Standing-up for Sighthill/Gorgie
These are examples of the work I have done to make Sighthill/Gorgie greener and fairer
Working for a better future at Gorgie Farm
Gorgie Farm collapsed for the second time just after I was elected and took up a huge amount of time and those of other local Councillors. The Council had to be pushed very hard to support a transition to a new operator, and I was part of this. One of my proudest achievements was to get the Council to pledge that the Farm, which it owns, will never be privatised. I did this as there was interest from private sector operators, but I believed it can and should be run by the public or third sectors.
Whilst other parties have claimed they support the farm, many proposals I have put forward to fund it better have been rejected, and they even voted down a simple proposal to write a letter of thanks to the residents who volunteered to keep the site maintained when it was closed. They will need to account for these choices in next year's elections.
Public loos for Gorgie-Dalry
In 2023, Living Rent Gorgie Dalry launched a campaign for new public toilets, with many public loos being lost in recent years. The area is especially poorly-served, with the nearest ones in Gorgie-Dalry being on Princes Street or Saughton Park. I have pressed the Council repeatedly over the year to provide toilets in Dalry, as other areas got new or refurbished facilities. In October 2026, I was delighted to find out that the Council has finally earmarked for a site in Dalry in Dalry Community Park, or Gorgie's White Park.
Supporting the West Park Place artists
The West Park Place studios was a Council building until it was sold to the WASPS charity for £1 in the 1990s for use of art studios. The contract had a clause that it could then be sold on, which they did as soon as they could, pocketing a lot of money in the process. Understandably, the artists were very angry, and myself and Ross McKenzie supported them all the way through their campaign to save their studios.
Fairer local grant funding
When the Council set up a participatory budget fund, it proposed that each ward would get £100,000 each, even though the need for community facilities and support is higher in areas such as my ward.
I argued that wards such as Sighthill/Gorgie, which has high levels of deprivation, should get more money, and the wealthier areas less. My amendment was passed, and this will mean those areas that can go without the full amount will get a bit less, whereas Sighthill/Gorgie and similar wards will have more money available for community priortities.
Controlling building noise in Dalry
Residents of the Dalry Colonies have had to put up with disruption, such as construction noise, from the Haymarket development for over a decade. I have worked with them over the years to improve the accountability of the development, including calling for an investigation into wether the Council's Responsible Construction Code of Conduct is being contravened.
Addressing parking congestion in Gorgie
When Controlled Parking was established in Gorgie, Westfield Road was inundated with parking from people living and working elsewhere, as it was not included in the Zone. I worked with other ward Councillors, including my Green colleague Ross Mackenzie, to ensure that the street was added, and this appears to have worked well.