New measures will unlock up to £30 billion investment in homegrown clean power as permissions for new offshore wind projects are streamlined
Up to thirteen major offshore wind projects have been unlocked as the Government announced measures to accelerate the construction of offshore infrastructure.
Inheriting outdated and archaic infrastructure restrictions that slowed and jammed the building of offshore clean energy projects, Ministers are streamlining the consenting process to accelerate their construction. As set out in the Chancellor’s growth speech, this will hasten the delivery of vital infrastructure projects and unlock growth as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, while protecting nature and the environment.
Together, the unlocked projects will generate up to 16GWs of electricity – almost equivalent to the electricity generated by all of the country’s gas power plants last year – and create thousands of good jobs in the offshore wind sector, potentially spurring £20-30bn of investment in homegrown clean power.
These changes will allow the Government to designate new Marine Protected Areas or extend existing Marine Protected Areas to compensate for impacts to the seabed caused by offshore wind development.
This will prevent delays that have previously resulted from insufficient environmental compensation being agreed, while protecting the marine environment and contributing to our commitment to protect 30% of our seas for nature by 2030.
Marine Minister Emma Hardy said: “Under the Government’s Plan for Change, we are committed to boosting growth and making Britain a clean energy superpower while defending our important marine habitats.
“These changes show we can make significant progress in expanding homegrown British clean power in a way that protects vulnerable sea life.”
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: “Offshore wind will be the backbone of delivering clean power by 2030 as we enter a new era of clean electricity.
“As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, today’s announcement will help unlock crucial offshore wind projects that will boost our energy security, protect billpayers from volatile fossil fuel markets, and help make the UK a clean energy superpower.”
Any new designations of Marine Protected Areas will follow the existing process required under legislation, and will include consulting other affected industries and communities.
The new or extended Marine Protected Areas will protect a range of marine habitats, with the cost of their designation and management funded by offshore wind developers through the Marine Recovery Fund.
£9 million for community energy generation and energy efficiency improvements
Communities across the country will benefit from £9 million Scottish Government funding for measures to help cut energy costs and support the development of locally-owned renewable energy projects.
The funding – which builds on the successful Community Energy Generation Growth Fund pilot – will be used to scale up community energy projects across Scotland as part of a drive to cut carbon emissions, create local jobs, reduce energy costs and stimulate local investment.
It includes:
£3.5 million for a new Community Energy Generation Growth Fund to support communities to develop their own renewable energy projects – such as installing wind turbines and solar panels
£4.5 million to help local groups decarbonise their buildings through the installation of renewable measures such as heat pumps and solar PV panels, alongside energy efficiency measures, that reduce energy costs and emissions
£1 million for capacity building and development support to help develop and progress early ideas for new community energy projects
Announcing the funding at the annual Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) conference in Glasgow, Acting Climate Action Minister Alasdair Allan said: “Communities must be at the heart of our transition to net zero and must see the benefits of this just transition.
“This transition is about both the outcome – a fairer, greener future – and the way we get there in partnership with those most likely to be impacted by these changes.
“That is why I am pleased to announce this £9 million investment from the Scottish Government will be available to communities through CARES over the next year.
“Scotland has diverse communities – from those in our cities, to those in rural areas and on our islands. I am committed to supporting all these communities to take part in and benefit from the growth of Scotland’s energy sector.”
Chief Executive Officer of Community Energy Scotland Zoë Holliday said: “The Scottish Government’s continued commitment to community energy is welcome news for groups across Scotland.
“The reintroduction of funding for stand-alone generation projects has the potential to lever in significant funds locally and play a key role in the just transition.
“We are also delighted to see a new fund focussing on capacity building for communities; we have been calling for such support to ensure that when it comes to the energy transition, no community is left behind.”
BARNARDO’S OUTLINES NEW APPROACH TO FOSTERING TO GOVERNMENT MINISTER
Foster carers representing the country’s leading children’s charity today met with the Scottish Government’s Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise, Natalie Don-Innes MSP, to outline a pioneering new “extended family” model approach to foster care.
To tackle the ongoing crisis in fostering, Barnardo’s Scotland first unveiled the ‘Mockingbird model’ in 2021 in collaboration with The Fostering Network which is inspired by the support and relationships of an extended family. Today, the Minister met with several foster carers who undertake care for children using this exciting model.
Speaking about the Mockingbird model, Natalie Don-Innes MSP said: “All children should have the support, love and stability they need throughout their childhood, to enable them to have the opportunity to thrive.
“Foster carers have a vital role in this, by providing secure, stable and nurturing homes for children in their care. Foster care is key to delivering The Promise by 2030 and to supporting our collective efforts to tackle Child Poverty and I would like to thank foster carers for all that they do.
“I am grateful for the work Barnardo’s and the Fostering Network have put in to developing the innovative Mockingbird approach, which will enhance the support network available to children, and provide increased resilience for carers.”
Anne Whyte, Assistant Head of Fostering and Adoption at Barnardo’s Scotland, said: “The Mockingbird model helps children, young people and foster families build a strong, caring community. This involves creating a ‘hub home’ with an experienced carer acting as a ‘grandparent’, surrounded by nearby homes that form a ‘constellation’.
“The aim is for the caring community to mirror an extended family, so that children can develop relationships not only with their own carers, but also with other children and carers. Everyday childhood experiences are encouraged, such as sleepovers and playdates.
“The service builds a community around a child, helping to provide stability, and if a foster care arrangement is put under strain, a child can go and stay with the hub home or move into another home within the constellation.
“The young people have the opportunity to go on sleepovers, on a regular basis, to build relationships with other families and children – and this is not just when their main home is under strain.
“There is no doubt that the Mockingbird model is proving to be a huge success in Scotland. We are keen to expand this offering, but, to do that, we need more people to come forward to become foster carers.”
Barnardo’s Scotland has eight families in its 2021 constellation. There are eight foster children and one young person in continuing care. The carers can be couples or single carers and some are short break carers.
The charity’s latest constellation currently has six families with seven foster children and one young person in continuing care. Working with The Fostering Network, Barnardo’s first introduced the Mockingbird model to its service in Edinburgh.
Janet Davidson, a foster carer from Fife, said: “The Edinburgh Mockingbird is more than an extended family to me; it has developed into a group of understanding friends, who themselves are also living with the challenges that fostering presents to its carers and young people.
“The support and knowledge within our group is well beyond what I expected and there is always someone 24/7 available and willing to listen to me, or to give me advice.”
Jackie*, also from Fife, has been a foster carer for more than 25 years, and became a carer for Barnardo’s in Edinburgh in 2021. She is keen to highlight the many positives of the Mockingbird model: “The Mockingbird is an extended family that provides lots of different support, planned and emergency sleepovers and short breaks. It gives our young people peer support, social activities to meet, build friendships and just have fun.
“We are in it together, so we never feel alone. This is because it is modelled on a family setting so other carers become almost like aunties and uncles and the other young people are like cousins once the relationships have been built.
“The aim is to improve the stability of fostering homes and to strengthen relationships between carers, children, young people and siblings who could be nearby with other carers, and extend it to when the young person moves away from their present carer to a home of their own or into an adopted home. This provides them a strong family connection that a lot of fostered children do not have.”
A crisis in fostering in Scotland was identified last year when Barnardo’s pointed to research by The Fostering Network that revealed the number of foster families required stands at 500.
Speaking at the time, Martin Crewe, Director of Barnardo’s Scotland, said: “Fostering in Scotland is in crisis as the numbers of people registered to foster continues to fall year on year.
“A shortage of foster carers leaves hundreds of children without a safe and loving home, and that is something we are keen to address. But we strongly believe that any loving person can make a wonderful foster parent to a child who needs us the most.”
Barnardo’s Scotland is committed to keeping The Promise to care-experienced young people and to ensure every child in Scotland grows up safe, loved and respected. That is why the charity is calling on people to consider joining Barnardo’s Scotland as a foster carer. Barnardo’s has more than 80 years of experience of successfully matching children and young people with families, and there are many benefits to being a carer.
For more information on becoming a foster carer with Barnardo’s in Scotland, please visit www.barnardos.org.uk/foster, or call 0800 0277 280. The charity’s friendly and supportive staff are available from Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm.
In the past year, Barnardo’s provided essential support to more than 11,500 children, young people, parents and carers in Scotland through more than 150 specialised community-based services and partnerships across the country. The charity works to ensure that every child has the best possible start in life.
A record number of cultural organisations to receive stable, year-on-year funding to deliver culture and creativity for Scotland’s people
All organisations currently funded by Creative Scotland to receive a significant uplift after years of standstill funding
An additional 141 organisations will receive a multi-year funding commitment for the first time
Significant increase in community-focused organisations being supported, alongside established cultural organisations, better representing Scotland’s geography and diversity
Overall funding to the portfolio will increase further in 2026/27
This cultural shift has been made possible thanks to a significant budget commitment from the Scottish Government
Today, Thursday 30 January 2025, in a significant moment for culture in Scotland, Creative Scotland has announced the largest portfolio of cultural organisations ever to be supported on a multi-year basis.
The recent uplift in Grant-in-Aid funding from the Scottish Government, releasing the largest budget ever available to Creative Scotland, enables more than £200m in support to be provided to 251 organisations over the next three years.
Further to this, 13 other organisations, will be supported by a £3.2m Development Fund, with a view to them joining the Multi-Year Funding portfolio in 2026/27.
Over half of the organisations in the portfolio are being offered a multi-year funding commitment for the first time, reaching more parts of Scotland, and more parts of our society, than ever before.
Those organisations which have an existing regular funding relationship with Creative Scotland will receive an average uplift of 34% in their funding in 2025/26, increasing to an average of 54% from 2026/27, bringing certainty and stability.
North Edinburgh Arts is one of the organisations to receive three year funding. They said: ‘We are delighted to share that North Edinburgh Arts has been awarded Multi-Year Funding from Creative Scotland! We are looking forward to re-opening our venue in the coming weeks, so the confirmation of Multi-Year Funding has come at the ideal time.
“NEA’s venue is owned, used, and loved by our community. The stability of long-term funding will allow us to plan with confidence and make a real difference for the hundreds of artists, participants, volunteers, and visitors coming through our door.”
Hidden Door also received good news. They announced: “We’re proud to be one of 13 organisations to receive Creative Scotland development funding with a view to joining their Multi-Year Funding portfolio in 2026
This is a huge vote of confidence in our support for emerging artists, connecting audiences with inspirational cultural experiences.
‘We’re acutely aware of the challenges facing the creative sector, and we know that not everyone will have received good news today. But we warmly congratulate all those who secured funding, and we look forward to collaborating with many more wonderful projects in the years to come.’
Together, the organisations in this portfolio deliver cultural and creative work of quality, breadth and depth to audiences across Scotland and internationally and the portfolio is more representative of Scotland’s geography, diversity, people and communities than ever before. All this underlines Scotland’s reputation as a thriving creative nation where culture is valued and developed for all.
Importantly, the portfolio also provides significant support to Scotland’s local and national economy, through direct employment, by creating opportunities for freelancers, and by supporting individual artists and creative practitioners of all types.
Robert Wilson, Chair of Creative Scotlandsaid: “This is an extremely positive moment for culture in Scotland, bringing with it a renewed sense of stability and certainty to Scotland’s culture sector.
“Thanks to the vote of confidence in the culture sector, demonstrated by the recently announced budget from the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland can offer stable, year-on-year funding to more organisations than ever before.
“I’m particularly pleased that this funding will increase further from next year, enabling even more fantastic artistic and creative work to be developed here in Scotland.
“Stable, long-term funding for as many organisations as possible is the underlying principle of the Multi-Year Funding programme, and we are delighted to be able to bring it to fruition.
“This funding means that we are able to bring so many new, community focused organisations into the portfolio, while also providing significant increases to those more established organisations which have been on standstill, regular funding for so many years.
“I’m also very pleased to be able to offer 13 further organisations significant amounts of development funding, to enable them to come into the portfolio in its second year.
“This signals a significant moment of positive change for Scotland’s cultural community, and I hope that, after the deeply challenging time of the pandemic, and the difficulties that have faced the sector in the subsequent years, that now is the time that we can look forward with confidence and the Scottish culture sector can get on with what it does best, producing outstanding art and creativity for everyone to enjoy.”
Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Culturesaid: “This is a foundational moment for culture and the arts in Scotland. More organisations than ever, in more parts of the country will benefit from the stability of Multi-Year Funding with the number of funded organisations more than doubling, from 119 to 251.
“Funded as part of a record £34 million increase for culture in the draft 2025-26 Scottish Budget, this significant increase in both the number of funded organisations, and the level of grant funding they will receive, has the potential to be truly transformational. It secures the future of key cultural organisations of all sizes across Scotland, which are major assets to our communities and our economy, supporting thousands of jobs and creating new opportunities for freelancers, artists and other creative practitioners.
“It means 251 culture organisations across Scotland, from Argyll and Bute to Shetland, Na h-Eileanan Siar, and the Borders, will receive Multi-Year Funding from April this year and a further 13 have the possibility of doing so from 2026-27.
“I am also reassured that the remaining unsuccessful applicants will all be offered bespoke support from Creative Scotland to adapt their business models.”
Following the ministerial statement in the Scottish Parliament, Labour Lothians MSP Foysol Choudhury welcomed the funding: “This funding decision is a step forward for Scotland’s cultural community. It reflects the collective determination of local groups, artists, and advocates who have worked tirelessly to highlight the importance of the arts in our society.
“I am proud to have played a role in advocating for multi-year funding, and I hope this provides some temporary relief to the culture sector. Festivals have struggled with standstill government funding for years, stunting their growth. The culture sector should not just be fighting for its survival.”
The list of organisations being awarded Multi-Year Funding, and their award for the next three years, is available on our website.
The list of organisations being offered development funding, and their conditional award for the next three years, is also available on our website.
Police Scotland carried out more breath tests and more roadside drug tests during the 2024/25 festive drink and drug driving campaign than previous years.
There were 4,779 breath tests and 963 drug wipes conducted by police officers.
Road Policing and Local Policing officers worked together to target and deter drink and drug drivers.
They did this by carrying out proactive patrols, speaking to drivers and raising awareness in communities, using data to target key areas, responding to information from members of the public and setting up roadside checks.
Over 25,000 drivers were spoken to as part of the campaign.
Road safety partnership work happened at a local and national level, including supporting a Scottish Government marketing campaign and telling the story of road crash survivor Ellen Stickle who was left paralysed by a drug driver.
Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, head of Road Policing, said: “Police Scotland will keep targeting drink and drug drivers and we know how important this is to the public.
“My message to people thinking about driving after taking drugs or alcohol is you will get caught. Our officers are out every day, we will arrest you and that will affect you for the rest of your life. It’s your choice and it can have a devastating impact on other road users. It changes people’s lives and it is avoidable.
“Thank you to everyone who supported our campaign and please continue to speak to family and friends to encourage changing the behaviour of drivers.”
The campaign ran from 1 December 2024 until 19 January 2025.
A pilot to give local policing officers the ability to use Drug Wipe roadside testing kit is ongoing in Shetland. The six-month pilot started during the festive campaign.
There were 12 roadside drug tests carried out using the Drug Wipe kit, with 5 positive results and one failure to comply with the test.
Three drivers failed the alcohol breathalyser test.
The small pilot will be evaluated as Police Scotland continues to work closely and carefully with Scottish Police Authority laboratories to ensure testing capacity can be managed. More information can be found here.
People with learning disabilities will be supported to reach their full potential through a £1.6 million fund.
The Learning Disability Support Fund will be available to third sector organisations to enable them to promote equality and inclusion and improve access to health services and social activities for people with learning disabilities.
The fund will run for 30 months from October 2025, with a total of £325,000 available for the first year and £650,000 per year for the following two years. Organisations can apply for grants of between £75,000 and £250.000.
Minister for Wellbeing, Social Care and Sport Maree Todd said: “The last 30 years have seen enormous changes in how people with learning disabilities are supported in society, however we recognise there is more work to be done.
“We know the third sector plays a crucial role in improving the lives of people with learning disabilities and this fund will support organisations to enable those they work with to lead fulfilling, independent, and active lives as equal citizens.
“The grants will be used to provide people with education and information on matters such as accessing health services and developing safe relationships.
“In developing the fund, we have taken into account the views expressed by people with learning disabilities in recent consultation and research and we will work closely with the third sector to ensure it makes a difference.”
Celia Tennant, Chief Executive Officer at Inspiring Scotland said: “We are pleased to be managing the application process for the new phase of the Scottish Government’s Learning Disability Support Fund.
“We know from the past few years managing the Inspiring Inclusion fund the positive impact that empowering third sector organisations can have to deliver support for people in Scotland with learning disabilities to lead happy, healthy lives and create a more inclusive society.”
THE First of its kind, Maybury Primary School has this week welcomed its first pupils – 25 excited P1 learners – into the brand-new school building.
The group of children, who have been based at neighbouring East Craigs Primary School since August 2024 are the first intake at the new school which will offer capacity for up to three streams, including 630 primary pupils and 128 nursery pupils. The next group of children will join the new school in August 2025.
The school’s catchment area includes the new housing developments in Cammo and West Craigs.
Maybury Primary School is built to the Passivhaus standard, a highly energy-efficient construction method that regulates air temperature in classrooms, creating a more comfortable learning environment. This approach supports The City of Edinburgh Council’s 2030 net-zero target by significantly reducing the building’s energy consumption.
The new primary school is part of the Maybury Community Hub and is the first school in Edinburgh to share a campus with a medical practice. The hub will maximise the use of its buildings, allowing local residents to access services close to where they live in line with the 20-Minute Neighbourhood strategy.
Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener said: “It is great to see that the new Maybury Primary School has welcomed its first group of learners into the building.
“The head teacher and her team have worked hard to ensure that the transition from East Craigs Primary School into the new school is smooth for the P1 children and I know that they are all excited to get settled into their new school environment.
“The new building has been constructed to be fit for the future and the ‘hub’ model means that the building can be used by the whole community, which is fantastic. The construction of Maybury Primary School is part of a broader initiative to meet the needs of new families who have moved into the area, alongside working to achieve the Council’s ambition to meet future demands and support community growth.”
