A quiet revolution in democracy is taking place in Leith

Plus: Your cultural highlights for the week ahead

Welcome to your midweek Inquirer packed so full of goodies you might think Christmas has come early.

You’ll find our regular roundup of the most significant goings-on and Will Quinn’s recommendations for some of the best things to do over the coming days.

Our paying subscribers can also read all about an exercise in grassroots democracy taking place on our doorstep which is being hailed as a model for ensuring council spending reflects the priorities of local communities.

Your Edinburgh Briefing

NO TO… NEW TOWN QUARTER: Plans to turn the former RBS building on Dundas Street into a mixed development including 315 residential flats and a 593-bed student accommodation complex have been rejected by city councillors. Almost 450 individuals and organisations, including four residents associations, had objected to developer Edison’s proposals. Councillors voted seven to four against the plans partly due to the low level of housing included in the plans.

SCOTTISH WIDOWS HQ: Vita Group has told The Inquirer it hopes to pursue a mixed-use development at the former Scottish Widows headquarters on Dalkeith Road. “Vita Group is in advanced discussions regarding the potential acquisition of 15 Dalkeith Road. If successful, Vita Group intends to deliver a mixed-use redevelopment broadly aligned with the site’s existing planning consent,” a Vita Group statement said. The existing planning permission is for office space and residential flats. The company, whose existing portfolio includes hospitality spaces, hotels and residential developments, as well as student accommodation, was unable to say whether or not student accommodation was likely to be part of its plans for the Scottish Widows site.

NO TO… PORTY PARKING: Plans to introduce a controlled parking zone in Portobello have been thrown out by councillors after more than 2,000 people objected. Residents and local businesses argued parking problems in the area were not severe enough to justify year-round restrictions.

HITMAN JAILED: A hitman who murdered a gangland rival outside the Anchor Inn in Granton has been jailed for a minimum of 26 years. Grant Hunter, 34, shot Marc Webley as he was celebrating with friends just before midnight on New Year’s Eve two years ago.

NO TO… ROSE ST CYCLING PLAN: Plans to allow two-way cycling on Rose Street have been thrown out by councillors after protests the pedestrian shopping street was unsuitable for extra two-wheeled traffic. Council officials had proposed the move in an effort to encourage cycling by better linking up existing cycle routes.

EAGLE CRIME PROBE: Police are investigating the suspicious disappearance of a satellite-tagged white-tailed eagle from the Moorfoot hills in Midlothian. The four-year-old bird, which was part of a licensed reintroduction programme, had thrived in the area for eight months before vanishing in “suspicious” circumstances in early November.

YES TO… AIRPORT HOMES: Plans for almost 1,000 homes and a hotel on the former Saica paper factory site near Edinburgh Airport have been given the go-ahead. Summix Capital’s proposals for the industrial site opposite Edinburgh Gateway railway station include more than 300 homes classed as affordable.

‘TOXIC CULTURE’: A damning report into Historic Environment Scotland, the agency which oversees more than 300 properties including Edinburgh Castle, has found weaknesses in its financial management and recommended a full investigation into complaints of a “toxic” working culture. Among the concerns raised by Audit Scotland were unclear processes for complimentary tickets to events at its venues and a lack of a formal register of interests for the executive leadership team.

SEAFRONT STABBING: A 22-year-old man has admitted attempting to murder two teenagers by repeatedly stabbing them with scissors on Portobello Promenade in April this year. Amar Mudawi, who lived in Portobello, will be sentenced on 14 January for the attack on the 18 and 17-year-old, during which he was heard saying “this is what thieves get.”

Pick of the (Cultural) Pops

Right then, Edinburgh. Welcome to your fourth instalment of Pick of the (Cultural) Pops.

We are now deep in the Christmas zone. The city is vibrating with that specific mid-December energy - a heady cocktail of panic-buying, over-priced mulled wine fumes, and the sound of panto dames echoing across the city.

Our chart has had a proper shake-up for the Christmas week. We have a new Number 1 that has sung its way into our hearts, a “green therapy” escape from the city centre madness, and a wildcard entry that suggests you might - gasp - actually leave the capital.

Will you stick to the safe bets or venture off-piste? Let’s count them down…

At number 5, it’s the... “Traitorous” Wildcard (in Dundee & Glasgow!):

Look, I know suggesting you leave Edinburgh in December is bordering on heresy, but frankly, two of the finest shows in the country are happening outside the bypass. Over at the Dundee Rep, Jack and the Beanstalk: A New Moooosical is tearing up the rulebook. The 5-star review in The QR called it “exquisite” and full of “utter bovine gorgeousness.” Meanwhile, the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow has roared back with a Beauty and the Beast of which I said, “Lewis Hetherington’s sparkling festive adventure has teeth, and it isn’t afraid to bite.” Easily the funniest, most heartfelt piece of theatre I’ve seen this season, I’ve been singing its praises to everyone, including my dentist and pub landlord.

If you want theatre that takes risks and wins, get on the train.

Glowing nicely at number 4, and back in Auld Reekie, is... Christmas at the Botanics (Royal Botanic Garden):

This isn’t just lights on trees; it’s a full sensory reset. Having schlepped out to the (undeniably lovely) Enchanted Forest in Pitlochry before, I can tell you that my wife and I found the Botanics surpassed our expectations—and at a fraction of the cost and travel time. It’s a beautifully different way to experience the space, delightfully lit and full of surprising installations. With a petit market at the house on the hill serving tasty treats, it’s the perfect “green therapy” for when the German Market feels too much like a contact sport.

Storming into number 3 is... Elephant Sessions (Usher Hall, Dec 23):

Fresh from a triumphant set at the massive “Hoolie in the Hydro,” the Elephant Sessions are taking a victory lap. This isn’t just a gig; it’s a flex. We are talking about the Scots Trad Album of the Year and Live Act of the Year winners - a band that wields mandolins like weapons. They are bringing a stacked bill with them too: rising singer Alice Faye and the nature-inspired phenomenon Beluga Lagoon (who recently sold out the Barrowlands in minutes). If you want high-octane electronica-folk from the undisputed heavyweights of the genre, the Usher Hall is the only place to be this Tuesday.

Holding strong at number 2 is... Jack and the Beanstalk (Festival Theatre):

The city’s Rolls-Royce pantomime remains a juggernaut. With the beloved trio of Allan Stewart, Grant Stott, and Jordan Young at the helm, this is a comedy variety show to die for. It is big, polished, and reliably hilarious - a massive, no expense-spared glitter-cannon of a production that delivers exactly what you expect. It might lack the narrative emotional punch of our number one pick, but for pure, unadulterated festive fun and pyrotechnic spectacle, it’s unbeatable.

Dancing its way to number 1 is... Mamma Mia! (Edinburgh Playhouse):

It has pipped the panto to the top spot! Why? Because this year, we need a little heart with our spectacle. Mamma Mia! matches the Festival Theatre for visual glory - this is a top-tier tour overseen by the original creative team, including the BAFTA and Tony-nominated Phyllida Lloyd - but it brings a narrative warmth that feels essential right now. It’s a story of family, love, and identity wrapped in Abba hits that are sung and choreographed sensationally. For a festive night out that delivers abundant “feel-good” endorphins along with the wow factor, this is the winner.

A quiet revolution in democracy is taking place in Leith

Leith Chooses may be model for Edinburgh’s drive to democratise council spending

Queuing to choose in Leith: pic Vanessa Roy

For the last fifteen years, around 1,000 people have flocked to a community centre in Leith on a chilly afternoon in late January for quietly radical exercise in local democracy.

This gathering is the annual voting day for Leith Chooses, the capital’s longest-running participatory budgeting initiative, writes Joe Coroneo-Seaman.

Anyone who lives, works or volunteers in the north Edinburgh neighbourhood can show up to vote on how to divide a pot of council grant money - usually around £50,000 - between local community groups.

Since 2010, residents have voted to fund dozens of worthy local causes, including Hibernian Community Foundation, Nepal Scotland Association and The Citadel Youth Centre, which played a crucial role in helping prevent disorder this past Bonfire Night.

Participatory budgeting, or PB, is where members of the public or a community directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. Unlike consultations, in which the public are simply asked for their views on spending decisions (such the route of the tram extension to Granton), PB brings members of the public directly into the decision-making process.

Visitor Levy funding to be used

Despite its success, Leith Chooses is one of just a handful of PB programmes in the capital - and the only one that has continued to receive funding year after year.

This now looks set to change. City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) earlier this year announced how it would invest the proceeds of the forthcoming Visitor Levy, which is expected to raise £50 million per year once fully up and running.

The breakdown included £1.7 million to be allocated through participatory budgeting over three years.

Cllr Susan Rae

Leith Walk councillor Susan Rae told the Inquirer that this fund will be divided equally between the capital’s 17 council wards - £100,000 each - to spend on projects that operate inside their boundary. Rae chairs the steering group for Leith Chooses, which she says is being used as the model for how to allocate the funds.

Community councils will choose a yearly theme for the projects that can be funded. Local charities or constituted groups will be able to apply for a portion of the total pot, with the winners finally decided by a public vote.