The City of Edinburgh Council aims to reduce air pollution, since it presents a significant threat to public health. It is especially harmful to young children, the elderly and those suffering from pre-existing conditions, including heart and lung diseases.
Low Emission Zones (LEZs) aspire to improve public health, by discouraging the most polluting vehicles from entering an area. If a vehicle entering a LEZ does not meet the minimum exhaust emission standard, then a penalty fine is issued.
The council says the zone is intended to only target the most polluting vehicles:
‘Only the most polluting vehicles will be affected by our proposed #LowEmissionZone and there will be exemptions for vehicles like the emergency services and blue badge holders’.
The city council is now consulting on it’s proposals and would like to hear your views.
New plans to crack down on puppy smuggling and ban the import of dogs with cropped ears or docked tails have been set out by the UK Government today.
The new powers, which also include raising the minimum age for importing a puppy from 15 weeks to six months and banning the import of heavily pregnant dogs to help protect puppy and mother welfare, are aimed at safeguarding the welfare of the thousands of puppies and dogs that come into Great Britain from overseas each year.
More than 66,000 dogs were commercially imported into the UK last year according to Animal and Plant Health Agency figures. However, evidence shows a recent rise in low-welfare imports and smuggling activity, with border authorities seeing around a 260% increase in the number of young puppies being intercepted for not meeting the UK’s pet import rules – from 324 in 2019 to 843 in 2020.
The proposals are part of a raft of measures included in an eight-week GB-wide consultation which seeks views from the public and stakeholders on government proposals to tackle puppy smuggling and low-welfare imports by unscrupulous breeders and traders.
In addition, the consultation asks the public and stakeholders for views on new penalties for breaching these rules, changes to the detention and rehoming process and whether the proposals should be extended to cover cats and ferrets.
Launching the consultation, Animal Welfare Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith said: “Puppy smuggling is a grim trade, and we are determined to clamp down on it.
“Raising the minimum import age for puppies will help protect thousands of animals that are brought into the country each year and stop criminals looking to profit from the rise in demand for pets.
“We already have one of the toughest pet travel border checking regimes in the world and as an independent nation outside the EU we are going even further by preventing anyone from bringing in dogs which have undergone inhumane procedures such as ear cropping or tail docking.
“These new measures build on our plans to raise animal welfare standards across the board as part of our Action Plan for Animal Welfare.”
RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said: “In recent years we’ve seen a huge increase in the number of dogs being commercially imported into the UK as well as the number of dogs being reported for having undergone mutilated procedures such as cropped ears.
“These are major dog welfare issues that need addressing as a matter of urgency in order to protect dogs from unnecessary suffering and to protect the public from falling victim to criminals who are trying to cash in on these dogs’ value.
“We’re really pleased that the Government – which pledged to tackle these issues among many others in its Action Plan for Animal Welfare – is launching this consultation and we hope that these new measures will be implemented efficiently so that we can crackdown on the illegal dog trade once and for all.
Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust said: “We are delighted that today’s consultation could bring us one step closer to ending the abhorrent puppy smuggling trade.
!Over the last six years, Dogs Trust has spearheaded the campaign to crack down on puppy smuggling, after our first undercover investigation in 2014 exposed widespread abuse of the Pet Travel Scheme by unscrupulous dealers, bringing in puppies for sale.
“Since setting up our Puppy Pilot in 2015 we have cared for more than 2000 puppies which were seized at UK borders, often in horrendous conditions. We have seen puppies as young as 4 weeks old being smuggled into the country and dogs with open wounds from ear cropping as well as heavily pregnant dogs close to giving birth.
“We are pleased that the consultation has set out proposals to tackle these issues and hope it results in tougher penalties for these crimes, as currently only a handful of cases have ever been prosecuted and the existing penalties are sadly no deterrent.
“We will continue to work closely with the Government to be the voice for dogs and put forward our recommendations to ensure the proposed legislation effects real change.”
Media vet, animal welfare campaigner, and founder of the Lucy’s Law and #BanPuppyImports campaigns, Dr Marc Abraham OBE says: “This important Government consultation is hugely welcome and will hopefully bring us another step closer to ending widespread cruelty to puppies and their parents.
“For decades, both the legal and illegal importation of young puppies has enabled and encouraged low-welfare breeding practices and dog exploitation across Europe, with puppies often separated from their mothers too early, then sent long distances often riddled with all kinds of disease, straight to their unsuspecting new owners in the UK.
“By introducing these positive dog welfare proposals we can make significant progress in the fight against these cruel practices. I would like to thank the UK Government for listening to the evidence presented by campaigners and hope we can secure these positive changes needed to protect the puppies, their parents, and the British dog-owning public.”
Puppies that are imported too young face a significantly higher risk of developing illnesses or even death.
Raising the minimum age for bringing puppies in to the UK will therefore ensure that they are not separated from their mothers too early and will allow them to develop further ahead of being taken on potentially long and stressful journeys which can have a lasting impact on their temperament and behaviour.
The RSPCA has also recently reported a 620% rise in reports of dogs found to have had their ears cropped, covering from 2015 to 2020.
Ear cropping is a painful process where a dog’s outer ears are surgically altered or removed altogether to make them look more aggressive. The surgical procedure, which has been illegal in this country since 2006, can hinder their ability to communicate with other dogs and their owners.
The majority of these dogs are suspected to have undergone the procedure overseas and under the new rules set out in the consultation launched today they would be banned from entering the country.
Last year the Dogs Trust warned the public about the risk of buying dogs online after rescuing dozens of puppies that were illegally imported into the country.
Victims of this cruel trade included a group of six underage puppies seized at Dover port after being found covered in sticky oil and suffering from diarrhoea (above). The puppies had been illegally imported from Romania and were travelling in the back of a van for more than 24 hours. They had to be shaved to remove the oil from their fur.
In September 2020, four beagle puppies were also found in the back of an abandoned vehicle in Greater London. At eight weeks old, they weighed just two kilograms each and were very hungry and dehydrated.
They are believed to have been illegally imported from the Republic of Ireland, to be sold onto prospective buyers in the UK. After spending three weeks in the care of the Dogs Trust, they went on to loving new homes.
Throughout the month of August, Stockbridge Church is conducting a community survey to discover what you value about the local community in Stockbridge.
A National Care Service for Scotland – but COSLA condemns proposals
A consultation has been launched to seek the public’s views ahead of the creation of a National Care Service, which will ensure everyone who needs it can expect the same standards of care, wherever they live in Scotland.
Local government umbrella organisation Cosla has criticised the government’s plan as another move to undermine local democracy.
The National Care Service will deliver person-centred care that supports people in a way that suits their needs, providing real benefits for those who are being cared for and the people who care for them. It will introduce ethical commissioning, based on fair work principles, for the benefit of everyone involved.
The consultation sets out some of the options for delivering social care in a way which changes the system from one that supports people to survive to one that empowers them to thrive. It recognises that this will involve significant cultural and system change that will need to be supported by new laws, and new ways of working.
In order to deliver these recommendations there will continue to be strong local accountability. The consultation proposes Community Health and Social Care Boards to strengthen the voice of the local population, with people with lived experience and local elected members sitting alongside professionals.
Consulting on the proposals was one of the commitments for the first 100 days of this government. Implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care, and the establishment of a National Care Service, will be one of the most significant tasks of the current parliament.
At a minimum the new National Care Service will cover adult social care services. However, the consultation document also recognises that if we want to build a comprehensive community health and social care system, we should consider extending its scope to other groups such as children and young people, community justice, alcohol and drug services, and social work.
Minister for Social Care Kevin Stewart said: “The importance of our social care services has never been clearer. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to our nation’s carers, paid and unpaid, for the commitment and compassion we have seen throughout the pandemic.
“The Scottish Government commissioned the Independent Review of Adult Social Care during the pandemic, because it was clear we needed to do things better in future.
“We have already made significant improvements, with reforms such as the integration of health and social care, and implementation of the Real Living Wage Policy for Adult Social Care workers and this year the Scottish Government pledged £64.5m to fully fund the pay increase. But we can go further. What we are now proposing is the biggest public sector reform for decades, since the creation of the National Health Service.
“I am committed to implementing the recommendations of the Independent Review and staying true to the spirit of that report by building a system with human rights at the heart of it.
“The Review recommended the creation of a National Care Service, with Scottish Ministers being accountable for adult social care support. I believe however that it is right for this consultation to look beyond simply the creation of a national service for adult social care. The ambition of this government is to go much further, and to create a comprehensive community health and social care service that supports people of all ages. We are also committed to a ensuring there is strong local accountability in the system.
“Absolutely vital to this is ensuring that our invaluable social care workforce feel happy, respected and fulfilled in their role.
“We are at the beginning of a journey to improve social care in Scotland. We will only get this right with your support. I want to hear from as many people and organisations as possible over the next couple of months, so we can build a better system together.”
In a statement, the Social Covenant Steering Group which will advise on the creation of a National Care Service, said: “Most of us have waited many years to see plans for major improvements in the way social care support is delivered and we welcome the publication of this consultation.
“Many people may feel they have been consulted before and are keen to see some action. But this time it is an important legal step in in order that a bill can be put to Parliament.
“So, it is important that as many people as possible including; current users of social care support, unpaid carers, the workforce and everyone else who cares about this vital support will take this opportunity to express their views on the kind of system we need to enable everyone to reach their potential.”
The Consultation on the National Care Service which was launched today cuts straight through the heart of the way Scotland is governed, says COSLA President Councillor Alison Evison:
“The Consultation launched today cuts through the heart of governance in Scotland – not only does it have serious implications for Local Government – it is an attack on localism and on the rights of local people to make decisions democratically for their Place. It once again brings a centralising approach to how decisions which should be taken locally are made.
“We welcomed large parts of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care and have been keen to get on and deliver, however the vision this consultation sets out goes beyond the Feeley Report. It isn’t evidence based and will take years to deliver – years when we should be making improvements which will benefit all users of social care services.
“Councils know their communities and all the evidence suggests that local democratic decision making works. Councils have shown time and time again during the last 18 months of the pandemic that we can deliver for the communities we serve when we are trusted and resourced to do so.
“It is deeply concerning that the consultation is also a considerable departure from the recommendations of the independent review set up to look at Adult Social Care.
“The lack of prior engagement with Local Government is not new – the partnership between the Scottish Government and Local Government which we have been seeking to build, continues to elude us in practice and it is the communities we serve who are losing out.
“Let’s be clear – this is not a “thinly veiled” attack on Local Government – there is no subtlety to it and, sadly for local communities, the ‘onion peel’ of Local Government services by this Government shows no sign of letting up.
“On behalf of the communities we serve, COSLA and Local Government will engage constructively with the Consultation process. People may be surprised by the extent of services covered by this Consultation and I would urge as many as possible to respond to it, as this could really be the end for anything other than central control in Scotland.
“We all want better services for our communities, nobody more so than Local Government and that is what Local and National Government should be working on collectively for our communities.”
Following the announcement from the First Minister on the reopening of Scotland’s schools, EIS Assistant Secretary David Belsey said: “The EIS welcomes the Scottish Government plans for schools to reopen with broadly the same mitigations in place as when they closed earlier this year.
“We agree the continued wearing of facemasks, physical distancing measures, effective ventilation of classrooms and good hygiene regimes need to remain in full force.
“The Scottish Government’s acknowledgement of the importance of strengthening the guidance around ventilation and the additional funding to close any gaps in this provision is extremely welcome and a significant improvement to the current mitigations.
“The completion of vaccination programmes for all school staff is vital and the EIS believes that voluntary vaccination of 12 – 17 year-olds would be sensible and may go some way towards making schools safer places and help to address the anxieties of some young people.
“The six week period of no changes to mitigations will provide a degree of reassurance to school staff and some certainty as to what to expect when returning to classrooms.
“This will also allow for meaningful consultation between Scottish Government, Local Authorities and teachers’ unions before any further changes. The EIS will study the new guidance and seek to address any emerging issues with the Scottish Government and employers.”
A consultation is set to begin next month following consideration of a new report outlining a draft proposal to designate the whole city as a short term let (STL) control area.
If, following the consultation, the Council gives the go ahead and the proposal is approved by the Scottish Government, the new powers would mean all residential properties, which are not an owner’s principle home, being let as STLs in their totality throughout the local authority area would require approval of a ‘change of use’ to a STL from Planning.
Around a third of STLs in Scotland are in Edinburgh. At the moment, in addition to planning applications made for STLs, to establish whether or not planning permission is required for properties where this is disputed, the Council’s enforcement team looks at each case individually, which is a very lengthy and time consuming process.
The introduction of powers to make a control area, follows the Council calling for new legislation to tighten up the control of STLs to help manage high concentrations of secondary letting where it affects the availability of residential housing or the character of a neighbourhood.
Also, it will help to restrict or prevent STLs in places or types of buildings where they are not appropriate as well as making sure homes are used to best effect in their areas.
If a home has been changed to secondary letting and continually operated as a STL for more than 10 years before a STL control area is designated and no enforcement action has been taken during that time, planning permission is not required. Also, generally, renting out a room/s in your house or letting your property whilst on holiday would also still be allowed if Edinburgh became a STL control zone.
The Scottish Government is currently consulting on legislation to introduce a new licensing regime next year, which the Council also called for, to address the issues of safety, anti-social behaviour and noise. These issues have all had a detrimental effect on communities as the number of STLs has greatly increased across the city in recent years.
The proposal is that all Scottish councils will have to adopt a STL licensing system by October 2022.
In terms of the Government’s proposed new licensing regime, if Edinburgh becomes a control area it will be a mandatory condition of any licensing application to have made a planning application or to have planning permission already when providing accommodation that requires it.
Cllr Neil Gardiner, Planning Convener, said: “Last year we welcomed that our call for new Scottish Government legislation to control STLs was successful. If the proposals are approved by the Planning Committee, we’ll be in a position where we can push forward and ask our residents, the industry and other interested groups, for their views on making the whole of Edinburgh a STL control area.
“We’ll be looking carefully at this feedback before the proposal is finalised as the impact of STLs can be felt in communities across Edinburgh.
“If the Scottish Government approve the whole city as a STL control zone, we’ll be able to manage the number of STLs in the city as properties being let out in these areas would automatically require to have ‘change of use’ planning permission in place.
“It’s also good news that the Scottish Government is proposing that when people apply for a licence we can ask for evidence that they have that planning permission. This is something we’re very keen to do and our ‘Choices’ consultation responses for our next local development plan – ‘City Plan 2030’ – showed overwhelming support for control zones.
“Combined with the proposed licensing regime due to be introduced next year, if approved, this step forward is in direct response to our hard work in pushing for the powers we know we need to deliver for our communities city-wide.”
Maureen Child, Vice-Convener of the Planning Committee, said: “It’s great to see so much progress being made to tackle this issue we have campaigned so hard to address.
“This is so important as STLs have reduced the city’s housing stock, hollowed out communities and caused numerous issues for residents such as noise and other anti-social behaviour.
“I look forward to seeing these new powers being used to improve the lives of many of our residents throughout the city.”
There are a significant number of short-term lets in Edinburgh, with the Airbnb platform providing a useful indicator of the scale of this in the city.
In the period 2016-2019 there was a substantial rise in the number of both entire properties and rooms registered with Airbnb.
Relative to other areas in Scotland the number of Airbnb listings is high making the impact on the city disproportionate.
In 2019, 31% of all Airbnb listings in Scotland were in the city of Edinburgh. The next greatest proportion was 19% in Highland followed by 7% in Glasgow City. This illustrates the magnitude of STLs in Edinburgh in comparison to other areas of Scotland.
SEPA has launched the joint consultation with local authorities, to help shape the direction and delivery of flood risk management across Scotland.
Actions to help tackle flooding in areas identified as being at the greatest risk are detailed in the consultation, alongside information on where we can gain the most benefits from taking action.
The consultation launches on 30 July and members of the public and businesses have until 31 October to comment on it. All responses received by this date will help inform the final flood risk management plans, previously called flood risk management strategies and local flood risk management plans.
Scotland has been divided into 14 Local Plan Districts for flood risk management purposes.
Following feedback from this consultation, SEPA will publish a flood risk management plan for each of the 14 Local Plan Districts. Each plan will confirm the immediate priorities for flood risk management as well as set out the future direction to be taken by all responsible authorities.
There are currently 284,000 homes, businesses, and services at flood risk in Scotland and climate change is projected to increase this number by an estimated 110,000 by the 2080s.
The State of the UK Climate 2020 Report published by the Met Office this week showed that 2020 was the UK’s fifth wettest year since records began, and six of the 10 wettest years have been since 1998.
SEPA CEO Terry A’Hearn, said: “We have seen the impacts of severe weather in Scotland over the last few days – flooding is a real threat to people and property.
“Climate change is one of the biggest contributors to future increased flooding in Scotland and reducing its impact requires knowledge and action. As we are currently in a climate emergency, these plans substantially pick up preparation for the increased flooding Scotland can expect with climate change.
“SEPA has a pivotal role in helping Scotland prepare more powerfully for future increased flooding and this consultation is an important opportunity for people across Scotland to have their say on how flood risk is managed in the future.
“We are urging everyone affected by flooding, whether it be their home, their local community or regular travel routes, to take part in this important consultation, which will help to shape how we cope with, and manage, flooding in Scotland in the future. This helps us establish where our coordinated and focused effort is most urgently needed.”
The highest priority communities across Scotland are set out in the consultation with a vision for how flooding should be managed within them. SEPA has been working in partnership with local authorities to identify the most suitable actions to manage flood risk, and this is targeted towards areas where it will be most effective based on improved knowledge of the sources and impacts of flooding.
The first Flood Risk Management Plans for Scotland were published in December 2015.
SEPA, local authorities, Scottish Water and Transport Scotland, delivered the actions outlined in the plan, working across Scotland to warn people of potential flooding, and delivering flood protection measures to reduce the risk of flooding. They also helped to develop the understanding of current and future flood risk in Scotland to help people better prepare for flooding.
This second set of plans will build on the improved understanding of flood risk developed over the last six years to highlight actions for highest risk communities. A key focus of these plans is the development of community actions, to ensure that the proposed actions benefit the wider community.
A knowledge base will be developed which enables long term adaptation plans to be established.
These plans will identify what actions need to be carried out to protect the long-term future of communities and when they need to be implemented based on monitoring of the changing climate rather than a fixed timetable.
To take part in the consultation, visit our consultation hub:
A consultation on proposals to change the response to workplace automatic fire alarm (AFA) signals has been launched by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). These alerts result in more than 28000 call outs each year, with only two per-cent of all incidents resulting in a fire.
The potential options for responding to AFAs are outlined in a consultation document ‘Time for Change: Reducing Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals’ (UFAS) and the public are being encouraged to take part and give their views.
The twelve-week consultation will seek views on three proposed options – developed in partnership with staff and stakeholders – to allow the SFRS to use its resources more effectively in future.
Chief Officer Martin Blunden explained why change is needed: “We undertake in the region of 57,000 unnecessary blue light journeys every year responding to workplace AFAs that turn out to be false alarms. This brings risks to our crews, other road users and pedestrians as well as having an impact on the environment with an estimated 575 tonnes of carbon emissions produced.
“In almost all cases they are false alarms and only two per-cent result in fires, many of which are often extinguished before we arrive. In changing our response to these calls, we can use SFRS resources more effectively, including further improving our response to genuine emergencies. We can also use this time for more training and fire prevention activity, as well as realising the knock-on benefits of improving road safety and reducing our carbon impact.
“It will also mean less disruption to businesses as they no longer need to wait for us to attend to give the all clear after an AFA.
“What I also want to be clear on is that there is no change to how we respond to AFAs that are confirmed fires or from private homes, this consultation is about changing our response to workplace AFAs only.”
The consultation brings the SFRS into line with how the majority of UK fire and rescue services respond to workplace AFAs explained Chief Officer Blunden: “The legal responsibility for dealing with an AFA alert lies with the duty holder of a property and most UK fire and rescue services now seek confirmation of a fire before attending.
“Current SFRS practice means that every AFA has an average response of two fire appliances involving at least nine firefighters. Each call takes on average 15 minutes and workplaces and businesses face disruption while firefighters enter the building to confirm on ninety-eight per cent of occasions there is in fact no fire.”
He stressed the scale of the current practice saying: “If we can change how we respond to these alerts potentially 64,000 hours of staff time can be freed up for other activities, including responding even more quickly to genuine emergencies. That’s why we are consulting with the public and key stakeholders to seek their views on the best way to respond to these types of alerts in future.”
Chief Officer Blunden added: “Each of the options will see a significant reduction in the number of UFAS calls we attend. We want to know what you think of our three proposed options so please read the document and have your say on how you think we can best use our resources to keep you, your family and your community even safer.”
The consultation document and survey can be accessed online at
A report based on analysis of the consultation responses – including a preferred option – will be considered by the SFRS Board in December 2021. Any changes to service delivery will be implemented from early 2022 in a carefully managed process and in partnership with directly affected stakeholders.
The three options being consulted on are:
Option A – 61% reduction in attendances
Our Operations Control (OC) will call challenge all AFAs from non-domestic premises, unless exempt
No response is mobilised, if questioning confirms there is no fire, or signs of fire
Sleeping risk premises are exempt from call challenging and will receive the following immediate response:
Residential Care Homes receive a pre-determined attendance (PDA) of two fire appliances regardless time of day
All other sleeping risks receive a PDA of one fire appliance between 0700-1800hrs and two fire appliances out-with these hours
Option B – 85% reduction in attendances
Our OC staff will call challenge all AFAs from non-domestic premises.
No response will be mobilised, if questioning through call challenge confirms there is no fire, or signs of fire.
No exemptions to call challenging apply (i.e. all AFA calls received are call challenged, regardless of property type and caller).
Option C – 71% reduction in attendances
Non-attendance to AFAs from non-domestic premises.
Our OC staff will advise the caller that we will not attend unless a back-up 999 call confirming fire, or signs of fire is received.
Property types recognised by us as having sleeping provision will be exempt and therefore they will receive the following immediate response to an AFA:
Residential Care Homes will receive a PDA of two fire appliances regardless of the time of day
All other sleeping risks receive a PDA of one fire appliance between 0700-1800hrs and a PDA of two fire appliances out-with these hours
Buccleuch Property hope to deliver an exciting new employment development on land east of Salters Road, Dalkeith, Midlothian known as Salter’s Park.
Including business, industrial and storage/industrial uses the development will redevelop the current site and generate considerable employment opportunities.
The developer intends to submit a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) to Midlothian Council, informing that it plans to submit a planning application for the development following a minimum 12-week consultation period.
The Scottish Government has suspended in-person public consultation events due to COVID-19.
Full details about the proposals will be made available to the public at 9am on Thursday 15 July on the dedicated project website: www.salterspark.com
An online consultation will take place between 3pm and 7pm on Thursday 15th July. Consultants will be available during those hours to answer any questions and receive feedback through a two-way chat system.
Feedback can also be submitted via the website, and information will be made available in paper format if requested.
Any representations or suggestions for changes to the proposals shared during the online event will be included in a Pre-Application Consultation report to accompany future applications.
If you are unable to access the exhibition boards on the day of the event, please contact Orbit Communications on 0131 202 3259 or at hello@salterspark.com
A spokesperson at Buccleuch Property, said:“We’re delighted to be giving the public the chance to have a say on our development proposals in Salter’s Park.
“This exciting development will deliver economic benefits to the community by providing new employment uses to the area.
“We are consulting extensively to ensure that that the public have an opportunity to input their views and shape our proposals. We encourage the community to attend and ask any questions they may have.”
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is appealing to the people of Scotland for their views on the future direction of the services it provides to make the country an even safer place to live, work and visit.
Chief Officer Martin Blunden is urging the public and stakeholders to take part in the consultation ‘SFRS – Long-Term Vision’ – which closes on Sunday 18 July – and help influence the way it evolves over the next ten years.
The consultation vision document explains four key principles the SFRS wants to focus on over the next decade along with eight priorities it wants to achieve.
The consultation comes against a backdrop of a steady decline in household fires since the SFRS was formed almost ten years ago.
During the same period the country has witnessed an increase in weather related events such as wildfires and severe flooding, both of which are linked to climate change.
One of the proposed priorities in the consultation is achieving Carbon Zero status to reduce the impact on the communities the SFRS serves.
Chief Officer Blunden explained why the consultation was needed, saying: “While our immediate environment is changing and we need to respond to this in terms of the services we provide, I also want our fire and rescue service to evolve and have an increasingly positive impact on the health and wellbeing of our communities.
“We’ve been encouraged by the responses we have received so far and I would urge people to submit their views before the consultation closes. I want to hear what you think – positive or negative – as well as understand what’s important to you too so that you, your family and your community feels safe and protected. We want you to achieve a safer Scotland for all, together.”
The consultation runs until Sunday, July 18 and can be accessed here.
Respondents are invited to answer a short survey and give their views on the vision document ‘SFRS – Long-Term Vision’.
Responses to the consultation will be used to inform the final vision document that will set out the future direction of the SFRS.
