The NEN – North Edinburgh News – Page 3375 – The community media resource for north Edinburgh

Council acts to tackle rising school rolls

Flora Stevenson and Wardie are among Edinburgh primary schools earmarked for additional classrooms as the city council faces the ongoing challenge of rising school rolls …

Plans to deliver new classrooms to deal with the issue of rising rolls in the capital have been revealed by the City of Edinburgh Council.

The Primary School Estate Rising Rolls report lists seven schools where space pressures may arise for the start of the 2015/16 session – Clermiston, East Craigs, Flora Stevenson, Gilmerton, Pentland, Ratho and Wardie Primary Schools – and a number of possible solutions.

In addition three other schools south of the city centre – Brunstfield, James Gillespie’s and South Morningside – face similar issues. A separate report which considers their specific issues and the possible approaches in that area as a whole will also be discussed at the Education, Children and Families Committee on 4 March.

With primary school rolls projected to rise to a peak of nearly 31,000 pupils by 2019 – an increase of about 15% on the position at the start of the 2013/14 school year – the Council is actively tackling the issue. £15m has already been pledged to help build extra accommodation; Granton, Trinity and Wardie Primary Schools all received new classrooms at the start of this school year receiving positive feedback from parents, pupils and staff.

A total of 18 new classrooms will be built at four schools for the start of the next school year in August 2014 – Broughton, Victoria, St David’s and Craigour Park – with a further 6 additional classrooms being provided at Fox Covert, Stockbridge, Flora Stevenson, Bruntsfield and Gylemuir Primary Schools by adapting the existing buildings.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Education Convener, said: “This report highlights the schools where we believe there will be accommodation pressures and outlines how we can meet demand for places from catchment pupils in 2015/16. The increase in rolls comes at a time when budgets are under increasing pressure, and so the Council has a responsibility to plan ahead, and ensure we provide a solution that fits with our needs and our budget.

“Despite the difficult financial climate the Capital Coalition has doubled the budget available for rising rolls, pledging £15m to tackle the issue. This has already resulted in fantastic new accommodation being delivered at several schools across the city.

“The primary school roll projections are updated every year to identify those schools where future accommodation pressures might arise allowing us to plan in advance for any changes necessary to deal with increased pupil numbers. We will now consult with these schools to identify the best solution to address the pressures should they arise.”

Cllr Godzik added: “Whether or not it is traditional extensions, new build accommodation or adapting existing space, we are committed to providing the very best educational environment for our pupils and are determined to listen to parental views and work with school communities as we move forward.

“In the longer term finding a sustainable solution to the problem of rising rolls is really important. We have to ensure there is space available for our catchment pupils. That’s why we will be laying out proposals to deal with the issue south of the city centre in the Brunstfield, James Gillespie’s and South Morningside area, and why we are working very closely with planning colleagues to look at the wider impact of housing developments included in the Local Development Plan.”

A further report will be considered at the May committee with a proposed solution for each school.

Our Vision: Church calls for community to be at heart of referendum debate

The Church of Scotland has called for community and integrity to be at the heart of the debate the country’s future. The call is made in ‘Scotland’s Future: Our Vision’, a report based on the views of over 900 people who attended 32 community events run by the Kirk across Scotland as an alternative national debate on the referendum.

While the 28-page report does not come down on either side of the yes/no debate, ‘Our Vision’ is an interesting insight into Scots’ views on the future of our country and is another welcome contribution towards wider debate. Among the conclusions:

• The referendum is about far more than the simple question “what is in it for me?” The idea that being £500 better off or worse off would affect how people vote was conspicuous by its absence in all 32 events. Instead, participants prioritised the building of local communities on the principles of fairness, justice and sharing of resources

• Dissatisfaction with the political system at all levels, not just Westminster or Holyrood also featured strongly. Participants wanted to see integrity, accountability and transparency, being able to hold politicians accountable between elections and for the party system to be less powerful

• Call for radical changes including far greater local decision-making and for politicians to see themselves as public servants in a more participative democracy

• A modern, successful economy needs limits placed on free market forces; business models should be more focused towards the employee and more value driven. There was a willingness to consider alternative and more progressive models of taxation to build a better society

• There was a strong expression of the need for prayer and for the Church to be involved in social action and in promoting Christian values such as love, hope, respect and forgiveness, as the fundamental building blocks to contributing towards the common good.

Sally Foster-Fulton, Convener of the Church of Scotland’s Church and Society said: “It is an inspiration to see that people in communities across Scotland are challenging the political status quo. The Church of Scotland is committed to finding ways to transform our political debate to ensure that wellbeing and values, such as justice, cohesion and sustainability become the measures for economic activity.”

Click on link (below) to read the report in full:

our_vision

Park life: Windrush Drive goes green

A site previously earmarked for a new primary school on Edinburgh’s waterfront has been transformed into temporary community parkland thanks to a £50,000 investment.

The Central Scotland Green Network Development Fund and Edinburgh City Council have supplied funding, enabling the derelict two-hectare site on Windrush Drive, Western Harbour in Leith to be turned into temporary green space. This will be available for community use until such time as plans to build the primary school are confirmed at some point in the future.

What was an unsightly area last year has now been transformed – new top soil, trees, grassland and a wildflower meadow have been created to improve the local landscape for both local residents and the new community to enjoy.

Councillor Adam McVey, who helped spearhead the project, said: “Greening such a large site in Western Harbour has already improved the amenity for local residents and made it more likely new residential developments will be brought forward on neighbouring gap sites. The cooperation between the groups involved and consultation with local residents has made this one of the most effective projects of this kind and it can, and should, be replicated throughout Edinburgh.”

The greening initiative has been made possible by Port of Leith Housing Association temporary leasing the site from Forth Ports and taking on future maintenance, with Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust carrying out initial landscaping and sourcing funding.

Port of Leith Housing Association Chief Executive Keith Anderson said: “For many residents, seeing the derelict land day in and day out was becoming an eyesore. By transforming it into an area they can use and enjoy can make a real difference to their lives.”

Charlie Cumming, Project Manager at Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust, said: “Windrush Drive is the third temporary greening site undertaken by ELGT with CSGN funding in recent years. Other sites were located in Craigmillar and Granton and each of them has brought stalled development areas into positive management and accessible greenspaces for local people.”

Money, money, money set to dominate indy debate

The ongoing row about currency and the economy seem likely to dominate the independence debate again this week . The UK government will meet in Scotland, where the Prime Minister will again press the economic case for the Union, but ahead of the visit the SNP is urging HM Treasury to think again over currency union.

Speaking ahead of this week’s Cabinet meeting in Scotland, the Prime Minister said: “Two weeks ago I gave a speech setting out why I believe Scotland should remain part of the UK. In that speech I spoke about our long-term economic plan to move from a country sinking under too much debt to one that is dynamic, innovative and creating thousands of jobs for people right across our country.

“The plan is working. Last year the economy grew by the fastest annual rate since the financial crisis, we have the highest number of UK businesses on record and we have cut taxes for 25 million people.

“And last week we saw that 1.3 million more people are now in jobs across the whole UK compared with 2010 – that’s 1.3 million more people with the security of a monthly pay packet and the peace of mind that brings.

“This week I will take the Cabinet to Scotland where we will set out how the UK government can maximise the benefit of North Sea oil and gas to the UK economy for decades into the future, giving a vital boost to local communities and families across Scotland.

“For the past 300 years, Britain has led the way in finding new sources of energy. It is the strength of the UK’s broad based economy, which can make the difference and ensure we can invest in our energy for the long-term future.

“I promise we will continue to use the UK’s broad shoulders to invest in this vital industry so we can attract businesses, create jobs, develop new skills in our young people and ensure we can compete in the global race.”

While Mr Cameron emphasises the advantages of being better together – and his Chancellor has firmly ruled out a currency union – the Scottish Government maintains that, if Scotland does vote ‘yes’ in September, a currency union would be the best way forward for both Scotland and the rest of the UK. Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney says any other settlement would have a ‘devastating impact of debt’ for the rest of the UK.

In the event if independence The Scottish Government will ‘negotiate with Westminster to agree a fair share of assets and liabilities that is fair, equitable and reflective of Scottish needs and those of the rest of the UK’.

However, following the warnings from academic Prof Christine Bell of Edinburgh University that “if the remainder of the UK keeps the name and status of the UK under international law it keeps its liabilities for the debt”, Mr Swinney has published an analysis of the implications such an approach by the UK Government would have for debt payments for the rest of the UK.

The paper shows that if the UK Government put itself in a position of having to accept all UK debts – which it has already accepted legal liability for – the rest of the UK would be responsible for:

Up to an additional £130 billion of debt,
between £4 billion and £5.5 billion a year in additional interest payments, equivalent to increasing the basic rate of income tax in the rest of the UK by one pence.

Finance Secretary John Swinney said: “The Scottish Government has consistently proposed that following a vote for independence we reach agreement with the rest of the UK on a fair share of assets and liabilities, including the Bank of England which holds a third of UK public sector debt.

“That is the fair, reasonable and responsible approach we continue to put forward. However, people in the rest of the UK deserve to know the logical consequences of the position the Westminster government are taking.

“The Treasury has claimed that the UK would be the continuing state with exclusive access to the role and responsibilities of the Bank of England. If you follow that argument to its logical conclusion then it is also responsible for the entire debt liability – which could mean the rest of the UK taking on additional debts of up to £130 billion.

“That would result in debt servicing costs of the rest of the United Kingdom increasing by between £4 billion and £5.5 billion each year – a devastating impact which would be the equivalent of increasing the basic rate of income tax by one pence.

“That would represent a significant and unnecessary cost to taxpayers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland when, as part of the proposals we have put forward, an independent Scotland would be quite happy to pay our fair share of UK debts as part of negotiated arrangements, which would include participation in a Sterling zone

“This is just one of the reasons, alongside the costs that rejecting a currency area would impose on business in the rest of the UK, that the Treasury will drop this bluff and bluster the minute the campaign is over.”

Taking shape: De Vere ‘village urban resort’ rises over Crewe Toll

The Crewe Toll skyline is being transformed by the De Vere group’s ‘village urban resort’ complex, which is expected to open this autumn.

Work is progressing well on the new £20 million  development, which will feature a 120-room hotel, a health and leisure complex (including a 20m swimming pool, a ‘gastro-pub’ bar restaurant and a Starbucks cafe) and a conference centre facility for up to 200 delegates.

City council: improving services, increasing satisfaction?

The city council’s latest survey of Edinburgh residents has shown record levels of satisfaction with local services. Overall, 87% of Edinburgh residents are satisfied with the way the Council is managing neighbourhoods, a 20% rise on 2008.

The annual survey also shows that 96% of residents are satisfied with Edinburgh as place to live and satisfaction with how the Council manages the city overall has increased to 74% from a low of 35% in 2009.

The public’s top priorities for improvement include roads maintenance, street cleaning and refuse collection, and tackling dog fouling.

In a sign of growing confidence in the economy, over half of respondents feel confident about their job prospects in Edinburgh, with those feeling ‘very confident’ more than doubling in a year.

Council Leader Cllr Andrew Burns said: “The top line figures continue to offer great encouragement and reassurance that, broadly speaking, residents believe we are managing their city well.

“What’s even more impressive is that this has been achieved against a backdrop of real pressure on public finances and the need to make efficiencies throughout the Council.

“Our recent budget clearly shows we have listened to residents, with a further £16m going into the budget for fixing potholes and pavements, as well as investment in other facilities and services that the public value.

“But we will, of course, make sure that we tackle those areas where the survey shows we need to do more. That’s essential for the people who live and work here, but also for maintaining our reputation as a world-class capital city.”

Deputy Council Leader Cllr Steve Cardownie added: “We know from the many awards that the city receives each year what visitors think of Edinburgh but what these results demonstrate is that residents agree; it’s a great place to live.

“It is particularly encouraging that they believe that our world-famous festivals make the city a better place to live and that they are attending ever more performances and events right here on their door step.

“We are ambitious for the city and there is much work yet to be done, so we simply need to continue delivering the pledges we made to Edinburgh residents and look for that to be reflected in future surveys.”

Key findings in the Edinburgh Peoples Survey 2013 include:

Edinburgh continues to be highly regarded as a place to live with 96% expressing satisfaction, continuing a year-on-year increase since 2010
Satisfaction with neighbourhoods as place to live has also stayed very high at 93%, up by 7% since 2008
Satisfaction with nursery, primary and secondary schools reached its highest recorded levels
Road maintenance continues to have a lower satisfaction score than other services (53%), staying about the same over the five year period. Satisfaction has reduced in refuse collection (to 75%) and recycling (to 80%)
Satisfaction with library services remains very high at 93%, well above the long-term average of 87%
Over three-quarters (77%) of residents felt Festivals made the city a better place to live, up 9% on last year, with almost two-thirds (64%) having attended a performance (up 7%)

More detailed analysis will be carried out to understand the reasons underlying the changes in satisfaction. The research will also be used by managers and staff to develop action plans for maintaining high performance and addressing areas for improvement.

The Edinburgh People Survey (EPS) is the Council’s annual citizen survey, measuring satisfaction with the Council and its services, identifying areas for improvement and gathering information about residents which is not available through other sources or at neighbourhood level.

The survey is undertaken through face-to-face interviews with around 5,000 residents each year, conducted in the street and door-to-door.

Do you agree that council services are improving? Let us know!

Staying safe during National Chip Week

This week sees the 21st annual ‘National Chip Week’ and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) would like everyone to enjoy their chips.

Across Scotland, 600 people were injured in around 3,000 cooking related house fires in 2012-13, while over the past four years, 60 per cent of all accidental house fires have involved cooking.

Assistant Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay, Director of Prevention and Protection, said:

“More fires start in the kitchen than in any other room in the house and with three billion meals per year containing chips within the UK, it is clear that they still remain a national favourite. However cooking chips can involve a significant fire risk.

“It is so easy to get distracted while cooking. The doorbell can go, the phonemay ring, children can distract us, or we leave the room to do other chores while food is cooking. A significant number of cooking related fires start when people are under the influence of alcohol, start to cook something and then fall asleep on the sofa.

“You can join Scotland’s Fight Against Fire and significantly reduce that risk by taking a few simple steps. Make sure you have working smoke alarms. Consider fitting a heat alarm in your kitchen. Heat alarms are specially designed to quickly detect cooking fires while avoiding false alarms caused by cooking. In the event of fire, a smoke or heat alarm will alert you and give you time to react safely and sensibly. It could save your life.”

During ‘National Chip Week’ enjoy your chips safely. In addition to smoke and heat alarms, the following simple steps will help protect everyone in your home:

Use a thermostat controlled deep fat fryer

The best way to avoid having a chip pan fire is to use a thermostat controlled, electric deep fat fryer instead. The safety cut out (thermostat) controls the temperature of the fat or oil. You can even win one on Chip Week’s website (http://www.chips.lovepotatoes.co.uk/chip-n-pin). Oven chips are another safer alternative to using chip pans.

Visit a chip shop at the end of a night out

Chips are a traditional treat at the end of a night out. If you do want chips, buy them on the way home rather than attempting to cook when you get home.

Don’t cook whilst under the influence of alcohol

Cooking whilst under the influence of alcohol is a recipe for disaster. If you’re tired, have been drinking, or taking drugs, don’t cook. You will be less alert to the signs of fire, and more likely to fall asleep.

Book a FREE home fire safety visit

If you, or someone you know, is at risk from fire, we offer free Home Fire Safety Visits 7 days a week at a time that suits you. We’ll fit smoke alarms free of charge if your home requires them. Booking a visit is easy:

Call 0800 0731 999

Text ‘fire’ to 61611

Visit www.firescotland.gov.uk

If you must cook chips in a traditional chip pan you should follow these additional fire safety tips – not just during National Chip Week but all year round.

Turn the pan handle to the side so that fat or oil doesn’t get spilled by accident
Never fill the pan more than one-third full of fat or oil
Make sure chips are dry before putting them into hot fat or oil
Never walk away when the pan’s on the heat

A wide range of tips on how to keep yourself and your home safe from fire are available on the SFRS website: www.firescotland.gov.uk

SFRS recently ran a TV, radio and press advert featuring Station Commander Scott Kennedy recounting a fatal chip pan fire he attended. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCfvMMUpeFM

While it’s better to be safe than sorry as far as cooking chips is concerned, chips clearly have their ‘plaice’ (sorry!) at the top of the charts of the nation’s favourite foods. One artistic lady is taking this love the length and breadth of the UK this week:

When a tourist thinks of Great Britain, the first things that spring to mind are our national icons such as Big Ben and Stonehenge, and our most famous dish – Fish & Chips. Other than eating a portion of chips looking over the White Cliffs of Dover, the two have never been combined – until now. To celebrate Chip Week renowned food artist Prudence Staite has recreated six British icons using 10kg of chips, including: the Angel of the North, Big Ben, the Loch Ness Monster, Stonehenge, the London Eye and the White ‘Chips’ of Dover.

Prudence Staite and her team spent six months planning, trialling and carefully constructing each sculpture. Both chip shop chips and oven chips were used, carefully selecting the perfect combination of chips for each sculpture.

Here are juicy facts on the creation of the sculptures:

· Angel of the North- 240 chips were used and took 12 hours to build

· Big Ben – 200 chips were used and took 6 hours to build

· Loch Ness Monster – 7 chips were used and took 5 hours to build

· Stone Henge -75 chips were used and took 5 hours to build

· London Eye – 207 chips were used and took 12 hours to build

· White ‘Chips’ of Dover – 70 chips were used and took 4 hours to build

Prudence said: “We had so much fun with this project, from the very first sketches to the technical challenges around how the sculptures would hold together.

“Iconic landmarks in Britain are so important to our cultural history and eating chips is such a British tradition, it felt natural to combine the two and create some history of our own. It did leave us a little hungry though!”

Yes everyone loves a chip, but one great debate still rages – salt and sauce or salt and vinegar? Food for thought …!

‘Best place in the world to grow up’?

Children and Young People Bill is passed

Children’s Minister Aileen Campbell has welcomed Parliament’s backing for new laws to provide greater support for children and families, saying the reforms will ‘help Scotland become ‘the best place in the world to grow up’. The Bill was not passed without opposition, however – critics have expressed concern over a lack of clarity and say that the proposals have not been fully costed.

The Children and Young People Bill will deliver more funded, flexible early learning and childcare of at least 600 hours a year for three- and four-year-olds and the most vulnerable two year olds – delivering a saving of around £700 per child per family per year – from August.

Other provisions in the Bill will see:

• From April 2015, teenagers in residential, foster or kinship care who turn 16 gaining new rights to remain ‘looked-after’ up to the age of 21, as well as extended entitlement to aftercare up to their 26th birthday.

• New duties placed on Ministers and the wider public sector to promote children’s rights, as well increased powers given to Scotland’s Children’s Commissioner.

• Kinship carers gaining enhanced legal entitlements to assistance.

• Scotland’s National Adoption Register placed in statute, improving prospects for finding homes for vulnerable young children.

• Counselling and other support provided for vulnerable children and their families.

• Improved provision of advice and help when needed for children and families from early years to adulthood, including providing a ‘named person’ for each child – usually their health visitor or head/senior teacher – available as a single point of contact.

• Every primary 1 to 3 child gaining the option of a free school lunch from next January.

• Strengthened legislation on school closures, including new requirements and improved transparency for closure proposals, particularly in rural communities.

Ministers have set out their longer-term ambition to transform childcare provision and ensure every child from one to school age is entitled to 1,140 hours each year, if Scotland gains full control of its finances following a vote for independence in September. This can help boost economic activity and support around 35,000 additional early years jobs.

Ms Campbell added: “As I have always said, this Bill is a starting point for a significant expansion of high quality, flexible early learning and childcare. It sets the foundations for our longer-term aim to transform childcare provision using the full powers and resources of independence – enabling us to support more parents wanting to move into work by re-investing higher revenues from improved economic activity back into expanded childcare provision.

“Our approach is a phased, sustainable one, where we are focusing first on those families who are most in need and who will benefit most from an expansion of funded hours. Not only will this improve the life chances of children, it will also provide opportunities for parents and families to benefit from support into training or sustainable employment.

“In Scotland’s Future we have set out phased plans to achieve 1,140 hours per year for all children aged between 1 and 5, starting with an increase to half of all 2 year olds. The expansion set out in the Bill is a significant step towards realising that vision.”

Commenting on the Bill’s wider measures, Ms Campbell added: “This landmark Bill is testament to the ambition, hard work and dedication of many young people, their families and countless others who have backed them in their calls for improved recognition and support from public and other services as they move towards adulthood.

“The legislation is the culmination of extensive consultation and discussion with a wide variety of individuals and groups all with the best interests of Scotland’s children at heart. The measures will support children and families right across the country and will help secure a widely-held ambition for Scotland to be the best place in the world for children to grow up.”

The legislation has been widely welcomed across the country. Director of Barnardo’s Scotland, Martin Crewe, said: “Children in care are one of the most vulnerable groups of people in Scotland and this Bill represents the biggest shake-up of the support we give them for nearly twenty years. It will help transform the lives of looked-after children for the better, ensuring that we begin to get it right for every care leaver in Scotland.”

There are some dissenting voices, however. Opposition MSPs raised concern that they were being asked to pass the bill without knowing the full cost of implementing the proposals, while other groups have talked about a ‘Big Brother’ state and argue that the universal ‘named person’ approach will result in a reduced services for those that need them most.

Not so, argues Chief Executive of Children in Scotland, Jackie Brock, who said: “We appreciate and understand the concerns that have been raised by some groups regarding the Scottish Government plans for a named person, outlined as part of the Children and Young People Bill, but believe that some of the opposition to this element of the Bill is a result of a misunderstanding of what the named person will actually involve.

“The role of a primary point of contact available to all children and families, is a step towards ending silo thinking and is merely the formalization of practice that already exists across the country. It is not about creating “a snoopers charter” but instead will provide a safety net for those who need one, improving information sharing around vulnerable and potentially vulnerable children.”

Sixteen charged following housebreaking initiative

Sixteen males – some as young as 13 – have been charged with housebreaking offences following another week of Operation RAC enforcement activity in Edinburgh.

Officers investigating various break-ins, thefts and attempted break-ins across the city identified the individuals – aged between 13-36 – over the past seven days and reported them for over 200 ‘acquisitive’ crimes.

As a result of this activity housebreaking detection in Edinburgh has risen to 61 per cent between 11 and 18 February, with the average detection rate for the city now at over 51 per cent since the beginning of 2014.

Each of those arrested has either appeared in court during this week or is currently subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal.

Detective Inspector John Kavanagh said: “This has been another excellent week of housebreaking detections across Edinburgh, with 16 people now subject to legal proceedings as part of Operation RAC.

“The public can rest assured that we will continue to purse all lines of enquiry to bring acquisitive crime offenders to justice and would urge anyone who witnesses a housebreaking, or with information relating to those involved in crimes of this nature to contact police immediately.

“Police Scotland is also committed to crime prevention and is currently involved in a partnership scheme with SmartWater that aims to deter and reduce break-ins in the Grange and Greenbank areas of the cities.

“Other communities across Edinburgh can also play a vital part in preventing acquisitive crime from occurring by taking the necessary security measures to safeguard their homes, businesses and outbuildings.

“Anyone wishing information on keeping their property and belongings safe can speak with their local policing team.”