Edinburgh’s economy: A tale of two cities

“The time has come to take a good look at why there are still people living in Edinburgh who are not sharing in this prosperity” – Councillor Gavin Barrie, Housing & Economy convener

An Economy Strategy to tackle inequality and poverty in the Capital has been published by the city council. The draft strategy which will be considered by councillors at the Housing and Economy Committee on Thursday, recognises that although Edinburgh remains the second most prosperous UK city outside London, jobs growth alone has not been sufficient to tackle poverty and deliver sustained improvements in living standards for everyone.

Consultation carried out with all political parties and businesses, as well as local communities and the third sector, revealed a consensus of opinion that Edinburgh’s economy should aim to create jobs and inspire innovation but that it should also do much more to ensure that the benefits of that prosperity are accessible to all residents across the city.

It has been created around three themes – innovation, inclusion and collaboration and includes ten steps to achieve this goal. The council alone cannot achieve this and needs ownership and leadership from other city partners such as the Edinburgh Partnership and Edinburgh Business Forum.

Cllr Gavin Barrie, Housing and Economy Convener, said: “Our Economy Strategy sees an important shift in the focus of our work to help Edinburgh’s economy to grow. It is going from strength to strength and has shown great resilience during tough economic times. The time has come, however, to take a good look at why there are still people living in Edinburgh who are not sharing in this prosperity.

“We need to grow our economy so that it is fair in terms of wages, opportunity, access to housing, education and good careers. Much of that work has already started through our commitment to build 20,000 new affordable homes in the city and the £1.1b Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region deal, which will provide £300m for world leading data innovation centres, £25m for regional skills programme to support improved career opportunities for disadvantaged groups and £65m of new funding for housing to unlock strategic development sites.

“The strategy also fits in well with the most recent Scottish Government Economic Strategy and UK Industrial Strategy, both of which have placed increasing emphasis on the need for inclusive growth for our economy.

“Locally, the strategy also represents one of the first major practical steps towards achieving the City Vision for 2050 that we have been developing with contributions from people across the city since September 2016.”

Hugh Rutherford, Chair of the Edinburgh Business Forum, said: “To stay ahead of our global competitors, Edinburgh needs a laser focus on our world leading sectors – financial services, tech, life sciences, creative industries and tourism.

“But we need more than sectoral growth – we need responsible and sustainable ‘good growth’, making sure everyone benefits in a way that’s not happened before. Crucial to the success of this will be the private sector, all levels of education, and the third and public sectors working together to achieve this common goal.”

Ella Simpson, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council, said: “I am pleased the Strategy explicitly acknowledges poverty and inequality in the City and highlights actions which aim to reduce the impact on people’s lives. The strategy needs to recognise the existing communities and people as the bedrock for fair growth in the city and it is important that we provide support to business, from all sectors, to be the best employers they can be.”

The Strategy’s ten steps, which all have their own actions plans.

Establish Edinburgh as the data capital of Europe.
Develop Edinburgh as a city of resilient businesses with the space to grow.
Create a step change in the growth of green and socially responsible business in Edinburgh.
Deliver new approaches to tackling the barriers that reinforce worklessness, poverty and inequality.
Reform Edinburgh’s education and skills landscape to meet the needs of our changing economy.
Deepen our relationships with employers to unlock good career opportunities.
Create a transformational city centre fit to power Scotland’s economy.
Build a world class Waterfront, and deliver business and residential growth in West Edinburgh.
Build affordable places for people to live and work.
Deliver sustainable and inclusive growth in our world leading culture and tourism sectors.

Community Regeneration: what is it all about?

Blue sky thinking: Granton Improvement Society calls for real community planning

The idea of “community regeneration” certainly is not new but at this time in Scotland, with new Scottish government legislation on Community Empowerment, the time is now better than ever before for communities to take more control of assets. We can shape our community involving all who live, work and play within it. Now that would be real community regeneration!

Politicians talk about regeneration but do they deliver? What does that mean for the residents of North Edinburgh? We have a badly needed housing development in Muirhouse but without complementary services. The rest of the locality is left to decay with budget cuts making it harder for politicians (the council) to regenerate the larger area.

The people of the area know what is needed to regenerate their environment and it is not just housing. The Granton on Sea project can be the corner stone of such development. A project that provides benefits across a wide spectrum of issues that have been unresolved over the past 20 years – even though the area was designated as a major regeneration area within the City of Edinburgh.

A community regeneration project requires the assets of the community to be in total, outright ownership of that community: this is not in place.

Why then, when Scottish government policy is to transfer assets to communities have EDI, chaired by Councillor Frank Ross who is also convenor of the Economic Development committee, denied the project Granton on Sea the opportunity to begin one of Scotland’s largest and most ambitious regeneration plans?

The EDI Finance Director and Waterfront manager both recommended that Granton Improvement Society be given a two year period where it would fully develop the project with the Lottery’s Growing Community Assets unit. After eighteen months it would begin to provide employment, training, tourism opportunities, visitors and more economic benefits to North Edinburgh.

How will the project bring benefit?

The acquisition of the land by the Granton Improvement Society will see the development of 54 luxury houses stopped and replaced with an International Garden Festival and create artisan studios in green space on the adjoining plot of land.

The proposal will provide upwards of 100 permanent full time and part-time jobs, training and education in horticulture and other professions and trades. It will be an opportunity for local people to start up business in affordable workspaces. The unique visitor attraction of the International Garden Festival where each year it is different will ensure returning visitors to the project. That influx of tourists both national and international will see their spending retained in the local economy.

The real main benefit that the Granton on Sea project will bring is a local charity The Granton Improvement Society, whose main objective is the regeneration of the North Edinburgh area. It will manage the income from the artisan village and the Garden Festival for the benefit of other projects throughout the North Edinburgh area.

What do we need from you, the community?

This community has waited for regeneration benefits for decades with the community being told that the benefits are coming, this has clearly not happened. We are not giving up! We are asking you to join the Granton Improvement Society and create a place for people to live work and play!

Application forms for the Granton Improvement Society can be downloaded at

https://grantonimprovementsociety.wordpress.com/

and are available from the secretary, email

info@grantonimprovementsociety.org

Balancing Act

Council strategy aims to balance safe drinking with economic development

A report that highlights the need to reduce alcohol-related harm in Edinburgh while supporting economic development will be presented to councillors next week.

The report to the City of Edinburgh Council’s Health, Social Care and Housing Committee on January 27 2015 will state that in the capital:

• the cost of alcohol-related harm to the Council’s social care services is £29 million;
• the impact on economic productivity is an estimated £85m;
• alcohol-related deaths doubled between 1991 and 2004;
• 47% of adults drink more than recommended guidelines;
• 26% of serious assaults committed in public places are aggravated by alcohol;
• Edinburgh’s alcohol-related hospital admission rate is higher than the Scottish average.

The report highlights a proposal to develop a local strategy on alcohol that reduces related harmful impacts while, at the same time, supports the capital’s aspiration for continued economic development. If approved, it will be developed through the Edinburgh Partnership.

It will also highlight ongoing work to deal with these issues by officers from the public and third sectors within planning, economic development, social work, licensing, public health, the police and the fire service.

Committee members will be asked to note the harm caused across the city, note that effective interventions need to focus on reducing harm across the population, and support further talks between Council services, Police Scotland, NHS Lothian and the third sector to develop the strategy.

A presentation on alcohol-related harm within the city will be made to Committee members by the Edinburgh Alcohol and Drugs Partnership, the NHS and the police.

Councillor Ricky Henderson, Health, Social Care and Housing Convener, said: “The negative effects of the misuse of alcohol, on the city as well as on individuals is laid bare in this report. It is clear that these issues have a far-reaching effect on people of all ages and social backgrounds.

“The Council has a duty to promote citizens’ health and well-being, but at the same time, a desire to encourage business development and to support financial growth of the city as a whole.

“Talks are at the early stages between services within the Council about how we reduce alcohol-related harm and support the economic development of our city at the same time.”

Apps the way to do it!

City’s innovators tackle the Edinburgh Apps challenge

A running app for tourists and a tool to organise sporting activities in the city were amongst the winners in a competition to find innovative solutions to improve life in Edinburgh.

The inventions were awarded at the Edinburgh Apps event, which this year focused on health, culture and sport themes.

Run by the City of Edinburgh Council, the annual ‘civic challenge’ encourages participants to develop digital services like mobile apps, websites or product concepts to enhance life in the city for residents and visitors. It is one of the first events of its kind to take place in the UK, allowing entrants to work with Council and partner data to create new ideas.

Last Sunday, developers, designers and start-up companies gathered to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges, which consisted of David Williams, Joint Commissioning Officer for Health and Social Care at the Council, Colin McMillian, Club Development Officer in the Council’s Culture and Sport department, Claudette Jones, Chief Information Officer in the Council’s ICT department, and Pippa Gardner, Managing Consultant of Urban Tide.

Other winning entries on the day were SpeechCity, a smartphone app providing a conversational tour guide, and ACE, which supports people recovering from addiction to stay sober.

Economy Convener and Digital Champion Councillor Frank Ross, who also helped judge the competition, said: “We were very impressed with the calibre of entries to this year’s contest – choosing the winner was a tough decision. Not only were concepts inventive but also incredibly useful, proving how important technology is to running a modern city.”

Winners will receive funding to develop their ideas further in partnership with the Council, along with additional business support.

This is the second time Edinburgh Apps has taken place, with last year’s winners including Airts routing tool, which would help the Council plan Health and Social Care equipment deliveries more efficiently, and Trashman, an app helping the public to locate their nearest recycling bank, now named Recycle for Edinburgh.

What the winners said:

Mark Sorsa-Leslie, co-founder of Bubbal, won the challenge to promote the city’s viewpoints with their app, which automatically updates users with historical information on nearby monuments, giving the opportunity to donate to their upkeep.

He said: “We want to make Bubbal like a Twitter for places – you can follow landmarks like you follow people, based on your interests. Edinburgh Apps is the first thing we’ve ever won and it will be great to work with the Council, which we hope will help encourage local users.”

Jenny Tough, whose team won the Wildcard app award with Run2See, a free app providing running routes and tourist information for runners new to the city, said: “Winning the award was a real boost of confidence – it will be really useful for us taking the app forward to production.”

Jim Law’s Find a Player app, which works to join sports venues, sporting activities and willing players together, added: “The app idea came to me because I was getting really frustrated with always looking for games of football but being offered them at the wrong times. I thought there must be a much more efficient way to contact people organising games and that this must be the same with lots of different sports.

“It was fantastic to win, we’re genuinely over the moon. If we can prove this model in Edinburgh it can drive us on to other councils but it’s great just to get the chance to work with Edinburgh.”

For more information on the competition and details of the winners and entries, visit the Edinburgh Apps website.

Getting connected

Lothians and Fife set to benefit from Edinburgh broadband scheme

Thousands of businesses in the Lothians and Fife are set to benefit from free superfast broadband thanks to a successful scheme led by the City of Edinburgh Council.

The initiative is being delivered until March 2015 by Business Gateway in Edinburgh as part of the UK Government’s £100 million Super Connected Cities programme, and is now being extended to cover organisations located within five miles of the city’s boundaries.

Vouchers are awarded to businesses to help cover the installation costs of connecting to superfast broadband services up to the value of £3,000.

To qualify for a voucher, applicants should be small to medium-sized businesses or third sector organisations located within five miles of Edinburgh, with fewer than 250 employees and a turnover of less than £40m.

Councillor Frank Ross, Convener of the Economy Committee, said: “This is an excellent example of Edinburgh helping small to medium sized businesses in the City Region access funding for a fast broadband connection. We have worked hard to secure this opportunity for local businesses and I would strongly recommend those without a fast connection apply for a voucher as high grade broadband is more reliable, faster and it will make your business more efficient and competitive.”

West Lothian’s Executive Councillor for Development and Transport, Cathy Muldoon, said: “I would encourage any West Lothian companies within a five mile radius of Edinburgh to check if they are eligible for free connection to fast broadband under this scheme, as it can deliver a significant boost to their business. This could include businesses in Livingston, Broxburn, Mid Calder and East Calder.

“West Lothian Council has pledged to invest £2.5 million in next generation broadband by 2017 to ensure the area is one of the best connected areas in the UK.”

Councillor Jim Bryant, Cabinet Member for Economic Development in Midlothian, said: “Reliable and fast broadband is an essential service for Midlothian businesses. We are pleased to be part of the Connected Capital Programme so that businesses within five miles of the Midlothian / City of Edinburgh boundary can take advantage of the voucher scheme incentives and sign up with their preferred supplier from the recommended list. We will continue to work with partners in the Scottish Government on their Step Change, and Community Broadband Scotland, programmes to ensure wider access to high speed broadband in Midlothian.”

Councillor John McMillan, East Lothian Cabinet Spokesperson for Economic Development and Tourism, said: “I hope local businesses will explore this option which offers an opportunity for faster connection. We continue to look at all the options available to connect all businesses and homes in East Lothian to faster broadband and will work with others to bring this about as quickly as we can.”

The scheme is being marketed via the Business Gateway Service in each local authority area. In the meantime, applicants are welcome to contact the project team directly on 0131 469 3990.

Organisations located within five miles of Edinburgh’s council boundaries are encouraged to check their postcode and apply online.

Sowing the seeds: Edinburgh research to aid Africa

A University of Edinburgh research group will receive £10.8 million from the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) to help make the latest agricultural technology available across ten African countries, Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael announced yesterday.

Research Into Results (RIR), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the University of Edinburgh, will make the latest agricultural research and innovation available to budding small businesses in ten countries in East and Southern African. RIR will then mentor these businesses to help them grow and find private investment.

RIR has already worked on research that has delivered pest-free crops, improved crop storage systems and a mobile phone app which tells farmers the best time to plant their crops.

The Social Enterprises for Economic Development (SEED) programme is designed to turn this kind of promising research into commercially-viable technology. It has the potential to make over half a million farmers become more efficient, helping them feed their families and work their way out of poverty.

During a visit to the University of Edinburgh, Mr Carmichael said: “Everyone associated with the Research Into Results initiative should be very proud of the excellent work this project builds on.

“This substantial support from DFID together with the skills and networks of the University of Edinburgh and H20 venture partners will go a long way to improve the efficiency of small-holder farmers in Africa, provide them with technology and most importantly transform the lives of many people living in some of the poorest countries in the world.”

Dr Andy Frost, Director of Research Into Results, said: “The SEED Programme will develop technology-driven social enterprises whose products and services increase the profitability of smallholder farmers.

There is a substantial unmet need for the ambitious social enterprises in the Africa. Institutions, NGOs and local entrepreneurs lack the skills and experience to build large-scale investible businesses; on the other side, venture capital in the region lacks quality investment deal flow.

SEED is an ambitious programme, it aims to be a game-changer, to create viable social enterprises for the benefit of smallholder farmers and by so doing provide robust evidence on the effectiveness of social enterprises as a vehicle to get past research investment into use, at scale.”

DFID will provide RIR’s Social Enterprises for Economic Development (SEED) programme with £10.8 million over 6 years.