As we approach the International Day of Friendship (30 July), Mary’s Meals is celebrating heart-warming stories of hope and camaraderie from around the world.
Mary’s Meals is a charity that serves nutritious school meals in 20 of the world’s poorest countries. The promise of a good meal attracts hungry children into the classroom where, instead of working or looking for food, they can gain an education.
As your readers will know, the classroom is also where lifelong friendships are made. Friendships like that of Fridah and Annette, from Zambia.
Fridah’s life changed forever when she fell ill with an undiagnosed illness, losing all ability to move and communicate. Luckily, she has a wonderful friend in Annette.
The two girls attend school together, where they eat Mary’s Meals. Despite the challenges she faces, Fridah is determined to get an education. She uses her toes to write and turn the pages of her books.
Fridah dreams of becoming a professional footballer when she is older. With our nutritious school meals giving her the energy to learn and play, and a good friend like Annette by her side, we hope she will achieve her dream.
It costs just 8p a day to feed a child with Mary’s Meals, meaning every donation – no matter how small – will make an enormous difference. For more information, please visit marysmeals.org.uk
Thomas Black
Head of major giving and partnerships, Mary’s Meals
Annual Scottish house price growth now 8.4% – highest in 2022
Average Scottish house price is £220,870,
Second-highest number of May transactions in last 10 years
21 of 32 Local Authorities had rising prices in the month – same as in April
Largest annual increase at 22.6% in Argyle & Bute
17 Local Authorities reached peak prices – 3 more than in April
Scott Jack, Regional Development Director at Walker Fraser Steele, comments:“One would never claim any market is bullet proof but on the current evidence Scotland’s property market remains at the very least in robust form. The rise in interest rates and the increase in the cost of-living are not yet having a marked impact on house price growth.
“The average price paid for a house in Scotland in May 2022 according to our data is £220,870, establishing yet another record price for the country – the eleventh occasion that this has happened in the last twelve months. This price is some £17,100 higher than that seen in May 2021, meaning that prices have risen by 8.4% on an annual basis. This annual growth rate is the highest recorded to date in 2022.
“The market transaction data too is robust – defying any expectations of a slow-down on this evidence. The provisional figure for May 2022 is 9,092 transactions, which is the second highest May figure of the last ten years – the highest having taken place in 2019, being the year before the pandemic struck.
“Ultimately demand is strong, but the supply of desirable stock remains low. Property prices are therefore seemingly more resilient in the face of rising borrowing costs.
“Over and above homebuyers, property remains attractive to investors too as it continues to outperform other assets such as equities, which are affected more acutely by higher borrowing costs.”
Note:The Walker Fraser Steele Acadata House Price Index (Scotland) provides the “average of all prices paid for houses”, including those made with cash.
Table 1. Average House Prices in Scotland for the period May 2021 – May 2022
Commentary: John Tindale, Acadata Senior Housing Analyst
The May housing market
The average price paid for a house in Scotland in May 2022 is £220,870, establishing yet another record price for the country – the eleventh occasion that this has happened in the last twelve months.
This price is some £17,100 higher than that seen in May 2021, meaning that prices have risen by 8.4% on an annual basis. This annual growth rate is the highest recorded to date in 2022, although rates for the ten months from February 2021 to November 2021 inclusive were at the same level or higher – see Figure 1 below – with the blue horizontal line highlighting May’s growth rate of 8.4%.
Figure 1. The annual rate of house price growth in Scotland over the period May 2020 to May 2022 with trendline
On a monthly basis, prices in May 2022 rose by 1.0%, or close to £2,300. This monthly increase is almost double that recorded in April (0.6%), with rates currently oscillating on a monthly basis from December 2021 onward.
As we show on page 4, transactions remain relatively strong, with April sales being at a ten-year high for the month. Data for May sales have not yet fully emerged from the Registers of Scotland, but preliminary figures suggest that the total for the month will also prove to be amongst the highest of the last ten years.
We show on page 5 that high-value transactions are, in general, continuing to occur at record levels in 2022, compared to the previous seven years, with Edinburgh accounting for 50% of all sales in Scotland having a value of £750k or higher.
Transactions analysis
Figure 2 below shows the monthly transaction count for purchases during the period January 2015 to May 2022, based on RoS (Registers of Scotland) figures for the Date of Entry. (May 2022 totals are based on RoS Application dates.)
During the month of May, RoS has been processing further registrations with an entry date of April 2022, which provides us with an update on the number of transactions that took place in the month. The latest total for Scotland during April 2022 is now 8,232 sales, which is the highest number in the month of the last ten years. This suggests that the housing market in Scotland remains resilient, despite the potential headwinds of interest rate rises and the cost-of-living increases, which have been widely publicised in the press.
The provisional figure for May 2022 is 9,092 transactions, which is the second highest May figure of the last ten years – the highest having taken place in 2019, being the year before the pandemic struck.
In general, the peak month for sales in Scotland is August, with an average 9,350 transactions, so we can anticipate reporting on a slow build in the number of properties being sold over the next three months.
RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) in its May Residential Market Survey, is reporting that buyer enquiries are currently negative in Scotland, indicating there is less demand for homes this month, compared to a positive score seen over the last three months. However, RICS also notes that new vendor instructions are similarly lower this month, compared to the previous three months. On balance, RICS believes these two indicators are likely to balance each other out, leaving little change in house prices.
Figure 2. The number of sales per month recorded by RoS based on entry date (RoS applications date for May 2022), for the period 2015 – 2022. (Source: Registers of Scotland.)
Scotland transactions of £750k or higher
Table 2. The number of transactions by month in Scotland greater than or equal to £750k, January 2015 – May 2022
Table 2 shows the number of transactions per month in Scotland which are equal to or greater than £750k. The threshold of £750k has been selected as it is the breakpoint at which the highest rate of LBTT becomes payable.
Table 2 shows that there were 58 sales in excess of £750k during May 2022, and we anticipate that this number will increase as further sales for the month are processed by the Registers of Scotland. It is therefore quite likely that, excluding March 2021, we can report that in every month in 2022 there has been an increase in the number of properties sold in excess of £750k, compared to the same month from 2016 onward. The reason that March 2021 is excluded from the analysis is that it was exceptional, with sales being enhanced since it was the final month in which purchasers could take advantage of the LBTT tax holiday.
The rise in the number of high-value homes being purchased in 2022 is an indication that the “lifestyle changes” associated with the pandemic – “working from home” and the “race for space” – are still strong features of the current housing market. This, as we discuss on page 7, has resulted in strong competition for the properties that meet these requirements, with substantial price rises being seen at the top-end of the market.
The five authorities with the largest number of the 355 high-value sales that have been recorded to date in 2022 are: Edinburgh (179); Fife (21); Glasgow City (21); East Lothian (20); and finally East Renfrewshire (15). It can be seen from these figures that in 2022, Edinburgh accounts for just over half of this sector of the housing market.
Local Authority Analysis
Table 3. Average House Prices in Scotland, by local authority area, comparing May 2021, April 2022 and May 2022
Table 3 above shows the average house price and percentage change (over the last month and year) by Local Authority Area for May 2021, as well as for April and May 2022, calculated on a seasonal- and mix-adjusted basis. The ranking in Table 3 is based on the local authority area’s average house price for May 2022. Local Authority areas shaded in blue experienced record average house prices in May 2022.
Annual change
The average house price in Scotland has increased by some £17,100 – or 8.4% – over the last twelve months, to the end of May. This is a £1,500 increase over the £15,600 growth in prices seen in the twelve months to the end of April 2022
In May 2022, 31 of the 32 local authority areas in Scotland saw their average prices rise over the levels seen twelve months earlier – the one exception being West Dunbartonshire, where prices fell by -0.1%. In West Dunbartonshire, it was the average price of terraced properties that saw the most significant fall, from an average £130k in May 2021 to £120k twelve months later.
The area with the highest annual increase in average house prices in May 2022 was Argyll and Bute, where values have risen by 22.6% over the year. Last month we reported on the sale of a 5-bedroom detached home, located just outside Oban, in Argyll and Bute, having an asking price of £485,000, but selling for £600,000. This month there is a further example, with a five-bedroom detached property in Colintraive, overlooking Loch Riddon, having a guide price of £550,000, but being sold for £650,000. Two examples, in the same area, of the way in which competition for homes in remote beauty spots can result in a noticeable increase in average house prices.
On a weight-adjusted basis, which employs both the change in prices and the number of transactions involved, there are five local authority areas in May that account for 44% of the £17,100 increase in Scotland’s average house price over the year. The five areas in descending order of influence are: – Edinburgh (16%), Glasgow (8%); Fife (8%); South Lanarkshire (7%); and Argyll and Bute (5%).
Monthly change
In May 2022, Scotland’s average house price in the month rose by some £2,300, or 1.0%, which is near double the 0.6% increase seen in April. The average price in Scotland now stands at £220,870, which sets a record level for the nation for the eleventh month in succession.
In May 2022, 21of the 32 Local Authority areas in Scotland experienced rising prices in the month, the same number as in April. The largest increase in average prices in May, of 9.6%, was in Stirling, where the average price of detached homes increased from £377k in April to £417k in May. The average price for detached homes was elevated in the month by the sale of a five-bedroom detached Victorian villa in the King’s Park area of Stirling, for £875k, the third-most expensive property of the calendar year.
It is interesting to observe that the bottom four authorities in Table 3 above, which represent the four lowest priced areas in Scotland, have all seen price falls in the month – perhaps suggesting that the competition between buyers for homes is not so intense at the lower end of the price spectrum.
Peak Prices
Each month, in Table 3 above, we highlight in light blue the local authority areas which have reached a new record in their average house prices. In May, there are 17 such authorities, three more than in April. We can also add that Scotland itself has set a record average price in May 2022 – the fifth of this calendar year.
Heat Map
The heat map below shows the rate of house price growth for the 12 months ending May 2022. As reported above, 31 local authority areas in Scotland have seen a rise in their average property values over the last year, the one exception being West Dunbartonshire. The highest increase over the twelve months to May 2022 was in Argyll and Bute at 22.6%.
Comparisons with Scotland
Figure 3. Scotland house prices, compared with England and Wales, Wales, North East and North West for the period January 2005-May 202
Figure 4. A comparison of the annual change in house prices in Scotland, England and Wales, Wales, North East and North West for the period January 2005–May 2022
Scotland’s Eight Cities
Figure 5. Average house prices for Scotland’s eight cities from February 2021–May 2022
Figure 6. Average house prices for Scotland’s eight cities May 2022
The deadline for tax credits renewals is 31 July 2022. With just over a week to go, customers are being urged to renew their claim using HMRC’s online services.
With just over a week to go, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is urging more than 222,600 tax credits customers to renew their claims before the 31 July 2022 deadline.
Customers are being warned not to leave their renewal until the last minute and risk their payments being stopped. They can do it any time – day or night – through HMRC’s online services, including the HMRC App.
Tax credits help working families with targeted financial support and more than 363,000 customers have already renewed ahead of the deadline.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “The 31 July deadline is fast approaching and renewing your tax credits is too important to forget. HMRC support is available at all times of the day and night via GOV.UK and the smartphone app to help customers get their renewals right.
“It’s great to see so many customers have already renewed their tax credits. I urge those who are yet to renew to do so as soon as possible, in order to avoid having their payments stopped.”
Customers can manage their tax credits quickly and easily online. Once tax credits customers have completed their renewal, they can use their online account to check its progress and find out when they will hear back from HMRC.
If there is a change in a customer’s circumstances that could affect their tax credits, they must report the changes to HMRC. These include changes to:
living arrangements
childcare
working hours, or
income (increase or decrease).
Customers choosing to use the HMRC app on their smartphone can:
renew their tax credits
make changes to their claim
check their tax credits payments schedule, and
find out how much they have earned for the year
As part of the UK government’s package to support households with the rising cost of living, a Cost of Living Payment of £650, payable in two separate lump sums of £326 and £324, for households receiving certain benefits or tax credits, has been introduced.
For eligible customers receiving tax credits only and no other eligible benefits, HMRC will contact them to let them know they’re eligible and will issue payments automatically, with the first being made in the autumn. Customers do not need to contact HMRC or apply for the payment. More information on the Cost of Living Payment, including eligibility, is available on GOV.UK.
Tax credits are ending and will be replaced by Universal Credit by the end of 2024. Many customers who move from tax credits to Universal Credit could be financially better off and can use an independent benefits calculator to check. If customers choose to apply sooner, it is important to get independent advice beforehand as they will not be able to go back to tax credits or any other benefits that Universal Credit replaces.
As the deadline for renewals approaches, customers hurrying to sort out their accounts could be more vulnerable to scammers.
HMRC is warning that if someone contacts them saying that they are from HMRC and wants the customer to transfer money urgently or give personal information, they should never let themselves be rushed.
HMRC is also urging customers never to share their HMRC login details. Someone using them could steal from the customer or make a fraudulent claim in their name. The department urges people to take their time and check HMRC’s advice about scams on GOV.UK.
Customers can download the HMRC app for free from their smartphone app store.
A total of 24 projects from across the country have been awarded funding of £110,000 to promote and showcase quality regional produce.
The latest round of the Regional Food Fund (RFF) was launched in April this year to support the development of local food and drink projects with grants of up to £5,000.
Managed by industry organisation Scotland Food & Drink, the fund is designed to contribute to the sector’s recovery from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and raise the profile of local and regional produce.
Initiatives supported by this fund range from food and drink festivals and events to food tourism collaborations, online and physical markets to e-commerce such as Stranraer Oyster Festival, Clyde Island Gin Passport and Bowhouse Link.
Several of the country’s regional food groups will be delivering projects, such as farm vending by Bute Kitchen; promotional pop-ups by Appetite for Angus; a buy local campaign from Eat and Drink Dundee and food heritage project by Lanarkshire Larder.
Two Edinburgh and Lothian initiatives receive funding support:
Rosewell Farmers’ Market
Establishment of regular Farmers’ Market at the Steading, Rosewell, featuring high quality, locally grown or sourced produce.
Small-scale regional, collaboration between Rosewell Development Trust and local food producers Grant awarded: £4,589
Scottish Development
Evolution of the successful sales and marketing platform for Edinburgh’s craft breweries, Beers of Edinburgh, which opens new market opportunities for the sector.
Funding will enable further online and retail sales as well as transferring the format to wider Scottish regions to allow other Scottish breweries to benefit. Grant awarded: £5,000
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands Mairi Gougeon said: “This is the third round of funding provided under the Regional Food Fund and I am pleased to see the involvement of such a diverse range of projects.
“These collaborative projects will help showcase the incredible range of food and drink produced in Scotland delivering more unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences and provide further impetus to the sale of local produce, develop food tourism opportunities and contribute to recovery.
“Our focus remains on promoting local produce including high welfare and production standards, as well as taking into account environmental issues, something consumers are increasingly interested in.”
Fiona Richmond, Head of Regional Food at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “It is fantastic to support a further 24 collaborative food and drink projects with this latest round of funding from the Regional Food Fund.
“From the quality of applications, we can see that there is a great deal of energy for, and commitment to, developing local food and drink initiatives, all of which play a vital role in the growth of the food, drink and tourism sectors countrywide.
“Our congratulations to all the recipients and we look forward to seeing the projects develop over the coming months to create a lasting impact on communities across Scotland.”
List of projects that were awarded grants as part of the 2022 Regional Food Fund
‘Cool Poems’ (Patti Smith). Rock n roll poetry at its visceral, inventive best
Fresh from wowing huge crowds when opening for The Libertines and John Cooper Clarke, Luke Wright serves up banger after banger at one of the hottest, most poetic, late-night shows in town. This is rock n roll poetry at its visceral, inventive best. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You might even pull.
Luke Wright’s Late Night Dance Floor Fillers (poems) is an hour of (mostly) new poems from the man dubbed ‘The Bard of Lockdown’ by The Daily Telegraph. His deliciously funny poems are set against a backdrop of pandemic politics, ageing parents, and an endless, droning, culture war.
Wright throws a squat party in his ‘poor old heart’ (bring a bottle!). He even finds a home for a couple of crowd-pleasing favourites, including an update on the riotous Essex Lion.
‘His performances rumble with rage, passion and humour.’ Guardian
Luke said ‘I never stopped performing in lockdown. Every night I connected with audiences via the internet. In some ways we formed a sort of support group and got each other through it.
“I’ve never felt so connected to my audiences as I do now. I’ve never performed so well. I can’t wait to be back in Edinburgh, it’s my 15th full run! We are going to have such fun.”
https://youtu.be/19pAd_UjthQ
Luke is one of the greats. A poetic pugilist. Beguiling and hypnotic.’ Carl Barat The Libertines
Flamboyant, political and riotously funny, Luke has an international reputation as a leader of the spoken word scene and as one of the UK’s most riveting spoken word performers. His poems are delivered with dynamism, intensity and charisma.
Keenly personal but always inflected with irreverent humour, his poetry is always based on his life and observations – as a poet, a father and a son. He is acknowledged as one of our top poets and one of the principle architects of the now thriving UK spoken word scene.
He is the winner of a Fringe First, a Stage Award for acting excellence and three Saboteur Awards, including Best Performer 2021.
If you like your late-night entertainment with a twist, and intelligence with your laughs, this is the show for you.
Luke is a very entertaining, witty, eloquent and erudite interviewee. Contact Steve Forster as above for availabilities, review tickets and images. Images can also be downloaded from www.sfppr.co.uk/downloads/
Luke also performs The Remains of Logan Dankworth, the third in his trilogy of verse plays, at Pleasance Above 3- 29 Aug (not 15/16/17) at 15.45.
A new residential development opportunity has been launched at Blindwells, the East Lothian scheme which is on course to deliver a community of 1,600 homes as well as employment land and a new town centre
Plot 4a is being marketed by the Edinburgh office of JLL on behalf of Blindwells’ creator, Hargreaves Land.
Planning permission in principle has been granted for residential purposes on the 7.2 acre site and a development of c.140 properties is proposed. Adjacent to a plot earmarked for business use, as well as what will become the new town centre, plot 4a lies in a raised area with views over the Firth of Forth, making it a highly appealing opportunity for the right development partner.
A number of other housebuilders are already on site and the first Blindwells residents moved in at the start of the year. Bellway is in the process of completing 146 homes and Cruden is due to finish the final phase of 60 affordable homes later this summer for East Lothian Council. Ogilvie Homes is expected to commence construction of 77 properties before the end of the year.
Meanwhile, work by Persimmon Homes is progressing towards the creation of 197 homes including 30 which will be classified affordable.
The new opportunity follows three planning approvals by East Lothian Council Planning Committee in June, allowing Hargreaves Land to press ahead and progress major parts of the site infrastructure.
Once complete, the town centre, which will feature a car-free high street with shops, cafes and a supermarket, will provide a 21st century quality of life with modern touches flanked by open areas of natural beauty, including Princes Loch and community green space.
Jonathan Graham, development surveyor at Hargreaves Land said: “Our vision for Blindwells is rapidly taking shape and we’re excited to be looking for a housebuilder to bring yet another plot to life.
“The indicative layout earmarked for this plot has a mix of two, three and four bedroom houses, plus two apartment blocks, and we expect a lot of interest.”
Jason Hogg, director at JLL, added: “Less than 15 minutes from Edinburgh Waverley station, Blindwells will further add to the excellent quality of life already on offer in East Lothian, with outstanding beaches, coastal towns and villages, walking routes, world class golf courses and restaurants all within easy reach.
“Crucial to its creation are the many respected construction partners involved in giving the scheme a varied selection of house types, all offering an impeccable standard of living, and we look forward to talking to interested parties in the weeks ahead in regard to this latest plot.”
Hope Mill Theatre in association with HER Productions (UK) presents
Classic!
Hold onto your hats as a cast of 6 romp through all those classic novels you never had time to read
Manchester’s Award-winning Hope Mill Theatre makes its Fringe debut with new comic play, racing through a multitude of classic novels in 60 minutes. At lightning speed and utilising multiple costume changes, Classic! races you from Black Beauty to Wuthering Heights via Moby Dick and many, many more …
Don’t worry – no previous literary experience is required! A thrilling script by Coronation St and Emmerdale writers Lindsay Williams and Peter Kerry combined with direction from actor and director Joyce Branagh (recently seen in Oscar winning film Belfast directed by her brother Kenneth) results in a brilliantly funny show for everyone.
Classic! is set around a group of actors coming together to break a record for the most novels ever shared on stage. In doing that, they share the stories in extremely unexpected ways: Moby Dick becomes a sea shanty, Jane Eyre is a silent movie, Oliver Twist is a film noir and Black Beauty a pantomime… and that’s just scratching the surface!
Joyce Branagh said: ‘I’m so excited to finally get CLASSIC! on stage – we first did a chunk of this in Manchester years ago and to now have a full show in 2022 is brilliant – definitely worth the wait!
“The script is hilarious – really snappy – and we’ve got a great bunch of experienced comedy actors, so the whole thing is going to be very VERY silly. Emily Bronte, Charles Dickens et al will be disco-dancing in their graves!’
Peter Kerry and Lindsay Williams have written many scripts for TV including long term involvement in Coronation Street, Emmerdale, The Archers and more. Lindsay is currently story producer on Waterloo Road.
The show has music by Louis Ashton Butler and musical direction from Joe Clayton and features a brilliant cast comprising of Louis Blair, Althea Burey, Amy Drake, Amy Gavin, Robin Simpson and Gareth Tempest.
Joseph Houston, Artistic Director of award-winning producing house Hope Mill Theatre, said:‘Hailing from Scotland, the Edinburgh Festival has played a big part in my life and I have many happy memories of seeing variety of shows.
“Being able to now be a part of the festival with a Hope Mill production, in what will be a very special year and its triumphant return, is a dream come true. From the minute we read CLASSIC! we knew this was a show destined for Edinburgh, with its fast paced, funny humour and a top-notch group of actors, you will never need to read another classic novel again!’
Hope Mill Theatre was founded in Manchester by Joseph Houston and William Whelton in 2015. Since then it has firmly placed itself on the northern map for its ambitious in-house productions including UK, European and World premieres, many of which have transferred to London and toured.
Their 2021 revival of RENT received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike and won the What’s On Stage Award for Best Regional Production.
Listings information:
Classic!
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard, Pleasance One (Venue 33)
Dates: 3-28 Aug (not 8, 15, 22) First review date 3 Aug
Join us on 21 Aug, 2pm @ The Wee Hub brought to you by The Living Memory Association in @Ocean_Terminal for a fun-raising fashion show in aid of the Hospice!
We’ll be celebrating our volunteers and showcasing a selection of bridal gowns and evening wear.
Police are appealing for the assistance of the public to help trace 41-year-old Michael Meehan who has been reported missing from Edinburgh.
Michael was last seen around 3.30 pm on Thursday, 21 July, 2022 on Rose Street, Edinburgh.
He is described as white, of slim build, around 6ft tall, with short grey hair, few teeth and has bad sunburn and blisters to his face. He speaks with an Irish accent and was wearing a dark coloured jacket, tracksuit bottoms and trainers although it is thought he may actually be barefoot.
Sergeant Jonathan Wilson, Gayfield Police Station, said: “Since Mr Meehan was reported missing, officers have been checking CCTV and making local enquiries in Edinburgh City Centre and Portobello where he is known to frequent, however, there have been no further sightings of him.
“We are concerned for his health and well-being and would appeal to anyone who has seen him recently or who may have information as to where he is to get in touch with police.”
Information can be passed to officers via 101. Please quote reference number 2159 of Thursday, 21 July, 2022
THURSDAY 28th JULY from 6 – 9pm at FETTES POLICE STATION
Police are hosting a recruitment event aimed at people from all minority ethnic communitieson Thursday 28th July from 6pm – 9pm at Fettes Police Station.
