Community projects tackling poverty and disadvantage will receive £27 million funding over the next three years.
Food pantries which help lower food bills and cost of living advice services are among the 100 initiatives developed by local people set to receive grants from the Investing in Communities Fund.
Among the successful Edinburgh bids are Community Renewal, who receive funding for Our Neighbourhood: A new hyperlocal Community Wealth Building partnership, Dr Bell’s Family Centre (Start Well, Live Well: Wellbeing Support for Families in Leith programme), Fresh Start (Fresh Connections) and North Edinburgh Arts (Link Up).
Other Edinburgh projects to receive funding include The Broomhouse Centre, The Venchie Children and Young People’s Project and WHALE Arts Agency in Wester Hailes.
Final details of the grants allocated will be made public after letters of acceptance have been received.
Supported projects are delivering multiple activities, including:
debt and benefit advice to avoid electricity and gas disconnection or eviction for rent arrears in South East Glasgow
a furniture reuse scheme in Inverness and a swap and repair shop in West Lothian
community food growing in South West Glasgow
school uniform exchanges and supporting parents into employment in South Lanarkshire
help for mothers establishing micro businesses in South West Edinburgh
training for jobseekers and counselling to address mental health and substance abuse issues in the Borders
Community Wealth Minister Tom Arthur said: “This fund will help directly address issues facing disadvantaged communities, such as unemployment and food insecurity.
“We have been clear that the Scottish Budget is prioritising our limited resources to tackle child poverty, invest in our transition to net zero, and protect public services. And the projects supported through Investing in Communities speak to these priorities.
“Many will help ease immediate challenges from the cost of living crisis but also support communities in delivering longer term plans to address poverty.”
A special meeting of the EIS Salaries Committee, held online today, has unanimously rejected the latest revised pay offer from the Scottish Government and COSLA.
The new offer, announced in the media yesterday before it was given to teaching unions, offers only a marginal improvement on previously rejected offers. As a result, the EIS will reject the offer and continue with its current programme of strike action until a more credible offer is put onto negotiating table.
Commenting this afternoon, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “This is another inadequate offer to Scotland’s teachers, which was unanimously rejected by the EIS Salaries Committee earlier today.
“The 6% value of the offer for 2022-23 is insufficient, with CPI inflation currently sitting today at 10.5%. The 6% offer for this year is only 1% less of a pay cut than that previously offered, twice, by the Scottish Government and COSLA.
“Teachers have already lost more than 1% of their salaries through being forced into strike action so, essentially, teachers already more than paid for this revised offer themselves. This is just yet more smoke and mirrors from the Scottish Government and COSLA in attempting to make this offer appear more generous than it actually is.”
Ms Bradley continued, “The suggested year two component of 5.5% hasn’t been negotiated via the appropriate forum, the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), at all. Indeed, teaching unions haven’t even submitted our pay claim for 2023/24 yet, as a consequence of the current dispute.
“In attempting to tag on next year’s pay settlement, without any negotiation at all, the Scottish Government and COSLA are attempting to tie the hands not just of teacher trade unions but all public sector unions – and this is unacceptable to the EIS.”
Ms Bradley added, “The conduct of the Scottish Government and COSLA in this process has been equally unacceptable. From dragging the process out interminably, to seeking to create divisions both between different grades of teachers and different groups of workers, to seeking to bypass the agreed negotiating processes and sharing information on pay offers with the media before sharing them with the trade unions representing teachers – these have not been good-faith actions.
“Their emphasis throughout has been on spin rather than genuine attempts to reach an agreed pay settlement through proper negotiation.”
Ms Bradley went on to add, “As a result of the clear decision to reject this offer, taken by our Salaries Committee today, our Executive Committee has also unanimously agreed that the current programme of strike action will continue as scheduled.
“The EIS remains, as ever, willing and available to engage in further discussions with both the Scottish Government and COSLA, through the appropriate forum within the SNCT, to attempt to reach a resolution to this dispute.”
The EIS has emailed its members this afternoon, advising on the decisions to reject the offer and continue with strike action and the reasoning behind those decisions.
DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME: INDUSTRY AND UK GOVERNMENT MUST SUPPORT SCOTLAND’S ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS
Environmental campaigners have said that Scotland’s deposit return scheme should be delivered without any more unnecessary delay.
After 5 years of planning, Scotland’s deposit return scheme is due to launch on 16 August 2023. With the UK Government recently announcing its plans for DRS in England and Wales and calls for more clarity from the industry led scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland, there have been calls to delay Scottish plans.
The deposit return scheme will work by people paying a 20p deposit when they buy a drink in a single-use container made of plastic, metal or glass. When the containers are returned, this provides a guaranteed source of high-quality materials for recycling.
The scheme also makes sure producers take full financial and environmental responsibility for the proper collection of their packaging. The Scottish Government has engaged with businesses of all sizes and addressed many of their concerns throughout the development of the scheme.
Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme must start on time in August 2023.
“Businesses in Scotland have had five years to prepare for DRS and many of them will already be familiar with how these schemes operate in other countries. It’s time for Circularity Scotland, the industry-led scheme administrator, to deliver the planned DRS to the people of Scotland without delay.
“While it is encouraging that the UK Government has committed to its own scheme, it should not be seeking to slow down environmental progress in the devolved nations. Politicians should be seizing this opportunity to take urgent action to combat waste and move to a more circular economy.
“Suggestions that DRS will cost consumers are irresponsible – like existing deposit return schemes in other countries, it will be simple for customers to claim their 20p deposit back from any shop participating in the scheme.”
Dr Kat Jones, Director of APRS, which has been running the Have You Got The Bottle? campaign since 2014, said: “We have seen the support among the Scottish public for deposit return since the outset of the campaign.
“This scheme works well in other countries where it has reduced the litter we see in our towns and countryside, cut carbon emissions, and resulted in savings for local authorities. However, the scheme has been delayed twice in response to industry foot dragging.
“We are all trying to do our bit to reduce waste, but the onus should be on the large companies creating the issue. Deposit return schemes work to shift responsibility for waste back to the companies creating it and away from the environment and society. We need industry to work with the Scottish Government in order to create a scheme that works for businesses, communities, and the environment.”
Catherine Gemmell, Scotland Conservation Officer for the Marine Conservation Society said: “Scotland’s seas cannot, and should not, be paying the price for our waste.
“Marine Conservation Society volunteers have been picking up cans and bottles for decades on beaches, but we need to put a stop to them getting there in the first place. During last year’s Great British Beach Clean, 93% of Scottish beaches surveyed found drinks-related litter.
“We know Deposit Return Schemes have huge potential to turn the tide on this kind of pollution. Circularity Scotland need to implement the Scheme in August, for the benefit of both people and planet.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced her intention to resign as First Minister
The First Minister told a press conference this morning: “Being First Minister of Scotland is, in my opinion, the best job in the world. It is a privilege beyond measure – one that has sustained and inspired me, in good times and through the toughest hours of my toughest days.
“Since my first moments in the job, I have believed that part of serving well would be to know – almost instinctively – when the time is right to make way for someone else. And when that time comes, to have the courage to do so. In my head and my heart I know that time is now.
“Today, I am announcing my intention to step down as First Minister and leader of my party. I will remain in office until my successor is in place.
“I have been First Minister for over eight years, and I was Deputy First Minister for the best part of eight years before that. These jobs are a privilege but they are also – rightly – hard. And, it is only possible to give absolutely everything to a job of this nature for so long.
“Given the nature and scale of the challenges the country faces, I feel that duty, first and foremost, to our country – to ensure that it does have the energy of leadership it needs, not just today, but through the years that remain of this parliamentary term.
“We are at a critical moment. The blocking of a referendum as the accepted, constitutional route to independence is a democratic outrage. But it puts the onus on us to decide how Scottish democracy will be protected and to ensure that the will of the Scottish people prevails.
“I am firmly of the view that there is now majority support for independence. But that support needs to be solidified – and it needs to grow further if our independent Scotland is to have the best possible foundation.
“To achieve that we need to reach across the divide in Scottish politics, and my judgement now is that this needs a new leader.
“It has always been my belief that no one individual should be dominant in any system for too long. But, as a leader, while it’s easy to hold that view in the abstract, it is harder to live by it.
“I consider this decision to be the right one for me, my party and the country. I hope it can also be the right one for our politics. If all parties were to take this opportunity to try to de-polarise public debate just a bit, to focus more on issues, and to reset the tone and tenor of our discourse.
“There will also be time in the days to come for me to say thank you properly to a very long list of people without whom I wouldn’t have lasted a single day in this job, let alone eight years. For now let me say thank you for all you have done for me, the government and the country.”
More than £130 million has been distributed to thousands of families with disabled children since the launch of a Scottish Government benefit.
The latest official figures show the families of over 54,000 children and young people were receiving Child Disability Payment in December last year.
Just over 13,000 of these are from new applications. More than 41,000 children and young people have had their award transferred from Disability Living Allowance for children from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to Child Disability Payment.
Social Security Scotland are on course to have transferred the awards of almost everyone still receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for Children in Scotland by Spring.
Child Disability Payment helps cover the extra costs of caring for a disabled or terminally ill child or young person.
Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “Child Disability Payment helps parents to support their children and assists young people to live their lives to the fullest. Therefore, it is welcome news that so far more than £130 million in Child Disability Payments has been distributed to thousands of families with disabled children, to help cover extra costs.
“New applications are increasing, and Social Security Scotland is working to process these as quickly as they can, while seeking to ensure that right decisions are made first time. We are only being asked to look again at decisions in a very small proportion of cases.
“The process of transferring people’s awards from the DWP’s DLA for children to our Child Disability Payment is also continuing at pace, and on course to be almost entirely complete in the Spring.
“The Scottish social security system has been designed in partnership with those who have experience of applying for benefits previously. This has helped us to build a system that is easier to access, and where people are treated with dignity, fairness and respect.
“I urge anyone who thinks they, their child or someone they know may be eligible for Scottish Government benefits to check and apply.”
Jamee Killin, from Edinburgh, applied for Child Disability Payment for her daughter who has ADHD. She said: “The process of applying was straightforward and the staff were extremely helpful.
“I have already recommended it to people and would urge anyone who thinks they might be eligible to apply.”
Most teachers will see their salaries rise by 11.5% in April – IF a new pay offer is accepted
LOCAL Government umbrella body COSLA last night submitted an improved offer to unions to resolve the long-running teachers pay dispute.
The deal – the fifth offered to unions – would mean an overall increase of more than £5,000 over two years for the 70% of classroom teachers who are at the top of their main grade pay scale.
It would amount to a cumulative rise of almost 30% for most teachers since January 2018 and would bring the starting salary for a fully qualified teacher – already the highest in the UK – to £37,719 after probation.
The revised offer, agreed by the Scottish Government and COSLA, is:
2022-23
6% for all staff earning up to £80,000 from 1 April 2022
£4,800 for all those earning in excess of £80,000
2023-24
5.5% for all staff earning up to £80,000 from 1 April 2023
£4,400 for all those earning in excess of £80,000
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Teachers make an invaluable contribution to the lives of our children and young people. This significant offer, if accepted by unions, would see teacher pay increase by almost 30% since January 2018.
“While union demands for an in-year 10% increase are unaffordable within the Scottish Government’s fixed budget, we have looked for compromise and we have arrived at a deal that is fair, affordable, and sustainable for everyone involved.
“The Scottish Government is supporting this new offer with additional funding of £156 million. This is on top of the £50 million that we have already provided to local authorities in support of an enhanced pay offer for teachers.
“The offer is being made at a time of extraordinary financial pressure on the Scottish Government budget. Difficult decisions will have to be made to free up the required resources. This reflects our commitment to reach a fair agreement and avoid further disruption to children and young people’s education.
“I have written to the unions asking that their members are given the opportunity to consider this new offer, which is the fifth to be tabled. While they do so, I have asked that they suspend any planned industrial action. This would minimise any further disruption to learning, particularly in the run up to the SQA exam diet.”
COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann said: “Given the funding assurances received from the Scottish Government, Leaders have agreed to submit a revised offer to the Trade Unions tonight.
“COSLA Leaders are clear that it is in all of our interests, not least those of children, young people and families, to conclude the teachers’ pay negotiations as quickly as we can to bring back stability and certainty in our schools.
“We are determined to provide a fair and affordable pay offer to all our employees, including teachers. In that regard, following today’s meeting Leaders agreed to mandate me to take a refreshed offer to the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) and we hope that this is acceptable to them.”
Teachers’ union EIS responded late last might: “The EIS has now received formal notification of a revised pay offer from COSLA. This came well after details of the revised offer were shared with media outlets. This is disrespectful of the appropriate negotiating process through the SNCT.”
The EIS, who had been seeking a 10% rise, will look at the detail of the latest offer today before deciding whether to put the offer to members.
Projects returning former industrial or derelict sites to community use will be more likely to be approved following the introduction of long term planning reforms.
Planning Minister Tom Arthur visited the £4.2 million Lochshore development at the former Glengarnock Steelworks in Ayrshire to see progress transforming a former heavy industry site into parkland for the benefit of local people and visitors.
Local authorities are encouraged to support proposals for development that will help restore green spaces under the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4), as part of local development plans. The policy against which planning applications will be assessed for the next decade comes into effect today.
Policies in the NPF4 will also:
enable more renewable energy generation, outside National Parks and National Scenic Areas, to support the transition away from reliance on fossil fuels
Regenerate city and town centres to help them adapt to economic change while restricting some out of town retail and drive through developments
Support the delivery of good quality, affordable homes in neighbourhoods where people can easily access shops, schools and workplaces within a 20 minute walk or cycle
Mr Arthur said: “The Scottish Government has supported this transformation from a derelict site which was holding back development in North Ayrshire into a significant new visitor attraction and sports facility.
“Our reforms represent a turning point for planning, a strong signal of support for healthier communities and prosperous local economies. They can help promote local renewal at sites across Scotland in line with the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.
“This Framework gives local planners across the country the green light to build the fairer, greener Scotland we want to see to tackle climate change and benefit future generations.”
North Ayrshire Council Provost Anthea Dickson said: “We are delighted to welcome the Minister and show what an incredible facility we have here in the Garnock Valley.
“Since officially opening late last year, the Lochshore Park Hub has already proven to be a popular destination for local residents and visitors alike. Not only is it an attractive, vibrant facility but as we move on to the next stages of its development, the benefits it provides will become even greater.
“This wouldn’t have been possible without close collaboration with the local community who have been integral to its development from the very early stages – it’s a real testament to community spirit.”
NHS Lothian will move to Stage 2 of NHS Scotland’s national performance framework for paediatric audiology following improvements.
The health board has made significant progress, completing almost 81% of the recommendations outlined by the British Academy of Audiology (BAA) following an independent review of services in 2021. This includes improvements in governance and culture.
As part of the Stage 2 escalation level, robust measures will remain in place, ensuring that Scottish Government officials continue to provide direct support to NHS Lothian.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The de-escalation of NHS Lothian to Stage 2 for paediatric audiology is a positive step forward and highlights the significant progress the board has made towards the BAA’s recommendations.
“I would like to thank all staff at the board for their hard work to implement robust and sustainable changes, to continue to improve the service and to deliver high quality patient care. I want to ensure families across Scotland are assured their child is getting the best possible audiology support.
“We will work closely with and support the board over the coming months as it continues to provide high quality services. A wider Independent review of audiology services in Scotland is on-going and due to report to the Scottish Government this Spring.”
NHS Lothian was moved to escalation Stage 3 in December 2021 on the NHS Board Performance Escalation Framework for Paediatric Audiology.
An independent audit and governance review into the Paediatric Audiology service at NHS Lothian was established following the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Investigative report into Child A’s audiology care at the health board. Following that publication, the BAA was commissioned by NHS Lothian to help fulfil recommendations from that report.
The decision on a board’s Stage 3 Escalated position sits with the Director General for Health and Social Care.
Hospitality businesses will be able to place tables and chairs on the pavement outside their premises without submitting a planning application under measures expected to come into force at the end of next month.
Strong support was expressed in a public consultation for the extension of permitted development rights to enable more cafés, bars and restaurants to offer outdoor eating and drinking. Regulations to implement the measures were laid in the Scottish Parliament on Friday 10 February for approval by MSPs.
Councils will, however, retain powers to prevent and deal with obstructions that make it difficult for people to access pavements safely and effectively, for example people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments, or families with children in pushchairs.
The 12-week consultation also backed the relaxation of planning rules for the conversion of certain premises into cafes, restaurants, or small-scale offices, as well as the installation of larger electric vehicle charging equipment in car parks. If approved by Parliament, all these measures would be allowed under certain circumstances without the need for a planning application.
Planning Minister Tom Arthur said: “These measures will support Scotland’s town and city centre businesses to thrive.
“More flexible use of outdoor space can help the hospitality industry recover from the pandemic and cost crisis, while making city and town centres more attractive and welcoming.
“The important safeguards for councils seek to ensure that no one should be prevented from using pavements and visiting town and city centres safely. A more streamlined approach to changes of use can help businesses respond more rapidly to shifting circumstances, support reuse of vacant premises and encourage the return of workers and shoppers to our town and city centres.
“Simplifying planning rules for electric vehicle chargers will support the roll-out of infrastructure across Scotland as part of our commitment to tackling climate change and making Scotland a Net Zero nation.
“These measures will help deliver our ambition to create a fairer, greener and wealthier Scotland, by making places more attractive for people to live, work and visit.”
Communities across Scotland will be able to prepare and take action sooner to protect themselves from flooding as a new three-day Scottish Flood Forecast launches.
Developed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Met Office, the Scottish Flood Forecast provides the earliest indication possible of when and where flooding is expected over the next three days, and whether the source is from rivers, surface water or the sea.
In addition, the colour coded map on SEPA’s website describes the potential impacts on communities and links to advice and information on what protective action people can take if required. It also offers reassurance when significant flooding is not expected.
The Scottish Flood Forecast was developed following extensive research involving the public, community flood groups, emergency responders, partner organisations and both SEPA and Met Office employees. Feedback from more than 200 users was also gathered during a trial phase from May last year.
Gail Walker is from the Tillicoultry, Devonside and Coalsnaughton Flood Group (Tideco): “The Scottish Flood Forecast is an important information source for Tideco. Advance warning of flooding supports us to work out how we can best respond to weather events with the resources we have.
“Tillicoultry has a number of flooding issues and is a known flooding ‘hot spot’. This can include surface water and sewage flooding within residential streets, as well as flooding from the Tillicoultry Burn and the River Devon, which both have a history of having flooded out homes in the past. Whilst we have some flood defence measures in place, we still have areas that are vulnerable.
“The Scottish Flood Forecast is a useful trigger for the group to plan, prepare and to make sure volunteers are in areas where we know there is the potential for flooding. The key role of Tideco is to warn, inform and offer support to those at risk of flooding or who may have been impacted.”
The forecast is produced every morning, 365 days a year, and published on SEPA’s website. It is an additional tool for the public to use alongside the current Floodline service, which issues shorter notice Regional Flood Alerts and Local Flood Warnings to those signed up, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said: “Flooding can cause utter devastation to people and communities, as we saw again in several parts of the country in November and December last year.
“The impact of the climate emergency, across the world and here in Scotland, means that flooding will be more frequent. That is why it’s so important that we increase community resilience and take action to manage flood risk.
“The Scottish Flood Forecast will give people a three day look ahead to help make plans for travel and ensure safety and is a product of the excellent partnership working between SEPA and the Met Office.
“This new three-day forecast is a helpful addition to the other important services, such as Floodline, that the Scottish Flood Forecasting Service provides.”
Nicole Paterson, SEPA Chief Executive, added: “The Scottish Flood Forecast has been the biggest change to SEPA’s flood warning service in the last decade and is a major step forward in helping communities become more resilient to flooding.
“This winter we were reminded why that is so important, as parts of Scotland experienced damaging impacts from flooding – notably Aberdeenshire and Angus in November and Dumfries and Galloway in December.
“While the Scottish Flood Forecast currently displays information at a national level, work will continue on the forecast to gradually introduce localised information.”
Ian Cameron, Met Office Markets Director, said: “Every day the Met Office and SEPA teams work in close partnership to publish the Scottish Flood Forecast, providing guidance to the flood forecasting team at the Scottish Flood Forecasting Service (SFFS) with the latest weather information.
“Working together in the SFFS Partnership enables the Met Office and SEPA to achieve more together and create a more resilient environment.”
