We're on our way to Bethlehem

A day filled with nine meetings finished with the Craigentinny/Duddingston neighbourhood partnership meeting of which I am convener. You can see the agenda here

This is the Councils attempt to devolve the power from the centre into communities (as opposed to centralise which is the consequence if not the objective of the SNP Government)s recent actions)

What's most interesting is that each partnership has a majority of non councillors on it. Its the nearest to those in power giving up that power that I have come across.

This is a Labour model but the Libdems have spoken warm words of support. I’ll believe it when I see real budgets devolved.

Of the many things we discussed perhaps the most obscure was changes to who gets to name streets. It used to be the Head of Planning in conjunction with the local member. Now it will be the Head of Planning in consultation with the Neighbourhood partnership

I helped name streets several times in the last 8 years as a local member. My favourite was for a site that had been until recently a bakery. I suggested Bethlehem Way as Bethlehem is the Hebrew for House of Bread. Its probably the only bit of Hebrew I know except for Shalom but its nice that it finally came in handy!