Month: March 2023

Spring Budget: Chancellor to supercharge local growth

  • The Chancellor set to announce 12 Investment Zones to drive business investment and level up, each backed with £80 million.
  • Investment for roll out of Levelling up Partnerships, helping to regenerate places across England.
  • £100 million to be shared across Glasgow, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands supporting them to become globally competitive centres for research and innovation

The Chancellor will supercharge growth at the Spring Budget tomorrow (Wednesday 15 March), as he is expected to announce a plan for 12 high-growth Investment Zones and a pioneering new approach to accelerate research and development in the UK’s most budding industries.

Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce plans to enter discussions with places to host 12 high growth Investment Zones, each backed with £80 million over five years including generous tax incentives, bringing opportunity into areas which have traditionally underperformed economically. 

Investment Zones will be clustered around research Institutions such as universities and will be focused on driving growth in one of the UK’s key sectors: Technology, Creative industries, Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing and the Green sector.

As well as for tax reliefs, funding can be used to improve skills, provide specialist business support, improve the planning system, or for local infrastructure.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said: “True levelling up must be about local wealth creation and local decision-making to unblock obstacles to regeneration. 

“From unleashing opportunity through new Investment Zones, to a new approach to accelerating R&D in city regions, we are delivering on our key priority to supercharge growth across the country”.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: “Levelling up means backing local growth across the UK, driving innovation to attract investment and putting power into the hands of local communities so they can reach their full potential.

“Our new investment zones and Levelling Up Partnerships will deliver more jobs, better services and more opportunities for local people.”

Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said: “This government has made clear its aim for the United Kingdom to be transformed into a scientific and technologic superpower, not only pushing our country forward, but the whole world.

“Cutting-edge innovation starts at a local level. That’s why these plans to invest £100 million into 26 groundbreaking projects in Glasgow, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands are so important, supporting them to become the future centres of research and innovation in the United Kingdom.”

Eight places in England have been shortlisted to host Investment Zones, with the intention to agree plans with local partners by the end of the year. This complements and builds on the government’s existing Freeport programme, which deliver investment on specific sites benefitting from tax and customs incentives, key to driving productivity and growth.

The eight places are those covered by:

  • The proposed East Midlands Mayoral Combined County Authority
  • Greater Manchester Mayoral Combined Authority
  • Liverpool City Region Mayoral Combined Authority
  • The proposed North East Mayoral Combined Authority
  • South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
  • Tees Valley Mayoral Combined Authority
  • West Midlands Mayoral Combined Authority
  • West Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority

The government is also working closely with the devolved administrations to establish how Investment Zones in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be delivered, which will account for the four final locations.

These Investment Zones will drive growth in five key sectors: life sciences, creative industries, digital technology, advanced manufacturing, and green industries.

The Chancellor is also expected to provide investment for the roll out of Levelling up Partnerships across England, helping to regenerate places in need of levelling up.

The programme will involve ‘deep dives’ carried out by a partnership of local councils, MPs business and civic leaders to gather a holistic picture of a place and its unique challenges and opportunities, and identify cross-Government interventions to unblock obstacles to regeneration. 

It builds on the success of initial trials in Grimsby, which saw cross-government working to help avoid the effective closure of the town’s fish processing sector, and in Blackpool which unlocked a change of use of a central government building that was holding up a £100 million regeneration plan.  The Government will work closely with the Devolved Administrations and local government to explore potential options in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. 

The Chancellor is also set to accelerate the growth of high-potential innovation clusters in Glasgow, Greater Manchester and West Midlands with £100 million of investment in 26 transformative R&D projects.

The Innovation Accelerators programme is a new approach to supporting these city regions to become major, globally competitive centres for research and innovation and will support levelling up. The projects will attract private investment to develop the technologies of tomorrow, creating new jobs, and boosting regional economic growth. 

Through the programme, local leaders are empowered to harness innovation in support of regional economic growth through a pioneering a new model of R&D decision-making. Working closely with Innovate UK, partnerships between local government, business and R&D institutions in the three city regions have led on selecting the 26 projects. This includes:

  • A University of Birmingham-led project to accelerate new health and medical technologies,
  • The Manchester Turing Innovation Hub linking business to cutting edge AI research and technologies to help enhance their productivity
  • A net zero project led by University of Strathclyde to accelerate the adoption of automated ultrasonic inspection during welding and additive manufacturing.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “West Yorkshire has a strong and thriving economy, and I’m pleased the Government has recognised the strength of our innovation by choosing to work with us to deliver an investment zone.

“It will provide further opportunities for people across the region, as well as our world leading higher educational facilities, building on our expertise in digital, technology, and health and life sciences.

“I look forward to working with government to develop the investment zone policy, unlocking our potential and ensuring our local economy thrives for years to come.”

Ben Houchen, Mayor of Tees Valley, said: “The introduction of an Investment Zone in the Tees Valley would be a huge boost to our plans to level up and redevelop our town centres.

“We have just established two Mayoral Development Corporations which will give us the powers to bring about real change to our town centres. The addition of an Investment Zone would help turbo-charge these plans and accelerate our vison.

“Investment and jobs are the fundamentals of levelling up and this would represent a further delivery on the promise the Government made to rebalance the economy of this country. We have been working for some time on Investment Zones, and I am incredibly supportive of this proposal.”

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Our Plan for Growth is central to how we drive forward our regional economic recovery as we bounce back from the temporary setback inflicted by the pandemic. The right mix of devolved powers and investment incentives will help turn that plan into action. 

“That’s why this Investment Zones announcement is very welcome news – supporting our efforts to attract new businesses, create high quality jobs and supercharge our economy.

“Investment Zones will make a valuable contribution towards enhancing prosperity for residents right across our region and I look forward to working with local leaders to decide how we best take advantage of this exciting opportunity.”  

Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire, said: “South Yorkshire’s steel and energy powered the world into the first industrial revolution, and we know we have the potential to lead the world into the next one.

“We’re home to businesses and institutions working at the forefront of advanced manufacturing, health sciences and green technology. We’re not just imagining a better future, we’re already making it.

“Investment Zones give us the chance to do even more, so I’m pleased South Yorkshire has been recognised as one of the regions able to make the most of that opportunity. I’m looking forward to working with government to design how that works so we can build a bigger, better economy here in South Yorkshire.”

Big Hearts: Support for kinship carers

Kinship carers urged to check Scottish Child Payment eligibility

Kinship carers are being urged to check if they could be entitled to the Scottish Child Payment, after eligibility was expanded to include more of them last year.

The call comes at the start of Scottish Kinship Care Week, which celebrates the role of extended family or friends who care for children when they cannot remain with their birth parents.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met with a group of kinship carers yesterday at an annual big breakfast hosted by the Big Hearts Community Trust at Tynecastle Park to thank them and highlight the extra support available via the Scottish Child Payment and other Scottish social security benefits.

Big Hearts’ Kinship Care programme was launched in 2015 and offers a range of support for young people and their carers, including after school clubs, coffee mornings, and wellbeing advice.

The First Minister said: “We owe kinship carers an enormous debt of gratitude for the role they play in providing loving and secure homes for children and young people, and it’s vital they receive every penny of support they’re entitled to.

“In line with our commitment to tackling child poverty, we increased the Scottish Child Payment to £25 a week per eligible child last year, and expanded the eligibility criteria to include more kinship carers.

“We want to ensure everyone gets the financial support they are entitled to, so I’d encourage carers to check whether they’re entitled to receive the Scottish Child Payment and any other Scottish Government benefits.

“In addition to the fantastic support provided by charities like Big Hearts, there are a range of events for kinship carers taking place across the country this week, and free advice and guidance is also available from the Kinship Care Advice Service for Scotland website.”

Craig Wilson, Big Hearts’ General Manager said: “It was fantastic to welcome Scotland’s First Minister to Tynecastle Park for the start of Scottish Kinship Care Week.

“We are so proud to work with so many amazing kinship care families and for many years we’ve strived to raise the profile of kinship carers and highlight the support they can and should receive.

“There’s no doubt that today adds to that and we want kinship carers to know there is always a warm and welcoming place for them here at Big Hearts.”

UNISON: Tonight’s public meeting to discuss teaching of gender identity in schools should be cancelled

UNISON City of Edinburgh branch is calling on the council to cancel a ‘Schools and gender identity event’ to protect library staff and members of the trans community.

The event which its organisers say is “a group of concerned adults organised a public meeting in Portobello Community Centre to discuss the teaching of gender identity in schools” is due to be held at Portobello Library this evening (Tuesday 14 March) has already gathered national media attention and some community campaigners have also called for its cancellation.

UNISON City of Edinburgh branch has been in dialogue with the council to express safety-fears for library staff and local trans-individuals. UNISON argue that library staff are being placed at the centre of something that is going to impact their ability to provide a high quality public services to the local community, including the LGBT+ community.

UNISON City of Edinburgh branch is also concerned that the event indirectly endangers the wider safety of the UK trans community.  Should the event be allowed to continue, the branch will peacefully protest with other community activist protesters and would ask other who feel the same to join them.

UNISON City of Edinburgh branch secretary, Tom Conolly said: “UNISON Edinburgh city branch represent library staff across the city and we do not want to see them placed at the centre of something which could impact on their ability to deliver high quality public services.

“We are concerned that this event has been granted permission to go ahead. UNISON Edinburgh city branch is clear in its commitment to trans and non-binary members. We recognise the importance of supporting trans members in our local communities.”

UNISON City of Edinburgh branch equalities officer, Elaine Wishart said: “UNISON supports trans rights and wants to be at the forefront of promoting an inclusive debate.

“You don’t have to be trans to fight for trans rights, you can be a trans ally. The national debate is very divisive and harms trans-people who need our compassion and support. UNISON have produced many campaign materials around combatting the gender critical narrative.

“Trans rights are human rights and making sure our trans members are able to go to work, and just be themselves in the wider community free of fear, harassment and bullying is paramount.”

Scottish Gas announces Post Office Pop-Up events to provide free, in-person advice on energy bills

·       Scottish Gas and Post Office bring the Scottish Gas Post Office Pop-Ups to communities with highest need, with events across Glasgow, Stornoway, Kirkwall and Aberdeen 

·       Since May last year, the partnership initiative has seen over 122 Pop-Ups in 62 locations take place across Great Britain to support people in need 

Scottish Gas and Post Office bring the successful Scottish Gas Post Office Pop-Ups to Glasgow and Aberdeen, as well as two of the furthest corners of the nation – Stornoway and Kirkwall.

The Scottish Pop-Ups follow the 122 events that have taken place across Great Britain since the initiative launched as a pilot programme in May 2022, supporting people with practical and financial advice from expert money and energy advisors and providing grant eligibility assistance to those who need it most. 

The Scottish Gas Post Office Pop-Ups aim to reassure bill payers with experts answering their questions and concerns in an environment that’s familiar, safe and local to them.

More importantly, at every event, money and energy advisers from local British Gas Energy Trust funded charities will be offering an in-depth overview of the support available, signposting people to other organisations who may be able to help, checking benefits entitlements and providing free energy-saving tips and advice. 

The first of the series of eight Scottish Gas Post Office Pop-ups opens today in Glasgow, providing people with confidential advice from Scottish Gas Energy Trust-funded organisations. Those struggling with energy debt will be directed to the independent advice available through British Gas Energy Trust and the organisations they fund, including energy saving advice and access to grant. 

The Scottish Pop-Ups are even offering support to the most remote areas of Scotland, including the Highlands and Islands, as Scottish Gas understands these are the communities with the highest need.

The dates and locations include: 

·       Glasgow – 21st and 22nd March 

·       Aberdeen – 23rd and 24th March 

·       Stornoway – 27th and 28th March  

·       Orkney – 30th and 31st March 

Jessica Taplin, British Gas Energy Trust Chief Executive said: “Helping Scottish people continues to be a priority for us in 2023. With many people unable to access financial support and advice online, these Pop-Ups will be a lifeline to those really struggling this spring.

“As always, our mission is to help alleviate the detrimental impact of poverty. By working closely with Scottish organisations already embedded in the local communities, we can provide much needed financial and practical support to vulnerable members of the community, whether you’re a Scottish Gas customer or not.”  

To find out more about British Gas Energy Trust visit: https://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy/british-gas-energy-trust.html 

To find out more about your nearest Scottish Gas Post Office Pop-Up, visit: https://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy/post-office-pop-up-advice.html 

Spring Budget: Chancellor to announce clean energy reset

CHANCELLOR’S “reset” to clean up the UK’s domestic energy supply and secure long term energy security, while delivering up to 50,000 highly skilled jobs is expected next week

  • £20 billion will transform carbon capture in Britain, helping create up to 50,000 highly skilled jobs.
  • Chancellor to confirm the next steps for Great British Nuclear as competition to deliver small modular nuclear reactors opens this year.
  • Plan will set the path for the UK’s clean energy supply and secure the UK’s long term energy security and help deliver one of the government’s five promises to grow our economy.

At next Wednesday’s Spring Budget (15th March) the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, will set out an unprecedented investment in domestic carbon capture and low carbon energy. Recognising the urgency of the UK’s clean energy revolution, he will commit to spades in the ground on these projects from next year.

No one country has yet captured the carbon capture market. The UK has enough carbon capture capacity to store over a century and half of national annual CO2 emissions, making it one of the most attractive carbon capture markets on earth, creating high-paid jobs of the future across the UK and growing our economy through new cutting-edge industries. Carbon capture will support the UK’s industrial transition to cleaner, greener processes and technology.

An unprecedented £20 billion in investment over the next 20 years will drive forward projects that aim to store 20-30 million tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030, equal to the emissions from 10-15 million cars helping us meet our carbon capture targets as part of our national net zero targets.

The Chancellor will also announce plans to boost nuclear power generation through Great British Nuclear, launching a competition for this country’s first Small Modular Nuclear Reactors, revolutionising how nuclear projects are delivered in the UK.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt said: “Without Government support, the average household energy bill would have hit almost £4,300 this year, which is why we stepped in to save a typical household £1,300 on their energy bills this winter.

“We don’t want to see high bills like this again, it’s time for a clean energy reset. That is why we are fully committing to nuclear power in the UK, backing a new generation of small modular reactors, and investing tens of billions in clean energy through carbon capture.

“This plan will help drive energy bills down for households across the country and improve our energy security whilst delivering on one of our five promises to grow the economy.”

Energy Security Secretary, Grant Shapps said: “Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated to the world the vital importance of increasing our energy security and independence – powering more of Britain from Britain and shielding ourselves from the volatile fossil fuels market.

“Already a global leader in offshore wind power, we now want to do the same for the UK’s nuclear and carbon capture industries, which in turn will help cut the wholesale electricity prices to amongst the lowest in Europe.

“Today’s funding will play an integral role in delivering that, helping us further towards our net zero targets and creating green jobs across the country.”

Small Modular Reactors are emerging technology, and no country has yet to deploy one. To ensure the UK steals the march, the Small Nuclear Reactors competition is expected to attract the best designs from both domestic and international manufacturers with winners announced rapidly. The government will also match a proportion of private investment as part of this to ensure designs are ready to be deployed as soon as possible in the UK.

The government is already investing £210 million into the Rolls-Royce SMR project, matched by private sector funding. Rolls’ Royce reactor design is currently being assessed by safety regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation.

Great British Nuclear will streamline and coordinate the delivery of new nuclear power plants to meet the country’s ambition of up to 24 Gigawatts of nuclear power by 2050.

The government body will select sites for potential nuclear projects, removing costs, uncertainty, and bureaucratic barriers for manufacturers as they develop their proposals. To support future sites for nuclear development, the Government will also be consulting on a new approach to nuclear site selection later this year.

There will also be a laser focus on how to attract more investment into the sector, with the Chancellor confirming that nuclear power generation will be classed as “environmentally sustainable” under the green taxonomy regime, subject to consultation, encouraging significant private investment. Last year, the Chancellor confirmed reforms to EU-derived Solvency II regulation, which will unlock £100bn of private investment into infrastructure and clean energy over a decade.

We’ve already invested a historic £700 million stake in Sizewell C – our first investment in a nuclear project for 35 years – to provide reliable, low-carbon, power to the equivalent of 6 million homes for over 50 years. This will shore up UK energy security and create 10,000 skilled jobs, while we also continue to bring Hinkley Point C to completion, the first new nuclear power station in a generation.

We have already committed £1 billion to develop four CCUS hubs in the UK by 2030, but with today’s funding, we are providing industry with the certainty required to deploy CCUS at pace and at scale.

This is all part of our plans to transform our homegrown energy supply, investing in renewables and nuclear power, and maximising North Sea oil and gas production as we transition to net zero. All of which crucially brings skilled jobs, prosperity, and growth as we build a cleaner, greener, more secure economy.

Stakeholder reaction:

Andrew Storer, Chief Executive Officer, Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre said: “I strongly welcome today’s announcement and the government’s commitment to establish Great British Nuclear to drive delivery of a programme of new nuclear power.

“Business needs the confidence that this will bring to invest in building industrial capability across the UK. The Nuclear AMRC will ensure that companies have access to the innovative manufacturing capability, resilient supply chains and skills needed to ensure the timely and cost-effective delivery of new nuclear power.

“This is an essential part of our future energy system and a great opportunity to drive jobs, skills development and growth across the UK as shown in our leading role in establishing the recently launched Rolls-Royce Nuclear Skills Academy. Our facilities in Rotherham and Warrington and a new technical facility in Derby will enable us to bring advanced manufacturing capability to support the Great British Nuclear mission in the heart of UK industry”.

Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive, the Nuclear Industry Association, said: “This is a huge step forward for UK energy security and UK jobs. Green labelling nuclear will drive crucial investment into projects large and small. Setting up GBN with the powers to select sites for projects will make nuclear deployment more efficient and give the supply chain a clear pipeline to work from.

“The SMR competition should put us back in the global race and create opportunities for UK technology and others to bring jobs and investment to the UK and win export orders in a massive market worldwide.

“We look forward to seeing details of funding for GBN and of the SMR competition in the Budget, as well as confirmation of our ambitions for fleet deployment of large and small scale reactors to make us a clean energy powerhouse of the 21st century.

“More nuclear cuts gas imports, cuts carbon and creates good jobs for communities all across this country.”

Dr Nina Skorupska CBE FEI, Chief Executive of the REA (The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology) said: “Government’s commitment to advancing carbon capture and storage is a long awaited and welcome step forward. It is particularly essential that today’s announcements deliver a route to market for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, at a range of scales.

“Combining this technology with low carbon bioenergy production, which uses biomass and waste feedstocks, produces real-world carbon removals from the atmosphere that are critical to achieving net zero, after having realised emission reductions.

“This support will help to reaffirm the UK’s global position as leaders in this innovative technology, and see it built at commercial scale. Crucially it will help in attracting new investment, which in turn will lead to thousands of jobs and the growth of the UK’s Green economy.”

Back on the Road: Travelling Gallery announces 2023 programme

Travelling Gallery is pleased to announce its 2023 programme which takes a new approach to touring with environmental concerns and community partnerships at the heart of it.

Under the annual theme of ‘care’ Travelling Gallery will tour for three seasons to different geographical clusters inviting local partners to invest in a long-term commitment to bringing our exhibitions to their communities.

Season one hits the road in March 2023 with the exhibition To avoid falling apart by Emmie McLuskey and Janice Parker made especially for Travelling Gallery. This two-person show explores and illuminates our human capacity for mutuality, connection and interdependence through movement, language, and film.

Together Emmie and Janice have developed a movement workshop in collaboration with an invited mix of friends and colleagues. From this they will create several short films focusing on the active state of counterbalance – the physical act of two or more human bodies leaning against or leaning away from each other.

The films will invite the viewer to witness shared and reciprocal acts of support, capturing the details and nuances of these movements in the moment as they dynamically unfold between people.

Accompanying the films, will be a series of sculptural apparatus that invite visitors into the simple acts of resting, weight-bearing, and capacity for counterbalance; and a collection of hand-written texts created by the artists in response to the workshop and the films.

Both artists bring to the Travelling Gallery their shared interest in how we live together and how we experience our moving bodies in society; asking what might happen if we led with our movement and our ordinary/extraordinary human bodies.

Launched in Edinburgh on Calton Hill on Friday 10 March the exhibition will tour to the following locations:

16 – 18 March 2023, Aberdeen in partnership with Aberdeen City Council 
23 – 25 March 2023, Angus in partnership with Hospitalfield 
30 March – 1 April 2023, Aberdeenshire in partnership with Live Life Aberdeenshire
4 – 6 April 2023, Dundee in partnership with DCA 
w/c 17 April 2023, Highlands in partnership with TimeSpan
25 – 28 April 2023, Orkney in partnership with Orkney Islands Council
3 – 5 May 2023 Perth & Kinross in partnership with Perth & Kinross Council

Visit Travelling Gallery website for more details

Claire Craig, Curator of Travelling Gallery said: “After the Covid-19 pandemic Travelling Gallery is excited and energised to be launching its new touring model. We can only provide inclusive and equal access to art with good partnerships and we are delighted to have such a wealth of long-term partners for 2023 and beyond.

“Emmie McLuskey and Janice Parker’s fantastic new work is the perfect way to kickstart our annual year of ‘care’. The exhibition explores connections and strength in our movement and bodies which can often be lost in our daily hustle and bustle. I can’t wait for our audience to see the artwork and hear what they think.”

Councillor Val Walker, Edinburgh’s Culture and Communities Convener, said: “It’s fantastic to be launching the 2023 programme for the Travelling Gallery at Calton Hill. To avoid falling apart promises to be a fascinating exhibition that will inspire us all to think about our ordinary/extraordinary bodies and how we connect to others in society.

“It is so important to make art and culture as accessible as possible to a variety of people, and through our ongoing support of the Travelling Gallery, art is brought straight into the hearts of town centres. I hope everyone takes the opportunity to pay the spring exhibition a visit.”

Innis & Gunn takes home Gold at European Sponsorship Awards

Scottish Brewer awarded the top prize in the arts & culture category for partnership with The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn was awarded one of the top prizes at the prestigious European Sponsorship Awards held last night (9 March) at the Brewery in London, for its iconic sponsorship work with The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. 

Innis & Gunn was awarded first place within the Arts & Culture sponsorship category in recognition of two iconic brands coming together in a first-class sponsorship of an internationally renowned spectacle rooted in Scottish tradition. This award win is the latest accolade in a string of coveted awards for the brand. 

Hundreds of sponsorship industry professionals from dozens of countries joined the ESA Awards last night (9 March) to see winners awarded across 25 categories. With sponsorships from nine different countries, as well as a range of multinational campaigns.

The objective of Innis & Gunn’s sponsorship of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2022 was to bring together two brands which at their heart are all about originality and creativity and to create a phenomenal customer experience.

The opportunity enabled Innis & Gunn to take its flagship beer, The Original, and award-winning Lager to a quarter of a million ticket holders over the month of August. The partnership even made history as this was the first time The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo had been licensed in its 72 years of running. 

The results of the sponsorship speak for themselves. In the first year of the partnership, Innis & Gunn created an exceptional bar experience in a historic location – combined with outstanding customer service achieved industry-beating satisfaction scores from guests. 

Commenting on the win, Innis & Gunn’s founder, Dougal Gunn Sharp, said: “The huge success of this inaugural year of our partnership is a testament to the shared vision and incredible talent both at Innis & Gunn and The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. 

“Our beers are known across the world for their originality and creativity. Working with the Tattoo has enabled us to bring our creative vision and award-winning beers to new drinkers who, for the first time, are able to enjoy Scotland’s most iconic beer, at Scotland’s most iconic event, in Scotland’s most iconic location.

“We are passionate about our commitment to our local community and are already planning how we can elevate the experience even further at this year’s show.”

For more information, visit https://www.innisandgunn.com

Council ramps up housing investment

Living standards will be improved for thousands of residents in Edinburgh after Councillors agreed a £173 million spending package to upgrade and build new homes.

At a meeting of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee on Thursday (9 March), decisions made during February’s budget meeting were built upon to agree a comprehensive spending programme for the year ahead.

Under the plans for the 2023/24 Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Capital Programme an extra £50m will be invested compared to last year. This will continue the city’s pipeline of new builds and ramp up capital investment into existing homes, including innovative energy efficiency upgrades.

The council is one of the first local authorities in Scotland to pilot a ‘whole house retrofit’ approach and this will be adopted fully in 2023.

This will focus on improvements to the fabric of buildings and energy performance including design and development work for at least four multi-storey blocks.

Retrofitting will not only help with issues like damp but help to lower tenants’ fuel costs and support Edinburgh’s net zero carbon by 2030 commitment, with largescale rewiring, roof replacements, new kitchens, bathrooms, windows, and doors due to be identified.

The spending programme is also set to involve improvements to common areas and stairwells, adapting homes in response to people’s health needs and transforming derelict sites and void properties into much needed new homes for tenants and people experiencing homelessness.

Councillor Jane Meagher, Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, said: “More than 3,000 older homes all over the city are set to benefit from improvements – making them greener, safer, and more accessible for generations to come. Our capital housing programme is about spending money where it is most needed so that we can help as many residents as possible live well in safe, warm homes.

“That means making council homes more energy efficient which will help to drive down bills. It means building brand new homes in response to the huge demand we’re seeing, and we need to keep listening to our tenants so that we can invest in those areas which will make the biggest difference to people’s lives.

“Post-pandemic, Brexit and in the face of a cost-of-living crisis and war in Ukraine, it remains a challenging time for residents, for council budgets and for construction at large. Like everyone else we’ve seen our running costs rise, but we must remain committed to tackling Edinburgh’s twin housing and homelessness crises. We also need to improve the standard of the housing we provide.

“I’m proud that, despite many pressures, we’ve had agreement from the Chamber to invest so substantially this year. As we move forward, we’ll need to continue to work with partners and make our case to the Scottish Government to maximise funding opportunities and keep our longer-term plans on track.”

The capital budget is prepared annually, following consultation with tenants and regular review of the council’s Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Strategy. It is shaped by tenants’ and elected member priorities, the most pressing maintenance and improvements needed to keep homes modern and safe, statutory requirements and the commitments outlined in the council’s Business Plan.

UK Veterans to receive £33 million in Spring Budget

  • Chancellor set to announce new funding package for veterans across the UK at the Spring Budget
  • £33 million package will increase availability of veteran housing and support veterans with serious injuries as a result of their service
  • Comes on top of £8.5 million package announced last year to end veteran homelessness

The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is set to announce in this week’s Budget an additional £33 million over the next 3 years to support veterans, in recognition of the sacrifices they’ve made for the UK.

The majority of the funding package (£20 million) will go towards the Veteran Capital Housing Fund – a new project to provide extra housing for veterans through the development of new builds and refurbishment of veteran social and charitable housing.

The Chancellor will also extend the Veterans Mobility Fund – backed by £3 million – to provide enduring support for veterans with serious physical injury resulting from their service.

The remaining £10 million will go directly to the Office for Veteran’s Affairs to increase the service and engagement provided to veterans over the next two years.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said: “We all owe our veterans a huge amount of gratitude for defending democracy and keeping our country safe – and it’s only right that we provide them with all the support they need when they come home.

“This government is firmly on the side of our veterans, and this week I’ll set out a comprehensive package of policies that will solidify our enduring commitment to our ex-servicemen and women for years to come.”

There are thousands of units in houses, village settlements, care homes and other accommodation specifically for veterans across the country. Many of these could be in need of modernisation, replacement or expansion. Providing sustainable housing is key to helping those who have left service – particularly those who are vulnerable and with complex needs.

The new £20 million Veteran Capital Housing Fund will go towards this alongside action to end veteran rough sleeping within this Parliament – helping the government deliver its pledge in the Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan 2022-24.

The Veterans Mobility Fund has previously been used to provide dedicated equipment for hundreds of eligible veterans, including specialist wheelchairs and orthotics which is not usually available via the NHS or through the Ministry of Defence. The additional £3 million will refresh this fund to ensure veterans continue to get the specialist support they need.

The government has a strong record of supporting veterans. At the end of last year, the government announced more than £8.5 million of funding to deliver services in more than 900 housing units in England, where specialist help for veterans, including with health, education and employment needs are provided.

As part of this, the government established a new referral scheme – Op FORTITUDE – that will enable veterans at risk of homelessness to access supported housing and wrap-around specialist care in health, housing and education from later this year.

The government also introduced Op COURAGE, a bespoke mental health support service for veterans in the NHS in England, backed by over £18 million a year investment plus an additional £2.7 million to be invested over the next two years. The service has already helped tens of thousands of patients since it was established in 2021.