Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

Witnesses sought to Drylaw assault

DSCF6422A man is being treated in hospital after being found in a Drylaw street with serious head injuries.

Emergency services were called to Easter Drylaw Drive at 3.30 this morning, where a 25-year-old man was found lying in the street with serious head and facial injuries. He was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he is now being treated.

Police Scotland are appealing for witnesses to the attack. A spokesman said: “Police in Edinburgh are investigating after a man was seriously assaulted. The 25-year-old victim was found with injuries to his face and head outside an address in Easter Drylaw Drive at around 3.30am on Friday 16 August.

“He was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where he continues to be treated. Enquiries into this incident are ongoing and anyone with information that can assist with this investigation is asked to contact Police Scotland.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Obesity: a growing crisis

One of the very few things that has shown steady and continuous growth since the war has been the Scottish waistline. Countless healthy eating initiatives have been introduced over the years – I’ve attended more initiative launches than I’ve had pie and beans lunches – yet Scotland’s problem with poor diet, obesity and the resultant chronic health issues remain as intractable as ever.

Two thirds of Scotland’s adults are classed as either obese or overweight, and a BBC Scotland special investigation to be screened tonight confirms that Scotland’s love affair with sugary and fatty foods grows unabated. That love affair costs Scotland’s NHS £200 million a year – and unless something is done to tackle this urgently the country faces a health crisis.

Statistics produced for ‘Scotland the Fat’ indicate that heath boards across the country have seen significant increase in obesity-related issues over the last ten years, with a marked increase in weight-loss surgical operations.

Research for the programme found that more and more Scots eat processed ready meals or takeaways at least three times a week, and that barely a quarter of Scots now cook for themselves every night. As ever the most worrying statistics were found in the most disadvantaged communities, where almost one in five (17%) said they did not cook a single evening meal from scratch.

In North Edinburgh, Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP) established the Food For Thought Forum last year to address these very issues:

The Food for Thought Forum exists to bring together community food and growing initiatives, organisations, projects and individuals within the area of Greater Pilton, Edinburgh; and to support, promote, link and increase local community food activity.

Our Vision

The group believes everyone in North Edinburgh should have access to a tasty, enjoyable, nutritious diet.  We want food to be a central part of our thriving community, bringing people together to grow, bake, cook and eat.

We want to see our community skilled and empowered to grow and cook good quality food for their families, friends and neighbours, and to see more local employment opportunities created in the production, distribution and preparation of the food we eat.

Our members are working towards aspects of this shared vision, and we believe that by working together we are stronger and better able to contribute to the flourishing of North Edinburgh.

Our key aims

  • To share and pool our knowledge and resources around community food & health
  • To use our collective resources to further develop a thriving local food culture
  • To move towards an adaptable and resilient community by providing opportunities for local skills development
  • To work together towards improving diet, food access, nutrition and health in Greater Pilton

Who can join?

Anyone involved or interested in community food or growing activity in Greater Pilton.

What does it involve?

  • Attending regular local meetings
  • Sharing ideas, knowledge and resources
  • Contributing to the planning, promotion and coordination of events
  • Signposting queries to appropriate forum members
  • Regularly contributing to ongoing forum discussion

For further information about heathy eating and the Food for Thought Forum, contact Anita Aggarwal at Pilton Community Health Project on 551 1671

‘Scotland the Fat’ will be screened on BBC Scotland tonight at 8pm, and can be seen on BBC iPlayer for a further seven days.

BBC Scotland

New classrooms for new school year

TrinityTwenty three new classrooms have opened their doors to pupils today as the City of Edinburgh Council tackles the pressing issue of rising school rolls. The Council has spent £8m on creating new classrooms at Towerbank, Corstorphine, Granton, Trinity (pictured above) and Wardie Primary Schools, while Blackhall also received an upgrade.

Additional class spaces have also been created at a further six schools where there has been increased pressure for places – this means up to 750 new pupil places have been created across the city.

Due to rising rolls £2m has been spent on the extensions to the other three primary schools. Trinity Primary School has four new classrooms, Wardie Primary School has three new classrooms and Granton Primary School has two new classrooms.

In addition to the new classrooms, the temporary units at James Gillespie’s and Blackhall have been refurbished, while extra space has been created at James Gillespie’s, Holy Cross, St Mary’s Leith, Craigour Park and Oxgangs to allow for more pupils.

The new accommodation at Granton, Trinity and Wardie Primary Schools has been carried out with partners Hub South East Scotland and Morrison Construction.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Education Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Many local authorities across the United Kingdom are struggling to find sustainable solutions to the increase in pupil numbers.

“In Edinburgh, primary school rolls are predicted to rise by 19% by 2020 – bringing our primary school population to over 31,000. That’s why the Capital Coalition has pledged an extra £15m to tackle the issue.

“The foundations we are laying here in Edinburgh demonstrate that the capital is prepared for the complex challenges that lie ahead. We believe our approach allows us the flexibility to plan much better for the future, and we are working with school communities and parent councils as we move forward. Whether or not it is traditional extensions, new built units or the refurbishment of existing space, we are committed to providing the very best educational environment for our pupils.”

Mari Smith, P6 class teacher at Trinity Primary School, said: “The classrooms are a fantastic addition to our school and provide a bright and stimulating learning environment. The children are so excited about starting the new school year in their brand new classrooms.”

Paul McGirk, Chief Executive of Hub South East Scotland, said: “We are delighted to continue our successful partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council and hope that the pupils of Granton, Trinity and Wardie Primary Schools enjoy their new classrooms.

“This is a great example of how Hub South East Scotland can work with our partners to deliver modern, innovative solutions, providing facilities more quickly, more effectively, and with more time and cost certainty than ever before.”

David Wilson, Project Director for Morrison Construction, said: “This has been an exciting and challenging project to be involved with and we would like to acknowledge the patience and understanding shown by the head teachers, the teaching and support staff, the pupils and our neighbours throughout the construction phase.

“We look forward to continuing this spirit of partnership in the future phases of the Rising Rolls project.”

The Towerbank and Corstorphine extensions have been planned for a number of years but the others are as a result of a unique approach taken by the Council to deal with rising school rolls.

When schools are identified as potentially needing extra accommodation for the next school year, the relevant design and planning permissions are taken forward however it is only when the final registration numbers are confirmed in the following January that a decision is taken to go ahead with building the new classrooms.

This means that extensions are only built when the Council is confident the extra classes will be required. Previously this decision would have been taken much earlier before final numbers were known. It also means that additional classes can be added as, and when, they are needed depending on the annual review.

Wardie Primary School now has planning permission for a further two classes and Granton Primary School has planning permission for two further phases which would deliver five more classes if and when required.

The Council has already identified five more primary schools where new extensions may be required for the 2014/15 session to meet the increased demand from catchment pupils and are already starting to plan for the delivery of these for August 2014 should they be needed.

So £8 million for emergency extensions is good news for pupils and parents  – but it does make you wonder (again) at the wisdom of closing schools like Royston prematurely …

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West Pilton & Muirhouse Gala cancelled

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The West Pilton & Muirhouse Community Gala, which was due to take place this weekend, has been cancelled.

In a statement on their Facebook page today, the Gala organising committee said:

‘The committee would regrettably like to inform everyone that due to some supplier issues the gala due to be held this coming Sunday will not be going ahead , this is obviously disappointing and we assure everyone it will proceed next year, bigger than ever..

We would like to thank , Julie at MYDG , the Centipede Project and North Edinburgh Arts for their continued help and support in the planning this year …

Our committee will be meeting next month to start 2014 planning , anyone wishing to come along to this meeting is more than welcome , details will follow …

Sorry once again , and we hope everyone has a great end to the summer … ‘

Last year’s community event, hosted by Forth One’s Grant Stott, was a big success – particularly as the longer-established Waterfront Festival in Forthquarter Park was cancelled – and organisers had hoped to build on that this summer.

It wasn’t to be, but there’s always next year!

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Week of action to tackle road litter

A call to clean up and clamp down on litter on Scotland’s roads has been issued for Scotland’s first Litter Week of Action. 

Organised by Zero Waste Scotland on behalf of the Transport Litter Group, the annual day of action has been extended to a week of dedicated action to tackle litter on our roads and railways.

Commuters, employers, and transport providers and support agencies are all being encouraged to get involved from 19– 25 August.

A recent litter audit has revealed that an average of seven bottles and cans can be found on every 100 metres of Scotland’s roads, creating a hazard to road users and wildlife, and costs millions to remove.

Supporters of the Week can help to raise awareness of the negative impact and cost of transport litter.  Actions available range from something simple such as adding a web banner to your website or displaying a poster in your workplace; to organising activities such as a day of awareness raising activities or targeted enforcement.

 

Organisations including BEAR Scotland, Scotland TranServ, Transport Scotland, McDonald’s and various local authorities have already committed to taking part in the Week.

The week of action follows the launch of a new consultation from the Scottish Government which intends to bring forward a final National Litter Strategy – the first since devolution – early in 2014.  The “Towards a Litter Free Scotland” consultation will run until 27 September.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “It is shocking that on average there are four plastic bottles and three drinks cans littered on every 100 metres of our major roads in Scotland. It’s a blight, contributes to punctures and can cause accidents not to mention the fact that clearing it from our road and rail sides is a hazardous task.

“Littering is unacceptable – and in the Year of Natural Scotland and as we approach 2014 when we welcome the world to Scotland, it’s important that we show our country at its best. We have set out action to tackle Scotland’s litter problem in our National Litter Strategy consultation and are asking people to have their say on this during the summer.

“This Litter Week of Action is a great opportunity to highlight this issue and I’d encourage people to work together by taking action during the week so that we can show that littering is not tolerated here.”

Iain Gulland, Director, Zero Waste Scotland said: “2014 is set to be an important year for Scotland, with events including the Ryder Cup, Commonwealth Games and Homecoming, and as such it’s vital that we take steps to rid the country of its litter problem and show it off at its absolute best.

“Litter on the road and in transport hubs doesn’t just look bad, it’s also a waste of valuable resources.  Commonly littered items like drinks bottles and cans could be recycled and help to boost the economy.

“I would urge everyone to get involved in this great week of planned activity and help to spread the message that throwing litter from vehicles or public transport is not acceptable.”

To get involved, visit

http://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/content/Transport-Litter-Week-of-Action.

zero waste scotland

Green shoots? Scotland’s economy ‘gaining momentum’

house soldWhat with welfare cuts, payday loans, food banks, escalating prices and zero-hour employment contracts it’s maybe hard to believe that things really are getting better, but an increasing number of indicators suggest that the economy is starting to pick up and that a recovery – however fragile – is under way at last.

House sales are on the rise, retail sales are picking up, there is growing consumer confidence and employers and business leaders are cautiously optimistic that the worst is now behind us.

Scotland’s economy is “gaining momentum”, according to a new report published yesterday. The latest State of the Economy report provides an analysis of recent economic developments  in Scotland and the wider global economy. The report also looks at recent labour productivity trends in Scotland.

The report highlights improvements in both output growth and employment in Scotland’s economy over the last year. Chief Economist Dr Gary Gillespie describes a more positive environment for Scotland and its key trading partners, which can support a more sustained pick-up in investment, exports and growth.

Key points in the report include:

  • Growing signs of a global recovery starting to take root in 2013, especially when compared to a disappointing 2012.
  • Over the year, Scotland has seen growth in output and a general improvement in all headline labour market indicators.
  • In contrast to the UK where productivity measures have fallen during the recession, output per hour worked (the key measure of labour productivity) in Scotland has risen and is now approximately 3.5% above pre-recession levels.
  • A permanent improvement in productivity in Scotland would  allow for potentially stronger growth in Scotland once demand returns to previous levels.  This growth in output will be required to see a sustained recovery in the labour market, particularly in full-time employment, and to support improvement in real wages.
  • Recent output growth and analysis of the underlying nature of the recession in Scotland suggest the potential for Scotland’s recovery to take hold throughout 2013, with a return to pre-recession levels in 2014 across the economy as a whole.

Commenting on the report Finance Secretary John Swinney said:

“Though headwinds still remain, the general outlook for Scotland is of an improving picture through 2013 with the recovery strengthening in 2014.

“Recent economic indicators have seen Scotland outperforming the UK both in terms of output and with higher rates of employment and lower rates of unemployment and inactivity. The most recent GDP data shows that the Scottish economy grew by 1.2 per cent over the year to Q1 2013 compared to 0.3 per cent in the UK.

“Today’s report confirms these positive trends. This  analysis suggests that the global economic outlook will continue to improve this year and Scotland can make the most of the opportunities that will come our way as a result.

“Particularly encouraging is the recovery in productivity which is now above pre-recession levels, which if sustained should lead to a further improvement in both output and the labour market.”

Unsurprisingly Mr Swinney believes that independence would ensure a stronger Scottish economy. He went on:

“While the State of the Economy report highlights the opportunities for Scotland, it also underlines the fragility of the recovery across the UK.  We will continue to press the UK Government to take action to help our businesses move forward and, in turn, drive growth in the economy.

“With the full economic levers of independence we could do more to put Scotland more securely on the road to recovery.”

Is the future looking brighter? Do you feel more optimistic?

Let us know!

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Police appeal following Granton Harbour theft

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for any witnesses to the theft of a number of items from a dredging ship berthed in Granton Harbour between Friday evening and Saturday evening, ncluding a flare gun and the ship’s navigation system.

The  ‘Shearwater’, which was berthed at East Granton Harbour off Lochinvar Drive,  had various electrical items including the ship’s navigation system and two shipping radios stolen along with a black single barrelled flare gun, 2 inch flare cartridges and hand operated flares.  The hand flares are approximately 40cm long and are either metallic and silver in colour or plastic and yellow or red in colour.

A ‘cone’ shaped nose, which forms part of the propeller and is made from bronze, was also taken.  This may have taken a considerable time to remove from the ship.

The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Constable Kenneth Farquhar said: “I do not believe there to be any threat to members of the public, however if they see anyone in possession of the flare gun or flares, I would ask them not to approach that person, but to contact us on 101.

“I am also appealing for all scrap dealers to be aware of the stolen bronze cone from the propeller and contact Police if any attempt is made to sell them this particular item.”

If you saw any suspicious behaviour in the area, please contact Police Scotland on 101 as soon as possible.

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