Day: June 24, 2021

Phase one of St James Quarter is officially open

Following five years of construction, the most significant transformation Edinburgh has seen, St James Quarter, opened phase one of the 850,000 sq ft shopping galleria today (Thursday 24th June).

The completion of the first phase of the development brings a new, retail led, lifestyle district that fully integrates into and enhances Edinburgh’s City Centre providing an inspiring, attractive, and vibrant destination for locals and visitors to shop, eat and play.

Over 40 retailers welcomed the public through their doors on opening morning, many of which are debuting their brand in Scotland for the first time, including, & Other Stories, Stradivarius, Bershka, and Pull&Bear. H&M, Mango, Next – including its Victoria Secret offering, Rituals Tommy Hilfiger, Peloton, Salerno, Nordic Outdoor and many more also welcomed their first visitors to their new stores.

As part of the development plans, John Lewis opened their newly renovated store in May, boasting a range of new services and experiences.

St James Quarter will also host several new concept stores including Zara, and Superdrug who have added a showcase Skinnydip stand for lifestyle and fashion accessories along with a Beauty Studio area for professional beauty treatments.

Meanwhile Breitling opened its first standalone boutique in Edinburgh, and The Body Shop will open their first Activist Workshop store in Scotland. LEGO has unveiled to shoppers a bespoke Edinburgh themed LEGO mosaic, while IOLLA will be introducing a new experiential showroom with an interactive try on garden.

St James Quarter is committed to championing local brands – taking over Little King Street for the next 12 months are an array of local food and drink pop-ups including Harajuku Kitchen, Artisan Roast, The Mac Man and Churros, Baby? to keep shoppers energised whilst visiting the Quarter.

St James Quarter has also recently announced its exclusive partnership with Edinburgh Cocktail Week and will host a striking new al fresco Spritz Garden to kick off the opening celebrations.

With its prime location in the heart of Edinburgh, St James Quarter is set to become a welcoming, cultural and lifestyle hub for art, culture, and fashion. Through long-term partnerships with Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh Jazz & Blues and the Edinburgh Science Festivals – to name a few – the opening is set to complement the city’s world-renowned cultural offering and support its vibrant events calendar. 

The £1bn development’s hospitality and residential elements are set to complete in three further phases through to 2022.

When fully complete, St James Quarter will be a destination like no other – bringing together brands from global to local, and convenience to luxury.

It features a shopping galleria with 80 different retailers, an enticing mix of restaurants, a Bonnie & Wild food hall, Scotland’s first W Edinburgh hotel, a boutique Everyman Cinema, a Roomzzz Aparthotel, residential apartments, and parking.

A number of brands will continue to join the line up in the coming weeks, including the Scottish foodhall, Bonnie & Wild, which opens next month, as well as Bross Bagels, The Kooples and Aeronautica.

When complete, in addition to the new shopping hub, St James Quarter will include:

·       A 244-bedroom W Edinburgh. The first in Scotland, the glamorous hotel will include a W Lounge, a signature restaurant, a W Sound Suite, FIT® – the ultimate workout facility – and an AWAY® Spa.

·       152 New Eidyn apartments from Native Land. As well as stunning views from their ‘gardens in the sky’, the new homes will include a shared garden room and unparalleled residents’ services including full concierge service.

·       A 75-room Roomzzz Aparthotel. Complementing the scheme’s W Edinburgh, Roomzzz is providing stylish apartments with the personal touch for adventure, business and celebration. Guests can stay for one night, a week and up to a year.

·       Nine event spaces. An enviable events programme has been created across a range of new and attractive public spaces. Set to host a diverse range of pop-up fashion and music shows, the St James Quarter will link to the city’s rich cultural offering and events calendar.

·       A boutique Everyman Cinema. Debuting its first Edinburgh city cinema at the St James Quarter, the cinema will feature five screens and indulgent sofa seating.

·       A truly diverse dining experience with an enticing mix of restaurants. From fast food, fresh food, to family and restaurant dining, the St James Quarter boasts the first Bonnie & Wild Scottish food hall, Five Guys, @pizza and Scotland’s first The Alchemist.

Martin Perry, Director of Development for St James Quarter, said: “This is a momentous occasion for the city of Edinburgh – and this is just the beginning. The brands and experience that we have welcomed today demonstrate our commitment to delivering a curated destination for the people of Edinburgh.

“We are now looking forward to continuing on our journey to deliver a truly mixed-use destination of the future as we welcome more brands, leisure, and our new neighbours.

“The impact of the pandemic has of course had a profound impact on UK retail. However, retail required a rethink long before the pandemic. The high street was already changing, which is why we have been continually working with our partners, retailers, and the city as whole to ensure that the St James Quarter continues to be enjoyed by generations to come.

“A new normal demands a new kind of retail destination, a development that can respond to an ever-changing situation, one that serves the needs of its community as well as overseas visitors.

“It is the reason we are focusing on creating a unique experience for our customers. There is something for everyone – which is why our occupiers are still focused on the long-term journey at St James Quarter.

“We believe in Edinburgh, and we are excited to help lead the way as part of the city’s wider economic recovery. Throughout this pandemic we have never questioned our investment in not just the St James Quarter but the city itself. We’re here to stay and we’re here to help.”

Nick Peel, Managing Director for St James Quarter, commented: “Today is the day we’ve been waiting for, for a long time – it marks the moment we bring a brand-new fashion district to Scotland.

“The brands opening their doors within St James Quarter are world-class and it’s great to so many retailers debuting in Scotland for the first time. From firm fashion favourites to local gems, there’s something for everyone.

“The St James Quarter team has been working tirelessly to ensure customer safety is the number one priority, so we have ensured all relevant measures are in place to allow people to enjoy the St James Quarter experience comfortably and safely.

“We look forward to welcoming guests over the coming weeks and to share what lies behind The Quarter with everyone.”

Tackling Child Poverty: Third Year Progress Report published

Record £978 million committed to help deliver change

Investment of almost £1 billion to tackle child poverty in the last financial year has been welcomed by Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison.

She has also pledged to bring forward “game changing” policies as she called for society to unite to eradicate child poverty in Scotland.

Ms Robison was speaking as she detailed the findings of the third progress report on Tackling Child Poverty. She said: “The report highlights our investment in low income families with children continued to grow as we sought to offer support during the pandemic.

“Direct support to families with children rose to more than £978 million in 2020-21 – including £118 million in response to COVID-19.

“This was part of almost £2.5 billion invested to support low income households, including more than £434 million of COVID-related investment in social assistance.

“The report also shows that all 66 of the actions we have previously reported on are either in progress or being delivered.

“We have made considerable progress over the first three years of this plan, but further action is needed.

“We must continue to deliver at the pace and scale with which we responded to the pandemic.

“We must work across government and with wider society to bring forward the game-changing policies needed to deliver on our ambition to eradicate child poverty.”

Ms Robison highlighted a range of important supports introduced in the last 12 months. These include:

  • Scottish Child Payment for eligible children aged under six, with thousands of families already benefitting from an additional £40 every four weeks
  • Investment of more than £56 million in the free school meal provision for low income families during school closures, periods of online learning and school holidays
  • The distribution of Pandemic Support Payments, with £100 paid in spring and a further £100 being paid around the start of the summer holidays. This is part of a £520 package this year, benefitting around 145,000 children and young people from low income households

Ms Robison added: “We have always been clear that delivering upon the child poverty targets will be incredibly challenging, especially given the limited powers available to this Parliament.

“The Covid pandemic will make reducing poverty that much harder. However, we are serious about ending child poverty in Scotland and have committed a wide range of actions to do just that.”

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs asked Shona Robison, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, what plans the Scottish Government has to make sure we see an end to households with children and pregnant women living in temporary accommodation – and how this will be prioritised during this Parliament.

The number of children in temporary accommodation in Edinburgh has risen to 1,750 as of 30th September 2020, 245 children more than 30 September 2019, when 1,505 children were in temporary accommodation, an increase of 16%.

Across Scotland there are 7,900 children in temporary accommodation, with Edinburgh making up 22% of all children in temporary accommodation.

The number of children living in temporary accommodation has increased over the last two years, with 1,190 children living in temporary accommodation on 30 September 2018, increasing to 1,750 on 30 September 2020.

The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government said that reducing the number of children in temporary accommodation would be one of her top priorities.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “We all know that a safe and stable home is vital for a child’s wellbeing and development. After 14 years of this SNP Government the situation is getting worse and worse, especially here in the Capital.

“No child should be without a secure home and it is unacceptable that the number of children in temporary accommodation is increasing year on year under this SNP Government.

“It is concerning that we are seeing a significant increase in the Capital. The underfunding of Edinburgh City Council by SNP Ministers must be addressed if we are to address the crisis in housing we are seeing running out of control in Edinburgh.”