Councils to spend millions picking up face mask litter

But would YOU pick up a discarded face mask?

Face masks are highly effective in reducing the chances of catching and spreading Covid-19, however, inconsiderate litterbugs are leaving their soiled goods all over the place.  

This problem has become so overwhelming that local councils will spend around £20,000-100,000 of council tax payers’ money per area to clear up littered face masks.

Waste collection specialists BusinessWaste.co.uk have seen this problem first-hand, and are urging people to make sure that face masks are binned correctly and not just dumped in the street.

“Wearing a face mask has allowed us to keep safe this year, and it’s fantastic how many people have adapted to regularly wearing one,” says Mark Hall, spokeseperson for BusinessWaste.co.uk “But would you pick up somebody else’s used mask?

“If people were as passionate about binning them properly as they are about wearing them in the shops, it would be much better for our environment and save our local councils time and money.”

The big problem

BusinessWaste.co.uk have previously reported that 50 million face masks are going to landfill each day across the UK, with face mask litter killing wildlife and ending up in our oceans.

But in our most populated areas, this problem has reached a boiling point.

More people mean more masks being used and littered, which is why local councils up and down the country are pledging combined millions to try and put a stop to this problem.

Hall: “We are incredibly grateful to the council’s for designating the money to help clean up this mess, but if people were able to stop littering their disposable masks it wouldn’t have had to come to such expensive measures.

“It’s a waste of money that could have gone towards more positive projects in the local area’s, but instead it’s being used to clean up borderline hazardous waste.”

So just how many masks are we talking about?

According to the latest report by the Office For National Statistics, 97% of people use a face covering when outside of their home.

And based on a recent survey, 51% of those wearing face coverings were using single-use masks.

Using these recent statistics, as well as looking at the current population size, Mark Hall at BusinessWaste.co.uk has estimated that 49%, of the total population, are using single-use masks.

Mark Hall went on: “If we assume these people are using a new mask each day, one a day for five days a week, that is a lot of masks and a lot of waste.

“Unless people make the switch to reusable masks, then we have to find simple and effective ways for people to dispose of these masks that won’t damage the environment.”

Time to properly dispose of masks  

When BusinessWaste.co.uk asked 1,000 people if they would pick up a discarded facemask, 99% said no.

The most common response for leaving littered face mask, was not wanting to touch something they feared would be contaminated with Covid-19.

Mark Hall again: “It’s perfectly understandable that people wouldn’t want to pick up discarded masks on the street, especially when we’ve had the importance of hygiene drilled into us all year.

“It just highlights that we need to tackle the problem at the source, stopping masks from being littered rather than requiring people to go around picking them up.”

The simplest answer would be to install pop-up PPE bins, which BusinessWaste.co.uk suggested earlier in the year. 

These bins would make it easier for people to dispose of masks while out and about, whilst also following government guidelines about separating personal waste from general waste.

Mark Hall concluded: “PPE bins are the best chance we’ve got to protect both people and the planet from the effects of this pandemic, while keeping our streets free from face mask litter.

“Without them, towns and cities around the UK will see local councils spending a small fortune clearing up after this mess.”

ERASMUS +: How can Scotland rejoin the largest education programme in the world?

Erasmus-Plus webinar: 4pm, Monday 8th February

Register for free tickets

The UK Government has withdrawn from a proven scheme that has involved over 10m young people – students, apprentices and more – in exchanges across Europe in favour of an untested one-way scheme. But the Scottish and Welsh Governments are talking to Brussels about rejoining Erasmus.

How good are the prospects? Join us at 4:00 pm on Monday 8 February when we will examine why Erasmus-Plus has been such a success, why the mooted replacement Turing scheme is no alternative and how Scottish and Welsh young people should continue to enjoy the huge opportunities the EU scheme offers.

Chaired by Mark Lazarowicz, Chair of the European Movement in Scotland, we draw on the expertise of three/four authorities, including the founding spirit behind Erasmus, to explore the challenges and options ahead.

From Glasgow, Prof Anton Muscatelli, principal of Glasgow University and senior advisor to the Scottish Government, will give us his in-depth knowledge of an extensive range of economic and European issues. The university has been Britain’s biggest HE participant in the scheme.

From Cardiff, Hywel Ceri Jones, former European Commission director for education, who led the design and implementation of Erasmus and became director general for employment, social policy and industrial relations, will give a Welsh and European perspective.

From Glasgow, Rachel Sandison, vice principal, external relations, Glasgow University, will offer insights into we can best negotiate Scotland’s and Wales’s re-entry to the scheme.

From Glasgow Mary Senior is Scotland’s official of the Universities and Colleges Union since 2009 and has been STUC (Scottish Trades Union Congress ) President since November 2020. Originally from the West Midlands, Mary has two decades of working within the trade union movement in Scotland.

This event is organised in association with the Young European Movement. 

At the end of the webinar, the President, Julius Lajtha, will speak about their campaign on Erasmus.

Register for free tickets

EATING or HEATING?

Tragic choice two thirds of “forgotten disabled people” have been forced to make during pandemic

· For ten months UK Government has refused emergency funding to over 2.2 million people on legacy benefits to support them through the COVID-19 crisis

· New evidence sent to Chancellor Rishi Sunak shows disabled people now facing immense hardship

· Coalition of over 100 organisations working with disabled people fear ‘terrible consequences’ if Government fails to announce financial support for legacy benefits claimants in March Budget

Denying disabled people on legacy benefits, including Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Jobseeker’s Allowance, financial help to survive the COVID-19 crisis has left growing numbers unable to pay for rent, food and heating, new research shows.

The Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC), a network of over 100 organisations including the MS Society, Z2K, Disability Rights UK and Inclusion London, asked 1,126 legacy benefits claimants what difficulties they have been facing since the start of the pandemic.

The findings – which are included in the ‘Pandemic Poverty: Stark choices facing disabled people on legacy benefits’ report – reveal:

· The majority (82%) said they had spent more than they normally would – due to greater food shopping and utility bills, as well as having to pay for taxis to attend essential appointments – since the COVID-19 crisis began.

· Two thirds (66%) said they had to go without essentials like food, heating or medication as a result of increased costs since the pandemic started.

· Nearly half (44%) said they had fallen behind on financial commitments like rent, mortgage payments, or household bills.

The devastating impact shown in the report comes ten months after over 2.2 million people on legacy benefits were originally refused a £20 per week lifeline to support them through the pandemic – something people on Universal Credit have been getting since last March. The Universal Credit uplift will expire in April and no announcement has been made on whether it will be extended.

Excuses as to why legacy benefit claimants have been left behind include ‘technical difficulties’ and ‘they are getting a 37p annual increase from April’. The latest is that people on legacy benefits have the option to switch to Universal Credit, ignoring the fact that wider adjustments could leave people worse off, as well as serious flaws in the assessment and monitoring process of Universal Credit.2

Deborah, 53, from Cleckheaton in West Yorkshire lives with fibromyalgia. She cares for her partner, Steve, who has a congenital heart condition, and has just been diagnosed with diabetes. The couple rely on Deborah’s overdraft to pay for their food deliveries and heating, but now she is £800 overdrawn and having to make the choice between the two.

She says: “Being overdrawn makes me really stressed out because I’m thinking ‘how am I going to get this all back down?’ We’re already having to cut back on things like food, but the worst is not being able to have the heating on.

“We both feel like we’re undervalued…as if we don’t matter to the Government, whereas people on Universal Credit are better looked after. That extra £20 would be a godsend, and would mean we could put the money towards things we desperately need.”

David Allen, 62, was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1996 and lives alone in Luton. He has been receiving legacy benefits for over 10 years. David was bedbound with COVID-19 in March, and, as he is clinically vulnerable, has no choice but to have food delivered.

He says: “My shopping bill usually comes to £20 to 35 per week, but as I don’t feel safe going to the supermarket I’m having to rely on deliveries. The minimum order is £25, but if your order is less than £40 you get hit with by a delivery charge. On top of this, a tremor caused by my MS means it’s dangerous for me to use a knife or carry pans with hot water in, so I have to buy ready meals and prepared vegetables that I can put in the microware. These all come at a premium.

“I’m constantly worrying about other costs – I find myself sitting in the dark more than I should so as not to turn the lights on for too long, as well as only switching the TV on when I’m watching a programme. I live on my own so it’s hard not to think your world is closing in around you. The harsh reality is that the pandemic has meant our bills are going up quicker than our income, and there’s just nowhere to go to make up for that. It’s meant we feel abandoned and left to sink.”

Over 120,000 people have signed the ‘Don’t Leave Disabled People Behind’ petition, and 98% of MPs in the UK have heard from their constituents about the issue.

In addition, The Work and Pensions Select CommitteeSocial Security Advisory Committee, MPs from all parties, countless other charities and coalitions, the Lords Economic Affairs Committee and, most recently, the APPG on Poverty have all supported the DBC’s call to immediately give all out of work benefits the same COVID-19 emergency £20 increase that Universal Credit has seen.

Anastasia Berry, Policy Manager at the MS Society and Policy Co-Chair of the DBC, says: “An unforgivable number of disabled people have been put in danger of falling into poverty because of the extra costs of the pandemic – and the Government continues to ignore them.

“For nearly a year over 2.2 million people on legacy benefits have been given little more than a promise from the Prime Minister that he would “wrap his arms around the country” – but platitudes don’t keep people warm. Many have been forced to make awful choices to help them survive – from choosing between heating and eating to racking up debt to pay for rent.

“We have heard every excuse for why disabled people are being discriminated against, but the latest – that they can ‘move to Universal Credit’ – is the most misleading yet. The Government’s disregard of the facts could result in people being even worse off financially. The upcoming budget is a chance for the Chancellor to finally show the forgotten disabled people they matter, and they’re as important as those in receipt of Universal Credit. Without the £20 lifeline more people will be pushed into poverty and face terrible consequences.”

Ella Abraham, Z2K’s Policy and Campaigns Officer and Campaigns Co-Chair of the DBC, says: “2.2 million people on legacy benefits, the majority of whom are disabled, have now been excluded from the £20 per week financial lifeline for 10 months. The Chancellor’s inaction on this has created a two-tier discriminatory welfare state which has pushed a huge number of people into poverty.

“Forcing people onto Universal Credit where many will not be better off isn’t a solution, what we need is a social security system that ensures people are not having to survive on the bare minimum but have the income they need to live a stable and dignified life. The Government must increase legacy benefits now.”

DBC’s letter to Rishi Sunak: 

Dear Mr Sunak,

Re: Increase Disability Benefits campaign reaches over 119,000 signatures.

You will no doubt remember that we wrote to you back in June. Then, as now, we called on you to give parity to disabled people claiming legacy benefits, such as Employment and Support Allowance, Job Seekers Allowance and Income Support by extending the £20 uplift afforded to those claiming Universal Credit since Spring.

Since we last wrote, thousands more have signed our petition urging you to do justice to those on legacy benefits by extending the uplift. And today, in anticipation of your Spending Review announcement, we deliver these tens of thousands of calls to action to you.

Just as you no doubt do, those who have signed our petition recognise that disability costs. People living with a disability and those with long-term health conditions tend to have lower real incomes and higher costs than the general population. This has been compounded during the pandemic, with many disabled people facing extra costs. Costs such as paying for taxis, to avoid the risk of public transport; paying for supermarket deliveries to avoid the risk of going to shops; paying for higher call and data charges to avoid loneliness and isolation.

Both the Social Security Advisory Committee and the Work and Pensions Select Committee as well as a number of MPs have called for the uplift to be introduced. The Secretary of State cited the inability of the IT systems as a reason not to implement an immediate change. However, with the Spending Review imminent where the benefit rates will be decided, this is your opportunity to do the right thing.

We believe that it cannot be the deliberate intent of Government to abandon some of the most severely and chronically disadvantaged citizens to heightened financial struggle in the midst of the destabilising, frightening and isolating experience of living with disability in the context of a global pandemic. With no immediate end in sight to this pandemic, it is only fair and reasonable to provide the same boost to those on Job Seekers Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance or Income Support as has been provided to those claiming Universal Credit.

Disabled people are likely to feel the impact of this crisis for a long time to come. Please don’t leave them behind!

Should you have any questions please contact me at matthew.harrison@mencap.org.uk.

Yours sincerely,

Matt Harrison

On behalf of the DBC Steering Group (Parliamentary Co-chair, Disability Benefits Consortium)

Electric scooter rider injured in Ferniehill – man charged

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was found injured in the south of the city after riding an electric scooter.

Shortly before 12.15am this morning (Wednesday, 3 February, 2021), a witness contacted emergency services after finding a man injured in the roadway on Ferniehill Road.

Officers and the Scottish Ambulance Service attended and the 40-year-old rider was taken to hospital with serious, but not life threatening, injuries.

Enquiries are ongoing to establish how he came to sustain his injuries and officers are asking anyone who may have seen the rider prior to him being found injured to contact police.

Police Constable James Lamb from Police Scotland’s Road Policing Unit based in Edinburgh said: “First and foremost we are seeking to understand how the man became injured. He suffered a head injury and was found in the eastbound lane of Ferniehill Road, just off Gilmerton Road, near to the junction with Ferniehill Avenue.

“I would ask anyone in the Moredun and Gilmerton areas who may have seen a man riding an e-scooter late last night, or any properties who may have private CCTV covering the area, to check their systems to see if this can help our enquiries.

“Similarly any drivers in the area who may have seen the rider prior to him being found injured, and especially if recording with dash cam, should provide any relevant information or footage to officers as soon as possible.”

Those with information should contact Police Scotland on 101 and quote incident number 0019 of 3 February. An anonymous report can be given to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Following a previous appeal regarding a man found injured after riding an electric scooter in the Ferniehill Road area of Edinburgh on Wednesday, 3 February, Police Scotland can now confirm that a 48-year-old man has been charged in connection with a number of road traffic offences.

A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Council cuts could send rat populations spiralling out of control

A jump of 25% in the rat population during 2020 has increased the pest control workload in most areas of the UK, as rats migrate from city centre commercial areas to inner city residential – increasing reports from worried residents about rat sightings.

Reports of rats being seen in open public areas during lockdown are common, with Council pest control departments being sent an increasing number of reports of rats in inner city residential areas as rats migrate in the search for food and shelter.

“Lockdown is presenting a serious challenge for pest controllers, none more so than where financial cuts and social distancing is hampering Local Authority departments in their ability to tackle rat populations. This is not only a funding issue – the population of rats is growing, and the ability to control them with traditional means is decreasing as 74% of UK rats have been shown to carry immunity to popular poisons”, explains Jenny Rathbone of Pest Controller Pest.co.uk

Areas such as Bridgend where Councillor Nicole Burnett, cabinet member for social services and early help reported: “There does seem to be an increase in the rat population in residential areas, particularly residential areas close to town centres.” They have seen an increase of 47% in the reports of rat problems since 2016.

Cardiff is suffering a similar problem, Gill Lewis from Caerphilly County Borough Council stated: “there has been a significant increase in pest control requests since March 2020 because “more people are at home and seeing more pest activity than they usually would”.

“The big problem we face is that residents of more deprived inner-city areas tend to use Local Authority services to treat rodent problems, and it’s these areas rats are moving to during lockdown – any cuts to services will end up impacting the poorest the hardest – and we all know cuts are coming”, Rathbone adds.

UK Rat Population grew 25% last year (Source Pest.co.uk)

  • 2019 – 120m
  • 2020 – 150m

The issues currently affecting the control of the rat population in the UK are:

  1. The first lockdown in March 2020 allowed rats to get a foothold, and breed well. The population increased 25% in 2020 from 120 million to 150 million.
  2. Traditional pest control methods are becoming ineffective as the 2019-20 Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use survey of rats showed that 74% of rats in the UK carried a resistance gene to popular rodenticides, and even more worrying in some locations in the UK, 20% have two different genes, making them super resistant (Source)
  3. Pressure on Local Authority Pest Control departments to provide more services, with ever increasing strain on finances.

Pest.co.uk is advising anyone living in inner-city urban areas to take proactive measures before problems start, these include:

  • Block up holes – Fill any gaps in brickwork, shed doors and any holes on external walls of your home including cellars and attics
  • Clear cupboards – Empty unused cupboards of bags, clothes, rags and keep them clean
  • Secure all food sources – Make sure food is not left out, tidy away any open food sources and keep worktops and floors clean of crumbs
  • Prepare traps – by leaving out rat traps you can pre-empt any future infestation, however it is better to bait with official rat poison than leaving food scraps out

“2021 could be interesting. The longer the lockdown continues, the higher the risk that rats get a real foothold that will be hard to control come summer”, concludes Jenny Rathbone of Pest Controller Pest.co.uk

More mental health support for health and social care staff

An additional £500,000 will be made available to health boards this financial year to provide dedicated mental health support for health and social care staff during the (Coronavirus) COVID-19 pandemic. 

Health Boards will be able to immediately recruit psychologists and other staff dedicated to supporting the mental health of the health and social care workforce. This funding will be followed by a further £1 million in each of the next two financial years.

Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey said: “We are doing our best to support health and social care staff, to ensure that they have the resources they require to look after themselves, and that they can get help if necessary.

“We are providing Boards with additional funding via NHS Education for Scotland to deliver a workforce development programme to increase capacity and capability to provide psychological therapies and interventions for health and social care staff if and when they need it.

“We have asked our NHS and social care staff to work through unprecedented times and often in unfamiliar settings. Many have been asked to learn new skills and work in new roles in unfamiliar teams.

“They all, too, have had to adjust to the impact the pandemic has had on our personal lives and communities, including having to care for their own families. This has been, and continues to be a huge ask and we are deeply grateful for the hard work, commitment and professionalism of those working in health and social care, at this time of unprecedented challenge.”

Staff are encouraged to make use of available support that is available through the  National Wellbeing Hub or by calling the 24 Hour Wellbeing Helpline on 0800 111 4191. Since launching, over  64,000 people have used the hub.

Confidence drops in Scotland as lockdown restrictions continue

Bank of Scotland’s Business Barometer for January 2021 shows:

  • Overall confidence of firms in Scotland fell 23 points in the past month to -32%
  • 52% of firms are confident the Covid-19 vaccination roll-out will boost trading prospects in 2021
  • Optimism falls in seven of 11 UK regions and nations as firms deal with latest lockdown restrictions

Business confidence in Scotland fell 23 points during January to -32%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Bank of Scotland Commercial Banking.

Companies in Scotland reported lower confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, down 20 points to -27%.  When taken alongside their views of the economy, down 25 points to -37%, this gives a headline confidence reading of -32%.

The Business Barometer questions 1,200 businesses monthly and provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide.

The majority (65%) of firms said current Covid-19 restrictions had caused a fall in turnover but they expected the effects of the vaccine programme to boost trading prospects for 2021, with 52% saying the rollout had made them feel more confident about the year ahead. However, only 11% expect trading levels to return to pre-pandemic levels in the next twelve months.

When it comes to jobs, a net balance of 28% of businesses in Scotland expect to reduce staff levels over the next year, down five points on last month.

At UK level, overall business confidence dipped in January as the latest lockdown restrictions came into force, falling by three points to -7%. Firms’ economic optimism dropped dramatically month-on-month, decreasing by 34 points to -10%.

Almost all UK nations and regions saw a month-on-month dip in confidence during January, with the biggest falls after Scotland (-32% vs -9% in December) being reported in Wales (-20% vs -1% in December) and the South West (-8% vs 5% in December).

However, firms reported a month-on-month increase in confidence in London (up five percentage points to 3%), the South East (up seven percentage points to -4%) and North West (up eight percentage points to -5%). Yorkshire business confidence remained steady month-on-month at -4%.

Fraser Sime, regional director for Scotland at Bank of Scotland Commercial Banking, said: “This latest drop in confidence has appeared against a backdrop of tighter restrictions being reintroduced in Scotland. However, despite this dip, fewer firms report they are planning on making redundancies in the year ahead, the second consecutive month this has fallen.

“We know Scottish businesses have been resilient since the pandemic began and the vaccination roll-out is boosting firms’ optimism about the coming months. We’ll be by the side of businesses to help them navigate both the short-term challenges and long-term opportunities ahead.” 

In the industry sectors confidence remained above pre-vaccine levels (chart 4). While some sectors reported declines, manufacturing slipped by nine points to 9%, services fell by four points to -9% and retail by five points to 6%. Confidence levels in the construction sector improved for a second month, rising four points to -1%.

Paul Gordon, Managing Director for SME and Mid Corporates, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “It has not been an easy start to 2021, but nonetheless businesses continue to persevere and remain resilient in the face of uncertainty and change – the construction sector’s confidence improving for a second month and more broadly, industry and the majority of the regional confidence sitting above pre-vaccine levels.

“While the road ahead will be challenging, we hope the news of the vaccine rollout progress will positively impact regional and sector confidence in the coming months.”

Hann-Ju Ho, Senior Economist, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “It has been a challenging start to the New Year for UK businesses adapting to a third national lockdown alongside the new EU trade arrangement taking effect.

“Nevertheless, while confidence remains below average, it is encouraging that business sentiment is still the second highest since the low of May 2020. Overall, the vaccine rollout programme has lifted confidence and that will hopefully buoy business optimism in the coming months.”

Dumped contaminated face masks causing health & safety nightmare

Litter pickers across the UK are reporting a huge increase in the number of dumped contaminated disposable face masks being spotted during their patrols, as the number of single use masks used in the UK during 2021 is feared to reach 19.5 BILLION.

“The scale of the problem of carelessly dumped disposable face masks is massive – we use 52 million single use plastic masks a day and sadly some of these are being dropped, or simply fall from people’s pockets – sightings are increasingly common now”, explains Charlotte Green of UK waste company TradeWaste.co.uk

The number of disposable face masks that will be used across the UK in 2021 has been calculated at 19.5 billion. A proportion of these are discarded either carelessly or accidentally, meaning many end up being blown into woods making their journey into streams, rivers and eventually the sea.

What 19.5 billion single use face masks in numbers looks like:

  • 52 million a day
  • 1.6 billion a month
  • 19.5 billion a year – weight equivalent to 5 ½ Eiffel Towers

The problem of how to dispose of masks is tricky, with no easy way to recycle and conflicting ways to handle potentially contaminated masks – the real problem is the littering caused by careless users.

Litter pickers across the country are reporting an increasing number of masks being collected during their rounds. In Fife, the Street Champions group reported finding 1 mask for every 60m they patrolled near a shopping area in Rosyth – they have collected a total of 3,500 since March. This is common across the whole of the UK.

Max Ratcliffe, aged 6, from Menston in West Yorkshire took part in a home-schooling project to examine litter and its effect on the environment in his local wood.

He was shocked by how many masks he spotted, with 1 dumped mask found every 50m on a path popular with dog walkers. “I think it’s really bad. People should put them in the bin. Animals might eat them, and they might die”, reported Max.

Used masks are not only a littering issue, but also a health and safety one.

“Used masks are tricky and you should not touch a used mask – they should be treated like any other potentially contaminated material and only handled professionally using the right protecting equipment”, explains Charlotte Green, of  TradeWaste.co.uk.

“There are obvious risks associated with coming into contact with a used mask.

“The way to tackle this potential environmental disaster is for everyone to move towards washable reusable masks, not only will this cut down on single use mask litter, but it also reduces the environmental impacts of manufacturing 19.5 billion plastic masks in the first place.

“As a country we have worked so hard to reduce plastic consumption, yet we are sleepwalking into another nightmare.”

“DITCH YOUR DISPOSABLE” CAMPAIGN

Ditch your Disposable Face Mask in 2021 and save £190

  • A single use disposable face mask costs 18p
  • Over a year using 3 per day this is £197.10
  • A washable face mask costs £1.40 (Pack of 5 is £6.99)
  • If you can use 5 masks by washing them, then over a year this is a saving of £190.11

Letters: Emergency Mental Health Sessions for blind people

Dear Editor,

2020 was a difficult year for everyone. Though hope is on the horizon, starting 2021 in lockdown is not how most of us wanted for January. It’s understandable that many people are feeling down and in need of a little extra emotional support.

The situation is especially challenging for those living with sight loss. Many have faced anxiety, sadness and even fear about the unique challenges they have experienced – problems such as social distancing, difficulty shopping without guidance and isolation from losing tactile contact with friends and family during lockdown.

That’s why RNIB has launched Emergency Mental Health Sessions for blind and partially sighted people.

The sessions are completely free and offer people with sight loss the opportunity to speak to a counsellor for an hour over the phone, about however they are feeling and any problems that are on their mind. It doesn’t have to be about their sight at all.

We know that the next few months might still be tough for many, so we want to remind you that RNIB is here to help. If you or someone you know could benefit from speaking to someone, please call our Helpline on 0303 123 9999. We can set up a chat within 36 hours and the service can be used as many times as needed.

No one with sight loss has to suffer on their own. Blind and partially sighted people deserve the same expectation of mental wellbeing as everyone else. That’s why RNIB in Scotland will always be here.

Thank you

James Adams

Director, Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland

12-14 Hillside Crescent, Edinburgh

Better late than never? Council to consult over Spaces for People

we’re beginning to think about the potential for retaining some of the schemes implemented as part of Spaces for People beyond the end of the pandemic, though we know this is some way off.

Transport and Environment Convener Cllr Lesley Macinnes

The latest review of Edinburgh’s Spaces for People programme proposes a citywide consultation and assessment criteria for retaining some of the schemes implemented once COVID restrictions are eased.

We’re rolling out measures across the Capital to create safe routes for walking, cycling and wheeling while physically distancing. Next Thursday (28 January) the  Transport and Environment Committee will discuss recommendations to consider retaining some of the interventions, many of which align with the Council’s strategic aims, protecting vulnerable road users while encouraging active travel.

Assessment criteria have been developed to help ascertain whether current projects, or elements of them, should be continued, initially on an experimental basis. If agreed by committee, a citywide consultation would be carried out alongside this assessment, seeking the public’s views on which interventions they would like to see retained beyond the COVID pandemic. The results of this would be reported back to committee.

The Spaces for People Update report also puts forward several, more complex projects and the outcomes of a regular review of existing measures for approval. Two schemes have been recommended for amendments under the review, one of which is the Braid Road closure.

It is proposed to reopen the street one-way southbound to help reduce public transport times and limit the impact of intrusive traffic on local streets, in response to feedback from residents and Lothian Buses.

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “We’re continuing apace with our ambitious programme of Spaces for People measures designed to give people space to physically distance and to provide safe, protected routes for making journeys by foot, bike or wheelchair.

“We’ve had a great deal of positive feedback from people benefiting from these changes and we know from our own monitoring that many of them are having a positive impact on surrounding areas. That’s why we’re beginning to think about the potential for retaining some of the schemes implemented as part of Spaces for People beyond the end of the pandemic, though we know this is some way off.

“Of course, any longer-term project would involve a great deal of engagement and consultation with communities – we want to bring the people of Edinburgh along with us. But by focusing on an ‘experimental’ approach we would be able to continually monitor and evaluate projects, responding to residents’ needs to best serve the public.”

Transport and Environment Vice Convener Councillor Karen Doran said: “This latest update illustrates the breadth of work that’s gone into designing, reviewing and implementing these schemes. It’s with thanks to the Spaces for People team that we’ve been able to get so many interventions on the ground over recent months.

“Of course, we recognise that there have been concerns about some of the measures from community members, and it’s understandable with changes like these. We’ve made every effort to respond where possible, and continue to tweak and revise designs, as this review demonstrates.”

Amongst the schemes recommended for approval are the introduction of segregated cycle lanes and a quiet connection on Silverknowes Road while a protected cycleway on Slateford Road would link Spaces for People measures on Lanark Road and Dundee Street to provide an alternative route to the Union Canal.

Committee will also hear about the progress of improvements developed using public feedback from the Commonplace consultation as well as the latest designs for interventions on South Bridge.

An update on work to enhance access and safety around schools provides information on temporary road closures, footpath-widening and parking restrictions introduced at primary and secondary schools around Edinburgh.

In addition, efforts to create a better environment for pedestrians include a partnership with Living Streets to identify and remove non-essential street furniture, to which £300k has been allocated, and an extra £100k assigned to improving pedestrian crossings around the city.

Read the full report, Spaces for People Update – January 2021, on the Council website. You can watch Transport and Committee live from 10am on Thursday 28 January, on the Council webcast.