For the 2nd time in 6 years a planning application for an 18-hole international golf course threatens Coul Links, within Loch Fleet Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Loch Fleet & Dornoch Firth Special Protection Area (SPA) & Ramsar wetland. Councillors approved of this Groundhog application by a whisker on 6 Dec 2023, but the Scottish Government called it in on 8 Feb 2024 for review. The Screening Request was from a councillor by proxy on behalf of a defunct football club, but Scoping & Full application were adopted by an astroturfing & greenwashing stalking horse, Communities for Coul (C4C), purporting to represent the local populace (from a biased & oxymoronic ballot - see Updates ↓ of 16 June 2021 & 27 Aug 2023) but representing golf & tourism interests in coastal Sutherland, appointing the same developer, applicant of 1st failed planning application, & intending to dissolve! The 2023 golf course plan is similar to the ‘environmentally friendly’ design of the previous Coul Links Ltd planning saga, first mooted in Oct 2015, approved almost unanimously by councillors, but refused in 2020 after Scottish Government intervention. The decision followed crucial objection by government agency Scottish Natural Heritage (now NatureScot); recommended refusal by Highland Council’s Planning Officer; 1864 planning objections, a campaign by Buglife, Butterfly Conservation, Marine Conservation Society, National Trust for Scotland, Plantlife, RSPB, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Ramblers, Scotways & Not Coul (all objecting again); a Wembley Stadium capacity 38Degrees petition https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/conserve-coul-links-for-nature-not-golf-1 (please sign too); & 4 weeks of Public Local Inquiry, whose Report recommended refusal.   Scottish Ministers summarised in Feb 2020: “Reporters have concluded that the harmful impacts of this development to protected habitats & species would outweigh the potential socio-economic benefits. This proposal does not comply with the relevant provisions of the Highland Wide Local Development Plan & runs contrary to Scottish planning policy’s emphasis on protecting natural heritage sites & world class environmental assets. The Scottish Government has considered the reporter’s findings carefully & agree with the recommendation that planning permission should be refused”.   The developer to re-emerge is Mike Keiser of Bandon Dunes Oregon, Cabot Nova Scotia (NS) & Cabot Highlands UK. He was a donor ($56,000) to Heartland climate change denial institute https://littlesis.org/person/42895-Michael_Keiser & doesn’t have an impeccable conservation record in Oregon: https://oregoncoastalliance.org/bandon-dunesbiota-bulldoze-roads-and-dig-bore-holes-in-bandon-state-natural-area/. Cabot NS failed to obtain a lease to convert wild protected public dunes to a golf course: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/west-mabou-beach-provincial-park-cabot-golf-tory-rushton-1.6817243. The only substantial improvement to the previous course design is abandonment of the major juniper translocation experiment within the SSSI. Assertions common to both planning applications & their inadequate Environmental Impact Assessments were refuted by Inquiry. One fallacy is that golf will only impact 1% of the SSSI, which is predominantly tidal estuary & contains substantial areas of beach, saltmarsh & native pinewood. This ignores the effects of expanding wetlands, nutrient enrichment, disturbance beyond constructed tees & greens of biopoverty lawns, & intensively mown fairways, the effects of habitat fragmentation on ecological integrity & the retreating coastline. Proposed holes 15, 17 & 18 (back tee) are perilously close to the sea after Storm Ciarán of Nov 2023. Equinoctial March spring tides of 2024 (stormy) & 2026 have eroded fairway 17, so designs already need modification. Tees & greens would be excavated, recontoured, turfed with amenity grassland, fertilised & irrigated. Fairways, ostensibly to preserve biodiversity & naturalness, would be mown weekly during growing season, compacting hummocky topography & gradually reducing any sward to the most mower & trampling-tolerant (from annually anticipated 25,000 rounds) grasses & mosses, with no opportunity for surviving herbs to flower. Dune heath, chiefly of heathers, mosses & lichens, with sparser & tussocky grasses, would be obliterated by mowing, leaving habitat susceptible to more wind erosion than desirable. Mowing would nowhere produce a world-class playing surface & eroded areas would likely be patched up with introduced grasses, & 'weeds' treated with herbicide. C4C claims that development is the only way to fund conserving Coul Links, with golf management ending management neglect (by the landowner, a 2017 developer), initiating removal of ‘invasive’ species. This is untrue, as a land management agreement with NatureScot has commenced & funds are available for future work. Gorse, birches, Bracken, Meadowsweet, Burnet Rose & unspecified willows are all perceived by the development team as undesirables to be severely controlled, despite their collectively supporting numerous insects, some rare, & nesting birds. While some control of first three species is desirable to preserve more valuable habitats, they are all natural & native components of dune vegetation. Creeping Willow hosts nationally scarce Coralroot Orchid. Updated Ramsar site protection policy (July 2025) & Natural Environment Bill (Jan 2026) should better protect Coul (see petition Updates ↓). Coul Links is not a wildlife garden but one of the most natural, biodiverse & intact dune habitat systems surviving in Scotland, where much has already been lost to golf. Naturalness, supported by size, is a chief criterion for SSSI evaluation & selection. 50% of the anticipated market for Coul Links golf would be from USA, jetting to Scotland to contribute to climate warming emissions & coastal erosion. DPEA: Scottish Government - DPEA - Case Details (scotland.gov.uk) Planning: https://wam.highland.gov.uk/wam/ ref. 23/00580/FUL Not Coul: https://notcoul.org/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnm7krCGoGQ&t=4s Erosion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_Zpr6c1elI&list=LL Information: https://www.coullinksgolf.com/ Photographs: Coul-Links-Comparative-Photographs-by-Andrew-Weston-September-2024-FINAL.pdf Coul-Links-Supplementary-Photographs-by-Andrew-Weston-September-2024-FINAL.pdf 'Communities'4Golf: https://www.communities4coul.scot/

We are facing an unprecedented climate crisis crisis and the UK government simply isn’t doing enough. The Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill can help us change our course—making the government act with the urgency we need and involving everyday people in a Citizens’ Assembly that has real bite. If the CEE Bill is made law, the government would have to act fast, accounting for our entire carbon footprint while actively conserving nature here and overseas. The bill could set a precedent that can be replicated across the world. According to They Work for You, a website that documents MP voting records, Alister Jack "generally voted against measures to prevent climate change". Recently he refused to meet with a constituent to discuss environmental issues on the basis that he'd "already had discussions with an environmental group this year". It is vital that local environmental groups and concerned citizens have the opportunity to convey to Alister Jack the severity of the crisis we are facing and to demand his representation in parliament. Encouraging him to support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill would be a great start!

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