SMAG
Action in Marchmont
South Meadows Action Group (SMAG)
Newsletter
July 2025
‘Persistence is the driving force behind enduring success’
Dear SMAG Member,
The CEC waste management team have reported that some 240 Bin Hubs across Edinburgh have been placed on a priority list for review. This includes some 30/35 in our own Marchmont area. The staff commented:
Quote
Date: 10 July 2025 at 09:18:57 BST
To: Kate McNairney <[email protected]>
There are currently over 240 bin hubs on the priority review list. It’s difficult for us to provide specific numbers for the areas you mention as bin hubs have previously been grouped in Phases, and we’re now moving to Wards. If there are specific bin hubs you’d like to check are on the list, please let me know.
Once the review is complete, we will be providing a list on our webpage of all bin hubs reviewed and the changes possible/not possible. Residents who will be affected by a nearby bin hub change will be contacted by letter.
We will be providing an update about the review in general to Councillors and Community Councils tomorrow which will include more detail about timelines etc. of the review.
Kind regards,
Anne Christie
Project Officer | The City of Edinburgh Council
Unquote
…..and we, at SMAG, will report back as soon as we get news of some Bin Hub change activity. We believe, however, that there is a risk of inertia on the part of the CEC and so we are urging all SMAG members that made application to write to their councillors, with copies to their MSPs and MP, asking for a specific update! Otherwise, we fear, it might take years.
Contact details for councillors etc. are as follows:
Councillors
https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/mgFindMember.aspx
MSPs
https://www.parliament.scot/msps?ReturnUrl=&PostCode=G1G80
https://www.parliament.scot/msps/current-and-previous-msps/search-results?postcode=eh91en
MP/Secretary of State for Scotland
SMAG take the view that this Bin Hub review is a major concession from the Council (CEC) and will use up their resources. So, we don’t believe that they will willingly undertake any additional changes once this review is concluded. THIS MEANS THAT IT IS VITAL THAT THE CEC ARE PLACED UNDER AS MUCH PRESSURE AS POSSIBLE TO FULFIL THIS REVIEW PROPERLY AND THOROUGHLY.
If we miss this chance it may take years to get another one. To this end, please let us know, on the email, of any newsworthy incidents or events that you find, so that we can alert our press contacts.
Liaison with Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council (MSCC)
SMAG recently applied and was approved as an affiliate of the MSCC. This gives us more authority in front of the CEC and ensures that our demands will have full community support.
Reporting Bin Hub Abuse
Since the Bin Hubs were installed, we believe that there has been an increase in bin-abuse in the area. Over-filling, fly-tipping and ‘local recycling’ (called ‘curbing’, where articles are left by the bins to be taken by other residents —- maybe!), are all on the increase because of the number of Bin Hubs available. These activities all damage our environment and detract from our ‘Conservation Area’ status. In order to improve this we encourage SMAG members to report such abuse (preferably with photos) to the Council via the web link to the CEC Bin Complaints section:
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/communalbin
Using and Promoting the SMAG website
The website www.smagsco.org is our official site which provides information on our campaigns, our newsletters and will eventually carry minutes of meetings and announcements. Please tell your friends and neighbours.
And, please send a copy of your photos of Bin Hub abuse that you send to the CEC, to the SMAG website here:
[email protected] .…….so that they can be posted publicly.
We intend to use the SMAG website to highlight current issues and to make regular reports. Please pass any thoughts or ideas to:
Next Committee Meeting and your own Ideas
Our next SMAG Committee meeting will be in Mid-August. Any thoughts / ideas you may have, or any views you wish to share with the Committee, should be emailed to:
Help us to make these changes and our thanks for your support
Kate, Alastair, June, Silke & Nick