Category: North Edinburgh News

Construction begins on £19.4 million walking and cycling route

Work got underway yesterday on the £19.4m  City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL), a major new cycling and walking route linking the east and the west of the Capital.

Transport Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes was joined in Roseburn by Patrick Harvie, Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights, and Karen McGregor, Portfolio Director for Sustrans were joined by children from Roseburn Primary School and project managers to mark the occasion.

The project is funded by the Scottish Government via Sustrans.

When complete, the scheme will connect Roseburn to Leith Walk via Haymarket and the West End with a safe and direct cycle route, as well as significantly enhancing streets for those walking, wheeling and spending time there.

This will tie into a new George Street cycling thoroughfare delivered as part of the George Street and First New Town project.

The project, overseen by contractors Balfour Beatty, is leading the way in sustainable construction, with measures to cut carbon emissions. Site compounds will utilise ‘EcoSense’ cabins in conjunction with an ECONET power management system, which significantly reduces energy consumption and water usage.

Project officers will also use e-bikes rather than cars to travel between the site compound and works areas wherever possible, and cycle training has been provided as part of this.

Construction is expected to last around 18 months, with full details of plans available on the dedicated CCWEL website. In the first phase of the section between Roseburn and West Coates there will be some lane closures and changes to parking and bus stops, though traffic will be maintained in both directions.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: I’m thrilled that we’re now delivering the CCWEL, one of the largest pieces of safe walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure the Capital has seen yet.

“It’s been really exciting to visit the site and see work get underway – before long, this route will benefit so many people walking, wheeling and cycling to and from the city.

“The CCWEL project is just one of a range of bold initiatives to transform the way we travel around Edinburgh. We are committed to becoming a net zero city by 2030 and a key element of this is encouraging and supporting clean and sustainable modes of transport through projects like this.”

Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “CCWEL has been years in the making, so today marks a real milestone for Edinburgh. Once complete it will provide an essential link between key parts of our existing cycle network to and through the city centre, as well as significantly improving the streetscape along the way.

“Not only will the project impact on the surrounding environment, reducing traffic, air pollution and noise, but it will help benefit people’s health and wellbeing through active travel and relaxed surroundings to spend time in.”

Minister for Active Travel Patrick Harvie said: “I’m pleased to see Scottish Government funding enable the construction of the City Centre West to East Link. It’s a vital connection which will help people to walk, wheel and cycle in Edinburgh as the natural choice, leading to better health, less congestion and a better environment. 

“I want to see many more schemes similar to this in communities across Scotland. That’s why we’re nearly tripling what Scotland invests in active travel over the next three years to at least £320 million a year.

“I’m committed to making sure those record levels of investment lead to real change in our cities, towns and neighbourhoods, delivering safe, attractive places for many more people to walk, wheel and cycle.”

Portfolio Director for Sustrans, Karen McGregor, said: “The City Centre West to East Link is a major breakthrough for active travel in Edinburgh. Not only will this deliver safe and accessible walking, wheeling and cycling routes for anyone travelling through the heart of our Scottish capital, it will play an important part in connecting communities in the city’s western and northern suburbs to make their everyday lives healthier and easier.

“The route will also link to several other ambitious projects Sustrans is working on with City of Edinburgh Council. These include the George Street and First New Town project and the Meadows to George Street scheme, which we believe will set the standard for active travel in Scotland going forward.”

Scott Ritchie, Senior Project Manager, Balfour Beatty, said: “We are pleased to be working with the City of Edinburgh Council to deliver this incredibly important scheme which will transform the way people travel, moving from a reliance on cars to active travel.

“The City Centre West to East Link route will reimagine our public spaces in Edinburgh; positively impacting local communities and residents by reducing traffic congestion and air pollution in the city centre and driving down carbon emissions.”

The route, which will be delivered in three sections, will include two-way segregated cycleways from Roseburn to Haymarket connecting via quiet streets to one-way segregated cycleways on each side of Melville Street.

Two-way cycleways connecting George Street with Picardy Place via St David Street, Queen Street and York Place will also be introduced. There will be significant improvements to public spaces along the route, as well as new pedestrian crossings, enhanced pavements and street trees.

By supporting people to travel by foot, bike and wheel, the CCWEL project aligns with our City Mobility Plan 2030, which envisions a clean, connected and net zero carbon future.

It links into several other schemes to overhaul travel to and through the city centre, including the George Street and First New Town project and Meadows to George Street, both to be delivered as part of Edinburgh City Centre Transformation.

The £19.4m CCWEL project, which includes a £13m construction contract with Balfour Beatty, will be principally funded by Transport Scotland through Sustrans’ Places for Everyone programme, with additional funding from the Scottish Government and the Council’s transport budget.

To minimise disruption, the programmed resurfacing of the A8 will be carried out alongside CCWEL construction, funded separately by the Council.

Find out more on the City Centre West to East Link website.

£2 million support for Scotland’s international festivals

Expo fund recipients announced

.

Scotland’s major festivals are to benefit from a share of the Scottish Government’s £2m Festivals Expo Fund.

The funding has been awarded for events that run across the year including Edinburgh’s international, book, film and fringe festivals as well as Glasgow International Festival and Celtic Connections.

Since the annual fund was set up in 2008 it has given out over £30 million to support the development of Scottish-based artists and practitioners to create a legacy of important new work for a range of Scotland’s international festivals.

Funding this year will also support festival resilience plans following the Covid-19 restrictions.

Culture Minister Neil Gray said: “As many of our world-class festivals return to full operation following the pandemic, the Festivals Expo Fund plays an important role in building innovation across the sector.

“This helps to maximise the opportunities both nationally and internationally for emerging and established creative artists to showcase and tour their work at home and abroad.”

Sorcha Carey, Chair of Festivals Edinburgh said: “The welcome news today from the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund opens up a world of opportunity for our country’s artists and thinkers, by helping us invest in their talent and showcase their work on our ​world-renowned platforms.

“After two years of event restrictions and financial hardship for artists, freelancers and cultural organisations, including our festivals, this Expo investment lays a solid foundation for revival in our 75th anniversary year and speaks strongly of Scotland as a creative, outward-looking nation.”

Lorna Duguid, Multi-artform Manager at Creative Scotland said: “The support from the Scottish Government Expo fund is invaluable to Scottish artists and companies in enabling them to present work to international audiences and promoters.

“As Scotland begins to recover from the pandemic this opportunity to reconnect with audiences around the world is more important than ever as part of the recovery for the arts and creative sectors.

“The funding will enable the festivals to extend their reach and provide ambitious and innovative programmes for audiences at home and abroad.”

The 2022-23 Festival Expo Fund has a budget of £2 million. The fund is managed by Creative Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Details of the 2022-23 allocations are as follows:

Operator(s)                                                         Funding Awarded
Glasgow International Festival£140,000                       
Edinburgh Jazz & Blues£120,000
Edinburgh International Film Festival                         £110,000
Edinburgh Art Festival                                                £140,000
Edinburgh International Festival                                 £110,000
Edinburgh International Book Festival                       £110,000
Scottish International Storytelling Festival                  £140,000
Celtic Connections                                                      £110,000
Imaginate  £110,000
Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society                               £550,000
Festivals Edinburgh                                                    £200,000                                            
Edinburgh Science Festival                                         £130,000
Hogmanay     £  30,000

World’s first gold platinum sovereigns sell out as royal fans rush to own piece of Jubilee history

The world’s first gold sovereign coins to be minted using a gold and platinum alloy – created to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – have sold out in record time.

Created by leading coin experts Hattons of London to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s incredible 70 year reign, the coins feature celebratory portraits of the Queen at landmark moments throughout her seven-decade reign.

And after selling out despite being launched less than three weeks ago, the collection has gone down as the fastest-ever selling product in Hattons of London’s history.

Minted with an exclusive blend of 22 carat gold enriched with 2 carats of platinum, the sovereigns were a world first.

Hattons of London MD, Simon Mellinger, said: “The Platinum Jubilee is a momentous occasion and by using an exclusive blend of 22 carat gold enriched with 2 carats of platinum, we have created a fitting tribute to the Queen’s 70 years of service to our country, that like Her Majesty, will stand the test of time.

“The demand for the product we’ve had has been phenomenal, and has far outstripped supply.

“We expected a lot of interest in the coins, but the speed at which the collection has sold out has been unbelievable. It seems that collectors have recognised the significance of this year’s Platinum Jubilee and have been keen to add a special piece of memorabilia to their collections.

“What’s been particularly interesting is that demand hasn’t just been from coin collectors – there’s been a much wider appeal from the general public, who also want them as a commemoration of this important, and maybe never-to-be repeated, Royal anniversary.”

The coins feature portraits of Her Majesty which had never before featured on sovereign coins, including images of the Queen’s 1952 Coronation, her Silver and Diamond Jubilees, as well as a portrait of Her Majesty around the time of her becoming our longest reigning monarch in 2015.

The design on the smallest denomination in the range, the one-eighth sovereign, features the royal cypher of Elizabeth II with a celebratory garland of roses, thistles, leeks and shamrocks to represent the nations of the United Kingdom. This garlanded-cypher also features on each of the other coins in the series.

Mr Mellinger said there were plans for an additional Platinum Jubilee collection later this year. 

“We normally only bring out one limited collection to celebrate a milestone event or anniversary, but given the interest and the significance of the occasion, we’re currently considering adding to our Platinum Jubilee range with a new collection this year,” he added.

Hattons of London is a leading expert in rare and exclusive coins with a vast collection which includes the Queen Victoria 200th anniversary range, featuring the first 24 carat gold twenty pound sovereign.

From Manhattan to Edinburgh: new Cocktail Bar and Restaurant to open in Frederick Street

63rd+1st, part of the newly listed Hostmore plc, has announced its next location will be situated on Frederick Street in Edinburgh.

Opening its doors this summer, the venue will be the fifth 63rd+1st to open in a year.

Spanning approximately 3,500 square feet, the cocktail led bar and restaurant will feature an iconic bar and spacious lounge area adjacent to the restaurant space, seating over 100 guests inside, with an additional 26 covers available on a heated outside terrace.

Named after 63rd Street and 1st Avenue in Manhattan, New York, 63rd+1st showcases a unique identity and beautiful club style interior.

Perfectly located amongst some of the city’s finest bars and restaurants, 63rd+1st will be the one of best places in Edinburgh for the business community, locals of all ages and visitors alike to meet and enjoy beautifully handcrafted cocktails, or a tipple from an eclectic wine list, as well as abeer selection from across the globe.

A diverse food menu ensures that 63rd+1st caters for everyone at all times of the day. Inspired by the ‘street food’ scene in Manhattan, the menu is centred on smaller sharing plates, allowing guests the freedom to choose more and try more.

63rd+1st will be the perfect meeting place for the early crowd to grab fresh coffee or an easy brunch at the weekend, and the after-work venue of choice for those who fancy popping in for one or two on their way home after a long day in the office.

Robert B. Cook, CEO of 63rd+1st and proud Scot, said: “We are delighted to be bringing the fifth 63rd+1st to the capital of Scotland, a city we know well, and in doing so continue to share the 63rd+1st experience with guests from across this great city and region.

“Situated a stone’s throw from George Street, and a short walk from most of Edinburgh’s great hospitality venues, we simply love the location of our first Edinburgh venue.

“63rd+1st represents the coming together of people, culture, tastes and styles. Our menu will undoubtedly entertain and excite all our guests courtesy of fantastic cocktails created by a team of expert bartenders and our New York City street food inspired menu, all of which emphasises our brand premise that ‘Life Tastes Better Shared”.

“Whether it’s business or pleasure, student or tourist, you will be made to feel at home in our beautiful venue, which has been inspired by over 50 years of unique heritage and is guaranteed to be the place where ‘great things happen’.” 

Briggs hails 2,444 local people helped by warm homes scheme

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs has welcomed the impact in his constituency of a scheme aimed at helping homes become warmer, more comfortable and more affordable to heat.

Warmer Homes Scotland, the Scottish Government’s national fuel poverty scheme, has supported 2,444 people in Lothian since it was launched in 2015, with each of them saving an average of £264 off their energy bills.

The Warmer Homes Scotland scheme provides a step-by-step service to identify where energy improvements can be made in the home and arranges for this work to be carried out. The scheme offers new central heating systems, including renewable heating technologies such as air source heat pumps, in all property types and in all regions of Scotland.

All of the work delivered under the scheme is carried out by registered and accredited local sub-contractors, working to rigorous quality standards across the country, with completed work independently checked to guarantee that these standards are met. In the last year, 99% of Warmer Homes Scotland customers said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the work carried out in their homes.

Warmworks-SROI-Report-2020-21-FinalDownload

A new report also found that the scheme has wider benefits for the health, wellbeing and social lives of those people who received support.

It also identified positive outcomes from the scheme for all levels of society, from householders through to the NHS and the Scottish Government.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “I’m pleased to learn that the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme has supported so many people in my constituency to be warmer and more comfortable in their homes.

“It’s also great to learn about Warmworks Scotland’s new report and the positive benefits from the scheme on householders’ health, wellbeing and day-to-day living.

“I’m delighted to know that the scheme has helped many of my constituents save money on their fuel bills. I’d encourage all of my constituents to check if they are eligible to receive help under the scheme, as the improvements it offers could make a real difference this winter and in the years to come.”

Warmworks Scotland Managing Director, Ross Armstrong, added: “The Warmer Homes Scotland scheme has been helping people right across Scotland feel warmer and more comfortable in their homes for six years.

“But we also now know that the benefits of the scheme go even further, and that it’s making a real difference in terms of supporting people with their health, wellbeing and day-to-day lives.

“I’m delighted that we have been able to help 2,444 people in Miles Briggs MSP’s constituency to be warmer and more comfortable in their homes, and that they have saved £264on their fuel bills thanks to the improvements made under the scheme.

“We look forward to building on this work and helping many more people throughout Lothian and across Scotland in the years to come.”

Who pays the State Pension in an independent Scotland?

An article by the Fraser of Allander Institute

The latest skirmish in the economics of independence wars relates to the state pension. Specifically, which government would pay State Pensions in an independent Scotland. Ian Blackford maintains that the UK government will pay the State Pension to Scottish residents who qualify for a UK state pension through their pre-independence national insurance contributions (NICs).

But state pensions are not paid for from a “pot” that individuals build up during their working lives. Instead they are paid using money from today’s taxes and borrowing – a pay-as-you-go scheme. Since individuals have no ownership rights over their past contributions, the UK Government can change the qualifying rules for state pensions as its sees fit.  

Recent and proposed increases in the qualifying retirement age are examples of it such rule-changes. The State Pension is simply a benefit that UK government could reduce, or even, in principle, eliminate.

This pay-as-you-go aspect might seem to negate any commitment of the UK government to pay the State Pension in an independent Scotland – even to pensioners who contributed NICs and other taxes to the UK government during their working lives.

The UK government could argue that the tax and NICs made by Scottish residents were used to pay for public services that they previously enjoyed. Under this view, the Scottish Government would become responsible for paying the state pensions of qualifying Scottish residents from its own revenues post-independence.

But this is not the whole story. UK government pays State Pensions to those who retire abroad (providing that they have made sufficient qualifying NICs). Therefore if the UK government pays the State Pension to an individual living in, say, France, it would seem inconsistent for it not to pay the State Pension to an individual with a similar NICs record living in an independent Scotland[i].

It is this point that the SNP is now using to argue that the responsibility for paying the State Pension in an independent Scotland – for those who have sufficient NI contributions – would fall to the UK government.

The UK government is likely to argue that succession – and the transfer of a significant share of the UK’s tax base to the Scottish government – constitutes an unprecedented change in circumstances that renders comparisons with the treatment of individuals under current state pension policy irrelevant. It would expect the Scottish government to make a reasonable contribution to the costs of the State Pension in Scotland.

The issue would therefore become a matter for wider negotiations around the division of assets and liabilities in general, and reciprocity agreements for social security more specifically.

The UK has social security agreements with many countries. These stipulate how state pensions will be calculated when individuals have made contributions in more than one country. Similar agreements between the UK and an independent Scotland will be necessary to deal with individuals retiring post-independence who have made NI contributions in both Scotland and the UK.

The UK had such agreements with EU countries before Brexit, and maintained similar arrangements in the Trade and Co-operation Agreement between the UK and EU. The UK also has social security agreements with other countries, including the US and Australia.

There would clearly be pressure on an independent Scotland to make such an agreement with the remaining UK. The absence of an agreement would be an impediment to cross-border trade with potentially harmful economic effects.

In the post-independence long run, as those who have paid NICs to the UK government die off, the cost of supporting the state pension in Scotland will unambiguously fall on the Scottish Government.

In the short run, the Scottish government might refuse to contribute to these costs, but if it did so, there would be implications for the broader settlement. This final agreement is impossible to anticipate though it is worth noting that there is no arbitration procedure for the break-up of a state, in which case the outcome will likely depend on which party has most to lose by a failure to agree.

In summary, the question of which government would be liable for the State Pension in an independent Scotland is both more complex and more uncertain than either ‘side’ might claim.

And it likely cannot be resolved in isolation from other questions.

[i] The question of citizenship in an independent Scotland is immaterial to this analysis. Under current state pension rules, it is NICs rather than citizenship that determines eligibility. Thus whether an individual in an independent Scotland has Scottish, UK or dual citizenship (or any other nationality) would not under current policy influence eligibility for the state pension.

The Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) is a leading economy research institute based in the Department of Economics at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

This article first appeared in The Herald

East meets West in Super Bowl Sunday Varsity Game

Edinburgh Napier Knights host University of Glasgow

The annual American Football Varsity match returns to Meggetland Stadium on Sunday (February 13) as the Edinburgh Napier Knights host Glasgow Tigers.

The Super Bowl Sunday event is now in its tenth year and is one of the high points of the student sporting calendar, with the game a shop window for domestic American Football. A great family day out, the fixture has seen some memorable matchups and this year’s promises to be the best yet.

Both teams enter the game undefeated, meaning it’s winner takes all for the division title, playoffs, promotion and the prestigious MacKenzies Challenge Trophy.

The Glasgow team features a grind it out, run heavy, offense whilst the Knights have eschewed their traditional running game and taken to the air this year, smashing the previous club scoring record.

There is game day entertainment of a DJ, music, and the Edinburgh Napier Cheer Squad with hot food, barbeque and a licensed bar at the Canalside.

Varsity tickets include entry to the Knights Super Bowl party at the Canalside bar with late 3am licence.

Gates open from 1.30pm, with kick off at 3pm, and the Super Bowl party from 8pm.

Tickets are £5 adults, £3 students and free entry for under 16s, and can be purchased in advance online or on campus, or on the gate.

Number of workers on universal credit up by 1.3 million since the eve of the pandemic

  • 130% rise in working claimants during the pandemic 
  • Low-income workers facing “perfect storm” this spring unless ministers improve “woefully inadequate” levels of support, warns union body 
  • Cost-of-living crisis already depressing value of UC, TUC analysis reveals 
  • *NEW POLL* shows many families already struggling to make ends meet 

The TUC has warned that millions of low-income workers face a “perfect storm” this April with universal credit (UC) falling behind the cost of living as energy bills and taxes rise. 

The warning comes as new TUC analysis reveals that the number of workers on UC has increased by 1.3 million since the eve of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The analysis of official statistics shows that over 2.3 million workers were in receipt of UC at the end of 2021, compared to just over one million on the eve of the pandemic in February 2020. 

This represents an increase of 130 per cent over the last two years and means 1 in 14 (7.2 per cent) working adults now claim UC. 

The TUC says the huge rise in UC recipients has been driven by working households being pushed into financial hardship during Covid, with millions facing a cost-of-living crunch this year. 

Basic value of universal credit now lower than at start of pandemic 

The TUC says that the basic value of UC is now lower than at the start of the pandemic as a result of UC not keeping up with inflation. 

TUC estimates show that the value of UC has fallen by £12 a month in real terms when measured against CPI inflation and £21 a month when measured against RPI inflation compared to just before the pandemic (February 2020).  

The TUC says this trend will only get worse in the months ahead with inflation forecast to rise further. 

Struggling to cover the basics 

The TUC warns that millions of low-paid families face a crunch point in April when energy bills and national insurance contributions go up – at the same time as UC continues to fall in value. 

New polling – carried out for the union body before last week’s energy cap announcement and Bank of England forecasts – shows that many are already struggling to make ends meet: 

  • One in eight workers (12 per cent) say they will struggle to afford the basics in the next six months. And a fifth of working people (22 per cent) say they’ll struggle to afford more than the basics. 
  • Low-paid workers are more likely to be struggling. One in six (17 per cent) low-paid workers (those earning less than £15,000 a year) say they will struggle to afford basics in the next six months, and three in 10 (29 per cent) say they’ll struggle to afford more than the basics. 

Parents of young children, disabled workers, key workers and BME workers are more likely to be struggling: 

  • Nearly one in five families (18 per cent) with kids under 11 will struggle to afford the basics 
  • Over one in five (21 per cent) disabled workers will struggle to afford the basics, compared to 10 per cent of non-disabled workers 
  • 14 per cent of key workers say they’ll struggle to afford the basics in the next six months, compared to 10 per cent of non-key workers 
  • 14 per cent of BME workers say they’ll struggle to afford the basics in the next six months, compared to 11 per cent of white workers 

The poll also reveals that a fifth of workers (21 per cent) say they have Christmas debts to pay off this year – a number that rises to over a quarter (28 per cent) for workers with children of school age. 

Better support needed 

The TUC says the government must do far more to help struggling households to get through the months ahead. 

The union body says the cost-of-living support announced by the Chancellor on Thursday is “woefully inadequate” and will provide families with just £7 extra a week – most of which will have to be repaid. 

The TUC is also calling for UK Government to use the upcoming spring budget to: 

  • Increase to UC to 80 per cent of the real Living Wage. 
  • Introduce a windfall tax on energy companies, using the money to reduce household energy bills 
  • Boost the minimum wage to least £10 an hour now 
  • Work with unions to get pay rising across the economy 

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Millions of low-paid workers face a perfect storm this April.  

“At the same time as energy prices and national insurance contributions shoot up, universal credit is falling in value. 

“The government must do far more to help struggling families get through the tough times ahead. The support package announced by the Chancellor last week is woefully inadequate. 

“Universal credit urgently needs boosting and we need further action to reduce fuel costs for those battling to make ends meet. 

“Oil and energy companies shouldn’t be making bumper profits, while many struggle to heat their homes. 

“If ministers fail to do what is necessary, more households will be pushed below the breadline.” 

On the need to boost pay, Frances added: “The best way to give working families long-term financial security is to get pay rising across the economy. 

“That means increasing the minimum wage to at least £10 an hour now, and ministers requiring employers to negotiate sector-wide fair pay agreements with unions.”