions to learn about their brilliant campaigning on public debt, including its gendered nature.
Having agreed on this policy, the Green group have been pushing for this approach to be extended more widely. I am pleased my advocacy in this area has been successful and the council has committed to applying this more compassionate approach to other forms of public debts, such as council tax. There’s still more work to be done, but this has been a really positive step in the right direction.
Full council meeting
In December’s full council meeting, I brought forward a motion asking the council to explore what preparatory plans are in place to support temporary accommodation providers to enable residents to observe Ramadan in 2026. This motion was informed by discussions with Shelter Scotland around the issue, after several constituents raised concerns with me. I will be keeping a close eye on how this is taken forward during Ramadan this year, which is expected to begin mid-February.
Recess
It was good to take a few weeks off at the end of the year before a busy start to 2026, with the Budget on the horizon.
Supporting traveller communities
At the beginning of this year, I have been working with fellow Green councillors Claire Miller and Alys Mumford, alongside council officers and campaign groups, to explore what provisions are in place to support Gypsy/Traveller communities within the City Plan 2040. We are exploring options for a permanent site for Gypsy/Travellers to use, while also looking into what immediate support the council can offer members of this community. Gypsy/Travellers are a group whose rights are often overlooked and ill-considered, and it’s important to Greens that we do what we can to ensure this community is offered support and care.
Adoption of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems
And finally, I’ve been doing some investigatory work into the council’s approach to the maintenance of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDs). While it’s excellent to see more nature-friendly developments in the city with sustainable drainage plans, I was concerned to find out there wasn’t a plan in place for the council to maintain this infrastructure in the long-term.
If stakeholders including the council and Scottish Water don’t work out a plan, then the positive benefits of SUDs will not be realised in the long run. As a councillor, it’s my job to scrutinise such issues and encourage council officers to make positive changes for our city and our planet and you can read written questions submitted on this matter at the latest Full Council meeting here.