Brexit has limited economic growth, restricted trade, increased food costs and diminished opportunities for young people, according to Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson.
Marking seven years to the day since the majority of people in Scotland voted to remain in the European Union, a paper has been published detailing the impact of Brexit, drawing from reports and official statistics.
These include:
an expected loss of £3 billion every year in public revenues for Scotland
food price inflation at a 45 year high with Brexit responsible for an estimated one third of it
damaged trade with 44% of businesses in Scotland naming Brexit as the main cause of difficulties trading overseas
additional estimated costs of up to £600 per consignment for some shellfish exporters as a result of trade barriers
staff shortages reported by 45% of tourism businesses in the Highland and Islands, as a result of the loss of freedom of movement
loss of access to supporting funds like the €96billion Horizon research programme and Common Agriculture Policy
less efficient law enforcement co-operation, without access to instant EU-wide alerts and intelligence and civil justice co-operation measures
more costly and difficult travel arrangements, with long transit delays, more obstacles for touring artists, and roaming charges reintroduced by most operators
Mr Robertson said: “Seven years after people in Scotland resoundingly rejected Brexit, the Scottish Government has published a paper that lays clear the damage it has inflicted.
“Brexit means Scotland has now left the world’s biggest single market and no longer enjoys freedom of movement, resulting in labour shortages across the NHS, agriculture, and our hospitality sector.
“Consumers and businesses continue to face a cost of living crisis driven by rampant food inflation, while produce rots in the ground, and obstructive trade barriers that are making it harder to import and export goods from the EU.
“Scotland’s rural and research sectors have lost out on hundreds of millions of pounds worth of EU funding, which the UK Government has been unable to match. A generation of young Scots have been deprived of life-changing exchange opportunities to study abroad.
“While we will continue to do all we can to mitigate this damage through our long-standing ties with European neighbours, the fact remains that the only way to meaningfully reverse this damage and restore the benefits Scotland previously enjoyed, is for an independent Scotland to re-join the European Union.”
Military bands, veterans, and senior Armed Forces personnel will join a parade through Edinburgh’s city centre on Saturday to show support for our Armed Forces and their families.
The Lord Provost Robert Aldridge will take part in the event to celebrate Armed Forces Day, organised by Legion Scotland in partnership with the city council.
The parade will commence on George Street close to St Andrews Square, led by the Band of The Royal Regiment of Scotland and Legion Scotland standard bearers, starting at 10:30 am. The route will follow George Street until reaching the saluting dias which will be outside the Assembly rooms. From there, it will make a left turn onto Castle Street and conclude.
Afterwards, the parade will move towards Princes Street Gardens West, where the Lord Provost and Air Officer Scotland Air Vice Marshal Ross Paterson CB OBE ADC DL will deliver speeches.
The Band of The Royal Regiment of Scotland will begin the programme of entertainment, followed by Legion Scotland Sweetheart Amy Hawthorn, Maria Townsley, Stuart McLean, and Angus Munro.
Formerly known as “Veterans Day”, this annual event is observed across the UK as an opportunity to pay homage to the Armed Forces community.
Dr. Claire Armstrong, Chief Executive of Legion Scotland, emphasised the significance of the occasion, stating that it is a time for unity and appreciation for all those who have served, both past and present, and their families.
It serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by the Armed Forces every day, highlighting their dedication and commitment.
Dr. Armstrong said “We hope this event will be a good opportunity for veterans and serving personnel to reunite acquaintances and comradeship and will also be a fitting tribute to everyone who serves in our Armed Forces and will also recognise the continued sacrifices that our servicemen and women make today.”
She encouraged residents of Edinburgh and beyond to attend the event, show their support, and enjoy a memorable day out.
ATTENTION! Veterans can celebrate Armed Forces Day with 50% off in Morrisons Cafes
Morrisons has announced that it is offering those in the armed forces and veterans 50% off in cafés nationwide for Armed Forces Day.
On Saturday June 24th, anyone who comes into a Morrisons café dressed in their armed forces uniform or with a valid form of ID or a medal/badge can receive 50% off all hot meals, hot drinks and cakes.
Available for one day only, this heroic deal is to thank the thousands of military personnel who have gone above and beyond for their country.
Military personnel can enjoy hot menu favourites including a Roast Beef or Half Roast Chicken Dinner for just £3.74, Fish and Chips for £3.49 or Bangers and Mash for just £2.49.
To make the deal even sweeter, those in the forces and veterans can choose from a selection of cakes such as Victoria sponge or Chocolate Fudge cake for just £1.44.
Chris Strong, Morrisons Café Buying Manager, says:“We’re honoured to be offering those currently serving in the armed forces and veterans 50% off all hot meals, hot drinks and cakes in our cafés as a thank you for all that they have done and continue to do for us all.”
Customers who scan their Morrisons More card at the till will also receive 600 points when spending £6 or more in a Morrisons café.
Morrisons Armed Forces Day deal will be available in all Morrisons cafés on Saturday June 24th and can’t be used with any other offer or promotion.
Corstorphine Community Centre (CCC) in Edinburgh has received £960,000 from the Scottish Land Fund (SLF) in order to buy Westfield House, which the organisation already uses as a community hub.
With the money, CCC will be able to purchase the building and to start making internal improvements, including improving accessibility, while at the same time continuing to provide a wide range of services and space for hire.
The grants are amongst six that have been awarded to groups across Scotland by the Scottish Land Fund, which is funded by the Scottish Government.
Amongst those also receiving funding are Tayvallich Initiative, which has received £565,608 to purchase land in Argyll & Bute where it will build housing for affordable rent, along with a number of environmental initiatives.
And Kingsbarns Community Development Trust has been awarded £590,00 to establish a community hub, which will consist of rooms to let, pub, restaurant, cafe, and community shop.
Shulah Allan, Chair, Corstorphine Community Centre, said: “This is a momentous occasion for the local community who have been raising funds since a fire in 2013 to rebuild a community centre for the area.
“We are grateful to the Scottish Land Fund Trust for providing us with this level of funding, which will be added to the funds which are already in place, to complete the purchase of 5 Kirk Loan.
“We still have some more funds to raise for the refurbishment of the building, but this is the final stage for the purchase and our forever home for CCC.”
It’s a double celebration for Corstorphine Community Centre, who will be marking one year in their new home with a fete this weekend.
Martin Mellor, Chair of Tayvallich Initiativesaid: “The award from Scottish Land Fund will enable Tayvallich Initiative to move forwards with plans to create housing for affordable rent and to promote the use of Rural Housing Burdens for houses and plots so that more people can live and work in the area.
“We are happy to be starting off with two rental houses as part of the community project. We hope that this long-term project will encourage a good balance in the area between tourism/holidays alongside an established year-round community. Rural areas need enough affordable housing to keep schools open and the day-to-day economy running, and community-led housing projects can help to facilitate this.”
And Sharon Makin, Kingsbarns Development Trust, said: “The Kingsbarns Development Trust is delighted to accept the award of £590,000 from the Scottish Land Fund.
“This will enable us to keep the pub open and is the first step to realising our dream of creating a lively and welcoming community hub in the village including a shop for essentials and local produce.
“Everyone on the team has worked tirelessly to get us to this point. We are so thankful to the Scottish Land Fund, for their guidance and for seeing the amazing potential this funding will mean for the community.”
Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary, Rural Affairs,Land Reform, and Islands, said: “The Scottish Land Fund is continuing to help community groups take control of local land and buildings and manage them in a way which benefits people in their neighbourhoods.
“By 2026 the SLF will have doubled to £20 million which will allow more groups to get involved.
“This SLF aims to place the needs of local communities first and it is clear that the most recent recipients live up to this goal. The successful projects will help to create jobs, mitigate climate change, and tackle social isolation and loneliness.
“I commend them for their efforts so far and wish them all the best in the future.”
Cara Gillespie, Scottish Land Fund Committee Chair said: “From supporting rural housing to strengthening urban communities, the Scottish Land Fund continues to empower local people to deliver services that meet their needs.
“It is about listening to communities and helping them to address their unique local challenges, through ownership of land and buildings.”
And Sandra Holmes, Head of Community Assets at Highlands, and Islands Enterprise, said: “The successful projects announced today across Scotland are all great examples of people taking control of local resources for the long-term benefit of their communities.
“For example, the Great Bernera Community Development Trust in the Isle of Lewis will acquire the former salmon hatchery at Kirkibost to develop into a community-owned social and enterprise hub with space and equipment for businesses, entrepreneurs, and the community. The new hub will be an important asset and helps to create a sustainable future for the area.
“All these projects announced today will help retain the population, attract visitors, and create jobs. Ownership will give the community groups greater control over important assets that will reap rewards for people now and for generations to come. We wish all the successful groups the very best in their new ventures.”
Other groups receiving funding are:
Eday Partnership: Award – £225,380
Eday Partnership will acquire a two-bedroom house in Eday, Orkney. The project will assist in providing affordable housing on the island of Eday.
Great Bernera Community Development Trust– £101,447
Great Bernera Community Development Trust will acquire The Hatchery building in Kirkibost. The vacant industrial building will be developed into a social and enterprise hub where people can work, learn, and create together.
Papay Development Trust – £208,596
Papay Development Trust will acquire two houses on the island of Papa Westray, Orkney, which will be offered for affordable rent.
Bute Community Land Company– £32,005
Bute Community Land Company will acquire land at Shalunt, Isle of Bute. The group will install a carpark and other infrastructure to improve the accessibility of their community owned Bute Forest.
Evanton Community Trust – £17,166
Evanton Community Trust will purchase land adjacent to the community owned Victoria Diamond Jubilee Hall which will allow them to fundraise to extend the Hall and expand the support they currently provide to the local community.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has announced the launch of the inaugural Edinburgh Festival Fringe emerging critic’s programme.
Reviews are a critical tool for Fringe artists, for both raising their profile and encouraging audiences to seek out their work. Over the last few years, the level of arts coverage delivered by media titles across the UK has reduced dramatically compared to pre-pandemic. The Fringe Society’s new pilot project aims to promote arts journalism as an attractive and viable career choice for emerging talent.
Through the 2023 emerging critics programme, the Fringe Society will recruit up to seven emerging writers who will be supported through a learning programme, culminating in attending the festival in August to review shows and see their work published. The titles supporting this pilot include Broadway Baby, Chortle, the Herald, the List, Neurodiverse Review, the Scotsman and the Wee Review.
Following an open recruitment process, successful applicants will be placed with one of these titles. Each emerging critic will meet with a media mentor before spending a week at the Fringe, where they will be officially accredited as 2023 media, watch performances and file reviews with their title.
Lyndsey Jackson, Deputy Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: ‘We’re excited to launch this new project, which is an important step in encouraging young writers to consider culture and the arts as a future career.
“For many artists, a great Fringe review can make their show, and the importance and impact of reviews during August cannot be underestimated for the sector overall. We hope this year’s pilot creates a catalyst for future critics to come and develop their craft here at one of the greatest festivals on earth.
‘We’d like to thank the media titles supporting us in delivering this project over the summer. Their passion and commitment to covering the Fringe every year is testament to the power that this amazing festival has and I’m delighted to see them actively engaged in supporting the next generation of talent.’
Comments from participating titles:
‘A core part of The List’s ethos is to continually search for the next generation of arts writers, and the Fringe’s emerging critics programme feeds perfectly into this’. Brian Donaldson, The List
‘At The Wee Review, we’re delighted to have had two winners of the Fringe’s Young Writer Awards and proud to have given many more their first step on the ladder. In fact, lots of our year-round team originally joined us for the Fringe. It’s a tough but hugely exciting atmosphere to be reviewing in and we look forward to meeting and supporting some new critics as they find that out for themselves!’ Robert Peacock, Wee Review
‘We are very excited to be supporting a disabled critic who will be able to bring a much-needed perspective to work at the Edinburgh Fringe’.Simon Jay, Neurodiverse Review
‘Comedy’s an incredible art form and we’re delighted to be part of this project to widen the pool of informed critics who can give it the considered analysis it deserves at the Fringe, the world’s most extraordinary gathering of comic talent’.Steve Bennett, Chortle
Applications are open now, and will close on Wednesday 28 June, with interviews scheduled for w/c 03 July 2023.
After a run of sold-out London shows, through the noise has announced that their crowdfunded concert series, noisenights, will make its debut appearance in Edinburgh this autumn.
Their new star-studded season will feature Fatma Said, Manchester Collective, Abel Selaocoe & The Bantu Ensemble, Alexandra Whittingham, Misha Mullov-Abbado, Thibaut Garcia, Lodestar Trio, Junyan Chen, Braimah Kanneh-Mason and Jeneba Kanneh-Mason performing in clubs and gig-venues around the country, including at Edinburgh’s La Belle Angele.
noisenights aim to reach audiences that might otherwise not experience world-class classical musicians. Over the past two years the series has grown from a fringe night in East London to a leading classical promotion, with names like Sheku Kanneh-Mason taking on UK-wide noisenights tours.
So far 42 of the 44 noisenight shows have sold-out.
Building on the success of their first tour last year, through the noise are now launching regular noisenights in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Birkenhead, Newcastle, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Brighton and London.
Between October and December this year through the noise will take no less than five classical projects on tour around the UK, and they plan to come back to Edinburgh regularly in 2024. This is a significant milestone for the community-led organisation, which began less than two years ago in grassroots venues in Hackney.
Inspired by the UK’s great underground club scene and thriving jazz venues, noisenights offer an alternative way to experience live classical music. Using a unique crowdfunding model which puts concert plans to local communities for support in return for tickets, they are able to bring international stars to intimate venues. Each event is confirmed once it reaches a funding target.
through the noise Co-founder and Artistic Director Jack Bazalgette said: “We’ve been happily surprised to find that there’s a growing audience for our classical gigs, so we’re thrilled to be heading to Edinburgh for the first time later this year with the incredible Alexandra Whittingham.
“She’s a guitar virtuoso with a rare power to move and inspire people with her performances, and I can’t wait to give Edinburgh audiences the chance to experience her perform up close. This is just the beginning – we can’t wait to bring even more classical names to Edinburgh in 2024…”
About through the noise:
through the noise began in the first lockdown as a positive force for live classical music. It runs an independent guide to the best and most affordable classical events in London and is the home of noisenights. through the noise is also a community interest company which runs live music-based mental health projects in collaboration with various London charities.
In 2021, one in 14 jobs in Scotland was in the food and accommodation service sector, adding around £1.3 billion to the Scottish economy quarterly. Yet, average pay in the hospitality sector is significantly lower than the Scottish average – in fact, accommodation and food services has the lowest median hourly pay of any industry, at £10 in 2022. Across all sectors, the Scottish median hourly wage was £15 for the same time period.
Pre-pandemic, we published a report showing that hospitality workers were more likely to be in working poverty than workers in other industries. Children living in a household with at least one adult in hospitality were also significantly more likely to be in poverty than other households in Scotland.
Hospitality is also an extraordinarily difficult industry for business owners and operators. We found that food and accommodation services lost the highest proportion of revenue compared to other industries during the pandemic, on top of already having relatively low profit margins.
Hotels and restaurants also struggle to fill job vacancies, with data showing that around 30-35% of hospitality workers change employers annually – around twice the rate of other industries. This can add thousands of pounds to a company’s bottom line annually.
Holding on to these workers is vital for the long-term sustainability of these businesses, just like addressing low pay in hospitality is vital for the long-term wellbeing of these workers, their families, and the entire landscape of inequality and child poverty in Scotland.
To understand these issues, the FAI began a three-year project engaging with hospitality employers and workers in 2022. This project, called “Serving the Future,” is a partnership between the Robertson Trust, the Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures, the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, and the Poverty Alliance.
The goal of this project is to identify how hospitality industry employers can reduce in-work poverty, and what organisational, systemic, and policy-based changes can address child and working poverty in Scotland.
Today, we published our report summarising the first stream of work in this project. This workstream used scenario planning workshops to figure out what can be done to both support the sector financially and reduce in-work poverty.
Scenario planning involves discussing possible future situations based on various political, environmental, economic, or cultural factors. We established two groups for this: a group of hospitality workers and a group of business operators.
We asked these two groups to come up with ten major drivers of change each, isolating the two that were deemed the most important and most uncertain. The groups then created four scenarios based on the impact of the two drivers: what if one driver had high impact and one had low impact? What if both had high impact? What if neither did?
Participants then discussed the possible implications of these four scenarios, and what actions could be taken to mitigate potential negative outcomes. This allowed us to understand some major concerns for the future of this culturally and economically important industry.
What were hospitality workers concerned about?
Unsurprisingly, hospitality workers voiced concerns about poverty levels. They also expressed concern about business uncertainty: what if demand for hotels and restaurants skyrockets? What if demand drops? How will business levels affect mental health and job security for workers? What about pay?
The four situations addressed high consumer demand compared to low consumer demand, combined with either high or low levels of poverty.
The consumer demand scenarios showed the trade off workers make with hours and mental health. Especially in high-poverty scenarios, workers either suffer with burnout because of high business levels, or they suffer with unstable paycheques and poor job security because of low levels of consumer demand. Workers also noted that burnout and poor wages would naturally lead to bad service and bad practices.
The concern about poor service and bad practice was echoed in situations with lower levels of poverty, as well. In those scenarios, workers discussed ways to improve working conditions and reduce the stigma of hospitality jobs. This demonstrates a theme between both workers and employers – everyone takes pride in their work. Both groups want these positions to be viewed as a culturally significant and sustainable career path, rather than a low-status and temporary job.
What were the business operators concerned about?
Employers identified government policy and high energy costs as key issues facing the hospitality industry today. The four scenarios covered more and less effective policy backgrounds, combined with higher or lower energy costs.
The two situations with strong and effective government policy were generally considered more positively by employers, regardless of energy costs. Energy costs were still a major concern, especially among the rural business leaders in this group, but with better policy, employers felt that they could increase pay and invest more in staff training and development. They pointed out current childcare policy as an area with room for improvement – it’s a huge struggle for parents to access childcare when they need it, since typical work hours in hospitality fall outside of traditional school hours.
In situations with less effective policy, worker exploitation was seen as a natural outcome. This led employers to talk about the stigma around hospitality work. Like the worker group, employers want to see the work as a viable and sustainable career option. In situations without effective policy, employers thought that this worker exploitation would lead to high vacancy rates, burnout, low pay, and the continued view that hospitality is a temporary, low-status job.
Actions
Both groups felt that the government needs to provide policy which ensures adequate incomes for staff. They suggested increasing minimum wage or increased social security payments. Employers also want to see policy action on non-traditional childcare options.
Businesses also expressed how crucial government support was during periods of crisis for businesses – ongoing support for high energy costs were of particular concern when we held these meetings back in September.
Finally, businesses noted how challenging it is to navigate formal education and training. In particular, they talked about how education rarely prepares people to work in high-pressure, late-night environments. The modern apprenticeship programme, which is only available to under-25s, also misses out on recruiting older people that would benefit from such a programme.
This observation is timely, in that a recent report to Scottish ministers expressed a similar viewpoint. In particular, the system lacks cohesion, is overly complicated to navigate, and often results in tension between sectors and educational institutions, in spite of both having shared goals.
Within the sector itself, employers discussed training improvements and how these could be attained by working with other businesses.
Improving worker conditions within the sector was mentioned by both workers and employers. With better government support, both groups felt that there would be more of an opportunity to improve pay. Employers talked about transport and childcare, while workers focused on general working conditions.
This work was our first step in identifying ways to reduce the risk of in-work poverty for individuals in the hospitality sector. It also left us with several unanswered questions: how will technology impact the future of hospitality? How can employers help improve the educational system for hospitality workers? How can the sector and government make hospitality a viable, long-term career option?
Keep an eye on both our site and the project page at ServingTheFuture.scot for future developments in this space.
ST JAMES QUARTER CELEBRATES PRIDE WITH DAZZLING DRAG QUEEN APPEARANCES
Aegon UK and Aegon Asset Management are pleased to announce that they’ll be sponsoring this year’s Pride Edinburgh and Fife Pride festivals. It will be Aegon’s sixth year sponsoring Pride Edinburgh and the third time sponsoring Fife Pride.
Pride Edinburgh is Scotland’s national and longest running LGBTQIA+ festival. It returns to full form on Saturday 24 June after a scaled-back event in 2022 due to Covid-19. It will consist of various activities and inclusive events to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, including a march through the city centre starting at the Scottish Parliament and finishing with a music festival at Bristo Square.
Aegon is also sponsoring the Pride Edinburgh’s Ride with Pride bus for the second year running. The bus is designed to provide better accessibility to everyone to join in with the official march.1
Fife Pride is also set to return for its sixth year, on 1st July in Kirkcaldy. In 2022 around 2,000 LGBTQIA+ people and allies of the community celebrated following a two-year absence.
As sponsors, Aegon colleagues will be at both events to engage with attendees about the business, how it celebrates inclusivity and diversity, as well as about its sustainability initiatives.
Andy Manson, Chief Marketing Officer at Aegon UK, said:“It gives us immense pleasure to support and attend these two fantastic events again this year.
“We’re an organisation passionate about creating a working environment that celebrates all forms of diversity and individuality, and our ongoing support of Pride events is just one of the many ways Aegon engages with our local communities.”
GLITZ, GLAMOUR, AND FABULOUSNESS: ST JAMES QUARTER CELEBRATES PRIDE WITH DAZZLING DRAG QUEEN APPEARANCES
St James Quarter, Edinburgh’s premier destination to shop, dine, play and stay, will be supporting the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies with a day filled with Pride celebrations on Saturday the 24th of June.
Kicking off at 11am, St James Quarter will be joined by dynamic duo Drag Queens, Sissy Scorpio and Rozie Cheeks, extending a warm welcome to guests. Dazzling everyone with their mesmerising dance moves, they will strike poses for iconic selfies and give rainbow flags to guests.
St James Quarter is also running a pride-tastic giveaway, guests can win a £500 gift card, redeemable in the Quarter, if they download the St James Quarter app over the Pride weekend.
The celebrations don’t end there. At 3pm, guests can join the pride party as the sensational DJ Trendy Wendy takes to the decks on Level 3 bringing a pride setlist like no other. With her signature mix of disco, soul and funk music, this will be a loud and proud party you won’t want to miss.
From 11am – 3pm on Level 1, all guests can take advantage of free face painting, whether they’re joining Edinburgh’s ‘March with Pride’ event, celebrating Pride Month, or simply looking to add some fun and colour to their day.
Brands across the Quarter are also embracing Pride Month with their own special edition Pride collections and displays including Hollister, Coach and Hotel Chocolat, Boots is hosting a series of fun beauty masterclasses on 24th June, complete with live entertainment, and Everyman is screening Pride favourites, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Priscilla Queen of the Desert over the weekend.
Bross Bagels is proudly offering its fabulous rainbow bagels throughout Pride weekend, in association with LGBT Youth Scotland. These vibrant treats can be matched with any filling, creating a delightful experience for everyone to savour.
Susan Hewlett, Brand & Marketing Director, St James Quarter, said: “We have a fun packed day planned for Edinburgh Pride.
“Our Guest Services team will be joined by the inimitable Sissy Scorpio and Rozy Cheeks, two of Scotland’s leading Drag Queens, bringing a whole new vibe to our Brand Ambassador team with live voguing and iconic dance moves.
“Guests are invited to join in, grab a selfie or strike their own pose. We will also have glitter face painting for all, the chance to win a St James Quarter gift card and to close the days party atmosphere the supremely talented DJ Trendy Wendy will be filling the Quarter with the best Pride anthems from 3pm – 7pm.
“We are incredibly proud to be associated with this event, it supports our commitment to promoting diversity and equality and we invite everyone to join us in this momentous celebration of pride, acceptance, and unity.”
For further information and updates on the Pride event at St James Quarter, please visit:
The transition to a low carbon economy offers huge opportunities for the town of Grangemouth – but work must be done to ensure that local people and businesses aren’t left behind.
That’s the verdict of a Holyrood committee, which yesterday released the result of its inquiry into a Just Transition for the Grangemouth Area.
The Economy and Fair Work Committee took evidence from local residents, representatives from industry, trade unions and the Scottish and UK Governments as part of a wide-ranging inquiry into how the transition should be managed.
The report makes several key recommendations ahead of the Scottish Government’s own “dedicated and focused Grangemouth just transition plan.” These include a call for the plan to map the transition for the whole area rather than just the industrial site.
Committee Convener Claire Baker MSP said: “Scotland’s just transition to a low-carbon economy presents significant opportunities – not just for the economy, but also for our communities. Nowhere is that clearer than in relation to the Grangemouth Refinery.
“It is clear from the response from the local community that any just transition must maximise opportunities for the town itself, and ensure that the benefits are felt widely.
“The potential for significant regeneration and improvement is on the town’s doorstep, and it is now down to the UK and Scottish Governments, as well as INEOS, to make sure it is fully realised.”
The Committee wants the Government to meaningfully engage with the community and co-design its plans, allowing the community to have a direct impact in the future direction of their town.
The report also stresses the importance of the Acorn Project for carbon capture, which aims to capture and store up to one million tonnes of CO2 by 2027. The Acorn Project is a “critical enabler” for INEOS’ ambitions for the Grangemouth site, according to the report.
Funding for carbon capture lies with the UK Government. Minister Graham Stuart MP told the Committee that while the project was not selected to receive funding in the first round in October 2021, Grangemouth was in “pole position” for future rounds. An update is expected in the summer.
Claire Baker MSP continued: “While the Committee welcomes the sentiment that Grangemouth is well placed to receive funding for carbon capture, these warm words must now be backed up with a commitment. Funding the Acorn Project will truly unlock the potential of the site and must be a priority.”
Commercial property investment by the City of Edinburgh Council has provided space for local businesses to thrive while raising over £15 million a year for vital public services, reveals a new report.
A revised version of the Council’s Commercial Property Strategy – which supports existing, new, and expanding enterprises across the Capital – has been approved by the Finance and Resources Committee.
It reveals that the Council is the biggest landlord of commercial property in all of Edinburgh, with a portfolio of 949 assets worth in the region of £245m. This has helped the Council generate income to reinvest towards frontline services and make profits from sales, which have helped with budget savings.
The strategy also supports a number of grassroots and community-based clubs and organisations with low-cost lease arrangements.
Under the refreshed plan, the Council will continue to maximise income growth from buildings in the year ahead while also prioritising support for start-ups and the Capital’s ambitious net zero by 2030 climate commitment.
A change to the strategy will also allow the opportunity for funds from property sales to be reinvested back into the portfolio, helping to streamline and make the most of the council’s assets.
This involves a vision for designing inhouse and building a new, sustainable, business park on Council-owned land at Peffermill – mirroring the successful business park launched in East Hermiston in early 2018. Five years on, the East Hermiston Park is providing 16 fully let units in a 1,600sqm modern industrial space yielding an annual income of £185k.
Councillor Mandy Watt, Finance and Resources Convener, said: “I’m pleased that the refreshed strategy has received Committee’s approval and that we’ll be able to improve on the £15m of income already raised from the council’s property portfolio.
“The opportunities available to support even more jobs at the new low carbon business park in Peffermill are exciting, and I’m looking forward to plans being brought forward later in the year.
“Over the last year, the council has used its properties to support the economic success of the city post-Covid and helped budding businesses to thrive, in ways that maximise income for delivering Council services. The results speak for themselves and we’ve seen first-hand the benefits business parks like the existing one at East Hermiston can bring.
“Against a backdrop of reduced government funding, we’ve had to think creatively to make the most of any income that we can raise for council services. This property strategy is a good example of that.”
