Tag: Scottish Government

Emergency planners meet as wild winds batter Scotland

FORTH ROAD BRIDGE CLOSED – lorry blown over

Ministers have been updated on preparations for the wintry weather expected in Scotland this week at a meeting of the Scottish Government’s resilience team yesterday. The Met Office has issued several Yellow (Be Aware) warnings for snow and strong winds from today through to Friday.

Details are available at http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings

The meeting, chaired by Deputy First Minister, John Swinney and Transport Minister, Humza Yousaf, covered planning for all major modes of transport and the utilities. The flood risk for Scotland remains low for the next few days.

The conditions will lead to some difficult driving conditions. The strong winds will be the most immediate issue with likely road bridge restrictions on Wednesday, especially for high-sided vehicles. When combined with the sleet and snow showers there is also a risk of snow drifts on higher routes on Thursday and Friday.

Gritting teams will be out across the period to help keep the trunk roads moving. Patrols will also be stationed at strategic locations on the network to make sure that they can respond to any emerging issues.

Disruption to other transport modes, especially ferries tomorrow, is a possibility and passengers should check the latest on conditions before they set-off on their journeys.

Utilities companies are putting the necessary arrangements in place to cope with incidents should they arise.

Transport Minister, Humza Yousaf said: “We will be seeing cold and windy conditions over the next few days and plans are in place to help us do all we can to mitigate the impact of the snow and gale force winds.

“The transport network is likely to be the first sector affected by strong winds on Wednesday with possibility of HGV restrictions on bridges. Our winter treatments will be carried-out across the period with patrols out where required. We have more gritters available than before and salt is in plentiful supply.

“Key routes will be monitored through our network of weather stations and live cameras and the Traffic Scotland National Traffic Control Centre will take all of this information and send it out to road users through the website and Traffic Scotland twitter feed on a 24/7 basis.

“We would ask that people keep the conditions in mind when they are making their travel plans and leave plenty of time. We are making as much information available as possible to allow the public to make informed decisions.  The winter treatments page on the Traffic Scotland website has details of which routes are being treated and our Trunk Road Gritter Tracker lets road users see where gritters have been out in the last 24 hours.

“Travel operators websites will have all of the relevant information on ferries, rail and air and Traffic Scotland has a webpage with all of these links. The advice is to check before travel to make sure that you get to your destination safely.”

Chief Superintendent Andy Edmonston, Head of Road Policing, said: “With a risk of weather-related disruption for the remainder of the working week, motorists should bear in mind the risk of potentially hazardous driving conditions to come.

“If you are traveling, please ensure your vehicle is well prepared before setting off; making sure your windscreens are completely free of snow and ice; ensure your number plate is clear; and your lights are working and clean.

“Ensure you have sufficient fuel in the vehicle, as well as supplies for yourself and passengers, including food, water, warm clothes and a fully charged mobile phone. Check your route before you set off, and consider options for an alternative route, if necessary. Be aware public transport could be disrupted and restrictions could be in effect on road bridges.

“Motorists should also adapt their driving to suit road conditions, as well as the behaviour of other road users, including leaving more space between vehicles.

“Road Policing crews will be patrolling the trunk roads and other priority routes to keep people safe during this period – please follow our advice and travel with caution.”

The Scottish Government’s annual resilience marketing campaign, Ready Scotland, is a good reminder of the simple actions we can all take to prepare for adverse conditions.  Further information is available at www.readyscotland.org

FORTH ROAD BRIDGE CLOSED

The Forth Road Bridge is likely to remain closed until after the rush hour after an articulated lorry was blown over at 2am this morning

 

Lifeline for missing people

The national charity which helps missing people reconnect with their loved ones has received Scottish Government funding to increase the help available to missing people in Scotland.

There are more than 30,000 reports of missing people in Scotland each year, with nearly two-thirds of incidents involving a child or young person. Missing People runs a helpline which provides free, confidential advice to missing adults and children, and their families, connecting them with the support that they desperately need.

The charity has received more than £90,000 over two years to connect with more children and young people in Scotland and help them find safety and support. The funding will also help make sure the right support agencies and professionals are linked into the helpline.

At the same time the government is working with partners including Police Scotland, local councils, Shelter, Barnardo’s and Missing People to develop a National Missing Persons Framework, to reduce the harm related to people going missing and raise awareness of the many causes of going missing and the associated dangers.

Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, Annabelle Ewing, said:

“There are many reasons why people go missing and we know they can be particularly vulnerable when missing, potentially finding themselves in situations of real risk. We want to improve access to the support available for those who go missing  in Scotland which is why we are supporting Missing People to expand on their vital helpline.

“It is particularly important that our children and young people who go missing or are at risk of going missing know how to find the help they need to ensure safety and address the reasons behind why they went or want to go missing.

“When someone goes missing it is also a terrible experience for their loved ones and Missing People also provides much-needed support to the families of those who are missing.

“As we work with partners to try and prevent people going missing, and reduce the harm when they do, we will not forget the real impact that going missing has on people and their loved ones.”

Susannah Drury, Director of Services and Advocacy at the charity Missing People, said:

“We are delighted that the Scottish Government has renewed its commitment to supporting vulnerable missing children and young people with this funding.

“By building key partnerships with Police Scotland, other charities and local councils, the charity is committed to finding and supporting more missing children and young people across Scotland.

“When a child goes missing it is nearly always a sign that something is very wrong. These funds from the Scottish Government will help ensure that we can be here for free, 24/7 without judgement at the end of the phone when a missing child needs to talk through their options or get help to stay safe.”

The Forth dimension

3D scans of Forth Bridges to power educational games and learning

Incredibly detailed 3D scans of the Forth Bridge will form the basis for interactive games promoting engineering skills for school children, it was announced yesterday.

First announced in 2014, the £300,000 scanning project was one of the most challenging and complex 3D scans undertaken anywhere in the world. It has amassed a data-cloud of many billions of dimensionally accurate points on the structures of the Forth Bridge, Forth Road Bridge and the partially built Queensferry Crossing.

Now a further grant of £425,000 from Transport Scotland has enabled Scottish digital heritage experts to start work on learning games, augmented reality apps, real-time interactive models for virtual headset tours and video fly-throughs for release in 2018, all aimed at developing STEM skills among pupils in Scottish schools.

In the meantime, the project has released a stunning animation of the “point cloud” data of the Forth Bridge and Forth Road Bridge:

 https://youtu.be/ikLjgXXAMas

Transport Scotland funded the project on behalf of the Forth Bridges Forum and the laser scanning and digital development work has been carried out by the Centre for Digital Documentation and Visualisation (CDDV), a partnership between The Glasgow School of Art’s School of Simulation and Visualisation and Historic Environment Scotland.

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said: “The Forth Bridges represent Scotland’s industrial past, creative present and our dynamic and innovative future. They are the pinnacle of world-leading design and engineering and it’s right that we conserve and protect them and also seek to inspire and educate the young engineers of the future.

“If the bridges are a globally unique showcase of Scotland’s world-class engineering skills, this amazing 3D scanning project also showcases the world-leading design, research and innovation in our Higher Education institutions.

“The possibilities for this comprehensive digital data are almost endless. It allows the production of detailed information and tools for conservation, educational resources, improving accessibility and delivering virtual records to help health and safety training as well as promoting tourism.

“It is already delivering early benefits. Our commitment to the work was a crucial element in securing World Heritage status for the Forth Bridge last year (2015). In addition, the Forth Road Bridge scans had only just been undertaken when maintenance issues forced the prolonged closure of the structure last winter. I understand the engineers were able to use the scans as part of diagnosing and solving the problem with the truss-end links.

“But now, rightly, our focus is education and creating learning tools to educate and inspire the young engineers of the future.”

The laser scanning work began in May 2015 and involved a total of 90 days digitally documenting the bridges on foot, from ropes, vehicles and boats. Mobile mapping was undertaken in partnership with Leica Geosystems UK. It has created a huge point cloud mapping the structures and their overall physical footprint over 3.6 square kilometre.

It has also been one of the most complex 3D scanning projects undertaken anywhere in the world given the vagaries of the three different structures and physical and environmental challenges faced by the team.

Alastair Rawlinson, Head of Data Acquisition at The Glasgow School of Art and CDDV said: “Laser scanning each of the three bridges has posed unique challenges for our team. We have had to use our combined experience, gained through digitally documenting globally iconic structures such as the Sydney Opera House and Mount Rushmore to create innovative methodologies to allow us to capture these incredible bridges in great detail.

“We will now use this specialised 3D dataset to develop interactive learning resources based on advanced gaming technologies and virtual reality to make the information accessible to school children across Scotland and beyond.”

Miles Oglethorpe, Head of Historic Environment Scotland’s Industrial Heritage team responsible for preparing the successful World Heritage nomination of The Forth Bridge, said: “Having such an extraordinary, detailed and accurate 3D record of The Forth Bridge is a tremendous advantage for us as we set about sharing Scotland’s sixth World Heritage Site with the World.

“UNESCO expects us to celebrate our World Heritage, and to convey it to as big an audience as possible. The latest digital technologies not only make this possible, but also allows us to consider ways of tackling some of the wider recording issues facing other World Heritage Sites across the world.”

A panel of experts, including school teachers, Napier University and the Institute of Civil Engineers, is helping CDDV develop options for the data. The work is now focusing on highly detailed models of the bridges and a suite of education materials including two digital learning games based on building the Forth Bridge for school children, an augmented reality app to showcase the industrial heritage of the bridges and a virtual reality headset-based “virtual tour” of the Forth Bridge and Forth Road Bridge. The materials are expected to be rolled-out in mid-2018.

 

Party time: More cash for Edinburgh festivals

Extra £300,000 to mark 70th anniversary

The Scottish Government will provide an extra £300,000 to support the Edinburgh Festivals in 2017-18 – their 70th anniversary. The Edinburgh Festivals were born in 1947, led by the Edinburgh International Festival, with the Festival Fringe and Film Festivals created in the same year. The city’s festivals will now receive £2.3 million in public funding. Continue reading Party time: More cash for Edinburgh festivals

Childcare consultation: one week to have your say

Parents, carers, providers and all those with an interest in early years and childcare are being urged to respond to a Scottish Government consultation before it closes next week. It seeks views on the wide range of policy options available to deliver the Scottish Government’s commitment to almost double free early learning and childcare to 1140 hours per year by 2020. Continue reading Childcare consultation: one week to have your say