POLICE have released images of two men who may be able to assist with enquiries into an assault and robbery which occurred around 9.30pm on Saturday, 20 January, at the Inchmickery Court area in Muirhouse.
Both men are thought to be Eastern European.
The first man is described as white and 20- 30 years of age. He was wearing a black and red jacket, black trousers and a white baseball cap.The second man is described as white and 30-40 years of age. He was wearing a black jacket, jeans and black shoes.
Detective Constable William Doughty said: “I urge the men or anyone who may recognise them to contact us.
“If you have any information about this incident, please contact us through 101 quoting incident number 1095 of 21 January 2024. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where anonymity can be maintained.”
Women pursuing careers in music face “endemic” misogyny and discrimination in a sector dominated by self-employment and gendered power imbalances, Westminster’s Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) has warned.
WEC’s ‘Misogyny in Music’ report laid bare a “boys’ club” where sexual harassment and abuse is common, and the non-reporting of such incidents is high. Victims who do speak out struggle to be believed or may find their career ends as a consequence.
Despite increases in representation, women encounter limitations in opportunity, a lack of support and persistent unequal pay; these issues are intensified for women facing intersectional barriers, particularly racial discrimination, the report found.
Female artists are routinely undervalued and undermined, endure a focus on their physical appearance in a way that men are not subjected to, and have to work far harder to get the recognition their ability merits.
Making a series of strong and wide-ranging recommendations, the cross-party committee of MPs called on ministers to take legislative steps to amend the Equality Act to ensure freelance workers have the same protections from discrimination as employees and bring into force section 14 to improve protections for people facing intersectional inequality.
It also recommended the Government should legislate to impose a duty on employers to protect workers from sexual harassment by third parties, a proposal the Government initially supported and then rejected last year.
Both the music industry and Government, WEC said, should increase investment in diverse talent and make more funding available to the schemes that support it. Pathways to careers for women working in the sector must improve it added, particularly in male-dominated areas such as Artists and Repertoire (A&R), sound engineering and production.
Record labels should commit to regular publication of statistics on the diversity of their creative rosters, with all organisations of more than 100 employees required to publish data on the diversity of their workforce and gender and ethnicity pay gaps.
On non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), the report cited distressing testimonies of victims “threatened into silence”, with WEC urging ministers to prohibit the use of non-disclosure and other forms of confidentiality agreements in cases involving sexual abuse, sexual harassment or sexual misconduct, bullying or harassment, and discrimination relating to a protected characteristic.
The Government, WEC recommended, should consider a retrospective moratorium on NDAs for those who have signed them relating to the issues outlined.
The report also called for strengthened requirements for industry areas where harassment and abuse are known to take place. It recommended that studios, music venues and the security staff that attend them should be subject to licensing requirements focused on tackling sexual harassment and that managers of artists should also be licensed.
WEC supported the Office for Students’ proposed new condition of registration and potential sanction for educational settings aimed at improving protections for students and urged the OfS to “implement its proposals swiftly and to enforce them robustly”.
The establishment of a single, recognisable body, the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) WEC’s report concluded will help to shine a light on unacceptable behaviour in the music industry and may reduce the risk of further harm.
But the committee cautioned it is “not a panacea for all of the problems in the industry” and “time will tell whether it has the powers required to drive the changes needed”.
Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP said: “Women’s creative and career potential should not have limits placed upon it by ‘endemic’ misogyny which has persisted for far too long within the music industry.
“Our report rightly focuses on improving protections and reporting mechanisms, and on necessary structural and legislative reforms.
“However, a shift in the behaviour of men—and it is almost always men – at the heart of the music industry is the transformative change needed for talented women to quite literally have their voices heard and be both recognised and rewarded on equal terms.”
A 39-year-old man has been arrested and charged following an investigation into an assault on board a bus at Inverleith Gardens, Edinburgh.
The incident took place around 4.20pm on Saturday, 9 December, 2023.
The man has been released on an undertaking and is expected to appear at court at a later date.
Constable Rachael McIntyre said: “I would like to thank the public for their assistance with our enquiries into this incident.”
Police issue CCTV appeal following assault on board bus at Inverleith
Police Scotland have released images of a man they wish to speak to who may be able to assist with enquiries into an assault which took place on board a number 9 bus on Saturday, 9 December, 2023.
The incident on the took place whilst the bus was at Inverleith Gardens at around 4:20pm.
The man is described as white, slim build, brown hair and facial hair and aged between 25 to 30 years old. He was wearing a dark grey suit with a purple tie.
Constable Rachael McIntyre said: “We are keen to speak to this man, who may be able to assist us with our enquiries. I would encourage him or anyone who may recognise him to contact us as soon as possible”.
Anyone who can assist is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 2431 of 9 December, 2023.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, the largest and most famous Dolls’ House in the world, which has been on display for visitors to Windsor Castle since its creation.
The Dolls’ House was built between 1921 and 1924 as a gift from the nation to Queen Mary following the First World War.
It is a perfect 1:12 scale replica of an Edwardian-style residence – complete with electricity, working lifts and running water – and is filled with contributions from over 1,500 of the finest artists, craftspeople, and manufacturers of the day.
One of the great treasures of the Dolls’ House is its Library, which captured the literary culture of the 1920s through miniature books handwritten by the era’s foremost writers, from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Vita Sackville-West to A. A. Milne and Thomas Hardy.
Now, in an anniversary initiative championed by Her Majesty The Queen, 20 tiny manuscripts have been penned and decorated by hand by leading writers and illustrators, to establish a Modern-Day Miniature Library, once again providing a snapshot of contemporary literature in Britain.
The new manuscripts range from short stories, poetry collections and illustrated tales to plays, articles and recipes, many inspired by the Dolls’ House or written specially for the occasion.
Each manuscript, measuring just 4.5cm high, has been hand-bound with a unique cover by a leading designer-bookbinder. Each miniature cover is a work of art, with each binder taking inspiration from the contents of their book to create designs that range from gilded and traditional to whimsical and strikingly modern.
The new books, which will become part of the Royal Collection, are now on display for visitors to Windsor Castle and can be seen throughout 2024.
Her Majesty The Queen has contributed her own miniature book to the collection: a handwritten introduction to the Modern-Day Miniature Library project. Bound in the Royal Bindery at Windsor Castle, the book features a gold-tooled miniature version of Her Majesty’s cypher, measuring just 7mm tall.
It was created using a specially made cypher tool, which was modelled on the tool used to apply Queen Mary’s 7mm-tall cypher to the original Dolls’ House Library books in the 1920s.
Today (Tuesday, 30 January), Her Majesty The Queen will host a reception at Windsor Castle to thank the authors, illustrators and binders who have contributed their work to the project. Her Majesty will view the new miniature books and will be shown her own hand-bound contribution for the first time, which will then be added to the display for visitors.
The contributors to the Modern-Day Miniature Library are:
Her Majesty The Queen, Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House: foreword, bound by Glenn Bartley, Royal Bindery, Windsor Castle.
Simon Armitage, There was a steep grass bank then a field, bound by Matthew Stockl, Royal Bindery, Windsor Castle.
Alan Bennett, The Mantelpiece, bound by Andreas Maroulis, Royal Bindery, Windsor Castle.
Malorie Blackman, A Message to Jessica, bound by Bayntun-Riviere. Illustrations by Elizabeth Mira Morrison.
Lucy Caldwell, Intimacies, bound by Gillian Stewart, Juju Books. Illustrations by Orla Routh (age 5 ¾).
Joseph Coelho, An Abecedarius of the Very Teeny: and other poems, bound by Matthew Stockl, Royal Bindery, Windsor Castle.
Imtiaz Dharker, The Welcome, bound by Flora Ginn.
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, The Gruffalo, bound by Glenn Bartley, Royal Bindery, Windsor Castle.
Bernardine Evaristo, The African Origins of the United Kingdom, bound by Sue Doggett.
Sebastian Faulks, Music for a Dolls’ House, 1924–2024, bound by Shepherds, Sangorski & Sutcliffe.
Philippa Gregory, Richard my Richard: a play, bound by Stuart Brockman, Brockman Bookbinders.
Robert Hardman, The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, 6.V.2023, bound by Ted Bennett. Illustrations by Phoebe Hardman (age 14).
Anthony Horowitz, A Tiny Ghost Story, bound by Angela James.
Charlie Mackesy, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, bound by Hannah Brown.
Sir Ben Okri, Poems, bound by Rachel Ward-Sale, Bookbinders of Lewes.
Tom Parker Bowles, A Recipe Fit for a Queen, bound by Andreas Maroulis, Royal Bindery, Windsor Castle.
Elif Shafak, Aisha woke up from troubled dreams, bound by Haein Song.
Sir Tom Stoppard, Kolya’s Glove, bound by Lester Capon.
Sarah Waters, Underhand House: part one, bound by Christopher Shaw.
A. N. Wilson, The Residents: a poem, bound by Peter Jones.
Dame Jacqueline Wilson, The House Mouse / translated from Mouse Squeaks, bound by Eri Funazaki.
As well as the display of miniature books, visitors to Windsor Castle this year can see a special centenary display of items usually contained within the Dolls’ House.
Staged in the magnificent Waterloo Chamber, this display allows visitors to get even closer to the House’s tiny treasures, which range from a fully strung miniature grand piano and Crown Jewels inset with real diamonds to a miniscule vacuum cleaner and sewing machine.
The room at Windsor Castle that was created to house the Dolls’ House almost 100 years ago has been restored to mark the anniversary, and the Dolls’ House itself has been re-lit to simulate daylight rather than moonlight. On Royal Collection Trust’s website, new ‘dolls’-eye view’ films are giving viewers around the world the chance to discover the House’s miniature marvels in closer detail than ever before.
Her Majesty The Queen opens her miniature introduction by expressing her admiration for the Dolls’ House Library: ‘For me, it is the library that is the most breath-taking space in the house’.
“These new books highlight the incredible richness of twenty-first century Literary talent – and demonstrate how fortunate we are to have access to so many outstanding writers, whose work brings joy, comfort, laughter, companionship and hope to us all, opening our eyes to others’ experiences and reminding us that we are not alone.”
Stella Panayotova, Royal Librarian and Assistant Keeper of The Royal Archives, said: ‘These tiny books are big in imagination and talent, in feelings and insights.
“Exquisite books rekindle the joy of careful reading, close looking, quiet thinking. We are truly grateful to the authors, illustrators and designer-binders for awakening the century-old magic of the Dolls’ House. It is exciting to share their small books with large audiences, delighting and inspiring visitors of all ages.’
Julia Donaldson said: ‘It was an honour to be asked to write a miniature book for the new collection. I did think of doing something entirely new but then felt it would be iconic to have a tiny version of The Gruffalo, especially since it seemed a good way of celebrating his 25th birthday (the book was published in 1999).
“It was quite tricky working out the new pagination and making my handwriting as small as could be, but Axel had a greater labour of love creating all those extra pictures. I can’t wait to see the final product.’
Axel Scheffler said: ‘I felt very honoured to be asked to contribute a miniature book to the Dolls’ House library, and of course, it had to be The Gruffalo!
“It was a little bit of a challenge to re-illustrate the whole story on approximately 90 tiny pages rather than 30 regular-sized pages. But, as I like to draw small pictures, it put me to a test, but suited me well.’
Sebastian Faulks said: ‘The size made it a real challenge. But fun. I’m not a poet and there was no room for prose, so I wrote a kind of syllabic verse.
“My handwriting has not been under such pressure since infant school. I can only apologise for my illustrations. It was such an honour to have been invited to contribute.’
Dame Jacqueline Wilson said: ‘I was taken to see the Queen’s Dolls’ House when I was seven. I was completely enchanted and particularly loved the miniature books in the library.
“It was such a thrill to be invited to contribute one myself all these many years later.’
The new publication The Miniature Library of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House by Elizabeth Clark Ashby is available now, exploring the stories behind the creation of the original Dolls’ House Library.
The book includes a foreword by Her Majesty The Queen, as well as excerpts from selected works, some of which are reproduced for the first time. The book joins a new Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House souvenir range that is available in Royal Collection Trust’s shops.
Anniversary events and activities throughout the year will include a Dolls’ House-themed family trail for visitors to the Castle, as well as family activities during the Easter holidays.
An online evening event in April will see Royal Collection Trust curators revealing behind-the-scenes details and sharing how the House is conserved for future generations to enjoy.
More than 1,300 residents of new housing development on Granton’s waterfront expected to benefit from access to residential cycle storage
A major new mixed tenure housing development at Granton waterfront is set to benefit from dedicated, secure cycle storage, supporting more than 1,300 future residents to travel by bike more easily.
Secure cycle storage is to be provided at locations across the development, at Western Villages, Granton Gas Holder, Waterfront Avenue and Silverlea.
The City of Edinburgh Council project aims to help more people choose cycling as an affordable and sustainable way of travel for everyday journeys, and has been developed in partnership with the nation’s cycling charity, Cycling Scotland and supported by Transport Scotland grant funding.
Having nowhere safe or convenient to store a bike is a big barrier to cycling, with Cycling Scotland research showing that a third of Scottish households are likely to be living in accommodation without access to suitable cycle storage.
In total, supported projects are estimated to benefit 160,000 people by providing better access to secure cycle storage and parking where they live across Scotland: from new on-street cycle storage in Dundee, to storage for residents of high-rise properties in Aberdeen, through to bike parking at rural bus stops in Perth and Kinross.
Katharine Brough, Head of Grant Funding & Partnerships, at Cycling Scotland, said:“It’s been so positive to work in partnership with local authorities to increase access to essential, secure residential cycle storage across Scotland.
“Each of these projects will have a real impact in making cycling more accessible, helping more people to choose an affordable and sustainable way to travel for everyday journeys.
“As well as having storage at home, bike storage at key destinations where people work, shop and connect to public transport is vital in supporting more people to cycle, and helping tackle the climate emergency, health crisis and transport poverty.”
City of Edinburgh Council’s Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Scott Arthur, said: “The regeneration of Granton Waterfront will be transformative for that part of the city, opening up new sustainable homes, commercial opportunities and leisure and cultural offerings.
“It’s essential that we fully integrate sustainable, accessible travel into this. First class public transport links will be at the heart of this community, and this will be complemented with high quality active travel infrastructure.
“Providing secure cycle storage is essential for supporting people to consider cycling, and thanks to Cycling Scotland we’re going to be able to deliver hundreds of spaces throughout the area. This will connect residents and visitors to newly-upgraded cycle infrastructure connecting with the city centre and beyond.”
Case study: The impact of new on-street cycle storage in Dundee
Newly installed on-street cycle storage units in Dundee are helping make it easier for more people to travel by bike for everyday journeys across the city.
Blackness resident Nick Toner, making use of one of the 40 new on-street cycle storage units which have been installed across Dundee.
Nick Toner, a community development worker and resident of Blackness, Dundee, has found his new on-street bike storage space has made a big difference to how he travels around the city:
“Having the bike storage space has removed a mental and physical barrier for me. Just facing the idea of looking for somewhere safe to store my bike and lock it up, it was such a hassle. But now I come to work, and I have a parking spot nearby. It’s so much more convenient and it’s given me the freedom to use my bike to get around the city more often.”
Martim Mas, a resident of Stobswell, Dundee, cites his storage space as enabling him to combine cycling with public transport to travel to work:“I actually got my bike after I got my storage, because I had no space in my flat. I would’ve had to keep it inside and there was just no space.
“I use my bike now to cycle to the bus station, then to work at St Andrews. My bike is my main mode of transport across the city. Having this storage space is super convenient for me, and it’s good to know I can leave my bike there and it will be safe.
The UK’s leading independent timber and construction supplier, Donaldson Group, has announced a 12-month partnership with British Heart Foundation following a vote by colleagues across the entire business.
As part of Donaldson Group’s newly created Charity Committee, colleagues voted on a shortlist of six charities for the partnership. More than just fundraising for a worthy cause, the partnership with British Heart Foundation will also benefit colleagues with a programme of internal training, including CPR training, and registering defibrillators with ambulance services across England and Scotland.
Sites across Donaldson Group have a strong history of charitable support and fundraising activities this year will focus on two main events taking place in February for ‘Go Red for Heart Month’ and in September to mark World Heart Day.
British Heart Foundation supports people living with heart and circulatory diseases and funds lifesaving research across the UK. Partnerships with businesses like Donaldson Group fund that research, and importantly, raise awareness about disease prevention.
The funds raised by the Donaldson Group will help the BHF fund cutting-edge research that saves lives and keeps families together.
Mike Donaldson, Executive Chair of Donaldson Group, said: “We set up a Charity Committee last year to help us all focus our charitable giving and support causes that are important to Donaldson Group colleagues, families, and communities.
We are thrilled that British Heart Foundation was selected by colleagues as this year’s partner. Heart and circulatory diseases have touched many of us within the Group, and we hope that the training, awareness raising, and fundraising we will accomplish together will support many more happy outcomes for people and families across the country.”
Mark Murphy, 55, Chief Risk Officer at Donaldson Group, suffered a heart attack in May 2023 and now has a coronary stent fitted and takes statins to reduce the risks of further heart attacks.
Mark has made sure all Donaldson Group sites have defibrillators and he’ll also be taking part in CPR training sessions.
“If anything happens, we have more of a chance to save people,” says Mark. “Saving the life of someone is not just helping them, but also the rest of their family and I am delighted Donaldson Group will be supporting the British Heart Foundation in the months ahead.”
David McColgan, Head of British Heart Foundation Scotland, said: “Exciting partnerships like this one with Donaldson Group are vital to our research and our goals to save and improve lives.
“We are so proud that in the six decades we have been working to tackle heart and circulatory diseases, we have moved from an outcome where seven in 10 people died from a heart attack, to now seven in 10 people survive. We look forward to working with colleagues across the Donaldson Group to raise lifesaving funds.”
Currently led by the sixth generation of Donaldson, the 163-year-old Donaldson Group comprises a total of 16 specialist timber and building product businesses and brands, operating throughout the UK from 47 locations employing over 1600 people.
The businesses that make up the Group trade and operate independently, sharing best practice, innovation, purchasing synergies, and market analysis.
Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, visited the localBritish Gas Energy Trust Post OfficePop-Upin Waverley Mall yesterday.
It was launched to provide free money and energy advice in person to those struggling with energy debt over winter.
The Edinburgh pop-up comes as data from the British Gas Energy Trust shows 40% of people in Edinburgh say that certain cut-backs they’ve made due to cost of living have negatively impacted their mental health.
Other findings include:
34% of people in Edinburgh have limited their usage of household appliances and 39% are reluctant to use heat or electricity within the home making the cold months daunting.
The rising cost of energy has caused 40% of people in Edinburgh a fair amount of additional stress with 28% of people thinking they’ll struggle to pay their energy bills in the coming year
34% of parents have cut down on their own food consumption to be able to feed their children.
Rolling out across the country, the British Gas Energy Trust is bringing its pop-ups to Edinburgh for the public to visit on 29th & 30th January and at a second Edinburgh location on the 5th & 6th February (14a Westside Plaza, EH14 TSV) – helping people seek money and energy support and advice through the support of locally funded projects.
This includes checking eligibility for energy grants of up to £1,500 for all customers, regardless of energy supplier.
First Minister Humza Yousaf travelled to London yesterday (Monday, 29 January) to take part in a number of events in partnership with the City of London Corporation, including agreeing an enhanced framework to promote Scotland and London as centres of excellence for financial services.
The latest evolution of the partnership will ensure the benefits of a thriving financial services industry are shared across the UK. It is rooted in the ethos that financial sectors in Scotland and London have much to gain from cooperating and coordinating.
The framework complements ongoing activity to double assets under management in Scotland’s financial services sector to £1 trillion by 2030, thus supporting more jobs, as outlined in Scottish Financial Enterprise’s Growth Strategy.
It will ensure benefits are maximised for Scotland as the Corporation pushes for the UK to be a global centre for nature finance, and targets other shared priority areas including green and sustainable finance, financial inclusion and social mobility.
Long-standing annual engagements will continue – including the annual Burns Supper, hosted on rotation between Scotland and the City of London Corporation since 2020 – ensuring regular promotion of Scotland’s financial sector to UK-wide and international investors in London.
It is part of broader work between the Scottish Government, Scottish Development International, global investors and partnerships – including that with the City of London Corporation. It allows the Scottish Government and City of London Corporation to work together to support the aims of businesses in their respective financial sectors.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “Scotland has much to gain from strengthening our relationship with the City of London – by providing access to global investors and collaborating on shared initiatives, we can reap the benefits of a thriving financial services industry for our centres of excellence.
“Outside of London, Scotland both has the UK’s largest financial services centre and is the most attractive location in the UK for foreign direct investment. By working with the City of London Corporation towards shared goals, we can continue to drive that investment, and grow our economy.
“This latest partnership agreement is enhanced in terms of the scope and focus of our ambition, and will ensure our priorities continue to align with those of businesses in the financial sector.”
City of London Corporation Policy Chairman Chris Hayward said: “The twin financial and professional services sectors of London and Scotland represent a critical part of the UK economy.
“We’ve been delighted to partner with the Scottish Government on a range of issues where we have alignment and shared challenges: in sustainable finance, technology, talent and growth.
“Today’s meetings and Burns Supper represent an opportunity to really explore these areas; to identify areas of complementarity; and determine how we can work together for the benefit of our shared sectors, economies and people.”
Edinburgh became the first Scottish local authority to enforce against parking on pavements, parking at pedestrian crossing points and double parking yesterday (Monday 29 January).
Parking attendants have begun monitoring streets across the city, along with existing duties. Anyone found to be contravening the new rules could be subject to a £100 fine, reduced to £50 if paid within the first 14 days.
Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Scott Arthur joined parking attendants yesterday to see the impact of the changes. He also met representatives from Guide Dogs Scotland and Living Streets, with whom the Council collaborated to lobby for the introduction of controls in Scotland.
National regulations giving councils the power to enforce the new rules came into effect on 11 December. The change addresses the inconvenience inconsiderate parking causes to all road users, in particular those with mobility issues, visual impairments, and people with pushchairs.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said:“We’re leading the way as Scotland’s first local authority to enforce against pavement parking, as well as parking at crossing points and double parking.
“This is a change that we’ve wanted to make for a long time, and I’ve heard from many people who say it will make their day-to-day life much easier. It will make our streets safer for everyone, in particular those with visual impairments or mobility issues, and I’m delighted that reports of pavement parking are already coming down.
“Now the restrictions are in place, we are relying on the public to park safely and considerately, making sure not to block any roads. We’ll continue to monitor streets across the city to make sure the impacts on the wider network are minimal.”
People who have been affected by pavement parking have also welcomed the ban.
Edinburgh-based guide dog owner Elaine MacKenzie said she and guide dog Tessy are often forced out onto the road when their path is blocked by a parked vehicle, putting them in real danger.
Elaine said:“I remember a time when there was a work van parked on the pavement. It was a very busy road but we didn’t have any other option to get past. I had to go on the road to actually get to where I needed to go, and I was terrified.
“Sometimes you’re walking towards traffic or you can be walking with traffic coming from behind you, which is really scary if you can’t see.
“I’m so glad the City of Edinburgh Council are doing something to end pavement parking. The new legislation will make a real difference to my everyday life. It will be one less thing to worry about when I am out and about with Tessy.”
Local parent Euan Reid added: “The ban on pavement parking will make a big difference for parents who are using prams in Edinburgh.
“There have been occasions where I have had to use the road to navigate our pram past cars parked on the pavement, this creates an unnecessary risk to parents and their children, and I am pleased that the City of Edinburgh Council have taken action to make the streets safer for everyone.”
Mike Moore, Policy and Campaigns Manager at Guide Dogs Scotland, said: “We applaud the City of Edinburgh Council’s swift and decisive action to use its new powers to tackle pavement parking in the city.
“These measures will be a huge help for people with sight loss, who are often discouraged from getting out and about by the fear of badly parked vehicles.
“While pavement parking creates problems for everyone, it is especially dangerous if you have sight loss and can’t see whether traffic is coming towards you.
“Removing the barrier of vehicles blocking the way for pedestrians will make Edinburgh a more accessible city and sets a strong precedent for all local authorities in Scotland to follow.”
David Hunter, Convener of the Living Streets Edinburgh Group, said:“It’s been a long road to getting a ban on pavement parking.
“Living Streets has campaigned for this for well over ten years so it is gratifying to see the day arrive when we should no longer see this kind of anti-social parking. Pavements are for people and cars don’t belong on them.
“We are especially pleased to see the City of Edinburgh Council leading the way by applying the ban to every street, without exception.”
Officers have identified a small number of streets where there is significant pavement parking and have written to these properties to help them prepare for the measures. Now the ban is in place monitoring will continue to ascertain whether any mitigation measures are required to minimise potential negative impacts on the wider road network.
The restrictions will help ensure Edinburgh’s roads and footways are accessible for all, which is central to our vision of an equal, accessible and sustainable city as part of the City Mobility Plan.
The prohibitions first featured in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, though the necessary regulations required to support the enforcement and appeals procedures have only recently been finalised by Transport Scotland.
This visit took place in the week marking the 5th anniversary of the founding of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao
On 24 January, Lord Jack McConnell, former First Minister of Scotland, and His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils visited Camp Badre in Maguindanao del Norte to meet Moro Islamic Liberation Front communities and launch a new UK-funded project supporting decommissioned combatants to develop new livelihoods opportunities, for example around agriculture or eco-tourism.
Through engagements with decommissioned combatants, Lord McConnell gained insights into the needs of the community and discussed UK support to the peace process. His visit comes at a crucial time for the Bangsamoro peace process, as the region prepares for its first Parliamentary elections in 2025.
Lord McConnell was in the Philippines from 22 – 26 January 2024. In Cotabato, Lord McConnell met with MILF leadership, Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), representatives of the Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities, political parties and civil society.
In Manila, he had constructive discussions with Senator Raffy Tulfo, Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo and Secretary Amenah Pangandaman of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and civil society.
Speaking after his visit, Lord McConnell said: “I was delighted to join the 5th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao this week in Cotabato.
“I was pleased to witness first-hand the progress made on delivering the peace process as we approach the important BARMM elections in 2025. The visit to Camp Badre was an opportunity to listen to the decommissioned combatants and learn more about their experiences.
“As we approach the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement, I congratulate all involved and I look forward to continuing to support them in delivering development, peace and inclusivity for all.”
The visit marked the launch of the UK government-funded VSO ACTIVE Project, part of the UK government’s continuing programme of support to the BARMM.
A spokesperson for VSO said: “The ACTIVE project in the Philippines has supported marginalised communities in MILF camps to generate livelihood opportunities, increase biodiversity, protect against the harmful impacts of climate change and hold local decision makers to account, with 380 community volunteers supporting over 20,000 people to date.
“The project contributes to the normalisation track and the Camp Transformation Plan and has helped decommissioned combatants and their families to establish agroecology initiatives and supported the construction of an eco-tourism area which is now protected by an ordinance.
“VSO and our partner, UnYPhil-Women, are delighted to have the opportunity to expand this work in Camp Badre, and we are very grateful to the FCDO for their ongoing support for the ACTIVE project.”
Welcoming the launch of the project at Camp Badre, His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils said: “The UK government is delighted to support the normalisation track of the peace process, and in particular the VSO ACTIVE project in MILF camps.
“Peace is not just the absence of war – it’s also about opportunities, development and hope. The UK reiterates its unwavering support for the Peace Process and delivering lasting and inclusive peace for all.”
Since 2020, the UK government has been supporting the peace process in the BARMM through a £12 million Conflict, Stability and Security Fund programme, sharing experience in devolution, institution-building, and peace transition.
