FOR YOUR INFORMATION
I will not be holding my normal surgeries in Temple and Middleton on 26th November, as I have been invited to address the AGM of the Midlothian Tenant's Forum which takes place in Dalkeith that morning.  Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience.

Anyone wishing to contact me can do so via email or by telephone details of which are available on the Contact Me page of this website.

Friday 21st October 2011

I have been informed by our lighting staff this morning that there is a significant lighting fault which is affecting over 100 lighting columns in the Gorebridge area.  This fault requires to be rectified by Scottish Power and I am told that they are sending out a team to carry out repairs today.

A new community cafe, open to all, will  open in Gorebridge on August 11^th at 9am.

The venture, a joint idea between Mary Webb from Gorebridge over 50’s Forum and Eric Johnstone of Midlothian Voluntary Action, seeks to re-establish some of the great community spirit of Gorebridge and offer a welcoming place where people can meet, chat, catch up on local news, feel welcome.

“There are no cafes left in Gorebridge” said Mary Webb, “the places where local folk used to meet for a cuppa and a blether have all closed.”  

Our new cafe can hopefully become a welcoming place where people can again build the idea of real community spirit in Gorebridge.”

The new venture will be staffed by local volunteers from Gorebridge, mostly from Mary’s Over 50’s forum, and will welcome all local residents.

“We aim to be fully inclusive said Mary, “Welcoming young people, Older people, mums and children, disabled people, those who may feel isolated at home, we even hope to get some residents along from the nearby Newbyres local care home....What a difference it might make for an older person who doesn’t have much going on in their week for a bit of connection and a blether and sense of belonging over a cup of tea.”

The cafe opens on August 11^th at 9 am till 12 noon at Gorebridge Parish Church Hall, 100 Hunterfield Road,  next to Gorebridge Leisure Centre. All welcome.

If you want to get involved in any way call Mary Webb on 01875 825323.

Thursday 20th January 2011

A number of people have contacted me to ask why the public toilets are closed and have been for some time.  I contacted Council officers and discovered that there has been a broken window in the building which is a security issue.  Officers have agreed to treat this as a priority and get the facility open again as soon as possible.

Monday 7th March 2011
An additional 48 new Council houses are to be built in Gorebridge in the area between Greenhall Crescent and Jubilee Crescent where the Council Portacabins use to be located.

Work has already started on this development which will consist of 24 houses and 24 flats (that's 4 in a block accommodation).  None of these properties will be more that 2 floors high.  These will be excellent quality homes and will have solar heating installed, making them cheaper to run and more environmentally friendly.

These are in addition to the 243 new Council homes built in Gorebridge/Newtongrange areas under the building programme over the last 4 years at Suttieslea, Newtonloan, Burnside Road and Newbyres Crescent.

Over 4000 people and families are currently on the Council house waiting lists. 

Thursday 20th January 2011

Following the snow clearance operations during the recent bad weather, a number of issues have arisen with damage to street furniture including some speed bumps.  In particular the speed restrictions outside the entrance to Birkenside Park have had to be removed completely.  I have asked officials to have these replaced as soon as possible as I am concerned that children coming out of the park by that gate walk straight onto the road as there is no pavement on that side of the road.

I know that speed bumps are not popular with a number of people, but I don't think that there can be much doubt that they are required here.

Tuesday 7th December 2010

Severe Weather Emergency

UPDATE Tuesday 7th December 0830

All schools  open today (Tuesday, 7th Dec).

Access from home to school will, in some instances, remain difficult and parents/carers are advised to check that pupils can safely get to and from school before they set out. The decision to access school when conditions may be difficult is one only the parent/carer can make on safety grounds.

Given the volume of snow and ice and current driving conditions, we would ask parents to avoid driving their child to school wherever possible.

Please dress your children warmly for the wintry conditions.  If you have young children, or have concerns about your child’s safety, make sure you accompany them on their walk to school. 

If your child normally receives council-provided transport to school, you can contact us through calling 0131 561 5453 from 7am on Tuesday, 7th December if you wish to check the transport situation.

The Council is working closely with the bus services and clearing stops and terminuses when requested by bus operators.

• Bus service  information

28th November 2010

Someone mentioned to me this morning that this was like Groundhog Day. It only seems like yesterday that we were dealing with severe snow falls, however it is back again with a vengance.

Here below is the latest buletin from the Council  website. Check back there regularly for updates. Weather Bulletin at Sunday, 28th November Midlothian gritting crews are out today concentrating on priority routes to keep Midlothian moving as much as possible given the overnight snow. If resources permit, workers will move onto smaller roads, with crews out topping up grit boxes when possible.

We will continue to monitor the situation throughout the day and will move crews onto routes around schools if possible. Schools Assessments will be made overnight of conditions around schools and decisions around any potential school closures will be announced as soon as we can.

Any school closure announcement will be added to our website, Facebook and Twitter sites and published through the BBC and other local media, including Radio Forth and Black Diamond, as soon as possible. At this stage, all schools are set to open on Monday, 29th November as normal, though parents and children are asked to be careful given likely underfoot conditions.

Thursday 4th November 2010

As many of you may be aware, Temple village hall is currently closed for re-furbishement. My normal surgeries on the 4th Saturday of each month in this location, have therefore been suspended until the works are complete. This is expected to be by February 2011.

I will still be available as usual in Middleton Village Hall on these dates, from 11.30am to 12.00pm.

Please see my contact page for details of other surgeries or ways to contact me.