Additions and Updates to this site www.spokes.org.uk Frames version

This factsheet answers the questions most people have in taking up cycling matters with the council. Please remember - the best way you can help SPOKES is by writing the occasional letter to the council, with your suggestions, complaints and/or congratulations. Send us any useful replies - we often get new information this way! Also you can now write to your MSPs

We also give details for several councils just outside our home Lothian area. For more information/contacts on the structure of Scottish Councils (not just transport), see The Directory of Scottish Local Government, on sale from COSLA 0131.474.9200 (Dawn Burrows). For names of all Edinburgh & Lothians councillors and MPs, see SPOKES Factsheet no. 1.

Note this table has not been fullu updated after May' 99 elections

A: Council	B: Councillor	C: Transport chair	D: Leaflets	E: Address
Edinburgh	0131.529.3186 Members Services	Cllr Mark Lazarowicz Transportation	0800.232323 Freephone Clarence	City Chambers, High St, Edinburgh EH1 1YG
East Lothian	01620.827005 Members Services	Cllr John Ross Environment	01620.827661 Paul Ince	Council Buildings, Haddington EH41 3HA
Midlothian	0131.663.2881	Cllr David Hamilton Strategic Services	0131.663.2881 Transport Dept.	Midlothian House, Buccleuch St, Dalkeith EH22 1DJ
West Lothian	01506.777269 Members Services	Cllr Tony Kinder Strategic Services	01506.775296 Graeme Malcolm	West Lothian House, Almondvale, Livingston EH54 6QG
Falkirk	01324.506150	Cllr Joe Kennedy Strategic Services	01324.504950 or Annie Watson	Municipal Buildings, West Bridge Street,Falkirk FK1 5RS
Fife	01592.414141 Members Services	Cllr William Aitken Strategic Development	01592.414141x3633 David Seaman	Fife House, North St, Glenrothes KY7 5LT
Scottish Borders	01835.824000x211 Central Services	Cllr John Scott Technical Services	01835.824000x493 David Sharp	Council HQ, Newtown St Boswells, TD6 0SA
Stirling	01786.443300 Members Services	Cllr Tommy Brookes Environmental Quality	01786.442457 Jim Towers	Viewforth, Stirling FK8 2ET

1. Suggestions, complaints, congratulations about cycle or traffic matters: Write to or visit your councillor. SPOKES Factsheet No. 1 lists the councillors for all the Lothian councils. If you do not know which ward you live in then phone the number in col B. They can look up your address to get the ward, councillor name, phone, surgery times, etc. Or phone the nearest CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau) - see phone book. To write to the councillor, use the address in col E. Ask your councillor to let you know what happen as a result of your enquiry.
2. Contacting the transport chairperson direct: It is normally best to write to your own councillor and ask them to take the matter up with the transport committee chairperson - that way more councillors hear from cyclists, and your letter gets double-exposure. However, the name is given in col C in case you want to write direct. For example, if you are writing to another council in whose area you were cycling, or to raise a general policy issue.
3. Contacting your MP or MSPs: Phone CAB (1 above) to get their name and constituency (and surgery if wanted). If you know which constituency you live in then SPOKES Factsheet No. 1 lists the MPs for the Lothian region. Write to them like this, for example: Alistair Darling MP, Edinburgh Central constituency, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. Write to MPs about government policy matters but use your councillor for local matters. MSPs will now deal with a whole range of devolved powers including transport and education. Scottish Parliament Edinburgh EH99 1SP
4. Potholes, broken lights, glass on cycleroutes (etc): To report such items, phone the number below. If this fails, contact your councillor.
   Borders: 01835.824000x518
   Fife: East 01334.412020, Murray Hannah; Central 01592.412020, Steve Knowles; West 01383.312020, J Halliday.
   All other councils: 0800.232323 (Freephone Clarence).
5. Cycleroute maps/leaflets: Phone the number in col D. None of the new councils yet have new publications, but most have some from the old council - all free at present. If you have ideas for new leaflets/maps write to your councillor. In Edinburgh/Lothian the Clarence freephone can also be used to get local public transport information.
6. Council structures: Many of the new councils have a quite new structure, often with transport, planning and economic development all coming within the one department - often called Strategic Services (see table).

   Edinburgh Council has such a new department, the City Development Department, with 5 area teams - central, N, W, SW, SE. Each team has 2 sections: 'Network' deals with existing infrastructure and 'Initiatives' promotes new developments on the local economy, transport and environment. Each team is meant to develop cycling expertise, with the HQ 'cycle team' having been cut to one person for central advice and major projects.

   Edinburgh, as a large council, has also given special transport responsibilities to various councillors on the Transport Committee. These are as follows, and form another point of contact on these topics...

to be updated as information becomes available

• Cycling - Cllr Sheila Gilmore
• Green Transport - Cllr Maureen Child
• Road Safety - Cllr Brian Houston
• Road Maintenance - Cllr Ken Harrold
• Buses - Cllr Angus MacKay
• Rail - Cllr Lawrence Marshall

Top of page	Safe Routes to School	Newsletters	Campaigns	Membership

Links	Questions	Contents	Diary	SPOKES Home Page

SPOKES, St. Martin's Church, 232 Dalry Road, Edinburgh EH11 2JG
Tel: 0131 313 2114 (a/phone only) or e-mail to spokes@btinternet.com