Police Scotland is working with the The City of Edinburgh Council and Maritime and Coastguard Agency to help make Portobello Beach safer for all.
This week, the Council will install new numbered signs on the top of the existing groyne beach defences at Portobello Beach.
In an emergency, direct experience tells us roads signs cannot be easily seen from the beach so the new signs will be much more visible, improving safety.
They measure approx. 600mm high and 450mm wide.
Numbered 1 to 6, the emergency services can use these numbered signs to plot your location in an emergency (see map).
Marker 1 – Pipe Lane Marker 2 – Bath Street Marker 3 – Bellfield Street Marker 4 – John Street Marker 5 – Bedford Terrace Marker 6 – End of promenade at Joppa Road
Police will continue working with our partners as the year continues at Portobello.
In a coastal emergency, please dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
Eligible Edinburgh businesses who have seen a minimum 20% shortfall in their income as a result of Covid-19 restrictions since the start of the pandemic can now apply for a one-off £4,000 grants.
This fund is aimed at reaching businesses who have otherwise ‘slipped through the cracks’ in terms of funding initiatives, meaning those who have not already been eligible for other financial support from central government since October (other than the furlough scheme, the self-employed income support scheme or the newly self-employed hardship fund).
To apply for a £4,000 grant, businesses must submit a self-declaration of their business’s income in January and February 2020 as well as January and February 2021. A 20% decrease in the average income over the two time periods will be required in order to be eligible.
In addition, businesses with employees that have successfully applied for Discretionary Grant funding, either in this or the earlier tranche in February, will have access to extra funding specifically to help them retain their staff. This will be applied through a tiered approach, depending on the number of people they employ, and for those businesses with employees on PAYE (not owners, directors or partners).
Councillor Kate Campbell, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said:“This year has been incredibly difficult for businesses in our city, and we know how hard people have had to work to keep going. We now have £10 million available to help businesses in Edinburgh and we just want to get the funds out to them as quickly as possible.
“We want to make sure nobody’s missing their chance at accessing financial support so I’d encourage anyone who hasn’t already applied to visit the application page on our website, check the eligibility criteria, and apply today.”
Councillor Mandy Watt, Vice Convener said: “We know businesses have been hit desperately hard in this pandemic and it’s crucial that we’re able to get this funding into the accounts of everyone who’s eligible and who hasn’t been able to access previous schemes due to not meeting the criteria. Please apply today and let us give you the money you’re entitled to.“
Yesterday’s launch of online applications marks the second phase of Discretionary Fund awards in 2021.
On 3 February, the Council invited applications for grants from the first tranche of Discretionary Funding allocated to the city, totalling just under £2.8m.
At that stage, grants were for £2,000 and aimed at businesses that could show a significant drop in income due to Covid restrictions introduced since October. Any businesses who successfully applied for this amount earlier in the year will now have this sum topped up to £4,000 to bring them in line with recipients in this second round of funding. They do not need to reapply.
During the first tranche the criteria was initially set at a 30% income loss, however this was later revised to 20% following ongoing dialogue with businesses. It is hoped more businesses will apply and enable themselves to benefit from funding in this second round in light of the revised income reduction threshold.
Applications will be open for a period of four weeks, or until all the funding has been allocated, and will be processed in the order they are received.
Corstorphine and Wester Hailes stores set to close
Health and household goods retailer Semichem is consulting on the closure of up to 22 stores across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North East of England.EdinburghSemichem stores at Corstorphine and Wester Hailes are among those earmarked for closure.
Stores in Musselburgh and Dalkeith also face closure.
The closures have been prompted by ongoing challenges to high street trading, which have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The business, which is owned by community retailer Scotmid Co-operative, is in talks with landlords in several locations and will make a final decision on a small number of the 22 stores in the coming months.
A total of 140 Semichem staff have now entered a formal consultation process. Management at Scotmid are exploring opportunities to redeploy as many as possible within its wider business.
Karen Scott, Head of Semichem, said: “The high street was already struggling to adapt to the pace of change in shopping habits, including out-of-town developments and the rise of internet shopping.
“That change has undoubtedly been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Sadly, we have reached the point where it is no longer viable to keep some of our stores open.
“We are grateful for both Scotmid and subsequent government support, which has undoubtedly prolonged the life of many stores.
“Our priority now is to support affected colleagues at this difficult time. We are already looking for redeployment opportunities within the Scotmid group and will help all our staff both personally and professionally.”
Semichem was founded in 1980 and became part of Scotmid Co-operative in 1995. It currently operates 86 stores in shopping centres and on high streets across Northern Ireland, Scotland and the North East of England. Over the last three years, Semichem has invested £2.2 million in refitting stores and trialling a range of new retail concepts.
Karen Scott added: “The remaining stores in our Semichem portfolio are trading satisfactorily given the current circumstances.
“Like many other retailers, we are hopeful that, as restrictions ease, footfall will return to our high streets. I am also pleased to say that our investment programme will resume in the summer.”
Renew Scotland has launched its campaign for the Scottish Parliament election in May 2021 and unveiled its initial set of candidates who will stand on the regional lists.
“Renew Scotland aims to give the people of Scotland the choice of a different path, one that will lead to political reform, consequences for politicians who break the rules, elected officials that put the needs of their constituents first and a raft of policies that put Scotland’s people and their needs at the heart of government,” said Renew Scotland’s Joint Leader, Heather Astbury.
“Scotland has been governed by the SNP since 2007, 14 years, and in that time, they have failed to improve the lives of Scots in the crucial devolved issues that they have been responsible for.
“As a reminder, the issues that are devolved to the Scottish Parliament are the economy, education, health, justice, rural affairs, housing, environment, equal opportunities, consumer advocacy and advice, transport and taxation. The power to set a Scottish rate of income tax has also been added recently.
“The latest statistics show that Scots now have the lowest life expectancy of any country in Western Europe and lower than many in Eastern Europe, with the causes being linked to poverty and deprivation.”
Renew was set up in 2017 by a group of people disillusioned by the current state of British politics. The party has fielded candidates in some local council elections, the EU Parliament election in 2019, the 2019 General Election in 2019 and several by-elections. Renew now has elected Councillors and a growing grassroots support base.
Not funded by large corporations, overseas donors, trades unions or lobby groups, but by its membership, Renew Scotland believes it can genuinely represent the people.
Bruce Henderson, Joint Leader of Renew Scotland, explained: “We have no party whip system, and we are not funded by any group with an agenda to push, so we can propose the policies we believe will benefit our constituents and fight for what is best for them and for Scotland.
“We believe strongly in the need for a criminal code that politicians and elected officials are subject to. The ongoing destruction of the moral code of people in public office is becoming normalised and we must put an end to it.
“People in positions of responsibility, such as elected officials, must be held to a higher standard than the rest of society, not use their power and influence to break or bend the rules for their own personal gain.
“The rise of poverty in Scotland has also become normalised and this is a disgrace. We seem to accept that older people will die in winter because they can’t afford to heat their homes properly; that children will go to school hungry because their families can’t afford to feed them.
“This needs to stop. We are a relatively rich country and yet we have levels of poverty that should be a national embarrassment. Renew Scotland will work to end poverty in Scotland; not just child poverty or fuel poverty but all poverty.”
Renew Scotland supports the right of the Scottish people to decide their future and would support calls for a second referendum on Independence if that was the will of the people.
BruceHenderson added: “Much has changed since the 2014 referendum, especially Brexit, and what the people voted for then, to remain in the UK and the EU, is no longer an option. However, we don’t believe it should be just a binary yes or no, in or out Brexit-style question.
“If Independence is chosen as the path the people of Scotland want to go down, then we need to spend time working out what that path would lead to. We need an agreement from the rest of the UK about our continued relationship and we need to reach an agreement with the EU.
“We need a blueprint for how our finances and currency would work and we need to have a realistic view on what impact becoming independent would have on the people of Scotland. Once all of that is clear, then it needs to go back to the people of Scotland for a confirmatory vote before any final decision is taken.
“Without that we are voting based on assumptions and potentially misleading information from people or groups with vested interests. The future of Scotland and its people is too important to be used as a political football.”
Renew Scotland is working with Volt Scotland in this election and is fielding candidates on the regional lists as follows:
Glasgow
Ben Meechan
Andrea Kozlowski, Volt Scotland, standing for Renew Scotland
West of Scotland
Peter Morton
North East Scotland
Colin McFadyen
Mid Scotland & Fife
Bruce Henderson
Stefan Diesing, Volt Scotland, standing for Renew Scotland
AS NHS 24 prepares for the busy Easter holiday, people across Scotland are being encouraged to take small steps to make a big difference to their health.
NHS services are often busy during public holidays and local services may be operating slightly differently so it’s a good idea to plan ahead for common illnesses and minor accidents which can be managed at home.
NHS 24’s 111 service is usually busy during the long weekend, with a lot of calls about medicines and common ailments.
NHS 24’s Medical Director, Dr Laura Ryan said: “It’s always good to be able to manage common illnesses, and it’s especially important this year. Having pain killers at home such as paracetamol and ibuprofen means you can quickly and easily manage symptoms.
“If you’re got wee ones at home a first aid kit is handy and our first aid pages on NHS Inform can advise what to do if anyone is unlucky enough to have an injury- they cover everything from burns and scalds to bumps and scrapes.
“Our 111 service gets a lot of calls about medicines so it’s worth remembering that your local pharmacist can help with much more than prescriptions, they can offer advice, treatment or further referral if required.
“COVID-19 guidelines are still in place, and all up to date information- including how to book a test, guidance on isolation, and info on the vaccination process, is available at www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus.
“We’re all crossing our fingers for a sunny Easter, and some simple steps mean you can relax and enjoy the holiday.”
General advice and information on how to stay healthy this Easter can be found at www.nhsinform.scot/easter.
GMB workplace representatives in NHS Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service will recommend its members vote to reject the Scottish Government’s pay offer when a consultative ballot is launched next month.
The recommendation to reject comes ahead of a public demonstration by NHS nurses and staff later today at George Square, Glasgow, against the Scottish Government’s pay offer for 2021-22.
GMB Scotland will launch a consultative ballot of its entire NHS Scotland and Scottish Ambulance Service membership from Monday 12 April, which will run until 12.00 hours on Wednesday 5 May.
GMB Scotland Organiser Karen Leonard said:“The offer doesn’t value our members properly, it doesn’t restore the pay they’ve lost after a decade of cuts, and it doesn’t secure their future. That’s why are recommending its rejection.
“We see this pay offer for what it is: a pre-election punt by an outgoing Health Secretary that looks better than it really is when put up against the insulting 1 per cent increase for our NHS colleagues in England.
“It’s been a wretched year for our NHS workers and the COVID-19 pandemic has not only pushed them beyond their limits, but it’s also exposed the many underlying problems in our NHS because of its managed political decline over the last ten years.
“After all the applause, we strongly believe the Scottish Government can and should go further on our members’ pay, and it’s the least Ministers can do after everything our NHS staff have done for all of us.”
Changes to some parking restrictions will come into force in Edinburgh from Sunday, 11 April.
The city council is introducing Sunday afternoon parking restrictions in the city centre, as well as rolling out shared use parking bays across the city, meaning either permit holders or pay and display customers can use the same spaces.
Sunday parking charges recognise the fact that, under normal circumstances, Edinburgh is now a seven-day city, with many shops, restaurants and visitor attractions open throughout the week.
New controls, in place from 12.30pm to 6.30pm every Sunday, will help us manage the way people park, which can restrict traffic movement, impact on the ability to service shops and businesses and, most importantly, pose a safety risk to other road users. The changes will bring us in line with many other UK cities which already charge for Sunday parking, including Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham.
Shared use parking, which is being introduced in Controlled Parking Zones one to eight, increases accessibility to parking spaces for both residents and visitors, allowing for more flexibility. This has also allowed us to introduce visitor parking permits to these zones, making it easier for people to visit residents.
Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “These updated controls are about improving conditions in the city centre, creating a safer environment and tackling inconsiderate parking, as well as providing greater flexibility for residents to park nearer their homes.
“Under normal circumstances, there is no doubt Edinburgh is a seven-day city, and we simply must address this as restrictions begin to be lifted and people return to the centre for shopping and socialising.
“We want to support businesses to recover from the COVID pandemic and greater parking controls on a Sunday will encourage customer turnover, allow more access for servicing and create a more pleasant atmosphere for everyone.
“The Parking Action Plan was developed with the city’s residents in mind, and measures like shared use parking will provide greater flexibility and the opportunity to park closer to home for many permit-holders.
“Along with Sunday parking controls, these changes are central to our broader ambitions to manage demand and rethink the way people move around Edinburgh.”
The new controls are being introduced as part of the Parking Action Plan, which was approved by Transport and Environment Committee in 2016. The plan is key to realising our ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030 and supports the City Mobility Plan, a ten-year strategy to rethink the way people and goods move in and around the city, reducing the dominance of traffic and creating streets and spaces for people.
Parking initiatives will help reduce car use and congestion, improve safety and air quality and encourage walking, cycling and public transport use.
Controls will help people with mobility impairments, both those who rely on public transport (which is often impeded by poor parking) and blue badge holders, who can be impacted by unrestricted parking leading to fewer available spaces. We also want to provide better flexibility and deliver best value for residents.
Sunday parking restrictions will cover Controlled Parking Zones one to four, incorporating city centre streets like George Street, Castle Terrace and Chambers Street. Shared use parking will also be implemented here, as well as zones five to eight, which includes areas of the city such as Stockbridge, New Town, Newington and Bruntsfield.
