North Edinburgh News – Page 76 – The NEN

Dobbies’ Edinburgh unveils new foodhall format

Chance to win hamper during launch weekend

Dobbies has unveiled a vibrant new cottage kitchen garden style foodhall at its Edinburgh store.

Edinburgh is one of Dobbies’ first stores to transform its foodhall with a further 47 stores planned in the coming weeks, offering customers the opportunity to discover and celebrate great food.

The new foodhall reflects Dobbies’ commitment to investing in the Edinburgh store and responding to what local customers want. By listening to feedback from the Edinburgh community, new ways were identified to improve both the food range and the overall shopping experience.

The new foodhall at Edinburgh has opened with a host of introductory offers including 30% off Farmhouse biscuits and Belgid’Or chocolates and 20% off Coolmore cakes, and favourite brands like Fever Tree and Savoursmiths, available to 31 March.

To mark the first weekend of opening from Thursday 19 February, sampling of some of the new products will be available at various times, and one lucky customer through the doors will win a hamper filled with selected products.

Jenna Bavidge, General Manager at Dobbies’ Edinburgh, said: “The foodhall is one of the most popular areas in the store and an important part of our garden centre experience.

“We’ve been working hard on the new format that’s inspired by a cottage kitchen garden and brings together essentials, treats and seasonal variety through a range of both popular and new brands. We’re excited to welcome customers in to see the new ranges and try them for themselves.”

With more than 2,000 products, Edinburgh customers will be spoilt for choice, with Dobbies’ famous scones and tray bakes available, as well as a host of new brands like Botham’s of Whitby and Patteson’s.

Sweet treats will be prominent with well-known brands like Bonbons, Lindt and Tony’s Chocolonely.

The new food hall will have its own greengrocer and deli counter, with everything to make the perfect cheeseboard or party platter, with a new range of chilled products including cheese, deli meats, olives and dips. To accompany this, there will also be a wide selection of biscuits for cheese, sharing bags of crisps and snacks, nuts and dried fruits. The pantry section will also host foods from around the world.

There will also be premium frozen food ranges, with brands including Cook, FieldGoods and award-winning Supper Club, and ice cream from Jude’s.

The ranges of gift foods will increase with a broader selection of alcohol and premium soft drinks. Everything from gin gift packs to all-natural handmade beverages from Hullabaloo.

The new foodhall at Dobbies Edinburgh is open from Thursday 19 February. For more information visit dobbies.com.

Improving Community Eyecare

Budget to provide a record £144m for optometry services

People with visual impairments will receive care closer to home through a new Community Low Vision Service (CLVS).

Development work has begun on the new national service which will allow patients with visual impairment, that cannot be managed through glasses, lenses or surgery, to be supported by community optometrists instead of in a hospital setting.

Optometrists will provide care to these vulnerable patients to help them maintain their independence – including low vision aids such as magnifiers and lights, regular specialist assessments and signposting of additional help including mental health support and social services. This service will build on the success of community eyecare services already in place, the Community Glaucoma Service (CGS) and Anterior Eye Service.

The CGS supports patients with lower risk glaucoma and ocular hypertension to be discharged from hospital and receive direct care from an accredited optometrist in the community. The Anterior Eye Service allows community optometrists to treat ten complex eye conditions which normally require a hospital visit.

When fully operational it is estimated these services combined will support 40,000 patients to be fully treated in the community.

The roll-out of the national CLVS will be supported by record investment of £144 million across all community eyecare in this year’s Draft Budget.

On a visit to Munro Optometrists in NHS Lanarkshire, Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “The introduction of our new low vision service is a significant step forward in our efforts to have more people treated in the community and close to home instead of a hospital setting.

“This new service will complement the programmes we already have in place – our Anterior Eye Service and Community Glaucoma Service – which together we anticipate will allow an estimated 40,000 patients to be treated closer to home.

“We know this delivers better outcomes and we want community optometrists to be the first port of call for all eye-related conditions – the national roll-out out of these services, backed by £144 million for the sector, will help free up substantial capacity in our hospitals.

“It has been nearly 20 years since free universal NHS-funded eye examinations were introduced in Scotland and we remain the only country in the UK to provide this vital service. We will maintain this crucial policy and I would remind people of the importance of having regular examinations which can help with early detection of a range of sight and non-sight threatening conditions.”

Fair Work Convention: Renewed Vision

Fair Work Convention unveils Renewed Vision for a fairer, more inclusive Scotland

The Fair Work Convention has shared its renewed vision for building a fairer, more inclusive Scotland.

This refreshed direction champions workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, with fairness and respect at the heart of Scotland’s economy.

Discover what this means for workers, employers, and Scotland’s future:

The Fair Work Convention has today announced a renewed vision for Scotland’s workplaces, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring that every worker in Scotland benefits from the five dimensions of fair work; opportunity, security, respect, fulfilment, and effective voice.

Scotland stands at a defining moment in its fair work journey. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made, like reducing gender economic inactivity gaps, reducing workplace injuries and tackling low pay. Yet the work is far from complete. More needs to be done to enhance fair work across Scotland’s economy.

Building on its longstanding role as an independent advisory body, the Fair Work Convention aims to position Scotland as a global leader in fair work, with a particular focus on driving measurable improvements for workers, employers, and wider society.

Fair Work Dimensions — Five Pillars of Fair Work

The renewed vision sets out five pillars of Fair Work:

Security: Ensuring stable employment with predictable hours and clear opportunities for career progression.
Respect: Promoting safe, healthy, and supportive working environments that foster wellbeing and ensure flexibility that works for everyone.
Fulfilment: Encouraging investment in skills for both the present and the future, and supporting work that offers autonomy, purpose, and opportunities to shape decisions.
Opportunity: Championing inclusive employment practices that ensure all of Scotland’s people can access fair work.
Effective Voice: Securing genuine channels for workers to be heard at every level, with a particular emphasis on strong collective bargaining structures and workplace access for trade unions.

As part of this renewed direction, the Convention will strengthen its role in providing independent scrutiny, guidance, and monitoring, supporting partners across Scotland to translate fair work principles into tangible, real‑world progress.

Fair Work Convention Co-Chair Professor Patricia Findlay said: “We know that Scotland faces ongoing economic challenges that demand resilience, adaptability and innovation. Fair work is not just a moral imperative; it is an economic necessity.

“We want Scotland to be recognised internationally as a nation where fair work is at the heart of our economic success,”

Fair Work Convention Co-Chair Chris Westcott added: “This renewed vision reinforces our commitment to ensuring that all workers, regardless of sector, background or job role experience fair and meaningful work.

“Now is the time to reaffirm our commitment to fair work and its crucial role in delivering the type of Scotland we want and need.”

Business Minister Richard Lochhead said: “The Scottish Government remains committed to fair work and has awarded £6 billion in public sector grants to organisations which follow Fair Work First criteria.

“It’s paying off. Scotland is the best performing of all four UK countries with the highest proportion of employees aged 18 or over – 88.7% – being paid the real Living Wage or more.

“This renewed direction from the Fair Work Convention helps strengthen our shared ambition to ensure workplaces across Scotland deliver security, opportunity, respect and a meaningful voice for every worker. This is central to building a stronger, more inclusive and more resilient economy for the future.”

The Fair Work Convention will continue to engage closely with workers, employers, trade unions, and policymakers as it delivers on the vision and supports Scotland’s journey towards becoming a world-leading Fair Work Nation.

Edinburgh’s cycling boom continues

Bikes account for nearly 10% of journeys on Leith Walk and City Centre West to East Link

New traffic data collated by Cycling Scotland, Scotland’s national cycling charity, has revealed the continuing success of new protected cycle routes in Edinburgh.

Over a 48-hour period in September 2025, traffic surveys recorded 4,744 bikes on Leith Walk. This was out of a total of 48,832 travel methods recorded, meaning that 9.7% of people cycled their journey – the highest cycling modal share yet seen on the route.

On the western-most portion of the City Centre West East Link (CCWEL), at West Coates in Roseburn, 2,798 bikes were recorded over the same 48-hour survey period. This was out of a total of 30,175 travel methods recorded on the street, equating to 9.3% of journeys being made by bike – a new record cycling modal share for this section of the CCWEL.

At York Place, where the CCWEL’s protected cycle route connects to Leith Walk via Picardy Place, 1,921 cycle journeys were recorded over the two-day period. This is the largest number of bikes yet recorded at this location by a Cycling Scotland traffic survey and evidence of the growth in cycling being supported as routes join together.

At Great Junction Street, 2,023 cycle journeys were recorded, with a cycling modal share of 4% – both new records for this location, where new safe, protected cycle lanes are currently being installed as part of the Leith Connections project.

At all survey locations, strong peaks in cycling were seen at morning and evening rush hours, indicating that people are predominantly travelling by bike for everyday journeys, like commuting to and from work.

The data also shows that where safe, protected cycle lanes are provided, the vast majority of people cycling choose to use them rather than cycling on-road. 97% of cycle journeys along West Coates were recorded as being on the cycle lane, rather than the road, and 96% of cycle journeys on Leith Walk.

Cycling Scotland organises traffic surveys across Scotland to monitor changes in travel behaviour, working in partnership with all 32 local authorities at over 100 locations, with funding from Transport Scotland. Conducted biannually in May and September each year, these nationwide traffic surveys help to track changes in modal share, highlighting how new high-quality cycle routes such as this are supporting more people to make sustainable journeys.

Additional analysis of data from the fixed cycle counter network in the capital, further reveals the long-term impact of investment in safer cycling infrastructure.

In the south of Edinburgh where Quiet Route 61 meets on-street cycle lanes on Gilmerton Road, 4,676 cycle journeys were recorded through September 2025, compared with 1,561 journeys in September 2021 – a 200% increase. This follows improvements for people walking and cycling at the crossing, including and physical protection for the cycle lanes.

38,611 cycle journeys were recorded by a fixed cycle counter on North Meadow Walk through September 2025 – a 20% increase on September 2021. On nearby Bruntsfield Place, a 20% increase in cycle journeys was also recorded over the same period.

Michael Owen, an 89-year-old Edinburgh resident who uses his bike most days to stay fit, said: “I’m very supportive of improvements for cycling in the city. I’m approaching 90, and I use my bike to get local shopping most days. If it’s a decent day I might add a mile or two onto my journey.

“I’ve always used my bike to keep fit, particularly to build fitness for skiing trips and sports – now it’s my main way of looking after myself. It keeps me more mobile than otherwise.

“Convenience, practical reasons… it’s my best form of transport. If I have any appointments, medical check-ups in the city centre for example, I’ll get there by bike. I realise just how much easier it is to get around and to deal with everyday things by using my bike. The physical fitness is a big thing for me, it keeps me more mobile than otherwise.”

City of Edinburgh Council Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “The data here speaks for itself. We’ve consistently seen that where we commit to creating and improving cycling infrastructure, new users will follow.

“From supporting more liveable local neighbourhoods, to getting physical exercise and choosing to get around more sustainably, I’d encourage anyone thinking of getting on a bike this year to give it a try.

“Under our City Mobility Plan, we’re committed to making Edinburgh as easy for people to move around as possible, and cycling is one of the key sustainable transport modes that supports this.”

Nick Montgomery, Monitoring and Development Manager at Cycling Scotland, said: “What we see from the data is that where local authorities are investing in protected cycle lanes and improved networks of cycling routes, there are big increases in people travelling by bike.

“Future improvements would support even more people to benefit from cycling as a healthy, affordable, and environmentally friendly way of getting around and help Edinburgh continue to grow and thrive as a city.”

Agreeing Visitor Levy spend ‘is just the beginning’

Council Leader Jane Meagher sets out the many benefits the visitor levy will bring to Edinburgh, its residents and visitors:

We’re rightly proud that so many people want to visit and enjoy our historic and beautiful city – and of the significant benefit that tourism brings to our economy.

But with that popularity comes a cost: the pressure it places on our services and on the people who live and work here all year round.

We’ve long been aware of our responsibility to manage this pressure but, as the lowest funded local authority in Scotland, we had to find other ways of funding this.

I was delighted then that, having secured the powers to introduce a visitor levy for Edinburgh, we’ve now agreed the first round of spending programmes. This investment of nearly £100 million over the next three years will allow us to sustain and enhance our reputation as one of the most popular and enjoyable destinations in the world.

As the first local authority in the UK to push ahead with a city-wide scheme, I know that other councils across the UK – together with the UK, Welsh and Northern Irish governments – are watching closely as they seek to develop similar schemes of their own. They should be encouraged by what they’re seeing.

Thanks to the funds generated from the Edinburgh Visitor Levy, as we now know it, we can transform our city into a cleaner, greener and more welcoming environment. We can invest more in our award-winning parks and greenspaces, doubling the number of park rangers and funding extra planting across the city.

We can help to put more police on our streets while new public toilets, upgraded bins and extra patrols will help to maintain Edinburgh’s streets, public spaces and public infrastructure to the high standard our residents and visitors expect.

We can also renew and restore attractions across Edinburgh, including bringing much-loved cultural venues like the Royal High School and Leith Theatre back into use for the first time in decades.

We’ve listened to and taken account of the views of residents, the tourism industry and other stakeholders at every stage of the process – and I’m grateful to the many Council officers, Visitor Levy Advisory Forum members, businesses and residents for their valuable contributions and support.

This is just the beginning. As the scheme develops, we’ll continue to involve communities in spending decisions in their local areas – and the Forum will continue to help ensure the views of the city are taken into account over the next three years and beyond.

I’m sure, like me, they’re looking forward to seeing the many benefits the levy will bring to our city, our residents and our visitors.

Jane Meagher’s article first appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News

Community Energy Hustings

THURSDAY 5th MARCH at 7pm

GRASSMARKET COMMUNITY PROJECT

With the Scottish Parliament election just around the corner, the critical questions of who owns what and who benefits in the era-defining shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy are more pressing than ever.

Join us in person or online for a community energy hustings, hosted by the Scottish Community Coalition on Energy (Community Energy Scotland, Community Land Scotland & Development Trusts Association Scotland) where candidates from across the political spectrum will face your questions on local power.

This is our chance to demand clear commitments on support for community-owned renewable energy, on ensuring local wealth stays local, and on making sure the energy transition benefits every household, village and town across Scotland.

Thursday 5th March

Doors open for refreshments at 6:30pm, event starts at 7pm

Grassmarket Community Project, Edinburgh EH1 2QA (or join online!)

Find out more and secure your ticket here: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/shape-scotlands-energy…

Clarifying the law on Religious Observance at school

Strengthening young people’s rights

Schools will now need to inform pupils when a request is made by a parent or carer to withdraw them from religious observance and to consider any objection the young person may have, under legislation backed by MSPs.

The Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill was passed in a final Stage 3 vote in the Scottish Parliament.

The Bill was introduced to Parliament to clarify the legal position around the withdrawal of pupils from religious observance in schools.

The changes will align legislation with existing guidance on religious observance to strengthen alignment with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in its international form.

Once brought into effect, the legislation will strengthen pupil’s rights in relation to religious observance and religious and moral education.

Legislation which will clarify the law on religious observance in school has been passed by @ScotParl

The changes will strengthen alignment with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

➡️https://t.co/WvX0Uzi2Gh pic.twitter.com/GTaMgephNU
— ScotGov Education (@ScotGovEdu) February 18, 2026

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “This Bill strengthens the protection and promotion of children’s rights in education, as well as those of their parents and carers. It builds on the wider progress we have made around the human rights of children and young people, while also ensuring parents continue to have a say on the religious elements of their child’s education.

“I recognise the wide range of views heard as the Bill has proceeded through the Parliamentary process. We will continue to adopt a collegiate and inclusive approach as these changes are implemented, including in the development of the new statutory guidance to accompany the legislation.“

Communities to benefit from renewable energy

New proposals for onshore renewable energy developments

Communities across Scotland could see more money invested in their area as a result of onshore renewable energy developments – under new proposals published yesterday.

The proposed updates to existing community benefit guidance for onshore energy developments would recommend that local groups should receive yearly payments of £6,000 per Megawatt (MW) of onshore wind capacity – up from £5,000 per MW – for the lifetime of a project.

‘Community benefits’ are voluntary contributions provided by energy developers to local communities. Around £30 million in benefits was provided to groups across Scotland last year, supporting projects that matter most to local communities.

The proposals also include:

a new specific recommended range of £700-£1000 per MW per year for solar projects;
a new recommended level of at least £150 per MW per year for battery energy storage projects;
the pilot of a Community Benefit Peer Forum, run by Local Energy Scotland, so communities can work together, share learning and build expertise;
and improved guidance to support communities to maximise the long-term value of community benefit funds.

Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said: “For more than 10 years, Scotland has led the way in establishing the provision of community benefits as a common and expected practice across our renewables sector.

“This has led to communities and energy developers working together to deliver tangible and long-lasting legacy benefits for local areas – along with the wider benefits of local jobs, supply chain businesses and growing local economies.

“The updated proposals outlined today seek to strike a balanced approach to future fund levels which continue to serve communities well while reflecting the market challenges for developers over recent years.

“We will continue to engage with communities and the energy sector to help refine these proposals ahead of developing our final updated Good Practice Principles later this year.”

Stephen McCarron, Chief Operating Officer at the 9 Community Councils Group, said: “The 9CC Group warmly welcome the significant updates to the Good Practice Principles and are delighted that it adopts our key asks for communities to be at the heart of the decision making regarding the funding and delivery support for local and strategic priorities.

“It’s an excellent document; comprehensive and clear on best practice while striking fair balance on the interests of developers and communities.

“A partnership approach is critical to creating a lasting legacy for our communities and whilst we will continue to promote a collaborative and wider approach in terms of communities working together, we are pleased that there is a clear distinction between those who make local decisions on funding and those who administer the fund, that avoids the risk of self interest undermining the greater good for the wider community.”

The Good Practice Principles are national guidance that sets clear expectations for developers and communities on how community benefits should be designed and delivered. Read the Working Paper on Refreshing the Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy.

Have your say on the proposals.

Getting Along with Gran

Royston Wardieburn Community Centre: 2nd March 11am

A free performed reading of a play based on memories from Royston Wardieburn Social History Group performed by professional actors with the participation of Granton Primary School pupils.

More Info and to reserve Free places contact – lizhare@blueyonder.co.uk