Residents could be asked to fund city projects as part of 'fundraising team'
The proposal was brought forward by Liberal Democrat councillor Lewis Younie, who highlighted frustration at major projects aimed at improving the city for residents, often being delayed or scrapped due to a lack of funds.
And he highlighted Edinburgh's 'fantastic record of philanthropy and generosity among its residents, right across the city', as he urged colleagues to support investigating the formation of a fundraising team.
Council officials have now been tasked with bringing back a report on how 'a fundraising team to support specific council projects' might work, and how it could be organised.
Introducing his motion to members of the Finance and Resources Committee on Tuesday, Cllr Younie said: 'I think we have a very generously minded citizenry, we have people who would want to contribute to making the city a better place to live.'
Conservative councillor Phil Doggart took issue with the proposal, suggesting it could be seen as an attempt by councillors to avoid taking 'hard decisions' around which projects to fund.
In an amendment opposing the motion, he warned that 'the increase in costs imposed by the UK government and the ongoing underfunding from the Scottish Government has left the City of Edinburgh Council with difficult decisions to take.'
And he said they must 'recognise that if council has inadequate resources, elected members must take those decisions required to close the funding gap by concentrating on priority deliverables.'
'I was surprised when I read this motion,' he said. 'It looks like the Lib Dems will do anything to avoid hard decisions.
'If I was a philanthropist looking to do something for the good of the city I would just go ahead and do it, rather than handing over my money to an organisation which could be seen as not massively efficient.
'There are plenty of philanthropists already around the city and it's quite strange that we would go to try and get them to give money to this organisation, where they would then lose control of the project.
'This motion is unnecessary, it is abdicating our responsibility on this committee, and that is why we are opposing it.'
The proposal was backed by Green councillor Alex Staniforth, who said: 'If you look at the statue of Adam Smith outside [the city chambers] the plaque on the back is just a list of the people who paid for the statue, which I think is what he would have wanted. But the point is, it's a list of people.
'Very often, you have a number of people who have a little bit of money to spare who would like to put it towards their community. This idea would allow us to facilitate people who want to collectively put their money towards the benefit of the city. Crowdfunding rather than a single philanthropist.
'I think this would allow people to invest in their communities and is worth supporting.'
Committee convenor Cllr Mandy Watt said she felt there was 'no harm in asking' for a report on the proposal, and joked 'you can never have too many statues of Adam Smith'.
After a vote councillors agreed to pass the motion 9 votes to 2. Part of Cllr Doggart's amendment, asking that the council 'recognises the role played by the private sector in supporting projects around the city for the good of all the city' was accepted.
A report on the possibility of a fundraising team is now set to be prepared for a future meeting of the committee.
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
42 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Deadline on consultation on changes to Lanarkshire fire station fast approaching
Members of the public have until Tuesday, September 16, to give their views on proposals which would see some firefighters transfer to an on-call basis. The deadline to participate in a Scottish Fire and Rescue Service public consultation which could lead to reduced staffing levels at Cumbernauld Fire Station is fast approaching. Members of the public have until Tuesday, September 16, to give their views on proposals which would see some firefighters transfer to an on-call basis. Currently the station has two fire engines which are continually crewed, but the consultation on SFRS website, which is open until September, contains two options for Lanarkshire both of which propose the same outcome for Cumbernauld. This would involve the second appliance instead being crewed by firefighters during the day day shift hours of 8am-6pm Monday to Friday, but switching to an on call basis outside of those times. Operation of the first appliance would remain unaltered. This is just a small part of the overall review, which carries 23 options for almost half of the council areas in Scotland, including proposals to close eight rural stations which have been dormant for a long time with five others earmarked for potential closure. Information provided by SFRS states that although the latest Scottish Government budget increased capital funding to £47 million, it would cost more than £800 million to bring all 356 fire stations up to standard. Some stations have sub-par accommodation and facilities while others, like many public buildings, are deteriorating due to the use of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in their construction. The consultation can also be contributed to via the SFRS website.
Edinburgh Reporter
2 hours ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Solar farm officially opened at Edinburgh Airport
A solar farm has been constructed right next to the runway at Edinburgh Airport and it was officially opened by Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes on Wednesday. The farm extends to 11 acres and will provide more than a quarter of the airport's electricity. Edinburgh Airport has been using the power source since last year and has run solely on solar power on several occasions during the daytime. This is the first project of its kind in Scotland supported by the Scottish Government who funded it with a £2.1 million grant to decarbonise the business. The airport bosses say they are working hard to reduce emissions from the airport in line with their own net zero by 2030 goal. Emissions have been reduced by 90% since 2019. Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said: 'Making sure we have a sustainable future is one of our most important goals, and it's important that we innovate and harness technology that can help deliver that for the airport. 'The introduction of the UK's first airfield solar farm is a key part of our Greater Good sustainability strategy, delivering almost 27% of our energy needs and diversifying our energy mix – and we are proud to be an airport that continues to look to innovative solutions to meet our goals. 'It also demonstrates how government and the private sector can work together to help deliver a more sustainable Scotland alongside, in our case, the benefits of air travel and connectivity to the economy.' Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: 'The Scottish Government is committed to working with the private sector to accelerate Scotland's transition to a net zero future. Edinburgh Airport's solar farm is a fantastic example of how government support, combined with private sector appetite and expertise, can deliver real and lasting change. 'By generating clean energy on site, this pioneering project is not only helping one of the country's most important transport hubs cut emissions but also supporting green jobs, energy resilience and sustainable economic growth. I am proud that Scottish Government funding has played a part in making this vision a reality and showing the kind of leadership we need on the journey to net zero.' The airport worked with solar experts AMPYR Solar Europe (ASE) to develop, fund and operate the project. Tarun Agrawal, CEO of AMPYR Solar Europe said: 'In constructing this solar park, ASE is pleased to have partnered with Edinburgh Airport in support of its 'Greater Good' sustainability strategy. 'The Edinburgh Airport project is the first of 6 major solar, BESS and on-shore wind investment projects that AMPYR shareholders have made in Scotland, making them one of the most significant inward investors into the Scottish renewables sector. The commitment shown by Scottish Government has critically provided certainty and confidence, and we look forward to contributing further to Scotland's energy transition. 'The Edinburgh Airport solar farm further strengthens ASE's PV and BESS asset footprint in the UK, and reflects our continuing growth as a leading European IPP with world class assets in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.' Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes during a visit to the solar farm at Edinburgh Airport. PHOTO Lesley Martin Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes during a visit to the solar farm at Edinburgh Airport. PHOTO Lesley Martin Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes during a visit to the solar farm at Edinburgh Airport. PHOTO Lesley Martin Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes during a visit to the solar farm at Edinburgh Airport. PHOTO Lesley Martin Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes during a visit to the solar farm at Edinburgh Airport. PHOTO Lesley Martin Like this: Like Related
Powys County Times
3 hours ago
- Powys County Times
How many asylum seekers are in UK hotels and why are they being housed there?
The subject of asylum seekers being housed in hotels has come into sharp focus after a High Court ruling. On Tuesday, Epping Forest District Council was granted a temporary injunction blocking asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel in the Essex town. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the latest overall data. – How many asylum seekers are in hotels across the UK? The most recent Home Office data showed there were 32,345 asylum seekers being housed temporarily in UK hotels at the end of March. This was down 15% from the end of December, when the total was 38,079. New figures – published among the usual quarterly immigration data release – are expected on Thursday, showing numbers in hotels at the end of June. Figures for hotels published by the Home Office date back to December 2022 and showed numbers hit a peak at the end of September 2023 when there were 56,042 asylum seekers in hotels. – How many hotels are in use for asylum seekers? It is thought there were more than 400 asylum hotels open in summer 2023. Labour said this has since been reduced to fewer than 210. – Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels? Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation, known as contingency accommodation, if they are awaiting assessment of their claim or have had a claim approved and there is not enough longer-term accommodation available. The Home Office provides accommodation to asylum seekers who have no other way of supporting themselves on a 'no choice' basis, so they cannot choose where they live. When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to accommodation such as hotels and large sites, like former military bases. In May, the National Audit Office said those temporarily living in hotels accounted for 35% of all people in asylum accommodation. – Is this likely to be a permanent arrangement? Labour has pledged to end the 'costly use of hotels to house asylum seekers in this Parliament' – which would be 2029, if not earlier. Campaigners and charities have long argued that hotels are not suitable environments to house asylum seekers. The Refugee Council said they 'cost the taxpayer billions, trap people in limbo and are flashpoints in communities' and urged the Government to 'partner with local councils to provide safe, cost-effective accommodation within communities'. – What is the Government saying since the legal ruling? Ministers are 'looking at a range of different contingency options' following Tuesday's ruling, according to security minister Dan Jarvis In the immediate aftermath of the judgment, border security minister Dame Angela Eagle repeated criticism of the previous Conservative government, saying Labour had 'inherited a broken asylum system'. She said the Government would 'continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns' around asylum hotels. – What options does the Home Office have now? Last month, amid protests outside the Bell Hotel and more migrants crossing the Channel, an extra 400 spaces were being prepared to house male asylum seekers at RAF Wethersfield in Essex. The former military site, which has a usual capacity of 800 beds, is expected to house more adult men on a short-term basis. The Labour Government scrapped the large site of the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset, earlier this year, while Napier Barracks in Folkestone, Kent, is also due to end housing asylum seekers and be returned to the Ministry of Defence in September. – Why were there protests outside the Bell Hotel? The hotel in Epping has been at the centre of a series of protests in recent weeks after an asylum seeker who was staying there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl – something he has denied and he is due to stand trial later in August. After the High Court's ruling, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage wrote in the Telegraph calling for Epping protests to inspire further action wherever there are concerns about the 'threat posed by young undocumented males' living in hotels. But on Tuesday more than 100 women's organisations wrote to ministers warning that vital conversations about violence against women and girls are being 'hijacked by an anti-migrant agenda' that fuels divisions and harms survivors. The joint statement, including from Rape Crisis England & Wales and Refuge, said: 'We have been alarmed in recent weeks by an increase in unfounded claims made by people in power, and repeated in the media, that hold particular groups as primarily responsible for sexual violence. 'This not only undermines genuine concerns about women's safety, but also reinforces the damaging myth that the greatest risk of gender-based violence comes from strangers.'
