June 2022 – Page 2 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Council to appoint Cruden Group to drive forward first phase of Granton Waterfront £1.3bn regeneration

The creation of a £1.3bn well-connected, sustainable new coastal town at Granton Waterfront in Edinburgh has reached its next major milestone.

Following a competitive procurement process, the City of Edinburgh Council has announced the Cruden Group as the preferred bidder to take forward the first phase of the Council’s ambitious outline business case to regenerate the area. It is hoped the contract will be signed by both parties in the coming weeks.

In the next couple of years, the Council will work in partnership with Cruden to take forward pre-development works including detailed designs for around 750 net zero homes for sale and rent, commercial space, new and enhanced sustainable transport infrastructure and public realm which will connect the surrounding neighbourhoods with the Waterfront.

The first phase of the project will also see the delivery of a new school and medical centre.

In addition, the Council will also work with its new development partner to bring forward a low carbon energy solution for the first and future phases of the project contributing to its target to reach net zero emissions by 2030.

The Cruden Group is set to bring on board local award-winning architects Smith Scott Mullen. Leading Scandinavian architects C. F. Moller also earmarked to work on the project with Cruden bringing their extensive international experience in delivering large scale coastal regeneration.

They will set extremely high standards using exemplary design to help to develop a blueprint for the Capital’s 20 minute neighbourhood model, making sure those who live in the area have all the facilities they need including workspace, retail and cultural opportunities close to home.

Council Leader, Cammy Day, said: “It’s fantastic news that we can now look to pushing forward on the first phase of our major regeneration at Granton Waterfront with our development partner to transform the north of the city for people living there now and for future generations to come.

“This is the largest regeneration project of its kind in Scotland and it’s giving us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transition towards a greener economy in our Capital city while building many of the affordable homes Edinburgh needs within 20 minute communities with shops, healthcare, cultural and leisure and education facilities all nearby.”

“As Granton Waterfront is one of the seven strategic sites within the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal it will build on Scotland’s vision for achieving net zero, placemaking and people-led growth.

“The area will be well connected to the rest of Edinburgh and beyond with new sustainable travel links and active travel routes running through the site following the principles of sustainable travel in our City Mobility Plan.

“We’ve been consulting with local people at every stage of this project. I’ll make sure this continues when the development partner comes on board with jobs for local people and wider community benefits as well as providing new high quality net zero affordable homes with integrated facilities and public space that communities want and need nearby.”

Fraser Lynes, Director for the Cruden Group said: “We are excited to reimagine Granton Waterfront and create a brand new coastal quarter that champions sustainable waterfront living with net zero carbon homes, just three miles from the city centre.

“This new approach to urban development is transformational and will provide a blueprint for the future as we reconnect the Capital to the Firth of Forth and create a new coastal neighbourhood which will become one of Europe’s largest coastal amenities.”

Great progress is already being made with early action projects at Granton Waterfront with over 500 net zero affordable homes currently under construction at Western Villages off Marine Drive and a further 75 being built behind the former Granton Station building.

There are also three commercial units fronting onto Waterfront Avenue under construction as well. These projects will all bring new and enhanced active travel routes as well as new quality public space.

A further 142 additional homes planned for Silverlea are currently waiting to be considered by planning.

There has also been positive progress in growing a cultural and arts cluster in Granton Waterfront. Last year the council announced the start of works to refurbish the former Granton Station building into a creative work space with a lease being given to leading Scottish arts Charity Wasps, and arts charity Edinburgh Palette has been granted a lease in a vacant industrial unit on West Shore Road.

The iconic Granton Gasholder is now also illuminated every night for the remainder of this year, a beacon of light for the project following a joint initiative with Edinburgh College. It is currently lit up to show solidarity with Ukraine in the colours of the country’s flag.

Refurbishment of the gas holder and creation of public amenity space, part-funded through the UK Government’s Levelling Up Funding, is due to start on site at the end of this year to be completed mid-2024. This project will bring space for learning, events and play, bringing this iconic structure back to life.

Scottish Government: Delivering on child poverty commitments

Record investment of almost £8.5 billion was committed to support low income households between 2018-22, with almost £3.3 billion benefitting children.

The fourth annual progress report on child poverty, published yesterday, shows that all of the actions committed as part of the first Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, Every Child, Every Chance, have been delivered.

The plan focused on three drivers of child poverty reduction – work and earnings, social security and household costs – and on the six priority family types at greatest risk of poverty, including lone parent families and families with a disabled adult or child.

Key achievements over the life of the plan (2018-22) include:

introduction of the Scottish Child Payment, with more than 1.2 million payments between February 2021 and March 2022 – a £58.6 million investment
increase in the number of real Living Wage accredited employers, with the proportion of people earning the real Living Wage or more rising from 80.6% in 2018 to 85.6% in 2021
increase in the funded hours for Early Learning and Childcare from 600 hours in 2018 to 1,140 hours in August 2021, saving families up to £4,900 per eligible child in 2021
delivery of 35,095 affordable homes, 25,562 of which were for social rent – supporting an estimated 11,585 households with children into affordable housing between 2018-22
extension of concessionary travel to all under 22s, with approximately 930,000 young people eligible for support – saving families up to £3,000 by the time their child turns 18
expansion of universal free school meals to children in primaries 4 and 5, saving families around £400 per child and increasing School Clothing Grant to at least £120 for eligible primary school children and £150 for those in secondary school in 2021

Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “Over the last four years, we have strengthened the foundations of support for children and families and used our powers to support those most in need, particularly with the introduction of our new social security system.

“We are now supporting low income households, carers and helping disabled people lead independent lives through 12 benefits, seven of which are entirely new and not available anywhere else in the UK.

“We have made progress despite significant challenges. The pandemic and the continued impact of UK Government welfare reforms has disproportionately impacted the most disadvantaged and been severe. And, of course, households are all now facing the current cost of living crisis.

“That is why we remain determined to continue with our national mission to tackle child poverty. Our second Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan for 2022-26, Best Start, Bright Futures, is ambitious and has a range of actions to support families both immediately and in the long term to deliver change.

“We will also continue to call on the UK Government to reverse their welfare reforms, including the two-child limit. Analysis shows that reversing them would put an estimated £780 million in the pockets of Scottish households in 2023-24 and help to lift 70,000 people out of poverty, including 30,000 children.”

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Healthy Tip: Ball Game ideas for young children

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Healthy Heart Tip: Ball Game Ideas for Young Children

Ball games are fun at any age, and a great way to get our hearts pumping! Here we explore some games you can enjoy with the little ones in your life, whether they are babies, toddlers or pre-schoolers.

Don’t forget to praise their efforts and show them that you enjoy the games you play together, too!

Babies

Even babies can enjoy playing with a ball. When a baby can hold up their head while lying on their tummy, encourage them to reach for the ball, by placing it just out of reach. This will encourage them to explore their surroundings, reach and grab.

Toddlers

Encourage your child to throw, kick and roll the ball to you. Make this easier at first by sitting or standing close to each other. Practice makes perfect – don’t expect your little one to catch straight away. You could even use a cardboard box or washing basket as a goal.

Pre-schoolers

Show your child how to use their hand as a bat. Bowl the ball to them and encourage them to hit it! As your little one improves; change the rules so that they must run from one base to another after a hit. The next step is rounders or cricket!

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Scottish student revealed as Future Legal Mind winner for 2022

Injury law expert, National Accident Helpline, has announced the winners of its Future Legal Mind competition, with Scottish student Syed Adil taking one of the prizes.

Syed will be awarded £1,500 which will go towards his studies, as well as mentoring with experienced lawyers. He will also be given the opportunity to complete a work experience placement at National Accident Helpline’s law firm, National Accident Law.

Syed is currently studying a dual degree in Scots and English Law, with European Legal Studies, at the University of Aberdeen. He hopes to further pursue a master’s degree and be called to the Scottish and English Bar, developing a career as a cross-border Barrister, and utilising his dual-qualifying degree to its full extent.

This year, the competition – which is one of the leading law essay competitions in the UK – was split into two categories: undergraduate and postgraduate. Syed was awarded the undergraduate prize and Matthew Johnson, studying at Oxford Brookes GDL, was awarded the postgraduate prize.

The competition was judged by National Accident Helpline, with the panel made up of John Kushnick, Legal Operations Director, Jonathan White, Legal and Compliance Director, and Helen Fairhurst, Marketing Director.

John Kushnick said: “Syed presented in a calm and caring way, having prepared a thorough and excellently referenced essay.

“What made him stand out was his passion for law, as amply evidenced by his extensive extra-curricular activities. A very impressive candidate indeed.”

Jonathan White commented: “Syed’s entry stood out for me because of the current relevance of the topic in view of recent, well-publicised events.

“He articulately set out his concerns about the government exceeding its authority following Brexit and the essay was brilliantly researched and extensively referenced.”

Runners up of the competition have also been announced as:

Undergraduate – Tamar Knight, Cardiff University
Postgraduate – Kieran Power, University of Law Bloomsbury
Postgraduate – Sebastian Dack-Owens, BPP Law School

As part of the competition, students were invited to submit their thoughts on two topics. These were ‘Now that the UK has officially left the EU, what legal changes would you recommend making over the next 10 years?’ and ‘Is the UK court system fit for purpose and what role should other, alternative forms of dispute resolution play?’.

Shortlisted students were then required to send a short recording of why they deserve to be named the winner.

Jonathan White, Legal and Compliance Director at National Accident Helpline, added: “We believe it’s crucial for the legal sector to evolve in a way that inspires the next generation to build their careers in law – that’s why we continue to run Future Legal Mind.

“We look forward to continuing to support and champion Syed and Matthew in their careers over the years ahead, as well as seeing what the competition will bring in 2023.”

The finalists for this year’s competition were:

Undergraduates:

Farid Ahmed, studying BA Hons Law and Politics at the University of Stirling
Simon Cooper, a second-year student at Bournemouth University
Syed Adil, studying a dual degree in Scottish and English Law with European Legal Studies at the University of Aberdeen
Sarah Daniel, a first-year student at the University of London
Tamar Knight, studying an undergraduate LLB Law degree course at Cardiff University

Postgraduates:

Federica Boscolo Gnola, studying a Graduate Diploma in Law Postgraduate Course at the University of Law
Jason Nicholson, a postgraduate Legal Practise Course at the University of Law
Kieran Power, completing a Graduate Diploma in Law at the University of Law’s London Bloomsbury campus
Matthew Johnson, a Graduate Diploma in Law postgraduate student at Oxford Brookes
Sebastian Dack-Owens, a Bar Training Course student at BBP Law School

For more information about Future Legal Mind or National Accident Helpline, please visit: https://www.national-accident-helpline.co.uk/news/future-legal-mind

Letter: Patients with coeliac disease deserve better

Dear Editor

With great sadness and frustration, I read recently about an inquest into the death of an 80-year-old with coeliac disease who was fed cereal containing gluten in hospital. The patient fell ill within hours and started to vomit. She died four days later from aspiration pneumonia.

As someone with coeliac disease myself, it is upsetting to realise that even among medical professionals there is such a lack of understanding of this serious autoimmune disease.

One in 100 people have coeliac disease, and there is no cure. The only treatment is a strict gluten free diet. Even a crumb of gluten can cause a severe reaction.

My own mother, who is 86, has had difficult experiences in hospital. She was offered toast containing gluten, which would have made her very unwell. Another time she was told she was ‘too late’ at 4pm for gluten free food. The hospital clearly regarded a gluten free diet as a specialist request, rather than a medical necessity that should be offered as part of standard care provisions.

At Coeliac UK, we are calling on all hospitals to urgently review their guidelines and protocols. We’re asking the NHS to update the information about coeliac disease on their website as the current list of symptoms is misleading. And we want to see better training for healthcare professionals to improve their understanding of coeliac disease, and their management of patients who have the condition.

No one with coeliac disease should have to worry about being glutened in hospital.

Yours sincerely

Maureen Burnside

Chair, Coeliac UK

www.coeliac.org.uk

HMRC: Get help with summer holiday childcare costs

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding thousands of parents and families in Scotland not to miss out on financial support that can help pay for childcare during the summer holidays.

Through Tax-Free Childcare, families can receive up to £2,000 a year per child – or £4,000 if their child is disabled – to put towards the cost of childcare. And it is available for children aged up to 11, or 17 if the child has a disability. The money can help towards the cost of holiday clubs, before and after-school clubs, childminders and nurseries, and other approved childcare schemes.

The UK Government will pay 20% of childcare costs by topping up the money paid into a Tax-Free Childcare account. This means for every £8 paid into the online account, families will automatically receive an additional £2 in government top-up.

More than 22,700 families in Scotland used Tax-Free Childcare in March 2022 – the highest number of families recorded using the scheme since it was launched in April 2017 – but thousands more could be missing out. Research published earlier this year by HMRC estimated that about 1.3 million families could be eligible for this UK Government support.

Parents and carers are being urged find out more about Tax-Free Childcare via the Childcare Choices website.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Tax-Free Childcare can make a big difference to families, helping with the bills for things like holiday clubs, nurseries, childminders and after school clubs.

“It’s easy to register – search ‘Tax-Free Childcare’ on GOV.UK.”

Helen Whately, HM Treasury’s Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: “Tax-Free Childcare helps families with the cost of childcare bills but we know that thousands of parents could be missing out.

“That is why I’m encouraging families to sign up now and save on childcare costs.

“There are lots of fantastic holiday clubs and childcare providers to help working parents during the summer holidays, so now is the time to take advantage of this support.”

For thousands of families who use Tax-Free Childcare, the money they save each month on their childcare costs is money that goes back into their pockets. Accounts can be opened at any time of the year and can be used straight away, and money can be deposited at any time and used when needed. Any unused money that is deposited can be simply withdrawn at any time.

During the school summer holidays, it is more important than ever that parents and carers are able to access the financial aid they qualify for. It can reduce their costs, help them to stay in work, or help them work more hours.

More than one million families in the UK are entitled to some form of UK Government childcare support and the government is encouraging those eligible to not miss out on their entitlements.

Families can find out what childcare support is best for them via Childcare Choices.

To ensure that parents get the childcare support they are entitled to, the government is launching an awareness raising advertising campaign this week.

An Aldi for Drylaw?

Aldi is on the hunt for new store locations in Edinburgh as part of its rapid expansion drive. The priority areas where it is looking include Bonnyrigg and Drylaw.

Aldi, which already has more than 960 stores across the UK, is looking for freehold town-centre or edge-of-town sites that are around 1.5 acres.

Each site should be able to accommodate a 20,000 sq foot store with around 100 parking spaces. Ideally the location will be near a main road with good visibility and access.

The UK’s fifth-largest supermarket even offers a finder’s fee for people who recommend a site, including members of the public – which is either 1.5% of a freehold price or 10% of the first year’s rent for leasehold sites.

George Brown, National Property Director at Aldi UK, said: “By opening more Aldi stores, we can provide affordable, high-quality food to even more people.

“But despite our growth in recent years, some people still don’t have access to a local store, which is why it is our mission to continue on with our ambitious plans and change that.

“Our finder’s fee is available to anyone who can find Aldi an appropriate site so we’d encourage people to share any suitable suggestions and get it touch.”

Vive le Fringe! is back

INSTITUT FRANÇAIS D’ÉCOSSE ANNOUNCES FRINGE PROGRAMME

The Institut français d’Écosse is proud to announce the full programme of its 11th edition of Vive le Fringe!

Bringing up on stage some theatre, music and dance, our exciting programme celebratesthe significance of cross-cultural exchanges between France and Scotland.

She has a mesmerizing voice. She is Scottish but sings in French. Each year, she makes us travel through time and French music. The one and only Christine Bovill will return this year to the French Institute in Scotland with her latest show “Paris, From Piaf to Pop”.

Travelling into the 60s and the Americanisation of French music, this show offers a delicious celebration of the Golden Age of French song and how it evolved during the Swinging Sixties.

Stevenson meets the French touch! The French duo Fergessen presents “Stevensongs”. Setting to music some of the most beautiful poems and letters by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, the duo creates a live synthetic folk atmosphere, where text and music intertwine. An echo chamber for Stevenson’s words to ring both in English and in French. Here starts a sensitive journey towards inner and faraway places.

Luxembourg-based theatre company Purple Soup Crew will be premiering their latest play “S-ex-iety” this Summer. How come that if millions of people watch porn, we hardly ever talk about it? S-ex-iety is the story of three roommates, Honey, Missy and Babe that come into contact with the adult industry.

Each of them has a different point of view on this subject and obviously, this will lead to many discussions. Without moralising or unveiling the dark sides of the porn industry, the play also raises contemporary issues, while using a good amount of humour.

This Summer, we will dance with Constant Vigier & Sonia Killmann bringing their latest show “Bamboozled”. Sonia Killmann is a saxophone player and sonic artist from Belgium. Constant Vigier is a French dancer and choreographer drawing his influence from his training at Paris Opera Ballet School. Combining live dance, live music, and projections, Bamboozled is a dialogue between its parts in equal measure.

Lastly, we are delighted to welcome the Scottish cult legend Jesse Rae. Known as the Scotland Funk Ambassador, Jesse Rae began his career in the 70s when he moved to the USA and became close to leading soul artists. Jesse Rae wrote many songs full of Scots words and sings with a thick Scottish accent.

Coming to the Fringe with his show “Vive Funk”, Jesse Rae will celebrate William Wallace’s victory against the English troops with powerful Funk music and outlandish staging.

Playing with fire: NHS dentistry on the brink as Ministers cut vital support

The British Dental Association Scotland has warned Ministers they risk undermining the future sustainability of NHS dentistry, as they move to scale down vital financial support for the service.

For the last three months practices have received a 1.7 multiplier to the fees paid to provide NHS care, a reflection of the unprecedented backlog practices have faced as they try to ‘live with COVID’. The Scottish Government has now moved to pare the multiplier down to 1.3 for the next 3 months.

This reduction follows no dialogue with the profession despite the BDA calling for regular discussions with the Government about the latest activity data and any proposed changes.

The discredited low margin/high volume model dentists in Scotland work to means treatment can often be delivered at a loss, a growing problem given the growing levels of unmet need, particularly among those from move deprived communities.

Official data suggests the total number of high street NHS dentists in Scotland has fallen by over 5% since the onset of COVID. The BDA warn heavy-handed policies will only push Scottish dentists down the road of their colleagues in England, where thousands of dentists have left the NHS since lockdown, amid warnings from MPs south of the border that NHS dentistry now faces a ‘slow death’.

The BDA has again urged the Scottish Government to, in the short term, develop a suitable interim funding package to support dentists and their teams as they work through the backlog, and begin work on a new, sustainable long-term model for NHS dentistry.

Dentists remain anxious that the Government will look to remove the multiplier altogether at the first opportunity despite its stated intention not to return to the pre-pandemic financial arrangements. The BDA has repeatedly voiced its strong opposition to a return to the pre-Covid “treadmill”.

David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: “Ministers are playing with fire, pulling away the life support from a service millions depend on.

“This multiplier helped ensure NHS dentists received fees for care that actually covered their costs. Slashing them will leave colleagues churning out dentures at a loss while thinking twice about their future.

“Scotland has already lost too many NHS dentists since lockdown. Ministers are now blindly heading down the path the Westminster Government has chosen, which has sparked an exodus.

“Cuts have consequences. The Scottish Government promised free NHS dentistry for all. Short-sighted policies like this will likely result in the exact opposite, and stark oral health inequalities will only widen further.”

Fountainbridge plans consultation

Join us for an online information event about a planning application for a major development at Fountainbridge. This exciting project involves the landmark regeneration of a brownfield former brewery site, which is uniquely positioned on the Union Canal in Edinburgh.

The online community event is on Thursday 30 June, between 3pm and 7pm.

The development team, including representatives from Cruden and Buccleuch Property, will be available online to answer your questions and listen to your views through a dedicated chat system https://orbitconsultations.scot/fountainbridge/