Month: November 2020

Shop Here This Year!

Edinburgh residents are urged to celebrate what’s on our doorsteps in a festive season campaign that encourages shoppers to support local businesses when looking for the perfect present.

Launched today and extending through 2021,  the ‘Shop Here This Year’ campaign shines a spotlight on 11 neighbourhoods and town centres across the city.  It celebrates the quality independent retailers, eateries, and personal shopping experiences which bring our local high streets to life.

Highlighting unique aspects of each area, the campaign, aligned to the Scotland’s Towns Partnership Shop Local activities, will roll out across the Council’s digital platforms under the hashtag #shopherethisyear.

Businesses and shoppers are urged to get behind the campaign, sharing on their own social channels and supporting the local businesses which have such a vital impact on the city economy, local supply chains and local jobs.

The 11 areas that will be the focus of the campaign include: Leith & Leith Walk, Gorgie & Dalry, Bruntsfield & Morningside, Nicolson & Clerk Street, Tollcross, Royal Mile, Greater Grassmarket, Queensferry, Corstorphine, Stockbridge and Portobello.

For each location, the campaign will use real customer reviews to champion the range of unique experiences and products available across Edinburgh.

To mark the campaign’s launch an ultimate Christmas hamper of Edinburgh goodies, worth around £400, from businesses across the neighbourhoods is up for grabs.

Prizes include a tour and delicious samples from local gin distillers, Harris Tweed face coverings, luxury shortbread, selected fine wine, local jams, chutneys, cheeses, baked goods, festive treats and more.

To explore these fantastic vendors by bike, Just Eat Cycles include an annual pass in this giveaway and Edinburgh Zoo are giving away a VIP pass for the whole family to their Christmas Zoo experience.

For a chance to win, Edinburgh residents are asked to take to social media and share what makes their favourite independent shops special, using the hashtag #shopherethisyear and tagging @Edinburgh or @ThisIsEdinburgh on Instagram. Terms & Conditions apply, please go to Edinburgh.org for more details. 

Councillor Kate Campbell, Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, said: “There are so many amazing independent retail businesses across our city offering a unique and personal experience while contributing much to our local communities, local economies and providing jobs.

“It goes without saying that all sectors have suffered because of the Covid-19 pandemic this year. That’s why, more now than ever, it’s so important that we all support our local businesses.”

Vice Convener Councillor Mandy Watt said: “It’s so important that businesses get behind this campaign so we can all share the collective message that people across Edinburgh should #shopherethisyear – we’re all in this together and its inspiring to see the hard work put in by retailers to keep customers safe while they shop local.“

Small Business Champion Councillor Lezley Marion Cameron said: “Edinburgh businesses have invested in, innovated and adapted their operating arrangements to comply with continuing Tier 3 restrictions to keep patrons, customers and staff safe.

“They deserve our thanks and, more importantly, our support – as a Council, and as a city.  With the festive season and #SmallBusinessSaturday2020 (on 5 December) fast approaching, I hope Edinburgh residents and businesses will embrace the #shopherethisyear initiative: by shopping local, by creating, liking and sharing posts on social media and by encouraging families and friends to do so too.”

Beth Edberg, who runs Scottish food emporium Cranachan and Crowdie on the Royal Mile, said: “Businesses across Edinburgh have never needed residents to shop local more than they do now in the run-up to Christmas. That’s why this new Shop Here This Year campaign is so very welcome”.

The campaign, aligned with the #ForeverEdinburgh city-wide partnership initiative, has been funded by Scotland’s Towns Partnership as part of the wider Scotland Loves Local campaign which is designed to encourage shoppers across the country to think local first.

Six tips for a successful shop this Black Friday

Black Friday shoppers have been encouraged to pay on credit card, do their research before the day and be wary when it comes to some deals this year.

Penny pinching pros from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have revealed six helpful tips to make a successful Black Friday haul.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday is one of the best weekends of the year to spend money due to the bargain prices many shops offer.

It’s important, however, to stay as safe as you can whilst shopping and to make sure that the deals are actually deals. 

A spokesperson for NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “Black Friday weekend is one of the best times to buy presents for Christmas, but it can get busy quickly. 

“Many shoppers are expected to ditch the shops and buy online this year due to the current coronavirus restrictions, so it’s important to do your research before the weekend.

“By following our tips hopefully you’ll make Santa jealous with your haul of presents, all whilst keeping your bank account happy too!”

These are NetVoucherCodes.co.uk tips to stay safe and have an enjoyable weekend shopping:

1. Make a list

It can be very easy to go blind when you’re confronted with lots of offers. Before Black Friday, make a list of who you need to buy for, or what you want to buy. This will make it more difficult to over buy. You could even have a browse and write down pre-Black Friday prices. Browse around and compare prices, then make a note of the best two websites that stock the products. If it sells out before you have chance to buy it you’ll have a back-up store ready.

2. Social Media

Many brands will be advertising their deals on social media in the lead up to Black Friday. Some may even offer exclusive deals to their followers. If you have the option to follow local stores, this may mean you can enjoy deals exclusive only to individual shops.

3. Start early

Some shops have been known to start their Black Friday deals up to a week before the big day. Sometimes it can pay to buy a few smaller items on these days, so on Black Friday you’ll have more time to trawl through the offers.

4. Be wary

If there’s a deal which looks too good to be true, it probably is. Just because there’s a deal on doesn’t mean you have to buy.  It’s easy to think that because an item is reduced on one site then it’s a great deal. It may only be reduced by a small amount or may be even cheaper elsewhere. If you have the time to shop about, do it. Using a price tracking website will let you look at a product’s price history so you can see if it is a great deal or not.

5. Voucher sites

Although some of the offers may seem great already, your bank account isn’t going to say no if you can save even more money! Spend some time going through voucher sites which could help you get even more of a discount on your Black Friday shopping. Write down any codes next to relevant items on your list. This will help speed up the checkout process when it comes to the big day.

6.Card

If you’re planning on making your purchases online, it’s important to consider which card you will be using. If you pay with a credit card or via PayPal you’ll have more protection if anything goes wrong. 

Limited youth work set to restart

Green light for community centre reopening

Youth work can restart in Edinburgh community centres following an agreement reached by Councillors yesterday.

The City of Edinburgh Council approved the Community Centres and Libraries Reopening (update) report which recommended allowing community centres to apply for permission to reopen for indoor youth work as long as they can provide assurances they will be following national guidance to keep everyone safe.

The youth work that can be carried out is targeted as defined by Youth Scotland which is limited to small numbers of vulnerable young people.

Up to now their management committees could ask permission to open their buildings for essential voluntary or urgent public support services such as food banks, homeless services, blood donation sessions, regulated childcare or access to retrieve equipment for outdoor youth work.

Today’s decision means community centres can reopen for youth work through agreement with the Council who have already written to all the management committees to gauge the level of interest in restarting youth work indoors.

Eleven of the 35 management committees have replied looking at gaining access to provide some children services and or youthwork – ranging from one session a week up to several sessions for different groups.

The Council has also asked the management committees what support they may need and assurances that they are confident they can reopen in line with the latest Scottish Government guidance.

The Council’s ambition is to have a planned, phased reopening of libraries and community centres for the wider public as part of Phase 4 of the Scottish Government’s Scotland’s route map through and out of the crisis – subject to public health guidance and the capacity to support the safe use of the buildings.

As part of this Councillors also discussed plans to reopen more libraries in the coming weeks building on the success of the six venues that reopened last month – Kirkliston, Newington, Fountainbridge, McDonald Road, Stockbridge and Central.

As part of the next phased reopening four more buildings – Wester Hailes, Craigmillar, Gilmerton and Drumbrae – would aim to open their doors in the coming weeks.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “It’s really important we do everything we can to support our young people in these challenging times and youth work is a key element of this.

“I’m pleased we’ve now seen substantial progress to support and enable specific community centres to reopen and the agreed process will see further community centres open up their buildings for this vital service.

“As always our top priority is the health of our citizens so we have to make sure the buildings are safe to reopen. We’ll work with management committees to help them meet national guidance, such as increased cleaning measures to keep everyone safe and prevent spread of infection.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “There’s already a range of youth work services being provided by both the Council and our third sector partners across the city but opening up our community centres allows more of our young people to access these important facilities.

“We know how much young people benefit from the stability and normality youth work provides so I’m sure they will be pleased at today’s decision. We really appreciate everyone’ support and patience as we gradually reopen our services – it’s really important to make sure what is being provided continues to keep our young people as safe as possible.”

COVID vaccinations from next month?

The first coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations could be given to health and social care staff, older care home residents and those over 80 years old who live in the community from as early as next month – December 2020.

Updating Parliament on the safe delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman outlined that the first groups to be prioritised for vaccination have been identified based on current independent clinical advice.

Once these initial priority groups have been vaccinated, those over 65 will be offered the vaccination along with those under 65 who are at additional clinical risk, before moving on to the wider population over the age of 18. 

An agreement has also been reached with the British Medical Association on the terms and conditions of GPs’ involvement in the programme.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “I want to be clear that safety is paramount in our approach to the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

“The global scientific, research and pharmaceutical community has come together and worked as never before. That is why we are seeing the front running vaccines delivered in months rather than years, but it is not at the expense of safety.

“Any COVID-19 vaccines deployed in Scotland will be used on the basis of compelling public health grounds, and only when the regulatory bodies and those charged with providing independent clinical advice are satisfied in terms of vaccine safety and effectiveness. The groups we vaccinate first will also be those most at risk from COVID-19.

“Scotland has a strong track record of delivering immunisation programmes, but this programme will be the largest of its kind ever undertaken and we will need more than 2,000 vaccinators and support staff by the end of January for the first phase.

“This is a national vaccination programme which will set out clearly the parameters within which NHS Boards will lead local delivery.

“NHS Boards will identify acceptable and accessible locations, both for mass vaccination and for local access.

“Taking account of local population and geography, they will undertake recruitment and deployment of staff, and the management of local vaccination clinics.

“We will be getting in touch with the first priority groups in the coming weeks and I urge people to take up the vaccine when they are offered it.  It offers additional protection that we don’t have by other means.

“I also want to thank those who are not in the first priority groups for their patience as we protect the most vulnerable people in our communities first, in line with the scientific and clinical evidence. 

“The most important thing you can do to protect yourself and others from the virus in addition is to continue to check and follow the Scottish Government’s guidance for your area and above all to follow FACTS.”

Full statement to Parliament

Visit nhsinform.scot/coronavirus for more information

The motorists’ guide to driving in winter

Ice, wind and snow are some of the driving conditions motorists have been advised how to tackle in a new driving guide.

Driving experts from LeaseVan.co.uk have created a guide to driving in winter so motorists are prepared and safe on the roads no matter what the weather.

The key in most difficult conditions is to slow down and ensure drivers are in complete control of the vehicle.

Watching how other motorists are tackling the weather will also help prepare drivers for what is coming up ahead of them.

A spokesperson for LeaseVan.co.uk said: “Wintertime is undoubtedly the hardest time of year to be hitting the roads. 

“With short days it means that many journeys are taken in the dark and the unpredictable weather could mean you’re tackling wind one day and snow the next.

“This handy little guide provides the key points you should be aware of when driving in all winter weather conditions.”

This is LeaseVan.co.uk’s ultimate winter driving guide:

1. Ice

Ensure your vehicle is fully defrosted if there’s been a particularly cold night. Check your tyre tread and inflation levels in order to give you as much traction as possible when on icy surfaces. Driving slowly and in higher gears will give you more control over the vehicle and helping you cope with increased stopping distances. It’s important to remember not to brake or accelerate too quickly as this is a sure way to lose control. 

2. Wind

It’s important to keep a firm grip on your steering wheel when tackling strong winds. As always, you should be driving in the centre of the lane as this allows a small amount of wiggle space if the wind does push you to one side. Take special care when overtaking – beware of sudden gusts as you clear the vehicle, especially if it is large. 

3. Heavy rain

It’s important to driver slower when it’s raining due to the roads being wetter giving the vehicle less grip. This means that you will need a bigger space to come to a complete stop than when driving in the dry. Heavy rain can also have a large impact on visibility, which again means you should slow down. Reducing speed will also help reduce the risk of aquaplaning.

4. Darkness

Your lights are your best friends when driving in the dark, but it’s important to use them responsibly. Many vehicles now come with automatic lights, but if you have a vehicle which doesn’t it’s important to remember to turn them on, and off, when needed. Stick to full beam lights if you’re on a motorway or lit road. If you’re on a quiet country road remember to turn your fog lights on and off as and when you approach other vehicles. 

5. Snow

If you end up in snow, set off in second gear as this helps avoid wheelspin. Stay in the lower gears to keep as much control as possible, even when going downhill. The key to driving in snow is to break, accelerate and change gears as smoothly and gently as you can. 

Apple Teacher Programme endorsed by Education Scotland

The Apple Teacher Programme, a free professional learning programme that supports educators by training them how to make best use of Apple’s extensive digital learning resources, has received a special endorsement from Education Scotland recommending it to schools and teachers across the country.

With digital learning now becoming a core element of mainstream education and schools investing in iPad deployments to support teaching programmes, the number of educators who have gained Apple Teacher accreditation since February 2020 has increased by 36% in the UK and the number of registrations to begin the programme has increased by 25%.

A number of local authorities across Scotland are investing in iPad deployments to support their teaching programmes including Glasgow City Council, Scottish Borders Council and Edinburgh City Council.

The Apple Teacher Programme provides educators with access to the Apple Teacher Learning Centre where teachers can build skills at their own pace, learn how to use apple apps and products effectively within the classroom, as well as providing new teaching ideas.

The endorsement from Education Scotland recognises the positive impact of the programme across schools in Scotland, allowing educators to inspire creativity across a wide range of subjects, and further engage and motivate pupils.

Gillian Hamilton, Strategic Director at Education Scotland, said: “We are delighted to endorse the Apple Teacher Programme, and recognise the benefits that this presents to educators across early years, primary and secondary settings.

“This will ultimately help to enrich learning experiences by supporting educators to expand their professional learning, knowledge, skills and understanding.”

Mary Gunn, Digital Leader of Learning at Holyrood Secondary School in Glasgow is an accredited Apple Teacher. She said: “The Apple Teacher training programme gives you the insight you need to understand the device, and ensures you get the most out of it.

“It’s focused on showing you how iPads can be used to support your lesson delivery, not just on how to work the technology, and it helps you effectively integrate digital learning into the curriculum.”

To find out more about Apple’s teacher resourced and the Apple Teacher Programme visit www.apple.com/uk/education.

Green light for ‘town centre’ regeneration projects

Funding for Pennywell Culture & Learning Hub and Granton Station

Five projects across the city are to benefit from the city council’s Town Centre Fund. Gracemount public realm, Craigmillar town centre, Westside Plaza Phase 3, Granton Station, Pentlands Community Space and Pennywell Hub have all been chosen to receive a share of the £1.454 million being allocated.

The funding for all of these local projects was passed at today’s City of Edinburgh Council full council meeting.

The money is part of £3.567 million of total investment that the City of Edinburgh Council received, over two rounds, from the Scottish Government Town Centre Fund. The funding seeks to drive local economic activity and invest in inclusive growth which supports town centres to become more diverse and sustainable, creating more vibrant, creative, enterprising and accessible places for their communities.

Local MSP, Ben Macpherson, has said that “the £747,000 investment for the Granton Station project will create a new destination in the heart of North Edinburgh for locals and visitors alike, and is an exciting aspect of the wider Waterfront development.”

Edinburgh Pentlands MSP, Gordon MacDonald, was also delighted to see “two brilliant local projects in Edinburgh Pentlands receiving the backing they need to take them another step closer to becoming a reality” as Westside Plaza Phase 3 and Pentlands Community Space were confirmed as they received £300,000 and £75,000 respectively.

The projects receiving funding also includes the Craigmillar town centre project and their bid to receive £170,000.

This funding will support them to turn a vacant site in the heart of the Craigmillar regeneration area into a hub for the local community and provide spaces for new and existing businesses.

The Edinburgh East MP, Tommy Sheppard, has said “This is an imaginative project that can help stimulate business in Craigmillar in a way that works with the grain of social distancing. It’s the kind of smart, targeted investment we need to bounce back from the pandemic.”

Commenting on the city wide funding, Convener of Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work, Cllr Kate Campbell, said: “We know that the impact on businesses from the pandemic has been especially hard, and that jobs and livelihoods are at risk. It’s important that we are doing everything we can to boost economic activity in our town centres so this allocation of additional funding to the Town Centres fund could not have come at a better time.

“We’re investing in public realm in areas of the city that we know have high levels of poverty. These are communities that need this investment.

“Most of these projects focus on transforming public realm. At Granton and Craigmillar this is going further, and creating a space that can be used for outdoor markets and pop up food and drink stalls.

“I’m really pleased that we are creating economic opportunities in the communities that will really feel the benefit. It’s about quality of life – creating public space that is safe, well designed, pedestrian and cycle friendly, and a place that people want to be. When we create spaces like this, we encourage people to use their local town centres in a way that’s good for the community and good for local businesses.

“The other benefit of these projects is that they all involve construction – so at the same time as benefiting communities, and improving public space, we’re also creating jobs at a time when they are desperately needed.”

Santa brings Christmas to Ocean Terminal

Santa Claus brought the magic of Christmas to Ocean Terminal when he made a secret visit to the waterfront shopping centre to check that everything was just perfect for the opening of his grotto on Thursday 3 December. 

Caught on CCV footage here, Santa tests out the hand sanitiser and puts on his mask, before snapping his fingers to conjure up this year’s festive sparkle and dazzling grotto. 

So, while Christmas 2020 will be a little different, the elves at Ocean Terminal aren’t letting coronavirus ruin the Christmas spirt. Santa and his helpers are working hard to give shoppers a small piece of normality this festive season. 

Having tested out his new grotto and switched on the Christmas lights Santa will now return to the centre on 3 December and will stay there every day through to Christmas Eve (excluding December 7-9), celebrating the festivities in a safe and socially distant way.  

A specially designed festive screen has been installed in the grotto to ensure all government guidelines are met and visitors, big and small, can still experience the excitement of a trip to see Santa.

Booking is essential this year – visit https://www.oceanterminal.com/news-events/santas-grotto-book-now-1163 

As well as Santa’s grotto, the weekly market becomes the Christmas Market, opening daily from 25 November through to 23 December.

Located on the ground floor, the market will offer a wide variety of artisan food and handcrafted gifts from local Scottish traders.  New for this year is a winter photo competition in partnership with The Leith Collective offering all photography enthusiasts the chance to appear in Ocean Terminal’s Winter Landscape Photo Exhibition.

Full information can be found at oceanterminal.com . 

Ocean Terminal, Centre Manager, Michelle Macleod said: “We wanted to give our customers a sense of normality, so the centre is looking fabulous and nothing is stopping us enjoy the full spirit of Christmas. Santa will be here and spreading joy just as every year.  

“Not everyone wants to shop online, and nothing really beats the buzz you get when you spot just the right gift or fill the boot of your car with presents you know family and friends are going to love.  

“It’s been a tough year for everyone and I think that a small piece of normality, and a familiar setting is something that everyone can appreciate. We’ve worked hard to put extra measures in place to ensure a safe and socially distanced festive season can be enjoyed by all.” 

Adopt instead of shop this Holiday Season

This year due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns pet ownership has soared and many charities are warning would be pet owners to consider adopting or rescuing a pet this holiday season rather than shopping for one from an online breeder. 

Sadly, the RSPCA has reported that in 2020 there has been a sharp increase in pet abandonments and the charity, like many other pet charities, has concerns that these numbers will continue to rise.  Perfect-Pets Books looks at the growing number of pet abandonments and the crisis of re-homing that charities face due to the Pandemic.

Perfect-Pets Books have a variety of essential guides full of practical information to help owners and potential owners provide the best care possible for their furry friend. Why not give a book as a present for Christmas? Visit:perfect-pets.org to browse the full catalogue. Get a 20% discount off any Perfect-Pets book enter Perfect20OFF at checkout.

This year the rise in pet ownership has been complicated by the Coronavirus pandemic. A recent report by Letterone has found that during lockdown a staggering 41% of current pet owners got a new pet, 95% were existing pet owners who got another animal and 5% did not previously own a pet before the lockdown. Some of these pets would have been bought from online breeders with little research done about the breed or the breeder.

According to research by the Kennel Club, the coronavirus crisis has led to a surge in puppy ownership across the UK. 

Bill Lambert, head of health and welfare at the Kennel Club said: “There is unprecedented demand. Normally, I get one or two inquiries a month but now it is four or five a day.”

“We do have concerns about those puppies which may have been bought on impulse, without owners doing their homework on how or where to get a dog responsibly, or fully realising a puppy is a new family member for life, not a short-term commodity.”

Although there has been a great surge of interest in pet purchases charities have equally noticed an increase in pet abandonments. 

RSPCA’s chief inspector for Cambridgeshire reported a dramatic rise in pet abandonments in her region. She said: “We’ve seen 30% of our usual annual total for abandoned animals in just three months.”

As the UK braces itself for the full economic impact of the pandemic, Dogs Trust is warning we could see a sharp rise in the number of dogs being given up or put to sleep if families struggle to cope with the resulting hardships of the crisis. 

The Trust estimates that up to 40,000 more stray or abandoned dogs will be in need of help, especially if – as economists indicate – the country sees a financial crisis on par or worse than the crash of 2008.

Meanwhile, the RSPCA has reported that it is experiencing a “cat crisis” due to Coronavirus and lockdown restrictions. During the first lockdown the charity took more than 600 felines into care, which is more than any other pet. More than 7,000 cat related incidents have been reported to the charity’s hotline since lockdown measures began.

Cats Protection has had some success re-homing its abandoned cats. The charity reported that it has re-homed about 2,400 cats since it began its new “hands-free homing” process during the first lockdown.

The number of cat and dog abandonments reported are staggering and they do not account for the vast array of pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs who are also being abandoned. Many charities are asking potential buyers during the Christmas season to consider re-homing or adopting instead of shopping for a new puppy or kitten.

Even for those not looking for a pet simply offering a donation to support the work of charities such as the RSPCA, Dogs Trust and Cats Protection can help during these difficult times.

For any potential dog owners looking to adopt Rescue Dogs the Essential Guide by Perfect-Pets Books offers clear and precise information about how to adopt and make your home a safe and comfortable environment for a new dog. 

Cat Care the Essential Guide is useful for any cat lovers who want to rehome a cat or simply provide a happy home for a new feline friend.

To Learn more about Perfect-Pets Books visit: www.perfect-pets.org.

Artisan set to invest £150 million in Sustainable Living for Scotland

City Centre brownfield Sites to become £90 m ‘Blueprint’ for Low Carbon Living

 Artisan Real Estate is set to invest £150 million in residential development in Scotland over the next 12 months in a radical bid to raise standards for sustainable living in prime city centre locations in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The niche homebuilder and regeneration specialist launched a new UK-wide building design framework earlier this year geared to increasing low carbon city living whilst meeting the changing requirements of people and communities in a post-Covid world.   

And now this game-changing blueprint could have significant environmental and investment benefits for Scotland’s cities as the developer progresses with ambitious new homes’ projects planned for city centre brownfield sites

In Edinburgh, Artisan is planning to invest more than £90 million in several significant city centre residential developments.

The first phases of the Canonmills Garden scheme will be ready for occupation in spring 2021, while planning applications for two major projects at Rowanbank Gardens, Corstorphine and Abbey Lane in Abbeyhill will be discussed by the City of Edinburgh Council at the end of November. 

Clive Wilding, Artisan’s Group Development Director, believes Artisan’s investment in Edinburgh especially will fast become a blueprint for the company’s housing projects across the rest of the UK, coming at a critical time for investment in the city.

“Artisan is firmly committed to future investment to get the city living again following lockdown,” he explains. “Initially our plan was to achieve low to zero carbon development across all our new homes developments.

“But the challenges highlighted by the pandemic has accelerated the importance of other critical aspects of development planning – such as technological efficiency, easy access to the outdoors and improved amenity space. 

“We are going above and beyond the existing Council guidelines for sensitive city centre environments. This includes reducing urban sprawl by optimising the number of people living in well-designed, sustainable homes in low car-use locations well-served by public transport and linked to pedestrian and cycle networks. 

“Smart energy-efficient building design has been matched with an innovative approach to placemaking and community.  Across all our developments, we are introducing creative concepts such as green roofs, communal ‘edible’ gardens with fruit and vegetable plots and integrated green transport plans.”  

 “We are also envisaging what people want from their post-Covid living environment,” he adds. “Significant emphasis is placed on the quality of internal space and light to create enjoyable home-working environments, whilst accessible balconies, gardens and landscaping promote health and well-being by making nature and well-designed outdoor space integral to the day-to-day living experience.” 

Such development principles have been applied to the major planning application for 126 new homes at Artisan’s Rowanbank Gardens.

The brownfield former care-home site in Corstorphine is set to answer the City of Edinburgh Council’s requirement for well designed, high density living whilst providing spacious communal areas and well-established public transport links ensuring low car ownership.   

The development is designed around a central courtyard garden providing nearly twice the level of open space recommended by Council planning policy, filled with fruit trees and communal planting and growing beds.  

Apartments are designed for open plan living with large windows giving views of the courtyard and the wider area, while green roofs ensure benefits of surface water retention, insulation and ecology.  

Artisan is perhaps best known in Scotland for large-scale city regeneration projects like the award-winning New Waverley at the heart of Edinburgh’s historic Old Town.

The development’s Queen Elizabeth House, now a flagship UK Government office hub, was recently awarded the Innovation Award at the 2020 British Council Offices Awards, recognising the building design which includes a variety of low-energy techniques. 

The developer is now applying the same values and philosophy which has guided the successful design and execution of New Waverley to its residential developments, setting it apart from other major homebuilders in Scotland. 

Clive Wilding adds:  “Artisan now has an opportunity in Scotland to set a new benchmark for high quality urban regeneration in sensitive city-centre environments – whether it be commercial, residential or mixed-use.  

“Our track record in Edinburgh and in Scotland has given us a strong understanding of the importance of sustainable low carbon living combined with high quality placemaking, which is at the heart of all Artisan’s developments.” 

For more information on Artisan’s developments in Scotland and the UK visit: 

www.artisanrealestate.co.uk