Councillor Lezley Marion Cameron writes about the improvements the city council is making to blocks in Edinburgh:
Across Edinburgh, hundreds of residents are seeing improvements to their homes and neighbourhoods, thanks to the Council’s Mixed Tenure Improvement Service (MTIS).
Launched in Wester Hailes in 2021, the initiative tackles the long-standing challenge of maintaining mixed-tenure buildings – where some homes are owned by the council and some by private owners. Many of these blocks need significant investment to common areas due to age, lack of formal factoring arrangements and regular maintenance of shared parts of the blocks.
In Magdalene, Bingham and The Christians, work has been underway since summer 2024, with many homes are now nearing completion. Entrances are brighter and more secure, paths are safer and more accessible, and anti-social behaviour has been reduced by creating more welcoming, well-kept communities.
These works are complex and necessary, and I am pleased that they are delivering positive and visible results.
Together with councillor colleagues I recently visited the area to see first hand the scale and quality of the work taking place. We visited original blocks, some mid-refurbishment and some nearing completion. What stood out to me is how much the work has had an immediate effect, not only on how buildings look and function, but also on how people feel about where they live.
Residents have told us how much they value the work being done and it’s encouraging to hear from residents the sense of community and pride these improvements are helping to support and flourish.
That is why the MTIS is such an important and valued part of the city’s wider housing strategy, by allowing us to tackle long-standing maintenance issues in a way which benefits all parties. Private owners are supported through the process, and council tenants and residents benefit from living in buildings that are properly looked after.
Of course, this work isn’t without its challenges. Co-ordinating works among different owners takes time, patience and care but the results we are seeing now clearly demonstrate the success of the service and more importantly, that residents value it.
As the programme continues to roll out across the city, we shall keep listening to residents, working with owners, and making sure these improvements deliver lasting value.
Everyone deserves a home that is safe, warm, and well-maintained. Through this service, we are making that a reality and I look forward to seeing such progress continue.
With availability at its Edinburgh stores for further charities to get involved, local organisations now have the opportunity to be paired with their local Aldi stores to collect surplus food donations regularly.
Any organisations not already working with Neighbourly but interested in collecting unsold food from Aldi can find out more and sign up for free here.
Luke Emery, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said: “Our food donation scheme plays a vital role in ensuring that fresh and healthy food is accessible to those in need all year round, while also allowing us to redistribute surplus stock that would otherwise go to waste.
“Our charity partners provide vital support every day, and we’re proud to work with Neighbourly to help make a positive difference in communities across the UK. As we approach what can typically be a busier period for these organisations, we’re pleased to be able to bring even more charities on board to our donations scheme.”
Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, added: “Local charities and community groups continue to see high demand for their services, at times with limited resources. Aldi’s surplus food donations offer practical help, and we’d love to hear from more organisations who could benefit.”
Shoppers can also donate food to local charities, food banks and community groups via the donation points in Aldi stores nationwide.
Britain’s fourth largest supermarket also works with Company Shop, the UK’s leading redistributor of surplus food and household products, to redistribute surplus food from its Regional Distribution Centres.
Five-star housebuilder Cruden has been granted planning permission to redevelop the former St John Vianney’s Roman Catholic Church site at 40 Fernieside Gardens in Edinburgh.
The plans will transform the vacant, deteriorating 1950s building into a high-quality, fully affordable housing development, delivering 35 much-needed new homes within one of the city’s well-connected 20-minute neighbourhoods.
The new development will comprise two flatted blocks of three to four storeys, offering a mix of 17 one-bedroom, 11 two-bedroom and 7 three-bedroom homes. Located close to schools, shops, parks, healthcare facilities, and excellent public transport links, Fernieside Gardens will provide residents with convenient access to essential services while promoting sustainable, low-carbon living.
Making sustainable use of brownfield land, the sympathetic redevelopment supports the Scottish Government’s drive to protect greenfield sites and create thriving communities in existing urban areas.
An impressive 70% of the site will be open landscaped space, with almost half (44%) dedicated to green space, including central communal gardens, rain gardens, and green buffers to boost biodiversity and support sustainable drainage.
The homes will be built to high environmental standards and have a number of sustainability features. Plans include zero-emission heating, photovoltaic solar panels and high levels of insulation.
The car parking provision includes EV charging points, accessible spaces, and ample cycle storage alongside strong emphasis on walking, cycling and public transport.
Fraser Lynes, Managing Director of Cruden Homes, said: “It is fantastic to have secured planning permission for Fernieside Gardens, which will deliver high-quality, affordable homes in a location that’s already rich in amenities and community spirit.
“This development breathes new life into a redundant, brownfield site by placing sustainable communities and green infrastructure at its heart. It’s another example of how thoughtful design can support Edinburgh’s net-zero ambitions while meeting the critical need for affordable housing.”
Work on Fernieside Gardens is expected to begin later this year.
Repair Café at the Edinburgh International Book Festival tomorrow!
This Saturday, Repair Café will be making a special appearance at Edinburgh Book Festival, as part of this year’s theme ‘Repair’
If you have any mechanical, electronic or fabric items you think could be repaired but you’re not sure where to start, this is the perfect place to try your hand at fixing them under the guidance of our very knowledgeable volunteers.
Simply book your free ticket and send us an email about the items you wish to bring along and your preferred time! And don’t forget to share with your friends and spread the message of Repair!
Child Benefit will be stripped from tens of thousands of people who have moved abroad in a major clampdown expected to save £350 million
A new specialist team is expected to stop over £350 million in Child Benefit fraud and error over the next five years.
The move follows a successful pilot where just 15 investigators stopped around £17 million in wrongful payments in under 12 months.
Thousands of people who left the UK but carried on claiming Child Benefit have already been removed from the system.
Child Benefit will be stripped from tens of thousands of people who have moved abroad in a major clampdown expected to save £350 million over the next five years.
A new specialist team will use international travel data to track if claimants have gone overseas, so are no longer entitled to the payments.
The move follows a successful pilot which has already removed 2,600 people from the system who had left the UK but continued to claim Child Benefit.
A team of just 15 investigators successfully prevented around £17 million being incorrectly paid out in under 12 months.
The government is rapidly expanding this highly effective unit as part of the Plan for Change. The new team will have over 200 people from next month, sending a clear warning to those trying to scam the system.
Cabinet Office Minister Georgia Gould said: “This government is putting a stop to people claiming benefits when they aren’t eligible to do so.
“From September, we’ll have ten times as many investigators saving hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayer’s money.
“If you’re claiming benefits you’re not entitled to, your time is up.”
Child Benefit is paid to over 6.9 million families, supporting 11.9 million children. It is one of the most widely accessed forms of benefit in the UK and is administered by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
If a claimant is outside the UK for more than eight weeks, Child Benefit payments may stop unless there are exceptional circumstances. Claimants must inform HMRC if they are outside the UK for this length of time or longer.
The pilot was carried out by the Public Sector Fraud Authority, the Home Office and HMRC. Under the Digital Economy Act, they matched a random sample of 200,000 Child Benefit records with international travel data.
Where the data suggested a claimant had left the country, specialist investigators from HMRC stepped in to perform their own checks before deciding whether benefits were being claimed incorrectly. The pilot was concluded in under 12 months and delivered savings of over one million pounds per investigator.
Alongside tougher checks, this renewed drive will raise awareness of the rules, recognising that some errors are genuine mistakes. Every case is reviewed by a human investigator and HMRC will reach out directly to families as part of any investigation to resolve matters swiftly.
This crackdown on fraud and error ‘protects hardworking families who play by the rules and ensures every pound of taxpayer money goes where it should’.
General Practice will receive an initial additional investment of £15 million this year to ease recruitment pressures and boost capacity.
The new investment will support workforce retention and recruitment, build service capacity and support the day to day running of GP services.
The funding comes after discussions with the sector about the sustainability of GP services – negotiations will continue around further support to help shift care from acute to community.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “We have been listening carefully to the views of Scotland’s GPs and as a result, I am pleased to confirm an initial additional investment of £15 million for the current financial year.
“This new funding will help support capacity and ensure GPs and services in the community have the resources they need for their essential role in our health system.
“We remain in negotiations with the sector on the provision of further support in the future, but this initial instalment demonstrates this Government’s commitment to supporting primary care and alleviating current pressures on the system.
We want to make it easier for people to see their GP and to achieve this we are working towards ensuring a greater proportion of new NHS funding goes to primary and community care.
“We have already increased investment in general practice by over £100 million in the last two years to meet recommended pay increases and to support practices with sustainability.”
Commenting on the funding announcement, RCGP Scotland Chair Dr Chris Provan said: “GPs and their teams strive to deliver a high quality of care, but they are increasingly struggling to meet the demand from a growing population with more complex needs – all while the GP workforce continues to shrink.
“RCGP Scotland welcomes the investment of £15 million in this financial year as a positive step. However, this funding alone will not transform general practice or undo years of underinvestment.
“It must be seen as the beginning of a sustained commitment to properly resource general practice – stabilising services, supporting the recruitment of more GPs, and expanding capacity to improve patient access.
“The Scottish Government has pledged to shift the balance of care and funding towards primary and community care. Investing in general practice delivers better health outcomes and offers significant value to patients, the wider NHS, the economy, and society.
“Today’s announcement must mark the start of that shift, which now needs to be accelerated to ensure general practice is strengthened and supported to deliver the high-quality care patients deserve.”
Nine Fireworks Control Zones (FCZ) will be introduced in Edinburgh this year to minimise the negative impacts of fireworks around Bonfire Night.
FCZs, which ban the use of fireworks in a specific area, were first implemented in Edinburgh last year and covered Balerno, Calton Hill, Niddrie and Seafield.
On Thursday, members of the Culture and Communities Committee voted to reintroduce FCZs in these areas for two years, in addition to FCZs in Corstorphine, Moredun, Gracemount, Longstone and Sighthill between 31 October and 9 November 2025.
In March people were invited to apply for their local area to become an FCZ resulting in proposals for Corstorphine, Moredun, Gracemount, Longstone and Sighthill. A subsequent public consultation on FCZs for these areas, alongside Balerno, Calton Hill, Niddrie and Seafield, found overwhelming support for their introduction.
Amongst the reasons community groups stated in their applications for FCZs were the misuse of fireworks and the protection of animals and vulnerable people.
Culture and Communities Convener Councillor Margaret Grahamsaid: ““We want everyone to be able to enjoy Bonfire Night safely and responsibly and these FCZs are part of our efforts to ensure that.
“The new FCZs being introduced are based on community requests and respond to real concerns around the safety of people and animals in these areas. This is in addition to the FCZs first introduced last year, which we found had a really positive effect.
“This is just one tool for minimising the negative impact of fireworks at this time of year, and we’ll continue to work closely with partners to look at different ways of addressing the issue.”
It is intended that FCZs will align with any Dispersal Zones planned by Police Scotland around Bonfire Night.
They will also support work to tackle antisocial behaviour with partners like Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) as part of the Citywide Bonfire Strategic Planning Community Improvement Partnership (CIP).
This includes patrols of fly-tipping hotspots, co-ordination of CCTV cameras, visits to premises licensed to sell fireworks to conduct safety checks and youth engagement initiatives.
LifeCare, the Edinburgh-based charity supporting local older people, is proud to announce a new free event in partnership with legal firm Balfour+Manson LLP:
What to Do If You Can’t Do It Yourself – An Introduction to Client Services
Taking place next week at 3pm on Wednesday 27th August in LifeCare’s fully accessible community café, CaféLife (2 Cheyne Street, EH4 1JB), this informative and friendly session will introduce attendees to the support available when managing daily life becomes more challenging.
The event will showcase Client Support Services – a person-centred approach designed to support older and vulnerable individuals in staying safe, secure, and well cared for. From managing finances and understanding powers of attorney to arranging practical help at home, the service is designed to help people live as independently and comfortably as possible.
Attendees will hear directly from Susan Russell, Client Support Manager at Balfour+Manson, and Catriona Torrance, Partner in the firm’s Private Client Team.
Susan brings a wealth of experience from her background in social work, working closely with individuals to ensure the right help is in place and stays in place.
Catriona is highly experienced in supporting clients with wills, powers of attorney, and planning for the future.
Catriona Torrance, Private Client Partner, said: “Helping clients plan for the future is about more than legal documents — it’s about giving them confidence and control during uncertain times.
“We are really proud to be partnering with LifeCare to run this important event, we aim to empower older people and their families to make informed decisions that protect their wishes and wellbeing for years to come.”
Susan Russell, Private Client Support Manager, said: “What I find most rewarding is seeing the relief and reassurance on our clients’ faces when they realise they’re not alone in managing these challenging transitions.
“Our role is about more than paperwork and services — it’s about supporting people’s dignity and peace of mind, helping them feel secure in their independence and cared for every step of the way.”
This relaxed and welcoming session is ideal for older individuals, their families, and carers who want to understand the practical steps and support available during later life transitions.
The event is free to attend, and complimentary tea and coffee will be served. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about LifeCare’s vital community services.
To secure a place, attendees are encouraged to register on Eventbrite or call the friendly LifeCare team on 0131 343 0940.
‘Preemark’ signs and window displays appear overnight in all 21 of the retailer’s stores across Scotland.
Scottish shoppers can enjoy the rebrand from today until Sunday 24th August as the retailer marks 50 years on the Scottish high street this summer.
The celebrations were inspired by Primark’s viral Instagram post earlier this year, designed to settle the debate once and for all on how to pronounce its iconic name.
Scottish shoppers will hardly believe it when they see it today as Primark finally relents on one of its biggest brand debates after 50 years.
To mark 50 years of Primark on Scotland’s high streets in style with both customers and colleagues, the retailer is tipping its hat to celebrate with a ‘Preemark’ rebrand, which has appeared in all 21 of its Scottish stores overnight.
The full ‘Preemark’ store takeovers are now live in Hamilton, Edinburgh Princes Street and Glasgow’s Argyle Street, alongside fun ‘Preemark’ themed window activations in its remaining 18 Scottish stores up and down the country.
Scots can enjoy the retailer’s significant milestone in every store until Sunday 24th August. The celebrations are a ‘wee nod’ to how most Scots pronounce the popular brand name as ‘Pr-EE-mark’.
This comes after the retailer tried to settle the debate about how to pronounce its brand in an Instagram post that went viral earlier this year. The ongoing speculation ranges from how most people know it, ‘Pr-EYE-mark’, to ‘Pr-AYE-mark’ and the favoured Scottish ‘Pr-EE-mark’.
Gavin O’Reilly, Area Manager for Primark Scotland West and Cumbria, who currently oversees Primark’s first store in Hamilton, Scotland, said: “Our loyal Scottish shoppers have been instrumental to our success over the last 50 years, so we thought it was high time we acknowledged it in true Primark style.
“It’s a proud moment for all our stores to be celebrating our milestone together with a fun ‘Preemark’ nod, which is simply what we know our Scottish shoppers and colleagues are calling us every day anyway!”
Today, Primark has 21 stores covering over 755,000 sq. ft of retail space across Scotland’s much-loved towns, city centres and retail parks, and employs over 2,637 retail colleagues nationally.
From day one, Primark was a hit with Scottish shoppers who initially queued up for its “unbeatable” opening offers in its first store in Hamilton, during the summer of 1975, including women’s tweed coats for £9.50, printed crepe blouses for 99p and briefs for 25p.
Across menswear, V-neck Shetland sweaters were sold for £2.85, poly-cotton shirts for 99p and socks for 23p. Children’s clothing highlights included slacks for 99p, ‘car coats’ for £1.99 and pinafore dresses for £1.65.
Over the years, some of its most popular products in Scotland include velour tracksuits – popular in the early 2000s – as well as a gold sequin dress and Saltire beach towels. Made exclusively for Scottish shoppers, the retailer has produced a line of Scottish pyjamas, Edinburgh-themed t-shirts from £3.00 and more recently its Scotland Euros t-shirts.
From its first and smallest store in Hamilton at just 9,300 sq. ft to the largest store on Edinburgh Princes Street, covering 73,900 sq. ft with stunning views of Edinburgh Castle, Primark has continued to grow in size and scale. Its in-store experience has evolved to now feature beauty studios, nail salons and a wide choice of destination cafes – including its popular evolving cafés in Edinburgh and Braehead.
Over the past three years, Primark has invested over £20 million in its stores which includes significant upgrades to stores in Clydebank, Hamilton, Stirling and Irvine so far this year. It has also introduced self-service checkouts and its popular Click & Collect service to all stores in Scotland.
Now every Primark shopper can access the full range, ordering online and collecting more easily and conveniently from their local store in just two days. Looking ahead, the retailer has confirmed it plans to invest a further £9 million in its Scottish stores over the next two years as it reaffirms its commitment to Scottish retail.
Kari Rodgers, UK Retail Director at Primark, said:“The high streets and fashions have changed a lot over five decades in Scotland, and Primark has been there every step of the way.
“As we’ve evolved to meet this change in demand, our commitment to offering people great quality clothing at affordable prices is stronger than ever. There is such pride in our stores in Scotland and our customers feel it too, so it’s fantastic to be celebrating such an important milestone together.
“Over the last three years we’ve invested more than £20 million in our stores across Scotland and we’ve a further £9 million planned over the next two years to improve our stores and support the future of Scottish retail.”
Across the UK, Primark operates 197 stores, including 21 in Scotland, and employs 30,000 colleagues. Meanwhile, 2.3 million people every week cite Primark as the main reason for visiting their local high street, and for every £10 spent in a Primark, shoppers spend an additional £3.60 which produces a positive economic ripple effect for local high streets*.
Picture – Chris Watt Photography
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Preemark Edinburgh
Timeline of Primark’s stores in Scotland
August 1975 – Hamilton, 29 Quarry Street, ML3 7AW
June 1995 – Motherwell, 20-26 Brandon Place South, ML1 1RB
September 1999 – Clydebank, Unit 2, 117 Sylvania Way, G81 2RR
March 2001 – Stirling, Goosecroft Road, FK8 2EA
April 2001 – Braehead, Unit 1a, Braehead Shopping Centre, G51 4BS
May 2001 – Aberdeen, 152 Union Street, AB11 6BH
June 2001 – Dundee, 40 High Street, DD1 1TU
April 2002 – Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3ER
April 2003 – East Kilbride, Unit 4, Plaza Shopping Centre, G74 1LW
June 2006 – Ayr, Unit 8, Taran Walk, Kyle Street, KA7 1TU
September 2006 – Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2 8AG
October 2006 – Park Head, Glasgow, G31 4EB
October 2006 – Inverness, 16-18 Bridge Street, IV1 1HG
November 2006 – Greenock, Oak Mall Shopping Centre, PA15 1JW
December 2006 – Dunfermline, 127-137 High Street, KY12 7DR
March 2007 – Irvine, Unit 46, Rivergate Centre, KA12 8EH
November 2010 – Perth, 134-148 High Street, PH1 5UH
December 2011 – Livingston, The Centre, EH54 6HR
December 2011 – Edinburgh Princes Street, The Centre, EH54 6HR
December 2015 – Fort Kinnaird, The Centre, EH54 6HR
Edinburgh Futures institute, 1 Lauriston place
Saturday 23rd August 2pm-5pm
