City Centre – Page 5 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Dunard Centre plans unveiled

Images of the proposed new design for the Dunard Centre supported by Royal Bank of Scotland, reveal an opportunity to make an ‘inspiring contribution to the city’s cultural rebuild‘, project leaders IMPACT Scotland said yesterday.

One of the boldest ventures in the city’s recent past, Edinburgh’s first purpose-built music and performance venue in over one hundred years will rival the best in the world in acoustic quality and audience experience, bringing together architect Sir David Chipperfield, recognised throughout the world for high quality architecture in sensitive heritage sites and leading acousticians Nagata Acoustics, established international authorities in the field of concert hall design.

As the cultural flagship for the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, the Dunard Centre will fill a recognised gap in the region’s cultural infrastructure and provide a platform for local, national and international musicians to perform to audiences in the very best environment.

The 1000 capacity hall is designed with the flexibility to welcome the widest possible range of acoustic and amplified music and performance to a mid-sized venue.

The simple elegance of the exterior reflects the surrounding neoclassical design of the Edinburgh New Town and opens up an undiscovered area of the city centre, linking the St James Quarter, St Andrew Square and the Register Lanes and contributing to the regeneration of the area.

Impact Co-chair Fergus Linehan said: “We are delighted to unveil the stunning design for the Dunard Centre which will be a truly transformational venue in the heart of Edinburgh.

“The restrictions throughout the pandemic have highlighted the enormous contribution participating in the performing arts, whether as an audience member or a performer, makes to our wellbeing.

“It is a great honour to be leading a project which will make such a positive and inspiring contribution to the city’s cultural rebuild.”

Co-chair Gavin Reid added: “As well as being a creative hub hosting music and educational experiences of all kinds, the Dunard Centre will reach out beyond its own walls to be an inspirational springboard for outreach work across the city and beyond.”

Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal partners also welcomed the announcement.

UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “The Dunard Centre is an exciting prospect for Edinburgh’s cultural landscape.

“These designs show the great potential for a new, dynamic creative space in the heart of the city.

“The UK Government is investing £10 million in this project as part of it’s £1.5 billion commitment to Region Deals across Scotland, helping communities everywhere to build back better from the pandemic.”

City of Edinburgh Council Leader Adam McVey said: “The Dunard Centre is an exciting and important new cultural venue for our Capital. This is the first purpose-built concert venue in Edinburgh in more than 100 years which will expand Edinburgh’s landscape for enjoying music and the arts.

“It is in a prime central and sustainable location, with fantastic public transport connections and will complement the wider transformation of the east end of the city centre alongside the opening of the Edinburgh St James Quarter- ensuring that our City centre remains a vibrant and thriving destination.”

Malcolm Buchanan, chair, Scotland Board, Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “The Dunard Centre is an exciting proposition that will enrich the city’s education, music and arts communities and one that we are proud to be part of.

“Royal Bank of Scotland has supported Scotland’s arts sectors throughout its 300-year history, three centuries which have cemented Edinburgh and the country’s position as a capital for global culture.

“The Dunard Centre will play a role in continuing that tradition and create further opportunity for another generation of artists and performers.”

Sir David Chipperfield said: “Tucked behind Dundas House and on axis with George Street, the Dunard Centre occupies a strategic site linking the formal qualities of St. Andrew Square and the New Town with the more intimate atmosphere of lanes around Register House towards the new St. James Quarter.

“The identity of the building is determined by its circular form, contributing to the silhouette of the city and enclosing a 1,000-seat hall. This flexible world-class facility is designed to adapt to a wide-ranging programme of performances and cultural activities, ensuring it will serve as a meaningful new addition to the life and fabric of Edinburgh.”

The redesigned building will house:

⦁ 1000 capacity auditorium with the capacity for live streaming, digital capture and broadcasting
⦁ flexible multi-purpose rooms for education, conferencing and hospitality
⦁ foyer with informal opportunity for performance
⦁ café/bar with indoor and outdoor seating

The space has been skilfully re-imagined to create a world-class auditorium of exceptional acoustic quality in the heart of the city, retaining the 1000 capacity, while reducing the size of the proposed building.

The budget for the project remains at £75 million, with two-thirds of this being met by private philanthropy and fundraising. £35 million is being donated by Dunard Fund, and a fundraising campaign for a further £15 million has already received significant pledges.

As part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal the UK and Scottish Governments are each providing £10 million, and City of Edinburgh Council £5 million.

A variation to the planning application is being submitted this week. If planning permission is granted, construction will begin in 2022, with an estimated build length of 3 years.

Let’s commit to cleaner air

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, explains Edinburgh’s proposals for a Low Emission Zone:

Every year, Clean Air Day gives us pause for thought. Is it acceptable that poor air quality affects the health and wellbeing of some of our most vulnerable members of society, linking to hundreds of deaths across Scotland each year?

On the eve of the annual event, we’re preparing to ask that question as Transport and Environment Committee considers the preferred option for a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in Edinburgh.

This moment has been years in the making and follows a great deal of evidence-led research, in close partnership with Transport Scotland, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and a range of other organisations.

In 2019, when we consulted on our initial proposals, people told us how important cleaner air is to them, reinforcing the need for action. But they also shared concerns and questions about the original proposals for city centre and citywide LEZs, and how they’d be implemented.

We’ve taken this feedback into account to develop objectives for the LEZ scheme, notably a reduction in NO2 and greenhouse gas emissions, but also to minimise any resulting traffic displacement and, importantly, to align with our broader sustainable transport ambitions.

Working to these objectives and in line with the National Modelling Framework set by SEPA, officers have spent months appraising LEZ options for Edinburgh, incorporating traffic, emissions and air dispersion modelling to assess the impacts of any scheme.

As a result, a city centre LEZ, applying to all motor vehicles except motorcycles and mopeds, has been put forward.

This is different from our original proposal in that it doesn’t include a citywide option affecting only commercial vehicles. This decision wasn’t taken lightly but was led by the evidence. For a start, air quality is getting better across the city, which is having a positive impact on Air Quality Management Areas outside of the centre.

Analysis of commercial-type fleet shows improvements are already being made – in 2020 up to 95% of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) were compliant, while smaller vans had increased in compliance from 7% in 2016 to 48%. Buses are becoming more efficient too, with a commitment from Lothian Buses to be fully compliant by the end of this year and 60% of all other companies’ coach and bus fleet currently meeting LEZ requirements.

These findings are promising and reflect the air quality benefits experienced in other cities, where LEZs have had a knock-on effect on the surrounding areas, with cleaner vehicles entering the zone and travelling further afield, spreading the benefits.

The preferred option means we can focus resources on the densely populated city centre, where traffic pollution is highest and where many people are subject to its negative effects.

If approved by committee (it was – Ed.), we’ll be carrying out a public consultation in the coming months, with a view to introducing an LEZ by spring next year. To help people adjust to the changes we’ll be allowing a grace period, which has been extended from one year to two to support the city’s economic recovery post-pandemic. Exemptions for blue badge holders and other essential vehicles will be in place too.

Though the LEZ will mean a step-change for the way we tackle poor air quality in the Capital, it’s just one of a range of tools to reduce air pollution. As part of our City Mobility Plan we’re focused on facilitating and promoting healthy, sustainable travel, while City Centre Transformation, along with associated projects to improve walking and cycling infrastructure, will create a truly people-friendly city.

It’s through initiatives like these that we’ll be able to enjoy an environment worthy of Clean Air Day in years to come.

This article first appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News

Early green light for city centre cyclists

The council has installed new advanced green lights for cyclists in the city centre to help improve cycle safety around tram tracks.

The lights, which have been introduced at a number of locations around Princes Street, St Andrew Square and the West End, give cyclists more space and time at key junctions.

This is the latest in a series of measures to improve safety for people cycling near the city centre tram route over recent years. These include red-surfaced cycle lanes at key points to make it easier to cross the tram tracks, more advance stop boxes and additional warning signs for drivers and cyclists.

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “Cycle safety is of utmost importance to us, and in recent years we have worked to introduce several changes to help protect cyclists travelling near the tram tracks.

“By introducing early release green lights for cyclists we are giving anyone travelling by bike more space at a number of busy junctions around the city centre.”

Drivers are being advised to look out for the early release green lights for cyclists. Drivers must wait for their own green light and are encouraged to give people cycling a lot of extra space around tram tracks.

The council has recently introduced several measures to create safer spaces for walking and cycling in the city centre as part of the Spaces for People programme.

Amongst these are temporary segregated cycle lanes between Forrest Road and the Mound, the closure of Waverley Bridge to motor traffic at the junction with Princes Street and widened pavements on East Princes Street and South St David Street.

Advanced green lights for people cycling have been installed on specific approach arms at the following junctions:

North St Andrew Street / St Andrew Square
South St Andrew Street / St Andrew Square
Princes Street / The Mound
Princes Street / Frederick Street
Princes Street / Lothian Road
Shandwick Place / Princes Street
Atholl Place / Manor Place
West Maitland Street / Palmerston Place
Dalry Road / Haymarket Junction

Find out more about tram safety on the Council website.

Police appeal following early hours robbery

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information following an armed robbery in the city centre.

The incident happened around 2.45am yesterday (Thursday, 6 August, 2020) when a man entered the Costcutter Store on Lothian Road and threatened a member of staff with a knife.

He then demanded money from the till drawer before leaving on foot in the direction of Princes Street with a small quantity of cash.

The suspect is described as a white man, around 5ft 8in tall and of a slim build. At the time of the incident he was wearing a black hooded top, black tracksuit bottoms, grey woollen gloves and his face was covered with black sunglasses and a red scarf.

Detective Sergeant Keith Taylor, of Edinburgh CID, said: “Thankfully nobody has been injured as a result of this incident but the member of staff has been left evidently shaken.

“Although this happened in the early hours of the morning, I would ask that if anyone noticed a man matching this description or anyone acting suspicious in the area to get in contact with police.

“I would also ask if anyone has any dashcam or CCTV footage of the surrounding area and may have information that could assist with our investigation to come forward.

“Police can be contacted on 101 quoting incident number 0400 of Thursday, 6 August, 2020. Alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

The Citizen Network: A Revitalised City is Possible

There is no better time for the citizens of Edinburgh to pitch in and contribute to a Manifesto for the City Creating Our Manifesto for the City ⋆ The Citizen Network

Calls for no return to unequal and unjust normalcy following Covid-19 have come from many quarters, some of them quite unexpected, and there’s no doubt that many of the persistent problems of city life will be reassessed by those who govern us, whether that be Westminster, Holyrood or Edinburgh City Chambers.

But let’s not fool ourselves, what’s promised by politicians now may never transpire. Real change will not happen without direct action by citizens; for Edinburgh, Citizen’s Manifesto is the first step.

The need for citizens to hold politicians to account is already evident from reports of ‘stakeholder’ discussions pertaining to post-pandemic Edinburgh.

Consider first what Council leader Adam McVey had to say about the city’s Summer festivals: “By working together we can make sure that when our festivals return, they do so with even more of a focus on our people, place and environment.” So far so good but one is tempted to question the ‘even more’ – there has been scant attention to people place and environment in festival planning in recent years.

[“Edinburgh festivals face calls for overhaul before they return in 2021”]

In the same Scotsman article note that the city’s residents are absent when our cherished heritage is flagged up as needing not just preservation but enhancement by the festivals. Clearly, this pipe-dream does not extend to those who live in this ‘remarkable backdrop’.

But it’s the reaction of Essential Edinburgh that confirms that not all stakeholders are thinking about anything other than business as usual post Covid-19.

Roddy Smith, the Chief Executive, says “We need to reactivate the city, promote it strongly and widely and seek over the next couple of years to return to our numbers pre the virus.”

The same message can be deduced from the report from the meeting last week of the new tourism ‘oversight group’ for Edinburgh.

The group includes Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG), Edinburgh Airport, Festivals Edinburgh, Visit Scotland, Essential Edinburgh and the Chamber of Commerce – again not one resident has a seat at the table. Adam McVey reported that the group had reaffirmed the aims of Edinburgh’s new Tourism Strategy which was agreed pre-pandemic.

How can this be? Have we learned nothing these last few weeks?

So, the coronavirus will not miraculously change our world for the better. The citizens will have to insist on it, and the Manifesto for the City is an excellent starting place.

Let’s face it, change is difficult – most of us are stuck with at least one foot in the past and are in some way resigned to the way things are. To paraphrase a French philosopher, we are all ‘half accomplices’, demanding radical change while at the same time clinging to what we have become accustomed to.

But the city will change whether we like it or not, and citizens need to rise to the challenge and drive that change – now is the time to articulate our values and our aspirations; now is the time to really get beyond ourselves.

SEAN BRADLEY

Image credit: Astrid Jaekel

Ditching Disposables

Global first is part of £1m plan to ditch disposables in Scottish communities

More than a dozen organisations across Scotland are to take part in a £1million pilot project testing alternatives to single-use disposable items.

Zero Waste Scotland will deliver a total of 14 projects with a wide range of community partners over the next 12 months to tackle a range of single-use items, from coffee cups to water bottles and food packaging.

Supported by the Scottish Government and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the scheme will see organisations from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fife, Caithness, Stirling, and East and West Lothian trial alternatives to single-use products – such as reusable and packaging-free options.

In Edinburgh, independent cafes and restaurants in Portobello and Joppa will receive support to reduce their use of disposable items such as cups, bottles, stirrers, sachets, straws and serving ware.

A range of independent cafes and hospitality businesses in central Edinburgh will also pilot a deposit return coffee cup scheme, with potential to introduce a charge on disposable cups.

The Ditching Disposables project will include a deposit return scheme for reusable coffee cups and separate charging for disposable cups across several Scottish towns and cities. Both of these actions have been highlighted as key ways to tackle consumption of single use cups by the Scottish Government’s Expert Panel on Environmental Charging and Other Measures (EPECOM).

The deposit return scheme for cups will see customers in some communities pay a small deposit when purchasing their drink that will be refunded when they return their reusable cup, so it can be washed and used again. It is believed to be the first time anywhere in the world that a deposit return scheme for reusable cups and separate charging for disposable cups have been run in tandem.

Other projects will see single-use water bottles removed from sale and replaced with water fountains and cordial dispensers. Another will trial a reusable event kit to be shared between the community, and includes piloting reusable cups for drinks, for example, at music gigs.

Zero Waste Scotland chief executive, Iain Gulland, said: “We know single-use items are blighting communities across Scotland and it is something we are determined to tackle. Some of these are only used for a matter of minutes yet can hang around our environment for years. We are working with communities to see what can be done to solve issues they have identified.

“Four fifths of our carbon footprint as a nation comes from the products and materials we consume. That’s a huge proportion, and single-use items are an entirely unnecessary part of that.

“Curbing our consumption habit is vital if we want to have a real impact on the climate emergency, so it’s fantastic to have so many organisations right across Scotland on board to look at what we can change to pioneer an alternative approach.”

The projects announced yesterday follow an initial closed pilot between Zero Waste Scotland and NHS Ayrshire & Arran, under which reusable coffee cups and a 10p charge for disposable cups were introduced in the canteen at University Hospital Crosshouse in Kilmarnock.

These changes, along with improvements to recycling provision and signage, saw the reuse rate for coffee cups increase from 1% to nearly half of all hot drink sales. Meanwhile the volume of disposable cups consumed dropped by 157 per day – that’s an estimated 57,000 a year.

The Ditching Disposables pilots will aim to achieve similar results in an open setting, with independent coffee shops across Thurso and Wick, Stirling, central Edinburgh and North Berwick offering reusable coffee cups for a deposit, which customers can drop back to any participating local café.

Crucially, these trials will combine deposit reusable cups with a charge on disposable cups – believed to be the first time this has been trialled anywhere in the world.

Iain Gulland continued: “This is a great example of how upscaling small changes can make a big difference. We know incentivising reuse works – and for businesses it’s a chance to respond directly to customer demand and open up new economic opportunities at the same time as cutting their carbon footprint.”

Ditching Disposables is part of Zero Waste Scotland’s Resource Efficient Circular Economy Accelerator Programme, which will invest £73m in circular economy and resource efficiency projects, thanks to support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Assault in St Andrew Square: Can You Help?

Police have released images of two men they wish to speak with in connection to an ongoing investigation into a serious assault in the city centre.

The incident took place around 2.20am on Tuesday, 15 October, 2019, in St Andrew Square. A 23-year-old man was assaulted outside a restaurant on the square, close to the junction with George Street and was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he was treated for a serious facial injury.

Officers believe the men pictured may have information to assist their investigation and anyone who recognises them is urged to come forward.

The man in images one and two is described as white, aged between 18-22, of slim build with short brown hair. He is seen in the images to be wearing a black coloured polo shirt with a design on the collar, and is believed to have been wearing knee-length dark coloured shorts and white trainers.

The man in image three is also described as aged between 18-22, of slim build with short dark hair. He is seen wearing a black t-shirt with white writing to the chest and is believed to have been wearing black jeans and white trainers.

Detective Constable Tom Kerr of Gayfield CID said: “The victim was subjected to an unprovoked attack which left him with a serious facial injury that required surgical treatment in hospital.

“I would urge anyone with information as to the identity of the men pictured to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 0260 of 15th October 2019. Alternatively please contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”

City Centre Assault: police release CCTV images

Police Scotland has released images of two men they wish to speak with in connection to an ongoing investigation into a serious assault in the city centre.

Officers believe the men pictured may have information to assist their investigation and anyone who recognises them is urged to come forward.

The male in images one and two is described as white, aged between 18-22, of slim build with short brown hair. He is seen in the images to be wearing a black coloured polo shirt with a design on the collar, and is believed to have been wearing knee-length dark coloured shorts and white trainers.

The male in image three is also described as aged between 18-22, of slim build with short dark hair. He is seen wearing a black t-shirt with white writing to the chest and is believed to have been wearing black jeans and white trainers.

Detective Constable Tom Kerr of Gayfield CID said: “The victim was subjected to an unprovoked attack which left him with a serious facial injury that required surgical treatment in hospital.

Record-breaking first week for Edinburgh’s Christmas

The rising popularity of Edinburgh’s Christmas has been welcomed by the city council’s ‘Capital Coalition’ leaders – despite public disquiet over the over-commercialisation of the city centre.

Footfall figures for the first 9 days (first Saturday to second Sunday) are 522,000 – that’s 13% up on the same period last year.

These figures build on the biggest ever opening weekend for the Capital’s festive markets which saw a third more people enjoy the first Saturday of the event than in 2018. Continue reading Record-breaking first week for Edinburgh’s Christmas

Appeal after Royal Mile whisky robbery

Police are investigating following a high-value break-in and theft in the city centre. The incident happened sometime between 10pm on Friday 7th September and 6.40am on Saturday 8th September at the Whisky Trail licensed premises on the High Street.

After entry was forced to the store, almost 50 bottles of valuable whisky were stolen. Continue reading Appeal after Royal Mile whisky robbery