Over 300 people turned up in their droves to The Centre, Livingston at the weekend, (29th November), for the opening of the pop culture retailer, MINISO, over four hours before the store opened, including the first customers, mum Helen Cornwell from Linlithgow and her daughters, Bonnie, (10) and Andie, (8) who are big fans of the brand.
The opening was marked with a celebratory ribbon cutting at 12noon, live music and a visit from MINISO’S mascot PenPen. The first 200 shoppers who spent £5 also received a goody bag worth £25.
The brand is known for its colourful and trendy design-led lifestyle products, including unique collectables, fun stationary, plush toys and figurines from brands like Hello Kitty, Harry Potter and Friends, and its beauty and homeware range.
Mum Helen who was in the queue before 8am, said: “My daughters love everything about MINISO, including the soft toys and keyrings, so I thought I’d make their day and start queuing up early with them to get a first peek and the wait was well worth it!
“They both loved browsing the store and getting a goody bag too. I have a feeling we’ll be regular visitors!”
The opening of MINISO follows on from three other launches at the shopping centre over the past three weeks, including the Danish global brand, Flying Tiger on Friday 28th November, where over 200 people queued for over an hour and The Works the day before.
The opening of Wingstop on the 10th November also attracted huge crowds, with over 200 fans queuing for over two hours to be first in line to get their hands on the famous wings.
The new arrivals follow on from additional recent openings, including the jewellers, F.Hinds at The Centre, Livingston,
The shopping centre, which is one of the largest in Scotland, is owned by LCP UK, part of M Core, one of Europe’s leading privately owned commercial property development and management companies and welcomes over 14.8m visitors a year.
It has over 150 shops and restaurants, all under one roof, including River Island, Flannels, H&M, Pandora, Hotel Chocolat, wagamama and Nando’s, and 7,000 parking spaces.
Simon Eatough, Director at LCP UK, part of M Core and Asset Manager of The Centre, Livingston, said: “This has been a really exciting time for us and our shoppers at The Centre, Livingston as we welcome four new brands to the shopping centre, including MINISO, Flying Tiger, The Works and Wingstop.
“There was such a fantastic buzz in the air at the weekend, not only with shoppers turning up to get a first glimpse of the new stores but also to enjoy some of the Black Friday sales.
“Our new openings continue to further enhance our offering for visitors to enjoy a great day out shopping and dining out at their favourite stores and restaurants in the run-up to Christmas.”
One of the largest regeneration projects of its kind in Scotland, to develop a £1.3bn environmentally friendly coastal town on the Capital’s largest brownfield site at Granton Waterfront, is set to take a huge step forward.
The delivery plans include new housing which will be enhanced with a new primary school (the school to be delivered through a separate contract), retail units, public and open green space.
This would be achieved through entering into a development agreement with Cruden Homes to deliver site wide enabling, infrastructure and new homes.
Each of the 847 new homes will be fitted with an air source heat pump providing residents who move in with new, warm, energy efficient ‘net zero ready’ homes, with fairly priced energy bills.
At least 45% of the homes will be affordable – 214 will be for social rent with the rest a mixture of mid-market rent and homes for sale. Some will also be suitable for families who require wheelchair accessibility.
The revitalisation of Granton Waterfront’s historic buildings and industrial built heritage, coupled with the delivery of new leisure and recreation opportunities, will significantly increase visitors to the area, creating new local employment opportunities.
The overall development will make a significant contribution to Edinburgh’s target to become a net zero carbon city, through a mix of energy efficient buildings, gas free heat solutions, cycling and walking paths and a nature-based approach to climate mitigation and adaptation.
This exciting regeneration in the north of Edinburgh, set to start early next year and due for completion in 2033 will build on early action projects already underway in Granton Waterfront. If approved by the Finance and Resources Committee on Tuesday, 18 November, the business case will then be considered by Council on Thursday, 18 December.
Some of these projects are already complete with others taking shape. Tenants are already living in 75 new ‘net zero ready homes’ for social and mid-market rent at Granton Station View. A short distance away Western Villages has 444 ‘net zero ready’ homes for social, mid-market rent and some for sale, which are nearly all occupied. A further 143 ‘net zero ready’ social and mid-market rent homes at Silverlea are also due for completion in Summer 2026.
At the heart of this nationally significant development of Edinburgh’s coastline sits the Granton Gasholder now known as ‘Gasholder 1 Park’.
The iconic gasholder frame has been restored and can be seen for miles around as it is lit up after dark. It has a new public park created within the frame making it a spectacular focal point in the area. The historic former Granton Station has been refurbished as a creative hub and has a new civic square in its grounds.
The Pitt has opened in a repurposed industrial building at 20 West Shore Road and the core path through the development has been upgraded and named Speirs Bruce Way.
Council Leader Jane Meagher said:“The £1.3bn regeneration of Edinburgh’s coastline is hugely significant for our Capital city. It is the largest public sector led project of its kind in Scotland. Over the next 10 to 15 years, it will continue to set the standard for sustainable economic growth in Edinburgh.
“We’re using the largest brownfield site we own to deliver the first phase of this project, with our development partner Cruden Homes. We will be delivering new and affordable, energy efficient ‘net zero ready’ homes which will provide our residents with fairly priced energy bills.
“The retail and leisure units we will deliver will provide an opportunity for local people to enjoy recreation and access employment. We’ll also be improving public transport and cycling and walking paths as well as education services. Our aim is to help to reduce child poverty as well as address the nature and climate emergencies we face locally and globally.
“Our investment in this major project for the Capital further reinforces our approach across the city to achieve low carbon affordable living for as many of our residents as possible. Our aim is to make Edinburgh more inclusive and well connected to support prosperity and wellbeing for those in the Granton Waterfront area and across the city region.”
Fraser Lynes, Managing Director of Cruden Homes, said:“We’re proud to be playing a leading role in delivering this landmark regeneration of Edinburgh’s coastline.
“Granton Waterfront is a bold and innovative project that will create a distinctive new coastal neighbourhood with a real sense of place, centred around much-needed, high-quality, energy-efficient homes and sustainable infrastructure.
“Working in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, we’re not only building net zero ready homes but also creating valuable community benefits, from local employment and apprenticeships to investment in skills and supply chains.
“This next phase marks an exciting milestone in shaping a more inclusive, sustainable and connected future for the Capital.”
Phase 1 of the project has been made possible through the Council securing funding from the Scottish Government – capital grant funding from its Housing Infrastructure Fund as part of its commitment through the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, along with revenue funding through an innovative Place Based Accelerator grant. This was formulated with the support of Scottish Futures Trust.
The Place Based Accelerator grant is an innovative funding model that will allow the Council to take forward the development in return for achieving outcomes for the people in the north of Edinburgh including achieving targets related to improvements to health and wellbeing, educational attainment and local employment opportunities.
Granton Waterfront regeneration supports the delivery of the City of Edinburgh Council Business Plan, the Edinburgh City Mobility Plan, Edinburgh City Plan 2030, Climate Ready Edinburgh Plan 2024 – 2030 and the Edinburgh 2030 Climate Strategy. It also supports the delivery of key national policy objectives as set out in NPF 4, Housing to 2040 and the Programme for Government, 2025-2026.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: “For people living in Granton and north Edinburgh, this investment means real improvements to daily life. Families will have access to affordable, energy-efficient homes that are cheaper to heat.
“Young people will get construction training and local job opportunities. Parents will see new safe walking and cycling routes to schools and shops and green spaces where their children can play.
“Our support for this project is directly tied to delivering outcomes that matter to local people—improving health and wellbeing, creating jobs that go to local residents first and supporting community organisations.”
Neil Rutherford, Senior Associate Director at the Scottish Futures Trust, said: “This innovative outcomes-based Place Accelerator, backed by Scottish Government and partners, is unlocking new opportunities for people in north Edinburgh and delivering benefits for the wider city.
“We believe the Place Accelerator shows how smart funding and collaboration can turn ambition into action, helping create healthier, fairer, and more prosperous communities.”
Ambitious plans to develop a mixed-use centre at the heart of East Lothian’s new town, Blindwells, including more affordable homes, have been submitted for approval.
The project proposals, led by regeneration and property development specialist Hargreaves Land, could see new shops, offices, restaurants, supermarket and business space all constructed on 5 acres at Blindwells.
Included in the plans are sixty affordable apartments overlooking the newly created Princes Loch. Also proposed are a new wellbeing centre, care home, gym and community space as part of ambitious plans to create a sustainable and pedestrian friendly town centre.
Extra bus stops, active travel paths and electrical vehicle (EV) charge points are also proposed, supporting the principles of a ‘20-minute neighbourhood’. This approach is based around creating communities to allow residents to meet their daily requirements within a few minutes’ walk of their front doors and includes access to sustainable modes of travel.
Hargreaves Land, which is working with planning and development consultants Turley and EMA architects to bring forward its plans, expects the move will create a ‘vibrant and bustling’ new centre at the heart of Blindwells, delivering a significant economic boost for the local area in the process.
This includes hundreds of jobs in the construction, supply chain, and local services sectors, which could all follow if the latest phase of development gets the green light from East Lothian Council which is anticipated early in the new year.
Onsite construction work could start as early as mid-2024.
Jonathan Graham, senior development surveyor at Hargreaves Land, said: “Our ambitious plans mark another exciting chapter in the Blindwells story. We are investing for the future, building a town centre that will create a new destination and an exciting sense of place for residents, adding to their overall wellbeing and living experience.
“We’re also working with our partners to deliver much needed affordable homes, ensuring schemes like this one are a welcome addition to local communities and contribute towards providing high quality housing for people in places where they want to live.”
Kate Donald, director at Turley, said: “We’re proud to provide ongoing support to Hargreaves Land to help them deliver exciting plans for Blindwells. This latest application will see the creation of a vibrant town centre which will provide key amenities to the wider new community that is being created.”
Hargreaves Land is the developer behind the regeneration of Blindwells, which lies between Tranent, Cockenzie and Port Seton and has been earmarked for new housing for more than a decade as part of the regeneration of one of Scotland’s former coalfields.
Over 150 new homes are already occupied with housebuilders Persimmon, Bellway and Ogilvie all currently active at Blindwells, with Hadden Homes and Avant Homes also proposing to commence onsite in the new year.
Firefighters across the East of Scotland responded to almost 10,000 unwanted fire alarm signals last year – the equivalent of around 27 a day.
The figure has been revealed as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) gets ready to change the way it responds to unwanted fire alarm signals:
From 1 July, 2023 an alarm activation will require those with fire safety responsibility, known as dutyholders, to investigate the cause of an alarm and only call 999 once a fire has been confirmed.
This approach is already embedded across several other UK fire and rescue services, who require a confirmed fire before they send fire appliances
Fire Alarm Systems provide an early warning of fire and are one of the most effective ways to keep your business, staff and customers safe in the event of a fire.
Unfortunately, most signals from these systems are not actual fires – they are false alarms often caused by cooking fumes, dust or a lack of maintenance. These unwanted fire alarm signals (UFAS) mean our fire crews are called out unnecessarily.
From 1 July 2023, we will stop attending automatic fire alarm (AFA) call outs to commercial business and workplace premises, such as factories, offices, shops and leisure facilities – unless a fire has been confirmed.
Dutyholders with responsibility for workplace premises should safely investigate a fire alarm before calling 999, as our control room operators will now be asking for confirmation of an actual fire, or signs of fire, before sending the nearest resource.
SFRS will treat any fire alarm as a sign of fire, other than from a single smoke detector. Other signs of fire include: visual flame/smoke, smell of burning, or any other fire alarm signal.
This change does not apply to sleeping premises, such as hospitals, care homes, hotels or domestic dwellings who will continue to get an emergency response.
This follows the SFRS public consultation in 2021 and is estimated to greatly reduce unnecessary call outs in order to free up our firefighters to attend real emergencies and to allow them to do more community safety prevention work.
What do I need to do next?
As a dutyholder you must ensure that your premises are safe for staff, visitors and occupants in the event of a fire. You have a responsibility under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 to maintain the facilities and equipment provided. Failure to do this could lead to prosecution.
Staff and occupants should be made aware of how to respond safely to AFA activations in each premises. It is recommended that you read the guidance Investigating Fire Alarms prepared by the Fire Industry Association. Ignoring them or assuming the fire and rescue service has been notified could put people at risk.
You should contact your insurance company to discuss the changes in response to AFA activations, but please note that SFRS will always attend a confirmed fire.
If there is a fire you should always call 999 immediately and follow other specific strategies, such as evacuation and assembly points.
How you can help to reduce false or unwanted alarms
As a dutyholder, you have a responsibility under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 to maintain the facilities and equipment provided. Failure to do this could lead to prosecution.
We fully support the installation of automatic fire alarm systems, but these systems must be fully managed and maintained to reduce false alarms and ensure that they activate at the right time and achieve the correct response.
You must work with your fire risk assessor and update your fire risk assessment with any changes.
We have two initiatives in place to assist with reducing instances of UFAS. ‘TAKE5’ and ‘BE AWARE’ are simple and effective ways of delivering key information to staff and guests, allowing them to consider their actions in buildings.
Other key steps include:
Reviewing your Fire Safety Risk Assessment and keeping a log of all false alarms to identify any trends which should be raised with your alarm engineers.
Creating an action plan to reduce the chance of any false alarm occurring
Check detector types and their locations – would moving detectors or changing the type used reduce activations? Seek advice from your alarm engineer.
Upgrading automatic fire detection (AFD) systems that are obsolete with more modern technology e.g. ‘multi-sensing’ detectors
Fitting manual call points with protective plastic covers in problem, vulnerable or high traffic areas
Ascertaining whether any false alarms are a result of activating the wrong call points such as green emergency door release points
Keeping AFD systems appropriately maintained
Considering whether a link to an Alarm Receiving Centre is necessary or if it is appropriate to suspend the automatic dialling function whilst buildings are occupied or at certain times of the day
Seeking further guidance and advice from their alarm system provider or servicing agent as well as their local legislative fire safety officer.
Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Stewart Nicholson is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Head of Service Delivery for the East of Scotland. He said: “We will continue to work with dutyholders to help them better understand their obligations, but I must stress the importance of having adequate training in place for staff and in ensuring appropriate fire safety provisions are in place within your premises.
“By changing our response to these types of incidents, we can potentially free up 64,000 hours every year giving firefighters more time for other activities, such as training and fire safety prevention work.
“However, there are benefits to businesses too by preventing these incidents from happening in the first place. On average, every unwanted fire alarm signal interrupts business for around 27 minutes each time.”
An application to build new homes in Telford is facing opposition.
Port of Leith Housing Association has lodged plans to build eleven flats on the site of the shops on Telford Drive, but one resident has appealed to Drylaw Telford Community Council to challenge the application.
At one time there was a row of shops on the site at the heart of the scheme – older readers may recall a fish and chip shop, a haberdashery and a general store there – but the last remaining convenience store closed last year.
The nearest shops for Telford residents are at Ferry Road ‘shopping centre’ in Drylaw or over the busy Telford Road at Craigleith Retail Park – and at least one Telford woman thinks this is wrong.
She told Drylaw Telford Community Council: “When the shop closed in January 2020 it was to make way for flats and a convenience store included, but with covid that all fell through.
“We have waited on the same plans to re-emerge, only to find out that the council are giving planning permission according to a report in Edinburgh live yesterday , for the flats only.
“I am outraged as our nearest shop is the Today store in Drylaw and it is a long journey for most and to carry shopping is very hard.
“I have lived in this street for over 50 years and we have always had a shop here – Sohil the shop owner was reluctant to give up this land but he was promised a new shop would be built and he would have a choice to come back and run it.
“The residents of Telford Drive need a shop in our street – not everyone has a car.”
Drylaw Telford Community Council will discuss the application at their August meeting.
The summer holidays just got a whole lot better as St James Quarter announces the upcoming opening of iconic toy store, Hamleys, in the coming weeks.
Transforming into a magical land for kids, the new store will feature everything from its instantly recognisable collection of Hamley bears, to speed racing car toys, as well as flying drones and giant floating bubbles.
Known as ‘The Finest Toy Shop in the World’, Hamleys will join the 1.7 million sq ft shopping district occupying over 2,475 sq ft within the Galleria and will create 10 new job opportunities in the capital.
Hamleys, who have been a household name for over 260 years, is dedicated to ‘bringing toys to life’ for children and families by enthusiastically encouraging fun and play within their store and offering engaging experiences through their expert toy demonstrators.
Nick Peel, Managing Director at St James Quarter said: “It’s really exciting to be welcoming another iconic brand to the St James Quarter family. We want to ensure that every visit to The Quarter is a delightful and memorable experience for the entire family and we really think that between the new Hamleys, and the already opened LEGO store, parents and children have lots to enjoy.
“Hamleys is so much more than just a toy shop, the brand focuses on bringing their games and toys to life adding an exciting experiential element to any shopping trip. Guests can celebrate birthdays and special occasions in style, and we are of course already eagerly anticipating what the festive season will bring with Hamleys!”
Mr. Sumeet Yadav, Chief Executive Officer – Global Retail Business, Reliance Brands Limited added:“We are delighted to open soon at St James Quarter. Every year more than 10 million families visit us across the world for a unique Hamleys experience where we bring to life many Worlds of Play.
“Every visit to Hamleys is a reward in itself, the toy purchase is a bonus for the child. I am sure children will build lasting memories of fun and joy while adults will relive memories of their childhood at Hamleys in Edinburgh.”
This latest signing at St James Quarter, which recently opened the first phase of its retail, dining and leisure elements in June this year, underscores the Scottish capital’s global appeal and further bolsters the St James Quarter leisure offer.
A game-changing mixed-use development being delivered by Nuveen Real Estate, St James Quarter completes the distinctive offer of Edinburgh with over 80 new brands, an enticing mix of restaurants and bars, and will add a W Edinburgh hotel, a boutique Everyman Cinema, a Roomzzz Aparthotel, 152 New Eidyn residential apartments, and an unrivalled guest experience providing customers with an enviable events programme in a range of new and attractive public spaces.
Complementing an unrivalled shopping offer, which includes a host of brands including & Other Stories, Mango, Zara, Bershka, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Russell & Bromley, Miele, Next, H&M, JD Sports, John Lewis, and many more, St James Quarter is a premier food and drink destination.
Providing a truly diverse offer – from fast food, fresh food, to family and restaurant dining including Bonnie & Wild’ new concept food hall to the development. The offer will be available over a number of locations throughout St James Quarter, each with its own unique look and feel.
Medical doctor, clinical epidemiologist and public health consultant, Dr Paul Nelson, has developed a pioneering technology that will significantly reduce the risk of exposure to Covid-19 in all ‘economic spaces’ – shops? – across the City of Edinburgh and beyond.
The groundbreaking innovation, supported by early adopters, Essential Edinburgh and a number of independent retailers, is set to roll out across the city next month, affording shop workers and patrons a safer working environment whilst inspiring confidence and supporting the recovery of economic activity.
Dr Paul Nelsonsaid: “We are creating a Movement which is enabling business owners and residents alike, to take back some control and mitigate the effects that the pandemic has had on their livelihoods.
“We’ve witnessed a significant amount of initial interest so far and are delighted to be working with Essential Edinburgh to roll this out across Edinburgh and beyond.
“As we all get on board and as the shopkeepers (and other business owners) become gatekeepers, we all safeguard the economy by identifying symptomatic people. Businesses, harnessing the Dunkirk Spirit, will create a Cordon Sanitaire or Community Screening Programme that is currently lacking and not even possible to be provided in the usual way via public services.”
“Contact tracing is crucial to halt the spread of the virus and currently there is no way of picking up people who have symptoms if they don’t go to their doctor. According to the latest figures from ONS, 70% of cases are not currently referring themselves for testing.”
Roddy Smith, Chief Executive and Director of Essential Edinburghcommented: “Consumer confidence has understandably taken a big hit and businesses are also dealing with the huge impact of lockdown and will be for some time.
Empowering both businesses and consumers, FFZ has the potential to provide an additional level of confidence for both. We’re really looking forward to working with Paul and the team to further support our businesses and local community.”
Ian Murray MP, Labour Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South commented: “I am delighted that this idea, developed by a local resident Dr. Paul Nelson, is coming to fruition.
“I appreciate that many businesses will have suffered and most importantly will continue to suffer for the coming weeks or months as we recover from lockdown and this innovation provides a technological route to augment recovery for businesses across Edinburgh and beyond.”
The simple integrated symptom screening membership service designed to enable businesses and customers to reduce the risk of exposure to people with Covid-19 is completely non-invasive and simple to operate.
Shop owners will take the temperature of patrons on entry into their spaces using a clinically approved, contactless thermometer which will then communicate via Bluetooth to a free Fever Free app downloaded by each user.
The process uses a progressive web app, which means it doesn’t need to be downloaded from the App store and requires only bare minimum personal data.
Once cleared, the person is issued a six hours pass attesting they are fever-free. During this time, the pass ‘holder’ will experience a frictionless outing as they show it to other participating businesses in the area, all while preserving the privacy of all participants
If high temperature is detected, the shopkeeper will encourage the person to go home and the app will prompt them to pass on details to the contact tracing services (if they agree), who will get in touch with the person to be sent a test.
Argyle Place and Roseneath Street area, Edinburgh (EH9) businesses are driving the first Fever Free Zones as the team begin to roll out the technology.
An early adopter of FFZ, Karen Kirkness, owner of Meadowlark Yoga on Argyle Place, added: “We need to keep our spaces open if our economy is to survive, while maintaining the responsibility to do so as safely as possible.
“FFZ empowers us to identify symptoms that help our community to help itself in its efforts to stay healthy, engage with the economy, all while supporting the NHS’s efforts to track and trace.”
Dr Nelson concludes: “It is hoped that the frictionless access to fever-free high streets will inspire confidence and boost economic activity. If fevers are measured at the point-of-access, and if in turn this triggers a consent-initiated contact with NHS Test and Protect, then these measures could dramatically improve NHS Trace and Protect’s ability to eradicate COVID-19.”
UK government guidelines should be followed at all times, such as wearing a face covering and maintaining social distancing guidelines.
Shopworkers’ trade union Usdaw is urging retailers to maintain social distancing in shops at two metres, despite the Scottish Government announcing that face coverings will be mandatory in shops.
CAMPAIGNERS have launched a petition to save some of Leith Walk’s most popular cafes and a grassroots music venue from being forced to close. The Leith Depot bar will call last orders in October unless plans drawn up by developer Drum Property Group can be overturned.
