Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has said that SNP Ministers need to get a move on in delivering improvement works at Hillend junction, to make the junction safer.
A road survey in 2019 recorded over 5,500 “conflicts” at the junction over a four day period and made a number of recommendations to improve safety at the junction, including an option to reconstruct the junction for £5 million.
Written Answers from Michael Matheson, Graeme Dey’s predecessor, at the end of last year stated that :
‘We are continuing to engage with Midlothian Council on further analysis of options aimed at reducing conflict at the A702/A703/Old Pentland Road junction. These potentially involve prohibition of certain movements and / or traffic signalisation, and we are currently discussing the output of traffic modelling with the council prior to finalising a preferred option.
‘We are continuing to analyse a number of options around signalisation and prohibition of movements in order to understand the wider impacts of this on the surrounding local and trunk road network. This is a complex task, which aims to balance the need to reduce conflict at this location along with minimising any reduction in operational performance of the A702 corridor. It is expected that this work will be concluded in summer 2021.‘
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“SNP Ministers really need to get a move on making Hillend Junction safe, because it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident.
“It is now well over two years since I met the previous Transport Secretary at the junction to highlight how hazardous the junction is and approaching two years since the survey, with recommendations, was carried out.
“It is important we get a decision soon on which option to proceed with, so that works can begin to make Hillend Junction safer.”
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
Peel-to-Stem
In the UK, it is estimated that we waste 6.6million tonnes of food each year, with 4.5million tonnes of that being edible food. “Peel-to-Stem” or “Root-to-Stem” is a growing food trend that focuses on using the parts of fruits and vegetables that we wouldn’t typically eat, such as the leaves, skins, seeds, and stalks.
Quite often, we may throw away and waste parts of fruits and vegetables such as the skins, but quite often, these parts can actually be the most nutritious.
For example, vegetables and potatoes consumed with their skins on can contain more fibre than without the skins, and a lot of nutrients found within fruits are contained in or just under the skin. Increasing your fibre intake can help to reduce your risk of heart disease.
Here are some quick and easy ways that you can use the edible trimmings from fruits and vegetables:
Make your own vegetable stock by simmering peelings from spring onions, carrots, and parsnips; and add celery leaves/tips to add flavour to soups, stews, and ramens
Make cauliflower crisps by baking slices of cauliflower at 200 degrees Celsius for 20-25minutes until they have crisped up.
Cut broccoli and cauliflower stems into batons and add to a stir fry to bulk out the vegetables; adding one of your five-a-day.
Don’t throw the seeds away from your pumpkins; remove any stringy bits from the seeds, wash, and bake at 180 degree Celsius for 10minutes for a tasty snack.
Make potato wedges with the skins on to add fibre to your homemade wedges, just give the potatoes a good wash first.
If you have any citrus fruit peelings left over from oranges, lemons, or limes; use these to make a favourable citrus marmalade; or add to water with ice cubes or crushed ice to make a refreshing glass of flavoured water.
The community of Newhaven is celebrating this week after the Scottish Land Fund announced that it was awarding an exciting new community-led project the funds to purchase an old Victorian school and turn it into a vibrant new community hub.
The Heart of Newhaven Community, (HoNC) a recently-formed local charity, can now go ahead with the purchase of Victoria Primary School, currently the oldest working primary school in Edinburgh but due to move to new premises in the autumn.
The charity had previously won the right to purchase the building from the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) under the Community Asset Transfer scheme, on the back of its “robust business plan”, but plans were delayed as Covid hit the construction works at the new school.
The award of £792,000 in the latest round of SLF grants will now enable the purchase to go ahead although the buildings themselves will not be available until the pupils move.
The local community has been the prime mover in the whole project, ever since it was announced that the school would be relocating.
Public meetings and consultations were held to find out what could be done with the site, a Newhaven landmark since 1844, and it was decided that as the area had no central focal point, the buildings could be converted into just such a hub, serving the needs of the community while also saving the iconic building from conversion into flats or even demolition.
Following the first public meetings, a steering group of local volunteers was set up and this eventually converted into the board of HoNC, the Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SC049919) in February 2020. They were responsible for the application to CEC, the business plan, and all the other necessary documents and applications, including that to the SLF.
HoNC Chairman, Rodney Matthews was delighted when the news of the funding was announced.“This news is even better than we hoped at the time of our original application long before the set-backs we have experienced over the past 18 months,” he said.
“We have been granted a total of £792,000 which will cover the purchase price agreed with CEC and help cover some initial developmental costs.
“This will enable us to sign a contract with the City of Edinburgh Councilto give us vacant possession of the site as soon as the children have moved into their new school in Western Harbour. While that date is still unknown we are now able to move confidently forward with plans for what can now safely be called The Heart.
“Watch this space will now really apply to a much loved icon of Newhaven,” he added.
The Gothic style listed building includes a relatively unchanged interior including original dado panelling, cast iron banisters and stone stairs and a double height hall, but the playground contains a modern, purpose-built addition in the form of the Anchor Building which opened in 2014 after the exciting discovery under the playground of the skeleton of someone who may have been a 16th century pirate.
The new community hub will provide much needed pre-school childcare facilities, work spaces for local artists, a heritage suite and various rooms for the use of community groups.
The threefold theme of Culture & Heritage and Learning & Enterprise uniting in contributing to Health & Wellbeing, aims to encourage various local partnership organisations and other charities to collaborate together on projects and activities which will create a safe centre for all generations to enjoy the space together.
During lockdown and while awaiting the SLF decision, the charity has moved forward with various community projects.
“Partnership working and collaboration with other local organisations is a critical element of our approach,” says Project Coordinator Judy Crabb.
“We have already started to build important relationships with like-minded organisations through a series of small intergenerational projects including working with Mens Shed of Leith, Pilmeny Development Project, and local artist Johnathan Elders to create Friendship Benches to go in the grounds of the Heart.
“Other initiatives include Pots of Newhaven kindness – pots sown with seeds to produce edible plants given by children from Victoria Primary School to local, housebound older people.”
As part of their campaign, the charity held a Crowdfunding appeal earlier this year and raised their initial target of £5,000 (match-funding for architect-led community workshops to decide the use of the various spaces within the buildings on the site,) in only three weeks.
“This is a brilliant project that will deliver huge community benefits. It’s well thought-out and is being impressively well-organised,” said one anonymous donor.
(Taken from the school’s centenary pamphlet issued in 1944)
At an unknown date before 1800, a schoolmaster was employed by the Ancient Society of Free Fishermen to educate the boys of Newhaven. They met in a house belonging to this society. There was a weekly fee for each pupil, but orphans could attend for free.
In 1822 the Rev. Dr. Ireland (minister of North Leith Parish Church) formed a committee which became known as the Hillhousefield, Bonnington and Newhaven Local Sabbath Evening School Society. They were keen to promote religious instruction amongst children and made efforts to include girls in this as well as boys.
Not everyone in the area could afford the Free Fishermen’s fee-paying school and the illiteracy of the local children was problematic when it came time to employ them, so the Sabbath Evening School Society decided to open a Day School for boys, located in Newhaven. In 1823, the Free Fishermen handed the management of their school over to them, and the Sabbath Evening School Society changed their name to the Newhaven Education Society.
Within a year they had extended their school to accept girls and then infants. A Ladies’ Committee formed to oversee the running of these schools, but it soon merged with the main society.
In 1844, the Newhaven Education Society (then headed by Rev. Dr. Buchanan of North Leith) secured the feu of the ground where Victoria School was built. The original building was small and could not accommodate all of Newhaven’s children, and so four other schools sprang up in the area. Over the years Victoria School was extended until it could cater for all the children, and these other schools closed.
Victoria School, now known as Victoria Primary School, is Edinburgh’s oldest working school. The original building was built in 1844 and was extended in 1866, 1875, 1884 and 1897. The first headmaster was Alexander Ingram (1844 until 1876).
As well as being a school, it was used as a church for older parishioners who couldn’t walk as far as the North Leith Parish Church every week and was also used as a Sunday School. When its management was taken over by the Leith School Board in 1874 (Newhaven was part of the Burgh of Leith at this point), one of the conditions attached was that it would remain in service as a church.
N.B. (Not in the original pamphlet) – The school was in fact used as a church, as mentioned above, in much more recent times. When Newhaven Church on Craighhall Road was being redeveloped between 2004 and 2006 and the congregation was not able to use the buildings, Sunday morning worship took place regularly in the school.
246 people killed or seriously injured on UK motorways each year when roads are wet
Nearly three-quarters of drivers (72%) would like to see the standard 70mph speed limit on motorways reduced in wet weather to improve road safety and encourage better driving habits, RAC research has found.
Of 2,100 drivers surveyed, a third (33%) said the limit should be reduced to 60mph in the wet, while 7% think it should be cut to 65mph. Seventeen per cent of drivers would like an even lower limit of 55mph or even 50mph, while 14% would like to see the limit cut but aren’t sure by how much.
The RAC understands France is currently the only country in Europe to have speed limits that are reduced during inclement weather, with the 130km/h (80mph) limit reduced to 110km/h (68mph – a reduction of around 12mph).
While there are significantly more motorway fatalities in France, 806 people were still killed or seriously injured on motorways in Great Britain in 2019, with around a 30% of these casualties (246) occurring when the road surface was damp, wet or flooded – a figure higher than four years earlier (208).
Official figures also show that wet roads and drivers travelling too fast for the conditions were respectively the cause of some 259 and 242 motorway collisions in 2018.
Of the reasons given by drivers who advocate lower motorway speed limits in the wet, 78% said they felt lower limits would encourage some drivers to slow down, while 72% believed it might save lives, so is worth trying.
Two-thirds (65%) said slower speeds might improve visibility with less spray from moving vehicles, and half (53%) felt it would reduce overall vehicle speeds, even if some people ignored the lower limit.
Among the fifth of drivers (21%) who are against the idea of a lower motorway speed limit in bad weather, a majority said it was because most drivers already adjust their speed to the conditions (54%), or because there would be difficulty in defining when the new limit should apply (60%) – for instance, whether it would apply whenever the road surface was damp, or only while rain was actually falling.
Four-in-10 (42%) said many drivers choose to ignore existing speed limits anyway and a similar proportion (41%) thought drivers wouldn’t obey a lower motorway limit.
When asked whether a lower speed limit in the wet should be posted on stretches of motorway that already feature variable speed limit signage, including smart motorways, 73% of drivers were in favour, with 15% against the idea and 11% unsure.
RAC data insight spokesman Rod Dennis said: “Statistically, the UK has some of the safest motorways in Europe but it’s also the case that there hasn’t been a reduction in casualties of all severities on these roads since 2012, so perhaps there’s an argument for looking at different measures to help bring the number of casualties down.
“Overall, our research suggests drivers are broadly supportive of lower motorway speed limits in wet conditions, as is already the case across the Channel in France.
“And while most drivers already adjust their speed when the weather turns unpleasant, figures show that ‘driving too fast for the conditions’ and ‘slippery roads’ are still among the top 10 reasons for motorway collisions and contribute to significant numbers of serious injuries and even deaths every year.
“The overall success of any scheme would of course depend on sufficient numbers of motorists reducing their speed, but even just a proportion reducing their speed in the wet would be likely to improve the safety of the UK’s motorways.
“There would also be a number of practical hurdles to be overcome such as deciding what that lower limit would be, updating the Highway Code and fitting roadside signage to inform drivers of the new limits.
“Finally, it’s worth remembering that an increasing number of stretches of motorway no longer have permanent 70mph limits, as all smart motorways feature speed limits which are automatically adjusted to ease congestion based on traffic flow.
With digital signs now so commonplace, arguably the means exist to conduct a trial to see whether there are safety benefits of setting different speed limits in inclement weather.”
Highway Code Rule 227 states that stopping distances in wet weather are at least double those required for stopping on dry roads. This means the typical stopping distance at 70mph in dry conditions of 96 metres (315 feet) is extended to at least 192 metres (630 feet) in the wet, the equivalent of 48 car lengths. For more information, see this page on the RAC website.
Serious casualties on Great Britain’s motorways – when the road surface is damp, wet or over 3cm flooded:
A new study examining the impact of lockdowns on Scotland’s young people has revealed that over two-thirds (67%) feel positive about their current employment situation as lockdown eases, but only two-fifths of Scottish students are confident about securing future employment.
Commissioned by the Scottish Government and delivered by the Scottish Youth Parliament, YouthLink Scotland and Young Scot, the study of nearly 2,500 young people serves as a follow-up to previous surveys that explored young people’s concerns in response to the pandemic.
The latest LockdownLowdown research examines the lasting impact of lockdowns and comes as many young people return to in-person education and work as lockdown restrictions ease.
The results revealed that job satisfaction among young people has risen since last year, with 67% of young people feeling good about their current job situation – a 12% increase from the previous LockdownLowdown report in the winter.
However, positive sentiment waned when young people were asked about their confidence in finding a job in the future – with 2 in 5 (37%) of those currently in higher education concerned about securing graduate employment.
In general, employment and finances were leading worries among young people, with more than a third (36%) admitting that their work hours had been cut, while a fifth (22%) were placed on furlough, and 18% lost their job entirely. This comes when over a third (36%) don’t know where to access information on financial support.
The Lockdown Lowdown survey identified mental health as a further concern among young people, with over a third (35%) worried about their mental wellbeing and two fifths (40%) not confident about accessing information on mental health and wellbeing.
Following the reopening of schools and learning environments, over three quarters (76%) of young people have returned to in-person education – with 85% happy to be back. However, nearly half of respondents (44%) felt unprepared in the run-up to this year’s assessments, and only 2 in 5 (38%) were confident that the grades determined by their teachers would be delivered fairly.
Nearly 2,500 young people from across Scotland took part in the research that will be used by the Scottish Government and shared with stakeholders, including the NHS and local authorities.
Josh Kennedy MSYP, Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, said:“Meaningfully engaging with the views of young people is the only way to ensure that decisions are made with their views and needs at the centre.
“The latest LockdownLowdown report makes it very easy for decision-makers to find out what young people think about restrictions easing. Young people have had an incredibly challenging time over the last year and a half.
“I would encourage every decision-maker in Scotland to look at the views presented in this report and consider them when making decisions about how Scotland comes out of the Pandemic.”
Tim Frew, CEO of YouthLink Scotland, said:“As we strive to return our lives to normal after this really challenging period, it’s vital that government and other decision makers know where young people are at, and their thinking on the pandemic.
“In this latest survey there are very clear messages from young people around anxiety about future employment prospects, mental health remains a significant concern and there are clearly issues about the impact lockdown has had on assessments and results.
“As we continue to come through the pandemic, the voices of young people need to be listened to as we shape the way forward. The findings also show the importance of youth work to many young people, and demonstrates the incredible support youth workers have continued to offer in extremely difficult circumstances.”
Kirsten Urquhart, Interim CEO of Young Scot said: “Given the immense challenges young people have faced throughout the pandemic, it’s no surprise to see rising concern over future employment.
“While a surge in job satisfaction is cause for cautious optimism – we want to reassure young people that Young Scot is here to support every young person with their next steps as we begin to recover from the pandemic.”
Union body warns use of umbrella companies could spiral post-pandemic
New TUC research estimates that half of agency workers work for umbrella companies
The TUC has called for umbrella companies to be banned, as it publishes a new report on their increasingly widespread use in the UK labour market. The union body says the scandalous workplace practices associated with umbrella companies have “no place in modern Britain”.
An umbrella company is essentially a payroll company, used by recruitment agencies to operate a PAYE (pay-as-you-earn) system for the agency workers that they find work for. In many cases, the umbrella company will also employ the agency worker, with the agency workers becoming “employees” of the umbrella company.
A fragmented employment relationship
The TUC says that umbrella companies create multiple issues which mean it is difficult for workers to exercise their basic rights.
The union body says in particular, workers face misleading and unfair deductions from pay, adding that breaches of holiday leave and pay entitlement are widespread – with umbrella companies preventing workers from taking their holiday entitlements.
To make matters worse, the TUC says “the use of umbrella companies fragments the employment relationship”, leaving workers unsure of who to speak to resolve problems and often “passed from pillar to post” when trying to sort out their issues.
It has been widely reported that some umbrella companies promote and coerce their employees to use tax evasion schemes, leaving workers potentially facing huge future tax bills.
Increased use of umbrella companies
The union body is warning that the use of umbrella companies could spiral post-pandemic because of a combination of changes to tax rules (IR35) which have come in this financial year and the increase in agency work.
The IR35 or “off-payroll working rules” will potentially make employers liable for the tax and national insurance contributions of the contractors that they engage with. Government guidance states that the off-payroll working rules are unlikely to apply if you are employed by an umbrella company.
The TUC predicts that transferring contractors to umbrella companies will be seen by some companies as a convenient way to continue to shirk their tax and employment rights obligation.
New TUC research estimates that half of agency workers work for umbrella companies. Recruitment agencies have been used through the pandemic for key worker roles that needed to be mobilised quickly, like vaccinators and testing staff.
The TUC is concerned that post-pandemic the number of agency workers will increase – and therefore umbrella workers too – as companies scramble for new staff amid reopening and labour shortages in some sectors.
The TUC warns that there is no proper regulation of the sector, because the government has failed to task any of the enforcement bodies with regulating the umbrella sector, despite a recommendation from the Taylor Review into Modern Working Practices, that enforcement of umbrella companies should be stepped up.
The union body says this is a “gaping hole in enforcement” and lets down some of the lowest paid and most insecure workers.
In order to clamp down on the umbrella companies, the TUC is calling for:
An outright ban on umbrella companies by requiring employment agencies to pay and employ the staff they place with clients
Joint liability laws in supply chains, that make the end client and any contractor in the supply chain responsible for upholding the legal rights of those working in the supply chain
Greater trade union access to workplaces and new trade union rights
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Everyone deserves decent work. But too many low-paid workers are denied the wages they were promised and basic legal rights like holiday pay because they work for umbrella companies.
“Lots of them are the key workers we all applauded – like social care workers, teachers and coronavirus testing staff.
“These scandalous workplace practices have no place in modern Britain. But our inadequate regulations let dodgy umbrella companies off the hook – allowing them to act with impunity.
“Employers shouldn’t be able to wash their hands of any responsibility by farming out their duties to a long line of intermediaries.
“Enough is enough. It’s time for ministers to ban umbrella companies, without delay.”
Children and young people aged 12-17 from key groups to be offered COVID-19 vaccine
Children and young people with certain conditions are to be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, in line with the latest advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), before the majority of schools return on the 16th of August.
The vaccine will be offered to around 4,000 children and young people affected by severe neuro-disabilities, Down’s syndrome, underlying conditions resulting in immunosuppression, and those who have a diagnosis of Learning/Intellectual disability.
In addition, the JCVI recommended vaccinating young people aged 16 to 17 years of age who are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19. While the vast majority of this group were previously invited in an earlier part of the vaccination programme we will be inviting those that are now 16 who were not vaccinated as part of that earlier offer.
Also to be invited are children and young people aged 12-17 who are household contacts of adults or children who are immunosuppressed. This is to provide indirect protection for that member of their household. A household contact is defined as someone living in the same house, or anyone the adult or child comes in to contact with face-to-face on most days of the week – such as a carer.
NHS Scotland is aiming to vaccinate these children and young people during August alongside those younger household contacts of people with immunosuppression.
Those children and young people with specific conditions and their parents or carers will be contacted directly by their local Health Boards via letter, phone call or by their regular healthcare professional. The household contacts of the wider group of people with immunosuppression will be contacted by a letter from the National Vaccination Programme.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “In line with the latest JCVI advice we will now be offering COVID-19 vaccinations to children and young people aged between 12 and 17 from key groups.
“The programme has always offered vaccine to groups where the benefits far outweigh the risks. The research and evidence shows that is the case for young people in these groups and they should now be called forward for a COVID-19 vaccine.
“These children and young people will be able to get the vaccine in the most appropriate setting for their situation. This may be in their own home or a care setting, or at a clinic, depending on their care or health needs.
“I would urge any parent or carer who has a child or young person eligible for a vaccine to visit NHS Inform where they can find the most up-to-date information; and read the leaflet that they will receive with their letter or from their Health Board. Parents, carers or young people can also speak to their local health professional to discuss this further if they need to.”
A RESTORED Edinburgh landmark has welcomed another happy buyer, a local couple who made their dream move into one of Boroughmuir’s incredible top floor vaulted apartments.
After making the decision to move, Edinburgh-born Alison Murphy and her husband Mark set out to find a home in the heart of the city that had the perfect combination of character and style.
With a move hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple found their dream home at the refurbished former Boroughmuir High School, where they purchased a light-filled, three-bedroom corner apartment with original feature beams and beautiful crescent windows.
Alison said: “When we decided to move, we knew we wanted to be near to the centre of the city where we could walk everywhere.
“We travel a lot, and so we wanted something hassle free with private parking and some outdoor space without the upkeep. As well as its location, what attracted us to Boroughmuir was its setting within this beautiful old building which oozes character, but is completely brand new and modern inside.”
“Interestingly, we are on the south west facing side of the building, and so although we’re on the side without the views of Edinburgh castle, our home is filled with light which really won it for us.”
Alison and Mark made the decision to move last year, and sold their home in January in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic. They have both praised CALA for its team’s efforts to get everything ready for the couple to move into their new home as quickly as they could.
She added: “The sales consultants, did their best to make what was a difficult year for buying and selling a house as smooth as possible. The service has been exceptional, from the sales team to the site staff and everyone has been so pleasant and welcoming.
“It was very difficult to move during a pandemic, but the CALA team couldn’t have made it easier – without a doubt, they’ve bent over backwards for us. We’re so lucky we’ve now got this super place to call home.”
Alison has also commended the housebuilder for Boroughmuir’s attention to detail – including the authentic feature beams across the original 7m ceilings.
She said: “My favourite thing about the property is its quirkiness and the history of it, knowing it was a chemistry classroom before really adds to its character.
“Boroughmuir has just ticked so many boxes for us, especially its amazing location. We’ve lived on the west side of Edinburgh for forever, but to be able to now walk to the shops is brilliant.”
Nestled in Bruntsfield, Boroughmuir is surrounded by plenty of bars, restaurants, and independent shops, and only a short distance from Haymarket and the vast greenery of The Meadows.
Boroughmuir is regarded as one of the Scottish capital’s most prized school buildings, constructed pre-WWI between 1911 and 1914. The Grade B-listed building is the innovative creation of renowned architect John Alexander Carfrae and was notably one of the first in Edinburgh to utilise a steel frame for architecture.
Each of the apartments comes with lift access, off-street allocated parking with access to electric vehicle charging points and access to a relaxing private residents’ courtyard.
Buyers at Boroughmuir also enjoyed an added peace of mind of a 10-year NHBC warranty, 24-hour response service for emergency calls and after-sales service for 2 years.
For further information on Boroughmuir, or to book an appointment for a tour of its recently launched second show apartment, please visit:
Work has finished to complete this year’s design on the world’s oldest Floral Clock in Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens.
For 2021, the hugely popular landmark will celebrate the 350th anniversary of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), postponed from 2020 where it was decided with support from RBGE to dedicate the floral clock to NHS and key workers as a message of thanks from the city.
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Frank Ross was joined by Simon Milne MBE, Regius Keeper of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, RBGE horticulturists and Council parks staff responsible for creating the clock. Together they officially unveiled this year’s intricate design.
The council’s team of three gardeners took seven weeks to plant over 35,000 flowers and plants used to create the clock, which will be in bloom until October.
There are over 15 different plants included in this year’s design including many donated by RBGE such as Agave kerchovei and Agave sebastiana, various species of Echevaria and Cyanotis somaliensis: all of them are integral to the RBGE Living Collection of plants.
The two teams had worked closely on the design and creation of this year’s display, with the Council’s Floral Clock experts advising on colours and choice of plants and how best to present the RBGE logo.
The logo is representative of the Sibbaldia procumbens, a creeping plant in the rose family, that was named after the Garden’s co-founder, Sir Robert Sibbald.
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Frank Ross, who spoke at the official dedication, said: “I am delighted to once again see the city’s beautiful floral clock completed, which I know will be enjoyed by everyone who passes by it this summer. Much like the city’s floral clock, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is iconic to Edinburgh’s past and present and this year’s design celebrates 350 years.
“As always, I am delighted to officially unveil this striking and much-loved creation and I’d like to congratulate our dedicated and creative parks team who have put together the design and we can all now enjoy their realised vision.”
Simon Milne MBE, Regius Keeper, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, said: “It’s wonderful to see our 350th anniversary celebrated in such magnificent floral fashion, reflecting the four centuries of friendship between the City of Edinburgh and the Botanics.
“The Floral Clock is a particularly apt way of celebrating the work of the Garden. At a time when 40 percent of plant species are at risk of extinction, our research and conservation work, supported by our visionary Edinburgh Biomes project, has never been more vital. We are grateful as always for the interest and support of the people and city of Edinburgh.”
The Floral Clock was first created in 1903 by then Edinburgh Parks Superintendent, John McHattie, and is the oldest of its kind in the world. It initially operated with just an hour hand, with a minute hand added in 1904, followed by a cuckoo clock in 1952. Until 1972 the clock was operated mechanically and had to be wound daily.
Since 1946 it has been designed in honour of various organisations and individuals, including the Girl Guides Association, Robert Louis Stevenson and the Queen, for her Golden Jubilee. In the clock’s centenary year in 2003 it won a Gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Businesses and individuals abstracting water are being warned that action is needed now to protect water resources, despite heavy rainfall across much of the country.
Areas affected by water scarcity due to recent warm, dry weather were often not the same areas as those hit by flooding this week.
Significant and Moderate Scarcities remain in place in many areas of northern and south-western Scotland.
A short period of heavy rainfall is not sufficient to make up this shortfall of rainfall and much of it may quickly run off the dry soils without soaking in. This is why it is possible to have heavy rain and even the possibility of some surface water flooding at the same time as we are warning about water scarcity.
The latest weekly Water Scarcity Situation Report from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) shows that, despite heavy rainfall and thundery showers across much of mainland Scotland this week, the majority of the country is still seeing the impacts of water scarcity.
Significant scarcity – Wigtownshire area of Galloway, Helmsdale, Naver and the Wick area of Caithness
Moderate scarcity – Western Isles, Orkney, Doon, Ayr, Clyde and Irvine
Alert – all other catchments in the south of Scotland, many catchments down the east coast as well as a few west coast catchments
Early warning – the rest of the country with the exception of Spey, Loch Linnhe and Lochy which remain in normal conditions.
Abstractors must take action now
Water abstractors licenced by SEPA should have a plan to deal with the range of conditions they may experience. They should monitor their water usage and equipment to ensure they are operating at maximum efficiency and avoiding any unnecessary leakage.
By taking the right steps now, abstractors can help make the water supplies on which they and others depend last as long as possible through this period.
Work together to secure the water available – speak with other water users in your catchment to discuss allocating different times for abstracting to minimise any potential impacts.
Check irrigation equipment is not leaking.
Consider trickle irrigation.
Irrigate at night to avoid evaporation if you can.
Do not over-spray.
Start planning now in case you need to – if you need a new borehole to do this, if your business is having difficulty obtaining water supply or is concerned about meeting licence conditions you should contact SEPA as soon as possible at WaterScarcity@sepa.org.uk.
SEPA can provide advice on a series of straightforward steps that can be taken to reduce stress on Scotland’s water environment and staff are available to provide advice and guidance. However, if businesses deliberately fail to follow the abstraction guidelines set out by SEPA this may result in enforcement action.
Abstractors in catchments at Alert level or above, have been contacted to advise them of the conditions and relevant actions they should take as outlined in our National Water Scarcity Plan and requested to carry out checks to their equipment, consider upcoming water needs and follow best practice (such as irrigating at night).
We are also checking all abstractions in Significant Scarcity areas to determine what actions can be taken and work is ongoing with Scottish Water to protect supplies.
Rainfall and records
SEPA warned in the Spring that water scarcity conditions could deteriorate quickly if a period of prolonged dry weather returned later in the year.
Scotland experienced an extremely dry April, with less than a third of the usual rainfall across a large part of the southern country. This caused water levels to fall rapidly and ground conditions became increasingly dry.
Wet weather in early May partly balanced this in some areas of the country, but in others it remained quite dry.
Scotland as a whole had less than half the normal rainfall for June (45%) and was 1.4 degrees C warmer than usual. Ground conditions continued to dry rapidly over the last two weeks of the month.
While the beginning of July saw some locally intense rain, but it was not enough to lead to a sustained improvement.
Extreme weather is becoming more and more common
Terry A’Hearn, Chief Executive at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said: “The mixture of extreme rainfall, thundery showers, and significant water scarcity that we’ve seen this week in Scotland shows that we are very much living through more extreme weather patterns – and one does not balance out the other.
“This is just one of the many consequences of climate change Scotland is facing, and it is becoming more common.
“Everyone knows that water is a vital resource. We need to get used to the idea that, even in a water-abundant nation like Scotland, it is a finite resource – as shown by the increasing severity of the water scarcity picture in large areas of the country.
“Water scarcity is resulting in pressures on the environment and water users and businesses abstracting water must take action now to conserve water.
“My message is clear: SEPA is here to offer support and guidance, so if you are having difficulty obtaining water supply or are concerned about meeting licence conditions get in touch.
“If you work with us and try to do the right thing in this next period, you will find a helpful and supportive regulator. If you deliberately do the wrong thing by the environment and other water users, then you’ll get the uncompromising regulator your behaviour deserves.”
Public and private water supplies
Scottish Water is reminding people across Scotland to use water efficiently after confirming that demand is so high during the warm weather that it’s had to produce more than 200 million litres of extra water per day nationwide in the last fortnight to maintain normal supplies.
Those concerned about private water supply levels should contact their local authority.
Concerns about watercourses
SEPA continually assesses the impacts of prolonged periods of drier than average weather on our environment. The public can report dry private water supplies and rivers and burns in your area. This will help us have the best possible understanding of the impacts of dry weather.
The prolonged period of dry weather that has led to water scarcity across the country can put a lot of pressure on rivers, which are running exceptionally low and experiencing high water temperatures.
We may see impacts on wildlife across the country as a result, including dead fish. Heavy rain showers, such as those we have seen this week, following the prolonged period of dry weather, will wash pollutants that have been accumulating on roads and pavements and in drains into watercourses.
This first flush of pollutants, particularly into rivers that are still low, can lead to fish kills.
Water shortages support
Bottled water provided to affected households
People with reduced private water supplies following recent warm weather will be offered free bottled water through a Scottish Government support scheme.
Public water supplies, which the vast majority of households in Scotland use, are not affected.
The Scottish Government continues to invest in the public network, reducing leakage and increasing efficiency which helps preserve water in the environment, and is working to develop technologies to enhance private water supply resilience.
Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson has urged people across the country to continue to use water efficiently. He said: “Scotland has been experiencing warm, dry conditions over the last few weeks, but this has consequences for water scarcity.
“It’s likely that the drying up of private water supplies so early in the summer is a clear indication of the impacts of climate change.
“Most of us take for granted that clean drinking water is available at a turn of a tap. However, for private water supply users this is not necessarily the case following a prolonged dry and hot spell of weather.
“With climate change at the forefront of all our minds, this is a stark reminder of the need to conserve water as one of our most precious natural resources.
!Whether you have been affected by the recent shortages or not, I urge all households to use water wisely and to take note of the advice issued by Scottish Water – it benefits all of us and is good for our planet. ”
