Arthur’s Seat death: Man charged

Police have confirmed that a man has been charged in connection with the suspicious death of a woman in Holyrood Park.

Police and emergency services were called to Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park at around 9pm on Thursday, 2 September, 2021. A 31-year-old woman died at the scene a short time later and her death is being treated as suspicious.

She can be named as Fawziyah Javed from Pudsey, West Yorkshire.

A 27-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident and has now been charged. He is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 6 September, 2021.

Detective Inspector Bob Williamson said: “Fawziyah’s family ask for their privacy to be respected during this extremely difficult time.“I’d like to thank the officers and partners who attended the scene on Thursday evening and have assisted with our ongoing enquiries.”

Scottish Office minister goes back to the future in Orkney

Clean energy and tourism were top of the agenda as UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart took a fact finding trip to Orkney at the end of August.

The Minister met with Orkney Islands Council leaders and key stakeholders as he toured the archipelago to see first hand how it’s using its Neolithic ruins and world leading renewables expertise to deliver a bright future.

He heard how the UK Government’s £50 million contribution to the Islands Growth Deal will help Orkney stay at the cutting edge of green energy and boost tourism.

The £335 million Islands Growth Deal is a partnership between the UK and Scottish governments and organisations across Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides.

Among the facilities the Minister visited in Stromness were the Orkney Research and Innovation Campus for renewables research and Aquatera/European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) who have established the Islands Centre for Net Zero to pool efforts in the race to reach net zero.

The Minister met with Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd at Kirkwall Airport to hear about the development of electric planes and saw a Hydrogen Filling Station in action at Hatston, before meetings with council leaders for a discussion on energy, digital connectivity and COP26, which Shetland Islands Council also joined.

He completed his visits with the world famous, 5,000-years-old Skara Brae village and heard about plans to increase visitor numbers to boost the local economy.

https://youtu.be/xUn5MBZYntQ

Minister Stewart said: “It was a great experience to visit Orkney and I’m delighted the Islands Deal Growth deal is going to help develop the future of the archipelago alongside Shetland and the Outer Hebrides.

“I saw how Orkney has the potential to generate through wind, waves and tides, a vast amount of the renewable energy that the UK needs to get towards net-zero. I really do believe that Orkney can be a trailblazer.

“But it’s not all about the present and future. Skara Brae, a 5000-years-old Neolithic village, is an incredibly important tourist destination, not just in Orkney, but a World Heritage Site.

“I look forward to seeing how, with the help of UK Government funding, experts will develop this as a destination both to make it more sustainable and cope with hopefully ever-increasing numbers as tourism returns after the pandemic.

Meat your heart out!

– Made fresh in-store on Morrisons Market Street Pizza Counters for just £2.89 –
– Toppings include onion rings, smoky bacon, Monterey jack cheese, spicy beef, jalapeños, mozzarella and Red’s dirty burger sauce –
– Made to share with family or friends on a night in –

Morrisons has combined two of the nation’s favourite takeaway foods in an ultimate pizza mashup. 

Available now, Morrisons new Dirty Burger Pizza brings together the best bits of a truly indulgent burger on a 10 inch stonebaked pizza base. 

Priced at just £2.89, the new Dirty Burger Pizza is perfect for sharing with friends as a treat on a night in. 

It is topped with onion rings, smoky bacon, Monterey jack cheese, spicy beef, jalapeños, dollops of Red’s dirty burger sauce and finished with a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese. 

Research conducted by YouGov earlier this year revealed that pizza is the most popular takeaway for under 24s, with almost a quarter (23%) saying it was their treat of choice. 

Morrisons limited-edition Dirty Burger Pizza, will help customers enjoy their favourite treat, for a fraction of the cost of similar pizzas from other high street chains. 

Leanne Cory, Pizza Buyer at Morrisons, said: “We know our customers love both burgers and pizzas and we’ve had loads of fun coming up with this new limited edition on our Market Street counter. At less than three pounds, all our customers can enjoy this delicious treat, even on a budget.” 

The Dirty Burger Pizza is available now from Morrisons Market Street Pizza Counter and will be made fresh in store by Morrisons foodmakers every day until Sunday 19th September. 

For more information, visit www.morrisons.co.uk.

Sacha Dench returns to Scotland to meet climate change innovators

UN Ambassador for the Convention on Migratory Species, Sacha Dench visiting Celtic Renewables, Scotland’s first biorefinery plant meeting Martin Tangney OBE, Founder of Celtic Renewables at the new plant in Falkirk.

UN Ambassador for the Convention on Migratory Species, Sacha Dench, touched down in Scotland yesterday as part of her Round Britain climate challenge to raise awareness of the effects of climate change … and shine a light on the innovators working to solve the crisis.

Flying in on an electric paramotor, Sacha flew over the Kelpies before landing nearby and visiting Celtic Renewables – Scotland’s first biorefinery plant – where she met Martin Tangney OBE, Founder of Celtic Renewables, Gillian McKee (MSP), Linlith-Go–Solar, Climate Conscious Entrepreneurs Edinburgh and Fuel Change apprentices and pupils from Larbert High School to talk about their My Carbon Zero Project.

Sacha also met Mark Stewart, Head of Energy, Infrastructure and Sustainability at Johnston Carmichael, Elaine Ford from Planet Rewild and Dr. Murray Collins, CEO of Space Intelligence during her ‘flying visit’.

In June, Sacha began her world record expedition from the host city of COP26, Glasgow. Since then, she has flown across Britain stopping off to talk to people involved in addressing the effects of climate change.  A compilation of these stories will be presented at COP26 the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November.

Sacha Dench said: “I am delighted to be back in Scotland and visiting the beautiful capital and surrounds. I am looking forward to meeting people who are truly focused on answers to the climate crisis – not problems – and as such are inspirations to all.

“We’re trying to answer the question: ‘We drove the Industrial Revolution; can we drive the Green Revolution too?  As part of this expedition, we have been investigating how climate change is affecting different regions of the country and showing in a visually stunning and exciting way what is happing to help cut carbon and preserve and restore our environment.”

Professor Martin Tangney OBE Founder of Celtic Renewables said: “We were thrilled to host Sacha here at Celtic Renewables as part of this ambitious round Britain Climate Challenge. 

“In our view, COP26 must move us from justifying “why” we need to tackle climate change, to determining “how”, and Sacha’s expedition shining a spotlight on the people and initiatives helping us achieve Net Zero, is helping set this direction of travel.

“Celtic Renewables firmly believe we are part of the Net Zero future, and in bringing our first plant into operation we will show that low-carbon biotechnology can be both commercially sustainable and environmentally sustainable.  Celtic Renewables is part of a global bio-based economy, and our patented technology can and will play an important role in achieving Net Zero across the world .”

Celtic Renewables patented low-carbon technology converts unwanted and low-value biological materials, such as by-products from whisky distilling, into high-value, low carbon chemicals which can replace petrochemicals currently used in the thousands of products we use every day from cleaning materials to food production.

Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn concluded: “We are honoured that Sacha will take in the view of our world-famous Kelpies as part of her round Britain climate challenge.

“Falkirk Council is committed to working towards Net Zero by 2030 and is a key partner in the recently launched Forth Valley for Net Zero campaign, an initiative which brings public and private sectors together and will highlight all the great initiatives by businesses, educational establishments, and our local communities to help us achieve this target.”

Sacha hopes to succeed in achieving a Guinness World Record for the greatest distance flown by electric paramotor in a 30-day period.

Alex Cole-Hamilton: Lib-Dems say NO to ‘COVID ID cards’

Vaccinations are undoubtedly the route out of this. But vaccine passports are not.”

Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has spoken out against Scottish Government proposals to introduce a vaccine certificate in Scotland.

The Edinburgh Western MSP said: “Next week the Scottish Parliament will vote on SNP/Green proposals to introduce vaccine certification in Scotland.

“For the first time, Scottish People will have to share private medical data with strangers in order to access venues and services. 

“These are COVID ID cards in all but name and the Scottish Liberal Democrats are leading the opposition to their introduction.

“Our hospitality and events businesses see COVID ID cards as a threat to their recovery.

“COVID ID cards will not stop the spread of the virus, reduce case numbers or make up for the week-long delays in contact tracing. There are no time limits on their use and the door will be left open to expand their use in the future. 

“Vaccines are our way out of the pandemic and I urge everyone who can receive a vaccine to get one. But COVID ID cards are illiberal and dangerous precedent and are not part of the answer.”

Have your say on short term lets

The city council is seeking views on a proposal for Edinburgh to be short term let control area.

A public consultation approved by the Planning Committee on 11 August, will run from Friday 3 September for nine weeks, until 5 November 2021.

If, following the public consultation, the Council gives the go ahead and the proposal is approved by the Scottish Government, the new powers would mean all residential properties, which are not an owner’s principle home, being let as STLs in their totality throughout the local authority area would require approval of a ‘change of use’ to a STL from Planning.

The ‘Choices’ consultation responses for our next local development plan, ‘City Plan 2030’, also showed overwhelming support for the council to look at control areas in the Capital.

Around a third of STLs in Scotland are in Edinburgh.  At the moment, in addition to planning applications made for STLs, to establish whether or not planning permission is required for properties where this is disputed, the Council’s enforcement team looks at each case individually, which is a very lengthy and time consuming process.

The introduction of powers to make a control area, follows the Council calling for new legislation to tighten up the control of STLs to help manage high concentrations of secondary letting where it affects the availability of residential housing or the character of a neighbourhood.

Also, it will help to restrict or prevent STLs in places or types of buildings where they are not appropriate as well as making sure homes are used to best effect in their areas.

Generally renting out a room/s in your house or letting your property whilst on holiday would also still be allowed if Edinburgh became a STL control zone.

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on legislation to introduce a new licensing regime next year, which the Council also called for, to address the issues of safety, anti-social behaviour and noise. These issues have all had a detrimental effect on communities as the number of STLs has greatly increased across the city in recent years.

The proposal is that all Scottish councils will have to adopt a STL licensing system by October 2022. In terms of the Government’s proposed new licensing regime, if Edinburgh becomes a control area it will be a mandatory condition of any licensing application to have made a planning application or to have planning permission already when providing accommodation that requires it.

Councillor Neil Gardiner, Planning Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We’ve worked hard calling for greater controls for short term lets and so it’s great we’re now asking for your views on the whole city becoming a control area.

“This is a positive step forward as Edinburgh has almost a third of all STLs in Scotland and so we need to take action. They’re putting pressure on house prices and rents and taking houses out of supply as well as causing issues such as anti-social behaviour and the hollowing out of communities.

“We’re really keen to hear views from residents in all communities across the city and the industry and we’ll carefully consider all of the feedback you give us before the proposal is finalised as the impact of STLs can be felt in communities across Edinburgh.”

Councillor Maureen Child, Planning Vice-Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “If we do proceed with this approach and it’s approved by the Scottish Government, we’ll be better able to manage the number of STLs in the city.

“Many properties being let out in a control area would automatically require to have ‘change of use’ planning permission in place and I’m pleased the Scottish Government is also proposing that when people apply for a licence we can ask for evidence of that.”

To have your say in the consultation visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk/stlcontrol

Parents and carers urged to ensure 2 – 5 year olds are vaccinated against flu

Parents and carers of children aged 2-5 are being urged to get their child immunised against flu, particularly as immunity levels may be lower this year. 

Appointment letters are now arriving inviting parents and carers of 2 to 5-year-olds forward for the free flu nasal spray. The spray is a quick and painless way of delivering the flu vaccine to children and won’t give the child flu

The letters will include details on where and when the vaccine will be given.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nicola Steedman, said: “Flu can be serious, even for healthy children and young people. That’s why we’re immunising all children aged 2 up to secondary school pupils in S6 against flu this year.

“With public health restrictions in place last year, everybody, including young children were not exposed to the flu virus and are likely to have lower immunity to flu than in previous years. I’d urge all parents and carers to take up the offer of getting the free flu vaccine for their child this year and help stop the spread of flu. The vaccine is safe and offers the best protection we have against flu.”

For more information about the flu vaccine, visit www.nhsinfrom.scot/childflu, call 0800 030 8013, or speak to a health or immunisation team, practice nurse, or GP.

If you have to reschedule your appointment, you can find information on doing this in your child’s vaccination letter.