We’re the second largest council in Scotland – with a budget of around £1 billion – and the ninth largest in the UK. One of the largest employers in the city, we employ around 18,000 people. Our responsibilities are wide-ranging, from schools, social work and housing, thought parks, culture, sports festivals and events, to roads and transport.
As our population increases with growing numbers of children and older people, we’ve an increasing demand on our services. Even with a buoyant economy and increasing population, Edinburgh has issues of social inequality, poverty and vulnerable citizens, and we are committed to addressing these issues.
We recognise that, although Edinburgh remains the second most prosperous UK city outside London, jobs growth alone is not enough to tackle poverty and deliver sustained improvements in living standards for everyone.
Prioritising poverty and sustainability as a means of improving residents’ well-being is at the heart of our strategies to create a fairer and more inclusive capital city. We’ve also set out an ambitious target to be carbon neutral by 2030.
We have ambitious plans to improve our city.
Along with National Galleries of Scotland, National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh College, Scottish Government and Scottish Futures Trust, we’re working together to create a new vibrant, city quarter in Granton Waterfront. This includes creating 4,000 new homes, services, retail and high-quality public realm over the next 10-15 years while retaining the area’s rich heritage and history.
We’re taking trams to Newhaven, extending the line by 4.69 kilometres through Leith. Residents will have a high capacity light rail, alongside the existing bus service, as well as improved cycling and walking infrastructure.
Other investments include a four-year £125m roads programme is making major improvements to our infrastructure. In 2019/20, we’re also spending £5m in improving active travel and £2.4m on cycling projects and investing £66.7m on new or refurbished primary and secondary schools, while doubling early years services with £59.3m.
Along with our housing association partners, we’re building 20,000 new affordable and low-cost ownership homes over the next ten years; nearly 8,000 being delivered in the next five years.
Working with our surrounding councils, our commitment to playing a dynamic role on the local, national and international stage resulted in successfully negotiating a City Region Deal worth over £1bn with the Scottish and UK Governments.
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