POLICE officers are issuing a warning over the sale of motorbikes online following a number of thefts in the West Lothian area.
Recently we have received reports of motorbikes for sale on social media selling pages being taken for test drives and not returned.
Constable Grant Hillhouse, Livingston Police Station, said: “There has been an increase recently in the number of thefts reported of motorbikes being sold online.
“Typically this involves the potential buyer asking to take the bike for a test drive and not returning or paying for it.
“I’d urge anyone looking to sell online to ensure every precaution is taken to ensure the security of their property.”
You can find more advice on staying safe online and online shopping on our website:
WEDNESDAY 11 SEPTEMBER between 2pm and 7pmatDelta Hotels by Marriott, 111 Glasgow Road
The public are to be given the chance to view and comment on updated proposals for a sustainable residential-led development at Maybury Quarter Edinburgh, site of the former Saica packaging facility in West Edinburgh.
Promoted by regeneration specialists, Summix Capital, Maybury Quarter Edinburgh provides a unique opportunity to regenerate this former industrial location on Turnhouse Road, which covers 15.5-acre (6.3 hectares).
The flagship low-carbon neighbourhood aims to deliver a mix of uses, potentially comprising residential, senior living, hotel, commercial and retail uses. This brownfield site is allocated in the Council’s City Plan 2030 for residential-focused redevelopment.
The second public consultation event will be held on Wednesday 11th September 2024 at Delta Hotels by Marriott, 111 Glasgow Rd, Edinburgh EH12 8NF between 2pm and 7pm.
This will provide the local community with the opportunity to shape the proposals, prior to the submission of a planning application to City of Edinburgh Council later this year.
It follows an initial consultation event held on 27th March and will respond to feedback and comments from this first event and other stakeholder engagement. Further information will be made available at www.maybury-quarter.co.uk, which will host consultation materials from the day of the event.
The proposals for Maybury Quarter Edinburgh will aim to deliver a balanced mix of uses that promote health, wellbeing and sustainable lifestyles which are designed to encourage a strong sense of place and community.
It will aim to deliver:
1000 homes
Hotel – 120-150 rooms
Retail/potential local centre – 30,000 sq. ft. overall
Extensive green spaces will be created, with high-quality public realm and access arrangements
The housing proposed will include tenure blind affordable housing, addressing the city’s well-publicised housing emergency, and including the provision of accessible family homes and Build to Rent (BTR) accommodation.
BTR sees homes built specifically for rent, rather than sale.
Stuart Black, Development Director for Summix Capital, commented: “We are delighted to be giving the local community the chance to view and feedback on our updated proposals for Maybury Quarter Edinburgh.
“The public comments received so far, along with other stakeholder feedback received, have proved invaluable in shaping this development, and we would like to thank all those who have taken the time to input into this process to date.
“Our exciting proposals provide a unique opportunity to redevelop one of the last major pieces of brownfield land in the city into a brand-new, sustainable mixed-use community.
“This will ensure that Maybury Quarter Edinburgh fulfils our vision to be one of the most exciting and best-connected development sites in Scotland.”
Spain-based paper and cardboard company Saica has relocated to a purpose-built facility at Deans Road in Livingston. It is active in nine other European countries.
The new Buses Bill will put power over England’s bus services back in the hands of local leaders
Transport Secretary announces the first stop on journey to Better Buses, with new powers to take control of bus services to be expanded to every community
draft guidance published to support local leaders to deliver improved bus networks, faster and cheaper
government bus reforms to end today’s postcode lottery, grow passenger numbers and deliver better services for all
A package of measures to empower local leaders to take control of their bus services has been unveiled today (9 September 2024) by Transport Secretary Louise Haigh – the first stop on the journey to better buses.
Legislation is being laid before Parliament today which gives all local transport authorities across England new powers to run their own bus services – powers previously limited to mayoral combined authorities. The move means that local leaders across England can deliver services in a way that suits the needs of their communities.
The government has also launched a consultation on new draft guidance to provide advice and support for local leaders looking to bring services into public control. This new, simplified guidance will help break down barriers to local control of bus services, speeding up the process and bringing down costs.
The guidance will also put the needs of passengers and bus drivers first – by encouraging local transport authorities to consider driver welfare and passenger safety, including anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls.
The new Buses Bill, which will follow this first statutory instrument, will bring an end to the current postcode lottery by taking steps to improve bus services no matter where you live.
Buses remain the most used form of public transport across the country, but – after almost 4 decades of failed deregulation – vital services have been slashed and there is little accountability to passengers.
Since 2010, almost 300 million fewer miles have been driven by buses per year. The transformative work the government is doing will turn the tide by giving communities the opportunity to control local bus services and have a real say in building local transport networks that work for them.
Modernising our transport infrastructure and delivering better buses is at the heart of our plan to kickstart economic growth in every part of the country and get the country moving. Our plans will deliver a better service for passengers and give local authorities a choice over the bus system that works best for them without extra burdens on the taxpayer.
Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, said: “Buses are the lifeblood of our communities, but for too many people it has become impossible to rely on local services, as routes have been slashed and timetables hollowed out.
“Today is the first stop on our journey to delivering better buses across the country. After decades of failed deregulation, local leaders will finally have the powers to provide services that deliver for passengers.
“And we are taking steps to support local leaders to deliver improved bus services faster and cheaper than ever before.
“With local communities firmly back in the driving seat, our bus revolution will save vital routes up and down the country and put passengers first.
Jason Prince, Director of the Urban Transport Group, said: “We welcome the pace at which government is moving on its ambitious transport agenda.
“Buses are the cornerstone of our public transport system, so it’s greatly encouraging to see this new package of measures, which will deliver better bus services for more local areas.
“We look forward to working with government to create a smoother journey for all bus passengers.
Councillor Adam Hug, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: “Buses remain critical to local government’s efforts to ensure that everyone can benefit from inclusive economic growth and job opportunities, and to prevent social isolation by making local services more accessible; they also continue to play a vital role in reducing carbon and other harmful emissions.
“These proposed measures recognise the fundamental role of local leadership in shaping future bus provision, which the LGA has long been calling for.
Nik Johnson, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “This is a government that understands what the communities and economies of places like Cambridgeshire and Peterborough need.
“Good quality public transport is a vital part of people’s lives and none more so than local bus services, so it’s a huge boost to see much-needed change coming to life.
“As a combined authority we’re doing everything we can to reform the way buses are managed across the region and having government on our side makes a massive difference.”
It comes as the Transport Secretary took a bus ride to Anglia Ruskin University Campus in Peterborough, where she met with the Mayor and local MP to discuss plans for local control of bus services.
These new powers mean local transport authorities will now be able to emulate the huge success of publicly controlled buses in Greater Manchester and London. Greater Manchester’s successful Bee Network has already seen passenger numbers grow by 5% since public control began to be rolled out just a year ago.
The Buses Bill will also reverse the ban on setting up new publicly owned bus companies, provide greater flexibility over bus funding and will take steps to improve bus services for communities who choose not to pursue public control.
John Swinney presented his first programme for government to parliament on Wednesday. John Swinney came to power as First Minister in May, but due to the UK General election, this was his first opportunity to set out his government’s programme (write MAIRI SPOWAGE and EMMA CONGREVE).
The Programme for Government has four key themes: eradicating child poverty, economic prosperity, improving public services and protecting the planet. So far, so familiar – and not a huge departure in the substance from the three priorities presented in the 2023-24 Programme for Government by his predecessor.
The speech, of course, focused on the upside and how each strand of what was set out will be mutually reinforcing. One thing we often comment on when looking at these high-level speeches is that some of these things might occasionally conflict with each other. So, what is good for business might not be good for tackling child poverty, and vice versa.
However, the FM made clear that child poverty is ‘first and foremost in these priorities’. This sounds like a clear signal that where there are trade-offs, child poverty concerns will win over. Some may disagree with putting that first above all else, but for those of us trying to understand why certain decisions are being made, it’s not unhelpful for the government to be setting out a clear steer.
We’ll be looking at what that means in practice when it comes to Budget allocations; to implement much of what he talked about – for example, a roll-out of the type of whole family support that has been piloted so far – will require new money.
Also, following on from the Finance Secretary’s grim statement on Tuesday, no amount of prioritisation can totally overcome fiscal constraints.
Despite the fact that more targeted (rather than universal) measures are probably sensible for targeting child poverty, the non-delivery of the pledge to roll-out free school meals to all children in primary 6 and 7 is likely to sit uneasily with the FM. More tough decisions in this mould are likely to need to be made.
Elsewhere in the Programme for Government, there are some interesting specifics in relation to the economy, particularly on planning. The government has committed the establishing Scotland’s first “Planning Hub”, the establishment of Masterplan consent areas, and a planning apprenticeship programme. Whilst this sounds like pretty dry stuff, one of the most common frustrations raised by businesses is about the planning system, so this is likely to be welcomed.
Other things were notable by their absence. The Human Rights Bill and the Learning Disability, Autism and Neorodivergence Bill were not on the list of Bills for this 2024-25 session.
Given the 2025-26 session will be cut short by an election, they aren’t likely to be passed this parliament. This has come as a shock to many given previous assurances and the substantial resources that civil servants and stakeholders alike have put into the pre-legislative process to get these ready.
We’re yet to hear a convincing explanation for why they’ve been delayed.
The fiscal statement casts a long shadow
The statement on Wednesday was hugely overshadowed by the fiscal statement on Tuesday. Overall, as well as setting out fiscal “black holes” it felt like Tuesday’s statement sucked up most of the political energy around in the week, leaving Wednesday to feel like a bit of a low energy anti-climax.
We are still not sure after the statement exactly what the Finance Secretary sees as the gap in the budget. Given she has set out £500m of “direct savings” plus the use of £460m of use of Scotwind money, we assume it is roughly £1 billion. £800m of this has been tied to “pay pressure”, and the rest (we assume £100-200m?) has been described as “in demand-led activities like legal aid, police and fire pensions and the costs of accommodation for Ukrainian displaced people” plus COVID-related health measures.
After a bit more detective work, we’ve documented the “£500m of direct savings” in the table below, along with where we still have questions:
Published description
What we’ve worked out
Savings
£65m
Pre-announced decisions: peak fare train fairs to return, no free bus travel for asylum seekers plus agreement with local government to draw on existing programmes to fund pay deals
According to Transport Scotland, the cost of the full year subsidy for the peak fares pilot was approximately £40m[i]. In theory then, not having it running for the last 6 months saves £20m, although it is unclear to us if this was budgeted for to begin with given the pilot was only expected to last for 6 months of the year.The BBC reports £2m had been set aside for free bus travel for asylum seekers[ii]BBC reports that Councils have been asked to redirect £5m of this year’s nature restoration fund to help fund pay deals[iii]. In addition, £10m has been redirected from the Connecting Scotland’s digital devices programme (free iPADs and laptops for people who were digitally excluded), £2m from the fund to expand free school meals to p6 and 7 pupils who receive the Scottish Child Payment (although they say it will still be delivered) and £26m from the Flood Risk Management Programme, on the basis that “councils do not need it in this year”.ivThese total £65m.
£188.4
New additional measures announced on 3rd September
Full table of figures are laid out in the Annex of the letter to the Finance Committee.As there are no figures to help put these reductions into context (i.e. in relation to the size of the original budget allocations) it makes it hard to judge whether these are likely to have a large or small impact.
£60m
Savings anticipated through emergency spending controls, in addition to savings set out as part of the £188.4 million.
They are linked to recruitment freezes, and reductions in costs of travel and marketing, as per the letter to Cabinet reported in the mediav. We have no information on how the number has been calculated.
£160m
The cost of universality in the Winter Fuel Payment.
The money for an equivalent to the UKG universal WFP was added to the Block Grant adjustment for 2024-25. The recent UKG decision to remove universality means that this money will need to be returned to UKG through the fiscal framework reconciliation process.SG could spend this money in 2024/25, but would then need to find savings in subsequent years to cover the reconciliation.We understand a decision on whether it will be spent this year is yet to be made.
Total savings
£473.5m
Up to £500 million saving measures
We understand from officials that the “up to £500m” is a rounding up of the total.
The fact that we are having to piece this together, including from media reports, is obviously not ideal. We don’t think it would have been too much to ask to have all this detail laid out, along with the evidence of impact that was cited in the letter to the Fiance and Public Affairs Committee.
We hope more information is released into the public domain in the coming weeks alongside the Autumn Budget Revision so help clear things up, as far as possible…
A look ahead to the budget
We now know the Scottish Budget will be on the 4th of December. The other important day to understand what the budget may look like for the rest of this financial year and the next will be the UK Budget on 30th October.
We should at that point have much more clarity about the financial envelope which the Scottish Government is working with for 2025-26.
There are also likely to be significant changes to departmental allocations for the current financial year (2024-25). Rachel Reeves said in her fiscal statement as Chancellor in July that she expected some of these in-year issues to be soaked up by departmental budgets.
The extent to which this will actually be achieved will also impact the monies coming to the Scottish Government. Therefore we may be most of the way through 2024-25 before we actually understand how much of the Scotwind revenue is required to balance the budget in 2024-25. It may mean that this is not the last fiscal statement we have about the current financial year.
Given all these in-year movements we would like to call, yet again (like SPICe have done in their blog), for the Government to provide in the Budget next year’s plans alongside the current position for 2024-25.
The convention (for some reason) would be to present the budget plans for 2025-26 compared to the plans that were set out for 2024-25 in December 2023. The in-year movements we have seen over the last three years make a nonsense of this convention (which reduces transparency and hampers parliamentary scrutiny).
This may be a bit of a niche point but it would make analysis of these statements much easier. Here’s hoping that this is finally the year this change is made.
First Minister: athletes at the top of their fields inspirational
As the 2024 Paralympic Games draws to a close, First Minister John Swinney has commended Scottish athletes for their world-class performances which will inspire future generations.
21 Scottish athletes took part individually or in team events, securing 11 gold medals, eight silver medals and one bronze medal – contributing to ParalympicsGB’s overall medals tally of 124 medals.
Athletes from Scotland broke records in pursuit of gold medals, including Stephen Clegg’s record-breaking S12 backstroke time, Jenny Holl’s effort as pilot for Sophie Unwin on her way to gold and a world record in the Women’s B 3,000m individual cycling pursuit, and Sammi Kinghorn achieving a gold medal while setting a new Paralympic Record for the Women’s T53 100m.
The First Minister said: “I want to pay tribute to and congratulate all of the ParalympicsGB squad, including the 21 Scots on the team, for your performances in Paris.
“You are all athletes at the top of your field, and Scotland has been cheering you on throughout these Games.
“Your performances will inspire people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to take up sport, achieve their own goals and become more active in their own lives. The next generation will be inspired by where you are now, and the Scottish Government and partners will work to ensure there will be opportunities for them to follow suit.”
Forbes Dunlop, CEO of sportscotland, said: “On behalf of everyone at sportscotland I want to congratulate every single one of the Scottish athletes who have represented Paralympics GB in Paris over the last couple of weeks.
“There have been some extremely strong performances from our athletes, including personal bests, Paralympic and World records and a very impressive haul of medals, demonstrating the enormous level of commitment and talent across the team.
“All of this success is down to years of hard work from the athletes, their coaches and their wider support teams including Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport and the sportscotland institute of sport and we are proud to be part of the ‘team behind team’ supporting the athletes.”
Gavin Macleod, CEO of Scottish Disability Sport, said: “Congratulations to all the Scottish Paralympians and their significant support networks in Paris.
“The performances are testimony to the inclusive approach Scottish Governing Bodies of sport are taking to ensuring para-athletes are supported.
“Not all of us will be able to reach the heights of these international high-performance athletes however, what we can do is commit to working in partnership to ensure that children, young people and adults can access quality PE, comprehensive sporting opportunities and the chance to move more every day.”
The Centre, Livingston will be hosting an Autumn/Winter style event on Saturday, 14th September, 12 – 4pm with local stylist and colour expert, Leigh Maybury, where shoppers can get top tips on key trends this season and be in with a chance of winning a £50 Gift Card to treat themselves.
The free event follows on from the success of Leigh’s first Spring/Summer event in May this year where visitors travelled from around the country for style tips and a colour analysis to find out which shades compliment them the most, and ones to avoid, when it comes to shopping for clothes, accessories and make up.
Leigh, a former Director at the jewellery company, Sella & Dot, qualified at the London College of Style and trained in the art of colour, before launching her own company, Life with Style in 2016. Her aim is to give people the confidence to get out of their comfort zone and try something new, not just on special occasions, but every day.
The event, which will be located near M&S, will give visitors to the shopping mall the chance to get an insight into style trends including animal prints and how to incorporate the season’s key colours, like red and chocolate brown with good neutrals to help build an easy to wear Autumn/Winter capsule wardrobe.
There will also be mini colour analysis sessions on a first come, first service basis, with limited spaces available, and a live ‘Style Talk’ at 1pm and 3pm on dopamine dressing and how to wear bright colours that give you a natural boost and make you feel happy.
Six lucky shoppers will also be in with a chance of winning a £50 Gift Card each to spend on a new outfit on the day.
Leigh said: “I’m delighted to be back at The Centre, Livingston on the 14th September to share my top Autumn/Winter style tips and trends with shoppers.
“Whether it’s an event you are going to or looking for advice on everyday wear, I’ll be able to help you to find exactly what you are looking for in the wide mix of fantastic shops which will make you look and feel great throughout the season.”
Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston, said: “We are really looking forward to having the expert stylist Leigh Maybury back into the shopping centre this month.
“Our last style event was such a big hit with shoppers who travelled far and wide to get advice on new trends and colours which is why we wanted to host another one which focused on Autumn/Winter key trends, and this time give shoppers the chance to win a Gift Card too.”
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK:
Healthy Heart Tip: Healthier lunchbox ideas
With the summer holidays at an end, it’s time to think about what to include in your children’s lunchboxes for the new term.
Less than 2% of packed lunches meet the School Food Standards and often offer a less nutritious option than school meals.
Lunchboxes brought from home often include more processed and ultra-processed foods with higher amounts of salt and sugar than school meals. What you choose to include in your children’s lunchboxes can affect their behaviour, concentration and brain function for the rest of the day.
Here, we show you how to pack a nutritious lunchbox ready for going back to school:
Good protein source
Protein is essential for brain and body growth to help kids feel fuller for longer. Fuelling kids’ lunches with protein is crucial for helping them concentrate until the end of the day and supporting their development.
A great way to add protein is by making tuna, chicken or turkey sandwiches or wraps, adding beans and seeds to the lunchbox and including yoghurts.
Fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals and fibre, making them a great way to add colour to a lunchbox. This will help your child meet their five-a-day goal and feel energised throughout their school day.
So, why not include some vegetable sticks and hummus, or add salad to sandwiches, wraps or pitas? An easy way to ensure fruit is eaten from a lunchbox is to make it easy to eat, this might mean peeling oranges or chopping fruit into bite-sized pieces. Add a small squeeze of lemon juice over chopped fruit like apple to prevent it from turning brown.
Wholegrains
Wholegrains are a great source of fibre and energy for your child. Wholegrains, along with protein, help keep your child full and give them more energy to concentrate.
Wholemeal bread, wholegrain pasta, crackers or brown rice are some examples of where you can swap white carbohydrates for wholegrain varieties.
Hydration
Hydration is essential for your body and brain to work effectively. By including a drink in your child’s lunchbox, you’re helping to keep their brain functioning and ensuring they have optimal concentration.
Using an appealing reusable water bottle that your child has picked themselves can help encourage them to drink regularly. If it’s a warm day, you could add a small frozen drink to their lunchbox to help keep its contents cool throughout the day and encourage your little one to drink more.
Scotland’s iconic night time fundraising event, The MoonWalk Scotland, lit up the streets of Edinburgh last night(Saturday 7th September).
Hundreds of women, men and young people wearing brightly decorated bras or colourful “bra t-shirts” set off from Holyrood Park at 11pm, to walk a half or full marathon through the capital, to raise money for breast and other cancers.
Glittering light installations showed MoonWalkers the way, with iconic buildings across the Edinburgh skyline also lit up pink in their honour, including: Camera Obscura, Lloyds on the Mound, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Radisson Blu Hotel and the Stamp Office.
Dozens of walkers also took on a walking challenge virtually, in their own areas.
Organised by breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, Scotland’s MoonWalk has raised an incredible £22 million since the event was first staged in 2006.
Funds awarded by Walk the Walk make a huge difference to people across Scotland living with cancer – recent grants have been made to the Beatson Cancer Charity, Ayrshire Cancer Support and Make 2nds Count.
To register your interest for The MoonWalk Scotland 2025 go to:
Scotland’s beer and pub sector contributed more than £2.3 billion in GVA and generated more than £1.4 billion in tax, new British Beer and Pub Association research reveals
Despite huge contribution to country’s finances and communities, taxes and rising business costs mean pubs make just 12p a pint
Industry may have to bear yet more punishing burdens and restrictions
BBPA calls on the Government to be “business friendly” and support Great British beer and pubs to boost economic growth
Scotland’s beer and pub sector poured more than £2.3 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) into the economy and contributed more than £1.4 billion in tax in just one year, according to new research by the trade body.
As a whole, Britain’s beer and pub sector poured more than £34.3 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) into the economy and contributed more than £17.4 billion in tax in just one year, according to new research by the trade body.
Latest figures from 2024 Oxford Economics research show GVA contributions were up from the previous contribution of £1.7 billion.
These figures demonstrate the sector’s important economic contribution to both their region and the wider national economy, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said.
But despite this, pubs make an average of just 12p on every pint of beer once taxes and costs have been deducted.
Not only that, but the industry is also facing multiple burdens and restrictions in the form of proposed eyewatering packaging costs and a potential beer garden smoking ban.
Now the BBPA is calling for a reduction in soaring costs of doing business. It warns the industry needs government support from the Budget to make sure the sector can continue to contribute to the economy and boost the country’s finances.
The BBPA wants to see a cut in beer duty, business rates reform, and a pledge to keep the 75% business rates relief to ensure that pubs can survive.
Emma McClarkin, CEO of the BBPA, said: “The Scotland’s sector’s growth will underpin economic growth, which is why if the Government truly is business-friendly, it must recognise that pubs and brewers are shouldering multiple taxes and costs that are squashing growth and could lead to businesses failing.
“There is no more meat on the bone to cut, which is why it we are calling on the Government reduces the cost of doing business so we can continue to make a massive contribution to the public purse.
“It is imperative there is a reform in the business rates system which currently penalises bricks and mortar businesses like pubs which pay five times more than their share of turnover.
“Until then, the vital 75% business rates relief due must be maintained for pubs so that one of the core cost components of doing business can be controlled. In addition, we urgently need to see a cut in beer duty.
“Our industry is an economic bellwether and when pubs and brewers suffer, the economy suffers. If the Government wants to succeed in its growth mission, it needs to support our beer and pubs which play such a vital role in our communities.”
The sector is also facing potential eyewatering EPR recycling costs next year – set to be among the highest in Europe – plus increases in energy prices. The trade body has warned that this could lead some brewers to make heartbreaking decisions about whether they can keep making their beer.
Not only that, but a proposed smoking ban in beer gardens would have a devastating impact on many pubs and affect their viability as businesses. The BBPA is urging Government to reconsider this misguided restriction.
The industry is one for the most heavily taxed business sectors per pound of turnover in the UK with tax making up 40% of UK brewing turnover and £1 in every £3 spent in pubs.
