Police re-appeal for information following serious assault

Detectives are continuing enquiries into the serious assault of a 26-year-old woman in Dalkeith and are re-appealing for information and people to come forward.

The incident happened between 5.30pm and 6pm on Friday, 4 October 2024 when a woman was approached by a man who attacked her on a path within a wooded area on Abbey Road, Dalkeith.

Officers have established there were several people in the area around the time of the incident who have yet to speak to police.

Detective Inspector Diane Barr said: “We would like to thank the local community for their assistance so far and ask those that were in the area on that day that have still to speak to the police to come forward, even if you believe you have nothing to report, your information could prove vital.”

The injured woman was taken to hospital but has since been released.

The man is described as white, in his late 30s with stubble. He was wearing black trousers, a black waterproof jacket and had a dog lead around his neck, but it is not believed he had a dog with him.

Officers continue to examine CCTV footage from in and around the area for any small detail which could assist the investigation. Enquiries are continuing and an increased police presence remains in the area.

The online portal remains in place for anyone who has any information. https://mipp.police.uk/operation/SCOT24S09-PO1

Alternatively, contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting reference number 3107 of 4 October or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Detectives continue to appeal for information following serious assault

Detectives investigating the serious assault of a woman in Dalkeith have launched an online portal for members of the public to contact officers directly, one week on from the attack.

Between 5.30pm and 6pm on Friday, 4 October, 2024, a 26-year-old woman was attacked on a path in a wooded area near the golf club on Abbey Road.

Emergency services attended and the woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

An extensive investigation remains ongoing, with a significant police presence remaining in the area. The online portal that gives people access to a form to send information, pictures or videos directly to the team can be accessed by following the link: https://mipp.police.uk/

Detective Chief Inspector Nicky McGovern said: “We’d like to thank the local community for their continued assistance with our investigation, as we continue to appeal for information as part of our extensive enquiries into this attack.

“We are continuing to assess a significant amount of information and have a dedicated team of officers carrying out local and CCTV enquiries at this time.

“Anyone who has yet to speak to police, and has information which may assist our investigation, is asked to contact us.”

Inspector David Rourke, Deputy Local Area Commander, said: “I’d like to reassure the public that we have increased high visibility patrols in the area and these will continue over the coming days as enquiries progress.

“Anyone with information or concerns can speak to these officers.”

If you believe you have information which could assist officers, please use the online portal link above, or contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting reference number 3107 of 4 October, 2024.

Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

New café opens at Dalkeith Trampoline Park

A NEW café has opened at Ryze Trampoline Park in Dalkeith, following a £20,000 investment, just in time to meet the demand from the expected surge in visitors across the summer months.   

The launch of the Bounce House Café at the popular Midlothian family visitor attraction ensures guests can make a day of their visit with the five-figure investment including a new fit out, serving area and state-of-the art coffee machine for visitors to enjoy.  

The café, which accommodates 15 booths will be open from 10am until 7pm and will offer a full menu of hot food offerings, from pizzas and chicken goujons, as well as a variety of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.

For those looking for something lighter, snacks and cakes are also on offer alongside tea, coffee and hot chocolate, as well as a selection of soft drinks and fruit juices for children.  

The new café also offers catering for birthday parties and functions taking place at Ryze Trampoline Park, with a full party menu on offer. 

 As a result of the launch of the Bounce House Café, it will be recruiting for temporary positions in the coming weeks, as the trampoline park braces itself for an increase in footfall over the summer holidays. 

Rory Fairgrieve, Sales Director of Ryze, said: “It’s great to have our brand new Bounce House Café open to serve tasty meals and quality snacks that everyone, including families, can enjoy.

“This investment into our new quality onsite catering offer is another fantastic leap for us in offering the best day out for families across Scotland.
 
“The team has worked hard to create an excellent food offering for patrons and we are sure that whether you are looking to enjoy a meal or grab a quick snack after bouncing the afternoon away, there is something for everyone at Ryze Trampoline Park.” 

Lovell breaks ground for new Midlothian homes

Lovell Partnerships has marked the start of an exciting new housing development in Midlothian with a sod cutting ceremony.

The event took place at the Oakwood Edge site, near Dalkeith, to officially celebrate the beginning of construction at the eagerly anticipated Lovell development.

Oakwood Edge will offer a range of stunning new two-, three-, and four-bedroom homes, with 39 of the homes to be provided for social use by Melville Housing Association, on the land owned by Lovell.

The new homes will make a significant contribution towards tackling the housing shortage in the local area.

Donna Bogdanovic, Chair of Melville Housing Association, officially broke the ground at the event, which was attended by staff from Lovell, Melville Housing Association, and Hardies Property and Construction Consultants

Oakwood Edge is ideally located, close to Dalkeith, Newtongrange, and Mayfield, and will enjoy considerable local amenities, as well as easy access to Edinburgh.

A play park and an art installation will also form part of the new development, in line with Lovell Partnerships’ commitment to providing community benefits and social value where it builds.

This development will be one of the first to benefit from Lovell energy efficient homes, helping to reduce the heating and lighting bills for the Melville Housing Association residents.

Lovell thanks all its partners who joined in to mark this crucial stage at Oakwood Edge and expresses its excitement at the prospect of bringing these key homes to the area.

Sarah Freel, Head of Partnerships at Lovell, said: “Oakwood Edge is an incredibly exciting development for Lovell and our partners, so it was wonderful to see the ceremonial first shovel going into the ground on it.

“As a partnership housebuilder, we’re delighted to be working with Melville Housing Association to deliver this development. Oakwood Edge is an example of how partnership working can benefit communities and the local economy, whilst creating numerous jobs and training opportunities.

“I’d like to express our gratitude to everyone involved in this sod cutting ceremony and thank them for their continued dedication to making Oakwood Edge a great place for families to live.” 

Donna Bogdanovic, Chair of Melville Housing Association, said: “It was my pleasure to take part in the sod cutting for Oakwood Edge which marks the continuation of a productive relationship between Melville and Lovell that began more than 15 years ago.

“This exciting opportunity, made possible thanks to Scottish Government funding and support from Midlothian Council, will allow us to help some of those on Midlothian’s huge social housing waiting list who are desperately waiting for a quality affordable home.

“On behalf of everyone at Melville Housing Association, I would like to say just how much we’re looking forward to following the progress of this exciting project and, when the time comes, welcoming tenants to the Oakwood Edge development.”

Aldi hiring 129 colleagues across Edinburgh and the Lothians 

Aldi has announced it is currently looking to hire 129 colleagues in Edinburgh and The Lothians.  

The supermarket is looking for people of all levels of experience to fill roles across the region, with pay rates of up to £12.40 an hour.  

This includes full and part-time positions such as Store Management Apprentice and Store Assistant, all the way up to Deputy Manager.  

Stores in Edinburgh and The Lothians, where Aldi is looking to hire, include Chesser, Dalkeith, and Hermiston Gait.  

The recruitment push forms part of Aldi’s nationwide expansion drive, with the supermarket opening a number of new stores across the UK in the next year. Aldi is also currently recruiting for 450 jobs at its 11 Regional Distribution Centres up and down the country.  

Giles Hurley, Chief Executive Officer of Aldi UK, said: “Demand for Aldi has never been higher as more and more people realise they can make significant savings on every shop without compromising on quality. It’s more important than ever that we are making it even easier for more people to shop with us – including by opening dozens of new stores.  

“Our success is dependent on the amazing work that colleagues do, day in and day out, and we’re looking forward to welcoming thousands more colleagues to Team Aldi throughout 2023.”  

Store Assistants at Aldi receive a starting pay of £11.00 an hour nationally, rising to £11.90, and £12.45 rising to £12.75, within the M25, with the supermarket also paying for breaks. Meanwhile, Aldi recently increased pay rates for around 7,000 warehouse workers, with Warehouse Selectors now receiving a minimum starting salary of £13.18 per hour.  

Those interested in applying for a career with Aldi can visit:

www.aldirecruitment.co.uk.  

Dalkeith Rugby Club welcomes more than 400 families to Minis Festival

Families from across Edinburgh and the Lothians turned out in force at the Dalkeith Minis Rugby Festival 2022 on Sunday (15 May), which was supported by leading housebuilder Stewart Milne Homes.

Hosted at King’s Park by Dalkeith Rugby Club, more than 400 primary school children across six teams including Dalkeith, Falkirk, Lasswade, Leith, Penicuik, and Preston Lodge competed in the round robin festival of 12-minute matches throughout the day.

With a people-first ethos, Stewart Milne Homes was the main sponsor of the event and provided funding to support the organisation of the minis rugby festival which has been encouraging friendly community sport for over 15 years.

The award-winning housebuilder also provided a gazebo for the event which was the main hub for all attendees on the day and supplied re-usable water bottles for all the children to keep them hydrated throughout the event and take home for future use.

Rugby balls were also donated to the club for the kids to use when on the pitch and all participants proudly took home a competition medal as a keepsake of the action-packed day.

Dawn Lawrence, Sales Consultant at Stewart Milne Homes’ Shawfair development, said: “Events such as the Dalkeith Minis Rugby Festival are the foundation of thriving communities, and at Stewart Milne Homes we share the club’s passion in creating vibrant places and a sense of belonging that people want to call home.

“After virtual events have dominated the agenda for the last two years, it’s fantastic to see a huge number of youngsters get outdoors once again into green, natural space and participating in activities that promote healthy lifestyles.

“We’re very proud to work with community groups and sports clubs, and it is humbling to be able to offer a helping hand to an organisation which shares our people-first values.  I’d like to say thank you to Dalkeith Rugby Club for collaborating with us on such a fun, family-orientated event.”

Christopher Boyle, Head of Minis Rugby at Dalkeith Rugby Club, said: “The Minis Rugby Festival is one of the highlights in our calendar and we are thrilled to see such a fantastic turn out for the 2022 event.

“The whole team shares a passion for enhancing sporting opportunities across the Midlothian region and beyond for our next generation and seeing these efforts culminate in events is incredibly rewarding.

“The funding support and gifted items from Stewart Milne Homes have been gratefully received by the Club and everyone who attended.”

Stewart Milne Homes is currently creating a number of new developments across Central Scotland, including Shawfair in Midlothian, which will feature 115 new homes as well as communal green space and excellent active travel links to the wider community.

The luxurious three-, four-, five- and six-bedroom homes on offer are from the housebuilder’s new ‘Villages’ range which has been expertly designed for modern-day lifestyles, creating the very best of contemporary and considered living for the whole family.

For further information, visit www.stewartmilnehomes.com

Food Festival comes to Dalkeith Country Park for the first time

The Great British Food Festival is back this year and is visiting Dalkeith Country Park near Edinburgh for the first time on the 11th and 12th September. The event runs all weekend from 10am-5pm.

After missing 2020 because of the pandemic, the organisers say they can’t wait to be back doing events and are looking forward to bringing their food festival to the area for the first time.

Dan Maycock, one of the organising team said: “Tickets have been selling really well and we are really looking forward to a fantastic foodie weekend”.

Dan added that there is a lot for all the family: “we have lots of great food and drink, chef demos and talks but also forager walks, kids entertainment and great live music, and free parking with your festival ticket.”

The fantastic live music has a play list packed full of local bands and artists, so you can do some shopping, grab some food and then have a well-earned relax with a local beer listening to some great live entertainment all within the beautiful grounds at Dalkeith Country Park.

The events is the perfect recipe for a fun, foodie day out where the whole family ‘bubble’ can get together, visit www.greatbritishfoodfestival.com for more details and tickets (some time slots are now sold out, so book quick!).

Public to be given a say on new employment development at Salter’s Park

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.”