Tag: recovery

Johnson’s New Deal for Britain

This government is committed not just to defeating coronavirus but to using this crisis to tackle this country’s great unresolved challenges of the last three decades.

To build the homes, to fix the NHS, to tackle the skills crisis, to mend the gap in opportunity and productivity and connectivity between the regions of the UK, to unite and level up.

The government will build back better, build back greener, build back faster.

We will invest in and accelerate infrastructure across the UK; promote a clean, green recovery; reform our planning system; and strengthen the Union and local government.

All of these changes will make life better for the people of this great country and unleash Britain’s potential.

The Chancellor will unveil more of this plan next week, and we will use the forthcoming Spending Review and Autumn Budget to set the direction for the rest of this parliament.

Investing in and accelerating infrastructure

The government is committed to building a Britain with world class infrastructure. Spring Budget 2020 set out that the public sector will invest £640bn over five years in our future prosperity.

We are redoubling our efforts to get on with this now, in support of economic recovery and jobs right across the country by bringing forward £5bn of capital investment projects, supporting jobs and the economic recovery, including:

  • £1.5bn this year for hospital maintenance, eradicating mental health dormitories, enabling hospital building, and improving A&E capacity. This will improve patient care, make sure NHS hospitals can deliver world-leading services and reduce the risk of coronavirus infections.
  • £100m this year for 29 projects to improve our road network to get Britain moving, from bridge repairs in Sandwell to boosting the quality of the A15 in the Humber region. Plus £10m for development work to unblock the Manchester rail bottleneck, which will begin this year.
  • Over £1bn to fund the first 50 projects of a new, ten-year school rebuilding programme, starting from 2020-21. These projects will be confirmed in the autumn, and construction on the first sites will begin from September 2021.
  • £560m and £200m for repairs and upgrades to schools and FE colleges respectively this year.
  • £142mn for digital upgrades and maintenance to around 100 courts this year, £83m for maintenance of prisons and youth offender facilities, and £60m for temporary prison places, creating thousands of new jobs.
  • £900m for a range of ‘shovel ready’ local growth projects in England over the course of this year and next. This will enable local areas to invest in priority infrastructure projects to drive local growth and jobs. This could include the development and regeneration of key local sites, investment to improve transport and digital connectivity, and innovation and technology centres to build on local comparative advantage
  • £96m to accelerate investment in town centres and high streets through the Towns Fund this year. This will provide all 101 towns selected for town deals with £500k-£1m to spend on projects such as improvements to parks, high streets, and transport.

We will establish a new Infrastructure Delivery Taskforce, named ‘Project Speed’.

  • Led by the Chancellor, Project Speed will bring forward proposals to deliver government’s public investment projects more strategically and efficiently. This will ensure we are building the right things better and faster than before.
  • The taskforce will aim to cut down the time it takes to develop, design and deliver vital infrastructure projects. For example, it will look at how it can address outdated practices and identify blocks to progress.
  • Projects will include the 40 new hospitals the government has committed to build and the school rebuilding programme announced yesterday.

In the Autumn, the government will also publish a National Infrastructure Strategy which will set a clear direction on core economic infrastructure, including energy networks, road and rail, flood defences and waste.

The Government also intends to bring forward funding to accelerate infrastructure projects in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – working with the devolved administrations to identify where we can get spades in the ground, build our communities, and create jobs faster for citizens across the United Kingdom.

We will also carry out a review to look at how best to improve road, rail, air and sea links between our four nations to create a more connected kingdom.

Through the Barnett formula, the UK Government has already given the Scottish Government £5.4bn, the Welsh Government £2.4bn, and the Northern Ireland Executive £1.7bn in capital funding for devolved areas this financial year. We would encourage them to accelerate infrastructure projects in the same way that the UK Government is doing.

Promoting a clean, green recovery

The UK was the first major economy to commit to net zero emissions by 2050 in law. We already have a proven track record of cutting emissions while growing the economy, with over 460,000 UK jobs in low-carbon businesses and their supply chains.

We will continue to build on this even further and deliver a stronger, cleaner, more sustainable economy after this pandemic.

The Government will continue to set out further measures as part of its green agenda in the run up to COP26 in November 2021.

Transport:

  • We are making additional funding available this year to attract investment in ‘gigafactories’, which mass produce batteries and other electric vehicle components, enabling the UK to lead on the next generation of automotive technologies.
  • £10m of funding will be made available immediately for the first wave of innovative R&D projects to scale-up manufacturing of the latest technology in batteries, motors, electronics and fuel cells.
  • Additional funding will also allow us to progress initial site planning and preparation for manufacturing plants and industry clusters, with sites under consideration across the UK.
  • This funding forms part of our commitment to spend up to £1bn to attract investment in electric vehicle supply chains and R&D to the UK.
  • And this comes on top of the over £1bn we provided at Budget to support the rollout of ultra-low emission vehicles in the UK via support for a super-fast charging network for electric vehicles, and extension of the Plug-In Grant schemes.
  • The UK will also aim to produce the world’s first zero emission long haul passenger aircraft.

Rebuilding our natural infrastructure:

  • Re-foresting Britain by planting 75,000 acres of trees every year by 2025.
  • £40m Green Recovery Challenge Fund to help halt biodiversity loss and tackle climate change through local conservation projects, connecting more people to the outdoors by delivering up to 5,000 jobs.

Innovation:

  • Up to £100m of new funding for research and develop a brand new clean technology, Direct Air Capture (DAC), which captures CO2 emissions directly from the air around us. If successful, DAC technology could be deployed across the country to remove carbon from the air, helping sectors where it’s tough to decarbonise such as aviation.
  • To help bring forward this technology, the government is exploring options around carbon pricing and incentives, where the government may pay a price per tonne of CO2 captured.

Reforming our planning system

We will make it easier to build better homes where people want to live.

New regulations will give greater freedom for buildings and land in our town centres to change use without planning permission and create new homes from the regeneration of vacant and redundant buildings.

Under the new rules, existing commercial properties, including newly vacant shops, can be converted into residential housing more easily, in a move to kick start the construction industry and speed up rebuilding.

The changes include:

  • More types of commercial premises having total flexibility to be repurposed through reform of the Use Classes Order. A building used for retail, for instance, would be able to be permanently used as a café or office without requiring a planning application and local authority approval. Pubs, libraries, village shops and other types of uses essential to the lifeblood of communities will not be covered by these flexibilities
  • A wider range of commercial buildings will be allowed to change to residential use without the need for a planning application
  • Builders will no longer need a normal planning application to demolish and rebuild vacant and redundant residential and commercial buildings if they are rebuilt as homes
  • Property owners will be able to build additional space above their properties via a fast track approval process, subject to neighbour consultation.
  • These changes, which are planned to come into effect by September, will both support the high street revival by allowing empty commercial properties to be quickly repurposed and reduce the pressure to build on green fields land by making brownfield development easier.

The Prime Minister also announced that work will begin to look at how land owned by the government can be managed more effectively.

Ahead of the Spending Review, a new, ambitious cross-government strategy look at how public sector land can be managed and released so it can be put to better use.

This would include home building, improving the environment, contributing to net zero goals and injecting growth opportunities into communities across the country.

These announcements come alongside a package of measures to support home building across England, including:

  • A £12bn affordable homes programme that will support up to 180,000 new affordable homes for ownership and rent over the next 8 years, confirmed today.
  • Included in the affordable homes programme will be a 1,500 unit pilot of ‘First Homes’: houses that will be sold to first time buyers at a 30% discount which will remain in perpetuity, keeping them affordable for generations of families to own.
  • Funds from the £400m Brownfield Land Fund have today been allocated to the West Midland, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region, Sheffield City Region, North of Tyne and Tees Valley to support around 24,000 homes.
  • The Home Building Fund to help smaller developers access finance for new housing developments will receive additional £450m boost. This is expected to support delivery of around 7,200 new homes.

The government will launch a Policy Paper in July setting out our plan for comprehensive reform of England’s seven-decade old planning system, to introduce a new approach that works better for our modern economy and society.

Strengthening the Union

  • We will take steps to guarantee and enhance our internal market and find new ways to invest in Scotland, Wales, England and NI and focus on “levelling up” our whole country.
  • As above, the Government also intends to bring forward funding to accelerate infrastructure projects in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – working with the devolved administrations to identify where we can get spades in the ground, build our communities, and create jobs faster for citizens across the United Kingdom.
  • The Spending review will create a multi-year, UK-wide Shared Prosperity Fund which will support which will support local economic recovery by driving economic growth and tackling deprivation.
  • We will carry out a review to look at how best to improve road, rail, air and sea links between all parts of the UK to create a more connected kingdom.

CALA to reopen sales offices in Scotland

ONE of Scotland’s prominent homebuilders has begun the process of reopening its Scottish sales offices and showhomes in line with the latest Government guidelines.

CALA Homes’ on-site sales suites across the East, West and North of Scotland will begin opening by appointment only, from Monday 29 June.

The reopening will allow house hunters to progress their new home journey as lockdown eases, with services such as Part Exchange and Guaranteed Buyer available to help give buyers confidence.

Ravelrig Heights, Balerno

Philip Hogg, Saled and Marketing Director with CALA Homes (East), said: “We are looking forward to welcoming customers back to our sales offices and helping them in their search for their dream home.

“The safety of our customers, our team and the wider community is absolutely paramount, and we’ve put in place a number of new health and safety measures to ensure their wellbeing, which all of our teams have been extensively briefed on.

“We’ve increased the frequency of cleaning in our sales suites and showhomes and will leave time between each appointment for this to take place. There’ll also be some changes throughout the experience, such as protective screens and hand sanitiser stations, and new signage to help customers navigate the sales areas safely.

“While our sales teams won’t be able to accompany customers around showhomes, customers will be given plenty of time to explore these properties on their own, and our advisors will be on hand before and after to answer any questions.

“We want to thank customers in advance for their understanding of the new measures and urge them to make an appointment before coming to see us, to help us safely stagger visitors. Our teams are very excited to be opening our doors again and are looking forward to making dream homes a reality once more.”

Househunters who are unable to visit CALA’s showhomes can still continue their journey with CALA through its two new services, Virtual Guided Tours and Remote Reservations. The services, which are available throughout CALA’s Scottish regions, enable customers to view and reserve homes remotely under lockdown.

The Virtual Guided Tour platform incorporates a video call function into a 360 degree interactive virtual tour programme, comprising more than 30 CALA showhomes. It supports two guests at any time as well as the Sales Consultant, meaning buyers can invite along a family member as they would in person. This has the added benefit of inviting a parent or friend who might live further away, which would not currently be an option at in-person viewings.

While on the tour, buyers can also be left on their own to take more time to privately view the property, before being re-joined by their Sales Consultant. They can also view the home in different ways including via an interactive, 3-D dollhouse and birds-eye view of the home. All these additional tools give a further clear picture of the size and scale of the home and each of its rooms, while the tour itself brings the floorplan to life.

CALA has also introduced Remote Reservations to offer customers the opportunity to secure their next home, with a safety net to do so. Reservation fees made through the service are fully refundable, to offer an extra level of reassurance.

For more information on how you can reserve remotely with CALA, please visit: https://www.cala.co.uk/why-cala/cala-incentives/reserve-remotelyTo view CALA’s developments across Scotland, visit https://www.cala.co.uk/homes-for-sale

Working towards economic recovery

Advisory Group report published

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop has welcomed the recommendations of the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery.

The group, led by Benny Higgins, was tasked with recommending solutions to ensure transition towards a greener, net-zero and wellbeing economy, and to advise on measures to address different challenges the economy will face as Scotland recovers from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The group’s 25 recommendations, which will now be considered in detail by the Scottish Government and its partners, include:

  • an urgent need to access low cost debt requires an accelerated review of the Fiscal Framework, and a significant increase in access to capital investment to support an investment-led recovery
  • a Scottish jobs guarantee, in partnership between business and government, should be introduced to address unemployment, with refocused skills strategies and decisive steps to align teaching and learning in universities and colleges to the needs of business
  • prioritisation of sector plans to deliver a green recovery, where the coincidence of emissions reductions, the development of natural capital and job creation are the strongest
  • critical investment in the country’s digital infrastructure to improve connectivity, reduce inequalities and build the country’s resilience
  • urgent action to develop a stronger relationship between business and government on the strategy for Scotland’s economic recovery

Ms Hyslop said: “I would like to thank Benny Higgins, the independent Advisory Group members and all who contributed to their work in setting out a route to recovery for Scotland to address the economic impacts of COVID-19.

“Scotland, as with other countries, faces enormous challenges, and we need to all work together as never before to ensure our country emerges through this pandemic with a green economic recovery that has inclusion and wellbeing at its heart.

“We wanted the report to be ambitious and far-reaching, and with this strong and comprehensive set of recommendations this has certainly been achieved.

“The report identifies the importance of employment, the environment, education and equality. I agree that each one of these will be vital as we seek to create a society that is resilient, fair, and one in which everyone has the opportunity to be successful. We will now develop a detailed response to the report which will be published before the end of July.

“This report represents a clear call to action that goes beyond the Scottish Government and the public sector. We will only be able to build the kind of post-COVID-19 recovery we want with the active involvement of the private, cultural and third sectors and, importantly, the public.

“It is therefore vital that everyone continues to work together in the crucial weeks and months to come to deliver the action Scotland needs to recover from the impact of COVID-19.”

Benny Higgins, Chair of the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery, said:  “Scotland faces an economic challenge of monumental scale.  If we do not intervene radically to transform our economy, inequalities will drastically widen with long-term scarring for communities across the country, and for our young people in particular. This cannot be allowed to happen.

“The Advisory Group on Economic Recovery has worked at great speed over the past two months, engaging extensively with businesses and with wider civic society to understand the challenges that we face, but crucially to curate a set of recommendations that emphasise the immediate need to protect and create jobs, reduce inequalities by building a green and technology-led recovery, and make Scotland an attractive place to do business.

“To create a robust, resilient wellbeing economy, the public and private sector must now build a new partnership to prioritise and deliver bold action. And they must do so with purpose and urgency.”

Lord Robert Smith of Kelvin, who led the business engagement for the group, said: “It is evident that Scotland faces a lengthy road back to economic recovery and renewal. To succeed this must be led and delivered by the business community with the active support of government.

“I have engaged broadly with the business community over the last two months and there is consistent feedback. Across almost every sector, businesses are exposed to a collapse in demand and profitability, and with the threat of very significant job losses, generations are exposed to chronic economic harm.

“We need to restart the economy, get people back to work across the country, and invest in jobs and businesses that can succeed sustainably. A large part of that will mean securing a significantly enhanced relationship between government and business to ensure that policy and interventions can be delivered practically and with purpose.

“I therefore welcome the speed and conclusions of Benny’s Advisory Group – it has ambition and sets out a clear path for what is needed next for our economy to recover and renew as the restrictions of activity are lifted.”

towards-robust-resilient-wellbeing-economy-scotland

 

Getting tourism ready for recovery

A call has gone out to those with skills, expertise and experience, who are currently ‘furloughed’ or on a reduced working pattern, to help address the challenges facing Scotland’s tourism sector. 

In 2017, the sector provided employment for eight out of every 100 Scottish workers, but thousands of tourism business owners are naturally feeling anxious about the future in the wake of coronavirus.

The call to arms – ‘Getting ready for recovery’ – has been championed by around 120 alumni of the Destination Leaders Programme (DLP), a joint initiative for tourism industry professionals delivered for the past seven years by Edinburgh Napier University and Scottish Enterprise.

DLP alumni to mentor furloughed tourism workers along the road to recovery

The aim of the furlough initiative is to help small tourism businesses recover by providing targeted support and mentoring that can enable them to take forward identified actions, outputs and outcomes during this period of enforced reflection.

Professor Jane Ali-Knight (above) of Edinburgh Napier University’s Business School, explained: “It is intended that involvement will fall under the acceptable category of professional training for ‘furloughed’ professionals, and will help maintain and extend their professional skills, expertise, experience and network.”

This will mean projects taken up will be focused on objectives that underpin The Scottish Tourism Strategy to 2030, as well as wider destination leadership, development, management, industry resilience and recovery, and destination promotion.

Aileen Lamb from Scottish Enterprise said: “The objective is to support recovery and potential restructure of the Scottish tourism industry. We want to use this opportunity to encourage innovative thinking across a range of themes.

“Most importantly we want to encourage the supportive and adaptable nature of tourism professionals to shine. The initiative will include a weekly online session called DLP Assemble giving businesses a collaborative place to gather regular updates on initiatives and government funding as we look towards the point when restrictions can be lifted.”

Ali-Knight says: “We will guide participants on themes and tasks arising through the DLP Assemble initiative, to help form project groups with a good mix of experience and expertise, and to match groups with mentors and professional support.”

Kenneth Wardrop, a fellow DLP founder, says: “We want to act quickly, working with existing groups such as ETAG [Edinburgh Tourism Action Group] and STERG [Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group] in order to start applying practical thinking and solutions in response to the evolving and devastating impacts on Scotland’s tourism industry.”

Edinburgh Napier University is also running a free online course through FutureLearn to help small tourism businesses understand the power of data they hold or can access in helping them market themselves more effectively at this critical time.

‘Understanding Data in Tourism’ is open now for people to register for the next starting point, on 16 May, by visiting: 

futurelearn.com https://www.futurelearn.com/partners/edinburgh-napier-university

A first for Scotland: Recovery on board a canal boat in Edinburgh

On Tuesday (19th November), Joe Fitzpatrick – Minister for Public Health, Sport and Well-being will cut the ribbon and formally launch Scotland’s first canal boat providing services for the recovery community.

The Sorted Project is an Edinburgh charity established in 2008.  In recent years they have been hiring a canal boat on the Union Canal to support men and women in recovery from substance dependency and associated mental health issues.  The success of this work inspired the National Lottery Fund to support the commission of a fully accessible purpose-built canal boat named Panacea.

The service provides a tranquil environment where training and volunteering opportunities are available.

Project Manager Karen Bradford said: “We decided to launch Panacea on this date as it would be a special way to say thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund and to everyone who buys a National Lottery ticket.  

“Activity in recovery is an essential part of being well.  Our work helps to build resilience through being part of a community, being part of a crew and building hope for the future.  Learning to drive and crew a 60ft boat is a powerful way to learn new transferable skills and build self-belief and confidence.

“Funding from the National Lottery Community Fund has enabled us to develop this unique project and we have included people in recovery in not only shaping our work, but also designing the boat.  It’s a tremendous achievement and we are all very proud indeed.”

Tuesday 19th November is a significant date which sees the launch of Panacea and the 25th Birthday of the National Lottery. 

The boat was designed and built by specialist boat builders, Crafted Boats in Stoke Prior near Bromsgrove.  It was transported by road to Sandpoint Marina in Dumbarton.  A Sorted Project crew of 9 including staff, board members, volunteers and participants sailed the boat all the way back to Ratho near Edinburgh.  The journey took 4 days and was a wonderful experience and a great achievement for everyone involved.

Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: “It is a pleasure to launch the Panacea which offers such a unique and enterprising way to help people recover from their substance use and improve their mental health.

“Our drugs strategy challenges services to better meet the complex health and social needs of those who are most at risk and deliver services that address their specific circumstances.

“The Sorted Project is delivering a service which offers individuals the chance to develop their confidence and skills in a tranquil and relaxing setting where they can focus on their recovery.”

The Sorted Project is now delivering this unique service and aims to reach recovery communities along the Union Canal.

The launch event starts at midday with the ribbon cutting ceremony taking place at 3pm.

www.facebook.com/sortedproject

Emma chooses life to become LEAP’s 500th graduate

leap

A mother-of-two has achieved a major milestone after becoming the 500th graduate of a pioneering drug  and alcohol detox recovery programme. Emma Hogg has battled her addiction to alcohol to successfully complete the Lothian and Edinburgh Abstinence Programme (LEAP).

Continue reading Emma chooses life to become LEAP’s 500th graduate

Milestone reached as Penumbra wins health award

Penumbra Milestone wins innovation award

penumbra

An Edinburgh service for people with Alcohol Related Brain Damage (ARBD) has been recognised for its innovative approach at this year’s Scottish Health Awards, held in the capital this week. Continue reading Milestone reached as Penumbra wins health award

Carmichael welcomes positive economic report

money-001A report highlighting positive signs for Scotland’s economy has been welcomed by Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael.

The Bank of Scotland’s latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) survey says business activity rose at the fastest rate in six months in July, supporting continued employment growth. It also reports a ‘robust increase’ in overall new business and adds that Scotland’s private sector output increased at a “sharp and accelerated rate”.

The bank’s Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) – a measure of the month-on-month change in combined manufacturing and services business activity – was at a six-month high of 56.8, up for the second straight month from 55.9 in June and 54.0 in May.

Commenting on the latest economic report, Mr Carmichael said: “Today’s PMI report shows that being part of the UK with its larger market, stronger and growing economy and stable currency is creating more jobs and better opportunities for Scotland.

“As we move into the second half of 2014, this report shows that Scottish employment has grown for the 20th straight month. This builds on the encouraging economic signs so far this year, such as reaching a record high in employment, more Scottish women in work than ever before and the UK’s economy being predicted to grow faster than any other G7 economy.

“It is also very encouraging to see a rise in the number of new Scottish businesses. Backing small businesses is a vital part of the government’s long term economic plan. Since 2010, 3,300 entrepreneurial Scots have moved from Jobseekers Allowance to becoming their own boss and since its introduction in April this year, 57,000 Scottish businesses have already taken advantage of our employment allowance.”

Scotland Office