Transistion Towns

Went to a great workshop last week on Transition Towns - find out more here - how does a community plan for climate change and peak oil? I wonder how the Independent Republic would make such plans? Perhaps we would recycle and reuse the buildings of the Canongate that are being left to rack and ruin or waiting for the death penalty for a crime they did not commit - being old and ugly.

Perhaps on the demolition site of the old bus garage we would build sustainable social housing with green space to grow things. We would open up the council housing in the Canongate again for rent perhaps making one into a community flat. We could put planters in the land that is not in use - bottom of Cranston Street - on top of the Market building, around Canongate Venture. We could use the grant from the DTI to utilise the underground source heating for everyone. We would campaign for better bus routes around the city centre connecting houses with shops, perhaps we would open up a community shop and cafe with a food co-op.

What we don't think would be needed is more concrete (concrete contributes to 7-10% of CO2), a five star hotel and a blinking conference centre.

Anyway there were just some of the citizen's of the Independent Republic's ideas - perhaps the Old Town could look at Transition Towns for inspiration.

Atlast - it's time for the Time Ball

The Big Lottery and Edinburgh's World Heritage Trust are to repair the time ball on top of the monument on Calton Hill - it's not gone up and down down at 1 O Clock for nearly two years. Read more here

See the ball here

What is the time ball - find out more here

The Independent Republic hopes this has been an interesting and informative experience for you and we look forward to once again looking out of our windows at 1 O Clock and to see the time ball fall like a stone.

Keeping the Faith in World Heritage

Above the Osbert Lancaster cartoon was signed off 29 years ago tomorrow, could have been today somewhere in an office in Edinburgh ...

Professor Stovel is one of the world's leading experts on conservation matters and assessed the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh for UNESCO World Heritage site status in 1995.

Tonight he is giving the The Cockburn Annual Lecture Keeping the Faith in World Heritage: Issues and Challenges
at the Edinburgh College of Art, Main Lecture Theatre 18:30 - 20:30
Cockburn Association

Listen to the Professor , one of the world’s leading authorities on conservation matters, in discussion with the EWH Chairman Professor Charles McKean last year on …What makes Edinburgh distinctive and how does it compare with other World Heritage cities?
Hear Listen to the Podcast

All cartoons are by Osbert Lancaster who is being currently celebrated in an exhibition in London see More here

What are Edinburgh Council up to?

Want to know who your council is awarding contracts to?

How much is spent on advertising by the Police?

What plans are in place for motorway upgrades near your house?

A definitive Freedom of Information site will help you make Freedom of Information requests FOIs and read all about what other people have been asking, and what replies they've been getting.

You can even subscribe to email alerts when other people ask about things you're interested in. What do they know - Edinburgh Council

More useful sites here

Temper, temper!

It has been reported to the Independent Republic that a certain spin doctor was like Rumpelstiltskin the other day because of what was said on this blog - very grumpy and very cross - about a source stating that Mountgrange were pulling out. The Independent Republic were only reporting what we were told!

Now please remember what happened to Mr R when he didn't get his own way - he stamped his foot so hard he fell into a chasm - perhaps it would be the big hole left when Caltongate have to walk away from the Caltongate site!

Recession Proof Caltongate

Caltongate is recession proof, so much so it is going to be "Depression" themed. Most of the building`s facades to be retained are from the 1930`s.

The Old Sailor's Ark, funded by a benefactor to house sailors in need built 1936 by architects Tarbolton & Ochterlony.

This will be home to "Let Them Eat Cake" a soup kitchen themed restaurant in the French Hotel Group Accor`s Five Star Caltongate hotel. The hotel is rumoured to be having an overall French nautical and "1930`s styling throughout.

The Macrae Tenements part of the hotel were built during the 1930`s to house the ordinary working person. Rooms will pay homage to the previous council tenants, aptly named and with a small plaque telling guests about who slept there in the past.

The Victorian school building known as The Canongate Venture is to be completely demolished for the hotel`s conference centre.

A source close to the project said - it is only right that we pay our respects to the poor and needy children who must have benefited from this sandstone school board building by (Robert Wilson 1901)

Neither are we forgetting the many businesses that have been tenants in its final use as a small business start up venture, provided by the council.

Perhaps Canongate Books and Birlinn press can help with ideas, but one so far is having quirky Girls and Boys entrance doors to the building.

The source added that lip service will be paid to the Patrick Geddes guy, perhaps the roof terraces on the conference centre, will be named after him, as after all he encouraged the poor folk of the Old Town to garden, didn`t he?

Council Denies Credit Crunch Happening

"Latest Council Meeting"

With TV programmes showing such as "Repossession, Repossession, Repossession", "Property Snake", and " How little is your house worth now?" the City of Edinburgh Council are clearly not living on the same planet as the rest of us, but neither are their pals in the property business.....Edinburgh Revamp Still On

Most disturbing is that they are not content with cloning the city, they have started cloning themselves.

"City leaders say the projects will create a "modern 21st century capital city in which to live, work, invest and visit".

Now what is wrong with " Edinburgh is a beautiful historical city, a vibrant 21st century capital which people can live and work in , and people enjoy visiting and doing business in"