Avant Homes Scotland will deliver 92 new homes in Tranent after being granted planning permission for a £31m residential development.
Called Thistle Meadows and located off South Glynn Walk, the development will comprise a mix of three-, four- and five-bedroom family homes.
It will feature 10 of Avant Homes’ practically designed, energy-efficient house types including semi-detached and detached homes. Prices for the properties are to be released at a later date.
Work at Thistle Meadows is scheduled to start this month. It is anticipated that the first properties will be released for sale in June and the first residents will move into their new homes in February 2025.
Avant Homes Scotland managing director, Jim Wilkinson, said: “As a business, we are committed to providing quality new homes for everyone in locations where people want to live.
“We now look forward to starting work on Thistle Meadows to provide local residents and people wanting to move to Tranent with a range of practically designed, energy-efficient homes at various price points.
“We have great mix of properties that will appeal to everyone from first-time buyers to second-steppers, families and downsizers.
“This is demonstrated by the significant number of sales enquiries we already have for Thistle Meadows and, now that we have been granted planning, we expect this demand to increase further.”
For more information on the development, search ‘Avant Homes Thistle Meadows’.
Almost 300,000 Self Assessment customers filed their tax return in the first week of the new tax year, almost 10 months ahead of the deadline, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed.
Customers can file their Self Assessment returns for the 2023 to 2024 tax year between 6 April 2024 and 31 January 2025.
Almost 70,000 people filed their return on the opening day this year (6 April) and HMRC is encouraging people to do it early and not to leave it until January.
By filing tax returns early, people can take their time to complete their returns – making sure the information is accurate and avoiding the stress of last-minute filing.
It can also help with budgeting and helping spread the cost of their tax bill. Customers can set up a budget payment plan to make weekly or monthly direct debit payments towards their next Self Assessment tax bill.
Refunds of overpaid tax will be paid as soon as the return has been processed. Customers can also check if they are due a refund in the HMRC app.
In recent years, HMRC has seen more and more customers file their tax returns early. Last year, more than 246,000 people submitted their Self Assessment between 6 and 12 April 2023.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said:“Filing your Self Assessment early means people can spend more time growing their business and doing the things they love, rather than worrying about their tax return.
“You too can join the thousands of customers who have already done their tax return for the 2023-24 tax year by searching ‘Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK and get started today.”
Anyone who is new to Self Assessment and thinks they might need to complete a tax return for the 2023 to 2024 tax year can use the Self Assessment online tool to check whether they need to register for Self Assessment and submit a return.
People may need to complete a tax return for the 2023 to 2024 tax year and pay any tax owed if:
· they are a self-employed individual with an income over £1,000
· they have received any untaxed income over £2,500
· they are renting out one or more properties
· they claim Child Benefit and they or their partner have an income above £50,000
· they are a partner in a partnership
· their taxable income earned from savings and investments is more than the £10,000 personal savings allowance
· their taxable income earned from dividends is more than £10,000
· they have paid Capital Gains Tax on assets that were sold for a profit above the Capital Gains threshold
Pensioners are required to pay Income Tax on any taxable income, including their pension income, above their Personal Allowance threshold. There are different ways to pay any tax owed, depending on the individual’s circumstances, including:
· if they already complete a Self Assessment tax return, they will need to report and pay via this route
· if they have a PAYE tax code, HMRC will automatically collect any tax through their tax code
Alternatively, if a pensioner does not already pay tax via Self Assessment or PAYE, HMRC will send them a Simple Assessment summary.
The Simple Assessment will tell them how much Income Tax they need to pay and the deadline – usually by 31 January following the end of the tax year. HMRC produces the Simple Assessment from the information it already holds so people do not need to do anything – there is no form to complete. More information about Simple Assessment is available on GOV.UK.
It is important that customers let HMRC know if there are any changes in details or circumstances such as a new address or name, or if they are no longer self-employed or their business has closed.
They should not assume someone else will update HMRC on their behalf.
Criminals use emails, phone calls and texts to try to steal information and money from taxpayers. Before sharing their personal or financial details, people should search ‘HMRC phishing and scams’ on GOV.UK to check the sender or caller is genuine.
Customers should never share their HMRC sign-in details. Someone could use them to steal from them or claim benefits or a refund in their name.
Muscular Dystrophy UK voices concerns from the muscle wasting and weakening community in Scotland.
Study reveals possible signs of rare and progressive conditions are often missed and not investigated.
Speedy referral is essential due to complex diagnosis process and the urgent need to access vital healthcare and treatments as quickly as possible.
A recent study by Muscular Dystrophy UK reveals that people living with a muscle wasting or weakening condition are often misunderstood by healthcare professionals and are not referred at the earliest opportunity to specialist services.
The leading charity for more than 110,000 children and adults in the UK living with one of over 60 muscle wasting and weakening conditions, carried out a survey revealing key insights from the muscle wasting and weakening community.
Just under half of respondents (47%) faced being misdiagnosed at some point, with it taking four or more meetings with healthcare professionals for the majority (55%) of respondents to get a diagnosis. A significant majority of respondents (69%) waited in excess of a year to receive a diagnosis.
The findings highlight the need to improve knowledge and understanding of neuromuscular conditions to ensure people are referred, as early as possible to a specialist neuromuscular team, to receive the right diagnosis and start on an appropriate care pathway to get the support and any available treatment required.
Muscle wasting and weakening conditions are progressive which means they will worsen over time and lead to an increasing level of disability. Care and treatments available will slow progression but there is currently no cure.
The symptoms of muscular dystrophy, and the age at which onset occurs, will be different in each person.
Common symptoms could include muscle stiffness or pain, changes in mobility, such as difficulty walking, difficulty in lifting things and increased number of falls. Some muscle wasting and weakening conditions can affect the heart or the muscles used for breathing and in some severe cases, the condition may have life-threatening complications, and shortened life expectancy.
84% of respondents to the survey highlighted the need to increase understanding and awareness of muscle wasting and weakening conditions among non-specialist neuromuscular healthcare professionals as a key priority. With 56% of respondents highlighting that access to healthcare should be a further area of focus.
Respondents shared some of their diagnosis journey highlighting: “I was 14 when I knew something was wrong.
“At age 35 I was diagnosed. I was told I was lying and making things up.”
Another respondent said: “My first reported symptoms to my GP I was aged 35, then onwards from that, on a regular basis until eventual diagnosis at 65.
“I had in-patient assessments over those years, and no-one thought to look for Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) even though my sister has it and I always disclosed this in my medical history.”
The findings show a lack of understanding of muscle wasting and weakening conditions within non-specialist neuromuscular healthcare professionals, either at the initial stages of a diagnosis or at different touch points throughout the management of the condition.
Muscular Dystrophy UK works with the NHS and the muscle wasting and weakening community to broaden knowledge and understanding of the different conditions and improve access to treatments.
The charity is calling for improvements to be made, so people get a faster diagnosis and are better equipped to access appropriate healthcare sooner.
Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive of Muscular Dystrophy UK said: “When you are living with a progressive condition that can affect vital muscles such as the heart and lungs, it is essential that you get a diagnosis quickly.
“We know that neuromuscular conditions cover an incredibly wide range of rare and progressive conditions. The diagnosis journey is complex and it can take multiple appointments. It’s therefore crucial that we improve the understanding and knowledge of non-specialist neuromuscular healthcare professionals to ensure the referral process is quick and efficient to reduce the number of people being misdiagnosed.
People must be able to access the right support, management – and where available, treatment. Allowing people to remain independent, doing the things they enjoy for longer and more easily.”
David Hick was diagnosed with Becker muscular dystrophy in July 2023. Photo credit: Muscular Dystrophy UK
His symptoms progressed, following Covid, and the realisation came when he wasn’t able to continue with his motor trade job, that he had been doing for two decades. He got professional help and was diagnosed. A month after diagnosis, David joined the North Star Programme and is part of a clinical drug trial. David is now looking to move to closer to a specialist neuromuscular centre in Newcastle to ensure he can receive the best possible care.
He said: “Looking back it was apparent that something was wrong, but it was never properly investigated. I was told you’re a fit and healthy person. You’ve got nothing wrong with you. You’re just tall and skinny.
“It affected my mental health when I was in my early twenties, as I questioned why I couldn’t do certain things. Difficulties would come up in everyday life, but I just brushed it off.
“We were renovating our house and I lifted something heavy. As a result, I pulled several muscles, so went to a physio. This was the start of the diagnosis journey. I ended up being diagnosed with a rare and progressive condition. It was like a grenade going off – I’d never heard of muscular dystrophy before.”
Muscular Dystrophy UK provides a range of resources and awareness raising opportunities for non-specialist neuromuscular healthcare professionals, including an e-learning resource for General Practitioners, events, webinars and conferences and connections to local specialist services through its Regional Neuromuscular Networks.
Healthcare professionals who wish to access this support can email:
Around 9am yesterday (Wednesday, 8 May), whilst executing a warrant at an address on Broomhouse Place North, officers from Edinburgh South West Community Policing Team discovered controlled drugs, believed to be cannabis, both herbal and plants, with an estimated street value of £303,000.
A 28-year-old man has been arrested and charged and is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday, 9 May 2024. A report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
New approach puts an end to confusing recycling and excessive bins
A new, common-sense approach to recycling will make bin day simpler and boost recycling rates for the nation, Recycling Minister Robbie Moore announced today (9 May).
New simpler recycling collections will see the same materials collected from homes, workplaces and schools, ending the confusing patchwork of different approaches across England.
Today the Westminstergovernment has set out how the drive to better and simpler recycling will work, listening to councils who want to avoid streets cluttered with bins while doing what is best for the local community.
Councils in England will be allowed to collect plastic, metal, glass, paper and card in one bin in all circumstances. Similarly, food and garden waste will also be allowed to be co-collected.
This will reduce confusion over what items can be recycled, as people will no longer have to check what their specific council will accept for recycling. It will also reduce complexity for councils and other waste collectors, ensuring they retain the flexibility to collect recyclable waste in the most appropriate way for their local areas.
Additionally, the UK Government is supporting more frequent and comprehensive bin collections. A minimum backstop means councils will be expected to collect black bin waste at least fortnightly, alongside weekly food waste collections.
This will stop the trend – seen outside England – towards three-weekly or four-weekly bin collections. Councils are also being actively encouraged to make collections even more frequent, to prevent smelly waste from building up outside homes.
Together, these new proposals will ensure regular and simpler bin collections from people’s homes across England – making recycling simpler for everyone.
Recycling Minister Robbie Moore said: “We all want to do our bit to increase recycling and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill – but a patchwork of different bin collections across England means it can be hard to know what your council will accept.
“Our plans for Simpler Recycling will end that confusion: ensuring that the same set of materials will be collected regardless of where you live.”
Paul Vanston, CEO of the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN), said:“Householders can take this government announcement as a pledge that, wherever we live across the nation, our local councils will all speedily implement recycling collections of the full range of materials that will match on-pack recycling labels citizens rely on for guidance.
“Those paying the very substantial costs for councils’ local packaging recycling services – especially citizens, brands and retailers – can rightly set high benchmarks of great customer service, superb packaging recycling performance and demonstrable value-for-money being achieved everywhere.”
The plans will apply to all homes in England, including flats. Similar measures will apply to non-household municipal premises, including businesses, hospitals, schools and universities.
As well as these developments, the list of premises in scope of these requirements has been expanded. Places of worship, penal institutes, charity shops, hostels and public meeting places will all come under the scope of the Simpler Recycling regulations.
This update builds on wider efforts to increase recycling and reduce waste. New restrictions on single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, expanded and extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers came into force on 1 October 2023 in order to reduce plastic pollution and keep streets clean.
The Westminster government is also moving forward with the implementation of a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers and our Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging to boost recycling and clamp down on plastic pollution and litter.
At the beginning of 2024 it confirmed that disposable vapes will be banned in the UK to protect children’s health and tackle the environmental impact of these items.
The UK parliament has already introduced a ban on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products, restrictions on the supply of single-use plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds, and our world-leading Plastic Packaging Tax.
Meanwhile, the single-use plastic carrier bag charge has successfully cut sales by over 97% in the main supermarkets.
Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trustis celebrating 30 years of life in Edinburgh.
Springing from nowhere (hence the name!) into a small gallery space in the centre of Edinburgh in 1994, Out of the Blue now enlivens and animates six buildings in Edinburgh, including the A-listed Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Leith and the iconic Bongo Club in the city centre.
Since 1994, over two million people have come through our doors to work, create, exhibit, perform, eat, drink, dance, teach and learn.
Our creative projects and valuable social initiatives benefit thousands of individuals, and many organisations and communities. Collectively, these ventures are making a significant contribution both to people’s quality of life and to the provision of opportunities in the creative industries for emerging and established artists.
Why commemorate the 30-year milestone?
We worked hard to give birth and sustain our vision (some would say against all odds). Our creative ventures, collaborations and achievements to date are worthy of attention.
We also want to express our gratitude to those individuals and organisations who played a significant role in ‘making it happen’.
How are we commemorating?
On the 30th May 2024 associates from the world of arts and crafts, politics, education and press will gather at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall to sample performance, music and visual art which is representative of our 30-year history.
Throughout the rest of our 30th year, we will showcase 30 events illustrative of a history of many collaborative partnerships.
Rob Hoon, Out of the Blue Chief Executive said: “Out of the Blue is unique and resists classification. Our buildings are not simply artists’ studios, or ‘creative hubs’. Our spaces reflect a model that has developed and been sustained over 30 years, hosting a hybrid of arts, participatory education, enterprise, creativity, and community development.
“There is cross-fertilisation between these areas which support individuals and collective initiatives. This in turn has economic, health and educational benefits for individuals and the local community.”
David Stevenson, Chair of Out of the Blue Board of Directors said: “In an increasingly challenging landscape for arts and cultural organisations, Out of the Blue is a 30 year-success story.
“A social enterprise, we have developed a sustainable business model with creative and cultural activity at its core. We are proud to be a part of the communities that make use of our spaces, and as we celebrate our anniversary we also celebrate the stories of every person who has passed through our doors to ‘do their thing ”
Ally Hill, Managing Director of The Bongo Club said:“The Bongo Club has been pushing the boundaries of the Edinburgh scene since 1996.
“Through the loyal support of the community (and the Council), it has now overcome threats to its existence on three occasions and its third incarnation occupies the cavernous, basement spaces below the Central Library, on Cowgate, since 2013.
The Bongo Club continues to welcome world-class, international talent.
“With a street-wise, level-headed attitude and an international reputation, the Bongo currently operates primarily as a nightclub, albeit one that also hosts regular live events suited to its low ceilings and underground feel.
“Many a rising star has played a live gig at the Bongo, with recent stand-outs including Self Esteem and Kae Tempest.”
Out of the Blue: 30 years as a Creative Development Organisation
Each Out of the Blue building has a creative purpose in its own right, but collectively they drive the growth of the Creative Industries in Edinburgh and Scotland by providing opportunities for employment, education and enterprise.
The buildings provide spaces for studios, workshops, classes, exhibitions, music practice, recording, performance, rehearsal, events, meetings, theatre, music, visual arts, architecture, designers, screen printers, social enterprises, jewellery makers, and more.
As a local organisation that sprung up from grassroot, Out of the Blue has made a significant impact on the city of Edinburgh and the communities we work in, as well as contributing to Scotland’s Creative Industry infrastructure.
Our mission to find and develop creative spaces, and to evolve as a sustained social enterprise with multiple branches, is something worth celebrating!
Throughout our 30-year history we have seen many success stories from those using our spaces to bring their creative vision to life; including
1994: Creating a DIY arts organisation and a gallery space in a shop space in Blackfriars Street, Old Town Edinburgh
1996: Move to New Street followed by the creation of the Bongo Club
2000: Initiating and awarding ‘Tap Water Awards’ as a cheeky response to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s Perrier Award
2003: The purchase and refurbishment of the (now A listed) Drill Hall in Leith – now filled with creative activity visited by over 100,000 people each year
2003- present: Providing studio space for artists and organisations that are some of the most successful and vibrant in the city. Out of the Blue accommodates over 200 artists in studios including 50 organisations/SMEs and designers, film companies, events companies, painters, theatre companies, photographers, ceramicists, textile workers, printmakers and musicians
2005: Initiated significant community based initiatives involving young people in a creative project to transform the local park. An outcome of those initiatives was the involvement of many participants in training and employment opportunities at the Out of the Blue Drill Cafe
2015 to present: Created Out of the Blueprint as a risograph print studio, based in the OOTB Drill Hall. RISO printing is a low-cost, eco-friendly print process, using only vegetable inks and 100% recycled paper, with a unique aesthetic.
2017 to present: Transformed Abbeymount Techbase into a centre of imagination and enterprise for 50 artists and hundreds of participants, as Abbeymount Studios for craft and design in the old school at the top of Easter Road.
In total Out of the Blue run:
– 5 public spaces for a combination of studios, performance, rehearsal, music, exhibition, projects, events, classes, workshops, markets, cafes and clubs.
– 4 enterprises; The Bongo Club, The Out of the Blue Drill Hall cafe, Out of the Blueprint and Out of the Blue Abbeymount Studios for craft makers.
– The A listed Out of the Blue Drill Hall
A studio base for over 100 artists
An arts venue for local, national and international artists and others to create, teach, learn manage and perform visited by a total of 100,000 members of the public per annum
A Market venue for artists and local traders
The Drill Hall café, a resource for the local community and a training project for young people with 73,000 customers per annum
– The Bongo Club. Performance venue including live music, club, theatre, spoken word/poetry, film/video art, dance and comedy, practice and workshop facilities.
To find out more about Out of the Blue, please take a look at our dedicated webpage.
Banking group TSB has announced plans to close 36 bank branches across the UK in a move that will see 250 job losses.
TSB’s branch on Leith Walk is among the branches on the hitlist. It will close in September.
Edinburgh North and Leith MP Deidre Brock commented:“I’m sorry to read of yet another bank closing its doors in Leith. This comes hot on the heels of the RBS closure announcement and it’s another bad move from the banks.
“It’s time for a pause to be called on these closure programmes and solutions sought to stop this rapid decline in high street banking.
“Plenty of my constituents don’t bank digitally, while others just prefer dealing in cash or dealing with human beings.
“They shouldn’t be expected to hotfoot it up to town whenever they need to do a transaction. Taking away options is not progress.
“I’ve written to the bank and asked for a meeting. I will do all I can to help find a long-term solution which can keep local banking services in the community of Leith.”
The Scottish Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Edinburgh North and Leith Mike Andersen has hit out at both the Royal Bank of Scotland and the TSB Group, after they respectively announced the closures of their last remaining branches in Leith.
Mike Andersen said: “Access to cash is a hugely important issue to the thousands of residents in the north of the city.
“Not only will locals be losing yet another important service, but it hurts tourists and visitors who may be seeking cash out with normal shop hours to use in local bars and restaurants.
“Lib Dems have consistently called on both our governments, in Edinburgh and London, to do more to support local businesses and find a solution to bank branch closures by introducing schemes such as community hubs.
“Both RBS and TSB need to halt these closures and restore the confidence of local people.”
Jack Caldwell, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Leith Walk said: “Leith as a whole is one of the most densely populated areas in the UK.
“RBS and TSB both need to rethink this announcement and ensure local residents are fairly supported.”
Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Forth ward said: “Given that residents are keen for more local services near their homes, it’s incredibly disappointing for my constituents who will now have to travel much further for in-person banking services.“
A spokesman for TSB said: “The decision to close a branch is never taken lightly, but our customers are now doing most of their banking digitally and we need to move to a better balance of digital and face-to-face services.
“We remain committed to a national branch network and through innovation and integration with video, telephone, digital, branch and other face-to-face services TSB customers have more ways to bank with us than ever before.”
Paul Lawrence has been recommended for appointment as the new Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council.
Following a competitive selection process, overseen by a cross-party panel of senior councillors, a final decision will be taken on the appointment today’s meeting of Full Council (9 May).
If the panel’s recommendation is approved, Mr Lawrence is expected to start as Chief Executive on 17 June.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “I’m delighted that following a rigorous recruitment process, Paul Lawrence has been recommended for appointment into the role of Chief Executive.
“We had an extremely high calibre of candidates from across the UK, which is testament to the Council’s – and the city’s – reputation. Subject to councillors’ approval on Thursday, I look forward to welcoming Paul into his new role.”
Current Chief Executive, Andrew Kerr, will retire on 14 June, following nine years with the Council, and 42 years of public service.
Paul has been the Council’s Executive Director of Place since 2015, with his responsibilities including planning, housing, transport, regulatory services and environment, as well as economic development and culture.
In this article, Ofcom explain some of the main measures and the difference we expect them to make. Whether you are a parent, carer or someone working with children, this can help you understand what is happening to help children in the UK live safer lives online.
Protecting children is a priority
Protecting children so they can enjoy the benefits of being online, without experiencing the potentially serious harms that exist in the online world, is a priority for Ofcom.
Under the Act social media apps, search and other online services must prevent children from encountering the most harmful content relating to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, and pornography. They must also minimise children’s exposure to other serious harms, including violent, hateful or abusive material, bullying content, and content promoting dangerous challenges.
What will companies have to do to protect children online?
Firstly, online services must establish whether children are likely to access their site – or part of it. And secondly, if children are likely to access it, the company must carry out a further assessment to identify the risks their service poses to children, including the risk that come from the design of their services, their functionalities and algorithms. They then need to introduce various safety measures to mitigate these risks.
Our consultation proposes more than 40 safety measures that services would need to take – all aimed at making sure children enjoy safer screen time when they are online. These include:
Robust age checks – our draft Codes expect services to know which of their users are children in order to keep protect them from harmful content. In practice, this means that all services which don’t ban harmful content should introduce highly effective age-checks to prevent children from accessing the entire site or app, or age-restricting parts of it for adults-only access.
Safer algorithms – under our proposals, any service that has systems that recommend personalised content to users and is at a high risk of harmful content must design their algorithms to filter out the most harmful content from children’s feeds, and downrank other harmful content. Children must also be able to provide negative feedback so the algorithm can learn what content they don’t want to see.
Effective moderation – all services, like social media apps and search services, must have content moderation systems and processes to take quick action on harmful content and large search services should use a ‘safe search’ setting for children, which can’t be turned off and must filter out the most harmful content. Other broader measures require clear policies from services on what kind of content is allowed, how content is prioritised for review, and for content moderation teams to be well-resourced and trained.
What difference will these measures make?
We believe these measures will improve children’s online experiences in a number of ways. For example:
Children will not normally be able to access pornography.
Children will be protected from seeing, and being recommended, potentially harmful content.
Children will not be added to group chats without their consent.
It will be easier for children to complain when they see harmful content, and they can be more confident that their complaints will be acted on.
Our consultation follows proposals we’ve already published for how children should be protected from illegal content and activity such as grooming, child sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as how children should be prevented from accessing pornographic content.
Next steps
Our consultation is open until 17 July and we welcome any feedback on the proposals. We expect to finalise our proposals and publish our final statement and documents in spring next year.
