Tag: new video

Residents give thumbs up to Granton Waterfront

Residents talk enthusiastically about settling into their new homes at Western Villages, part of our £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront.

A strong sense of community shines through from the city council’s new tenants in a video released this week.

Western Villages is now largely occupied, with 388 homes for social and mid-market rent providing accommodation for around 1,400 residents. After the Council declared a housing emergency in 2023, these high quality homes provide much needed, affordable and energy efficient accommodation to help respond to the shortage of homes within the city.

Granton Station View, also part of the wider regeneration project is fully occupied with another 75 energy efficient quality homes for social and mid-market rent, delivered in October 2024. Work is also well underway to deliver a further 143 affordable energy efficient and high quality homes at nearby Silverlea.

At the end of last year, the Council approved the business case for the next phase of this ambitious project for the city. It will deliver a further 847 energy efficient quality homes on neighbouring land and will provide residents with a new primary school (to be delivered through a separate contract), shops and leisure facilities, more walking, wheeling and cycling routes and open and green space.

Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “We declared a housing emergency in 2023 and so these energy efficient quality homes are much needed and from what I’ve seen are being greatly enjoyed.

“The video shows how easy it is for residents to access the beach, parks, good transport links, places to walk, cycle and wheel as well as having good local shops and other facilities nearby. I’m absolutely delighted the tenants are pleased that we’re creating communities people feel part of, want to live in and call home.”

Electrical industry celebrates green skills ahead of Scottish Apprenticeship Week

Scotland’s leading electrical bodies say the industry is leading the way with skills and training to help power the technology of tomorrow – and are urging others to follow in its footsteps to ensure Scotland makes a successful transition to net zero.

SELECT, the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB) and the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) have released a new video ahead of Scottish Apprenticeship Week that reinforces the range of renewable training currently being undertaken by apprentices.

The film shows how young electricians are receiving a thorough grounding in a wide range of green skills to enable them to cater for our future heat and power needs, including working with electric vehicles, battery storage, solar panels, air source heat pumps and more.

But the bodies also insist that the government, homeowners and wider construction sector must also embrace the opportunities offered by renewables and work together to ensure that the transition to net zero becomes a reality.

Alan Wilson, Managing Director of SELECT, said: “This video aims not only to inspire young learners to become electrical apprentices but also to show that the electrical industry is at the heart of the move to the electrification of society.

“However, we also need to persuade those outwith our industry to be equally committed to the adoption and uptake of green technology to ensure that this training is not in vain and that the electricians of tomorrow emerge into a country that is willing to embrace renewables.”

Fiona Harper, Director of Employment and Skills at SELECT and The Secretary of the SJIB, added: “To ensure that there is a sustainable and healthy pipeline of work for this next generation of electricians, we need the government, the Scottish people and the construction industry to use renewable technology and join us on the transition to net zero.

“Such a transition needs to happen now and we all need to face the reality that we must do it sooner rather than later if we are to secure an energy-efficient future for our children and our children’s children.

“More incentives for the adoption and installation of green technology and clearer advice and information on funding and grants would be a big help in encouraging take-up and ensuring the renewables skills currently being taught are successfully utilised by electrical professionals in the years to come.”

Running from March 4 to 8, this year’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week will again celebrate the value and importance of apprenticeships, with this year’s event focusing on skills generation.

Anne Galbraith, CEO of SECTT, said: “The electrical sector in Scotland is taking the lead in skills generation, with 2,500 young people currently receiving the training necessary to cultivate complex skill sets and lay strong foundations for a long and rewarding career.

“However, the vast depth of knowledge needed to become an electrician can only be obtained by completing the Modern Apprenticeship, and there are no short cuts to equipping electrical professionals with the skills they need to power our country for decades to come.

“If we are to make the transition to net zero safely and securely, it is of the utmost importance that the electricians of tomorrow spend a minimum of four years learning their trade properly and completing a dedicated, tailor-made apprenticeship.”