Edmond de Rothschild Real Estate Management to Forward Fund First Phase of 110 Build-to-Rent Apartments
Drum Property Group’s ambitious vision for the long-awaited redevelopment of a key site on Leith Walk, Edinburgh, is now to be realised with on-site construction starting in July 2022.
Drum’s proposals for Stead’s Place, near the foot of Leith Walk, were approved by the City of Edinburgh Council in 2021 heralding a major regeneration of the 2.9-acre site and bringing much-needed investment to this important part of the city.
The Stead’s Place site has been earmarked for development by the Council since 2008 and consisted largely of an aged industrial estate and office space, together with a two-storey red sandstone building facing directly on to Leith Walk.
With refurbishment of the red sandstone building nearing completion, Drum has cleared the Stead’s Place site to the rear and, in the first phase of construction, will build 110 high-quality build-to-rent apartments for Edmond de Rothschild Real Estate Investment Management (REIM), who have agreed to forward-fund the development.
The apartments will be completed by spring 2024. The Stead’s Place apartments represent the second Scottish investment for the firm, having forward funded a build-to-rent development of 114 apartments in Finnieston, at Drum’s G3 Square development in December 2021.
Graeme Bone, Group Managing Director of Drum said: “The start of construction of the new apartments represents another significant step forward in the long-awaited regeneration of the Stead’s Place site.
“Once completed, the apartments will be a huge boost to the area and to local businesses, bringing life and access to what has been an inhospitable site, and delivering much-needed homes for local people.”
The Edmond de Rothschild Residential Investment Fund UK, which invests in the private rented sector (PRS) on behalf of European institutional investors, was launched in August 2018 and to date has raised equity commitments of £320m.
Charlie Miller, co-head of residential in the UK and director of residential transactions at Edmond de Rothschild REIM, said: “Stead’s Place is an excellent opportunity to establish the fund’s first development in Edinburgh and second in Scotland.
“We will provide high-quality rental accommodation at affordable levels in line with the strategy for the fund. Edinburgh is the sixth most competitive financial centre in Europe, second in the UK behind London and has six universities, a diverse economy and a thriving tourist market – all contributing to exceptionally strong demand for homes to rent”.
The final phase of construction at Stead’s Place will start at the end of the year, and will comprise of 38 affordable homes, owned and operated by registered social landlord, Hillcrest Homes, completing the attractive landscaped residential scheme linking Leith Walk to Pilrig Park and beyond.
David Milton, Development Manager at Hillcrest Homes said, “Stead’s Place provides the opportunity to deliver 23 new social-rented homes and 15 mid-rented homes, all of which will be allocated to those in housing need.
“The Social Rented homes will deliver a good mix of one, two and three bed apartments and we are particularly pleased to be delivering family sized homes in this location.
“There is a continuing unmet demand for affordable homes across Edinburgh and this development will help meet this demand and provide high quality, energy efficient new homes to those who need them the most.”
The start of construction is the culmination of five years of research, planning and local community engagement by Drum since the company first purchased the site in 2017. For more information about Drum Property Group’s redevelopment of the Stead’s Place site, visit www.steads-place.com
Get ready for Gadgeteers, arriving online and in your local library this summer.
Science is all around you! What do you love doing? Are you a brilliant baker? Or a mega music fan? Are you the tech wizard amongst your friends? Join the Gadgeteers for the Summer Reading Challenge to discover the amazing science and innovation behind the world around you, including some of your favourite things!
Curious? Perfect! Your imagination can unlock endless possibilities… We’re teaming up with Science Museum Group for a very special science-themed Challenge that will inspire you to use your imagination and creativity!
Gadgeteers will feature amazing books, awesome rewards, and plenty of ideas for cool experiments and activities to discover the science all around you. The Challenge will be brought to life by top children’s writer and illustrator Julian Beresford.
Are you excited to join the #Gadgeteers this summer? Keep an eye on our blog for all the latest Summer Reading Challenge news!
‘Transformative changes’ are being proposed to the way Scotland’s land is used and managed in order to ensure greater benefit to communities and the environment.
The Scottish Government is seeking views on ambitious proposals for its new Land Reform Bill, which will be introduced by the end of 2023.
The Bill aims to address long-standing concerns about the highly concentrated pattern of land ownership in rural areas of Scotland.
Proposed measures include:
The introduction of a public interest test for transfers of large-scale landholdings
A requirement on owners of large-scale holdings to give prior notice to community bodies of their intention to sell
A requirement on those seeking land-based subsidies to have the land registered in the Land Register, to ensure transparency around who benefits from public funding
In addition, the consultation asks questions about how to ensure communities benefit from future investment in Scotland’s natural capital, and that there is greater transparency around land and asset ownership.
Environment and Land Reform Minister Mairi McAllan visited The Ecology Centre in Kinghorn, Fife, to formally launch the consultation.
The centre is a community-led charity that has been supported with grant funding from the Scottish Land Fund.
Ms McAllan said: “Land reform is a pervasive issue in Scotland. We have a strong record of progressive and innovative land reform – but this journey is not complete. We must continue to develop and implement land reform that addresses historical inequalities and at the same time, we must rise to changing social, environmental and economic issues in contemporary Scotland.
“I recognise, and am fully committed to tackling, the adverse effects of scale and concentration of landownership – and empowering communities in the process.
“I am also clear that while investment in Scotland’s natural capital is vital to tackle the climate and nature emergencies, we must ensure that our people and communities are not disadvantaged and indeed can benefit.
“Finally, we must continue to improve transparency of ownership of land in Scotland.That’s why this summer we will be consulting on a wide range of transformative proposals – including our aim to ensure that the public interest is considered on transfers of particularly large-scale landholdings.
“The new Bill will be a significant step forward in ensuring our land is owned diversely and is used in the public interest and to the benefit of the people of Scotland.
“This is the next step on Scotland’s land reform journey as we continue the work to pass more power to people and local communities, encourage and support responsible and diverse landownership and ensure communities have a say in how land in is used.”
Chair of Community Land Scotland Ailsa Raeburn said: “Community Land Scotland warmly welcome the launch of the Consultation on the forthcoming Land Reform Bill. It is becoming ever clearer that who owns and controls land, is incredibly important in building a fairer greener Scotland.
“We very much hope the new Bill encompasses a range of measures that effectively tackles the endemic issues of scale and concentration of land ownership and the adverse effects this has on local communities. The Bill is a great opportunity to ensure Scotland’s land is owned and used fairly and that as many people as possible can benefit from it.”
Chair of the Scottish Land Commission Andrew Thin said: “The ways land is owned and used is central to tackling the climate emergency, contributing to a successful economy and supporting communities.
“It is great to see the Government launch the consultation of the upcoming Land Reform Bill which includes a range of potential measures to ensure that the benefit of land is shared by all.
“The Scottish Land Commission has been working over the last five years to provide a robust evidence base for our recommendations on making land work better in the public interest, highlighting the opportunity land reform can bring to Scotland and its people.
“I would encourage everyone to take part in the consultation and help to shape the next step in Scotland’s land reform journey.”
The UK Government has announced millions of pounds of new measures to tackle unemployment amongst the over 50s on benefits.
New measures set to help quarter of all jobseekers get back into work
Multi-million package will increase jobcentre support for over 50s including those thinking about retirement
Long term unemployed will be referred to the multi-billion-pound Restart Scheme which is already supporting a quarter of a million back into work
The new support follows ministers meeting their target to get half a million people into work in under six months, as part of the Way to Work jobs push launched in January.
Keeping up the momentum, £22 million will be invested in new measures to tackle unemployment amongst the over 50s on benefits, as a stable income is the best route for people to support themselves through challenging times.
Jobseekers over the age of 50 will have more one-to-one support at jobcentres to help them get into, and progress in work, boosting their earnings ahead of retirement.
This increased support will be boosted by 37 50PLUS Champions covering every district across England, Wales and Scotland who will work with local employers to help them realise how their recruitment could benefit from the talent of older workers.
Mid-life MOTs will also be available in jobcentres, targeting those thinking about retirement and engaging them to take stock of their skills and finances, and consider taking jobs that could boost their incomes based on their skills experience.
Minister for Employment, Mims Davies MP said: “Older workers are a huge asset to this country, and there are currently more than 400,000 over 50s in roles than before the pandemic.
“We’re increasing funding and support at every step of their journey up the career ladder, to ensure everyone gets the support they need to get into work, progress and use their experience to boost their earnings and plan for a better future.
“Helping people find the security of a stable income, through a job they can take pride in, is also one of the best ways for people to support their families during these challenging times.”
Carole Easton, Chief Executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: “Seeing DWP continue to recognise the importance of a bespoke approach to older workers is really welcome.
“We know that older workers face unique challenges, such as ageism in the workplace and a possible gap in skills compared to some of their younger counterparts, so we will gladly support any tailored action that begins chip away at these significant roadblocks standing in the way of older people accessing fulfilling work.”
Research shows that people over 50 are more likely to have caring responsibilities, with 12% of men and 16% of women aged 55-64 providing informal care and increased support from Work Coaches will help them navigate these barriers.
With the economy back on its feet, and the demand for experienced staff, the advice will help older workers make the right choice for them. And for those who have been out of work for nine months, the government’s Restart Scheme will provide a year of intensive support to get them back on the career ladder.
One year since its launch, the Restart Scheme is already seeing the first jobseekers take up work and leave the scheme and is currently supporting a quarter of a million people get the skills they need to re-enter the workforce.
This is part of the government’s renewed focus on growing the economy and helping people find work and boost their earnings.
The Scottish Government’s plans for a National Care Service as they currently stand will not work for service users or communities, COSLA said yesterday.
COSLA also warned that, as the Bill stands, it would have a significant impact on councils’ ability to deliver not only social care services but other critical councils services that our communities rely on.
In a meeting of Council Leaders yesterday there was unanimous and cross-party concern that the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill as published will see decisions around locally delivered social care services moved from communities to Scottish Government Ministers in Edinburgh.
The powers set out in the Bill would potentially lead to the transfer of 75,000 local government employees from local authorities to care boards.
It was the strong view of Leaders that local authority services, staff and resources should remain the responsibility of locally elected members, a view that has been echoed by all the main Local Government trade unions.
COSLA Leaders also fear that the transfer of public protection duties from local authorities risks losing local expertise and knowledge, with implications for safety within our communities.
COSLA, which represents every council in Scotland, has also cautioned that the Scottish Government’s National Care Service Bill will create significant uncertainty and further division for the Local Government workforce, at a time when there are already significant recruitment and retention challenges.
Councillor Paul Kelly COSLA’s Health and Social Care Spokesperson said: ““All Council Leaders were in agreement that as it stands, the National Care Service Bill with the power to transfer local authority functions, staff, property and liabilities to a National Care Service, poses a serious risk to councils’ ability to deliver a wide range of services for communities including non-social work and care services.
Leaders were very clear that this approach would result in destabilising the Local Government workforce and potentially impacting on the sustainability of some councils to carry out their functions and responsibilities.
COSLA is committed to the change, improvement and investment needed in our social care system and will continue to work with the Scottish Government and partners to better the experiences of both those using and delivering social care services now and in the near future and not wait until a National Care Service is in place.
COSLA will seek further engagement with the Scottish Government in an attempt to ensure that there is no disruption to local services by ensuring that local authority staff remain in local authorities.”
Thalidomide survivors will now receive lifetime funding from the Scottish Government.
The measure extends the previous 2013 agreement which granted survivors £14.2 million over ten years to help meet their health and living costs.
There are currently 50 known survivors of the drug in Scotland, most of whom are now in their 60s, and grants will be allocated on a needs-basis, as assessed by the Thalidomide Trust.
Thalidomide was prescribed to expectant mothers between 1958 and 1961 to relieve morning sickness and insomnia but was withdrawn after thousands of babies were born worldwide with disabilities, including limb damage, sensory impairment and internal damage.
Mr Yousaf said: “This funding is used to give thalidomide survivors as much assistance as they need to maintain their independence. It has been a vital support in helping people adapt their homes and manage their pain.
“I hope this lifelong commitment to continue this support will reassure recipients and help them deal with any challenges they face.”
Jean, 61, was born with damage to all four of her limbs as a result of thalidomide. She said: “This is such great news. The Health Grant from the Scottish Government has really helped me over the years – my kitchen, for example, is now completely accessible from my wheelchair and I have been able to build a little gym in the garden which has helped me so much in terms of my physical strength, fitness and my mental health.
“Due to thalidomide, I live with chronic pain and if I don’t move around my body would stiffen and seize up. The grant also allows me to pay for a personal trainer who understands my disabilities and can keep me fit and flexible, without causing further damage.
“Knowing this funding is going to continue indefinitely has given me, and many other Thalidomiders living in Scotland, such peace of mind.”
Deborah Jack, Executive Director of the Thalidomide Trust added: “This is fantastic and very welcome news. Sadly, as our beneficiaries age they are experiencing multiple health problems, in addition to their original thalidomide damage, and the costs of meeting their complex needs are significant. Many of them have been really anxious about the prospect of this much-needed funding coming to an end.
“We are really pleased that the Scottish government has recognised this by committing to lifetime financial support and also agreeing to review the level of funding regularly to ensure it is meeting their changing needs.”
To celebrate American Independence Day, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has revealed further details about the debut of The United States Army Field Band, who will perform on the iconic Edinburgh Castle Esplanade this August.
The band, known worldwide as the Musical Ambassadors of the US Army, and 81 of these musicianswill bringa diverse and dynamic fusion of traditional and contemporary music to their much-anticipated performance for the 5th – 27th August run.
For their first ever performance at the Tattoo, members of the Concert Band, Soldiers’ Chorus, Jazz Ambassadors, and newly added rap artists will be performing.
Audiences will be treated to the best of Americana by the band with iconic music including classic pop and indie rock hits that will entertain Tattoo fans of all ages. Staff Sergeants, Lamar Riddick and Nicholas Feemster, will make their Field Band debuts with the Tattoo, bringing rap to the United States Department of Defence and the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade for the first time ever.
The Band was formed in 1946 as a way for America to connect to the Army and share their stories while honouring all of the brave soldiers and veterans. This year, the band’s female vocalists’ will pay tribute to original members of the band through their costumes which have been inspired by the iconic look and fashions of the Andrews Sisters – an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras.
Performers from The United States Army Field Band recently featured on “Soundtrack of the American Soldier,” whose production team won the Immersive Audio Album at the 63rd Grammy Awards held in March 2022.
Fellow American performers The United States Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team, who are the official ceremonial unit of the Air Force, will also return to the Esplanade with their dynamic display of precision and skill from one of America’s top display teams.
Michael Braithwaite, Creative Director of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “It’s always a delight to welcome performers to the Tattoo for the first time. And when it’s one of the finest US military bands in existence, direct from Washington DC, then I know our audiences are in for a real treat.
“The US Army Field Band have wowed audiences across the USA for many years and have now put together a brand-new performance just for Edinburgh. They are world renowned for their exceptional music and visual displays and we can’t wait to see them live on the Castle Esplanade.”
This year’s Tattoo performance is called Voices and will be a celebration of expression, giving a stage to performers and acts to share their voice. Voices draws inspiration from people across the globe who, despite physical separation, continue to connect and share their voices creatively through spoken word, song, music, and dance – languages common to all.
Sergeant Major Erica Russo, Director of Operations, of The United States Army Field Band, said: “We were absolutely thrilled to be invited to perform at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo this year. We are immensely proud and excited to be able to represent the United States of America on such a tremendous international stage.
“Our performance this year is truly presenting the very best of Americana. We’re playing a huge range of music from Leonard Bernstein to modern pop favorites, as well as the extremely exciting inaugural performance of the Department of Defence’s first dedicated rap artists.
“Everyone who attends the Tattoo this year will be able to connect with and enjoy one of the musical elements of our performance and we just cannot wait to get out there on the Esplanade!”
Almost 900 performers from across the globe will take part in in this year’s Tattoo, bringing with them extraordinary music, dance, and performance talents. There will be vivid and exciting acts from Mexico, The United States, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, along with homegrown talent from the UK. Military personnel will continue to play a central role in the performance, with the Army as the lead Service this year.
Audiences can expect to hear the skirl of the Massed Pipes and Drums that will echo around the Esplanade as part of Voices, supported by Tattoo Pipes and Drums, Tattoo Dance Company, Tattoo Fiddlers, and musicians from a number of UK Military Bands.
The Show will run from 5-27 August 2022. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at edintattoo.co.uk/tickets or on the phone on 0131 225 1188.
Package of measures will increase childcare support for parents, boost the number of childminders and drive take up of childcare offers, to address rising costs
The UK government has today announced ambitious new plans to improve the cost, choice and availability of childcare that will benefit hundreds of thousands of parents across the country.
The UK has some of the highest-quality childcare provision in the world with 96% of early years settings rated by Ofsted as good or outstanding, but it is also one of the biggest costs facing working families today. This means some families, in particular women, feel they are not able to return to the workplace after giving birth due to the high cost of putting their child into paid care.
With the cost of living continuing to rise, the UK government says it is committed to doing everything it can to support families with their finances while keeping people in high-wage, secure jobs that help grow the economy. New plans are being set out today to ensure high-quality and affordable childcare is accessible to all.
To drive down costs for providers and parents, a new consultation will look at increasing the number of children that can be looked after by each staff member in early years settings.
It will propose changing staff-to-child ratios from 1:4 to 1:5 for two-year-olds, giving providers more flexibility in how they run their businesses while maintaining safety and quality of care. Childcare for children aged 0-2 is the most expensive for providers to deliver, largely given the need for higher supervision levels.
This could potentially eventually reduce the cost of this form of childcare by up to 15%, or up to £40 per week for a family paying £265 per week for care for their 2-year-old, if providers adopt the changes and pass all the savings on to parents.
Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi said: “Every child deserves a great start in life and that means giving families the support they need.
Childcare is an integral part of our economy, and these reforms prove again that this government is on the side of working families. I’m hugely grateful to the thousands of dedicated early years professionals who provide daily care and education to our youngest children, which is why I am determined to support them by giving them greater flexibility in how they run their services.
This in turn will support thousands of families across the country, helping to develop children’s skills while also supporting parents into work.
The Westminster government will also increase choice and affordability for parents by taking action to open up the childminder market.
While early years settings such as nurseries are the most popular option for families, childminders are generally the most affordable and flexible form of childcare. While the average cost of a two-year-old attending a nursery for 50 hours a week in England is £265 per week, this compares to £236 with a childminder. The government will support more people to become childminders by:
Reducing the upfront costs of becoming a childminder via financial support;
Allowing childminders to spend more of their time working from a greater range of locations – for example a local community centre or village hall rather than their own home;
Giving childminders greater flexibilities within the ratios when looking after their own children or siblings of other children;
Working with Ofsted to reduce inspection of childminders; and
Slimming down the childminder specific Early Years Foundation Stage, reducing the framework by one-third to ensure content is targeted and simpler to navigate.
Government will streamline the Ofsted registration process for providers. More providers registering would mean that parents have a wider choice of providers on which to use these schemes, to pay for childcare that supports their working lives.
The government will also encourage the growth of Childminder Agencies (CMAs). CMAs could ultimately become major players in the childcare market – stimulating competition and driving down costs while providing parents with more options for care. CMAs are central bodies that remove the individual administrative and regulatory burden on childminders, as well as often providing parents with tools such as mobile apps through which to book their childcare.
Minister for Children and Families Will Quince said: “I’m proud of the excellent quality of childcare and early education in England, which is a huge asset to working parents. But too many are struggling to balance work with childcare costs.
“We know there are thousands of parents who are eligible for government support but not taking it up. That’s why we want to increase awareness of the existing childcare offers, allow providers to provide services more flexibly and make sure funding gets where it is needed most.”
Also announced today is an additional £10 million investment for Maintained Nursery Schools, into the supplementary funding they receive from 2023-24.
These settings often care for some of the most disadvantaged children in the country and have additional costs that other early years settings do not – such as the requirement to have a headteacher – because they are constituted as schools.
Since the introduction of the Early Years National Funding Formula in 2017, the UK government has provided supplementary funding for these nurseries to protect their funding levels.
This additional funding forms part of a separate consultation on plans to reform how early years funding is distributed around England, to ensure the system is fair, effective and responsive to changing levels of need.
The UK government has spent more than £4 billion each year for the last five years helping families with the cost of childcare, but almost one million eligible families have not taken up their right to Tax-Free Childcare, which is worth £2,000 per year or £4,000 for children with disabilities. Universal Credit Childcare allows families to reclaim 85% of their childcare costs, worth up to £1,108 per month.
The government is also driving a renewed campaign via the Childcare Choices website so parents can access the support they are entitled to, through a ramped-up marketing campaign backed by £1.2 million, which launched last week. This will also encourage providers to take the necessary steps to offer the full range of childcare support to parents using their services.
Exchequer Secretary Helen Whately said: “Tax-Free Childcare provides a helping hand with childcare costs for working families but thousands of parents could be missing out.
“With almost one million families eligible, I want to encourage parents to take advantage of this support of up to £2,000 per year for each child.”
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Thérèse Coffey said: “We want more people to take up Universal Credit childcare financial support that is available now to help working families.
“We also want more childcare providers to register with Ofsted and unlock more places that can be subsidised to help with the cost of living.”
The government also offers 15 hours per week of free childcare or early education for all 3- and 4-year-olds, rising to 30 hours for working families, and 15 hours for disadvantaged 2-year-olds.
The Government recently announced that eight million of the most vulnerable households (around a third of all UK households) will receive £1,200 this year and all families will receive £400 – this is on top of changes to Universal Credit, National Living Wage and National Insurance thresholds, so that people keep more of what they earn.
This takes total government cost of living support to over £37 billion – higher than other major economies around the world.
Gemma, from Portsmouth, a mum of one uses Tax-Free Childcare. She said: As a working mum, it can be tough balancing childcare. But Tax-Free Childcare allows me to free up cash that can cover the costs of other things – when you’re talking about saving 20% of your childcare costs it can make a big difference.
The Government has recently launched a new website which brings government support on offer together in one place so the public can see what support they could be eligible for: www.gov.uk/costoflivingsupport
Featuring on radio, social media and bus stop advertising, the campaign aims to increase parents’ awareness and understanding of the childcare support available to them from the government, and maximise the number of people who take up our offer. This will coincide with the school summer holidays, maximising take up over the long break and beyond.
The campaign will signpost to parents, bringing together in one place the support available through Universal Credit, Tax-Free Childcare and 15-30 hours free childcare, clearly setting out eligibility requirements and providing a handy calculator so parents can estimate their entitlement. We will also look at simplifying the website further to make it as easy as possible for parents to understand the support available.
Universal Credit’s childcare offer can save families hundreds of pounds each month – for example, a single parent with a young child who works in social care three days a week could benefit by around £500 a month if they claimed support for their childcare costs.
Tax-Free Childcare helps working families, including the self-employed, to reduce their household costs and keep more of what they earn. Working parents with annual salaries of up to £100,000 can get up to £2,000 of childcare support each year, or £4,000 for children with disabilities.
Recent Tax-Free Childcare statistics from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have revealed that 512,415 families received up to £2,000 towards the cost of their childcare during the 2021 to 2022 tax year, up from 374,135 in the previous year. More than 384,000 families used Tax-Free Childcare in March 2022 – the highest monthly number of families recorded using the scheme since it was launched in April 2017.
The announcements follow visits by Children’s Minister Will Quince to the Netherlands, Sweden, France and Scotland – whose staff:child ratios for two-year-olds the consultation launched today seeks to mirror.
The Government will also explore how to improve recruitment and retention of staff in the sector, giving parents as much confidence in the care their child receives as possible.
