Potholes and pavements the big issues in Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart by-election
Voters in Fountainbridge and Craiglockhart will go to the polls tomorrow to elect a new councillor – with candidates concerned about the state of the roads and pavements they will use to get there.
The by-election for the ward was called after Labour councillor Val Walker passed away suddenly in April.
Polls will open at 7am across the ward, and close at 10pm, and ahead of the vote we contacted the candidates to ask what issues local people were concerned about and how they would tackle them if elected.
And almost all raised the issue of potholes and poorly maintained pavements as being on the minds of residents. The council was criticised over 'quick fix' solutions, while one candidate said the state of local pavements was ' a disgrace'.
Anti-social behaviour was also a topic that kept coming up, with concerns over. youth violence rising in the wake of the Covid lockdowns.
Here are what some of the candidates had to say.
Mark Hooley, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party – 'Get the basics right'
Scottish Conservative and Unionist party candidate Mark Hooley, who has lived in the ward for five years, said that potholes, roads and anti-social behaviour were big issues.
He said: 'In terms of areas [of concern], it would definitely be the roads. I think that's an issue. In general, the state of the roads, sometimes the council just does a quick-fix job, and then it's not done properly.
'Also, I would want to focus on anti-social behaviour. We've had some issues down by the canal, so I would definitely want to focus on rectifying that.'
Mr Hooley, who has lived in the city for nine, says his campaign is all about getting the basics of government right.
He said: 'My basic philosophy is that government should do less, but do it better. It's not doing the basics as well as it should.
'I don't think it's surprising that when people get disillusioned from government, and then some more extreme options become more attractive to people because they say, 'oh, regular politicians aren't doing what they should do''.
Mr Hooley, who works in senior management at a betting firm and is studying an MSc in journalism at Napier, says he cares deeply about where he lives, and wants to help improve the ward by representing it at the council.
He also said that he wanted to be a visible presence in the community if elected, and further that he would want to encourage more civic participation in government.
Q Manivannan, Scottish Green Party – A more caring, considerate politics
Q Manivannan, a PhD student from India who moved to Scotland four years ago, is representing the Scottish Greens at the by-election.
They said that housing and traffic, as well as environmental issues, would be big priorities if they were elected.
They continued: 'Let's start with housing. Lots of people in the area, especially in Fountainbridge and Tollcross, are paying sky high rents.
'And in Hutchison and Chesser, lots of what used to be council housing is now let out privately.
'Besides that, residents have talked to me constantly about the road safety aspect of it all. I think traffic calming measures are long overdue.
'But way too many councillors are far too timid about reducing traffic and offering positive alternatives like walking, cycling and public transport.'
They said that their experience as a queer member of the Tamil community would help them relate deeply to constituents in the ward if they were elected.
They continued: 'This election is not just a chance to elect one of the 63 councillors, but it's also a chance for the people in Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart to say they don't want the same as usual.
'I think people are yearning for a more caring, considerate politics – one that isn't just driven by remediating the worst things happening in society, but rather looking for new ideas and new kinds of people.'
In their life before entering politics, they have spent time working for the UCU trade union, as well as working at the United Nations on disability-inclusive responses to Covid-19.
They also convene the Green Party's Palestine solidarity group, and said the party's collective nature drew them towards it.
Catriona Munro, Scottish Labour – Continuing a legacy
For Labour candidate Catriona Munro, the biggest issues she sees in the ward are the state of the roads and the pavements, as well as road safety and the provision of public services.
She said: 'The concerns that people have voiced are a lot of issues around the roads, the state of the roads and the state of the pavements.
'It's a problem for all road users, all sorts – pedestrians, cyclists and cars. We need to get better at making sure that these are dealt with.'
She also said that she had gotten to know late councillor Walker 'so well' through their shared engagement in arts in the ward.
Their connection started over Ms Munro's efforts to save a dance space she used from closure, which Cllr Walker had taken an interest in.
Ms Munro, a solicitor, has lived in Edinburgh for almost 30 years, and recently retired from full-time practice.
She said: 'I've always wanted to engage in public service of some sort, and I have stood for election before, but I feel that the time has come for me to give something back to my community.
'I would be honoured to be given the opportunity to do so.'
Gary Neill, Reform UK – Action on potholes and social housing
Gary Neill, originally from Belfast, is the Reform UK candidate for the by-election.
He said that potholes would be a focus of his if he became the ward's councillor, continuing: 'Some of the pavements are a disgrace. The roads are absolutely terrible.
'What are [visitors] thinking of a city like Edinburgh, when the council can't even present decent walkways, decent roads for people to drive on.'
He also says that he has heard many complaints about crime and housing.
On social housing and homelessness, Mr Neill wants to see stronger action from the council, saying: 'It takes anything between two and four years, if you're lucky, to get social housing.
'And the problem is, one, there's not enough. Two, the normal approach is, block book a hotel, block book a bunch of properties from private landlords, block book Airbnbs.
'What's a permanent solution [to homelessness]? Why not use some of the council land and build a prefab village, or a portacabin village?
'One might think, well, that doesn't sound great. But at least if you are allocated a unit, it's yours – you're not moved every six months because the hotel has run out of contract, you're not moved from A to B because of anti-social behaviour.'
He's had a wide-ranging background, spending time in the British Army and as a part-time police officer in his younger years before leaving Northern Ireland in 1984 to continue a career in sales, management and project management.
Mr Neill, who moved to Edinburgh in 2023, says that his work experience gives him a 'good background' for becoming a councillor.
Murray Visentin, SNP – A well-established local face
SNP candidate Murray Visentin says that one of the biggest concerns he's heard of in the ward is issues around the Caledonian Brewery redevelopment, in Shandon.
While it's not in the Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart ward, he says many local residents are concerned about the parking impact the development – which has two parking spaces for almost 170 units – will have.
He also says he's heard that potholes are an issue, as well as anti-social behaviour. He said: 'One thing that has been, even in my Asda, is anti-social behaviour from youths not long after Covid.
'People were stuck in the house for a long time, and the kids felt like they could run amok like they could run amok in their houses.
'And then you've got what people always talk about, which is potholes.'
Having spent most of his life in the ward, Murray Visentin says he has a strong tie to the community he's looking to represent.
He believes he can serve his local community best by running for council, saying: 'My belief is that local politics can make a difference with people more than national politics.
'It can come across as a negative thing sometimes, but local politics, regardless of party, becomes, 'what can your councillor do for you?'
'And because I know an awful lot of people in the ward, they'll have this local personal contact, and I thought that's probably the best thing I could possibly do for my local community.'
Mr Visentin works as a manager at Chesser Asda, and says this brings him people and management skills that would make him well-suited for the job.
He presently works as a manager in the warehouse, where he's ended up due to his possessing a forklift license, but has worked as a manager in every part of the store.
All candidates
A full list of candidates is as follows:
Bonnie Prince Bob, Independent
Derrick Emms, Independent
Lukasz Furmaniak, Scottish Libertarian Party
Mark Hooley, Scottish COnservative and Unionist Party
Richard Crewe Lucas, Scottish Family Party
Q Manivannan, Scottish Green Party
Kevin Joseph McKay, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Catriona Munro, Scottish Labour Party
Gary Neill, Reform UK
Mark Rowbotham, Independent
Murray Visentin, Scottish National Party
Steve Cristopher West, Independent
Marc Wilkinson, Independent
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