Have your say on Crewe Toll hotel proposals

Hotel group De Vere are offering local residents an opportunity to see plans and to comment on proposals for a new ‘village urban resort’ at Crewe Toll.

De Vere will be holding two public consultation events on the proposals in advance of submitting a formal planning application. These will be held at the Morrisons store on Pilton Drive from 1400 until 1800 on Friday 7 September and at Helix House itself between 1000 and 1300 on Saturday 8 September.

Last week, plans were unveiled for a new £20m hotel with business and leisure facilities on the site of the empty office building at Crewe Toll – which will create approximately 130 new jobs.

Earlier this year the De Vere Group unveiled plans to open 15 new Village Urban Resorts to add to the existing two dozen it successfully operates across the UK. The North Edinburgh proposal includes a 120 bedroom hotel, a health and fitness club (including a 20m indoor pool); business and conference facilities; a restaurant, bar; and a Starbucks Coffee House.

Robert Cook, Chief Executive of De Vere Village Urban Resorts said: “De Vere is delighted to announce the selection of Edinburgh as a location for a new Village Urban Resort. Edinburgh is a high priority location for us and we are very excited to be bringing this concept to the city.

“The selected site is prominently located in north Edinburgh – the redundant office building on site, Helix House, has been vacant for many years and is becoming something of an eyesore. Our new Edinburgh Village Urban Resort will be a positive landmark building in this prominent location.”

A customer and guest car parking area with 270 car parking spaces will also be included within the development.

Ian Kettlewell, Associate Director at national planning consultancy Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners, which is guiding the scheme through the planning process, said: “This exciting new development will regenerate an important and prominent site; removing a building which has been vacant for a number of years. The new Village Urban Resort will create 120 new jobs, which will be accessible to local residents, offering significant training opportunities and provide a boost to the local economy, as well as further jobs during the construction phase. This development will not just provide a hotel for visitors to Edinburgh, De Vere Village Urban Resorts are high quality, attractive leisure destinations for business users, leisure travellers and the local community.”

The site is located on a major route in north Edinburgh with good linkages to Leith and the city centre and as such the urban resort will benefit from excellent transport links by public transport, car, cycle and on foot.

Areas of public realm comprising high quality hard and soft landscaping will be provided, along with clearly-demarcated pedestrian walkways to ensure safe and easy movement onto, and throughout, the development.

Should planning permission be granted, it is anticipated that construction would start next year with the new De Vere Village Urban Resort opening to the public in 2014.

Those pre-planning application public consultation details again: Morrisons store on Pilton Drive from 2 – 6pm this Friday (7 September) and at Helix House itself between 10am and 1pm on Saturday (8 September).

De Vere are keen to raise awareness of its plans and provide an opportunity for public comments.

Tenants to pay for deliberate damage?

Irresponsible tenants who deliberately damage their homes may have to pay for repairs under proposals being considered by the City of Edinburgh Council. Councillors will discuss plans for a Rechargeable Repairs Policy at next week’s meeting of the Health, Social Care and Housing Committee.

The Council currently carries out around 146,000 repairs every year at a cost of £20m. The majority of these repairs are in response to direct requests from tenants with the rest made up of planned repairs.

Introducing a Rechargeable Repairs Policy has received strong support from tenants with 88% who took part in a recent survey saying they were in favour of the idea. Residents surveyed also showed that 66% believed the policy would act as a deterrent to tenants who deliberately cause damage.

Focus groups held with the Edinburgh Tenants Federation, neighbourhood housing staff and equalities groups indicated positive support for the proposal, and any new system could also be used to identify vulnerable tenants who require additional support.

Councillor Cammy Day, Housing Leader for the City of Edinburgh Council (pictured above), said: “The implementation of a rechargeable repairs policy has received broad support from everyone we’ve spoken to. Where irresponsible tenants damage or neglect their home all other tenants have to pay for it – that’s not fair. All tenants are responsible for looking after their own homes and the Capital Coalition gave a commitment to enforcing tenancy agreements to ensure they fulfil their good conduct responsibilities. An added benefit to such a scheme is the potential to identify vulnerable tenants who we can then direct to various support services so they can receive extra help they need.”

Betty Stevenson, chair of the Edinburgh Tenants Federation, said they were happy to support the idea. “Such a policy will ensure repair costs are targeted at repairs to improve homes for tenants who are in genuine need. If implemented correctly this will help to increase tenants’ awareness of their responsibilities,” she sad.

Doug Anthoney, from charity Age Scotland, said: “We are pleased that the City of Edinburgh Council is looking at robust procedures around their repairs recharging policy to ensure that vulnerable individuals are protected. It is reassuring that a flagging system could be established to identify people who may actually be in need of assistance or support to help them cope at home, which should also reduce the risk of them incurring financial penalties in the future.”

The proposal will be discussed at the Council’s Health, Social Care and Housing Committee next Tuesday (11 September) and, if agreed, it’s expected that any Rechargeable Repairs Policy would come into effect in Spring 2013.

Housing LIFT for first time buyers as funding doubled

A scheme to help people get on the housing ladder is being extended to all first-time buyers following a cash boost from the Scottish government. Funding of the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme has been doubled to more than £20m, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment Alex Neil announced today.

Until now, only priority groups such as people who rent from a council or housing association have been eligible for the scheme but the extra funding means applications will be accepted from all first-time buyers. The scheme lets people pay for between 60% and 80% of their home and the government funds the rest by taking an interest-free equity stake.

Mr Neil said: “Many first-time buyers may not be able to afford a large deposit to help them buy their first home. That is why we are doing all we can to help people on low to moderate incomes across Scotland get on the property ladder where it is affordable for them. Doubling the funding for our shared equity scheme means that all first time buyers can now apply – it is good news for households and families wishing to purchase their first home and also helps second-steppers who wish to move home. All this action also helps the economy by kick-starting more house building and sustaining substantial numbers of construction jobs.”

Welcoming the announcement, Link Housing Association chief executive Craig Sanderson said the move would help many families get a home of their choice. “I welcome the Scottish government’s extension of this initiative which will have a ‘knock-on’ effect of releasing much-needed housing available at rents affordable to people in low-paid employment or on limited fixed incomes,” he said.

The Scottish government operates two other related initiatives – the New Supply Shared Equity Scheme and the New Supply Shared Equity with Developers Scheme- and together they all form part of the government’s Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (Lift)

Muirhouse Million Steps – Friday 28 September

MUIRHOUSE MILLION STEPS 2012

One day, Two routes AND our fabulous goody bag, free Zumba passes, FREE swim and our very collectable certificate for everybody who registers and does the walk!

Last years Million Steps was on a Saturday but we have moved it back to a Friday due to popular demand!

Last year we did well over a million steps…. can we beat that!!!

Groups and organisations used this as an opportunity for raising funds for community groups and local groups – so if you are a local school, community group, mothers group, dads group, local organisation, work place, get a team together and take those wee steps towards a healthier lifestyle!

PS if you are a local organisation or business and you can’t make it on the day you can always take part in Walkin’ at Work week, from 17 – 21 September.

Lisa Arnott, PCHP Community Healthy Lifestyles Coordinator (on behalf of the organising group)

North Edinburgh Arts to host employability event

North Edinburgh Arts Centre is to host a major Employability event later this month. Organised by Forth Neighbourhood Partnership, ‘Employability in Forth’ follows on from a successful event held at Edinburgh’s Telford College which looked at local employability issues and initiatives.

Employability in Forth

Tuesday 18 September 2012

10.30am – 12.30 followed by buffet lunch

North Edinburgh Arts Centre

15a Pennywell Court

Following the Employment Networking Event held at Edinburgh’s Telford College earlier this year we would like to invite you to a follow up session.

A final programme for the date will be sent out soon but will include:

An update on progress on Edinburgh’s Employability Service from the Council’s Employability and Skills team.
A presentation from Stevenson College and Community Renewal on how the new Integrated Employment Service (Hub) will impact on Forth.
Reflection on the discussion at the networking event and further discussion on the best way of addressing employability issues in Forth.

A summary of the findings from the Telford College event:
Summary of discussion at networking event

Youth Employment 16-19 – How can we help improve the number of young people going into employment and other positive destinations?

City wide and National issues
- Need to increase training capacity across the city
- Need to look at incentives to take on a young person (converting benefits into wage subsidy?). SDS Employer Recruitment Incentive relevant here.
- More Modern Apprenticeships.
- Fund projects that get people directly into jobs.
- 21^st century homes programme should include employability initiatives and apprenticeships, build into the master planning process at an early stage
Schools and youth agencies
- Need more vocational courses built into schools and make them on par with academic routes.
- Increase Careers advice in schools – time spent per pupil
- Make sure school leavers are aware of choices.
- Increase opportunities for part time work at schools.
- Improve links between schools and outside agencies.
- Need to engage with 12/13 year olds before they become disaffected.
- Bring local people into schools, including slightly older young people in the job market to “tell it like it is”.
- High drop out rate of young people from the educational system in the area – need a partnership approach to this
- Stronger links with local youth agencies
- Early intervention – teach employability skills in Youth Centres.
Mentoring/Attitudes/ Presentation Skills
- Need to look at building the work ethic and correct attitude to work
- There are jobs are available – young people need relevant skills and attitude.
- Most vulnerable have challenges in interview presentation, personal confidence/appearance. Can we make preparing for a work interview a more viable option – Interviewing makeover programme designed and delivered by partners & College.
- Recognise the value of activity that is not directly job related.
- Confidence building is the key skill needed to address this issue – e.g. Duke of Edinburgh awards
- Mentoring and 1 to 1 work makes the difference with young people likely to fail. Can we get higher profile on this? Is there a link with Forth Voluntary Sector forum that could be scaled up – possibly part of TOTAL PLACE project?
Business Links
- Involve small businesses.
- Need strong and sustained links to the business community.
- Opportunities for local jobs – where are the employers? They need to be part of any action plan, and contribute to better outcomes. Care Sector will have openings locally but perhaps more suited to 20+.
- Refocus work of SBC – excellent example of recent school projects
Training/Support
- Consider putting in place here an innovative supported one stop, integrated accommodation/training /support model for young people Ref Aberdeen Foyer model.
- Improve links with Telford College Construction faculty
- More pre-vocational courses needed
- Use innovative ways of engaging. Community Renewal use informal “ pizza night” approach to inform young people of opportunities
Strategy/Processes
- Need a clear strategy for what we want to achieve. Identify who are the key local partners who can actively contribute as part of solution, and stakeholders – these are both important but different things.
- Need specific statson the scale of this problem in North Edinburgh? E.g. we know that Craigroyston has lowest qualifications, but are we clear which aspects/priority group we need to target – the farthest away from employment, or those who need better direction and are closest to it?
- Review how we measure and monitor outcomes for longer term benefits
- Simplify the process and make it clearer to understand for young people and their families
Employment of those in 20 plus age group: What can we do to help this group into employment?

City wide and National issues
- Get more support from large public employers – Council/NHS.
- Job Centre Plus should be integral member of this partnership – they have new programmes many of us were unaware of and we can join up on how we promote: e.g. work experience programme.
- More potential for employers to pay a wage for work placements
- Simplify the process of taking short term and part time work (benefit issues). Allow people to continue on benefits whilst they take part in work experience. If a full time student there are rents/ benefits issues
Business Links
- Can SMEs help?
- How can employers tap into these young people who have successfully come through training and/or work experience
Training/Support
- Improve training in IT Skills.
- Need to increase the opportunities available – limited support for over 25s. Focussing on 16-19yr could be at expense of this group.
- Use more Work based training – e.g. CLD Youth Work degree.
- Provide funded access to learn driving as this opens up job opportunities and builds self-esteem , motivates (Birmingham project over 2 years provided mopeds+ driving test support, then passed mopeds on to next recruits) ; SQA have a qualification that provides evidence for theory test.
- College is not for many of this group.
- Difficult to get a second chance for training.
- Most vulnerable of this age group need a programme similar to younger age group to move on from past errors. Many are parents so could be reached via the schools.
Mentoring/Attitudes/ Presentation Skills
- Need to look at role models for people (third generation unemployment, who do they look to?)
- Home circumstances sometimes do not support a work ethic so how do we support them better
- How do we apply the carrot and stick?
- Ask people want they want or need.
- Hopelessness is a key issue for this age group, but many have a family to support so can motivate, be a key driver, links to schools.
- Get appropriate local people of this experience and age group to be part of the solution – get a voice.
- Buddy programme for people from this age to mentor younger ones – need positive role models.
- A key focus is how to help this age group keep jobs once they have them.
- Improve Money management skills – Financial literacy is now a huge issue for 3^rd generation of unemployed in families
- Literacy issues
- Health issues – mental health issues still area of concern in area
Other key focus areas – What other key issues could be addressed by partnership working?

City wide and National issues
- Different agencies having different geographies – eg Job Centres, Scottish Government.
- Benefits Changes likely to be detrimental.
- Community Jobs Scotland – can we do it here? Like S Lanarkshire Youth Jobs fund model, funding paid for local officer, working with a number of organisations to coordinate and direct.
- Look at potential to include providing local employment opportunities as a part of planning process
- Crime and anti social behaviour impacts on young people even when they are not directly involved – often as victims.
Coordination
- Is there duplication of services locally? So many organisations and short term initiatives makes it had to know what is going on. This gets in the way of joint working
- Need to simplify structures, increase transparency, work more jointly on service (consortia) and think about longer term initiatives
- Need to get better at sharing good practice and being open about ideas and services.
- Strategic overview – planning what is needed in an area.
- With so many services it is difficult to know who to refer to?
- Encourage and reward Partnership working
Funding
- Danger that simplistic outcome-based funding can work against partnership approach
- Promote /Develop a “common good fund” – based on £xx contribution from key partners to use for targeted interventions.
- Important to note the impact of central cuts to funding of local employability projects
- Short term funding leads to interruptions of planning process
Information
- Making sure that all partners have knowledge.
- Need good labour market information – especially locally.
- Join up guidance, information and advice locally – forum?
- Use social media to engage with young people
The way forward – What is the best way to address these issues locally?

Structures/Processes
- A Forth Action Group supported but think membership should be reviewed- include service providers e.g. Chamber of Commerce, Community Renewal
- A Forth Employment Action Group be useful but should focus on business and life skills
- An Action Group could be useful for networking and co-ordination of services
- Needs to have a clear purpose and have teeth and continuity and commitment.
- Any Action Group needs a strong effective chair and secretarial support.
- Meet say twice a year to review outcomes and progress, impact, gaps /next priorities, once groundwork established.
- Involving local people in processes is important.
- Short life working groups may be useful.
- May be best to have a series of themed workshops/forums on issue we want to tackle – and also have 2/3 plenary meetings a year.
- Cross agency meetings about particularly difficult young people/groups of young people – GIRFEC approach – could be useful.
- Look at Gate 55 as an ideal model (?).
Priorities/Issues
- The initial focus could be on 16-19 year old group.
- Need to look at how resources can be shared
- Need to capture local knowledge and advocate for services needed by the community (evidenced approach)
- Need to build relationships between organisations – joint training sessions around key issues.
- Get Job Share involved in future activity.
- Get clients to come along and describe their experiences and identify flaws/opportunities.
- Get Challenge Fund MCMC group involved in future activity.
- Need a review of funding – a more strategic approach to make best use of funding
- Look at an Action Plan
Next Steps
- Hold a meeting to feedback on the issues raised at Networking event – to plan what action, who should be involved. Look to involve young people (Youth Forum/Parliament?) and employers.

Not all doom and gloom – remember Septemberfest!

Yes, the North Edinburgh Community Festival has been cancelled, but September doesn’t have to be festival-free – here’s a timely reminder that Broughton High School will be staging their very own Septemberfest later this month! The big event takes place on Saturday 22 September.

Muirhouse Housing Association celebrates twenty years in North Edinburgh

Muirhouse Housing Association marked an important milestone when they celebrated their twentieth birthday in style at Muirhouse Millennium Centre on Saturday. With loads of fun things to do for the kids and presentations to longest tenants and management committee members, the day was a great success.

Happy birthday MHA – here’s to the next twenty years!

DSCF0455 — MHA Chair Roy Douglas with Management Board members

DSCF0458 — MHA Chair Roy Douglas with Management Board members

DSCF0461 — Chair Roy Douglas with oldest tenant – who’s 88!

DSCF0478 — Brenda Tonner with her MHA staff team

As a new academic term starts Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service is urging students to put fire safety at the top of their agenda for the years ahead:

Part of becoming a student is enjoying the freedom of being away from home and living with new friends. This can be a very enjoyable experience but it can also be daunting.

Living in halls of residence or rented accommodation means that you are responsible for looking after your own health and safety. Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service work with universities and colleges to ensure that halls of residence are safe places to live, through the provision of free home fire safety advice for residents and ensuring that fire-warning systems are installed and maintained correctly.

As a resident within halls of residence, you have an obligation to ensure that the fire warning system and firefighting equipment are only used in an emergency. Unwanted false alarms caused by deliberate or malicious actuation of fire warning systems is a criminal act, which may result in prosecution, but more importantly, may lead to a delay in fire appliances responding to a genuine emergency elsewhere. Your university or college may also consider appropriate disciplinary action against students involved in such activities.

Whilst partying, smoking and drinking are all part of a student lifestyle, it is important to remember that this could put you at a higher risk of fire.

Make sure you know what to do if fire breaks out. Our advice is to get out, stay out and call 999 asking for ‘Fire’. Never attempt to tackle a fire yourself. If you are trapped by fire, get to a window if possible and dial 999. Fire Control will give you fire survival advice until firefighters can reach you.

Cooking and cigarettes are two of the most common causes of fire. In student accommodation, we are also often called to fires started by candles and tea lights. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Don’t cook or smoke under the influence of alcohol and never leave candles unattended. If you have been drinking heavily you may be slower to respond in an emergency.

Tips on keeping your accommodation safe

Never leave cooking unattended
Never leave candles unattended
Keep candles away from flammable surfaces or textiles
Don’t cook or smoke indoors when you’ve been drinking alcohol
Don’t overload plug sockets
If a fire starts get out, stay out and dial 999
Practice an escape route with your housemates
Check furniture has the permanent fire resistant label
Take extra care with cigarettes and smoking materials. Don’t smoke in bed.
Extinguish cigarettes properly before you go to sleep
Switch off electrical appliances, like mobile chargers and hair straighteners, when not in use
Secure portable heaters up against a wall, so they don’t fall over. Keep them away from curtains, furnishings, never dry clothes on them.
Know your escape route in an emergency. Make sure you and your housemates know the quickest way out in the event of fire and consider an alternative route in case your usual one is blocked.
In all properties, the landlord must ensure gas appliances are installed and maintained annually by a registered plumber.
Know your rights. Landlords are responsible for supplying safe gas appliances and electrical wiring

Free home fire safety advice is available here: http://www.lbfire.org.uk/fire_safety/safety_home.htm and a free home safety visit can be arranged by calling 0800 169 0320 or by emailing community.safety@lbfire.org.uk

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service

Day: September 5, 2012