Crewe Toll – Page 3 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Support your local Fire Fighters!

The national car wash takes place on Saturday 14 March

Firefighters across Scotland are preparing to roll up their sleeves to take part in the National Car Wash this weekend, raising vital funds for The Fire Fighters Charity.

Crewe Toll and McDonald Road are among the dozens of community fire stations where firefighters will be on hand to make your car sparkle – and as you drive away in your gleaming car, your donation to The Fire Fighters Charity will help thousands of serving and retired fire service personnel and their families!

Regional Fundraiser for Scotland Margaret Barnes-Smith said: “Monies raised through national fundraising initiatives provide a real boost to The Fire Fighters Charity and we are delighted that so many of our fire stations are getting involved.

“Firefighting can be dangerous, stressful and traumatic. When fire fighters are injured, they can be in pain and unable to work for months. Dealing with life or death situations every day often takes its toll emotionally too.

“The Fire Fighters Charity is here for every one of the UK’s serving members of fire and rescue staff – and their families. No other organisation provides such a full package of high quality support, exactly tailored to the needs of fire fighters.

“We also give lifetime support to retired fire fighters and their families. They’ve risked so much for us and in return, we provide help and support when they are in real need.

“It costs £9million a year to keep our charity running. With no government funding, we rely completely on donations and goodwill. Please come along to your local fire station and support us.”

Chief Executive of The Fire Fighters Charity, Jill Tolfrey, said: “The National Car Wash provides a vital source of income for the Charity, as well as being a fun and popular event. It costs over £8million a year to keep The Fire Fighters Charity running – and with no regular government funding, we rely completely on your donations and goodwill. You can show your support to our firefighting heroes by visiting your local fire station on Saturday 14 March – and afterwards drive away safely, in a clean car!”

As well as being a fun fundraising event for The Fire Fighters Charity, the firefighters want to share a very serious message about fire safety in the home. Each year fire destroys lives, something firefighters see regularly and by taking some precautions this risk can be minimised.

While your car is being pampered you’ll have the chance book a FREE home fire safety visit with SFRS – as part of the service’s commitment to building a safer Scotland everyone in Scotland can have a free home fire safety visit – smoke alarms can also be fitted free of charge if your home requires them.

You can arrange a free home fire safety visit by calling SFRS on the freephone number 0800 0731 999 or by texting ‘FIRE’ to 80800. You can also fill out a form at www.firescotland.gov.uk or contact your local community fire station.

East area fire stations taking part this Saturday:

Bathgate Fire Station
Crewe Toll Fire Station
Dalkeith Fire Station
Eyemouth Fire Station
Galashiels Fire Station
Hawick Fire Station
Innerleithen Fire Station
Liberton Fire Station
Livingston Fire Station
McDonald Road Fire Station
Newcraighall Fire Station
Peebles Fire Station
Selkirk Fire Station
Sighthill Fire Station
Tollcross Fire Station
West Calder Fire Station
Callander Fire Station
Denny Fire Station
Falkirk Fire Station
Larbert Fire Station
Stirling Fire Station
Auchtermuchty Fire Station
Cupar Fire Station
Dunfermline Fire Station
Glenrothes Fire Station
Kirkcaldy Fire Station
Lochgelly Fire Station
Methil Fire Station
Newburgh Fire Station
St Andrews Fire Station

‘Village Urban Resort’ opens it’s doors at Crewe Toll

Free fitness open weekend 24 & 25 January

The ‘Village Urban Resort’ at Crewe Toll will finally fully open for business next week after lengthy delays. The hotel and leisure complex, built on the former Helix House site, was first expected to open in Spring last year.

Parts of the operation, including the gym and leisure complex, opened opened earlier this month and work is now complete on the hotel itself – bookings can be made from 19 January.

Original owners The De Vere Group sold off its Village Urban Resort hotel brand to an American private equity company last November. An affiliate of KSL Capital Partners acquired De Vere’s group of 25 UK hotels – and three under development in Edinburgh (Crewe Toll), Glasgow and Aberdeen – for a sum believed to be around £485m.

The Village Urban Resort boasts a wide range of top quality facilities:

‘Located in the heart of the capital city, our hotel in Edinburgh is perfectly situated for those looking to see everything that the city has to offer. After a long day of sightseeing, Village Edinburgh boasts some of the finest facilities in the city to help your relax and recharge including rejuvenating spa treatments at our Viva Urban Spa. Worked up an appetite? Why not grab a bite to eat at one of our in-house restaurants?’

Facilities include:

Premium ‘Upperdeck’ room upgrade
Beauty Spa
‘Hub’ meeting and events facilities
Sealy Posturepedic bed TV with satellite channel
Desk, lamp, telephone
Hairdryer and ironing board
Tea & coffee making facilities

The website goes on to say:

Our Edinburgh hotel has been designed to provide comforts akin to its magnificent surroundings. Attractions to suit the whole family are close by, from the thrilling attractions of Edinburgh Zoo and Deep Sea World, to the excitement of Murrayfield Rugby Stadium.

Free Fitness Open Weekend 24 & 25 January

Come along for free and see what Village Health & Fitness has to offer you. There’s a whole host of events for all the family featuring exercises from all around the globe. There’s a world of fitness out there and you can sample it for free at Village! Activities include: Themed studio master classes, family fun and face painting, sports supplements tasters, exclusive spa massage offer and unbelievable joining offers.

Selex on target with Eurofighter contract

Finmeccanica, parent company of Crewe Toll-based Selex ES, has won a multi-million Euro contract to develop radar for the Eurofighter Typhoon. The deal is expected to secure around five hundred jobs in Edinburgh.

The contract, signed yesterday in Edinburgh by the European consortium Eurofighter GmbH andinter-governmental agency NETMA (NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency) to develop the electronically scanned Captor-E radar for the Typhoon, will bring Finmeccanica an order worth more than €400 million.

Finmeccanica will develop, produce and integrate the new radar through its companies Selex ES and Alenia Aermacchi.

“I am particularly proud of the contract signed today”, said Finmeccanica’s CEO and General Manager, Mauro Moretti. “It is further evidence of how the products and services provided by Finmeccanica Group represent cutting edge technological solutions capable of guaranteeing high performance levels in line with the best market standards”.

“The production of the new Captor-E radar will be managed, in the role of project leader of the Euroradar Consortium, by Finmeccanica-Selex ES which, together with Finmeccanica-Alenia Aermacchi, will also jointly integrate it into the aircraft. Today’s signing represents an important step forward towards the future prospects of the Eurofighter programme since the aircraft upgrade will enable it to compete more effectively on international markets”.

Finmeccanica-Selex ES will produce the new radar at its facilities in Edinburgh and Nerviano (Milan) while Finmeccanica-Alenia Aermacchi (Turin site), in the radar integration phase, will be responsible for the navigation systems.

Finmeccanica Group is responsible for over 60% of the electronics on board the Eurofighter Typhoon, roughly 20% of the aerostructures, and for the training and simulation activities for both the four Partner Nations (United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Spain) and export market customers.

Selex ES – formerly Ferranti – remains one of the biggest employers in North Edinburgh.

Taking shape: De Vere ‘village urban resort’ rises over Crewe Toll

The Crewe Toll skyline is being transformed by the De Vere group’s ‘village urban resort’ complex, which is expected to open this autumn.

Work is progressing well on the new £20 million  development, which will feature a 120-room hotel, a health and leisure complex (including a 20m swimming pool, a ‘gastro-pub’ bar restaurant and a Starbucks cafe) and a conference centre facility for up to 200 delegates.

Urban Resort update

The site’s been cleared, and work on the DeVere Hotel and Urban Resort at Crewe Toll will soon be underway.

The company’s Chief Executive Robert Cook said:

“Demolitions have started in preparation for building to commence on our Edinburgh site – a new Village Urban Resort at Crewe Toll on the site of the old Telford College. It will have 120 bedrooms and 20,000 sq ft of leisure including a 20m pool, full cardio gym and studios for spinning and pilates.

“We’ll have a seven bedroom spa called Viva Urban Spa and a full-blown meetings and events facility with the ability to do weddings for up to 200 people. The food and beverage element will include Starbucks and a chop and ale house, which is fundamentally a large gastro pub with a sports element (plasma screens), counter dining and a theatre kitchen.”

The Crewe Toll development will be De Vere’s first in Scotland. Mr Cook went on: “Edinburgh is without doubt one of the strongest markets in the UK. It’s a 52 weeks of the year market with very busy summers and good corporate business. Our analysis of the particular location we chose showed a need for a health and fitness facility for 3,500 to 4,000 members, and making our food and beverage work will be a particular side of that.

“Typically 60% of our business comes from within a three-mile radius of the hotel. We’re in a strong position with the Western General Hospital up the road and it’s a good base to create something for the community around the hotel.”

The Urban Resort on Crewe Road South will open next year.

Witness appeal, North Edinburgh

Police Scotland is appealing for witnesses following a suspicious incident in North Edinburgh.

Two 16-year-old girls were walking north along Telford Drive towards Granton at around 7.20pm on Friday (5 July) when a male approached them as they reached the bridge crossing Crewe Road North. The male engaged the girls in conversation before claiming they owed him money.

Both girls attempted to walk away from the suspect, who continued to follow them demanding money. The victims sought assistance from a young couple pushing a buggy and the male walked off along the walkway.

The suspect is described as white, between 20 and 40-years-old, tall and very skinny with a gaunt face. He was wearing a baseball cap, dark zip up, dark tracksuit bottoms and spoke with a local, but slurred accent.

A male has currently been detained and is assisting officers with their enquiries, but anyone with information relevant to this investigation is asked to come forward.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Neither girl knew this male and they were very distressed when he began following them, demanding money. We are keen to speak with anyone who was in or around Crewe Road North on Friday evening and remembers seeing anything suspicious. In particular, we would like to trace the young couple the victims spoke to and would ask them to contact police immediately.”

Those with information can contact Police Scotland on 101 or alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Selex to celebrate 25 year collaboration with Edinburgh Science Festival

Selex ES, a Finmeccanica Company, will celebrate 25 years of collaboration with the Edinburgh International Science Festival (EISF) next month – and the Crewe Toll-based company will once again provide stimulating activities to inspire young people to pursue careers in science, engineering and technology.

On April 3, John Innes, Head of Business Innovation for Selex ES, will be participating in a panel discussion at EISF which will explore potential applications of bioengineering in a range of settings from the medical to the industrial and scientific.

Selex ES will also be offering children the chance to build their own robot in a workshop, then race their creation round an obstacle course at their Rampaging Chariots Display at the City Arts Centre. This year the theme of the children’s robot design competition will chime with that of the panel discussion, as children will be asked to look at the biological sensors present in the animal kingdom and then apply these sensors to the design of their robots to improve their capability.

Alastair Morrison, SVP, Radar and Advanced Targeting said: “Selex ES is delighted to support the Science Festival and generate an interest in engineering through our Rampaging Chariots competition.”

Dr Simon Gage, Director of the Edinburgh International Science Festival, said “Selex ES have been an invaluable supporter of the Science Festival for all 25 years of our existence and their involvement this year spans both the family and the adult programme, offering intellectual stimulation and challenges for all ages.”

The last (village urban) resort for Helix House?

HelixHse — HELIX HOUSE has lain empty for eight years

Organisers expressed satisfaction at the levels of interest shown during two consultations exhibiting the De Vere Hotels group’s plans to build a new ‘Village Urban Resort’ at Crewe Toll. De Vere representatives displayed plans at Morrison’s on Ferry Road on Friday afternoon and again at the site of the proposed development on Saturday and said that the public reaction was ‘very positive’.

De Vere’s plans for the former World Markets WM Helix House building include a 120 bedroom hotel, a health and fitness club including a 20m indoor pool, a restaurant and bar and a Starbucks Coffee House – all under one roof. A customer and guest parking area for up to 270 vehicles is also included in the plans.

De Vere is likely to apply for planning permission next month and, if succesful, the Village Urban Resort would open in 2014.

Is a ‘Village Urban Resort’ a good thing for the area? Is Crewe Toll the right place? Would you use it? Let us know!

Have your say on Crewe Toll hotel proposals

Hotel group De Vere are offering local residents an opportunity to see plans and to comment on proposals for a new ‘village urban resort’ at Crewe Toll.

De Vere will be holding two public consultation events on the proposals in advance of submitting a formal planning application. These will be held at the Morrisons store on Pilton Drive from 1400 until 1800 on Friday 7 September and at Helix House itself between 1000 and 1300 on Saturday 8 September.

Last week, plans were unveiled for a new £20m hotel with business and leisure facilities on the site of the empty office building at Crewe Toll – which will create approximately 130 new jobs.

Earlier this year the De Vere Group unveiled plans to open 15 new Village Urban Resorts to add to the existing two dozen it successfully operates across the UK. The North Edinburgh proposal includes a 120 bedroom hotel, a health and fitness club (including a 20m indoor pool); business and conference facilities; a restaurant, bar; and a Starbucks Coffee House.

Robert Cook, Chief Executive of De Vere Village Urban Resorts said: “De Vere is delighted to announce the selection of Edinburgh as a location for a new Village Urban Resort. Edinburgh is a high priority location for us and we are very excited to be bringing this concept to the city.

“The selected site is prominently located in north Edinburgh – the redundant office building on site, Helix House, has been vacant for many years and is becoming something of an eyesore. Our new Edinburgh Village Urban Resort will be a positive landmark building in this prominent location.”

A customer and guest car parking area with 270 car parking spaces will also be included within the development.

Ian Kettlewell, Associate Director at national planning consultancy Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners, which is guiding the scheme through the planning process, said: “This exciting new development will regenerate an important and prominent site; removing a building which has been vacant for a number of years. The new Village Urban Resort will create 120 new jobs, which will be accessible to local residents, offering significant training opportunities and provide a boost to the local economy, as well as further jobs during the construction phase. This development will not just provide a hotel for visitors to Edinburgh, De Vere Village Urban Resorts are high quality, attractive leisure destinations for business users, leisure travellers and the local community.”

The site is located on a major route in north Edinburgh with good linkages to Leith and the city centre and as such the urban resort will benefit from excellent transport links by public transport, car, cycle and on foot.

Areas of public realm comprising high quality hard and soft landscaping will be provided, along with clearly-demarcated pedestrian walkways to ensure safe and easy movement onto, and throughout, the development.

Should planning permission be granted, it is anticipated that construction would start next year with the new De Vere Village Urban Resort opening to the public in 2014.

Those pre-planning application public consultation details again: Morrisons store on Pilton Drive from 2 – 6pm this Friday (7 September) and at Helix House itself between 10am and 1pm on Saturday (8 September).

De Vere are keen to raise awareness of its plans and provide an opportunity for public comments.

New multi-million pound hotel and ‘urban resort’ for Crewe Toll

THE owners of the Cameron House resort on the banks of Loch Lomond have unveiled plans for a multi-million pound new development in North Edinburgh.

About 120 jobs will be created when the De Vere Group opens its first venture in the capital on the site of an empty office  block at Crewe Toll.

de vere edinburgh — An Artists impression of how the new site will look.

It will be a major boost for the city’s tourism industry, which has seen a number of major hotel schemes either delayed or put on hold in recent years.

The £20 million De Vere  development will feature a 120-room hotel, a health and leisure complex and a conference centre. Facilities will include a  20-metre swimming pool, a restaurant, bar and Starbucks cafe.

The company is asking Edinburgh City Council for permission to build 270 parking spaces at the site due to its expected popularity.

It will be one of 15 new “village urban resorts” the company is planning to add to its  63 existing sites across Britain.

The site at Crewe Toll, will replace Helix House, an office complex that dates back to 1987 but has been lying empty for several years.

Robert Cook, chief executive of De Vere Village Urban Resorts, said: “Edinburgh is a high- priority location for us and we are very excited to be bringing this concept to the city.

Crewe Toll Building — The building is currently empty and has been for some time. (Picture: Thomas Brown)

“The selected site is prominently located in North Edinburgh. The redundant office building on site, Helix House, has been vacant for many years and is becoming something of an eyesore.

“Our new Edinburgh village urban resort will be a positive landmark building in this prominent location.”

De Vere has already begun talks with the city council about the development, set to be next to the Edinburgh headquarters of finance firm State Street.

Local Councillor Iain Whyte said “”The De Vere Group proposal for a hotel at Crewe Toll is a welcome investment in the area that should bring local jobs and will reuse a site that is currently empty. It could make a major impact and revitalise a rather sterile corner of the ward adjacent to the roundabout.

I am conscious that there is the possibility of concerns for nearby residents as a hotel is likely to require a liquor license. I very much hope that De Vere will consult local people properly to ensure that anypotential concerns are addresed in advance.”

Ian Kettlewell, associate director of planning consultants Nathaniel Lichfield, said: “This exciting new development will regenerate an important and prominent site, removing a building that has been vacant for a number of years.

“The new village urban resort will create 120 new jobs, offering significant training opportunities and boost to the local economy, as well as further jobs during the construction phase,”

Ward Councillor Gavin Barrie said “This appears at first sight to be a welcome proposal to develop a sites here currently a vacant and decaying building stands but proper cognisance of the wishes and thoughts of the local community must besought before any decisions are made.”

Major hotel projects delayed in Edinburgh in recent years  include Caltongate, near Waverley Station, one earmarked for a site next to Haymarket Station, the former Royal High School and the site of the St James  Centre.