The Missing Millions??

The Scottish Review online today is this article by Common Good Petitioner David Harvie -

"The 1850s and 60s were momentous decades in Glasgow. In the 1840s, the city had suffered a cholera epidemic and the poverty-stricken citizens had been provoked into large-scale bread riots. But Glasgow picked itself up and dusted itself down, and a powerful drive of civic optimism took over. Employment rose as the city council intervened to order advances in its infrastructure. Improved water supplies, public parks, wide streets and better sewage, drainage and housing were all priority developments. A Glasgow Police Act of 1866 was a positive influence, as was the City Improvement Act of the same year, which led to huge developments in housing and health. The prosperity was not instant, nor yet for everyone. Bad housing and health were still endemic, and while there seemed to be plenty of work, the 'hire and fire' ethos was still the norm. Many workers were forced to move from farm to factory to construction site to shipyard in the constant effort to maintain a position on the treadmill of 'cheap, plentiful labour'. The city serviced an enormous army of people who arrived from the Highlands and Islands, Ireland and elsewhere; all were anxious to prosper – one Scot in five lived in Glasgow. Nevertheless, the city's drive for self-improvement was to have enormous success and led to a world-wide reputation for municipal organisation.Glasgow's citizens recognised and cherished something of enormous value that we have lost since these harsher days – a genuine sense of civic pride that was rooted in the Scots tradition of The Common Good. This is an ancient and uniquely Scottish concept confirming the continuing public ownership of assets, both heritable and moveable, which has been lamentably mismanaged and compromised by many of Scotland's local authorities in recent decades. The property of Scotland's Common Good funds is legally held by statute in trusteeship by local councillors on behalf of the local population; such property must by law be registered, accounted and valued separately from all other local authority accounts; it is not to be equated as 'belonging to the council' – it belongs to the local communities. Councils, while holding legal title, are constrained in how the property is administered and disposed of, since it is held in trust for the residents of the former burghs. Unfortunately, there are conflicting attitudes pervading the issue. In 1914, Glasgow's town clerk, noting the city's 'parental view of its duty to the community', confirmed the opinion of the commissioners on municipal corporations in Scotland of 1835, when they stated that 'the common property is truly an estate held in trust by the community'. Recently however, the City of Glasgow's director of finance boldly told the city council that, 'the common good is seen as corporate property of the council'. But Lord Drummond Young, in the Court of Session in 2003 pointed out that 'the town council or other local authority is regarded in law as simply the manager of the property, as representing the community' [Lord Drummond Young in Andrew Wilson and Others v Inverclyde Council 2003]. Some Common Good funds are well-endowed; others ought to be. Seven hundred years ago Robert The Bruce granted rights to Aberdeen over his favourite hunting-grounds; today, that gift alone is worth £35 million. Inverness had similar historical donations now worth £25 million – and bringing in an annual income of nearly £2 million. It is sadly likely, however, that some councils have transferred assets to other accounts (possibly resulting in inappropriate or even illegal disposal) or otherwise 'lost' them. Record-keeping has been poor, thus making legitimate inquiry difficult. Glasgow has recently revealed an astonishing lack of heritable common good assets (buildings, land, parks, municipal undertakings, etc), with no mention of all kinds of assets recorded in the past, and no moveable assets whatsoever (regalia, furniture, works of art, books and all manner of gifts and deposits). In response to FoI inquiries by Mary E Mackenzie, the city council is blocking further information on the bizarre grounds that just to search their title deeds would cost in excess of £4 million. In 1914, John Lindsay the then town clerk of Glasgow listed many of the estate lands, docks and harbours, properties, rights, bonds and other assets within the Common Good. The list contains some lucrative surprises, such as the entire municipal transport undertaking – declared to be an asset of the Common Good by an Act of Parliament in 1909. Lindsay noted that the total value of Common Good assets was over £6.5 million (at 1914 values); what can have happened in the intervening years to prevent the significant increase in that value? No doubt some physical assets will have disappeared or been legitimately disposed of, but what happened to their value? The thing to remember is that £6.5 million in 1914 is worth several hundred million pounds at today's values, and should have been increasing over the period. The question therefore remains: what has happened to the accumulated value of many hundred million pounds worth of assets belonging to the common good? In the early 1900s, a visiting American professor of civic administration, described Glasgow as 'in many ways the most aggressively efficient city in Great Britain'. Frederic Clemson Howe was a Cleveland lawyer who became a progressive reformer in the fields of municipal planning, taxation and democratic control. He had visited and studied in detail numerous European cities, and Glasgow came as a puzzling but satisfying revelation to him. He was deeply impressed by the fact that the city had regained control of all of its civic services from the stranglehold of an unregulated private sector. This popular move – so at odds with our own experiences of ALEOs ('arm's-length organisations' such as Culture and Sport Glasgow) and other managerial sleight of hand – was achieved not only without a whiff of corruption, but with laudable evidence of efficiency, democratic openness and modest financial profit. For Howe, transparency and accountability were paramount, and the outcome received his unreserved response: 'Enthusiasm and interest, devotion and pride – these are the characteristics of Glasgow citizenship. I have talked with the heads of the city departments, with a score of town councillors, with police officers and fire officials, with clerks, bathhouse custodians, and conductors on the tram-cars – with all sorts of men, Tories and Liberals, Radicals and Socialists, from the Lord Provost down to the cab-driver. And this is the only citizenship I have been able to find.' ['The British City – The Beginnings of Democracy' by Frederic Clemson Howe, New York, 1907, p.163-4] Andy Wightman and James Perman, who have conducted the most prodigious research into these issues, concluded that 'the estimated value of the common good assets that should be held on behalf of communities to generate wealth and community benefit might easily stand at around £1.8 billion'. ['Common Good Land in Scotland – a Review and Critique' 2005, p.23] The total value they could identify from Scottish council figures was one tenth of that estimate. When it comes to much of the property that is held in our disparate Common Good accounts, it is often local individuals and organisations that have most knowledge, interest and concern for its protection. Many of these people today have to take the financial risk of facing their local authority across courtrooms in order to try to protect what they regard as rightfully theirs. Were the entire accounting system to be completely overhauled and improved, and recompense made for past mismanagement, there would be hugely beneficial outcomes for civic pride and revitalisation. That would surely placate the disturbed ghost of the progressive Frederic Clemson Howe – and not least the people of Scotland.
David Harvie was one of three individuals who represented petitions on Common Good Assets in the Scottish Parliament in 2009 [Petitions 875, 896 and 961]

See Scottish Commons for timeline on the petitons progress to date

and see Common Good Watch on latest news

Silent Walk for Justice 4th Dec Royal Mile 3pm

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the late Annie Jansson who along with many others are taking part in the second year of The Silent Walk for Justice this Friday the 4 Dec 2009 , from St Giles to the Parliament. Assemble 3pm onwards.

We met Maria and Guje in May last year when one of the Common Good campaigners introduced them to us during The Canongate Project. It was important for them to meet people who live and or work in The Old Town, where Annie spent the last few months of her life.

Maria and Guje are campaining to find out the truth about what happened to Maria`s daughter Annie who was found dead on the shore in Prestwick 4 dec 2005. Annie worked at the Scottish Whisky Experience (at the Castle) during the summer 2005.

She loved the Old Town of Edinburgh . Her mother Maria and friend Guje know that Annie visited shops and restaurants etc along the Royal Mile and are convinced that there are people out there that Annie spoke with and we hope to find them since they can have very important information regarding Annies last days in life.

On Friday the 2nd Dec 2005 Annie visited some friends at the Whisky Experience, no one knows where Annie went after she left her friends at the Experience.

Hopefully some one will remember something.

Common Good in Scotland - Time to Reclaim!

Has time come for common ground to be reclaimed by its local communities? This is the title of article in yesterdays Sunday Herald. see below for article. There is common good land in the land earmarked for development in Edinburgh`s Old Town.

Scottish Parliament Evidence Giving Sessions on The Common Good
Link to all archived evidence and papers from sessions & Official Report


See Common Good Day Scotland posting for more information and links on Common Good

Published on 25 Oct 2009 In The Sunday Herald by David Ross

It could be a hill, a moor or a village green and town hall; fisheries or grazing rights; even a prestigious city centre site.

All over Scotland there are still thousands of parcels of the different forms of common land and other historical assets, which local people effectively own and which could be multi-million pound earners for their communities, according to one of Scotland’s leading land-reform campaigners.
However, Andy Wightman warns it is time they were reclaimed. Too many were lost down the centuries, unlawfully assumed by private landowners or transferred by corrupt public officials.
“All of Scotland was once held in common,” he said. “The process of privatisation and the development of the system of land law pushed common land rights to the margins and still, today, the existence of such rights is often dismissed out of hand by legal authorities.
“Enough evidence, however, has come to light over the past few years to demonstrate that such rights do still exist and that diligent research can help to recover and assert communal rights in land.”

Wightman has produced a 94-page guide to help local people identify their historical assets and establish their legal rights to them. This so they can benefit financially from any development proposed, or make their own plans.

He points to the likes of Waverley Market in Edinburgh, which could have been earning the city’s common good fund more than £1million a year in rent, plus half the £37.5m earned by selling the leasehold, if the council had handled things differently. But all the fund has received since 1982 was 23p.

In another example from Carluke, local people missed out on potential wind-farm revenues because they were unaware of rights they had in 86 acres of common land.

In contrast, there are long-standing success stories such as the Dornoch Firth Mussel Fishery which has been owned as a common resource by the people of Tain since 1612, when the ownership of the mussel scalps and the right to fish them was bequeathed to the Easter Ross community by James the Sixth.

Mr Wightman, author of the seminal work Who Owns Scotland and founder of the website of the same name, says he is convinced that it is an idea whose time has come, not least because of fears the community land-ownership movement that led to the purchase of Assynt, Eigg, Knoydart and Gigha has run our of financial and political steam.
But he stresses this is as much to do with the future as with the past.

“The issue of community land and other rights is especially relevant following the award of the Nobel Prize for Economics to Elinor Ostrom, an American academic who has championed the commons and demonstrated that, despite what is often believed, common resources such as land, water and fisheries can be sustainably managed by communal co-operative institutions,” he said.

“Indeed, she has gone beyond that to show that, in many cases, the commons provide a better model for resource management than either private or state ownership. At a time when the world is crying out for alternative
ways forward it is encouraging to see that the commons are being recognised as one of the success stories and not, as so often has been the case, an anachronism that should be replaced by private or state interests.

“The relevance of this in a Scottish context is twofold. First there is a lot of land still held in common across the country that has been forgotten about.
“The danger is that if common rights are not asserted, they will meet the same fate as so much land in Scotland and be appropriated into private hands.
“Community Land Rights is a manual designed to provide communities with the research tools they need to identify, assert and recover their common heritage.

“Second, much more needs to be done to assert common land rights and promote them as an important part of community regeneration in Scotland.”

Andy Wightman's site here www.scottishcommons.org/

Answers from Council on Calton Hill

If you want information from the City of Edinburgh Council don't bother with an FOI, just get Brian Ferguson of the Scotsman to write a misleading article, see yesterday's post.

Remember it takes around 3 months with an FOI, remember when they were asked about the council homes they cleared on Caltongate developer Manish Chande's behalf...which they never got the rent for, now thats a scandal

FOI on Tenements at what do they know

Hill to stay open - letter in today's Scotsman

The claim of your report "Public faces Calton Hill ban at night in bid to cut crime" (15 September) is misleading. While Edinburgh council is drawing up plans for Calton Hill to preserve and protect the area for the enjoyment of residents and visitors, these do not include any proposal that it should be shut at night.

We are looking at ways to deal with antisocial behaviour and vandalism, and the closure of Carriage Drive to all vehicles earlier this summer has already contributed to a significant reduction in these problems, as well as ensuring pedestrian safety.
We want to promote the hill as a safe and well-maintained public space, making it cleaner, safer and more attractive, and it is simply not true that the council intends to restrict night-time access . CLLR ROBERT ALDRIDGE Environment leader City of Edinburgh Council

Scooby Doo, Edinburgh needs you!

Our Common Good of Edinburgh includes Calton Hill, and today we hear that the council are intent on closing it to the people who own it at night, due to crime.

Now will they apply this argument to all crime spots and will they impose a curfew on the entire city streets at say 10pm?

It is known across the city that the Omni centre provides more crime for the police to deal, now will they close that at 10pm?

There is an underlying reason for this story in today's Scotsman, they are up to something...Scooby Doo where are you? We've got some work for you now.

Today the republic was sent this video link....Youtube video Edinburgh Trams Fiasco

Image from Leith Links Site

Michael Sandel delivers the Reith Lectures on BBC Radio 4

This year's Reith Lectures on BBC Radio 4 will be delivered by political philosopher and Harvard University professor, Michael Sandel, Listen here

Mr Sandel, whose work has addressed issues such as ethics, democracy, and the erosion of community and moral values, will deliver a series of lectures under the title "A New Citizenship" addressing the "prospect for a new politics of the common good".

The prestigious lectures, which were last year delivered by Yale University professor Jonathan Spence on China, will be broadcast on Radio 4 and the BBC World Service in June.

The Reith Lectures began in 1948, delivered by the philosopher Bertrand Russell on the subject of "Authority and the Individual". Named after the BBC's first director general, John Reith, the lectures aim to encourage understanding and debate about issues of public interest.

Sandel said he hoped his lectures would prompt public discussion about the prospect for a "new politics of the common good".

"The Reith Lectures have a storied tradition of engaging the life of the mind and the public square," Sandel said. "At a time of political change and economic turmoil, we need new thinking about the common good.

"What, in an age of globalisation, are the moral limits of markets? What should be the place of moral and spiritual values in public life? How is biotechnology transforming our relation to nature and the environment?"

A professor of government at Harvard, his undergraduate course Justice - about moral and political philosophy - will be the basis of a 12-part public television series in the US in the autumn.

This year's lectures will be delivered in London on May 18, Oxford on May 21, Newcastle on May 26 and Washington DC in early June.

SOOT meeting tonight 7pm

© Poster created by local artist, David Hutchison

SOOT meeting and AGM is taking place tonight the 20th May 2009 at 7pm in Old Saint Pauls Church Hall, Jeffrey St. Finding Old Saint Pauls

In attendance tonight will be Andy Wightman who is a freelance writer, researcher and the author of Who Owns Scotland, one of his specialist areas is Scotland`s Common Good.

Since it was confirmed that developer`s Mountgrange are in administration there have been many letters and artilces in the press suggesting what can be done with the now undeveloped site that was formerly the New Street Bus Depot. Prior to demolition in 2006, it was home to a bustling Sunday Market/ Car Boot Sale, artists studios (David Hutchison was one) , the Bongo Club (live music,clubs,yoga classes & arts) and a car park.

SOOT needs a much larger management committee to continue working and to take ideas forward and support those people involved. So do come along tonight and get involved.

SOOT will be needing people for the management committee and to take on individual roles such as fund raising, administration, publicity , membership secretary and other volunteers. Have you skills or perhaps you want to learn new ones?

If you can`t attend, do send an email to canongatecommunityforumATyahoo.co.uk to say how you want to be more involved in SOOT.

After the official AGM business there will be an opportunity for discussion about the future and the proposed Old Town Development Trust as well as an opportunity to discuss Common Good issues with Andy Wightman.

See www.eh8.org.uk for more information and media coverage

Silent Walk for Justice today on Royal Mile

Today our thoughts are with the family and friends of the late Annie Jansson who along with many others are taking part in The Silent Walk for Justice today on The Royal Mile from 3pm, from Castle to Parliament.

We met Maria and Guje in May this year when one of our fellow Common Good campaigners introduced them to us during our Canongate Project. It was important for them to meet people who live and or work in The Old Town, where Annie spent the last few months of her life.

Maria and Guje are campaining to find out the truth about what happened to Gujes daughter Annie who was found dead on the shore in Prestwick 4 dec 2005.

Annie worked at the Scottish Whisky Experience (at the Castle) during the summer 2005. She loved the Old Town of Edinburgh .

Her mother Maria and friend Guje know that Annie visited shops and restaurants etc along the Royal Mile and are convinced that there are people out there that Annie spoke with and we hope to find them since they can have very important information regarding Annies last days in life.

On Friday the 2nd Dec 2005 Annie visited some friends at the Whisky Experience, no one knows where Annie went after she left her friends at the Experience. Hopefully some one will remember something.

Edinburgh At Risk Day Today Sat 31st May

Cartoon by Frank Boyle which appeared in The Evening News August 2007.
See bigger Cartoon here

Edinburgh At Risk Day Today Saturday 31st May 10 -4pm

“Edinburgh is at greater risk than it has been since the 1960`s”

Conservation Architect James Simpson OBE (ICOMOS newsletter Spring 2008)

James Simpson will be opening the day at approx 11am, venue at 8 St Marys which is open from 10am for coffees etc

Come and find out what’s going on in the city of Edinburgh and its surrounding areas. Have you got concerns about proposed developments, demolitions of buildings, disappearing green spaces and management of Common Good Land and Assets? Don’t know what to do? Come and meet others who have concerns and find what they are doing.

EAR was founded by a number of Edinburgh campaigns in 2007 and is a non-political umbrella organisation open to all who value the city’s communities, culture, history and her future. Campaigns involved so far include Save Our Old Town, Save Meadowbank, Orroco Pier (South Queensferry), Porty Greenkeepers, Friends of Corstorphine Hill and Save Glenogle Baths ...

Come along to The Canongate Project shop at 8 St Mary’s Street, just off The Royal Mile. Stay for entire day or drop in at whatever time suits you. Films, workshops and discussions etc

More at Save Our Old Town Website

Above is the architect Allan Murray and if you see him in your neighbourhood be afraid,be very afraid

Caltongate or Edinburgh must Die

Tonights Talk/Discussion -Another Way is Possible

Gabriel's Wharf is one of the assets managed by Coin Street Community Builders (CSCB) which is a social enterprise and development trust which seeks to make London's South Bank a better place in which to live, to work and to visit. CSCB has transformed a largely derelict 13 acre site into a thriving mixed use neighbourhood by creating new co-operative homes; shops, galleries, restaurants, cafes and bars; a park and riverside walkway; sports facilities; by organising festivals and events; and by providing childcare, family support, learning, and enterprise support programmes. So like they say there is another way, can we make it happen here in Edinburgh? Come along tonight and get inspired. CSCB Website Wikipedia On CSCB

Thursday 29th May 7pm - 9pm

Talk and discussion, by Wendy Reid of Development Trusts Association Scotland. Learn how local people can set up Development Trusts to improve the quality of life in their community.

DTA Scotland Website

At The Canongate Project Shop, 8 St Mary`s Street, just off the Royal Mile

See Map

About Development Trusts From DTAScot website -

What are they?

Development trusts are community run organisations that :

aim to achieve the sustainable regeneration of a community and therefore are concerned with the economic, social and environmental and cultural needs of their community are independent but seek to work in partnership with other private and public sector organisations are owned and managed by the local community aim to generate income through trading activity that enables them to move away from dependency on grant support. All trading surpluses are principally reinvested in the organisation or community.


What do they do?

Local people set up development trusts to tackle local issues and to improve the quality of life in their community. As a result, development trusts become involved in a very wide range of activities.Just some of the activities which development trusts are currently involved in include…………….running the local shop and post office .....…developing play park and recreational facilities ……...managing a housing development...……developing renewable energy projects such as wind farms …..……managed workspaces …………setting up training programmes …………running childcare or youth services …….……preserving the local heritage …………restoring and conserving historic buildings …………countryside ranger service........running the village petrol pump.......a multi purpose arts and crafts centre....property development......tourism......environmental improvemnts ....childcare.....furniture recycling.....running a sports centre ....commercial forestry and woodland management.....

In short, anything and everything that might help build a vibrant and sustainable community.
Despite the diversity that is reflected in what they do, all development trusts are underpinned by a strong ethos of self help and self reliance and a belief that community regeneration which is achieved through community owned enterprise is the way to build strong and sustainable communities.

Common Good Day Scotland Sat 24th May

COMMON GOOD DAY SCOTLAND

Saturday 24th May

10-4pm

at 8 St Marys Street

Just off The Royal Mile

Edinburgh

Common Good is the name given to the inherited property of the former burghs of Scotland. This land and assets still exist and still belong to the people and could be a significant resource for regenerating local communities.. Common Good expert Andy Wightman will be in attendance along with others involved in campaigns throughout the country. Come and get involved in reclaiming the rightful inheritance of the people of Scotland. Come and spend the day with all those involved in reclaiming our Common Good. Discussions, talks, films….information to take away so you can become a Common Good Detective

Other Week`s Events here Mon 19th - Sun 25th May as part of The Canongate Projects` 6 week programme

Andy Wightman will be giving a talk on Edinburgh`s Common Good on Thursday 22 May, 7pm Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge
This talk is organised by the Cockburn Association (The Edinburgh Civic Trust), in partnership with the Edinburgh Old Town Association.

See more info here

(There is Common Good Land involved in the proposed land sale by the council to Caltongate developers Mountgrange)

A piece on The Common Good By Andy Wightman

In recent years the idea of community ownership of land and assets has been enthusiastically embraced by politicians across the UK and particularly in Scotland. In a country where over half the privately owned rural land is still held by a mere 352 landowners, land reform now allows communities a pre-emptive right to buy land when it comes onto the market.

But before having embraced this new fashionable idea, politicians might have paused to consider the fate of the common land that already existed. Had they done so they would have realised that community ownership is nothing new.

Before the Reformation, as much as half of Scotland was held in some form of common ownership. There were extensive Crown commons that had never been feudalised, commonties in every parish for the use of the common people, extensive burgh commons which provided income and sustenance to ScotlandÕs burghs and a whole array of mosses, loans, greens and other forms of communistic arrangement. As it happens, common ownership of land is a very old idea.

Tom Johnston, the historian and former Secretary of State for Scotland concluded in that," adding together the common lands of the Royal Burghs, the common lands of the Burghs which held their foundation rights from private individuals, the extensive commons of the villages and the hamlets, the common pasturages and grazings, and the commons attaching to run-rig tenancies, we shall be rather under than over estimating the common acreage in the latter part of the sixteenth century, at fully one-half of the entire area of Scotland.

He goes on, "As late as 1800 there were great common properties extant; many burghs, towns and villages owned lands and mosses; Forres engaged in municipal timber-growing; Fortrose owned claypits; Glasgow owned quarries and coalfields; Hamilton owned a coal pit; Irvine had mills, farms and a loom shop; Kirkwall owned farms and a town hall; Lanark had a mill and an inn; Lochmaben had a farm; Musselburgh had five mills, a brick and tile work, a quarry, a town hall, a steel yard and shares in a race stand; etc........."

By the time the Royal Commission on Municipal Corporations in Scotland reported in 1835, however, '"Wick had lost in the law courts its limited right of commonty over the hill of Wick, and owned no property; Abernethy owned nothing, nor did Alloa. Bathgate was the proud possessor of the site of a fountain and a right of servitude over four and a half acres of moorland. Beith had no local government of any kind; Bo`ness owned nothing; Castle-Douglas owned only a shop; Coldstream was stripped bare, not even possessing rights in its street dung"

Visit any town in Scotland and you will come across names such as Market Muir, Market Street, Muirton, Links, and Green. These all denote forms of common land such as all burghs in Scotland owned at on time. The property of the burgh was known as the common good since it was to be used for the common good of the inhabitants.

And this property still exists. It still belongs to the people and forms an important part of their cultural heritage. It is also a significant resource for regenerating local communities. But since 1975 when Town Councils were abolished, this land has been subsumed within new local authority structures and assets that should have been carefully stewarded for the benefit of the inhabitants of the former burghs have, instead, been lost, neglected, and in many cases misappropriated. Some communities took action to protect their assets. Thus, for example, St Andrews transferred their town common (which happens to have the famous golf course on it) to a Trust through a private Act of Parliament.

Look at the accounts of most local authorities in Scotland and you will find a page or two devoted to the Common Good funds. These are funds inherited from the former Town Councils of the burghs of Scotland in 1975. Some funds are quite sizeable. Aberdeen has £31 million, Inverness has £6.9 million and Musselburgh £7.5 million. Most are far more modest ranging from a few thousand to one or two hundred thousand pounds.

The real tragedy, however, is that the true extent of the common good of our towns is staggering and yet too many local authorities simply donÕt know what it is, where it is, how much it's worth, or who it really belongs to. The total reported value in the accounts of local authorities stands at just over £181 million. That's £400 of assets for every man, woman and child in Scotland! But given the missing assets, inaccurate accounting and lost receipts the total is probably in the region of £2 billion.

In Hamilton alone, £50 million has disappeared from the Common Good Fund. In Edinburgh, millions of pounds have gone missing and, incredibly, the former Waverley Market in Princes Street, a common good asset worth over £40 million is leased on a 206 year lease for 1p per year!

How has this sorry state of affairs come to pass? Why has such wealth not been managed in such a way that its value grew and would provide land for much needed community use such as housing? The answer is a complicated tale of incompetence, forgotten history, ignorance of officals and clear misappropriation of funds. Citizens are beginning to wake up to this hidden wealth. At the same time, communities are being empowered to take ownership and control of land and property and to fashion a more prosperous and sustainable future for themselves. However, much of this has been achieved through the allocation of money from the Lottery.
For many communities its not necessary to seek opportunities on the open market or to seek financial support from the Lottery in order to build up their asset base since common good assets already exist and could form the basis for building a multi-million property portfolio that could deliver housing, leisure and much needed community facilities.

A new Act of the Scottish Parliament should ensure a proper asset register, proper accounting and, most importantly, a statutory power for community bodies to take back title to their common good assets. If this were done, the consequences could be massive in terms of economic regeneration, civic pride, community cohesion and the development of a new commonweal.
And they could go further by endowing communities who have no Common Good Fund with one, by supporting a bold vision of community led urban regeneration. In my view the whole of the Clydeside regeneration project should be community owned and managed. They are doing these sorts of things in London (Greenwich Leisure and Coin Street Community Builders are just two examples) and other parts of England. Common Good assets are the place to start.

There are literally hundreds of millions of pounds floating about in the form of previously unaccounted for sets, undervalued assets and underused assets. This wealth belongs to the local community and not to the Council and can be used to begin a process of civic renewal and physical regeneration, to deliver wealth and prosperity, and to give back to towns across Scotland some self respect, belief and power to better the welfare of their community.

This article appeared on Andy`s blog on The YouScotland Website
Andy Wightman is an independent writer and researcher. His report, "Common Good Land in Scotland". A review and critique is available at Scottish Commons

Video of Andy Wightman Interview

See Here for more on Scotland`s Common Good

May Reshuffle in Glasgow 12-8pm

Whats on Here

Get yourself and the kids over to the Pearce Institute in Sunny Govan today. A day full of free events which mixes the idea of enjoyment of local space and place, such as community centres with some discussion and workshops along with housing and the environment. Bob from Citystrolls is interested in the corrosion of the social base in our society. The disappearance and undermining of incipient culture in our communities by private and council led partnerships. The privatisation of our Common Good. Business in our parks. The Reshuffle event today is one small step in creating a stronger social base from which people can stand up for and get the best for their community and way of life and not be at the mercy of big business and councils.

Scottish Ministers have deferred the decision on Caltongate

For those of you who keep asking "so it that it over? What's happening now?" It isn't over and we are waiting for Scottish Ministers to decide about Caltongate and a possible Public Enquiry into the whole decision making and sell off of public and common good land. The Evening News reported last week that Scottish Ministers have extended the time to make a decision about Caltongate, read more about it here

There was also some news on the decision for Edinburgh Zoo to sell off land it owns on Corstorphine Hill to developers to build luxury homes. Corstorphine are having a local enquiry. Read more about it here

And finally Portobello has a new Masterplan that does not include a supermarket or a five storey new complex on the Promenade after extensive community consultation. The council can do it when they want to, read about the story here

The Canongate Project Events

All events are here at The Canongate Project Shop, 8 St Mary’s Street,. Walks leave from here. Please book in advance for walks and talks to avoid disappointment.

This weekends events

Starting Friday 9th 3pm -5pm Street Party Organising Group

Get involved in organising the Street Party. A fantastic day out for all the community and visitors.
Then every Sunday from 11th May 3-4pm until the 8th June

And Fridays from the 16th May 3-5pm until the 13th June

Street Party on Saturday 28th June Street Party 11-4pm East Market Street –Stalls, Live Music, Children’s Activities, Street Theatre Saturday 10th May

11am -1pm Repeat of Film Screen 1 A Mile of Memories
A collection of historical documentary and educational films featuring the Royal Mile and including Walkabout Edinburgh with Richard Demarco from 1970.

Saturday 1pm - 2.30pm Banner Making Group Launch

Come and help produce a community banner. A great opportunity to create something special for the Canongate. There will be a trip to the People’s Story Museum on The Canongate to look at community banners from the past. Meet at shop first.

Sunday 11th May 3-4pm Street party Organising Group.

Get involved in organising the Street party on East Market Street. A fantastic day for all the Community and visitors on Saturday 28th June 11-4pm. Live music, street theatre, stalls, childrens activities.


Sunday 4.30pm -6 pm 'Hidden Gardens of the Royal Mile'.

Walking tour with Jean Bareham of Bluyonder Tours. The tour will include some social history, but will mainly cover how people use green space in the city these days.
See a little-known side of Edinburgh's Old Town in this easy walking tour. Behind the historic buildings discover the surprising number of gardens and green 'nooks and crannies', all with a story to tell. You'll see modern community gardens created by today's residents; hear how 70 derelict sites were made into children's gardens in the 19th Century; and take a breather in a beautiful space laid out and planted as a 17th century Scots town garden.

Rest of Programme

TALKS

May

Wednesday 14th May 2pm - 3.30pm
Talk and discussion with Jane Jackson and David Hicks of The Edinburgh World Heritage Trust. What does World Heritage Status mean to Edinburgh and her residents.

Wednesday 14th May 7pm - 9pm
Talk by Eileen Inglis of Scotland UnLtd, Do you have an idea to make a difference in your community? Come and find out how you can get support and funding.

Thursday 15th May 2pm - 4pm
Talk by Wendy Reid of Development Trusts Association Scotland. Learn how local people can set up Development Trusts to improve the quality of life in their community.

Wednesday 21st May 7pm - 9pm
Talk by Bern Balfe, Presentation and discussion about the architect’s design process and how it can serve
the needs of a community

Thursday 22nd May 2pm - 4pm
Sally Richardson of the Save Our Old Town Campaign

Thursday 22nd May 7pm -9pm
Talk - The Radical History of The Canongate with Craig McLean. A presentation & discussion including footage of 1937 May Day march through the Canongate.

Monday 26th May 6pm -7.30pm
Talk with Elizabeth Graham of the Cockburn Association on the heritage organisation’s work.

Thursday 29th May 7pm - 9pm
Talk by Wendy Reid of Development Trusts Association Scotland. Learn how local people can set up Development Trusts to improve the quality of life in their community.

June Talks

Wednesday 4th June 6pm -7pm
Talk by Di Jennings of Local People Leading. LPL campaigns for a strong and independent community sector.

Friday 6th June 6pm - 7.30pm
Talk and discussion with Jane Jackson and David Hicks of The Edinburgh World Heritage Trust. What does World Heritage Status mean to Edinburgh and her residents.

Saturday 7th June 1pm - 3pm
Community Land Partnerships. Talk with Chris Cook.

Sunday 8th June 1pm - 3pm.
Workshop by Bob Hamilton from Citystrolls, Glasgow. How you can be active and make a difference in your community.

Monday 9th June. 7pm - 9pm
Talk “Family Connection” – with Janet Fenton a narrative of personal connection and recollection with the Old Town

Wednesday 11th June 6pm - 8pm
Talk by Sally Richardson of The Save Our Old Town Campaign.

WALKS

Wednesday 28th May 6.30p - 7.45pm
Walking talk on Women of the Old Town with Donald Smith of Scottish Storytelling Centre

Sunday 1st June 2pm - 3.30pm
Walk with Jim Johnson around the Old Town focussing on the street improvement schemes.

Wednesday 4th June 6.30pm - 8pm
Jim Johnson leads a walk around the now redeveloped former S&N breweries between Canongate and Holyrood Road.

Sunday 8th June. 1pm - 2.30pm
Radical walk of the Old Town’ with Allan Armstrong.


WEEKLY GROUPS

Street Party Organising Group

Starting Friday 9th 3pm -5pm
Get involved in organising the Street Party. A fantastic day out for all the community and visitors.

Then every Sunday from 11th May 3-4pm until the 8th June

And Fridays from the 16th May 3-5pm until the 13th June

Saturday 28th June Street Party 11-4pm East Market Street –Stalls, Live Music, Children’s Activities, Street Theatre


Banner Making Group

Banner making group Thursday 15th May 7pm - 8.30pm
Come and help produce a community banner. A great opportunity to create something special for the Canongate.
Then every Thursday until the 5th June


REMINISCENCE GROUP

Tuesday 13th May, 3-4pm.
The memories and experiences of people testify to the special significance of the Canongate. If you have spent time in the Canongate at some point in your life drop in and join us for a chat and a cup of tea.
Then every Tuesday until the 10th June 3-4pm



ALL – DAY GATHERINGS


Common Good Day Scotland

Saturday 24th May 10am-4pm

Common Good is the name given to the inherited property of the former burghs of Scotland. This land and assets still exist and still belong to the people and could be a significant resource for regenerating local communities.. Common Good expert Andy Wightman will be in attendance along with others involved in campaigns throughout the country. Come and get involved in reclaiming the rightful inheritance of the people of Scotland. Come and spend the day with all those involved in reclaiming our Common Good. Discussions, talks, films….information to take away so you can become a Common Good Detective

www.scottishcommons.org.uk




Edinburgh at Risk Day

Saturday 31st May 10-4pm

Come and find out what’s going on in Edinburgh and its surrounding areas…Have you got concerns? Don’t know what to do? Come and meet others who did and what they are doing. EAR was founded by a number of on-going Edinburgh campaigns and is a non-political umbrella organisation open to all who value the city’s culture, history and future and wishes full recognition of Edinburgh’s Common Good.

Film and Photography

Monday 12th May 2pm - 4pm An introduction to Film Making.

Monday 19th May 2-4pm Film Making and Photography


FILM SCREENINGS


Past Perspectives

A collection of dramatisations, experimental, and artistic films looking at some of the characteristics of Edinburgh and her inhabitants from the Scottish Screen Archives.

Tuesday 13th May 7-9pm and Saturday 17th May 11am-1pm


The Bigger Picture

A collection of contemporary films which consider current UK-wide
development trends and the threats to the future arising from them.
These films highlight issues such as loss of identity and heritage,
gentrification, sustainability and quality of design.

Tuesday 20th May 7-9pm and Saturday 24th May 11am-1pm.


Community Counts

A collection of contemporary films looking at particular issues raised
by communities of place and communities of interest which includes advice about community campaigning and a comic short about community consultation.

Tuesday 27th May 7-9pm Saturday 31st May 11am-1pm

Changing Policy

A collection of films and news clips looking at the changing theories
of planning and development through a collection of archive films
and clips highlighting previous trends and policies.

Tuesday 3rd June 7-9pm and Saturday 7th June 11am-1pm


Moving Forward

Films to inspire: examples of successful campaigns and initiatives
that utilise new opportunities which are available to grow and
develop community assets.

Tuesday 10th June 7-9pm and Saturday 14th June 11am – 1pm

Tonights Talk and News

Query Over Common Good Land

In todays Scotsman Common Good Website

LONG-AWAITED plans to create a hidden underground car park outside one of Scotland's leading visitor attractions are in disarray amid confusion over who owns the land on which the scheme will be sited.
Council leaders have admitted the project – work on which was due to begin later this year – faces lengthy delays because the local authority may not be the owners. The car park outside the Royal Museum in Edinburgh was to be the first of its kind of Scotland and based on a system commonplace in Italian cities such as Rome and Milan. Motorists entering such car parks pay for a space through a computer panel. Once out of the car, a computer-controlled lift takes the vehicle underground, where it is parked automatically.When the owner returns, the car is automatically brought back up to an exit bay. It takes an average of just 50 seconds to either park or retrieve a car. The car parks are monitored from a central control room via CCTV.

Lawyers are being drafted in to check records dating back hundreds of years. It is thought part of the land could be "common good" and the council may face a legal challenge if it tries to use it for what would be a commercial development.Edinburgh City Council has come under fire for mismanaging millions of pounds worth of common-good assets, donated to the city by philanthropists or formerly owned by royal burghs for more than 100 years.

The council has only recently put the contract to run the Chambers Street car park out to tender. The existing 89 parking bays would be replaced by 100 underground spaces built on either side of the statue of William Chambers. It was intended as a pilot which, if successful, was to pave the way for future schemes on George Street and Melville Crescent.

One council insider admitted the issues over land ownership on Chambers Street had only recently been discovered, but were threatening to derail the entire car park scheme in the area.He said: "It's a massive headache. "It's not entirely clear who owns the land below Chambers Street and it will be a fairly Byzantine process to get to the bottom of it."Gordon Rintoul, director of National Museums Scotland, said: "We're aware of the car park proposal. But we're not in a position to assess the likely impact upon both the National Museum of Scotland and the plans for redevelopment of the Royal Museum building." Councillor Tom Buchanan, economic development leader at the council, explained: "Land ownership in the city centre is complex due to numerous owners over a considerable length of time.

The Canongate Project

Tonight at the project shop at 8 St Marys St is a talk by Chris Cook on Community Land Partnerships from 7-9pm

More on this tomorrow

Pollok Free State Film

Pollok Estate was given to the people in 1939, once given it cannae be ungiven,

it can only be stolen.
Colin Macleod, Pollok Free State

'Given To The People' is a film telling the story of the Pollok Free State. The Free State was initiated by the actions of local resident, Colin Macleod, who began a tree top protest against the building of the M77 motorway through Pollok Park in the early 1990s. Over several years this grew into a series of camps across Pollok. It sought not only to block an unwanted motorway cutting through one of Europe's largest inner city public commons, land that had been gifted to the people of Glasgow, but also raised issues over the rights of local people to determine the use and development of public space - rights that many felt were being denied.

On Sunday 20th April there will be a special discussion following the film, looking at the legacy of the Free State and how that relates to issues of public space and the environment in Glasgow today.
Now that public space in Glasgow is once again under threat the story of the Pollok Free State is as important today as it was ten years ago.

Full details of todays film screening and discussion at GalGael, 15 Fairley Street, Govan, Glasgow at Given to the people

Glasgow Public Space Websites

Save Pollok Park

Save Our Parks
Save Our Botanics
Govanhill Baths
City Strolls
GlasgowLost
All Tomorrows Particks
The Privatisation Of Space
Common Good Website
BBC Article

The Canongate Project is hosting a Common Good Day Scotland on Saturday the 24th May 10-4pm at the Community Shop, 8 St Marys St. Campaigners from Glasgow and throughout Scotland will be gathering to discuss this very important movement which is gathering momentum.Full Programme Here

World Heritage Day

Had a few days off the blog, as its been a very busy time organising The Canongate Project, more on that below.

Lets hope World Heritage Day today brings hope and real solutions, action to take - to those in rural environments, villages, towns, cities, and countries all over the world who`s very uniqueness, heritage, culture and communities are under enormous threat from the fearless march of progress in the name of regeneration and redevelopment, breathing new life, you know the stock phrases that are used time and time again to make vast profit for the very few at the expense of the many. More on the day here

Flags fly for World Heritage Day

on the BBC website

Flags will be flown from each level of the Scott Monument
Fifty flags of World Heritage Site countries are to be flown from the Scott Monument.
Friday's spectacle, to coincide with the firing of the One O'Clock Gun, marks World Heritage Day.
Volunteers will carry flags to the four levels of the monument and at the sound of the gun will display them from its viewing galleries. City culture leader Deidre Brock said: "The Scott Monument will be full of colour for 15 minutes." She added: "So it really will be worth stopping to look up right after the One O'Clock Gun. "Flags will fly from the bottom right to the top so people will be able to see from some distance, in fact it's worth a visit after the event because a climb to the top offers some of the best panoramic views in the city." The display will be followed by a public seminar at the Storytelling Centre on the value the World Heritage status brings to the city with speakers including director of Edinburgh World Heritage Adam Wilkinson, Edinburgh City Council leader Jenny Dawe and John Graham, chief executive of Historic Scotland.

Edinburgh World Heritage Trust Historic Scotland

Canongate Community Doing it for Themselves

Press Release 17/04/08

Canongate Community Forum is proud to present an innovative 6 week long project to document the historic heart of Edinburgh ’s Old Town , an area that is the focus of a hugely controversial re-development plan.

The launch of the programme on April 18th coincides with World Heritage Day, commemorated around the world which offers the opportunity to debate issues of world heritage and how it can be protected and conserved.

Full Programme Here in PDF

The Canongate Project has been made possible through a grant from the Scottish Communities Action Research Fund (SCARF) and features an in-depth documentation of the area and its people, seminar’s and talks from a range of bodies and individuals, community based activates such as banner making and a film festival, culminating in a street party on Saturday 28th June.

Scotland’s internationally renowned arts impresario Richard Demarco begins the programme with his talk “A Portrait of Edinburgh as a World Heritage Site” on Monday 5th May 2pm, booking is advised for this and all other talks and walks which will prove to be popular.

The Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, The Cockburn Association and other conservation and community focused organisations will be among other talks.

Common Good expert Andy Wightman is one of the many gathering for the Common Good Day Scotland on Saturday May 24th. Campaigners from all over the country will be discussing and making plans to continue the reclaiming of land and assets belonging to the people of Scotland .

Canongate Community Forum secretary and Save Our Old Town campaigner Sally Richardson said; “We are proud to be presenting a packed programme of events and activities as part of the Canongate Project. “During the 6 weeks Edinburgh ’s historic Old Town will have its life and people documented by the community along with activities everyone can get involved in.”

Canongate Community Forum Website

Saving Shoreditch

Matt Johson of band the The above is a member of the campaign Save Shoreditch in London and the voiceover for their excellent campaign Video Here



Built in 1893, this former power station is an historic landmark. It is the first building that you see in Hackney when you approach from the City and as such it separates two very different areas. Now a 53 storey tower block is proposed – threatening 233 Shoreditch High Street with demolition.Save The Light



All too depressingly familiar isn`t it?
The country is run by politicians for developers and other big business, no wonder the ballot box is seen to be as much use as a


To Stop Caltongate we can always try to get the right thing done, even although we may not be Manish Chande or Donald Trump....perhaps the Brave New Scotland will take the lead in the UK wide battle to stop the disgusting wholesale sell-off of our homes, neighbourhoods, historical buildings, public space, land , common good land and assets...go on...Act Now

Common Good Of Scotland

Click on photo to read article

Interview with Andy Wightman

Scottish Commons Site

Scottish Parliament Common Good

Campaigns with Common Good issues:

Save Our Old Town

Portobello Park

Save Pollok Park

Save Glasgow Botanics

Save Our Glen

Citystrolls Latest

Kinross Town Hall

Ross-Shire Common Good

Stealing Scotland

10 days to go before planning committee votes on Caltongate http://www.eh8.org.uk/

Today Save Our Old Town Campaigners went through to see our friends in Glasgow for the very successful January Reshuffle, see City Strolls below for more information. A big thank you to Bob of City Strolls for organising a great day. Bob is person who embodies what The Common Good is all about. At this point in the reclaiming of the Scottish People`s Rightful Inheritance it is important that it doesn`t get hijacked by party politics. It is everyones inheritance and you have to remember that and be selfless and always thinking of the common good , not what it can do for you on a purely personal basis and in the case of councillors and msps etc their careers and votes.

The long awaited (since the end of 2006) CommonGoodReport of Edinburgh is to go before The Finance and Resource Committee on Tuesday 29th Jan. It makes an interesting read. Think smoke and mirrors.

Read all about the sorry state of Edinburghs` Common Good - ScottishCommonsEdinburgh

Its release prompted the following press articles Heraldarticle EveNews

Here is GlasgowsSorryState

Citystrolls Fantastic website for Glasgow`s citizens and what has gone here GlasgowLost