The Edinburgh Reporter November 2023

2 NEWS

Editorial

About us...

We write about news relating to the Edinburgh area. If you

have any news, or if you would like to submit an article or

photograph for publication then please contact us

/EdinReporter

edinburghreporter

@EdinReporter

theedinburghreporter.co.uk

07791 406 498

[email protected]

Editor: Phyllis Stephen

Designer: Felipe Perez

Photos: Martin P McAdam

I MISSED THE Cabinet Secretary for

Constitution, External Affairs and Culture,

answering a portfolio question at Holyrood

about establishing a Scottish public interest

journalism institute or foundation, but

reading Angus Robertson’s reply afterwards

there was not much to miss.

The Scottish Government set up a public

interest journalism working group in

January 2021 which published its

recommendations later that year. But

nothing has happened with any of those,

including one urging the government to set

up a public interest journalism institute.

The working group included reputable

journalists such as Rob Edwards, one of the

founders of The Ferret, and Joyce McMillan,

the theatre critic and political columnist of

The Scotsman. Ms McMillan was one of the

journalists who took strike action recently

when the owners of The Scotsman, National

World, would not improve on the 4.5% pay

increase offered to journalists.

Contrast this situation with Wales - where

funding of £200,000 was made available to

establish a professional institute. This has led

to 10 local news outlets being established.

Plurality of media voices is key to holding

power to account.

In Scotland it seems that independent

news outlets such as The Edinburgh

Reporter have to get on with it and help

themselves. Perhaps with the exception of

the BBC-funded Local Democracy Reporter

scheme which works like a news agency and

provides useful copy to us and our fellow

“qualifying partners”, such as the story on

Page 5 which involved attending a day long

sitting of the Standards Commission.

We are founder members of The Scottish

Beacon, a collaborative news initiative,

which is shortlisted for a Press Award. The

money behind that comes from the Google

News Initiative, not the government. We

look forward to hearing when The Scottish

Government will do something to help

sustain independent news outlets which try

to inform their readers, rather than the big

boys and their clickbait journalism.

Phyllis Stephen, Editor

Bringing the news to you...

GET IN

TOUCH

TODAY!

For advertising and

editorial enquiries

please email:

editor@the

edinburgh

Donate anchor.fm YouTube reporter.co.uk

WE PRINT 6,000 copies of The Edinburgh Reporter which are

then distributed through a network of city businesses and

some public buildings including some libraries. The digital

version of this paper is also widely distributed and we estimate

our readership totals around 20,000 people.

You will find copies at all branches of Farmer Autocare,

Summerhall, Art & Craft Collective, EICC, LifeCare on Cheyne

Street, Coffee Angels, The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and the

Western General Hospital.

If you can, please subscribe to have a copy delivered to you

each month. It helps us to cover the overheads of bringing the

news to you in print and online. We can also distribute door to

door on some selected streets. If you would like us to include

your street then please do suggest it to us.

ter.ooo/subscribe

Planning News

Development of part of the car park at the

Canon Court Aparthotel in Canonmills where 9

homes and 71 square metres of commercial

space will be created in a four storey block.

23/05902/FUL

An application has been made to create 87

student bedrooms on the site of the

Murrayfield Sports Bar on Westfield Road. This

includes a request for permission to demolish

the bar premises and replace the premises with

four storeys of purpose built student

accommodation (PBSA). 23/05902/FUL

Planning permission was granted for the

new collections facility for the National

Galleries of Scotland in Granton - The Art

Works. This will comprise a community space,

as well as spaces for research, conservation,

visitor spaces and art storage and new public

realm spaces with bio-diverse landscaping.

22/02899/PAN

The planning application for a PBSA

development on Dundee Terrace will be

decided in early November following public

consultation events last month. The scheme

will include a retail/commercial element.

23/03685/PAN

The former Cav or Atik nightclub at West

Tollcross will be demolished and replaced by

PBSA if the owners obtain planning permission.

Plans have just been lodged for demolition of

the extesnive building which was the location

for many an Edinburgh love tryst and a scene

in Trainspotting.

Fletcher Joseph Associates also say that the

nightclub – which was on site for around five

decades was “associated with anti-social

behaviour”.

The replacement will include student flats

with 145 bed spaces and other parts will have a

commercial use.

Part of the site under development is owned

by the council.

We asked if the council would sell the piece

of land in question and a spokesperson replied:

“The developer has approached us to acquire

the small area of land. We are in negotiations

however would only sell if planning permission

for the proposed development was achieved.”

Xyyyyyyyyyy

This event is on 19 November at The Centre Livingston when more

than 150 elves will complete a one-mile lap with their parents, all

dressed in elf outfits. Sponsorship monies will go to Children’s

Hospices Across Scotland CHAS - last year £5,000 was raised.

Elf Toddle Walk 2023