South Central Neighbourhood Partnership

FAQs - NEPs

What is Neighbourhood Environment Programme (NEP)?

NEP is short name for the Neighbourhood Environment Programme.

Every year the Council allocates a substantial amount of money to each neighbourhood across the city to be used for environmental improvements across their area. The difference being that local people can put forward ideas about how it should be spent and ultimately decide what gets approved.

In previous years the South Central decisions as what got approved took place over one evening by a group of people nominated by their Community Council to attend. Now we are widening this out so that everyone over the age of 8, who lives in South Central, can vote for their preferred project.

NEP has two principal strands, namely Roads Capital Improvements and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) improvements both of which can be influenced by the local community. Fancy names but basically very simple

Roads Capital:

This money can be used to fund environmental improvements across South Central including Bruntsfield, Dumbiedykes, Grange, Marchmont, Morningside, Newington, Prestonfield, Tollcross, Sciennes and Southside. For 2016-17 we have a budget of approximately £67,000 and you are being asked to decide how it is spent. Unfortunately the date for submissions for this year is past but we still need you to come along and vote for your preference.

What can the Roads Capital fund?

        Footpath improvements Pavement Improvements
        Install dropped kerbs      Fancy paving in special places
        Guard Rails (Prevents children running from eg a pathway, straight onto the main road)

What can't it fund?

Potholes General road repairs
Lighting Projects Installation of eg Zebra Crossings

Housing Revenue Account (HRA):

For 2016-17 we have a budget of approximately £104,000. It can be used to fund similar things but also is slightly more flexible in that can also fund play equipment and other stuff. There is however a big difference in WHERE it can be spent. HRA money comes directly from Council rents. Therefore it can only be used on Council land in and around Council properties. Although there are little pockets of HRA land across South Central the main areas where the money can be spent are Dumbiedykes, Prestonfield and bits of the Pleasance as these are predominantly Council housing areas.

What can the HRA fund?

Same as Roads Capital but it is more flexible and can also include things like:

Improved communal fencing
Installation of civic art
Footpath improvements Pavement Improvements
Installation of outside gyms

How much information do I need to put in?

We don't need a lot of information but please make sure you are specific about where you are talking about. For example, "Install decorative paving at the corner of ABC road where it meets the entrance to XYZ Park. At the moment it's a muddy pathway. New paving would improve the look of the area"

Our Officers will check out your idea and if it's eligible they will arrange to have the costs estimated before the event.

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