Author: MicahB

I obtained some information on Council Garages using under Freedom Of Information (FOI) request. I had asked for some info in a normal postal letter to the person at Edinburgh Council who deals with garages but with no response as expected, I asked for more under FOI.
Those live near these garages and are interested in renting one might find this snapshot list of vacant ones useful. Although it is already out of date, as our old garage became vacant on 1 July 2011. If you are interested in renting one contact Edinburgh Council to put yourself on the waiting list.

The list shows that the waiting lists are not that big in many places, where vacant garages even exceed those on the waiting list, and most of those on the waiting list only want particular garages.
There is a disabled rate of 59.65 pounds a quarter and then the lowest normal rate £99.45 which had gone up several times in the past couple of years after many years that was stable at £75

I am not surprised they can not give me admin costs as these merged in with general department admin, and to break down would be more admin overhead and difficult to get a true reflection of shared costs.

But I think it shows that the council housing department is getting a good income from garages, which given the utility of garages due to housing around them seems fair enough.

I personally think they should remove the rule that they need to be used for cars, and invest in much more secure doors.

Edinburgh Garages 05/07/11 (PDF)

It is pity information is in form of a pdf not in csv or actual spreadsheet so I could more easily work out percentages.

here is an extract from their reply:

Thank you for your request for information which has been dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. Unfortunately, the Council is able to meet only part of your request, namely the information on the attached spreadsheet (sic). A detailed explanation of this is as follows;

Appendix A
Garage statistics – this includes the quarterly charge, the number of garages per location, the number of occupied and unoccupied garages and of those unoccupied garages which are not lettable.

Appendix B
The income and repairs financial information currently available.

Appendix C
A full list of all unoccupied and unlettable garages.

The garage charge is set annually and is agreed by the Housing & Regeneration Management Team prior to going to Council committee for approval

The Council does not hold the following items of information which you requested.

– Reason why the garages cannot be let
– Time taken to let out a garage
– Number of days in any given year the garages are occupied
– Cost of administering garages (although cost of garage repairs has been supplied)
– Future plans for garages

Please note that this letter constitutes a formal refusal notice under section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Yesterday I saw a small brown deer at site of some demolished flats near the National Museum storage building near site of old gasworks in Granton. It was 8.30am.

The Forth Quarter park still is fenced off from road at West Shore Road where it ends in path to nowhere. [Update 2011: now ForthQuarter park open on to West Shore Road]

But a footpath link through new housing has been opened off Marine Drive.

They have restarted work on the housing there including a block that I liked the look of when was just concrete structure set against the trees
.

I saw last week the swan with 2 grey fluffy babies swans, on the Water of Leith.

I quite often see one of at least 2 Grey Herons at various places on the Water of Leith.

Work start the in last few months on tram works near start of cycle path near Roseburn. They have cut end of loop short so making it slightly more steeper. {Update, Oct 2011: now closed till 2012}

Photo of how looked before:

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