A new Skills Academy to prepare young people for the variety of careers in the construction industry is being launched by the City of Edinburgh Council.
Skanska and Mitie have recently been awarded a 10 year Statutory Inspections, Repairs and Maintenance contract for operational buildings with the Council and have committed to creating a collaborative Skills Academy.
The development and shaping of the model is being supported by partners Edinburgh College, Developing the Young Workforce, Historic Environment Scotland, Skanska and Mitie and is being led by the Council.
The Academy is being set up to address skills shortages in the construction industry both within traditional construction trades but also within professional and back office roles. It also aims to encourage a more diverse and inclusive workforce by starting to work closely with pupils from as early as primary school to provide insights into construction.
To celebrate the launch of the Academy a special ‘Skills Demonstration’ – hosted by Edinburgh College – took place this week in the City Chambers quadrangle on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 May.
Around 100 pupils from four secondary schools, Gracemount, Balerno, Craigmount and Forrester, attended over the two days, taking part in five key construction skills – painting and decorating, joinery, slating, stone masonry and thermal imaging.
Paul Lawrence, Executive Director Place at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “No one can underestimate the impact the pandemic has had on young people in the past two years when it comes to equipping them with the skills for when they leave school.
“It’s important as a Council that we do everything we can to support them and setting up the Skills Academy is a really exciting project. There are a variety of roles within construction outwith the traditional trade apprenticeships that people may not be aware of. We want to encourage more of our young people to explore these fantastic opportunities and provide them with the skills and experience to secure employment.
“The Skills Academy is a great example of the partnership approach we use to drive forward many projects across the city.
I’m delighted that so many organisations have teamed up with us and this couldn’t be achieved without the support and input from DYW, Edinburgh College, Skanska and Mitie and Historic Environment Scotland.
“The unique buildings within Edinburgh need to be protected and maintained for future generations to enjoy and the Academy aims to address the decline in traditional skills and jobs available within the industry.”
Senior General Manager Stephen Monaghan, from Skanska, said: “Succession, competence and technical ability are all core factors that underpin our business at Skanska.
“We are delighted to be involved in this skills demonstration workshop offering our future tradespeople the early opportunity to gain an insight into what is involved in these particular trades. We think it’s really important to give people the opportunity to enhance their future skills.”
Jennifer Melvin, Community Benefits Co-ordinator at Mitie, said: “Myself and Mitie are thrilled to be part of this Traditional Skills Demonstrations in collaboration with DYW’s ‘Build Your Future’.
“Young people are expected to know what they want to do with their lives through their school choices and after leaving school without any experience of industry. Build your future is aiming to change this by providing insight that will support them to make informed decisions, which is certainly a step in the right direction.
It is anticipated the Skills Academy will be fully operational by 2024 – by which time Edinburgh will hopefully have a fully functioning Administration! – Ed.)
Every year walking, wheeling and cycling in Edinburgh helps generate more than £186.2 million in economic benefits while saving 38,000 tonnes in greenhouse gas emissions – the equivalent of 49,000 flights from Edinburgh to New York – according to a major new report.
The Walking and Cycling Index, formerly known as Bike Life, is the biggest assessment of walking, wheeling and cycling in cities across the UK and Ireland, carried out by Sustrans. Results from Edinburgh show 66% of residents walk at least five days a week – more than any other mode of transport and above the national average of 50%. Twenty-six per cent of residents cycle at least once a week.
Annually, people choosing to travel by foot, wheel or bike help take up to 150,000 cars off the road and save the NHS more than £8.2 million through the associated health benefits. However, the Walking and Cycling Index also found that 70.7 million journeys up to three miles are still driven in Edinburgh each year.
Most respondents – 78% – said more shops and everyday services close to home would encourage them to walk and wheel more, while the same number supported the creation of more 20-minute neighbourhoods.
The Council is in the process of developing a model for a network of 20-minute neighbourhoods across the city, where public transport and active travel are the best options for getting around and streets are designed for people, allowing them to easily access and support their local businesses and services.
Twenty-three per cent of residents currently don’t cycle but would like to and 64% say more physically separated cycle lanes along roads would help them to cycle more, with access to secure cycle storage at or near home (57%) amongst other incentives to cycling.
Walking and Cycling Index Edinburgh – key statistics
Health: Every year walking and cycling prevents 1,252 serious long-term health conditions. The physical activity benefits of walking and cycling prevent 316 and 28 early deaths respectively, valued at £1 billion (walking) and £92.4 million (cycling).
Environment: If 80% of the 70.7 million car journeys of up to three miles were walked and cycled it would save approximately 23,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
Trips: Every day, 130,000 return walking trips and 16,000 return cycling trips are made by people that could have used a car. If these cars were all in a traffic jam it would tail back 435 miles – equivalent to the distance between Edinburgh and Southampton.
Quieter streets: Only 31% of residents think their streets aren’t dominated by vehicles. Sixty-one per cent support low traffic neighbourhoods and 59% said fewer motor vehicles on streets would be better for both walking and cycling.
Inequalities: Eighty-one per cent of non-disabled residents think the level of walking safety is good in their local area compared to 69% of disabled residents. Thirty-five per cent of men cycle at least once a week while only 17% of women do.
Funding: Half of residents (52%) want to see more government spending on both walking and cycling, and 57% would like more investment in public transport.
Daisy Narayanan, Head of Placemaking and Mobility at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “As ever, this report provides a fascinating snapshot of people’s walking, wheeling, and cycling habits – and the immense benefits active travel can bring, not only to our own health but the environment, the economy and the quality of life here.
Transport currently accounts for just under a third of Edinburgh’s emissions and it’s clear that there’s an urgent need to aid and encourage more sustainable ways of travelling if we’re to meet our 2030 net zero target. Responses to the Walking and Cycling Index provide an excellent guide for the kind of changes we need to make – people are telling us what we need to do to help them to travel by foot, wheel or bike, particularly for shorter journeys.
There’s already a great deal of work underway to support this. Our strategy for 20-minute neighbourhoods will mean people across Edinburgh can live well locally, meeting most of their daily needs from within their own community. The approach is designed to improve access to services where it is most convenient and helps to support local businesses, creating thriving, vibrant town and local centres.
This is alongside investment of £108 million over the next few years to transform walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure across the Capital, as outlined in our ambitious City Mobility Plan, including the transformation of George Street, the delivery of CCWEL linking Roseburn to Leith Walk and the Meadows to George Street route.
Dr Sam Gardner, Chair of Edinburgh’s Climate Commission, said: “Improving 2our streets to encourage more people to choose active ways of travelling is not only an essential part of tackling climate change but will also create a healthier, fairer city.
“A planned investment programme is already in place to support a step-change in the city’s cycling network and improve the safety of our streets for those walking and wheeling. It’s crucial that we not only deliver this programme but that we continue to build on its ambition at every opportunity.
“Edinburgh is a beautiful, compact and walkable city. We want to make sure all members of society can gain from this, and the Walking and Cycling Index is a key resource to help us to achieve that.”
Stewart Carruth, Interim Director, Sustrans Scotland, said:“I’d like to thank the people of Edinburgh who gave us their time to take part in the Walking and Cycling Index. Walking and wheeling should be the most accessible and desirable form of transport. It is of huge importance to people, especially during the current cost of living crisis and the climate emergency.
“The evidence is clear – Edinburgh residents want the option to walk and wheel to where they need to get to, and don’t want outdated and unmaintained pavements, crossing points that make walking and wheeling unsafe or inaccessible, and vehicles parked on pavements getting in their way.
“The City of Edinburgh Council can rest assured that they have the backing of the public to build on the work they have already started to make it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle to get around.”
The Walking and Cycling Index Edinburgh is the fourth report of its kind produced by Sustrans in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council and draws on local walking and cycling data, modelling and an independent survey of 1,346 residents carried out from June to August 2021, following the lifting of Covid travel restrictions. In total, 9,681 people were surveyed in Scotland.
As well as outlining residents’ walking, wheeling and cycling habits and the associated benefits, the report looks to future developments in the city. These include City Centre Transformation, the extension of 20mph streets and the dropped kerbs programme, following the vision set out in the City Mobility Plan.
Shelter Scotland has said Councillors must stick to their promises and make social housebuilding the top priority for the next administration in Edinburgh as talks to decide who will head up the council continue.
Ahead of the election the housing charity’s petition demanding action on social homes attracted more than 3,300 signatures in Edinburgh, and in excess of 12,000 nationally.
Before voters went to the polls, councillors from the SNP and Labour, the two largest parties on the City of Edinburgh Council signed the Shelter Scotland social housing pledge to make social housing delivery a top priority for their term in office.
Shelter Scotland’s analysis of the council’s figures shows the city needs at least 7,000 social homes over the next five years.
Director of Shelter Scotland, Alison Watson, said: “Social housing ends homelessness. It protects against worsening child poverty and helps our communities thrive. It is easily one of the best things the new council can do to improve our city. Despite that, none of Edinburgh’s previous administrations have delivered the homes the council’s own figures say the city needs.
“Before this election, the parties now negotiating a new power sharing agreement promised the 3,360 citizens in Edinburgh who signed the social housing petition that they would make building at least 7,000 social homes a top priority. Now they need to deliver.”
Alison added: “Communities across Edinburgh are suffering as a direct result of the housing emergency. They will not easily forgive or forget if councillors do not deliver what they’ve promised.
This is one thing the parties can agree on and something the people of Edinburgh will expect to see on the first pages of their new plan for the city.”
Winner lands eight pairs of gig tickets and his reviews will be published by Forever Edinburgh to encourage more music fans from across the UK to visit the capital
A Learning and Development consultant from Leith with a passion for music and an interest in writing has won a competition to enjoy free gigs and create reviews that encourage more music fans around the UK to visit Edinburgh.
Stuart Niven, 37, won the competition, which was launched by Forever Edinburgh, the city’s official destination marketing guide, to showcase and support Edinburgh’s music scene to new audiences across the UK.
Entrants were asked to submit a 250-word review of a gig they’d attended in the past 12-months, describing the event, artist, venue and capturing a sense of Edinburgh as a music-lovers destination. Niven’s winning entry, a review of the hotly tipped band Wet Leg at The Mash House in Edinburgh, was chosen for being written with flair and giving a well-rounded view of the concert.
Stuart, who was attending around 50 gigs and four festivals a year pre-Covid, wins eight pairs of gig tickets to concerts across Edinburgh venues between May and December 2022.
The gigs will feature local artists and touring acts, with the first event being The Smile, who feature Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood alongside Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, at The Usher Hall on 1st June.
After each gig, Stuart will be invited to write a by-lined review for the Forever Edinburgh website and social media channels, which are read and followed by visitors from across the world, as well as local residents.
As well as the free tickets and the chance to develop and showcase his writing skills, Niven will be paid a nominal fee of £100 for each of his published reviews.
In addition, he will be offered the opportunity to review new music by local acts and interview artists and other figures within the city’s music community to further help shine a spotlight on the city’s music scene.
Stuart, a frequent visitor to the likes of Sneaky Pete’s, The Usher Hall and Leith Theatre, said: “This news put a huge smile on my face, I was grinning from ear to ear when I found out.
“I work in Learning and Development for a living but I enjoy writing and have often thought about doing some sort of blog or review page for the gigs and festivals I attend – mainly just to keep record and have a memory of them all. It was great to have my review received so positively. This competition has definitely given me the encouragement to continue writing.
“I think it is a hugely exciting time for the Edinburgh music scene right now. The Usher Hall over the last few years has attracted some huge names from all genres to the capital. O2’s acquisition of the Corn Exchange and subsequent bookings there is encouraging, and we have some incredible small venues like Sneaky Pete’s, which continues to lead the charge.
“The return of Connect Music Festival and all shows to take place at Ingliston this summer are other hugely exciting events to mark on Edinburgh’s music calendar that show just how important the city can be in staging live music.”
The competition, which was launched in collaboration with local music blog Edinburgh Music Lovers, is part of Forever Edinburgh’s The Story Never Ends campaign and comes at a time when Edinburgh’s live music scene is entering a new chapter having been shut down during the pandemic.
Stuart Niven’s reviews will also be published on Edinburgh Music Lovers to help further showcase his reviews and music in Edinburgh.
Karl Chapman, Head of Heritage, Cultural Venues, Museums & Galleries at City of Edinburgh Council, said: “My congratulations go to the well-deserved winner of the Forever Edinburgh music competition, Stuart Niven.
“He is clearly a passionate music fan who enjoys creative writing. I’ll be looking forward to reading his reviews of diverse Edinburgh gigs over the next few months.
“The city’s music scene has been badly hit by the global pandemic, but we’re happy to see it coming back to life with an eclectic array of concerts lined up in venues of all sizes across Edinburgh.”
Forever Edinburgh is the City of Edinburgh Council’s destination brand which promotes Edinburgh to the world, highlighting details of places to visit, accommodation, days out itineraries, festivals and attractions.
One Day outdoor courses in May – some places still remaining:
Friday 20th – Geocaching Introduction.
Using navigational techniques to find, hide and seek containers at specific locations marked by global coordinates. Once you learn the skills you can keep going worldwide and keep having fun. An experienced and friendly tutor can reveal tips and techniques in this course from 10am-3pm.
Saturday 21st – Archaeology of the Cammo Estate.
Learn about the old and more modern archaeology and the digs taking place in this lovely environment. The tutor can answer any queries for a fun day out. Runs from 10am – 3pm.
Sunday 22nd – Photography Workshop at the High Street.
Find little nooks, statues and crannies and discover how to make best use of your camera. The session is from 10am – 3pm.
Very reasonable charges from £16.50-£20.63 for a day of enjoyment, exercise and extraordinary well-being to celebrate mental Health Awareness
For more information and to enrol follow link below:
The Local Government Election results for Edinburgh’s 17 wards have been announced at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) following the vote on Thursday 5 May.
In total, 63 councillors have been elected to become the City of Edinburgh Council, with a 47.2% overall turnout for the city. A full list of councillors elected is available on the Council website.
The breakdown of elected members by party is:
Scottish National Party: 19 (No change on 2017 result) Scottish Labour Party: 13 (+1) Scottish Liberal Democrats: 12 (+6) Scottish Green Party: 10 (+2) Scottish Conservative and Unionist: 9 (-9)
Returning Officer Andrew Kerr announced the results over the course of the day. He said: “I’m pleased that so many people have turned out to have their say in Edinburgh. Thanks to voters for taking the time to participate, demonstrating the importance of local services to the public.
“I want to congratulate the successful candidates, and welcome new councillors to their role at the Council. I look forward to working with them all over the next five years.
“I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our Election team, whose hard work and dedication has enabled the smooth running of this election. It’s no mean feat, particularly here in the Capital, with 300 polling stations to set up and hundreds of staff to recruit and train.
“The team worked particularly hard to replace polling places, ending our use of schools, while ensuring each venue was as accessible and welcoming as possible for all voters.”
It’s likely that the SNP will be seeking to form new alliances this weekend as they seek to form a new administration. While the SNP are the biggest party, with 19 of Edinburgh’s 63 councillors, they do not have a majority and they will have to work with others to get their programme through.
Scottish Labout leader has all but ruled out any deal with the SNP, so there will be no ‘Capital Coalition III’ with Labour in Edinburgh.
Mr Sarwar told journalists at the launch of the Labour Party’s manifesto last month: “We’ve had difficult situations in the past where decisions have been made by a Scottish Executive Committee that individual councils haven’t liked. But the reality is, it’s always been the case that the Scottish Executive Committee would sign off on any agreements.
“And I think it’s right for us to say we shouldn’t be picking and choosing which is the good versus the bad. Both are bad for our country. Both are decimating local communities. And therefore I think it’s right that we see no formal coalition with the SNP or the Tories.”
Scottish Labour won’t renege on this commitment, will they?
For further details of the results and the Local Government Election, please see the Elections section of the Council website.
A major milestone has been reached in the build of the new Meadowbank Sports Centre with the completion certificate being issued to the main contractors Graham Construction.
This enables the project to progress to the next stage – Edinburgh Leisure can now begin preparing the building for opening. Although an official opening date to the public has yet to be announced, it is expected that Meadowbank will be open around the start of the summer holidays.
The original Meadowbank was built for the 1970 Commonwealth Games and was used by various clubs and sporting celebrities. The closure of the flagship venue on 3 December 2017 marked the end of an era and the start of a new one as the building was decommissioned to make way for a new state-of-the-art sports centre for people in Edinburgh and beyond to enjoy for decades to come.
The new Meadowbank was originally scheduled to reopen in 2020, but the two-year pandemic, various lockdowns and issues with building supplies and contractor resourcing, which affected the building industry, meant that delays were inevitable.
June Peebles, CEO of Edinburgh Leisure said: “We’re delighted that the finishing line is now in sight for the opening of this new flagship venue. The opportunity to be involved in such a major build project is special and I’m very grateful to the City of Edinburgh Council for involving Edinburgh Leisure in all aspects of this exciting investment into the City’s wellbeing.
“It’s been great to be involved in the project from day one however the level of excitement has certainly increased as we begin preparations for opening”.
“The new Meadowbank will undoubtedly pick up where the old Meadowbank left off; providing countless opportunities for generations to come to participate in physical activity and sport. New sporting memories will be created, and we can’t wait to welcome the people of Edinburgh and beyond, into the new venue.”
June Peebles added: “Now that the completion certificate has been issued, we will be spending the following weeks with final snagging, fit out items, finalising operating arrangements and a comprehensive staff training programme before we finally open the building.
“So, keep your eyes on social media and Edinburgh Leisure’s website for more announcements about the official opening date. We can’t wait to welcome you into the impressive new Meadowbank!”
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “It’s great news that this latest milestone has been reached today, which means the new Meadowbank Sports Centre is one step closer to throwing its doors open to the public.
“This glimpse behind-the-scenes shows what we’ve got to look forward to – one of the country’s top community sports centres with some of the most state-of-the-art fitness facilities in the UK.
“We’ve been working closely with Edinburgh Leisure throughout the development of this flagship project to make sure that the centre provides the very best in sport and physical activity, while prioritising participation and accessibility.
“Now, as June and her team put the finishing touches to the building and finalise arrangements for opening, we’re counting down the weeks before everyone can enjoy this fantastic facility”.
Trinity Academy pupils who will be voting for the first time have been to visit their nearest polling place Summerside Bowling Club as the countdown continues to the local elections this Thursday (5 May).
Trinity Academy S5 pupil Luke Norman is looking forward to casting his first ever vote on Thursday 5 May 2022. He said: “I’m excited to be voting for the first time. I think it’s really important for young people to take part in elections and use their voice.
“It’s our future. The councillors that we help elect next week will make important decisions on education and many other issues that are important to us.”
Andrew Kerr, Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for Edinburgh, said: “The local elections are under a week away now. We have been working to reduce our use of schools on election day and I’m delighted that this year there will be no interruption to the school day for Edinburgh’s pupils.
“Due to this, you might have a different polling place this time. Check your polling card carefully or use the online tool to find out where to vote on 5 May.
“Our elections pages also contain useful information on how the single transferable vote system works, ie that you need to use numbers to rank as many or as few candidates as you choose in order of preference.
“And if you’ve applied for and received a postal ballot pack, remember to return it as soon as possible to make sure your vote counts.”
A total of 399,239 people are registered to vote in Edinburgh, of whom 96,671 have applied to vote by post.
FORTH Neighbourhood Network will meet online tomorrow evening at 6pm.
AGENDA
Welcome & Apologies
Notes of Meeting of 19th January 2022 and matters arising (circulated)
Forth NN Neighbourhood Environmental Programme (NEP) HRA update – George Norval / David Delargy
Forth NN current Priority: Poverty, including food poverty update – Biddy Kelly, Response and Recovery Group
Community Grants Fund – review of the past year plus funding panel decisions
Any other Business
Dates of Next Meetings: 22nd June 2022, 14th Sept 2022, 14th Dec 2022.
For further information please contact Elaine Lennon, North West Lifelong Learning Development Officer, telephone 529 5270, email Elaine.Lennon@edinburgh.gov.uk
Costs for using electric vehicle chargers owned and provided by the City of Edinburgh Council will be introduced on Sunday, 1 May.
Charges, which will be displayed at existing charging points, were agreed as part of the budget-setting process earlier this year.
Any revenue generated will be used to fund the ongoing costs associated with our electric vehicle charging infrastructure. In March we began work to introduce 81 chargers (141 bays) in residential streets and park and ride sites around the city, which will be available for use by summer.
Charges and maximum stay periods depend on the type of charger (standard, fast or rapid) with full details available on the Council website.
Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We’re in the process of introducing even more electric vehicle charging points across the city, which will provide additional fast, convenient charging for people living in and travelling to and from the city.
“Increasing this kind of infrastructure is essential for supporting people to make the shift to more sustainable forms of transport, like electric cars, which is vital if we are to become net zero by 2030. Any income generated from charges introduced next month will help us to maintain and continue developing our charging network.”
Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “It’s really encouraging that so many people are choosing to switch to electric vehicles, and we want to help even more people to make this choice.
“We set costs for using our chargers as part of the budget this year, and tariffs will be clearly displayed on charging points and on our website.”
