For years, we've had a major problem with litter and fly-tipping in the West End. Despite the Council introducing communal bins to some areas, there has been inadequate action to tackle all of the issues. The shopping areas along West Road and Westgate Hill, Adelaide Terrace, Elswick Road, Slatyford Lane and Two Ball Lonnen and the back lanes in the terraces of Arthur's Hill, Benwell, Elswick and Wingrove are particularly badly affected. Children have to walk though rubbish on their way to school and when playing out. Local businesses are affected as the litter problems reflect poorly on the West End. Local residents are fed up with so much rubbish in their gardens, streets and parks. Litter looks unsightly, pollutes our environment, harms our wildlife and attracts vermin - the West End deserves better!

The City of Edinburgh Council use Glyphosate for weed control on our streets, pavements, parks, playgrounds, around schools, cemeteries and green spaces. Glyphosate is under worldwide investigation for its multiple harmful effects on human and animal health including Cancer. It is linked to many health concerns such as asthma, immune issues, Parkinsons, respiratory problems, burning sensations - inflammation, diarrhoea, skin issues, allergies and intolerances. Children are more at risk than adults due to their age and also their behaviour, for example, investigating nature, crawling and playing on grass. Dogs and cats are particularly vulnerable too due to their close proximity to the ground. There are also numerous environmental concerns - pollution of the air we breathe, degradation of the soil and contamination of our delicate waterways. Pesticides have also been shown to have a damaging effect on wildlife, birds and bee populations and other pollinators which are currently in steep decline and need all the help they can get. In 2015, the World Health Organisation said Glyphosate was a probable carcinogen. Billions of dollars have now been set aside for hundreds of thousands of litigation cases arising from claimants against this chemical. ‘Round Up', of which the main ingredient is Glyphosate, has recently been pulled from the shelves of B & Q and Dobbies. Many countries have banned this chemical and communities are asking for no further Glyphosate to be applied where they live, work and play and for safe alternatives to be used instead. Towns and cities across the world have made the decision to go pesticide-free, using methods such as hot-foam, flame weeding, scraping, acetic acid solution and accepting a higher level of weediness and wildflowers. The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham have been using the Foamstream system from ‘Weedingtech' since 2016! Foamstream uses a blend of plant oils and hot water to kill weeds, is safe to use around humans and animals and is non-harmful to the environment. Dalkeith previously had a moratorium against Glyphosate being used in their community after councillors raised concerns about bee deaths and dog illness. In 2019/2020 Balerno residents raised community concerns about exposure to this chemical and launched a community petition, proposing to The City of Edinburgh Council a trial of Foamstream supported by a community volunteer weeding group. Edinburgh Council are now discussing a trial of Foamstream for 2021 and have agreed that no further Glyphosate is to be applied in Balerno for 2020, protecting the health of the community. We ask now for The City of Edinburgh Council to apply the precautionary principle to Currie, Juniper Green and Barberton and protect the health of these communities. We therefore call on The City of Edinburgh Council to put an end to all pesticide use for weed removal in all of Currie, Juniper Green and Barberton and use safe alternatives instead, protecting health and the health of our environment for now and for future generations. Please also sign the petition to stop pesticide use across the whole of Edinburgh: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/pesticide-free-edinburgh https://www.pan-uk.org/campaign-success-for-pesticide-free-balerno/ https://www.weedingtech.com/case_studies/glastonbury-town-council/ https://www.hortweek.com/dobbies-garden-centres-drop-glyphosate/retail/article/1663176 https://www.hortweek.com/b-q-drops-glyphosate-based-weedkiller-roundup/retail/article/1683580 https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2020/08/pesticides-a-no-no-in-balerno-and-elsewhere/%3famp

This is a very fertile green area in the city and very pleasant for families.This must be stopped. the willow trees must not be felled.

There has been over 8 accidents in the last 3.5 years and every day there are people exceeding the speed limit of 30mph it won't be long before there is a fatality and as residents we are very concerned that it could be a member of our family

Glyphosate is used by Edinburgh Council as a weedkiller. Edinburgh City Council sprays Portobello's streets, pavements, parks, playgrounds, cemeteries and green spaces in an effort to control weeds. Research shows that pesticide use has multiple harmful effects on human and animal health, and causes environmental pollution and degradation. Although available data can be contradictory it seems sensible to use the precautionary principle, and avoid spraying chemicals in our environment unless they can be shown to be safe. Children are more at risk than adults due to their behaviour, for example, investigating nature, crawling and playing on grass and spending time in areas such as playgrounds and parks where pesticides are used. Dogs and cats are particularly vulnerable too due to their close proximity to the ground. There have been 3 successful lawsuits against Monsanto, which brought glyphosate-based herbicides to the market in the 1970s, and there are many more cases going to trial. Nineteen countries have already either banned or restricted the use of glyphosate, and 5 more have plans to do so imminently. Many towns and cities across the world have made the decision to go pesticide-free, using methods such as hot-foam, flame weeding, scraping, acetic acid solution and accepting a certain level of ‘weediness’. Edinburgh Council have already agreed to stop spraying pesticides in Balerno after the locals ran a successful campaign on the grounds of health concerns for animals and people. We call on Edinburgh City Council to put an end to all pesticide use in Portobello, using safe alternatives instead, to protect the health of people, pets, wildlife and of our environment. References: * Weedkiller use in Scotland: https://theferret.scot/glyphosate-weedkiller-cancer-councils-scotland/ * Countries that have banned Glyphosate use: https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/toxic-tort-law/monsanto-roundup-lawsuit/where-is-glyphosate-banned/ * Monsanto sued over cancer claims: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/may/13/monsanto-cancer-trial-bayer-roundup-couple * Pesticides - risks of use: https://www.pan-uk.org/key-issues/?fbclid=IwAR1zDqJmDQZMULOhs5YUhFWPhG3wc_Fr73RoDFDIUpJINQbPjbY2y6DQRVI

We’ve seen a massive increase in plastic pollution since lockdown lifted and take-away packaging is a big part of the problem. Now is not the time to backtrack on single-use plastic. We need to build back better and create a new normal – one that values our resources and champions reuse over single-use. Whilst we completely understand that this is a challenging time for many foodservice businesses, reusables CAN be used safely and accepting them doesn’t have to be complicated – in fact, it can be super simple. Over 100 scientists have confirmed that reusables are safe to use, and at City to Sea, we’ve shared practical guidance for businesses to support them in accepting reusable cups and bottles. We can stay safe and look after the planet. Pret, Starbucks and Costa Coffee, the UK’s largest coffee chains, and a number of forward-thinking independent businesses have now started accepting reusables again and now Starbucks has followed their lead. We believe if Costa Coffee, Starbucks, and hundreds of planet-protecting independent businesses can do it, so can they! These businesses make up a HUGE share of takeaway sales within the UK. By refusing to let their customers choose to reuse, they are contributing to a mountain of completely avoidable waste. • In the UK, we make our way through an estimated 2.5 BILLION disposable coffee cups a year • And over 7.7 BILLION plastic water bottles . • The production of disposable coffee cups is responsible for the felling of a million trees a year, • And uses around 1.5 BILLION litres of water, stripping our planet of precious natural resources at a time when we should be protecting it. Want to do more? 1. Share this petition with your friends, family and everyone you know! 2. #ChoosetoReuse – carry your reusable bottle, cup and containers and tell the world that reusables are BACK and they are here to stay. 3. Download the free Refill app to find Refill Stations near you. 4. Celebrate the amazing, planet protecting businesses that ARE accepting reusables by showing them some love on social media and with your wallets. 😊 5. If you find a business that’s NOT accepting refills, share @CitytoSea’s #ContactlessCoffee campaign & @Refill water guidance to help them get on board. Tag them on social media & ask them to join the #RefillRevolution This campaign is supported by : - Break Free From Plastic - Greenpeace UK - Friends of the Earth - Marine Conservation Society - Surfers Against Sewage - We Have The Power - Everyday Plastic - Green Goblet - Muuse - Unpackaged - Conscious Cup - Chilly's Bottles - KeepCup - Sustain - Less Plastic - Green Alliance - Beach Guardian

The Tramways Bowling Club, now closed, goes back over a hundred years. Their green was gifted to them by the old Edinburgh Tramways Company. Lothian Buses inherited it by pure luck. Now they want to take it from the local community and sell it to a private developer, flying in the face of Edinburgh Council's policy to provide more green spaces. It is totally unsuited for commercial development, being situated in the corner of a quiet crescent in the corner of Pilrig and surrounded by homes. A local charity, with the agreement of the club, were going to turn it into a public garden for the local population. Edinburgh Council own Lothian Buses and should tell them to hand the site over.

A Local Pub provides a central base for many community activities , A meeting place for Residents who may live alone , Quiz teams, Local Crib / Darts Leagues ,

*Newsflash* - Welsh government pledges to use wool in public buildings. Please add your signature so that English, Scottish and Northern Irish governments follow the Welsh government's lead. https://www.farminguk.com/news/welsh-government-pledges-to-use-wool-in-public-buildings_56471.html?fbclid=iwar1ggxqeqvhx5nqqmdkge0av06mzro-qcmbsl-l9iue51rfbtdlukgu4zyq These 1000 wool fleeces are about to be incorporated into the manure heap. What a waste of a once valuable resource. A sustainable product that could be used to insulate homes for all government grant supported buildings. Sheep farmers receive less for their wool than the cost of shearing the sheep. Last year David Jones, who is pictured with his wool above, received 28p a fleece and paid the shearer £1. This year the value it set to drop by at least half. Hence he and many other farmer's across the country, decision to plough their wool into the fields as fertiliser. Last week Stuart Fletcher a farmer from East Sussex posted a similar photo on Facebook and to date has had nearly 2 million views and tens of thousands of 'likes', 'shares' and 'comments'. When asked as to why Stuart posted this photo, he said "because is made me sad". https://www.facebook.com/Fletchersflock/posts/1671402433029379 Wool is sustainable, fire-retardant, bio-degradable, and the most efficient form of insulation. On the 1st January 2021 sheep farmers may be further affected by possible new tariffs on sheep meat of at least 40%. Currently over half our sheep exports go to the EU and will never be substituted by trade deals with the USA or Japan, for example. Sheep farmers' incomes are being squeezed at every point. This Campaign has now been endorsed by; NFU NFU Scotland NFU Cymru Ulster Farmers Union British Wool (formerly The British Wool Marketing Board) National Sheep Association The Campaign for Wool - patron HRH The Prince of Wales Country Landowners Association Tenant Farmers Association Please sign this petition, because; - We want to revive our wool manufacturing industries, - We want to make this government use our money to insulate our buildings with a home-grown sustainable product, - We want to help sheep farmers make a decent income from their fleeces, - We want to create manufacturing jobs, - We want to maintain the upland landscape, - We want to put a smile back on Stuart's and other sheep farmers face's. Royal endorsement of wool - HRH the Prince of Wales stated “Wool is a product that the most brilliant boffin in the most hi-tech laboratory could never create.” And “it is important to remind people of how valuable and sustainable wool is as a fibre and as a natural material”. Links BBC News - Chancellor announces £2Bn of grants for home owners to install energy saving improvements. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53313640 NZ Campaign Newshub (New Zealand) article https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/rural/2020/07/govt-accused-of-greenwashing-over-failure-to-use-kiwi-wool-in-public-buildings.html The Shropshire Star https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/farming/2020/07/20/low-cost-of-wool-forces-shropshire-farmer-to-use-fleeces-for-compost/

We cannot continue to accept that our community suffers from heavy traffic, associated pollution any longer and need change. The west side of Hither Green / Catford North cell area could be a pleasant place to live and work but it continues to be blighted by: • Heavy traffic / congestion with associated pollution • Use as a cut through / rat-run between Lewisham High Street and the South Circular (and vice versa) Having seen other schemes and potential associated benefits - we would also like an LTN / HNS to: • increase physical activity through more walking and cycling • provide safer streets for our residents and particularly our children • significantly reduce non-residential traffic through our community • deliver improved air quality • benefit our local businesses • support LB Lewishams environmental objectives Please sign this petition to help make our community a Low Traffic Neighbourhood and to become a safer, more pedestrian / cycling / family friendly place to live, work and shop. Note: The proposal for the HGW Low Traffic Neighbourhood is below. https://tinyurl.com/yyshvvfl The Green X's relate to the proposal for HGW LTN - Click for a description of what they represent The Grey / Purple Xs' relate to existing filters in HGW / Lewisham Lee Green LTN

Raw sewage flowing into the rivers and into our seas means that large areas of the United Kingdom are unsuitable for swimming and watersports as well as having a huge effect on the wildlife on the rivers and seas which has a knock on effect to the overall health of our ecosystem. Where we live in Scotland we regularly see sanitary towels amongst other waste all over the beach on rainy days straight from CSO's and into the river.

Glasgow City Centre is seriously lacking in green spaces. A City Park, built a mere 5 minutes’ walk from George Square, surrounded by lovely local cafés and restaurants, will be an invaluable boost to our wonderful city.  Merchant City & Trongate Community Council (MCTCC), following the withdrawal of a Planning Application for an hotel at the Ingram Street Car Park, agreed that a City Park would be the best use of this site. A City Park on this site would protect the beautiful world-renowned Fruitmarket Mural by Smug, which has become a much-visited sight of the city, and the existing stunning mature cherry and chestnut trees. With both a world-renowned piece of art and existing mature trees, this site could be an oasis of peace and beauty in a historic part of Glasgow. The City Park would be entirely inclusive, open for residents, visitors, tourists and the wider general public. People could simply relax in nature, rest, read, meet up, mix, chat, walk the dog or play games. All right in the City Centre of Glasgow.