Shape your Council services as part of #MyGracemount

With the area set to benefit from £50m investment towards a new special school, primary school and nursery in the coming years, the My Gracemount project is seeking to build up a more complete picture of how and where services are currently being delivered – and how they could be improved.

Residents’ views are being sought at a much earlier stage in the design process, with their responses forming part of a wider ‘data-driven’ approach to decision-making.

The first phase, which has just got underway, will involve a range of drop-in events, exhibitions, questionnaires and workshops to gather research and ideas from the local community.

A photography competition will also offer budding photographers the opportunity to have their images showcased in a print exhibition in June, with the winner set to scoop a six-month pass for Gracemount Leisure Centre (worth £200).

Residents can contribute in person or online, with all data collected then being used to inform a range of outline proposals that would then be the subject of further community discussion in the coming months.

Edinburgh’s Finance Convener, Councillor Alasdair Rankin, said: “Our 21st Century homes project provided hundreds of high-quality new homes for Gracemount and, in the coming years, we’ll be investing millions more in schools and other facilities.

“As we make these improvements, it makes sense to review our services and how they are currently delivered. We are committed to making the most efficient use of our buildings so that we can prioritise spending on the services that matter most to local people.

 “That is why we need a bottom-up approach that puts the community at its heart, genuinely involving local people from the outset and allowing them to shape crucial decisions about new and existing buildings and services in their area.

“We want to find solutions that best meet Gracemount’s needs – so please take this opportunity to get involved and have your say!”

How you can get involved

Send us your #MyGracemount photographs to be in for a chance to win a Gracemount Leisure Centre pass and feature in our print exhibition. To enter: Send a photo of a place you love in Gracemount to mygracemount@gmail.com. Make sure to include a 100-200 word caption saying:

1) why you love the place pictured, and

2) your aspirations for what Gracemount might be like in 20 years time, including any changes you’d like to see and why.

All photographs received by 31 May 2019 meeting these criteria will be exhibited in a public print exhibition in Gracemount in June, with the winner receiving a six-month Gracemount Leisure Centre pass.

Leave your views at our ‘MyGracemount’ display -  you’ll have a chance to tell us about Gracemount from your perspective, including about the services/buildings that you use.

The MyGracemount display will include a variety of ways to leave your feedback, and will be in place at:

Gracemount Leisure Centre (15-22 May)

Gracemount Library and SE Locality Council Offices (22-28 May)

Take part in our short online survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MVL593J - we’d love to hear more about your experiences and aspirations for public services and buildings in Gracemount.

Stop and talk to us - we’ll be around the Gracemount area in the coming weeks, stopping to talk to local people, to get your feedback in person

Join our community workshop (Thurs 30 May 4-7pm at Libertus) - this workshop at the end of May will reflect on everything we’ve learnt to date and be a chance to share your views before the next phase of the project. There will be a follow up workshop at the end of June.