Month: July 2024

New Great British Energy partnership launched to ‘turbocharge energy independence’

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband announce first major partnership between Great British Energy and The Crown Estate to unleash billions of investment in clean power.

  • Prime Minister and Energy Secretary announce first major partnership between Great British Energy and The Crown Estate to unleash billions of investment in clean power
  • Great British Energy Bill to be introduced today to enable a company owned by the British people, delivering for the British people, backed by £8.3 billion of new catalysing investment over this Parliament

The Prime Minister and Energy Secretary today announced a new unprecedented partnership between Great British Energy and The Crown Estate, which has the potential to leverage up to £60 billion of private investment into the UK’s drive for energy independence. 

Great British Energy will be at the heart of the government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. The company will be owned by the British people, for the British people, backed with £8.3 billion of new money over this Parliament to own and invest in clean power projects in regions across the UK. 

It comes soon after the Energy Secretary has scrapped the ban on onshore wind and unblocked the production of cheap solar energy. Today’s announcement is yet more evidence of the Energy Secretary rolling up his sleeves to deliver clean energy and kickstart economic growth, so British bill payers and communities reap the benefits of clean, secure, home-grown energy. 

Great British Energy’s first major partnership will be between two national institutions for the benefit of the British people.

The Crown Estate, which has a £16 billion portfolio of land and seabed, operates independently and returns its profits to the government, brings long-established expertise to the partnership, and new investment and borrowing powers recently announced by government.

Great British Energy will bring the critical strategic industrial policy that the state can provide, as well as its own ability to invest.

The Crown Estate estimates this partnership will lead to up to 20-30GW of new offshore wind developments reaching seabed lease stage by 2030, enough power for the equivalent of almost 20 million homes. 

The partnership will boost Britain’s energy independence by investing in homegrown power, and with accompanying reforms to policy, cut the time it takes to get offshore wind projects operating and delivering power to homes by up to half.  

This partnership will see the public sector taking on a new role undertaking additional early development work for offshore wind projects. This will ensure that future offshore wind development has lower risk for developers, enabling projects to build out faster after leasing and crowding in private sector investment. It will also help boost new technologies such as carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, wave and tidal energy.   

It comes as the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has published details of the company’s objective. Families across the country have suffered during the cost-of-living crisis, as the UK’s over-reliance on fossil fuel markets was exploited by Putin. Great British Energy is part of the government’s plans for clean power by 2030, so families and businesses are never left vulnerable again to spiking global prices.  

The Prime Minister has confirmed that Great British Energy will be headquartered in Scotland and will back energy generation projects in the UK, bringing profits back to the British people. The UK Government is in discussions with the Scottish Government and Crown Estate Scotland on how Great British Energy could help to support new development and investment within Scotland. 

The government is already legislating to give both Great British Energy and The Crown Estate the powers they need to rapidly deliver, with two Bills being introduced in Parliament today. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: My government is laser focused on delivering change, to make people better off. 

“This innovative partnership between Great British Energy and the Crown Estate is an important step toward our mission for clean energy by 2030, and bringing down energy bills for good.

“This agreement will drive up to £60 billion in investment into the sector, turbocharging our country toward energy security, the next generation of skilled jobs, and lowering bills for families and business.

“My mission led government is rolling up our sleeves to deliver for Britain.”

Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband said: “Great British Energy comes from a simple idea – that the British people should own and benefit from our natural resources. Investing in clean power is the route to end the UK’s energy insecurity, and Great British Energy will be essential in this mission. 

“The agreement with The Crown Estate will lead to more investment, cleaner power, more energy security, and is a statement of intent that it will be a permanent and transformative institution for our country.”

Chief Executive of the Crown Estate Dan Labbad said:  “The Crown Estate exists to serve the national interest, including stewarding our natural resources to deliver a decarbonised, energy secure and sustainable future. 

“With new powers and by partnering with government, we can drive greater investment into this future for our country, and with it support nature recovery and job creation.”

Great British Energy will have five key functions

  • Project development – leading projects through development stages to speed up their delivery, whilst capturing more value for the British public 
  • Project investment – investing in energy projects alongside the private sector, helping get them off the ground 
  • Local Power Plan – supporting local energy generation projects through working with local authorities, combined authorities and communities 
  • Supply chains – building supply chains across the UK, boosting energy independence and creating jobs 
  • Great British Nuclear – exploring how Great British Energy and Great British Nuclear will work together, including considering how Great British Nuclear functions will fit with Great British Energy 

The Crown Estate has already helped the UK to become a global leader in the offshore wind sector, and is currently running one of the world’s largest commercial scale floating wind leasing programmes in the Celtic sea. This partnership will accelerate that leadership even further. 

The Great British Energy Bill, which is being introduced in the House of Commons today, will support the creation of the new publicly owned company by setting out its objectives and ensuring it has access to necessary finances. The Secretary of State will also have the ability to set Great British Energy’s strategic priorities to ensure it remains focussed on the government’s aim to accelerate the delivery of homegrown clean energy power in the UK. 

The Crown Estate Bill will modernise The Crown Estate by removing outdated restrictions on its activities so it can, for example, invest in digital technologies that will further enhance its award-winning spatial mapping of the seabed.

The Bill will also expand The Crown Estate’s investment powers and grant borrowing capabilities, unlocking significant investment in public infrastructure.

This includes essential marine investment to help support the acceleration and growth of offshore wind capacity by 2030 alongside supporting the regeneration of urban centres, such as its most recent example of a new Life Science partnership in central Oxford and nature recovery across its portfolio.

These reforms will secure the continued future success of the Crown Estate business and maximise the returns it generates for the public. 

The announcements follow the government’s rapid action to set up a new Mission Control at the heart of government to deliver clean power by 2030, headed up by former Climate Change Committee chief executive Chris Stark.

Westminster display honours 487 Ukrainian athletes killed during Russian invasion

  • A powerful display honouring the Ukrainian athletes who have been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion has been unveiled today in Parliament Square.   
  • More than 487 Ukrainian athletes have been killed, with the lives of former and aspiring Olympians, as well as the next generation of sporting talent, cut short. 
  • Display comes ahead of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games later this week. 

Ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, a display has been unveiled in Parliament Square to honour the lives lost from within the Ukrainian sporting community and to highlight the devastating consequences of the war in Ukraine. 

Since Russia’s barbaric full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the conflict has claimed the lives of thousands of innocent Ukrainians, including 487 athletes. More than 4,000 athletes are still actively supporting the war effort. 

Unveiled today in Parliament Square, the new 3D display brings to life the harrowing ‘487’ figure – though the true number is likely to be even higher. Surrounding the display, sporting equipment representing the disciplines of some of the 487 fallen athletes offers a stark reminder of the war’s devastating toll.  

With only 140 athletes from Ukraine competing at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, this marks the smallest representation ever in Ukraine’s summer Olympic history.  

Among the athletes killed by Russian forces are Oleksandr Pielieshenko, who competed in weightlifting at the Rio 2016 Olympics and died defending his country in May this year.

Other casualties include promising young athletes like 11-year-old rhythmic gymnast Kateryna Diachenko, whose life was cut short by a Russian attack on her hometown of Mariupol at the onset of the war on 12 March 2022. 

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “As the world gathers this summer to celebrate the very best of sporting talent, we must pause to remember the hundreds of Ukrainian athletes who are no longer with us or can no longer take part due to the war.  

“We are drawing attention to the harrowing real life stories behind the 487 statistic to pay tribute to the fallen athletes as a timely reminder of this government’s iron-clad support for Ukraine and its people. We must support Ukraine’s fight for freedom.   

“The defence of Europe begins in Ukraine and the outcome is down to our collective will. Now is the time to double down on our support so Ukraine not only wins the war, but can forge the bright and ambitious future that Ukrainians deserve.”

Heorhii Tykhyi, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said: “Every Ukrainian athlete at the Olympics represents the Ukrainian will to win, Volia. By acting swiftly and with united efforts, the prospect of a world where Ukrainian athletes and citizens are free from the threats posed by Russia will be a reality.“

“The display comes just days after the Prime Minister hosted President Zelenskyy at Downing Street last week after the European Political Community summit. President Zelenskyy also met the Defence and Business Secretaries where they discussed the need for more cooperation and the need to boost industrial production for Ukraine.   

The UK’s commitment to support Ukraine to resist Russian aggression is iron-clad. The Prime Minister announced his commitment to £3 billion a year of military support for Ukraine for as long as it takes. In total, the UK has committed almost £12.7bn in military, humanitarian, and economic support for Ukraine since February 2022.   

Current and former Olympic athletes and coaches worldwide have also united in solidarity with Ukraine in light of the 487 figure, sharing their hopes for Ukraine to receive the support it needs to win. 

This includes Sasha Cohen, former Ukrainian-American Olympic figure skater, Oksana Masters, Ukrainian-American Paralympic athlete, German Biathlete Jens Steinigen and coach Wolfgang Pichler, and former Ukrainian Olympic wrestler Oksana Rakhra.    

Sasha Cohen, former Ukrainian-American figure skater, said:  “I’ve always believed in the power of sport to unite and inspire. But today, I’m not just speaking as an athlete.

“I’m speaking as the daughter of a Ukrainian immigrant, my mother, Galina. I’ve grown up with stories of Ukraine, our culture, our people, and their resilience.

“Today, I stand in awe of the Ukrainian athletes participating in the Olympics and think of those who we are missing and have been lost to the war.

“Their courage, strength and determination embodies the spirit of my mother’s homeland and I stand with them in solidarity. Together, we can show the world the power of unity in sport.”

Amazon Dunfermline celebrates Prime Day

The team from Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Dunfermline enjoyed a week-long series of activities to celebrate the return of Prime Day.

Employees were treated to arcade games, sweets and treats and sports day themed activities as they picked, packed and shipped Prime Day products for customers in Dunfermline and around the UK. The celebrations were organised to say thank you to the team for delivering smiles to customers during the annual event.

Yolanda Lopez is an employee at Amazon in Dunfermline who took part in the activities on site. She said: “We love Prime Day at Amazon in Dunfermline. It’s a great day with a lot of buzz and excitement and the events organised to mark the event this year have been fantastic.”

Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline, added: “One of the most significant dates in an Amazon team member’s calendar is Prime Day, and there was great excitement on site as we prepared for the big day.

“I am impressed at how we came together this year to make the event so successful – the celebrations were well-deserved, as they always are.”

Amazon employees receive competitive pay and comprehensive benefits. Pay starts between £12.30 and £13 per hour per hour depending on location and employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection and an employee discount as well as a company pension plan.

Amazon employees can also take advantage of Amazon’s pioneering Career Choice programme, which pre-pays 95% of tuition for courses in high-demand fields, up to £8,000 over four years, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon. 

Amazon also provides opportunities to improve existing skills or learn new ones through internal career progression opportunities such as cross-training, transferring to a different department and promotion into a managerial role. 

To find out more about a career with Amazon, visit Amazon Jobs.

Jollyes Poo Bag Pet Store Giveaway 

FRIDAY 26 JULY = HERMISTON GAIT RETAIL PARK

Apologies for the subject matter, but you’ll know how important it is for dog owners to bag and bin their pet’s poo in public spaces.

We’re getting in touch to let you know that Jollyes, the fast-growing UK pet retailer with a store at Retail Park, Hermiston Gait, Cultins Rd, Edinburgh EH11 4DF is doing something about this on Friday, 26 July.

The stores will be taking part in a nationwide initiative to give away over 230,000 ‘power poop’ bags for free to customers shopping with them on this day.

That should be enough free bags for the first 140 customers at each store.

The Rufus & Rosie Power Poop bags  we’ll be giving away include a red battery-style reminder that lets pet owners know when the roll is about to run out too – we hope it’s a giveaway that helps responsible dog ownership.

One week to go until Self Assessment payment on account deadline

Millions of Self Assessment customers are expected to make a ‘payment on account’ to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) by the 31 July deadline in a bid to spread the cost of their tax bill for the 2023 to 2024 tax year.

More than 12 million people need to file a Self Assessment return for the 2023 to 2024 tax year and pay any tax owed before 31 January 2025.

However, to help spread out payments throughout the year, many people have to pay their tax by making 2 payments on account. If the previous year’s tax bill was over £1000, each payment is half that amount with the first payment having been made on 31 January and the second one due on 31 July.

If there is still tax to pay after customers have made their payments on account, they will need to make a ‘balancing payment’ by 31 January 2025.

Payments can be made securely via the HMRC app at any time of day or night.

Those who have yet to file their tax return for the 2023 to 2024 tax year, can do it early so they know what they owe and can decide how best to make the payment in full by the deadline.

Filing early also means that if a tax refund is due, they can receive it sooner.

There are a range of payment options, including weekly and monthly payment plans, available on GOV.UK. Customers can set up a plan before they have filed their tax return and the payments will be used against their next tax bill.

Those who are new to Self Assessment will need to register to get their Unique Taxpayer Reference before they can file their tax return. Anyone who is unsure about whether they need to file a tax return can use the online checking tool on GOV.UK.                                                                                          

Visit GOV.UK to find out more about Self Assessment and how to file a tax return.

Visit GOV.UK to download the HMRC app

HMRC has updated guidance on filing tax returns early and help around paying tax bills on GOV.UK.

Online help and support is available for customers who need support in completing their Self Assessment tax return.

Johnnie Walker Princes Street unveils first AI-powered Whisky Bottle personalisation experience

  • Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith will offer guests the chance to co-create their own one-of-a kind Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottle with Scottish Artist
  • Naismith, renowned for his bold, colourful abstractions of Scottish skies, coasts and landscapes, has a long-standing relationship with Diageo, creating works for the ‘Four Corners’ distilleries and Johnnie Walker Princes Street
  • The AI system has been custom trained to deliver this generative experience and features the use of cutting edge digital direct to bottle print technology

Johnnie Walker Princes Street, the World’s Leading Spirit Tourism Experience*, is inviting guests to discover Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith, harnessing cutting-edge, purpose-built AI-technology to co-design their very own unique bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

Only available at the Edinburgh venue, the experience is set to run from August 1-31 2024, and is believed to be the first ever to combine world-class Scotch whisky, art, and AI.

The journey will invite visitors to shape their co-creation by answering simple prompts that will influence key themes in Scott Naismith’s work and ultimately their bottle design. Guests will answer up to three questions across four categories influencing the specially developed AI’s generation of colour, location, artistic style and even time of day.

This will then determine the eventual look of their one-of-a-kind bottle, which is then processed real time, colour managed and printed in a matter of minutes using cutting edge digital direct to shape print technology.

The Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith experience will be available for a limited time, and guests will be able to access it with every purchase of Johnnie Walker Blue Label in the venue’s retail store throughout August.

The bottle design element can be complimented at no extra charge by a bookable expert-led tasting of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, as well as a guided tasting of the incredibly special limited edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label ‘Elusive Umami’, in the rooftop Explorers’ Bothy bar. In addition to stunning views, the tasting will offer guests an up-close look at some of Scott’s previous work, which was created for Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s opening.

Naismith’s striking artwork includes the stunning Scottish landscapes surrounding the four key distilleries which contribute to the world’s number one Scotch Whisky brand1; Cardhu in Speyside, Clynelish in the Highlands, Glenkinchie in the Lowlands and Caol Ila on Islay. The Johnnie Walker brand has well established connections with the artistic community itself, through partnerships with the likes of James Jean and graphic designer Kushiaania.

Johnnie Walker Princes Street keeps pushing boldly into the future of whisky experiences. Opening its doors in 2021, the highly anticipated attraction quickly became known for utilising modern technology to carve pathways for guests into whisky flavours and sharing the fascinating history of Johnnie Walker through immersive tours and tastings.

Most notably, its signature Journey of Flavour experience has successfully used innovative AI technology to map out flavour preferences for visitors based on their specific palates, helping whisky lovers and novices alike explore the versatility of Scotland’s national drink.

Working closely with Johnnie Walker Princes Street and Diageo’s Breakthrough Innovation team in partnership with full service Creative & Technology agency, Phantom, Scott Naismith is excited to be at the forefront of such a pioneering take on art and whisky.

He said: “I believe creativity takes courage and boldness in risk taking. The project at Johnnie Walker Princes Street shows this throughout and as a consequence has been an honour to be a part of.

“With a brave exploration into the cutting-edge world of AI, this latest project is bound to surprise and impress in equal measure. I am excited to be part of it and am again impressed at the continued creative vision from the team at Johnnie Walker.”

Rob Maxwell, Head of Johnnie Walker Princes Street, said: “Since opening, Johnnie Walker Princes Street has striven to become a leader in using the power of AI to personalise guests’ experiences.

“Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith is an exciting new step in our commitment to offering those with various tastes and interests something completely different to what’s available in the whisky experience market.

“This partnership is a true one-of-a-kind, and we can’t wait to see the designs our guests will print on their bottles.”

Will Harvey, Senior Global Innovation Manager at Diageo, added: “This is the first pilot in a wider platform that the Breakthrough Innovation team is exploring, looking at how we can use AI responsibly to enable co-collaboration between fans and artists.

“Demand for personalisation shows no signs of slowing down, so we’re delighted to offer the chance to create one-of-a-kind AI-enabled designs with Scott. With Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s previous experience of using AI to enhance customer experiences, it’s the perfect place for us to launch this innovative offer to the world.” 

Book the Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith experience now to co-create a one-of-a-kind personalised bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label and guided tasting (£240): https://bit.ly/3W5R12v

The Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith co-creation journey is also available as a standalone experience at Johnnie Walker Princes Street with every bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label purchased (£240).

Johnnie Walker Princes Street is a premier eight-floor visitor experience in Edinburgh. It is the centrepiece of Diageo’s £185 million investment in Scotch Whisky tourism.

Offering a range of immersive tours and tastings, it has received numerous accolades, including Europe’s Leading Spirit Tourism Experience 2024* and a Green Tourism Gold Award in 2023. Since opening on 6th September 2021, Johnnie Walker Princes Street has attracted guests from 130 countries, from Andorra, to Zimbabwe and everywhere in between, welcoming 359,000 visitors in 2023 alone.

For more information, visit www.johnniewalkerprincesstreet.com

Follow Johnnie Walker Princes Street: Instagram, Facebook

Follow Johnnie Walker: Instagram, Facebook

Follow Scott Naismith: Instagram, Facebook

Giant immersive whale to wash up at Fort Kinnaird

A huge life-sized whale is set to beach at Fort Kinnaird tomorrow (Thursday 25th July), with visitors welcomed to venture inside the stomach of the giant sea creature for a free, captivating storytelling session all about the environment and ocean. 

The interactive adventure will be led by a group of engaging storytellers and actors and will educate children and their families on plastic pollution and recycling, all while surrounded by a mesmerizing seascape.

Six shows – suitable for children over three – will take place throughout the day, with 30 spaces available on a first come, first served basis. Booking isn’t required but families are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment.  

The 25 minute sessions will run at 11am, 11.30am, 12pm, 1.30pm, 2pm, and 2.30pm, with the whale located next to Smyths Toys and Wagamama.  

The event will be supported by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful who work to combat climate change, tackle litter and waste, restore nature and biodiversity and improve places.

Its ambassadors will be at the event, providing free activity sheets to take home to keep the conversation going, including a scavenger hunt that educates little ones on the rubbish and wildlife found in rivers across Scotland. These activities form part of Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Upstream Battle initiative, an award-winning campaign to tackle marine litter at its source.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “Sustainability is a key focus for us at Fort Kinnaird. We champion biodiversity by planting wildflowers and installing beehives to encourage pollination and have committed to sending zero waste to landfill since 2018 – recycling more than 260 tonnes in the process.  

“Educating others on the importance of sustainability is part of the pathway to a net zero future, and we’re pleased that we can play a small role in that with this event. Not only is it eye catching, but it provides families with a free activity during the summer holidays – that’s also educational. A win, win!”

Heather McLaughlin, Campaigns and Social Innovation Manager at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “We’re so pleased to be able to support this great initiative at Fort Kinnaird. We know that 80% of marine litter comes from land and the damage it causes.

“It is crucial that young people know the impact the litter emergency is having on our waterways and the importance of protecting them. Fun and engaging activities like this are a great way to get children involved and we can’t wait to see everyone.”

For more information, please visit https://www.fortkinnaird.com/event/the-whale

Healthy Cooking Course for Women at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre

A new 6 week cooking course for women, run by Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC), will be starting at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre on Thursday 1st August from 12:30- 2:30.

Learn to cook healthy delicious food in a small informal group and have fun while doing so!

Internet upgrades go live across Edinburgh and the Lothians

Over 4,000 households and businesses across Edinburgh and the Lothians can now get connected to the UK’s most reliable broadband through the Scottish Government’s Reaching 100% programme.

The £600m R100 rollout has reached more than 57,000 of Scotland’s hardest to connect properties, with people in places like Cockenzie, Dechmont, Fairmilehead, Gifford, Kirknewton and Loanhead among those gaining access to full fibre internet connections2.

Delivery partner Openreach today confirmed more hard-to-reach properties in Auchengray, Bo’ness, Kirkliston, Mid Calder are Philpstoun are next in line for upgrades, as work continues on the ground this summer.

Full fibre broadband is more than 30 times faster than the Scottish Government’s original commitment to make superfast services available to homes and businesses with existing connections of less than 30 Megabits per second (Mbps).

People can check if the rollout has reached their address yet and register for progress updates at www.openreach.co.uk/r100. Once full fibre is available, people need to arrange for their service to be upgraded through their chosen provider. This R100 video explains the build and order process. 

Scottish Government Employment and Investment Minister Tom Arthur said: “Digital infrastructure is a key enabler of economic growth and an increasingly vital part of our everyday lives.

“It’s why the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring communities across the length and breadth of the country will benefit from full fibre broadband and making record investment of over £600 million in its rollout.

“The R100 programme is a critical part of the upgrade to full fibre technology. As one of the most ambitious and complex digital infrastructure programmes in Europe, it is delivering future-proofed digital connectivity across the country and enabling more homes and businesses – including in our island and rural communities – to access a fast and reliable connection. 

“It’s exciting that thousands more premises are now able to access a full fibre connection, and we’ll continue to work with Openreach to deliver further connections up and down the country.”

Robert Thorburn, Openreach partnership director for Scotland, said: “The R100 build is a monumental effort to upgrade and connect Scotland’s most challenging locations. There’s over a thousand people working on the build, with three million metres of new cable installed so far this year – enough to run up and down the A9 seven times.

“We’re seeing really positive, steady growth in take-up across the country, and our teams are all set to carry out further upgrades, working closely with local authorities across the Lothians.

“We do our best to avoid disruptive operations by reusing existing poles and ducts and deploying engineering innovations instead of digging up roads. But we do want residents to be aware that sometimes civils work or new poles are needed, to include as many local homes and businesses as possible.” 

Full fibre broadband provides more reliable, resilient and future-proof connections; with fewer faults; consistent speeds and enough capacity to meet ever-growing data demands across multiple devices. 

It supports everything people do online at home, including streaming movies, TV and sport as well as online gaming, with a lot less buffering and slowdown at busier times.

For businesses, a full fibre connection can help with productivity, efficiency and security and support everyday operations like video calls, staff training, online banking and interactions with customers. 

Research from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) last year predicted that full fibre across Scotland could add £4.5 billion to the nation’s economy by 2030.  

The R100 programme has recently brought, or is currently bringing, full fibre broadband to selected households and properties in the four Lothian council areas as follows:  

Local AuthorityExchange AreaR100 build status
City of EdinburghMayburyRecent build
City of EdinburghPentland (Kirknewton)Recent build
City of EdinburghKirklistonRecent build and work ongoing 
East LothianCockenzieRecent build
East LothianGiffordRecent build
MidlothianPenicuikRecent build
MidlothianDalkeithRecent build
MidlothianLoanheadRecent build
MidlothianFairmileheadRecent build
MidlothianTempleRecent build
West LothianDechmontRecent build
West LothianAuchengrayRecent build and work ongoing 
West LothianBo’nessRecent build and work ongoing 
West LothianMid CalderRecent build and work ongoing 
West LothianPhilpstounRecent build and work ongoing 

Chancellor chairs first Growth Mission Board

The Chancellor continued her drive for a new approach to growth underpinned by stability, investment and reform yesterday (23 July), as she chaired the first Growth Mission Board with ministers across government.

Rachel Reeves views the forum as vital in driving forward the Growth Mission, enabling her to work with her colleagues across government to boost productivity, deliver good jobs, and make everyone better off.

The Chancellor is focused on driving forward the Growth Mission, including the development a modern Industrial Strategy, in partnership with business, to remove barriers and provide key sectors with the clarity and certainty they need to seize growth opportunities

She will also work with ministerial colleagues to develop the English Devolution bill to strengthen local leadership and give new powers to metro mayors and combined authorities to deliver growth across the country, alongside improving the infrastructure planning regime to unlock investment and boost grid connections.

Tuesday’s meeting follows the immediate steps the government has taken to boost growth including announcing a series of planning reforms to get Britain building; removing the de facto ban on onshore wind; establishing the National Wealth Fund; announcing a Pensions Review to unlock growth, boost investment and deliver savings for pensioners; launching Skills England; and announcing the white paper on getting Britain working again.    

The Growth Mission is the first of five missions proposed by the Government, each of which focus on ambitious, long-term objectives for the country.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: ““Growth is our number one mission and in our first few weeks this Government is taking the tough decisions to deliver on that agenda.

“From planning reform and supporting our future industries to strengthening local leadership and forging ahead with new infrastructure, our work has just begun to fix the foundations so we can rebuild Britain and make every part of the country better off.”