Around 64,000 hours of firefighters’ time is needlessly spent each year checking out false alarms from workplaces, figures from the latest Scottish Fire and Rescue Service consultation show.
The Service mobilises on average two fire appliances and nine firefighters to each of the 28,479 false alarms – equating to around 57,000 unnecessary blue light journeys annually.
Most alarms are activated by faults or other causes like steam or burnt food with only two per cent actually involving a fire, most of which are put out before the arrival of crews.
The information has been shared by the national Service as part of its consultation on how to safely reduce call outs to false alarms, known as Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals (UFAS).
Assistant Chief Officer Stuart Stevens says businesses and partners can play a key role in reducing the figures and called on them to get involved in the consultation.
“The advantages of getting duty holders to accept their legal responsibilities and reducing these callouts are clear” said ACO Stevens, “Making this change means we can free up firefighters’ time, be even more responsive in genuine emergencies and use SFRS resources more effectively.
“We can also carry out more training and fire prevention activity, as well as realising the related benefits of improving road safety and reducing our carbon impact. These unnecessary blue light journeys bring risks to our crews, other road users and pedestrians as well as impacting the environment with an estimated 575 tonnes of carbon emissions produced – the equivalent of heating 230 homes a year.
“Businesses will also experience less disruption as they no longer need to wait for us to attend to give the all clear after a false alarm.”
The twelve-week consultation – which seeks views on three proposed options – is underway and while early analysis is encouraging with many members of the public taking part it also indicates a low response rate from the businesses and workplaces that are potentially most affected by the proposed changes.
Assistant Chief Officer Stuart Stevens added: “It may be that these businesses and organisations are taking their time to fully consider the proposed options and I’m also aware last month we were just coming out of a holiday period which is why we’re issuing this appeal for those most affected to take part in the consultation and play their part in helping to shape the future response model.”
The consultation brings the SFRS into line with the majority of UK fire and rescue services response to workplace automatic fire alarms (AFAs) explained Assistant Chief Officer Stevens: “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. It’s now time for the SFRS make this change too.”
ACO Stevens added: “Each of the options, which have all been risk assessed, will see a significant reduction in the number of UFAS calls we attend. We want to know what those most affected think of our three proposed options I urge them to have their say on how they think we can best use our resources to keep them, their families and their communities even safer.”
The consultation document ‘Time for Change: Reducing Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals’ (UFAS) and survey can be accessed online at /consultations/ufas-consultation.aspx until Monday, October 11.
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 in a carefully managed process and in partnership with directly affected stakeholders.
The public are to be asked for their views on the best way to support people who live in adult care homes to maintain connections with family and friends.
A five-week consultation is to be held on introducing Anne’s Law – to ensure people who live in adult care homes have rights to be able to have direct contact with people who are important to them in order to support their health and wellbeing.
The Scottish Government is seeking to explore a range of legal and practical considerations in order to make sure any changes brought in are effective. These include how the new legislation will affect the competing rights and needs of others, including other care home residents and staff.
The consultation follows a commitment made by the Scottish Government in the Fairer, Greener Scotland: Programme for Government 2021-22, which was launched on 7 September, to deliver Anne’s Law. It builds on a programme of work to enable people living in adult care homes to maintain family and friendship connections.
This includes strengthening the Health and Social Care Standards and a consultation was launched on 16 September seeking views on ways to do this.
Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Social connections and meaningful activity are important for the wellbeing and quality of life of people living in adult care homes. For many residents, family members or friends also play a vital role in their care, complementing the support provided by care home staff.
“The Scottish Government is committed to bringing in Anne’s Law to ensure people who live in adult care homes have rights to see and spend time with those who are important to them.
“It is important that we hear views and suggestions on the proposals to achieve this so that we do it in the best possible way. We want to hear from as many people as possible to help shape the proposals – including people who live in adult care homes, their families and friends, care home providers and staff and a wide range of other stakeholders.”
Anne’s Law is named after Anne Duke who lives in a care home in South Lanarkshire.
Anne’s daughter Natasha Hamilton, from Care Home Relatives Scotland, said: “We are very pleased to hear that the consultation for Anne’s Law is getting underway.The pandemic has caused great suffering for residents and relatives and has really taken its toll on people’s mental and physical wellbeing.
“We have always believed that even during outbreaks, nominated carers such as husbands, wives, parents , sons and daughters should be enabled to spend time with their loved ones just as staff do.
“We sincerely hope legislation can be enacted that recognises the importance of family life for people in care and the need for personal connection and touch.”
More than 4000 people have told the city council what they think of proposals to introduce a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in Edinburgh, with less than two weeks left to take part in the consultation.
CEC is seeking people’s views on proposals for an LEZ in Edinburgh’s city centre, which would require all motor vehicles, other than mopeds and motorcycles (and exempted vehicles), to meet minimum emissions standards to enter the zone freely. The council intends to introduce the LEZ by spring 2022, with a two-year grace period before enforcement begins, to help people adjust to the changes.
People have until 20 September to take part in the consultation asking about travel habits and for responses to the scheme, including the city centre boundary, the two-year grace period and exemptions. As of Thursday (9 September), 4025 people had already responded.
To help you have your say on the proposals, the council has put together some key facts about the LEZ (below).
Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “It’s great that so many people have already taken the time to share their views on our proposals. This is a change that could affect anyone coming into the city centre, as well as all those that live here, so I would encourage as many people as possible to take part before the consultation closes.
“It’s really important that people are able to make informed responses to the consultation, which is why we’ve gathered together some key facts about the scheme, and we hope these will dispel some of the myths about how it would operate.
Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “People have already told us how important clean air is to them, and our proposals aim to improve air quality while also supporting all those who live and work here to adjust to the changes.
“By reducing the most polluting vehicles in the city, alongside other projects to reduce congestion and facilitate travel by foot, bike or wheel, we could create a safer, cleaner and healthier city.”
Joseph Carter, Head of Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Scotland said: “Low Emission Zones are a vital step towards improving Scotland’s air quality and people’s lung health.
“Air pollution causes as many as 2000 premature deaths in Scotland every year so it is crucial that we take steps to reduce the levels we are exposed to, especially in our busy cities.
“We encourage everyone to take a moment and have their say to help ensure the Edinburgh LEZ plan is robust and will help to create a world where everyone can breathe clean air with healthy lungs.”
Feedback to the consultation will help inform a finalised LEZ plan, to be brought back to the Transport and Environment Committee in the autumn, before the statutory process for introducing the scheme begins.
In 2019 we carried out a consultation on initial proposals for LEZs in Edinburgh, with responses showing that cleaner air is important to everyone.
LEZ: Key facts
Why are we introducing an LEZ?
We want to reduce air pollution, for which road traffic is the main source. By limiting the most polluting vehicles in the LEZ we want to create cleaner air and improve people’s health in this densely populated part of the city.
Introducing the LEZ will significantly improve air quality, reducing traffic related (NO2 – nitrogen dioxide) emissions in the city centre by 55% – equivalent to 25-30 tonnes per year, when compared to 2019 levels.
Will this negatively impact those who need to drive in the city?
We want to make sure that those who need to drive into the city still can, so blue badge holders and emergency vehicles will be amongst those exempt from the restrictions.
Only the most polluting vehicles will be affected – we expect the majority of drivers not to be affected by the changes.
By the time enforcement begins in 2024 only diesel cars less than nine years old and petrol cars less than 18 years old will be able to drive in the zone.
Why are we proposing a boundary that only covers the city centre and not the whole city?
An evidence-led approach was taken when appraising options for an LEZ, adhering to the National Low Emission Framework and based on detailed traffic and air quality modelling and data. Each option was assessed against a series of principles and objectives including the reduction of harmful NO2 and greenhouse gas emissions and minimising the displacement of traffic as a result of the LEZ.
This work suggested a citywide boundary would have a limited impact, with commercial fleet already improving in emissions standards. In 2020, Edinburgh traffic surveys showed Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) were already 76-95% compliant, while Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs), or vans, had increased in compliance to 48% from 7% in 2016.
Over 60% of bus and coach fleet here (excluding Lothian Buses) was compliant in February 2020 and Lothian Buses are already on the road to reaching full compliance with the LEZ requirements by the end of 2021.
It is anticipated that the effects of vehicles complying with a city centre boundary will filter out to the wider city, with all buses and taxis becoming compliant with LEZ rules covering the whole city. According to modelling by SEPA, for areas that are not in the LEZ, it is predicted that harmful Nitrogen Oxides emissions from traffic sources will decline by 15% when compared to 2019 levels.
Will an LEZ generate money for the Council but disproportionately affect low income households?
LEZs improve public health and help to save money, supporting the NHS to reduce health inequalities. By allowing a two-year grace period we want to give people time to prepare for the changes before 2024.
Scotland’s LEZs will issue fines to the most polluting vehicles only and are not designed to generate income. The Scottish LEZs are not designed in the same way as the Clean Air Zones in other parts of the UK which essentially set a fee for entering in a non-compliant vehicle. The Edinburgh LEZ will issue fines for non-compliance set at rates which will discourage repeat contraventions.
Is this a Council strategy or something encouraged by the Scottish Government?
We have been working to introduce an LEZ in Edinburgh since 2018 in line with the Scottish Government’s commitment to implement LEZs in Scotland’s four largest cities – Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee – to tackle air pollution and protect public health.
Our own City Mobility Plan – Edinburgh’s ten-year-transport strategy – commits to developing an LEZ alongside several other measures to tackle congestion, support cleaner air and support the move towards low emission transport. These include the Workplace Parking Levy (subject to consultation), the completion of the tram line to Newhaven and expansion of the active travel network.
Are you planning to increase electric vehicle charging infrastructure to help people comply with the LEZ?
Although you don’t have to have an electric vehicle to drive in the LEZ (newer petrol and diesel vehicles will still be allowed), the Council is working to develop electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the city to help facilitate these types of vehicles.
We’ve been awarded £2.2m of funding from Transport Scotland through the Switched-On Towns and Cities Fund for installing on street chargers. A total of 66 of these chargers will be put in across the city as part of the first phase of implementation. This is expected to be completed by 31 March 2022.
There are already publicly accessible electric vehicle chargers located around the city. Their locations can be found on the Charge Place Scotland website.
STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer has written to CBI Scotland calling on the organisation to reconsider its public call for a return to offices for non-essential workers.
The letter takes the business organisation to task for contradicting the Scottish Government’s view (shared by the STUC) that there should be a pause in any return to offices where working from home is possible:
If, following the public 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.
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.
Councillor Neil Gardiner, Planning Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We’ve worked hard calling for greater controls for short term lets and so it’s great we’re now asking for your views on the whole city becoming a control area.
“This is a positive step forward as Edinburgh has almost a third of all STLs in Scotland and so we need to take action. They’re putting pressure on house prices and rents and taking houses out of supply as well as causing issues such as anti-social behaviour and the hollowing out of communities.
“We’re really keen to hear views from residents in all communities across the city and the industry and we’ll carefully consider all of the feedback you give us before the proposal is finalised as the impact of STLs can be felt in communities across Edinburgh.”
Councillor Maureen Child, Planning Vice-Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “If we do proceed with this approach and it’s approved by the Scottish Government, we’ll be better able to manage the number of STLs in the city.
“Many properties being let out in a control area would automatically require to have ‘change of use’ planning permission in place and I’m pleased the Scottish Government is also proposing that when people apply for a licence we can ask for evidence of that.”
Residential developer HUB and Bridges Fund Management, a sustainable and impact investor, have acquired the 1.25-acre Beaverhall House site in Canonmills, Edinburgh.
With the aim of delivering the scheme in 2025, HUB will soon begin extensive community engagement to help shape their plans. Public consultation will run September through to November.
This is the ninth deal on which HUB and Bridges have partnered and builds on their successful track record of delivering well-designed, community-focused residential schemes across the UK.
In line with HUB and Bridges’ focus on delivering homes in well-connected locations, the site is ideally located just a 15-minute walk from the heart of Edinburgh and close to the green spaces to the north, including the Botanical Gardens and Water of Leith.
Damien Sharkey, Managing Director at HUB, said: “This scheme continues our strategy of acquiring sites in ‘lifestyle’ cities – places with strong fundamentals and demand for high quality housing.
“We have been seeking the right opportunity in Edinburgh for some time. Canonmills in particular is the perfect location to create a hub where you have everything you need on your doorstep, catering to the changing ways we want to live and work post-pandemic.
“We are excited to bring HUB’s proven experience of delivering beautifully designed mixed-use schemes in strategic locations to Edinburgh.”
Simon Ringer, Head of Property Funds at Bridges Fund Management, said: “There is a clear need for more lower-cost and affordable housing right across the UK, not least in Edinburgh where affordability is an increasing issue.
“Since 2014 we’ve successfully partnered with HUB on a number of projects, which are on course to deliver over 1,500 high-quality units – including a significant number of affordable homes.
“We’re very pleased that we now have an opportunity to expand this proven model into Edinburgh. We believe this scheme can deliver significant positive impact for the Canonmills area.”
Scarlett Land & Development advised HUB and Bridges on the acquisition. Turley is acting as planning consultant.
Museums & Galleries Edinburgh is a collection of 13 varied and fascinating venues owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council.
We look after the following venues: City Art Centre, Museum of Edinburgh (previously Huntly House),The People’s Story Museum, The Writers’ Museum, Lauriston Castle, Museum of Childhood, Travelling Gallery, Queensferry Museum, Museum Collections Centre, Scott and Nelson Monuments.
We run a varied learning and community engagement programme. Following the Covid outbreak we are looking to consult communities about how we can support their work, be more inclusive and better respond to community needs.
We would love to hear your views about what you’d like us to prioritise.
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.
