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Scottish Local Authority News - Serving Scotland for 22 Years - JULY/AUG 2022

A HOSEPIPE BAN IN ENGLAND? WELL, WE ALL KNOW WHAT MUST BE COMING TO SCOTLAND THEN…

Also in this issue: Council’s briefed on insurance valuations Decarbonising Our Homes The opportunities which Gaelic presents Places for Everyone via Sustrans Plus Over 40 Pages of Local Authority News

PLACES FOR EVERYONE PLACES FOR EVERYONE is Sustrans’ permanent infrastructure fund for Scotland. Supported by Transport Scotland, we provide funding and expertise to help deliver walking, wheeling, and cycling improvements across the country. Applications for new Concept (Stage 0-2) projects opened on 25th July and our updated application guidance for all partner groups is now available. Through Places For Everyone, we support a range of partners, from community organisations to local authorities, to deliver active travel infrastructure projects every step of the way. Subject to eligibility criteria being met, we can award 100% of design and 70% of construction costs. The Rannoch Riverside All Abilities Path upgrade project, which opened in June 2021, saw 700m of narrow, uneven track along the River Tummel upgraded to an all abilities path suitable for walkers, cyclists, wheelers and horse riders. The new path has enabled local residents and business owners to get in and out of the village by active means all year round. The South City Way project in Glasgow is delivering a 3km route from Queen’s Park to the City Centre. The project rebalances the streets in favour of people walking, wheeling and cycling and makes journeys in the area more enjoyable. You can find out more at the website link https://www.showcase-sustrans.org. uk/places-for-everyone/ or follow us on social media (@SustransScot)

Scottish Local Authority News

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Scottish Local Authority News - Serving Scotland for 22 Years - JULY/AUG 2022

A HOSEPIPE BAN IN ENGLAND? WELL, WE ALL KNOW WHAT MUST BE COMING TO SCOTLAND THEN…

July/August 2022

special features this issue

4 Places For Everyone - Sustrans at the heart of levelling up. 6 Decarbonising Homes - the role that Hydrogen can play. 8 Valuation & Underinsurance - are Scotland’s Council’s fully covered?

12 Gaelic Language & Culture - an opportunity for Scotland 14 Digital Place - supporting public sector transformation, one cube at a time! 16

New Skills Academy for Edinburgh

news round up 18

Environment

Communities

Housing

Administration & Legal

The Arts

Education

Leisure & Recreation

Economic Development

Health & Social Care

Roads & Transportation

Managing Editor: Robert McCall Director: Lynsey Moore Advertising: Warren Tang, Allan McCarthy Design and Production: Alan Dickens Scottish Local Authority News is published bi-monthly by West Argyll Technical Publications Ltd, 52 St Enoch Square, Glasgow G1 4AA Telephone 0141 465 8022 Email admin@westargyll.org

July/August 2022

roads & transportation

Construction picks up the pace at landmark walking and cycling route

ork is now ongoing at a major new cycling and walking route linking the east and the west of the Capital.

City of Edinburgh Transport Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes was joined in Roseburn by Patrick Harvie, Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights, and Karen McGregor, Portfolio Director for Sustrans, to break the ground on the £19.4m City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL). This innovative project has been funded by the Scottish Government via Sustrans. Local children from Roseburn Primary School and project managers gathered to mark the momentous occasion too. When complete, the scheme will connect Roseburn to Leith Walk via Haymarket and the West End with a safe and direct cycle route, as well as significantly enhancing streets for those walking, wheeling and spending time there. This will tie into a new George Street cycling thoroughfare delivered as part of the George Street and First New Town project. The project, overseen by contractors Balfour Beatty, is leading the way in sustainable construction, with measures to cut carbon emissions. Site compounds will utilise ‘EcoSense’ cabins in conjunction with an ECONET power management system, which significantly reduces energy consumption and water usage. Project officers will also use e-bikes rather than cars to travel between the site compound and works areas wherever possible, and cycle training has

been provided as part of this. Construction is expected to last around 18 months in total, with full details of plans available on the dedicated CCWEL website. In this first phase of the section between Roseburn and West Coates there will be some ongoing lane closures and changes to parking and bus stops, though traffic will be maintained in both directions. Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, was understandably enthusiastic, “I’m thrilled that we’re now delivering the CCWEL, one of the largest pieces of safe walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure the Capital has seen yet. It’s been really exciting to visit the site and see work progressing – before long, this route will benefit so many people walking, wheeling and cycling to and from the city. The CCWEL project is just one of a range of bold initiatives to transform the way we travel around Edinburgh. We are committed to becoming a net zero city by 2030 and a key element of this is encouraging and supporting clean and sustainable modes of transport through projects like this. ”Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, went further saying, “CCWEL has been years in the making, so today marks a real milestone for Edinburgh. Once complete it will provide an essential link between key parts of our existing cycle network to and through the city centre, as well as significantly improving the streetscape along the way.” Scottish Local Authority News

roads & transportation Not only will the project impact on the surrounding environment, reducing traffic, air pollution and noise, but it will help benefit people’s health and wellbeing through active travel and relaxed surroundings to spend time in. Minister for Active Travel Patrick Harvie explained, “I’m pleased to see Scottish Government funding enable the construction of the City Centre West to East Link. It’s a vital connection which will help people to walk, wheel and cycle in Edinburgh as the natural choice, leading to better health, less congestion and a better environment. I want to see many more schemes similar to this in communities across Scotland. That’s why we’re nearly tripling what Scotland invests in active travel over the next three years to at least £320 million a year. I’m committed to making sure those record levels of investment lead to real change in our cities, towns and neighbourhoods, delivering safe, attractive places for many more people to walk, wheel and cycle.” Portfolio Director for Sustrans, Karen McGregor, was particularly satisfied with the wider picture, of which the project was now an integral part, “The City Centre West to East Link is a major breakthrough for active travel in Edinburgh. Not only will this deliver safe and accessible walking, wheeling and cycling routes for anyone travelling through the heart of our Scottish capital, it will play an important part in connecting communities in the city’s western and northern suburbs to make their everyday lives healthier and easier. The route will also link to several other ambitious projects Sustrans is working on with City of Edinburgh Council. These include the George Street and First New Town project and the Meadows to George Street scheme, which we believe will set the standard for active travel in Scotland going forward.” Scott Ritchie, Senior Project Manager, Balfour Beatty,

July 2022

added, “We are pleased to be working with the City of Edinburgh Council to deliver this incredibly important scheme which will transform the way people travel, moving from a reliance on cars to active travel.” The City Centre West to East Link route will reimagine our public spaces in Edinburgh; positively impacting local communities and residents by reducing traffic congestion and air pollution in the city centre and driving down carbon emissions. The route, which will be delivered in three sections, will include two-way segregated cycleways from Roseburn to Haymarket connecting via quiet streets to one-way segregated cycleways on each side of Melville Street. Twoway cycleways connecting George Street with Picardy Place via St David Street, Queen Street and York Place will also be introduced. There will be significant improvements to public spaces along the route, as well as new pedestrian crossings, enhanced pavements and street trees. By supporting people to travel by foot, bike and wheel, the CCWEL project aligns with our City Mobility Plan 2030, which envisions a clean, connected and net zero carbon future. It links into several other schemes to overhaul travel to and through the city centre, including the George Street and First New Town project and Meadows to George Street, both to be delivered as part of Edinburgh City Centre Transformation. The £19.4m CCWEL project, which includes a £13m construction contract with Balfour Beatty, will be principally funded by Transport Scotland through Sustrans’ Places for Everyone programme, with additional funding from the Scottish Government and the Council’s transport budget. To minimise disruption, the programmed resurfacing of the A8 will be carried out alongside CCWEL construction, funded separately by the Council.

hydrogen feature

The role hydrogen can play in decarbonising our homes T

he decarbonisation of heat from homes and buildings is arguably our biggest net zero challenge. It’s the second biggest emitting sector with around 30% of our national emissions coming from the 25 million-or-so homes connected to gas networks across the UK. Despite the scale of this challenge, emissions reduction remains a difficult nut to crack. The reason for this is that the role of customers and how they can be supported by Joss Clarke, Head of External Affairs through the energy transition is often overlooked.

Scottish Gas Networks

A lost decade of progress

Over the last few years, there has been an increase in biomethane and small amounts of progress on home energy efficiency. Last year’s Heat and Buildings Strategy looked to be setting a good new direction of travel, but delivery has been slow on supporting policies. There has been certainly enough political focus on domestic heat and energy bills but no real breakthrough on emissions. Compared to other sectors, it’s not unfair to say there has been little material change since the coalition government published its Heat Strategy in 2013. Why is that? Is it technology challenge? Is it an economic challenge? Is it a funding challenge? There is no doubt the politics and policy, the technology and the economics of the sector will have critical influence, but at the heart of all these factors are customers.

Some challenges affect all our customers including the cost-of-living crisis, the desire for secure, reliable and affordable energy supplies and the need to reduce emissions as quickly as possible. But anyone that knows SGN will know we have a proud history of working with our most vulnerable customers, and we have learnt that each home and each customer comes with their own needs. They will react differently to the shared challenges we face, and this will inform the choices they make. When it comes to delivery of net zero, our experience informs our view that one technology alone won’t satisfy all of our customers’ different needs.

How SGN is contributing

While 2050 might seem some way off, changes need to happen now and continue to build if we are to avoid another lost decade of progress. In Scotland, where the aim is to get to net zero by 2045, we’re working with the Scottish Government to help meet their target of having one million homes on zero emission heating systems by 2030. We worked with engineering consultants and local stakeholders to develop an architecture to repurpose a large part of our gas network by 2030 to deliver hydrogen. This includes feasibility studies on how towns and cities such as Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth and across the central belt can be converted to hydrogen, where the storage could be, and

Customer challenge

The phrase “customer challenge” is easy to say but does a lot of heavy lifting. For SGN it’s 14 million people, all living in different homes with different circumstances. Each unique. It’s people living in houses that have been converted to flats, purpose-built high-rises in London, Glasgow and Edinburgh, leafy suburbs in the south of England, remote areas of Scotland and across the UK and some areas of extreme poverty. All our customers come with their own needs.

Markinch biomass CHP Thurso

Renewable electricity

Stornoway Wick

Renewable electricity

Hydrogen

Oban

Fife

Hydrogen

• 9,500 homes • 21,000 tonnes CO2 saved per year

Campbeltown

Fife gas network

Our partnership with renewables generator RWE in Scotland

where the opportunities for hydrogen production are. With a view of what our gas network could deliver, we have seen the hydrogen production community come forward with their ambitions for hydrogen in Scotland. Over in the Highland and Islands, we are working with renewable developer RWE to understand how they can produce green hydrogen with the electricity that the power grid doesn’t have the capacity for and deliver it to homes, businesses and transport hubs across the region. Part of our work also includes helping deliver the evidence for government to make heat policy decisions in 2026. Which is where our H100 project in Fife comes in, where 6

Scottish Local Authority News

hydrogen feature we are planning to supply hydrogen to customers next year. This project will tell us about what customers think about hydrogen and what they need from us to choose to opt-in to hydrogen and come off natural gas. These are a few examples, and we know we need to do much more. To prevent the 2020s being another lost decade we need to deploy all low carbon heating technologies that are available now AND bring forward new technologies at pace.

Hospital

Diageo Packaging

Diageo Distilling

H2 Haulage

Anticline H2 Storage

Moss mor ran Grangemouth

300 homes

1,000 homes

100% H2 network

consumers on decarbonisation of domestic heating. Here’s what we found: • The willingness to replace boilers is high. There is massive public support for moving to zero carbon heating systems. Three quarters of our customers are up for it. • But, when you ask customers what action they will personally take and how much they are prepared to pay, that support for change drops to around a third. • We call this – the “action gap”. • We also found customers are worried about being left behind when it comes to adopting new technologies. • On the flip side, many customers are also worried about being the first mover. They see a world of uncertainty and risk and for many not doing anything represents the least risk option.

Leven Rail Station H2 Transport

LOHC

H2 Storage

Electrolyser Trials

O2 Storage

Demonstration Facility

Offshore wind development

d win t re sho men Off elop dev

Marine Port

Industry in Levenmouth

Project map for H100 Fife showing key sites including proposed hydrogen production, storage and demonstration facilities and 100% hydrogen network for domestic, industrial and transport connections

What customers want

According to June’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) progress report to parliament there isn’t enough data on the ‘Willingness to Replace Boilers’. But we’ve made a start on this research at SGN.

Hydrogen ready boilers, like this one from manufacturer Worcester Bosch, can be fitted as direct replacements for conventional units

Last year we commissioned tailored public opinion research to understand the key concerns and priorities of July/August 2022

People support the home heating transition but there is an action gap

Most importantly, we found what it is that customers prioritise. Many don’t understand hydrogen, biomethane, heat pumps or heat networks, so the technology itself isn’t a relevant consideration. When we tested what they value when it comes to home heating the responses are around security and reliability, stable progress towards net zero and most importantly control. Control to them is having a choice in what heating system they have including how and when they choose to heat their homes. We also found that customers expect government and business to take the lead by providing clarity on these choices and a roadmap of how they can be made a reality. So, we must help customers move from the status quo to transition then from natural gas. Hydrogen needs to be part of the choices on offer to customers because: • It offers control over how and when we heat our homes which we’re already used to with natural gas. • Repurposing the gas network for hydrogen would mean stable and pragmatic progress. • It’s clear we need all the home heating technologies available in today’s market today to reach net zero. But to ensure the 2020s is not another lost decade, a customer-centric approach needs to be the backbone of the pathway we use to decarbonise our homes. 7

risk management

Valuation and underinsurance: are you covered?

lthough not a new phenomenon, underinsurance remains an ongoing concern in the insurance market. The hardening attitudes of underwriters is seeing property pricing increase and claims being settled in strict accordance with policy wordings. This change has been driven by global factors and more local events such as the tragedy of Grenfell.

Paul Latham Client Development Executive Public Sector & Education Gallagher’s (logo style)

Policyholders may not realise that underinsurance may have a direct impact on the claims payments they may receive in the event of a property damage claim.

What impact can underinsurance have?

If a claim payment does not cover the full property repair/ rebuild cost or reinstatement, it could mean funds may not be available to complete the rebuild. This may result in:• Unbudgeted call on reserves • Protracted and complex negotiations with insurers; • Discontented stakeholders such as leaseholders and tenants which may result in legal action • Extended rebuild times with an impact on service delivery; • Damage to reputation within the community

How does a building become underinsured?

Underinsurance can become an issue as a result of several factors:• Reinstatement Cost Assessment was completed many years ago with a reliance on insurer’s index-linking ever since. • A reliance on insurer’s valuation when changing insurers. Insurance valuations are generally not transportable between insurers due to the methodologies used. • No professional valuation or Rebuild Cost Assessment has ever been undertaken • Sums insured are based on a notional market value • Incorrect estimation based on historical information • No account has been made for structural changes which may have been made to the building • No allowance for fluctuating costs of raw materials and labour. Availability of materials has a significant impact on their costs, particularly at the moment • Developer’s costs are adopted instead of the true reinstatement cost Underinsurance is an issue that is likely to always be

Scottish Local Authority News

risk management around. Buildings are constantly changing value and there is always a risk that if insurance is placed without examining how things have changed, then underinsurance is likely.

The implications of underinsurance

The “Average Clause” is a standard policy condition in UK property insurance policies. In its simplest form the clause allows an insurer to reduce a claims payment by the amount of underinsurance present at the time of loss. By way of example:-

or even financially possible to do so. Desktop solutions have therefore been developed which can be used where:• the footprint of the building is easily identified using digital mapping tools • the property is non-listed • buildings that don’t have basements/ cellars or underground car parks • non-complex elevations or unusual materials

• Consider a building with a current sum insured of £7,200,000. A fire occurs which damages most, but not all of the property. Loss adjusters are appointed by insurers and they calculate the true rebuilding cost of the property to be £9,000,000 (in other words it was underinsured by 20%). The cost of the loss is calculated to be £5,000,000, but once the insurer applies the “average clause” the claim payment is reduced by the amount of underinsurance (20%) leaving the policy holder £1,000,000 short of the full repair cost. A regular Reinstatement Cost Assessment could have identified the underinsurance on which the policyholder could have acted.

What is the purpose of a Reinstatement Cost Assessment (RCA)?

Sounds simple, but it is there to establish the likely cost of demolishing and rebuilding all property on site that falls within the definition of ‘Buildings’ as covered by the policy following damage by an insured peril. With costs of rebuilding rising year on year, regular RCAs are vital in order to avoid the consequences of underinsurance in the event of a claim. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) recommends that a Reinstatement Cost Assessment is assessed every three years, or earlier should significant alterations be made to the insured property, with an annual adjustment to reflect inflationary effects

Listed Buildings and the impact to reinstatement costs

Listed buildings present particular challenges when conducting a Reinstatement Cost Assessment and in most cases it is not possible or advisable to rely on a desktop valuation to assess reinstatement values for insurance purposes. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building which has been placed on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. In Scotland listed buildings are categorised A, B or C with category A being afforded the greatest protection. • Category A Buildings of special architectural or historic interest which are outstanding examples of a particular period, style or building type. • Category B Buildings of special architectural or historic interest which are major examples of a particular period, style or building type. • Category C Buildings of special architectural or historic interest which are representative examples of a particular period, style or building type.

How do you perform a Reinstatement Cost Assessment?

There’s some different options as to how a Reinstatement Cost Assessment can be calculated:• An on-site assessment and report • An on-site sampling exercise of properties of similar type within a portfolio (if there are a number) • A desktop assessment and report • A combination of on-site and desktop assessments Whilst the preference of insurers is to conduct a physical on-site assessment, in some cases it may not be necessary

July/August 2022

All categories require specialist treatment with their management being guided by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas Scotland) Act 1997.2 Failure to comply with the rules governing the management and preservation of a listed building may have financial and practical consequences. The Act places a responsibility on Historic Environment Scotland to maintain a list of all categorised buildings. Whilst no definitive number is available it is believed that Scotland has 47,000 listed properties3 with Edinburgh having the largest number of listings at over 9,000. These numbers are significant and those responsible for maintenance of a listed buildings should have taken in to consideration the impact underinsurance may have on their ability comply with the requirements of the listing.

risk management Should I include VAT in my valuation?

This is a contentious issue and there is often inconsistency in whether VAT is taken into account and if so by how much. As an example, the erection of a new single dwelling or residential block is zero-rated for VAT. However, insurance claims are not always zero-rated for total losses and therefore VAT is applicable to rebuilding costs in many cases. VAT rates on buildings used for religious purpose and historic buildings is another inconsistency example. In broad-based terms, when considering VAT in relation to calculating a rebuild valuation there are three main considerations:• What is the occupation/proposed occupation of the property? • What is the VAT status of the client/insured? • What is the insurer’s position relative to the application of VAT?

New Build or Newly Built Properties

A question that is frequently asked is, “if I set my insurance cover based upon the original development cost of constructing the property then that should be adequate, shouldn’t it?” Unfortunately, that is not the case and in most instances development costs do not compare well, if at all, with the costs of reinstatement following, for example, a serious fire. There are many factors which make reinstatement costs higher including:• The need for works to commence urgently. • The timescales involved when residents are rendered homeless • Demolition costs • Changed surroundings due to the passage of time • Addition of features and outbuildings post-development • Additional site access costs • The need to protect undamaged sections of a building from the elements • Less efficient work programming requirements • The scale of scaffolding and other access costs • The need to protect and prop adjacent buildings • The differing profile of professional fees • Developer’s costs being set on fixed price tenders, in some cases longer than a year before the first plant is brought onto site • Economies of scale for developers buying materials in bulk not usually replicated in claims situations

Consultation with a qualified VAT accountant to obtain the correct position for your circumstances is therefore recommended. This should then be conveyed to the valuer who can ensure the appropriate position is reflected in the RCA report.

Conclusion

It is essential to be aware of the risks involved in managing a property portfolio, but it is also vital to seek professional guidance about the types of risk management and insurance strategies available and how they can adequately help you protect your property. Ensuring that the correct reinstatement values are used is an essential part of the risk management strategy for an organisation - get this wrong and the services being provided are likely to be affected, including their reputation, which remains a key asset for any organisation. 1. https://www.rics.org/uk/upholding-professionalstandards/sector-standards/building-surveying/ reinstatement-cost-assessment-of-buildings/ 2. Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 (legislation.gov.uk) 3. https://www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-andsupport/listing-scheduling-and-designations/listedbuildings/what-is-listing/#listing-exclusions_tab

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gaelic feature

Gaelic language and culture an opportunity for Scotland A

t the start of the next five years of local authority political life, it’s important to understand how local authorities contribute to the growth of Gaelic. As one of Scotland’s indigenous languages, Gaelic has been part of Scottish life for centuries. For the last four centuries it suffered from legislation designed to deter people from using it but with support from all the major political parties, it is clear that the demand for learning the language and participating in Gaelic culture is growing exponentially. Local Authorities (LA) have a significant role to play in supporting that growth, and most councils in Scotland have Gaelic language plans which set out how each LA will deliver for Gaelic.

One development, which has well-evidenced benefits, is the growth of Gaelic-medium education. This is where children, no matter what their home language, are educated through the medium of Gaelic. The demand from parents for Gaelic-medium education (GME) is growing across the country and the educational benefits are seen in the pupils’ attainment levels as well as their language skills. In the Western Isles, where there are communities with the highest percentages of Gaelic speakers, 57% of pupils are expected to start in Gaelic-medium Primary 1 next session and currently 44% of all primary pupils are in 12

GME. In Glasgow, the local authority is about to open its 4th GME primary school and demand from parents is growing all the time, with East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire Councils the latest Local Authorities committing to start providing GME. GME will therefore be available at Primary level in the majority of Local Authorities in Scotland. The growth in GME education can be seen In 2006/07 there were 701 children in GM nursery; 2,092 children in GM primary; in secondary, 945 studying Gaelic, with with only four other subjects available in GME. In 2020/21 there were 1,451 in GM nursery; 3,801 in primary; and in secondary, 1,423 pupils studying a range of 23 subjects of which 10 are certificated courses. Scottish Government continues to provide specific funding for these developments, a system which was initiated in the 1980s to support staffing and resources for the schools. And it’s not only children that are learning. Duolingo, the language learning app, recently announced that over 1.12 million people had signed up to learn Scottish Gaelic in the two years since the language was added to their range. BBC ALBA also provides great resources for anyone who wants to learn the language and their multi-platform SpeakGaelic provides resources online as well as on tv. However, in the Western Isles and some other island communities one of the biggest challenges facing Gaelic is that English has become much more common as the language of the home so education is essential for the language’s survival. Various initiatives to encourage families to use Gaelic are in place but more needs to be done including childcare and health services using Gaelic whenever and wherever possible. Some local authorities work with thirdsector organisations to create more Shona NicIllinnein, Ceannard, Bòrd na Gàidhig

Scottish Local Authority News

gaelic feature opportunities for young people to use Gaelic outwith school – in sport, in the arts and even in computer gaming. All of this is important to ensure that we have the next generation of Gaelic speakers to continue the language. There is growing evidence of the economic benefits that Gaelic brings to Scotland, whether that’s through the creative industries – think of the world-wide attraction of singers like Julie Fowlis and bands like Peat and Diesel or Manran or Runrig, all drawn from the Gaelic tradition - and the programmes made about different aspects of Scottish life on BBC ALBA – or Gaelic tourism, an increasingly important part of VisitScotland’s strategy for strengthening the attraction and deepening the connection between visitors and our country. Glasgow City Council recently commissioned a study on the economic impact of Gaelic on the city and its findings demonstrate the importance of the language and

July/August 2022

culture to Baile Mòr nan Gàidheal – the city of the Gaels. All of this development is taken forward within the context of the National Gaelic Language Plan. It sets out the strategy and key areas for progress across the whole of Scotland, and is published every five years. Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the lead agency for Gaelic development, is running a consultation on the next plan – 2023-2028 – and would urge all those interested to take part. It concentrates on two key themes – using and learning Gaelic – and sets out a range of strategies for increasing both. Many public bodies, including Scottish Government as well as local authorities, are actively engaged in making Gaelic part of their normal service delivery and the Plan will inform what your authority takes forward over the next 5 years. There will be a range of public and online meetings and for more information on the draft plan, and ways to participate in the consultation, visit www.gaidhlig.scot. It is important that everyone plays their part in the continued growth of Gaelic and your help in forming the strategy for the next five years will be essential.

technology

Digital Place - supporting public sector transformation, one cube at a time!

fter 21 years working inside Local Government, latterly as the Chief Digital Officer for Bristol City Council, my move to the private sector supplier was a big change. I wanted to find a company that understood the public sector, and somewhere I could help shape to become the supplier that I’d always wished I could buy from. A business that Dr Gavin Beckett, Chief Product Officer is open and collaborative, and where ‘digital at Placecube, transformation’ includes how technology is created and consumed. We launched Placecube to provide the public sector with affordable, accessible, and transformational benefits of digitally re-usable, great public services. Re-using high quality code, services, and designs, already paid for, and which have been extensively tested and proven across the sector. We are passionate about open source and by doing the right thing. To us, it’s not enough to just be non-proprietary; as the public sector moves towards open

standards, so too should suppliers. We’ve done just that, and Digital Place is changing the way digital services are built and consumed by the public sector, because our product disrupts, both the traditional technology and the traditional commercial approach Digital Place is the output of multiple co-creation projects between Placecube and the public sector. Work with Councils, including Brentwood Borough, Camden, Dorset, Greenwich and Rugby Borough has contributed to a well-designed, open-source ecosystem, boasting reusable components, immediately available to other Authorities through a single annual subscription. Digital Place, has been built with local government, for local government. It uses the global leading Liferay Digital Experience Platform (DXP), ranked by Gartner as a leader for eleven of the past twelve years. It provides Councils with a strategic alternative to digital projects that all too often start from scratch and cost far more than they need to.

Scottish Local Authority News

technology

Digital Place provides five distinct advantages. • Ownership of an open digital platform specifically cocreated with and already proven in local authorities. • All functionality in one platform, under one subscription, from one supplier. • The benefits of well-designed, reusable features that we continually co-create with other Councils and share with all Digital Place subscribers, automatically, so you avoid the time pressures, resource costs and compatibility concerns that would otherwise be a continuous burden for your team to manage. • Extended and accelerated digital capability, far more affordably than any other solution offering even remotely similar features and functionality. • Control of your Digital Platform, with full access to make changes and freedom to build out new digital solutions. All of this is designed to make Digital Place a universally sustainable platform for Public Services. It provides a direct fit, today, with the flexibility to adapt to your future requirements, tomorrow. Digital Place provides access to re-usable (Lego-like) digital components which we call ‘Cubes’. We recognise that although every organisation might build a different Digital Place, the components (Cubes) that make up that build are common. Quite literally, the common

building blocks that the Digital Service Standard and Local Digital Declaration promotes. The value in re-use is huge as it immediately benefits new Councils through the re-use of designs that have been commissioned and tested by other Councils, at no additional cost. This might mean no need for user research, design services or development, or it provides an opportunity to present pretested services to users for configuration and refinement and to focus user research and design on new services. This not only helps to meet the ethos of the Digital Service Standard and Local Digital Declaration, but it also means subscribing customers will continue to enjoy a conveyor belt of new digital developments as other Councils create new services, without changing your platform subscription. Subscribing Authorities accumulate increasing value and efficiencies, whilst your team focuses on your priorities. Recent co-creation projects include a Customer Contact Management application with Rugby Borough Council to replace their incumbent CRM system, a Case Management application with Camden Council, and low-code extensions that continue to put the control in the hands of our customers. It’s thrilling to see how our platform is shaping and being shaped by how the local authorities digitally deliver their services. We’re eager to demonstrate the reusability beyond our existing customers through working with new authorities.

Cube List

Save time and money, right from the start. Experience Cubes Local Experience (Brunel) Local Experience (Vibrant) Intranet Experience Online Communities Experience

Feature Cubes Web CMS (content management) User segmentation Forms builder Workflow Casemanagement CustomerContactManagement Document management

£5m+

invested in service transformation by councils. Over 150 re-usable cubes available out-of-the-box. Open and interoperable. Easily tailor to your local business rules and content.

Service Cubes Allotments & gardens Bins & recycling Births, deaths, marriages & citizenship Business rates Council & democracy

Community Cubes

Integration Cubes

Project group pages

Various integrations including:

Department group pages Community group pages Networks Group membership & security

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User management & security Multi-language support Data protection Search

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Social login Social connections People finder & group finder Activity streams

BookingLive connector GOV.UK Notify Ordnance Survey Places API Capita Pay360 connector

External website search Give us supporting evidence

Licences & permits Complaints & feedback

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Direct messaging Document library Knowledge base Blogs & microblogs

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Planning & building regulations Schools, learning & early years

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skills

New Skills Academy launches in the Capital

new Skills Academy to prepare young people for the variety of careers in the construction industry is being launched by the City of Edinburgh Council. Skanska and Mitie have recently been awarded a 10 year Statutory Inspections, Repairs and Maintenance contract for operational buildings with the Council and have committed to creating a collaborative Skills Academy. The development and shaping of the model is being supported by partners Edinburgh College, Developing the Young Workforce, Historic Environment Scotland, Skanska and Mitie and is being

Forrester, attended over two days and took part in five key construction skills painting and decorating, joinery, slating, stone masonry and thermal imaging. Paul Lawrence, Executive Director Place at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “No one can underestimate the impact the pandemic has had on young people in the past two years when it comes to equipping them with the skills for when they leave school. It’s important as a Council that we do everything we can to support them and setting up the Skills Academy is a really exciting project. There are a variety of roles within construction outwith the traditional

Academy aims to address the decline in traditional skills and jobs available within the industry. Senior General Manager Stephen Monaghan, from Skanska, said: “Succession, competence and technical ability are all core factors that underpin our business at Skanska. We are delighted to be involved in this skills demonstration workshop offering our future tradespeople the early opportunity to gain an insight into what is involved in these particular trades. We think it’s really important to give people the opportunity to enhance their future skills.”

led by the Council. The Academy is being set up to address skills shortages in the construction industry both within traditional construction trades but also within professional and back office roles. It also aims to encourage a more diverse and inclusive workforce by starting to work closely with pupils from as early as primary school to provide insights into construction. To celebrate the launch of the Academy a special ‘Skills Demonstration’ – hosted by Edinburgh College - took place in the City Chambers quadrangle recently. Around 100 pupils from four secondary schools, Gracemount, Balerno, Craigmount and

trade apprenticeships that people may not be aware of. We want to encourage more of our young people to explore these fantastic opportunities and provide them with the skills and experience to secure employment. “The Skills Academy is a great example of the partnership approach we use to drive forward many projects across the city. I’m delighted that so many organisations have teamed up with us and this couldn’t be achieved without the support and input from DYW, Edinburgh College, Skanska and Mitie and Historic Environment Scotland. The unique buildings within Edinburgh need to be protected and maintained for future generations to enjoy and the

Jennifer Melvin, Community Benefits Coordinator at Mitie, said: “Myself and Mitie are thrilled to be part of this Traditional Skills Demonstrations in collaboration with DYW’s ‘Build Your Future’. “Young people are expected to know what they want to do with their lives through their school choices and after leaving school without any experience of industry. Build your future is aiming to change this by providing insight that will support them to make informed decisions, which is certainly a step in the right direction.” It is anticipated the Skills Academy will be fully operational by 2024. Scottish Local Authority News

company profile

Skanska extends training opportunities for people in Edinburgh through its commitment to the new Skills Academy.

he move is part of Skanska’s commitment to offer career opportunities to a diverse range of people and enhance people’s skills. As one the largest construction companies in the UK, Skanska is ideally placed to provide training and development opportunities to the local community. For example, it has a structured emerging talent programme, supporting the development of graduates, trainees and apprentices. Skanska is also an expert in providing facilities management solutions to local authorities, using its in-house team of mechanical and electrical engineers: so it can provide a variety of career paths. This year, Skanska has created and promoted a number of employment and development opportunities in the Edinburgh region. This includes two Service and Maintenance Engineering apprenticeships, which were advertised on the skills development website, apprenticeship.scot. In May, we began recruiting for a number of other service and maintenance apprenticeships in Edinburgh. We then worked with the Building Services Engineering Association to both promote the opportunity and increase the number of positions available. The response was so great that Skanksa July/August 2022

extended the closing date for applications until the end of June. Skanska held a virtual career insight session ‘a day in the life of an engineer’, which was hosted by two of its graduate civil engineers and received very positive feedback.It also organised employment practice sessions with the City of Edinburgh Council and partner organisations. In addition to the skills demonstration for school pupils across Edinburgh, Skanska held a careers presentation at Balerno High School, designed to encourage sixth formers to consider careers in construction and engineering. This was hosted by an engineer who had recently completed an apprenticeship. A special post-traumatic stress awareness day, which included a webinar to break down stigma and stereotypes, was also held. It’s that commitment to developing people and ensuring it has the best quality personnel that makes Skanska UK well placed to work in partnership with the City of Edinburgh and successfully deliver Statutory Inspections, Repairs and Maintenance. That commitment also makes Skanska UK an invaluable partner of the new Edinburgh Skills Academy. 17

environment

Enterprise agencies join forces to help businesses be more environmentally competitive

A Carbon footprint in common: some of those benefitting from the project.

cottish Enterprise (SE) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) have teamed up to help around 50 Scottish companies calculate the carbon savings of their innovative new products and services – so that they can meet the growing requirement to accurately forecast their environmental impact. The two-month pilot was aimed at raising the competitiveness of the participating companies in a marketplace where the ability to present accurate data about your environmental impact is increasingly becoming a deciding factor in a company’s overall attractiveness to investors and customers. After a tendering exercise, Impact Forecast, a highly respected Dutch company specialising in this field, were chosen as the key service provider. They have been working with impact innovators around the world since 2016, building solutions to help make climate

impact visible in the early stages of a development process. Key to their involvement was their own unique digital forecasting tool, as well as their experience in coaching each company on life cycle assessment and on producing carbon savings estimates, which could then be independently validated. The project gave participating companies free access to all these services and the programme closed with a workshop on how companies can pitch their low carbon credentials to potential investors and customers. Feedback from companies highlighted that the programme had improved their knowledge of carbon estimation with participants advising that it will impact their work and competitiveness in future from product development to encouraging investment opportunities. Cabinet Secretary for Finance & Economy Kate Forbes Scottish Local Authority News

environment said: “The forecast impact tool will help companies across Scotland to monitor the effects they are having on the environment and in turn will be able to reduce their carbon footprint. “The Scottish Government is fully committed to helping Scotland meet our ambitious goals to be a net zero country by 2045.” Interim managing director of business growth at Scottish Enterprise Rhona Allison added: “It is vital that businesses can effectively measure their green credentials. “We know that those companies who can provide credible low carbon figures will gain a competitive edge with customers, investors, funders and suppliers. Scottish Enterprise is supporting businesses to be

more sustainable as well as cultivate economic climate opportunities as part of our net zero framework that will help drive a greener economy in Scotland. “It is great to see this project with Impact Forecast deliver a business tool that works for the environment and the economy.” Director of service delivery at Highlands and Islands Enterprise Rachel Hunter explained: “There has never been more attention on the need to address the impacts of climate change. As part of this we can

We can use the tool to identify changes that create a lower carbon future for our company.” Clearview Intelligence, a data and technology company committed to creating safer, greener and more intelligent spaces, was another worthy beneficiary. Their data management platform “Insight” collects and categorises road traffic, active travel, air quality and road conditioning data, to help customers monitor networks and influence the behaviour of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Clearview spokesperson Kelly Morris was enthusiastic: “Using the Impact Forecast tool, we were able to analyse the carbon impact of relocating the manufacture of our SolarLite Active Road Stud from Malaysia to the UK. Our Carbon Impact Report was confirmed as not only valid and positive but significant, saving 49 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per annum, equal to driving a car six times around the world. “This opportunity has proven to be a real catalyst for change and we will use the impact tool in future to modify our design and manufacturing methods even further to reduce more carbon.” With those savings in mind, Kelly added: “This year we are launching our Sustainability Strategy ‘Clearview 2030, Small Business, Big Impact’, through which we are committing to achieve net zero across our business operations by 2025 and across our entire value chain by 2030.” Reasonable Parts Ltd in Lochgilphead took part in the pilot also and Michael Forbes, General manager of the company, said: “This training and the impact forecasting tool has been of real benefit to the business. We were already monitoring and reporting on the carbon savings our customers make by buying recirculated goods as opposed to new, but the tool is a much more effective way of capturing the data and effectively displaying it back to the customer.” Alongside the 49 participating companies (9 supported by HIE and 40 by SE), fifty representatives of Scotland’s economic development agencies and partner organisations also took part to increase their awareness of carbon lifecycle analysis. This included staff from SE and HIE, South of Scotland Enterprise, Zero Waste Scotland, Edinburgh Climate Change Institute, Censis, The Data Lab, IBioIC and the Net Zero Technology Centre. Finance Minister Kate Forbes

expect customers to become increasingly discerning and want their suppliers to be taking measures to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to the country’s net zero targets. This pilot project has enabled companies to demonstrate to their customers, stakeholders and investors that they are doing just that. It supports them through their net zero journey and helps them achieve their climate goals.” MacRebur Limited, based in Lockerbie, a company which turns plastic waste into products that are used in the manufacture of asphalt roads, was one of the businesses to benefit. Their spokesman Nick Burnett said: “The tool allows us to quickly assess the carbon impacts of new projects in territories across the globe.

July/August 2022

A sustainable approach to safety

A1 Improvement Scheme

SolarLite Active Road Studs

The scheme addressed three main safety concerns: poor

• Superior 900m visibility

visibility to and from junctions, inconsistent road markings

even in poor weather

and signs, and a lack of definition at and around junctions.

conditions and on wet

The solution:

roads

•

• Decreases night time

4,100 solar-powered ‘SolarLite’ road studs deployed,

accidents by over 70%

defining junctions to approaching drivers along the A1 from the Scottish border to Granthouse Junction. •

• Solar-powered technology

A study by Transport Research Institute and Napier

that maintains light output throughout

University found that over 90% of respondents claimed

the year without contributing to light

improved clarity of junctions, curves, bends, and lanes

pollution

on the A1.

Clearview Intelligence offers many solutions for creating sustainable and safe communities. * By relocating the Clearview is saving manufacture of SolarLite from Malaysia to UK Eq per annum

49t CO2

To find out more about the A1 scheme and other solutions deployed in Scotland, please visit: www.clearview-intelligence.com/scotland

t: +44 (0)1908 088008 e: info@clearview-intelligence.com

www.clearview-intelligence.com

environment

Glasgow to extend network of local nature reserves

wenty-two open spaces in Glasgow are set to become new or extended local nature reserves. Glasgow is currently home to 12 nature reserves, which cover 522 hectares of ground and provide opportunities for residents to enjoy and learn about the natural world close to their homes. But following a decision by the council’s City Administration Committee, Glasgow’s network of nature reserves is to be extended Legend Local Nature Reserves

habitats which is potentially unique for an urban area. “By bringing more of the city’s open spaces into our local nature reserve system, we can make the most of Glasgow’s natural world by protecting biodiversity and supporting safe access for Glaswegians to these fantastic spaces. It’s vital that we ensure more of our city’s communities have access to green and biodiverse spaces, including in less affluent areas of Glasgow,

Open spaces identified for new or extended local nature reserve designation are at: Bingham’s Pond, Bishop’s Loch, Blairtummock, Cadder, Cardowan Moss, Castlemilk, Cathkin Brae’, Claypits, Cleddan’s Burn, Commonhead Moss, Cranhill Park, Croftfoot Park, Crookston Wood, Dawsholm Park, Early Braes, Festival Park, Garscadden Burn, Househill Park, Hurlethill, Malls Mire, Red Road and Todd’s Well. These places were selected following a review that

Cathkin Braes (extension) pLNR

STATUS Proposed LNR Declared LNR

Cathkind Braes, one of the planned areas for expansion

Neighbourhoods, Regeneration & Sustainability 231 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RX Executive Director:- George Gillespie BEng (Hons) CEng MICE © Crown copyright. All Rights Reserved. Glasgow City Council 100023379 You are not permitted to copy, sub-license, distribute or sell any of this data to third parties in any form.

by over 250 hectares as part of the wider effort to strengthen the city’s biodiversity. Parks and open spaces in areas as diverse as Drumchapel, Easterhouse, Govan, Castlemilk, Firhill and Petershill have all been identified as places to be formally designated as local nature reserves. Councillor Angus Millar, City Convener for Climate, Glasgow Green Deal, Transport and City Centre Recovery, views the plan to expand the network of local nature reserves as a direct response to the climate and ecological emergencies. Councillor Millar said: “Glasgow has such a rich natural environment with a mix of peatlands, wetlands, forestry and other

July/August 2022

0.1

0.2

0.4

and our programme of new nature reserves will do so in a way that supports and protects the habitats of the city’s wildlife. “Given that we know that Glasgow’s wildlife will increasingly come under threat due to climate change in the coming years, progressing these plans will be an important part of our response to the climate and ecological emergencies. We will now engage closely with communities and key stakeholders towards formal designation of these sites as local nature reserves, drawing on local and expert knowledge to refine the plans and improve the management of these important green and open spaces.”

Kilometers 0.8

0.6 garnerd

13/01/22

1:10,000

looked at making open spaces in deprived areas of the city more accessible but also sought to create wildlife corridors and connections for active travel. Communities close to each area identified for inclusion in the scheme and other stakeholders will play a vital role in the process that leads to a formal designation for every local nature reserve. Timescales for formal designation will vary for each nature reserve and will become clearer as the programme for engagement with all stakeholders is developed and implemented. Progress on the designation process for all proposed local nature reserves will be reported back to the appropriate committee.

environment

Dyce Academy achieve Green Flag award

nvironmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful has awarded an Aberdeen City Council school its first Green Flag. Dyce Academy achieved the internationally recognised designation after demonstrating their continued commitment to excellence in sustainable education. They join 19 other schools across the city which have previously received the award. In achieving a Green Flag, pupils had a choice to work on three of the Ten Topics, including energy, transport, litter, waste, and biodiversity, while also fulfilling criteria based on the seven core elements of the Eco-Schools programme. Over the past year pupils at Dyce Academy have demonstrated their commitment to greener practises through a wide range of activities: • Raising awareness on littering; • Organised the instalment of new bins on the school grounds; • Created an outdoor learning space which includes an orchard and a raised bed growing area; • Planted a hedgerow to increase biodiversity and link the wildlife corridor from the River Don to the heart of the Dyce community. Other initiatives included becoming a “Cycle Friendly

School” by encouraging pupils to walk and cycle to school where possible. Councillor Martin Greig, convener of the education committee, said: “The Green Flag is a great achievement for the school and for the environment. “Our lifestyles have to become more sustainable and more ecologically-friendly. The school community has put in a great deal of effort to reach this level. The students are really showing the way forward with greener solutions.” Councillor Jessica Mennie, vice-convener of the education committee, said: “It is wonderful to see how staff and pupils have worked together to achieve their first Green Flag award for Dyce Academy. “As we work towards our net zero targets our young people are our champions – leading the way to demonstrate that we all have to take action and work towards protecting our planet.” Dyce Academy headteacher Lesley Adam said: “We are immensely proud of the work the pupils have put in to achieving this award. Although challenging at times, the pupils feel that they can see the differences they have made and are keen to move forward and are already preparing for the next year. We hope to inspire more schools across the city to get involved with the Keep Scotland Beautiful Ecoschools programme.”

Scottish Local Authority News

environment

Helping schools work towards a Better Planet

rowing awareness of how human activities have been damaging our planet has led to increasing numbers of young people wanting to take positive action to minimise their impacts on the environment. Better Planet Schools is an online environmental education programme, created by the Young People’s Trust for the Environment (YPTE) for primary schools in the UK. Through Better Planet Schools, YPTE aims to engage students and teachers to learn about and take action on key issues like saving energy to tackle climate change; reducing use of plastics and increasing recycling; fast fashion; air pollution; and creating new habitats for wildlife to thrive. Schools taking part in Better Planet Schools choose three ‘modules’ per year to engage with, and each module lasts for a school term. YPTE is creating new modules each year, so children and schools can be involved on an annual basis, learning more about key environmental issues and how they can make a difference with their actions. The pilot project for Better Planet Schools saw a group of 20 primary schools working on the energy and climate change module. Each of the participating schools reduced their annual energy usage by between 10 and 15%, with the reductions coming as the result of child-led behaviour change. As well as reducing CO2 emissions from schools, savings of this level are really significant for schools’ budgets at a time of rising energy costs. Participation is currently free, thanks to donations YPTE has raised. When these funds are used up, YPTE will make a charge of £100 per year for schools to take part. With the average school energy bill now exceeding £31,000 per year, this is very easily paid for through energy usage savings. Find out more from https://www.betterplanetschools.org.uk July/August 2022

Awards to inspire young environmentalists

The Primary Awards for Green Education in Schools (PAGES) is an award scheme for excellence in environmental education, devised and organised by the Young People’s Trust for the Environment (YPTE). The awards are open to all primary schools in the UK and are free to enter. With four inspirational award categories to enter and 48 cash prizes available, including £2,000 for the UK Champions, it’s well worth taking part! YPTE has produced a guide for the 5-14 Curriculum for Excellence, suggesting possible project ideas and their links to the Curriculum. Any environmental work completed by schools before the deadline of 3 May 2023 can be easily uploaded to the awards website, and work from the Summer Term of 2022 can also be submitted. Find out more from https://www.primaryawards4greeneducation.org.uk

environment

Scottish Water intelligent assets helping improve service and protect environment I nvestment in Scottish Water’s intelligent asset base on its waste water infrastructure, including remote sensors and data-driven insight, is set to improve its service to customers, protect the environment, reduce costs and assist in its journey towards net zero carbon emissions. The early stages of investment of up to £100m over the next five years in its intelligent asset base – designed to use new technology to monitor our sewage pipes rather than rely on customers telling us when there is a problem – have indicated that the utility will be able to better predict and prevent wastewater issues before they impact customers and the environment. Wastewater is a key focus of Scottish Water’s drive to introduce cost and efficiency savings via an ambitious transformation programme, with the objective of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Trials of the new technology have shown that it will give the company real-time insights into how its network is operating and enable it to be more proactive in how it responds to issues and to solve problems before customers and the environment are affected. The technology is currently being trialled in four areas - Erskine, Inverness, Lossiemouth and East Calder – which have suffered from flooding and pollution events historically. Scottish Water has placed sensors that detect the presence of blockages and has already used this data to avert potential Environmental Pollution Incidents (EPIs) and flooding of customers’ premises. Using the learning from these four areas, Scottish Water intends to extend this intelligence into other areas which experience similar issues. Similarly, at its wastewater treatment assets, a major challenge for the business is that there is little access to real-time data regarding the quality of treatment or the condition and performance of critical assets. As a result, maintenance is more responsive than predictive, energy consumption is higher than it could be, and asset life is potentially shortened. The goal is to access new and existing operational data from across the infrastructure, securely connecting it via Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and other devices to provide near real-time data and reduce the reliance on site visits. This would enable considerable cost savings because 600 samples are gathered daily from across Scottish Water’s

1,800 treatment works. This capability is being installed at 17 wastewater ‘exemplar’ treatment works. At the first one, Laighpark WWTW in Paisley, Scottish Water now has real-time final effluent compliance data which, together with real-time control and intervention, is helping to reduce risk of compliance breaches as well as reduce energy consumption across the site. Condition sensors have also been installed on large assets such as pumps which, when they fail, can result in significant cost and pollution. By monitoring vibration and temperature, Scottish Water maintenance teams can proactively intervene if the signals go outside ‘normal’ operating levels, avoiding the cost of failure and pollution while extending asset life. Scottish Water has invested more than £5m in the wastewater ‘exemplar’ work and about £2m in the sensors in the network pilots so far. Chris Toop, General Manager – Digital, said: “We are very encouraged by the early results coming through our pilot works. The innovative use of sensors and analytics in this way represents a much bigger shift towards predicting and preventing issues before they impact on our customers and environment – ensuring that vital services flow smoothly and efficiently.” Joyce Gray, Wastewater Business Manager, added: “This is a complex programme of works and a critical part of our Digital Transformation journey, helping transform our wastewater business and drive a step-change in operational performance. “It will allow us to make better operational decisions, be more efficient and to drive significant benefits, particularly in relation to energy consumption and responsive asset failures.” Atos and Capgemini are our Digital Partners supporting Scottish Water in the provision of IT services and our Digital Transformation. Neil Holland, Atos Client Partner Water, said: “Atos are delighted to be working with Scottish Water to help transform their Waste Water operations. Together we are already delivering game changing insights which are improving the management of the waste water network, avoiding blockage incidents and therefore protecting the environment and delivering world class services and value to the people of Scotland.” Paul Haggerty, UK Head of Energy & Utilities at Capgemini, said: “Capgemini is proud to support Scottish Water to

Scottish Local Authority News

environment drive a step change in operational performance and carbon reduction in wastewater treatment “Our wastewater exemplars programme leverages next generation technology with a focus on human centric design to support a digitally connected workforce and intelligent wastewater network. This in turn will deliver both value for customers and support Scottish Water’s net zero emissions roadmap”. Scottish Water provides drinking water to 2.46 million households and 150,000 business customers. Every day, it supplies 1.34 billion litres of drinking water and takes away 847 million litres of waste water from customers’ properties for treatment before returning it to the environment. The utility also clears about 36,000 blockages from its network every year. About 80% of these are caused by people flushing the wrong items, such as wet wipes, down toilets or pouring fats, oil and grease down sinks. These can cause sewers to block and wastewater to overflow into the environment or flood customers’ properties. Wastewater handling and treatment is also highly energyintensive, consuming 53% of the total energy Scottish Water uses and contributing 71% to Scottish Water’s carbon footprint. This investment is over and above a package of investment in our wastewater system – from treatment works to Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) – worth half a billion pounds, that the company announced previously which underlined its commitment to protecting Scotland’s urban waters for decades to come. In February 2022, Scottish Water also launched its

July/August 2022

nationwide Nature Calls campaign backed by a range of other organisations, including the Marine Conservation Society, Keep Scotland Beautiful and Zero Waste Scotland. The campaign urges people to bin all wipes, and calls for a ban on wipes containing plastic, to help protect the environment.

environment

MSPs visit Aberdeen for factfinding tour of Hydrogen and Energy Hubs.

berdeen City Council recently welcomed a group of MSPs from the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero Energy and Transport Committee to visit several hydrogen and clean energy facilities around the city. Deputy Convener Fiona Hyslop MSP, Jackie Dunbar MSP, Liam Kerr MSP, and Monica Lennon MSP visited the community-led renewable energy project at Donside Hydro, and the anaerobic digestion (AD) plant and energy centre at TECA this morning before touring the Aberdeen City Hydrogen Energy Storage (ACHES) site in Cove this afternoon. The visit is part of a series of visits to allow Committee members to engage with local governments and partners and view the work that is being done at clean-energy projects across the country. Aberdeen City Council has been at the forefront of delivering green energy technology, which includes supporting an offshore wind turbine test centre and developing a hydrogen production and distribution hub with bp.

The group engaged in discussion with Council co-leaders Alex Nicoll and Ian Yuill, and officers, about the city’s energy transition plans and the Council’s role in delivering on targets towards reaching net zero. Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Alex Nicoll said: “We are pleased to welcome members of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee to the city today to showcase the pioneering work done in Aberdeen towards meeting climate change targets. “We have a number of first-class facilities generating clean energy in Aberdeen already and are happy to share our experience and progress for the benefit of burgeoning projects. Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Ian Yuill added: “We have had some very helpful discussions with our guests today which highlighted the importance of partnership working. “Aberdeen City Council has ambitious targets set out in the Net Zero Route

Map. It is vital that the Council work constructively with its partners, including the Scottish Government, to develop green energy projects so we can make a real, positive difference for our local and global environment.” Committee Deputy Convener Fiona Hyslop MSP said: “So many of the key responsibilities in helping Scotland reach its net zero targets sit with local government. Issues such as travel, housing, recycling and the circular economy have a huge impact on Scotland’s environment. “But we know that local government can’t make this change alone. That is why we want to see how councils across Scotland are working with their communities and building relationships with business, public agencies and the voluntary sector to embed these changes and make a difference to addressing climate change. “Our visit to Aberdeen today helps us see first-hand this work in action and the positive work happening in our communities.”

Stuart Bennett, Site Manager with Future Biogas explaining the AD Plant to Liam Kerr MSP, Monica Lennon MSP, Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Alex Nicoll, Jackie Dunbar MSP, Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Ian Yuill and Deputy Convener Fiona Hyslop MSP

Scottish Local Authority News

environment

Pioneering glasgow girls group wins international award

hird year girls from secondary schools in Glasgow are celebrating as their Girls@COP26 event recently took home a prestigious international award for innovation and youth education. The Sister Cities International award has been given to Sister Cities Association in Pittsburgh that joined with the council, Glasgow Caledonian University’s Mary Robinson Centre for Climate Justice and Women of the World (WOW) Foundation, to give girls a voice during the United Nations COP26 climate change summit, in the city, last year. The award is in recognition of the outstanding work done in advancing the goals and mission of the Sister Cities organisation, who work with members across the United States to play a part in creating a more peaceful world through people-to-people exchanges and initiatives. These collaborative exchanges happen in arts and culture, business and trade, youth and education, and community development that not only bring friendship, but help tackle the world’s most pressing issues, such as the climate emergency, at

July/August 2022

Pioneering Glasgow Girls

a local level. Across the two-week conference, in November, more than 2500 S3 pupils participated in Girls@COP26 – The Solutions are Feminist, at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU). Schools joined forces to discuss the global issues around environment and gender – UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 - alongside other female related issues including health and challenges that can affect women and girls’ bodies. They discussed a range of themes like climate action, culture, fashion, everyday living and women’s contribution to society, keynote speakers, including former Irish President Dr Mary Robinson, and a panel of experts. Each topic was discussed from the point of view of how woman and girls’ lives are disproportionately impacted, challenges faced and what can be done to facilitate change, empower women and build resilience. Bailie Annette Christie, Convener for Culture, Sport and International Relations, said: “The Solutions are Feminist conference, in partnership with GCU and Women of the World (WOW), was the ideal platform for Glasgow’s female voices to

be heard, influence change and make an impact - pupil voice is very strong in Glasgow’s schools and COP26 provided the perfect platform for the girls’ opinions to be shared. “This is a great honour and recognises not only the success of the event but also our partnership with Pittsburgh, a fairly recent connection and one that we hope to strengthen in the future.” Professor Tahseen Jafry, Director of the Mary Robinson Centre for Climate Justice, said: “The success of Girls@CoP26 is testimony to the pupils who took part and engaged so enthusiastically in the event. “I am so proud of what they have achieved together with all the partners involved in delivering such an ambitious two-week programme. I am delighted that our work has been recognised and I look forward to our continuing collaboration.” Kathy Risko, Executive Director, Sister Cities Association of Pittsburgh, said: ”Sister Cities Pittsburgh was very proud to partner with Girls@COP26 to engage Glasgow youth in important climate conversations. We are energised by our sister relationship with Glasgow and

look forward to future collaborations and exchanges between our two cities”. In another connection, Glasgow also entered into a partnership agreement with the Pennsylvanian city in November 2020, ahead of hosting COP26. For the city it was the obvious choice to team up as the cities share a similar past and present. Both are driven by knowledge, academic richness and innovation that draws on that industrial past. For Pittsburgh this was steel and Glasgow, shipbuilding. This partnership will focus on knowledge exchange between the cities and policies, programmes and projects that we will be able to develop in a bid to tackle climate change, racial injustice, and social inequality.

VWXS

environment feature

New Tidal Flood model for the Clyde published

Map showing lasgow City Council and SEPA some of the have produced a new River Clyde Tabular water Tidal Flood Model, covering the level outpur area on the river between locarions on the River Clyde Dalbeth in Glasgow and Greenock. RSTdedc[fVSXWdge

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Sea levels are predicted to rise because of climate change, and as a result, the risk of flooding for existing and new communities will increase. Information from the model will be used by developers, planners, investors and organisations and individuals with an interest. This collaboration between Glasgow City Council and SEPA will inform management of flood risk on the Clyde, and replaces the River Clyde Management Strategy model. Information on the new River Clyde Tidal Flood Model is available at: https://www. glasgow.gov.uk/riverclydemodelguidance. SEPA and local authorities agree that the model represents the best available understanding of current and future flood risk from the tidal Clyde for coastal flooding events, including storm surges and sea level rise, to the year 2100. The model confidently supports the information on the SEPA Flood Maps, available for a number of years now at: https://www.sepa.org.uk/environment/ water/flooding/flood-maps/. The SEPA

Flood Maps will be updated in due course to take account of the information from the model. The consideration of tidal flooding is increasingly important as rising sea levels mean that flooding associated with high tides and storm events will be to a greater depth and cover a larger area of land than at present. The Clyde has always been a key part of economic and social life in the West of Scotland, and the Glasgow city-region has a vision for a climate-resilient river corridor that supports a mix of land uses and provides attractive spaces where people want to spend time. Development sites along the banks of the Clyde, many of which have lain vacant for many years, should be developed in a way that recognises the challenge of increased flood risk due to climate change. This challenge can be addressed through sensitive design that aligns with an overarching principle of no net loss of the functional floodplain, and gives consideration to land use vulnerability, and water resilient construction and operational practices. Using the River Clyde Tidal Flood Model model, a proportionate, plan-led, approach to managing flood risk for existing and \gdS[Xj

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new communities will be delivered by key stakeholders (local authorities and SEPA) along the tidal reach catchment. For new development, this catchment management approach is proposed to ensure no net loss of functional floodplain storage for the tidal reach of the river, thereby allowing and supporting appropriate development within that tidal reach. The River Clyde Tidal Flood Model will continue to be updated with new development as it is approved through the planning system, to ensure the model both remains current and is the best available source of flood risk information for the Clyde to the year 2100. Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, said: “The Clyde is central to the life of Glasgow and our neighbouring local authorities, and like all other such rivers, has to face the reality of climate change. “The new River Clyde Tidal Flood Model will allow proper management of flood risk along the river, ensuring that appropriate development takes place on its banks and flood plains. This management will ensure that the economic, environmental and social benefits of the many uses both existing and to come - on the Clyde can continue to be delivered for future generations.” Vincent Fitzsimons, Head of Hydrology and Flooding at SEPA, said: “Scotland is already seeing the impacts of a changing climate. We know that there is locked in climate change we cannot reverse including sea level rise. Climate change is a huge challenge and SEPA is pleased to have worked with Glasgow City Council to develop the Tidal Clyde Model as a shared tool to be used by all partners. SEPA endorses it as the current best available data to help assess the flood risk ahead for land use planning to allow communities in the area to thrive. Avoiding or adapting to flooding is a fundamental consideration in the design of great places as we learn to live safely with flooding both now and in the future.” Scottish Local Authority News

environment

South Ayrshire wins Gold Award at APSE Excellence Awards 2022 The prestigious awards are for all local authorities and their public-sector partners, recognising frontline services teams as well as special initiatives

outh Ayrshire Council are delighted to announce that our Waste Management team has been awarded the Gold Award for Waste and Recycling at the APSE Striving for Excellence Awards 2022. The Striving for Excellence Awards recognise local authorities who go above and beyond and give them the chance to present on their most enterprising initiatives. The team received the award for embracing change and using new technology, such as the SAC My Bins app, to improve the service they deliver. Their continued efforts to keep the

July/August 2022

service running with minimal disruptions throughout the pandemic was also commended. The Gold Award winners were announced at the APSE Scotland Fleet, Waste and Grounds Seminar in Aviemore on Thursday 19 May 2022. Councillor Martin Kilbride, South Ayrshire’s Portfolio Holder for Buildings, Housing and Environment said, “Winning Gold for Waste and Recycling is a great achievement that goes to show the hard work of our Waste Management team who continuously go the extra mile. I’d like to congratulate everyone involved in this

service for their well-deserved win.” APSE Chief Executive Paul O’Brien said, “These Awards recognise the incredible work and success of local authority services in Scotland; providing a muchdeserved opportunity for those within the related service areas to put forward their most deserving initiative. To all of our Award winners, I would like to say a huge thank you for not simply maintaining but exceeding the high standards you have set for yourselves when striving to secure safe and beautiful neighbourhoods for your local communities.”

communities

Council issues £105 gift cards for around 85,000 Glasgow households G

lasgow City Council recently approved the distribution of Covid LowIncome Gift Cards worth £105 to around 85,000 lowincome households in the city. These cards can be used in registered businesses in Glasgow, with more than 700 businesses of all sizes registered across the city so far, and almost 400 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the process of registering. The council was given £9.456million by the Scottish Government for this project - from the Scotland Loves Local campaign - with this funding coming from the Scottish Government’s £80million Covid Recovery Fund.

£8.85million will be directly used to allocate the gift cards, with £423,110 to be used as discretionary funding by the council to support groups also impacted by the current cost of living crisis. The remainder of the funding will be used to cover the administrative costs of the scheme. The Scotland Loves Local campaign looks to encourage people in Scotland to think local first and support businesses on their local high streets. Data from the council tax system will now be used to identify Glasgow households entitled to Council Tax Reduction (CTR), which in turn will be used to identify which households would be eligible

to receive a pre-paid gift card. There are 780 businesses in Glasgow currently registered to accept the gift cards, and the council is working to encourage more to register and benefit from the scheme. The Covid Low-Income Gift Cards will be administered by Miconex, the delivery partners for Scotland’s Towns Partnership. It is expected that the cards will be sent out directly to eligible households throughout July - there will be no need for an application process. To reduce the risk of theft, the cards will require activation. The authentication process will see the card recipient being asked to enter their Scotland Loves Local Gift Card Scottish Local Authority News

communities

and National Insurance numbers on a dedicated website, and if the numbers match the record held, the balance will be immediately uploaded. The council has established processes to deal with enquiries from residents. Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “The gift cards will give city businesses a muchneeded lift following two years of the pandemic and the resulting impact on trade. But they also allow us to support tens of thousands of low-

Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council: “The gift cards will give city businesses a much-needed lift following two years of the pandemic and the resulting impact on trade.”

income households and individuals with practical assistance, something we hope can make a positive difference to them during the worst cost-ofliving crisis in decades. “While the number of businesses signed up to the scheme continues to grow, we’re still encouraging as many as possible - especially small and medium-sized companies - to sign up. We want local high streets across every one of Glasgow’s communities to benefit from this measure.”

KEEP MONEY LOCAL FOR LONGER WITH THE SCOTLAND LOVES LOCAL GIFT CARD To discuss how your region can fully benefit, email kimberley@scotlandstowns.org www.scotlandgiftslocal.com

July/August 2022

communities

Riverside Scotland’s Dundonald modular homes project supporting military veterans

iverside Scotland welcomed South Ayrshire Provost Iain Campbell, Councillor Martin Kilbride, Buildings, Housing and Environment Portfolio Holder for South Ayrshire Council, and Councillor Julie Dettbarn, Local Councillor for the Kyle Ward to Scotland’s first large-scale affordable modular housing development on 1 August 2022.

The 63-unit development in the village of Dundonald, South Ayrshire is Riverside Scotland’s first development in South Ayrshire. The Councillors were given a tour of the development by Riverside Scotland’s managing director Diana MacLean, including an overview of the modular construction process which cuts construction waste by up to 85% and uses up to 67% less energy when compared to traditional sites. The homes are built off-site by modular construction specialist Connect Modular Ltd, using an innovative and sustainable modular construction method. The pioneering use of off-site technology makes a real difference in lowering the environmental impact of the construction process. Energy consumption, building running costs and overall energy efficiency levels are substantially improved. Modules are completed to ceiling height with kitchens, bathrooms, plumbing and electrics all installed before leaving the factory. The first modules were craned into position in June 2020, and the development is on track for completion this autumn.

Riverside Scotland has made a strong commitment to providing homes for veterans at risk of homelessness by allocating more than 10% of new homes to support veteran households. The organisation has a Service Level Agreement in place with Veterans First Point/NHS Ayrshire and Arran to ensure that veterans are fully supported in their tenancies, and in the transition to civilian life after service in the armed forces. The partnership provides a muchneeded combination of secure and suitable housing, alongside support to address any mental, physical, emotional, and tenancy related needs for veterans and their families, for as long as it is needed. Nathan and Lauren Cairns were on the waiting list for seven years and moved into a three-bed house at Dundonald in January this year. Lauren said, “Nathan served in the infantry and on leaving the army we were faced with the difficulty of finding a permanent home. We moved into a small two-bedroom top floor flat. Our son and daughter were sharing a room and we didn’t have any outdoor space. We couldn’t even open the windows fully. “We were absolutely thrilled when we were allocated a new modular home. We’ve been here six months and it’s safe to say it has improved and transformed all aspects of our life significantly. It’s so much more peaceful than the flat, the kids love playing in the garden and we know they are safe. Our home is so light and spacious – such a contrast to before. It’s given Nathan a chance to breathe and we are enjoying the lovely countryside views – we absolutely love it! “We really appreciate the support from Riverside Scotland, South Ayrshire Council and Veterans First Point in getting us to our happy place.” Provost Campbell who is also Veterans Champion for South Ayrshire Council said, “It was fantastic to look round the development and meet some of the veterans. It can be difficult to adjust to life outside the Armed Forces, the importance of being able to access suitable accommodation is hugely important. This development ticks all the boxes and is helping these families put down roots.” With housing and environment under his

remit Cllr Kilbride has closely followed the modular development’s progress and was delighted to meet new residents. “Modular housing has the potential to be a game changer, and I am delighted that South Ayrshire is leading the way in Scotland. Having the units preassembled is much more sustainable and reduces construction waste by a staggering amount. Modular housing adds another construction option for delivering more affordable homes in South Ayrshire and we’re keen to explore other areas where this process could be used.” Diana MacLean, managing director of Riverside Scotland said, “We are thrilled to welcome the Provost and Councillors to Kilmarnock Road and proud to show off this sector-leading modular development, which has truly raised the profile of off-site construction in Scotland as well as meeting housing and environmental targets. “With over 13% of homes on the development allocated to military veterans and another signing up this month, Dundonald is a truly unique project providing suitable accommodation and support to veteran families. It is evident that there is a demand for services like ours and the Cairns family is a shining example of just how effective it can be in transforming lives. However, we won’t rest on our laurels. We are already exploring options to enhance our service provision for veterans going forward. “It has been a pleasure to work with South Ayrshire Council to allocate these homes and we are proud that this innovative development is tackling the housing crisis at speed and scale, whilst addressing climate change and homelessness amongst veterans.”

Scottish Local Authority News

communities

Cost of living programme will see £5million invested in West Dunbartonshire

ore than £5million is being invested across West Dunbartonshire to support those hardest hit by the cost of living crisis. West Dunbartonshire Council is investing the sum as part of an initiative to support families, the elderly, carers, those with additional support needs, vulnerable households and local businesses. The pioneering scheme will see a range of different projects launched to assist with rising costs including the creation of a £1million Cost of Living Fund. The fund will initially be used to provide an additional £1000 per week to West Dunbartonshire foodbanks; free summer swimming for school pupils; free all-inclusive family leisure memberships from July to August for vulnerable families identified by Working4U; free West Dunbartonshire Leisure gym memberships over summer for 14-18 year old pupils; and support for the Recycle Room in Clydebank, a community group which takes unwanted items and redistributes to those in need. Other investments being made through the initiative, which was outlined as part of an emergency motion to Council, will include the creation of a household energy fund of £250,000 and an innovative partnership with major energy suppliers to ensure residents experiencing significant levels of fuel poverty receive support and early intervention to maintain their utility supply. Targeted community bulk uplifts and grass cutting will also be undertaken where families do not have the funds to pay for these items in addition to litter picking to clean up communities. An investment of £1million will fund free access to activities for children during school holidays, with a further £1million of capital earmarked to support community groups and voluntary organisations with their own cost of living initiatives. And a range of information will be highlighted to residents through Council channels to ensure they know how to access support including how to check they are receiving all income they are entitled to including benefits and grants. The motion also detailed a range of support planned through West Dunbartonshire July/August 2022

Councillors Councillor Michelle McGinty and Martin Rooney Health and Social Care Partnership budgets, subject to approval at their Integrated Joint Board meeting in August. The assistance incorporates a £1m help for carers package, including respite to support unpaid carers, kinship carers and foster carers. Additional funding for employees in the welfare rights service will ensure residents are well supported with advice and guidance around budgeting to help mitigate the cost of living crisis. In addition to the above, councillors indicated their intention to abolish £1.5m of non-residential care charges later this year, covering the loss of income through the Health and Social Care Partnership’s unearmarked reserves. Council Leader, Councillor Martin Rooney said: “The spiralling cost of living is hitting our communities hard and we know this will increase further as we move into winter. This crisis needs national intervention to address it fully however in West Dunbartonshire we can make sure that we are doing everything we can to protect our residents and ensure that they don’t have to choose between heating and eating. “Some of the steps we are taking are simple, such as ensuring residents know how to check they are receiving all the benefits they are entitled to and making

sure foodbanks are well stocked. But with up to 7 million people in the UK missing out on income related benefits, this small step will make a big difference. Deputy Council Leader, Councillor Michelle McGinty, who will lead a cross-party Cost of Living Working Group with elected members and officers to develop further initiatives and ensure continued focus on the issue, added: “We are hearing every day of the struggles our residents are facing, and the most vulnerable people in our communities are being hardest hit. Doing everything we can to help address that in West Dunbartonshire is our key priority. “Though the cost of living crisis may make us think of financial challenges, it is important to remember that it brings with it a huge number of other challenges too especially for our residents’ health. That’s why we want to include support in our programme for carers and young carers, residents with additional support needs, those experiencing poor mental health and also invested to provide increased access to food supplies. “Our aim is that nobody in West Dunbartonshire struggles because of the cost of living. I would urge all residents to get in touch and find out what support they are eligible for and how our comprehensive package of support can assist them.” 33

housing

Council’s biggest council house development opens its doors

ast Renfrewshire Council has celebrated the completion of new council homes in Barrhead’s Balgraystone Road with an official opening event, marking its largest housing development to date.

The 47-home development was delivered in partnership with Glasgow-based contractor CCG (Scotland), with more than £3million in Scottish Government funding, and consists of 6 one-and-twobedroom wheelchair adaptable flats, 12 two-bedroom flats and 26 three-and-four-bedroom terraced houses designed by MAST Architects. Works began in October 2020 and keys are now being handed over to more than 200 new tenants. All of these homes have been constructed using CCG’s enhanced ‘iQ’ Timber System, a structural timber frame solution that combines with modern construction methods to create dwellings that have improved airtightness and thermal performance characteristics. This results in a vast reduction in heat loss with lower energy demand contributing to lowering carbon emissions and generating annual savings on energy bills. This innovation is contributing to the Council’s Get to Zero strategy where one of our goals is improve the energy efficiency of our homes as well as other properties across East Renfrewshire. Since the Council’s ambitious new build development got underway in 2018, more than 170 homes have

been built or are in development, providing affordable housing for those who need it most. Councillor Danny Devlin, East Renfrewshire Council Housing and Maintenance Convener, said: “It is fantastic to see these homes now complete here in Barrhead, in what has been the most challenging of times. These high-quality new builds are providing much-needed housing to tenants and families and I’d like to wish them well in their new homes. “I’d like to thank everyone who played their part in the development and completion of this site – it is a fantastic achievement for us all. “The technology used in these energy efficient houses will reduce heating costs, making a big difference to our tenants. We are fully committed to improving our

East Renfrewshire Council Chief Executive Lorraine McMillan, Provost Mary Montague, Councillor Danny Devlin and Council Leader Owen O’Donnell with new tenants Gemma Alford, Kevin Taylor and family.

Scottish Local Authority News

housing tenants’ homes and supporting owner-occupiers and other tenures to improve energy efficiency, which will ensure all residents in East Renfrewshire can live in warm comfortable homes at affordable energy costs.” CCG Scotland Ltd Managing Director, David Wylie, added: “The completion of Balgraystone Road is a big milestone for CCG and East Renfrewshire Council. Not only does it form a major part of a housebuilding programme and strategic partnership that commenced over five years ago, the added layer of significance in the handover of the project undeniably stems in its delivery. By working together, we unwaveringly faced the challenges of the pandemic head on to ensure that we delivered for Barrhead and the result is this fantastic development of quality, energy efficient homes, and a legacy of support within the local community. “On behalf of CCG, I thank the Council for their support and we look forward to working with them

again in the future.” Looking ahead to future projects, 14 homes in Maidenhill will complete in spring 2023, in partnership with Robertson Homes, and planning is underway for an additional six sites across East Renfrewshire, potentially providing a further 173 new homes in the coming years.

Another 130 new affordable homes for Greendykes

he latest phase of the Council-led regeneration of Greendykes is set to move ahead following a funding boost of just over £620,000.

Secured from this year’s Vacant & Derelict Land Investment Programme, the funding will enable the Council to clean a site in the area of contamination and improve ground conditions, while work begins to design new, affordable, net zero carbon homes. The Council expects to fund the build of around 130 homes on the site. Regeneration expert Urban Union has been appointed to deliver the properties and will progress plans via the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator Programme – an innovative new business model for delivering affordable homes based around greater use of offsite construction. Through collaboration with local and national government, academia and the construction industry, the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator Programme will establish improvements in new affordable housing with a focus on time, cost, quality and carbon reduction. The programme was set up to develop and test a new business model for the construction of affordable homes using offsite construction methods. It has the potential to transform the productivity and performance of affordable housing and enable a move towards homes build to net zero standards. Planning permission in principle has already been granted as part of an existing masterplan. In the coming months, the Council and Urban Union will engage with local people on home designs and, subject to ground works, it is anticipated that the first properties will be delivered in phases from early-2024 to mid-2025. Councillor Jane Meagher, the Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “Never has our need for better housing been greater as we face a cost-of-living crisis and a climate emergency, so we need to be really ambitious and use the small amount of space we have in our city creatively. “For years, developers have overlooked this empty piece of land because of how complex it is to unlock. Yet, it’s situated minutes away from the Innocent Railway cycle path and is close to the Royal Infirmary and local employment. The area benefits from countless bus links into the city centre and it July/August 2022

is a fantastic place to live. “I’m thrilled that we’re going to be able to put the green back into Greendykes and we’ll work with local residents as we create these new net zero carbon homes. The funding will help us to transform the land and the local environment, while also providing new affordable and efficient places for people to live in line with our major housebuilding strategy.” Neil McKay, Managing Director, Urban Union said: “As a delivery partner for the regeneration of Greendykes, it is our responsibility to ensure that we provide homes that not only create a community but that bring benefits to the occupiers and the wider environment.

Photo: Richard Webb of geograph.org.uk

“By utilising the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator Programme, the Council is showing its commitment not only to its tenants through the selection of quality homes but to innovation and the city’s pledge to be net zero by 2030. “We are looking forward to meeting with the local residents to discuss the plans for the new homes and to obtaining their valuable input which will make sure that Greendykes becomes a blueprint for city centre regeneration.” 35

housing

Construction on 75 Net Zero homes begins in Granton

onstruction on Edinburgh’s first ‘net zero’ housing development has begun in North West Edinburgh. Led by the City of Edinburgh Council in partnership with Glasgow-based c ontractor CCG (Scotland) Ltd, the 75 home ‘Granton D1’ affordable housing pilot is part of the 1.3bn, 3,500 net zero home Granton Waterfront regeneration project. Designed by Anderson Bell Christie and located to the rear of the former Granton railway station building, this is the first pilot development in the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator (EHD) Project. The collaboration between local and national government, academia and the construction industry is testing a new model for designing, procuring and delivering new homes in the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal to create a greener future. Granton D1 is also part of the Council’s ambition to deliver 20,000 affordable homes by 2027 and will contribute towards achieving the city’s target to become a ‘net zero’ city by 2030. Future residents will benefit from a 20-minute neighbourhood approach, with active travel routes, public transport links and local amenities - including three commercial units on the ground floor level of D1 Homes. Where parking is provided, Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points will also be installed. To achieve ‘net zero’, the development will utilise a series of innovative measures

including improved fabric performance and triple-glazed windows, which will combine to dramatically reduce heat loss and energy demand, and an all-renewable energy strategy delivered by an entirely electric, on-site energy centre and solar PV panels. Carbon offsetting measures will also be in place with the outcomes reviewed through post-occupation analysis that will be undertaken by Edinburgh Napier University to validate the performance of the homes and inform future strategy for EHD projects. The homes themselves comprise one, two, and three-bedroom flats contained within a series of blocks, over-looking communal gardens, with the first homes set for completion in summer 2023. They will each be clad in a rich red brick that corresponds to the former station building, that will become a creative workspace with a public square for community use. Three commercial premises will also be provided and leased to local business operators. Councillor Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The future of housebuilding is happening here in Edinburgh. Getting construction underway is a huge step for Granton Waterfront and the pilot will help us create much needed new homes and a trailblazing new future for sustainable living in the city. “Using the most advanced construction methods and materials, these homes will be greener, warmer and more affordable.

They will feature EV charging stations and community gardens to support local wildlife. As part of Edinburgh’s new coastal community and 20-minute neighbourhood, this exceptional development will also benefit from new local amenities and low carbon transport links. “Granton D1 homes really have been designed to improve the lives of tenants and homeowners and will of course help us to meet Edinburgh’s net zero targets. We’re excited to now bring the blueprints to life.” CCG Managing Director, David Wylie, said: “The aim of the EHD initiative is to prove if net zero housing delivery is affordable, practical, and scalable in order to meet Scotland’s ambitious targets as we transition to become a net zero economy by 2045. As the cost of living continues to increase, we are also responsible for understanding how we can tackle the fuel poverty agenda in the here and now by continuing to advance construction methods and adopt new, renewable technologies. “CCG has pioneered offsite ‘Modern Methods of Construction’ for over a decade and our applied research and development into ‘Net Zero Carbon’ places us at the forefront of sustainable housebuilding in Scotland. “This project is hugely significant for the future of housing in Scotland and we thank the City of Edinburgh Council for allowing CCG to play our part in building a more sustainable future.” Scottish Local Authority News

administration & legal

Commsworld begins work transforming digital infrastructure in North Lanarkshire C ommsworld has enjoyed a 2022 that has seen it build on its position as the UK’s largest independent network provider and provider of choice in the public sector in Scotland.

In February, the Edinburgh-headquartered company was awarded a contract which could see up to £150m spent over 15 years to transform North Lanarkshire’s digital infrastructure and connectivity. It will accelerate the roll-out of gigabit-capable fibre broadband across the local authority area, creating a free public WiFi network in town centres and significantly boosting internet connectivity to schools. The contract adds to Commsworld’s growing reputation, having delivered massively enhanced infrastructure to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Renfrewshire and the Scottish Borders. The 15-year framework agreement for Digital Connectivity Services with North Lanarkshire will ensure improved access to high-quality, reliable fire connections, which will make a transformative difference to investment opportunities for businesses, and tackle digital exclusion among its citizens.

Steve Langmeed of Commsworld

July/August 2022

This transformative work has already begun. In a phased programme, the council’s 155 schools will enjoy a significant uplift in internet connectivity with a minimum 1Gbps connection for primary schools – 20 times the current capacity – and secondary schools increasing to 5Gbps, boosting digital learning through faster upload speeds. As well as bringing an additional digital fibre provider to the area to increase competition, there could also be the offer of vastly reduced rates for gigabit-capable fibre broadband of up to 1Gps to council tenants, residents and businesses. This could include Fibre To The Home (FTTH) delivered to homes with no previous gigabit connectivity of this standard, or indeed at all. The past few months have also seen Commsworld expand its reach in England. An example is its partnership with Northumberland-based rural broadband expert Alncom to give businesses and organisations in remote areas significantly enhanced broadband connectivity, bandwidth and resilience. As well as its public sector work, Commsworld has provided ultra-fast network connectivity to the £1bn St James Quarter in Edinburgh. It has also teamed up with HALO Kilmarnock in a partnership that sees it provide communication solutions for the HALO Enterprise and Innovation Centre (HEIC) and the HALO’s low carbon emission smart homes, while providing health and education benefits to those living and working at the HALO. Commsworld chief Executive Steve Langmead said: “North Lanarkshire symbolises a 2022 which has seen us further strengthen our position as the UK’s leading independent provider of networking and connectivity solutions. “This success is built on our nationwide ultra-fast Optical Core Network, which allows us to deliver transformative connectivity to areas the length and breadth of Britain, connecting them to speeds of up to 10G now, and with scalability of up to 100G. By building capacity for the future we are transforming rural areas, villages, towns and cities right across the country.”

administration & legal

Falkirk appoint new Director to drive forward transformation

aren Algie has been appointed Falkirk Council’s Director of Transformation, Communities and Corporate Services. Having started her career as a graduate trainee in Human Resources at Falkirk Council in 1991, Karen took on the role of Head of Service just 10 years later. Over her 31 years working for the Council, the 53-year-old, from Glasgow, has continued to manage Human Resources while also taking on responsibility for a range of other services; most recently, the Council of the Future change programme, IT & Digital, Payroll, and CCTV. Following the retiral of Director Stuart Ritchie and the renaming of Corporate & Housing Services earlier this year, Karen became Acting Director of Transformation, Communities & Corporate Services. Taking on the role reinforced her belief that “communities must be at the heart of all we do” and made clear she had the skills and passion needed to become director fulltime. Karen said: “My focus has always been on making a difference for our employees

and communities. When I joined, I could see how passionate the Council was about doing the right thing for the people of Falkirk. I’ve seen many changes over the years, but that passion has not changed. That is what made me stay and build my career at the Council. It is also the reason I applied for the director’s role, as it will allow me to continue to make a positive difference.” Kenneth Lawrie, Chief Executive, Falkirk Council, said: “Karen is highly regarded within the organisation and throughout Scottish local government. She not only has the skills, knowledge and insight needed to drive forward our transformation but also a deep-seated love for the area and its people. That care and experience will help cement strong relationships with communities and ensure she excels in her new role.” Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, Leader of Falkirk Council added: “There has been a huge amount of change at the Council since the start of the year, not least the appointment of two new Directors, a new Chief Finance Officer and a new Council

in sitting. These changes bring with them great opportunity. As a director, Karen will not only help the organisation embrace the new ideas that will emerge but also make sure the focus remains firmly on doing the right thing for communities.” With transformation and communities included in the name of the service she now heads up; Karen will work side-by-side with the other members of the Corporate Management Team to ensure both elements remain firmly at the heart of the Council’s work. Together the team will work to modernise services, so they are able to meet the everchanging needs of local people while also ensuring the financial sustainability of the organisation. Karen said: “Only by working together can we capitalise on the skills and experience held within the Council to find solutions to the many challenges that we face and realise the opportunities that lay before us. Key to this is listening to what communities and employees have to say and responding as best we can while also reviewing the services that we deliver.”

Scottish Local Authority News

administration & legal

New Lord Dean of Guild appointed

ylvia Halkerston has been appointed as the Lord Dean of Guild of the City of Aberdeen. She became a Burgess in 2009 and was appointed Lord Dean of Guild on 10th May 2022. This appointment makes her the first woman to be in post in Aberdeen since the role of Dean of Guild was established in 1214. The Lord Dean of Guild is the senior official that represents the Guildry of Burgesses, who are responsible for upholding the laws and customs of the burgh. The Lord Dean of Guild plays a part in ceremonial and civic occasions such as Remembrance Sunday and the Kirking of the Council, whilst also representing the Aberdeen Guildry on the Court of Deans of Guild of Scotland. The Court of Deans is a collective body to foster relationships across Scotland to share ideas to promote good community. Prior to her appointment as the Lord Dean of Guild of the City of Aberdeen, Lord Dean, Sylvia Halkerston, established a career in Human Resource Management – working with organisations across a multitude of sectors. She was the first recipient of the Top Cherry award for Outstanding Contribution in the field of HR. She is also a recipient of the Regional Director of the Year Award presented by the Institute of Directors Scotland, and has been recognised by the Association of Scottish Businesswomen for Outstanding Contribution to Business. July/August 2022

Throughout her career, she has been responsible for developing and delivering numerous award-winning business initiatives with particular emphasis on supporting young people. Lord Dean also served on several boards including the of University of Abertay and Robert Gordon University and the Scottish Government’s Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce Commission, under the chairmanship of energy tycoon Sir Ian Wood. She currently sits on the Programme Board for The Scottish Government’s “Making Scotland’s Future – a recovery plan for manufacturing” initiative. The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Councillor David Cameron, said: “The Council welcomes the appointment by the Burgesses of Sylvia Halkertston as Lord Dean of Guild. This is a historic appointment for Aberdeen and marks the beginning of a new era. “Lord Dean embodies the very essence of the role, acting as an ambassador and will undoubtedly take every opportunity to further the promotion of the City of Aberdeen. Sylvia Halkerston, Lord Dean of Guild, said: “Being an organisation more then 800 years in existence, I am extremely proud and honoured to be installed as Lord Dean. My objective is to encourage Burgesses to engage with the city in meaningful ways living up to our motto ‘For Aberdeen’.” 39

the arts

Aberdeen Art Gallery launches a new digital guide to enrich onsite and offsite visits

berdeen Art Gallery has launched a new, digital guide on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and cultural app created by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Bloomberg Connects app, available free to download from Google Play or the App Store, makes Aberdeen Art Gallery accessible for both onsite or offsite visits through rich and varied content including images, audio recordings and video sharing highlights from the outstanding collections on display at the awardwinning Art Gallery, Scotland’s Building of the Year. The guide includes a brief history of the building, which was established in 1885 by visionary citizens, and today is home to one of the finest collections in the UK. The app helps tell the stories of each of the collection galleries, from what Aberdeen Art Gallery collects and why, to where artists find their inspiration. Gallery staff, local school children and artists, makers and writers share their own highlights and responses to the incredible variety of artworks on display. Aberdeen Art Gallery celebrates the inspiring power of art and music with the beautiful Cowdray Hall concert venue at the heart of the building. Users of the Bloomberg Connects app can listen to +music playlists, a series of carefully curated playlists inspired by the collections. The app features the voices of pupils from local primary schools Bramble Brae, Quarryhill and Manor Hill in a short series

of audio recordings called Art Chat. Pupils share their thoughts about a selection of contemporary and historic artworks including Sketch for ‘The Marriage by of the Princess Royal’ by John Phillip, 1858 and Brief Encounter by Calum Colvin, 1990. User of the free app can also enjoy content created by local artists, commissioned by the Art Gallery to celebrate its success as a winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2020. Jo Gilbert is an Aberdeen-based spoken word artist and writer who uses the Doric language in her work. Users of the app can listen to Jo performing her poem Oor bit, oor airt which highlights the importance of the Art Gallery remaining free to enter and

accessible to everyone. The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Councillor David Cameron, said: “I am thrilled that Aberdeen Art Gallery is joining more than 70 cultural institutions around the globe on Bloomberg Connects. The redevelopment of the Art Gallery made it more accessible, more welcoming and more sustainable, and the new digital guide will further enhance the experience for visitors both onsite and offsite. I hope visitors will listen again and again to the layers of voices, stories, music and poetry featured on the app and use it to discover more about the locally-loved and internationally-celebrated collection cared for by Aberdeen Art Gallery on behalf of the people of Aberdeen.”

Scottish Local Authority News

the arts

Work now under way on refurbishment of Paisley Arts Centre W

ork has now started on a transformation of Paisley Arts Centre which will add new modern performance facilities and an extension to the muchloved historic venue. The building is being upgraded as a unique and intimate performance venue and creative hub, which will drive new life and footfall into the heart of the town centre when it reopens next year. Workers are now on site at the building, in New Street, with the refurbishment to include: • a redesigned public space at the front of the building, removing the railings and adding new paving and seating; • a small extension housing a new entrance and expanded bar area for pre-and post-show drinks; • improved main auditorium, with new retractable seating and a better audience experience; • new back-of-house and performance facilities, including better sound and lighting, new kitchen, improved dressing rooms, and workshop space for rehearsals and other events; The programme of work has been designed to be sensitive to the 250-yearold site’s previous use as a former church. The graveyard area at the side of the building will be left untouched. Extensive surveys were carried out to establish if there were any graves in the area in front of the building, where work is taking place. One monument at the front of the building will be repositioned slightly but surveys showed no grave is present underneath it. The refurbishment is part of a wider investment in Paisley’s cultural venues by Renfrewshire Council, which supports Future Paisley – the wideranging programme of events and activity using the town’s internationally-significant cultural and heritage story to change the area’s future.

July/August 2022

Artists impression of the main auditorium

This includes the transformation of the town’s museum into a world-class visitor destination, the work to preserve Paisley Town Hall’s place at the heart of local life by turning it into a modern entertainment venue, and building a new home for library services in a formerly-empty retail unit at the heart of Paisley High Street. When they reopen, the venues will be operated by OneRen, the charity which provides culture, leisure and sport opportunities to help people enjoy active and healthy lives in Renfrewshire. The reopened arts centre will host a year-round programme of music, comedy, theatre and much more. Cllr Lisa-Marie Hughes, chair of OneRen,

said: “I am delighted to see work is now under way on the refurbishment of Paisley Arts Centre. “For more than 30 years, it has been one of Scotland’s most vibrant small arts venues, but while work was done to the outside of the building in 2012, the facilities and audience experience inside it were in need of the upgrade which this work will deliver. “Once reopen, the building will be able to offer a better range of events than before, bringing new life and footfall into the town centre and to the surrounding businesses day and night. “And we hope it will also become a hub for the town’s thriving creative community – providing a base for our cultural groups to work from and help nurture the next generation of local talent.” Michael Scanlan, Director at Clark Contracts – the main contractors for the work – added: “As a Paisley-based contractor, we are delighted to be working with Renfrewshire Council again to deliver this transformation of Paisley Arts Centre, which will provide highquality facilities for the local Paisley Arts Centre - a much-loved historic venue community.”

the arts

Scotland’s oldest surviving manuscript goes on display at Aberdeen Art Gallery

July 2022

part of the Book of Deer Project 2022 the latest in a series of archaeological digs is underway which hopes to find the site of the early medieval monastery. Alongside the Book of Deer, four volumes from the medieval Aberdeen Burgh Registers which also contain illustrations will be on display. Starting in an unbroken run in 1398, Aberdeen has the oldest and most complete civic archive in Scotland, with the earliest eight volumes spanning 1398 to 1511 recognised by UNESCO as being of outstanding historical importance to the nation.

or the first time in hundreds of years, the 10th-century Book of Deer has returned to the North East, where it may have originated. The rare example of a pocket gospel will be on display at Aberdeen Art Gallery, on loan from Cambridge University Library. The exhibition is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Book of Deer is of enormous cultural importance to Scotland and has particularly strong links to the North East. Written primarily in Latin, it dates from between the years 850 and 1000 and is believed to be the earliest surviving manuscript produced in Scotland. Its 86 vellum folios contain the New Testament accounts of Christ’s life and teachings written by his followers Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Unlike richly-decorated large-scale ceremonial manuscripts, such as the Book of Kells or the Lindisfarne Gospels, the Book’s small size (it measures 157mm x 108mm) and modest decoration indicate that it is intended for private reading and prayer. The Book contains a series of captivating illustrations: formal full and half-page depictions of what are believed to be the authors of the four gospels, and a series of later additions in the margins of the second half of the Book, showing human figures, animals, birds and shapes. While the identity of the scribe is unknown, the Book ends with a request from them directly to the reader: “Be it on the conscience of anyone who reads this splendid little book that they say a prayer for the soul of the wretch who wrote it.” It is the Book’s Gaelic notes which 2are truly remarkable. These notes, or marginalia, were later additions, dating from the 1100s and are the earliest known surviving examples of written Gaelic. They refer to the monastery of Deer in Aberdeenshire, and other places such as Pitfour and Ellon. They tell how St Columba and his follower Drostan travelled to the area from Iona and were given the land by a local leader after his son recovered from a serious illness thanks to Columba’s prayers. Columba gave the land to Drostan to found a church. As

The exhibition is part of a wider programme in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire delivered by The Book of Deer Project and its partners, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to celebrate the Book of Deer’s temporary return. It includes talks and tours, storytelling, creative writing, illustration and textile workshops, family trails and a special Gallery Late event at Aberdeen Art Gallery on 30 September which invites revellers to ‘party like it’s 1399’ and solve a medieval murder mystery. The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Councillor David Cameron, said: “I congratulate all the partners who have worked together to bring the Book of Deer ‘home’ to the North East for the first time in hundreds of years. There can be no doubt that the ‘splendid little book’ is one of Scotland’s greatest treasures.

The

BOOK OF

Project

“Visitors to the Art Gallery will have a rare opportunity to see it up close, as well as the chance to learn more about its significance and what it can tell us about this fascinating period in Scotland’s history through the associated programme of talk and activities. “The Book contains the earliest examples of Scots Gaelic in its margins and to highlight the importance of the Gaelic language in Scottish culture the exhibition text is available in both Gaelic and English – a first for an exhibition at the Art Gallery.” Anne Simpson, Chair of the Book of Deer Project, said: “The Book of Deer Project is delighted to realise its long-term ambition to have this precious wee book exhibited in the North East of Scotland where it can be seen by the many visitors to Aberdeen Art Gallery. It’s such an important part of Scotland’s history and culture, that’s perhaps not as well-known as it should be. This exhibition provides an opportunity for it to be better known and appreciated.” Dr Jessica Gardner, University Librarian and Director of Library Services, Cambridge University Library, said: “The Book of Deer is of supreme cultural importance to Scotland generally, and to the North East of Scotland in particular. “We are delighted to be a partner in this project, offers All images ofwhich the Book of Deer reproducedan by kindunparalleled permission of Cambridge University Library opportunity to connect new audiences with heritage Ainsplendid an inspirational way that will little book leave a lasting legacy.” During Scotland’s Year of Stories the remarkable 10th-century Book of Deer illuminate script is returning to the North-East of Scotland for the first time in more than 1,000 y Caroline TheLotteryNational Lottery supportClark, from the National Heritage Fund, The Book of Deer Project communi group has secured the loan of this exquisite little book, thought to be Scotland’s oldest Heritagemanuscript, Fund from Director for Scotland, Cambridge University Library. Join us assaid: we celebrate its return, and fascinating story through a rich programme of events and activities for all ages in Aber “ The Book of ofDeer a smalldig,book and the City Aberdeen,may includingbe an archaeological expert talks, original music, creative workshops and an unmissable exhibition. but it is a huge piece of history. Thanks www.bookofdeer.co.uk to the marginalia it also has a very human and personal connection to a chapter in the story of Scotland from 1000 years ago. Those notes in the margins even let one individual speak to us, as readers, across the centuries. “Thanks to National Lottery players the Heritage Fund has been able to support this project to bring the Book back to the North East for public display. I have no doubt there will be of huge amount of interest in seeing this genuinely unique little book.”

education

Replacement for Peebles High School granted planning permission

lanning permission has been granted for the construction of a state-of-the-art campus in Peebles, marking an important next step in the replacement of the existing High School which was seriously damaged in a fire in 2019. The decision will pave the way for further planning, design and development to be undertaken alongside further consultation with the local community to talk through the approved plans and the immediate next steps before construction begins. A world-class modern learning space featuring attractive atrium spaces for collaboration and interaction, as well as breakout spaces for flexible teaching, will be built across two storeys on one of the existing grass pitches within the existing High School boundary. The new facility will be constructed whilst the existing school remains operational, avoiding significant disruption for pupils and ultimately delivering a world-class education and community facility. Designed with involvement from the community, the campus will benefit the wider community providing an active landscape with opportunities for team

July/August 2022

An artists impression of the new school, due to be completed in 2025

sports, exercise classes, and routes for walking and running. Also included in the development is an extension of the existing sports block, with a new multi-purpose 3G pitch built. Starting later this month on 28 July, a three month programme of water diversion works to install a mains water pipe will commence on Bonnington Road and Craigerne Lane running until 21 October. The contractor undertaking the works will be WSP, on behalf of Scottish Water. Access to the school will not be affected. Construction on the building itself is scheduled to begin later this year with the new facility to be constructed whilst the existing school remains operational, avoiding significant disruption for pupils. The entire development is due to be completed in 2025. Councillor Leagh Douglas, Executive Member for Education & Lifelong Learning said: “The approval of planning for the state-of-the-art replacement of Peebles High School is very welcome news and signifies an important next step in the project’s timeline. “This new campus will be transformational for both the students who will benefit from

class educational facilities and the wider community who will have access to the many facilities on offer. “Throughout this process we have put community consultation at the heart of the design and development of this project to ensure we are creating a building that they can be proud of and that will deliver wideranging benefits for decades to come. “In the coming weeks, the project delivery team will hold a follow on public meeting to show the approved plans to the community, details of which will be shared in due course.” Scott Brown, Hub South East’s Project Director, said: “Achieving planning permission is a key step in the development of a fantastic new learning space for Peebles. Stallan-Brand’s inspiring designs have been well received and we look forward to further developing these as the project progresses. “Working in partnership with Scottish Borders Council and our contractor BAM Construction, we will deliver a facility which supports a modern learning experience for pupils and is an asset to the local community, whilst realising a range of local benefits and social value.”

education

Galashiels Academy recognised as a SCQF Gold Ambassador School G alashiels Academy is one of only three schools in Scotland to be recognised as Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Gold Ambassadors for their inspiring work on the curriculum. Managed by the SCQF Partnership, the overall aim of the framework is to support the development of a wider range of courses and pathways in Scottish schools. The Academy was acknowledged by the Partnership for the way in which the SCQF has been embedded into school practice. They were also impressed with the work that has been done to broaden their offer to pupils, including developing more exciting routes and partnerships particularly their Foundation Apprenticeships with Borders College and providing a significant range of senior phase pathways by extending classes within the curriculum which is moulded every year based on pupil need. Councillor Leagh Douglas, Executive Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, said: “Congratulations to

everyone at Galashiels Academy on this fantastic achievement. A first for the Scottish Borders and indeed only the third school in the whole of Scotland to achieve this prestige! “Gold SCQF School Ambassador status demonstrates the hard work and commitment by the school to assist our school leavers in finding a route to a positive destination. “It demonstrates this school has successfully established an extensive network of partnerships with local businesses, colleges and universities to ensure our young people are fully equipped with the skills and qualifications required to move onto the pathway that best suits their talents and ambition.” Lewis Campbell, S4 SCQF Ambassador, added: “The award our school has been given really helps us improve opportunities for pupils. As well as offering a wider range of subjects, the SCQF awards offer more ‘non-traditional’ subjects compared to your traditional N5s or Highers.”

Scottish Local Authority News

education

New Gaelic education provision for West Primary School in Paisley C hildren from across Renfrewshire will now be able to learn their lessons while speaking and writing in Scottish Gaelic as a new education provision opens in Paisley. For the first time, children in Renfrewshire will be able to attend the special Gaelic provision, which initially consists of one class within West Primary School, rather than going to a Gaelic school in nearby council areas. Opening from August 2022, West Primary School will welcome children into a composite primary one-to-three class where they will be taught lessons by a principal teacher while only speaking and writing in Gaelic. As the demand grows, additional teachers will be recruited as needed. It’s hoped that more parents will be interested in registering their child to learn using the Gaelic medium in the future. Any child who lives in Renfrewshire can attend the Gaelic provision regardless of where in Renfrewshire they live. The school will primarily accept pupils in primary one, two and three classes, with older children needing to speak and write fluent Scottish

West Primary was chosen as the location for the Gaelic class due to its central location

Gaelic for their age to be able to attend. West Primary was chosen as the location for the Gaelic class due to its central location, access and transport links. Headteacher Lynne McGinn said teachers at the school are really excited about the new Gaelic class. “We are pleased to be able to provide a

Fostering

July/August 2022

base for the Gaelic class. Everyone at the school is ready to welcome the children from August and to help them settle into their new school as quickly as possible. “Our school is proud of its bilingual culture and looks forward to the addition of a dedicated Gaelic provision to enhance this further.”

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To learn more about fostering with Barnardo’s Scotland and how to apply contact our friendly team today. Call 0845 894 9501 or visit: barnardos.org.uk/fostering Registered Charity No. 216250 and SC037605

education

Stow Primary celebrate winning two national sustainability awards Y

oungsters at Stow Primary School who have been taking climate action in to their own hands are celebrating after being recognised with two national awards. The school celebrated victories in two separate categories at The Primary Awards

of groups including parents, community members, other schools in the region, local and national businesses and a partner school in India. The school also took home the regional Green Entrepreneur award for its successful school-wide food growing project which saw

for Green Education in Schools which aims to assist and encourage environmental education for young people aged 5-11. The children were commended for their recent efforts to promote sustainable practices and raise awareness of climate change by winning regional awards in both the Green Action Takers and Green Entrepreneurs categories. Their award winning activities saw children of all ages across the school participate in a Disrupter Awareness Week to educate the wider community on a number of key environmental themes. Daily workshops on topics including food growing, recycling, river cleaning and improving biodiversity were held to allow children from the school to pass on their knowledge and skills to a wide range

children work closely with the community to research and grow their very own fruit and vegetables and tackle the biodiversity crisis. Additionally, the school were also close runners-up in two further categories for Green Researchers and Green Creators. In recognition of their success, the school was awarded prize money of £1400 which will be reinvested into future climate change projects. The awards follow a number of other recent successes for the school including picking up two awards at last year’s Education Scotland Learning for Sustainability Awards. The school also had the privilege to participate in a number of COP26-related events and initiatives showcasing their commitment to climate action.

Debbie Matthewson, Principal Teacher at Stow Primary School, said: “The children are absolutely thrilled to have received more national recognition for all the hard work and effort they put in to making the school and their community more sustainable. “The school is so passionate about this world issue and these awards are testament to the hard work and collaboration of the pupils, staff, parents and the wider local community to making positive change.” Carol Hamilton, Executive Member for Developing Our Children & Young People, said: “Many congratulations to all the students, staff, parents and community members who have contributed to these fantastic projects, which are thoroughly deserving of the national recognition they have received. “The pupils at Stow Primary School are a shining example of how members of the community can take positive and meaningful steps to tackle climate change whilst raising awareness about this important issue.” Peter Littlewood, Director of Young People’s Trust for the Environment, said: “Stow Primary is a school we have known about for many years and the environmental education the school provides is absolutely outstanding. “The children have a real awareness of environmental issues and they’re willing to share their knowledge with the community. “As soon as they join the school, the children are encouraged to take action to positively impact the planet. This year the nursery children have been working to reduce the waste food being thrown away at lunchtimes.”

Scottish Local Authority News

education

Council approves plan for the future delivery of expanded Early Learning and Childcare provision

berdeen City Council’s Education Operational Delivery Committee recently approved a two-year plan for the delivery of the city’s expanded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) provision. Councillors agreed the plan which covers 2022-2024 and which is line with the authority’s statutory obligation to deliver a refreshed plan every two years. The plan follows a review in February this year which highlighted the importance of the expanded programme in terms of benefits for both children and families, and also in helping improve quality of ELC provision and professional learning opportunities across the workforce to continue to successfully drive improvement. The new plan is informed by feedback from parents and carers on the first year of the Council’s expanded ELC programme and will focus on; Workforce Support, Transition processes, Community Partnerships, and Family Support. Committee Convener, Councillor Martin

Greig, said: “The extension of ELC has been managed well across the city. The new places that have been created are making a real difference to support young people and families. We also have new opportunities such as offering outdoor learning at the early stages. This innovative approach should continue to develop to improve educational experiences.” Vice convenor, Councillor Jessica Mennie, said: ““The delivery of funded ELC provision is a transformative policy for

families across this city. I am pleased that committee has approved the plan for the next two years as it is important that we are continually improving this expanding programme. Delivering high quality childcare is imperative for getting it right for every child, especially for those in their young formative years. “I have no doubt that families in Aberdeen will be reassured to see that the new plan is informed by the feedback and experiences of parents and carers. Working closely with families will be key for this partnership over the next few years for all aspects of educational delivery.” Since August 2021 all three and four year-olds, and eligible two-year olds receive 1140 hours of funded ELC per year. This means more funded hours, more choice of where children can go to access their ELC entitlement and more flexible models of ELC are available to support families. The guiding principles for the new plan remain; High quality, Affordability, Accessibility and flexibility

Councillor hails progress on new Torry School and Community Hub

berdeen’s new Convener of the Council’s Capital Programme Committee has visited the site of the forthcoming Torry School and Community Hub to see progress on the new development. Convener Councillor Christian Allard saw at first-hand the structure taking shape following the commencement of construction work last month at the site of the former Torry Academy. The building is scheduled for completion by autumn 2023 and will be home to a new primary school including an Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) centre as well as a Community Hub. Councillor Allard said: “I was delighted to come along to see progress on a site which will become a real focus of the Torry community; providing first-class facilities for young and old alike including a 434 capacity school and a provision for 100 ELC pupils who will be able to enjoy outdoor playing facilities on-site. “With a community café, a library, rehearsal, performance and recording

July/August 2022

facilities, multi-purpose rooms including office space for services and a 3G sevena-side pitch, there will be something for everyone in a Hub that the entire Torry community can be proud of.” “The input of the community into the project via the locality Tory Partnership has been crucial in making the site a reality and I greatly look forward to seeing the school and hub open to the people of Torry next year.” Peter Ramsay, operations director for hub North Scotland, who are the council’s development partner in the project, said: “Our Torry project has got off to a good strong start and we are looking forward to working with both Aberdeen City Council and Morrison Construction to deliver an asset that will be enjoyed by the whole community for generations to come.” Mike Bruce, Managing Director of Morrison Construction Building North East, said: “We are excited to be delivering this high-quality new school for the community that will create an inspirational learning environment for local children.

“With our project at Countesswells also progressing well it reinforces our established approach of working with our local supply chain partners and our own tradesmen and apprentices ensuring our exacting quality standards are met on site.“

Peter Ramsay, Operations Director for Hub North Scotland (left) and Councillor Christian Allard on the construction site for the new school and community hub for Torry.

education

Sgoil Lionacleit and the Nicolson Institute Win Principal Accolades, as the Donald Stewart Memorial Trust Awards Make Their Return.

fter a year’s absence, caused by the Covid19 pandemic, the Donald Stewart Memorial Trust is pleased to be back with its annual awards and delighted to announce the winners of its two prestigious 2022 awards. This year’s awards have gone to Sgoil Lionacleit and The Nicolson Institute, with Mairi MacIain, a 66h year pupil in Sgoil Lionacleit winning the, Award for Outstanding Achievement and Luke Macleod, a 6th year pupil in The Nicolson Institute winning the Award for Significant Contribution to Gaelic Development”. After considering all the nominations received for this year’s Award for Outstanding Achievement, Trustees were unanimous that the Award be made to Mairi MacIain. Mairi, the Trustees said, was a highly motivated and committed individual who has worked tirelessly to gain excellent academic qualifications during her time in Sgoil Lionacleit and this is backed up with her wonderful achievement in getting 5 A’s in an academic year which was subject to huge disruption and uncertainty. Mairi has also completed the course work for

Advanced Higher in Maths and Physics. But what most impressed the Trustees was Mairi’s achievement in gaining a CREST award, a nationally recognised award, for student-led project work in the STEM subjects. Mairi worked with a local research scientist in North Uist to gain experience in using data in real world applications and this was a significant part of her CREST award. Mairi’s drive, commitment, motivation, inspiration and selflessness have been a wonderful example to her peers and younger students, and the effect on them cannot be overstated. Gordon Young, Headteacher at Sgoil Lionacleit said, “We are delighted that Mairi has won this prestigious Award - it is well deserved. Mairi is personable and enthusiastic about everything she does and has been a model student during her time at Sgoil Lionacleit. Her academic qualifications speak for themselves and Mairi is a fluent Gaelic speaker who will go on to become a real ambassador for Gaelic Medium Education. I speak for all at Sgoil Lionacleit in saying that we wish her well as she moves on to the next stage of her academic journey.”

The Award for Outstanding Achievement was presented to Mairi by Comhairle Leader Cllr Paul Steele. Presenting the award to Mairi, Mr Steele, Comhairle Leader, said: “Congratulations to Mairi in her outstanding accomplishment in winning this year’s Award for Outstanding Achievement. She has set a fine example to others around her and, indeed, is an inspiration to us all. It is particularly impressive that this was achieved against a back of disruption and uncertainty during COVID. I wish Mairi well in everything that she does in future.” In selecting Luke as winner of the Award for Significant Contribution to Gaelic Development, the Trustees, who select the winners of both awards, were delighted to learn that Luke had been an excellent ambassador for Gaelic both within the school and also in the wider community. They were delighted to learn of his participation in the Mods, Deasbad Gàidhlig Nàiseanta nan Àrd-sgoiltean and Café Beartais. They also enjoyed learning of his work in producing a P7/S1 transition video for pupils and parents and also a Gaelic video for the Leanne Fund and FilmG. The Trustees stated that all these events raise the profile of the Gaelic language at local, national and indeed international

Scottish Local Authority News

education

Opposite page: Luke Macleod, Convener Kenny Macleod and Trustees Lesley Graham and Iain Macaulay. This page, above: Luke Macleod and Convener Kenny Macleod. Below: Mairi MacIain agus a teaghlach.

July/August 2022

levels and that this was very important and that Luke was to be commended for taking part in them. In terms of leadership, Trustees were again extremely happy to learn of Luke’s leadership qualities and skills in supporting others in school, and in particular, working weekly with the GME class and also helping with Seachdain na Gàidhlig activities. Also, that he participated in the Bòrd na Gàidhlig focus group considering the draft National Gaelic Plan consultation. Fiona Cunningham, from The Nicolson Institute said, “Luke has been educated through GME for his entire school education. It was evident form his early days as a pupil within The Nicolson Institute that he was very competent in speaking, reading and writing Gaelic. At every opportunity Luke used his Gaelic in a productive manner, involving himself in events and initiatives within and outwith his school. Coming from a home where Gaelic is not the first language this is a notable achievement and his positive attitude towards the Gaelic language has made him an excellent role model.” The award for Significant Contribution to Gaelic Development was presented to Luke by Comhairle Convener Cllr Kenny Macleod. Mr Macleod said: “Congratulations to Luke on this magnificent achievement. I am very impressed with him, his fluency in Gaelic and indeed his confidence, all of which was evident after hearing his speech in Gaelic at The Nicolson Institute prize giving ceremony a month ago. I am always impressed by someone who has such a high level of fluency in Gaelic when it wasn’t the first language of the home and it just goes to show what can be achieved with the right application and work ethic. Perhaps Luke will be a future Convener of the Comhairle!” Margaret Martin, Chair of the Donald Memorial Trust said, “We were highly impressed with the overall quality of this year’s submissions in the two competitions. On behalf of the Trust I congratulate Mairi and Luke on winning their respective awards and wish them both well in all they do in the future. It is evident that we have a wealth of talented young people in the Western Isles. I wish to thank the schools for their continuing support for the Donald Stewart Memorial competition, without whom, the competition would not exist, and especially this year following all the disruption the schools have suffered over the past couple of years. It is interesting to note that Mairi is the granddaughter of Donnie Johnson, one of the original founders of the Donald Stewart Memorial Trust. We are delighted Donnie was able to attend the presentation to Mairi.” 49

leisure &recreation

Funding helps Falkirk Golf Club become more accessible

£40k Community Choices funding award has ensured that Falkirk Golf Club has become more accessible and safer for everyone. On 28th July 2022, Falkirk Golf Club, together with members Scottish Disability Golfers, hosted its first event for golfers who have additional support needs. Falkirk Council’s Community Choices award was made earlier this year and the event marked the completion of work outside the clubhouse and on the course. The Club, celebrating its centenary this year, applied to the fund to improve accessibility for those with mobility issues as previously anyone using the venue was faced with steep deteriorating steps, uneven surfaces, and access through a locker room fire exit. A new ramp in front of the Clubhouse has been installed allowing direct access with improvements to paths on the course allowing buggy users safer playing. Club Captain, Nicky Barr explained: “The funding means that those with mobility issues and wheelchair users can now access the club more easily and navigate around the course using the new paths work. This has been so important for the

future of the Club and has enabled us to host this event recently. “The previous arrangement meant that some people who were attending family events such as funerals or wedding receptions have great difficulty in accessing the club – it really meant that some felt excluded. “Golf can be a very social activity and during the pandemic, we saw an increase in the number of older players who were

experiencing social isolation. We provide golf buggies for some of these players to allow them to enjoy the game and get around easily so the improvements to the paths etc will allow us to ensure they can participate fully. “The Community Choices award has allowed to make our club far more accessible; ensured that more individuals can take part in the sport and ultimately make us a far more inclusive club that can offer much to our local community for another 100 years.” Leader of Falkirk Council, Cllr Cecil Meiklejohn said: “To date, Community Choices has paid out around £2m to over 100 local organisations since it launched in 2021. The funding awarded to Falkirk Golf Club has ensured that more people can access its facilities and it can continue to support the local community. “The event has been an example where Falkirk Council has supported the Club which has made an enormous difference to Golfers with disabilities, and we must congratulate the Club on their positive action to ensure access for all. “The next phase of Community Choices is scheduled to open for applications on 17 October this year, and I’d encourage community groups and organisation to register their interest as soon as possible.” To express interest in the next round of Community Choices funding, send an email to: community.choices@falkirk.gov.uk and you can learn more at www.falkirk.gov.uk/ communitychoices

Scottish Local Authority News

leisure & recreation

Durrockstock play park re-opens with brandnew equipment as part of £1m investment. F amilies and young people in Renfrewshire are benefitting from a £1million investment in Renfrewshire’s play parks as complete renewals take place in 9 play areas across the area.

The latest play park to reopen, after the entire play area was replaced with all-new equipment, is Durrockstock Park in Paisley and it now includes an exciting five-way swing, zip slide, chutes, accessible roundabout and climbing frame. Local communities, including schools, community groups and elected members, were asked for what they thought should be included in their area and this feedback shaped the plans for each play park being renewed as part of the seven-figure investment.

“We want our parks to be busy, inviting places to visit which is why we’ve committed more than £1million to completely renew Durrockstock play park and 8 others in Renfrewshire. “I’m delighted that this play park is now open and seeing how well-used it is already is so encouraging with the school holidays set to begin – I can’t wait to see all the others open this summer too.” Durrockstock follows the reopening of play parks at Barwood Park in Erskine and Morar Drive in Paisley as part of the £1million investment. The projects have been funded from Renfrewshire Council’s Parks Capital Investment Fund and the Scottish

Durrockstock Play Park was designed and installed by leading playground manufacturer Kompan Councillor Michelle Campbell, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “Play parks are an integral part of the local community and it’s so important that we provide exciting equipment for young people and families to take advantage of. “Our free play spaces across our communities are a priority for our administration, as they were for our previous administration. We continue to recognise and listen to our communities to ensure these modernised spaces reflect what children will engage with for play. It is an essential part of childhood development.

July/August 2022

Government’s Play Area Renewal Fund, with more play parks set to see a complete renewal of equipment this summer including Tinto Square in Renfrew, Lochwinnoch Park, Ellerslie Street in Johnstone, and Maxwellton Park, East End Park and Ben Lawers Park in Paisley. Further play areas have been achieved through community fundraising and the Council’s Green Spaces, Parks and Play Areas and Villages Investment Fund, with Sandyflats in Johnstone now reopened with brand-new equipment and work set to begin in Kilbarchan Park in mid-July.

economic development

Supplier opportunities at Clyde Waterfront construction project

Artist impression of the road bridge being delivered through the Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside

ivil engineering specialists GRAHAM are advertising a range of services of interest to small businesses as part of a major infrastructure project in Renfrewshire. GRAHAM secured the construction contract from Renfrewshire Council to deliver the Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside project. Construction includes building a two-lane opening road bridge across the River Clyde at Renfrew and a 750-metre development road connecting into the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) next to Glasgow Airport. There are also improved routes for walking and cycling linking to Yoker train station and the national cycling network. The Glasgow City Region City Dealfunded project will create an attractive waterfront area and connect communities to work, health, education and leisure.

It is anticipated to attract up to £230million in waterfront developments, with the potential to bring more than 2,000 permanent and temporary jobs. GRAHAM – who have a waterfront office at Braehead – have set up their site accommodation either side of the Clyde, providing a base for more than 120 people. Now they are looking for a range of services and supplies as construction

progresses. All sub-contracts over £10,000 are being advertised on the Public Contracts Scotland website as part of the construction contract commitment. And there are other services – including catering, vehicle valeting and window cleaning – required now. Jim Armour, GRAHAM Contracts Manager, said: “Now the site accommodation is in place we’re looking for a range of services and supplies and I would encourage local businesses to visit our project website for more information. “We’re delighted to be delivering this important construction project and are bringing fantastic supply chain opportunities to Renfrewshire and wider Glasgow City Region.” Anyone interested can find out more at http:/www.graham.co.uk/clyde-waterfront

Artist impression of future development of Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside

Scottish Local Authority News

economic development

UK’s premier XR facility officially becomes a reality at ADVS in Ayr

state-of-the-art Extended Reality (XR) facility, regarded as the leading XR showcase in the UK, has been officially opened by Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise Ivan McKee MSP in Ayr. The Aerospace Digital Visualisation Suite (ADVS) gives Small or Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), free access to the very latest XR and digital visualisation technologies to help them grow their business in the aerospace and space sector. The use of the ADVS technology is limitless, from offering companies the chance to walk through their new factory before it exists, to building a new product virtually, or providing employees with safe training in a sandpit environment. Delivered by South Ayrshire Council, the ADVS facility is based within the Aeronautical Engineering Training Centre at Ayrshire College. The project has been established following a successful bid to the Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund (AMCF), led by South Ayrshire Council and its partners, which saw a total of almost £1.1 million being allocated from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and match funding by the Council. Offering an unrivalled suite of technology and equipment, not collectively available anywhere else in the country, the ADVS enables engineering companies to innovate, develop skills and improve their productivity through the three main XR technologies of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). In conjunction with their partners, including the University of Strathclyde and National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), the ADVS team works closely with companies to identify XR solutions to everyday industry challenges, with the added bonus of saving time and money. Since being operational, the ADVS has worked with almost 50 companies, which for some, has resulted in securing lucrative contracts. One example is Chevron Aircraft Maintenance based at Prestwick. The company had the opportunity for a new contract, provided they could fit an Airbus A330 and a Boeing 737-8 side by side in July/August 2022

Anne Campbell, Vice Principal, Ayrshire College, Ivan McKee MSP, Cllr Martin Dowey Leader of South Ayrshire Council

their hangar. The ADVS team carried out laser scanning and modelling of the hangar showing the prospective customer that this was possible, and Chevron won the contract. In officially opening the ADVS, Ivan McKee MSP commented: “The Aerospace Digital Visualisation Suite (ADVS) - supported through the Scottish Government’s Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund - is an excellent addition to our well-established Prestwick aerospace cluster, demonstrating time and again the pioneering innovation taking place in Scotland. “Through the ADVS, South Ayrshire will play a key role in supporting high growth Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs), along with development of the sector, which are critical to achieving our National Strategy for Economic Transformation ambitions. These include stimulating entrepreneurship, opening new markets, increasing productivity, developing the skills we need for the decade ahead; and ensuring fairer and more equal economic opportunities.” Councillor Martin Dowey, Leader of South Ayrshire Councillor said: “We are delighted to celebrate the official opening of the Aerospace Digital Visualisation Suite which is arguably the leading facility of its kind in Europe. South Ayrshire is home to Scotland’s largest aerospace hub at Prestwick, which is receiving a great deal of interest due to the

£80 million investment from the Ayrshire Growth Deal to establish new facilities and infrastructure. The ADVS makes Prestwick an even more attractive location to new investors who will have free access to its cutting-edge technology to improve their productivity and competitiveness.” Gavin Murray, Assistant Principal – Curriculum, Ayrshire College, said: “Ayrshire College is delighted to host the ADVS at our Aeronautical Engineering Training Centre in Ayr. We welcome the opportunity to support this unique initiative and its fascinating, state of the art technology. Ayrshire College has a strong heritage in providing training to our industry partners around Prestwick Aerospace and beyond, and the ADVS project demonstrates how working together we can further enhance the local offering that we collectively bring to the aerospace and space sector.” The ADVS project will run until 2023, with its legacy being secured through the new Aerospace and Space Technology Applications Centre being developed at Prestwick, as part of the Ayrshire Growth Deal. It also supports the Skypath Aero Training Centre at Prestwick, offering 3D-visualisation in their course delivery, with plans already underway to establish a second ADVS facility at the Skypath site. For more information on the ADVS, including details on how to get involved with the project, visit www.am-aerospace. co.uk/advs 53

economic development

Gigged.AI secures grant funding to develop digital talent platform

lasgow-based tech start-up Gigged.AI has been awarded a £100,000 SMART: SCOTLAND grant by Scottish Enterprise to develop its digital talent sourcing platform. The company uses artificial intelligence-driven technology to match businesses with internal talent and external freelancers by creating a clearly defined statement of work outlining the requirements of a project. An advanced talent matching algorithm then pairs the client with the most suitable people from either the company’s internal workforce or Gigged.AI’s talent network of freelancers, with the statement of work acting as a contract between the parties. Gigged.AI was founded by Rich Wilson and Craig Short in 2021 in response to the growth of the gig economy and changes in how people work since COVID. The grant will be used to re-platform the company’s product, enabling it to keep pace with the already high and increasing demand for its services. Gigged.AI CEO Rich Wilson said: “In 2021 we launched our Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to test demand. We learnt quickly there was a huge demand from SMEs to tap into freelance talent while a huge opportunity for larger enterprises to tap into internal talent. This grant allows us to build both solutions on one platform which will boost innovation and reduce staff attrition.” The company sits within the Scottish Enterprise Scaling Services portfolio, which supports early-stage high growth scale ups on their journey to become companies of scale. In addition to receiving grant funding and strategic advice from Scottish

The Gigged.AI team with founders Rich Wilson and Craig Short centre

Enterprise, Scottish Development International (SDI) is helping the company explore overseas interest in its technology. Rhona Allison, interim Managing Director of Business Growth at Scottish Enterprise, said: “Supporting entrepreneurs is a key priority for Scottish Enterprise under Scottish Government’s new National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET). Not only has Gigged.AI developed an innovative tech solution that transforms how businesses can recruit and retain talent, but they are also building a successful company with the potential to grow quickly and at scale. “We’re delighted to support Gigged.AI as part of our Scaling Services portfolio as they take the next step on their exciting global journey.” Gigged.AI was launched with support from The Data Lab, Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI, before securing growth funding from Innovate UK. The company went on to double the size of its team following the completion of an over-subscribed investment round led by Techstart Ventures. Rich Wilson added: “North America is a huge target market for Gigged.AI and we have a significant pipeline already generated. This grant allows us to deliver to that pipeline in early 2023 while SDI have already created strong links with future investors and clients in Silicon Valley” Scotland’s international trade and investment agency SDI has offices in more than 30 locations in the world, including four in the United States. SDI supports the international growth of companies in Scotland and promotes Scottish products and services to priority international markets.

Scottish Local Authority News

economic development

Council’s funding bid gains almost £5.5m for five regeneration projects in Glasgow G lasgow City Council has accepted the award of £5.469million in Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) support from the Scottish Government for five community regeneration projects in the city. Four of the projects - the Citizens Theatre, Govanhill Baths, Possilpark Family & Community Centre, and Elderpark Learning and Community Centre - were awarded an additional £1.5million, £2,000,000, £110,000 and £250,000 respectively from the RCGF as four current RCGF projects facing delivery challenges due to construction inflation. In addition, one new project - the Briggait Clydeside Market Halls - was awarded RCGF funding of £1,609,008. This project will see the restoration of 1200 square metres of under-utilised space at the A-listed Briggait, transforming this historic building on the banks of the Clyde into an inspirational creative industries hub and

July/August 2022

Market Hall food and drink destination. The additional funding for the four current projects brings the total RCGF support to the Citizens Theatre to £4million; for the Govanhill Baths £5.275million; for Possilpark Family & Community Centre £1.792milllion; and for Elderpark Learning and Community Centre, £1.7million. The RCGF has an annual budget of £25million, and through a competitive bid process it provides financial support to projects that will help to deliver large-scale improvements to deprived areas. Councillor Kenny McLean, Convener for Housing, Development, Built Heritage and Land Use at Glasgow City Council, said: “These five projects in Glasgow will each bring many different benefits to their local communities and be integral to the regeneration of the areas which they serve. The latest Regeneration Capital Grant Fund support for Glasgow is key to the delivery of these projects.”

Audrey Carlin, Chief Executive Officer of WASPS, said: “This is an important and validating step in the development of The Briggait, one of Glasgow’s most historically significant buildings. Since Wasps took control of the complex 13 years ago, we have cultivated and supported a thriving creative community as well as managing an active multipurpose venue. Securing this fund allows Wasps to restore the former market halls at The Briggait, while reconnecting Glasgow’s City Centre to the riverside and the local community to this important landmark. This development moves one major step forward towards ensuring that Glasgow’s former fish market is preserved as a heritage structure and that we have more to offer the local community and visitors to the city.” Further information on the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund is available at: https:// www.gov.scot/policies/regeneration/ capital-investment/

economic development

Extra funding for Govanhill Baths after construction costs rise

he refurbishment of Govanhill Baths is to receive a further £500,000 worth of funding from the council after the costs for the project rose due to issues affecting the construction industry. Difficulties linked to covid, Brexit, the price of materials and a shortage of skilled labour have all contributed to a 26% increase to the original tender for work to renovate the baths. With the cost of the project now stated as £11.9m, the council will now contribute a total of £1m to help bring the baths back into use following a decision of the council’s City Administration Committee. Govanhill Baths Community Trust, the charitable group established to manage the refurbishment project, recently convened a meeting with funders to indicate they were facing a budget shortfall after a significant rise in the original project cost of £9.479m. Reassurances were sought that the Trust would seek to manage the completion of the project as tightly as possible and some

funders pledged to look at their capacity to extend their financial support. The Scottish Government subsequently agreed to provide an additional £2m funding from their Regeneration Capital Grants Fund, which left a shortfall of £500,000. The council will now bridge this gap by allocating £500,000 from the Community Asset Fund and help the refurbishment project reach its conclusion. Councillor Kenny McLean, City Convener for Housing, Development , Built Heritage and Land Use, said: ““Refurbishment of the baths has been a long term project that will eventually bring considerable health and social benefits to Govanhill. The project is also adding to the continued regeneration of the area. “Govanhill Baths Community Trust have been working exceptionally hard to get their renovation project over the line and everything was more or less in place until the recent cost increases hit home. Rather than allow the efforts of the community to falter, it is appropriate that the council provides the financial backing needed to

help the project achieve completion. The support from the Scottish Government has also been very welcome. “We have been liaising with the trust on the cost increases that have affected not just them, but every construction project across the country. We are satisfied the trust has robust project management in place to ensure the additional funding will see the baths reopen for the Govanhill community.” The council originally allocated £500,000 of funding to Govanhill Baths Community Trust in November 2017, which supported work to ensure the building was wind and watertight but also renovate a number of facilities, including two smaller pools. It was also hoped that the council’s support for the baths would encourage other organisations to commit funding. Prior to the recent rise in costs, the baths trust had secured £9.4m in funding from a wide range of sponsors. In total, £3.275m of funding for Govanhill will come from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.

Scottish Local Authority News

health & social care

New Chief Social Work Officer for South Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership S outh Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership (HSCP) are delighted to announce the appointment of Gary Hoey as the new Chief Social Work Officer for South Ayrshire. Gary has worked in Social Work and Education for nearly 30 years, predominately within South Ayrshire. In his previous role as Senior Manager for Children’s Health and Justice Services he was responsible for Fostering and Adoption Services, Young People’s Support and Transition, Intensive Family Support and our Children’s Houses. Gary said, “I am delighted to accept the role of Chief Social Work and both humbled and excited to drive forward the Social Work profession within South Ayrshire.” “We are a profession built upon values, ethics and a motivation to help those in South Ayrshire who need our support. By listening to those we serve we can build supports and services attune and in

harmony with their lives.” Gary has also represented South Ayrshire on a number of national forums such as GIRFEC, the Historic Abuse Practice Network, the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Task Force and the

Child Protection National Learning and Development Group. He has led on several projects designed to meet the spirit of the Promise and the ambition of the South Ayrshire HSCP Strategic Plan, ensuring that children and young people in South Ayrshire start well, live well and age well. Gary added, “Our practitioners have proven in recent times that they can rise to the challenge of adversity, and I wish to ensure that they have the skills, knowledge and support to equip them thrive as we move forward.” Tim Eltringham, Director of Health and Social Care said, “The Chief Social Work Officer role is crucial role within the Partnership’s senior team. We are delighted to have been able appoint Gary who has such a wealth of knowledge in this area. Gary has strong roots in the South Ayrshire community and I look forward to seeing him help lead the direction of the Partnership.”

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July/August 2022

health & social care

Bridging the gap for care experienced young people in South Ayrshire

ecently the South Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership (HSCP) saw the first resident of Sundrum View receive keys to their new home, as part of a new pilot with South Ayrshire Council’s Housing service that aims to bridge the gap for young people leaving care. Sundrum View children’s house provides care and accommodation for up to seven children and young people from the South Ayrshire area. The purpose-built bungalow is situated in a residential area in Coylton, near Ayr. The house features six bedrooms and one semi-independent living space, all with en-suite amenities. In partnership with South Ayrshire Council’s Housing team, Sundrum View

provides Throughcare and Aftercare support to young people (up to the age of 26) who are moving from the Children’s House to their own home. As part of this work, the independent one-bedroom flat attached to Sundrum View was identified as a resource to provide a valuable stepping stone to those who need it most. Residents of the flat will be able to experience what it would be like to live in their own home, gain key life skills and independence, with the reassurance of knowing that carers are on hand to support them when they need help. Linda Given, Service Manager (Children’s Services) said, “When a young person enters our care they enter our extended family. Like any young person leaving home

for the first time it can be challenging, we want to help reduce anxiety and help young people continue to feel connected and cared for.” The service’s new relationship-based approach means that carers from the children’s house will retain responsibility for supporting young people in their first home, rather than receiving this support from a new housing support provider. Young people will be able to retain positive relationships with carers and the other young people they have lived with, providing stability and consistency at a challenging time. Councillor Lee Lyons, cabinet holder for Health and Social Care added, “Moving to a first home can be an isolating and difficult time for young people. This new approach will help reduce social isolation and promote a sense of safety, support and belonging as the young person moves to their own home. The impact of the transition from group living to first home will be minimised and supported.” “South Ayrshire Council’s Housing Service will work in partnership with HSCP to identify appropriate housing for young people when they have developed the skills and abilities to be successful tenants who feel included in their local communities.” Work will start soon to establish a similar independent living space at Cunningham Place, a children’s house based in Ayr. Tim Eltringham, Director of Social Care said, “South Ayrshire Council has a responsibility to act like parents for all the children and young people in our care. These new resources will be an invaluable help to prepare for the time when a young person no longer needs our support and care to the same extent.” This work is part of South Ayrshire’s commitment to the Promise, Scotland’s national ambition to love its most vulnerable children and give them the childhood they deserve. Scottish Local Authority News

roads & transportation

School exclusion zones to start at five Angus primary schools

ehicle exclusion zones will start at Andover, Carlogie, Letham, Liff and Southesk primary schools when children return to school on Tuesday 16 August 2022. The experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO) stops vehicles (except for emergency services, residents with permit holders and blue badge holders) from entering certain streets during term time in the morning and afternoon to improve road safety and encourage families to school to walk, cycle or scoot to school. The trial will last for a minimum of six months and up to 18 months.

residents living in Letham as part of the open discussion regarding the trial. The times of application of the restrictions have been developed with stakeholder groups at each location. These can be changed by a variation order as part of the ETRO process at any time. Angus Council’s Children and Learning Convener, Cllr Lynne Devine said: “Removing vehicles outside the school gates has the potential to make a real difference to the safety of our young people. By introducing school exclusion zones to five more schools in Angus we’ll be able to monitor air quality, traffic volumes as well as road

harmful pollution to pupils from vehicles. I look forward to seeing the results for these new five primary schools as the trial progresses to see if the restrictions are needed in the longer term. “As well as making a different to the air quality around the school, we hope it also encourages more parents, carers and children to walk, cycle and scoot more regularly to school.” Police Scotland will be enforcing the moving vehicle violation element of the school exclusion zones where an unpermitted vehicle entering the zone during the restricted times with a fixed

ETROs give people the chance to experience at first-hand the traffic changes that are being tested. If the changes are not working then there is the chance to modify those during the first six-months of the trial period. If changes are made this would then restart the six-month clock again. Where objections remain at the end of the next six-month period, the decision on whether they become permanent will be made by councillors at committee. In advance of the publishing of the ETROs, meetings with stakeholders at each location have been held, including local residents. Engagement will continue as the ETROs are implemented. The Letham Primary School Stakeholder Group is meeting on Monday 8 August with

safety, congestion and active travel by pupils and families. “Experimental traffic regulation orders are genuinely experimental and can be adapted along the way to achieve something workable whilst also continuing to ensure that due process is carried out and any objections properly considered.” Angus Council’s Communities Committee Convener, Cllr Mark McDonald added: “Air pollution around schools near busy main roads is a real problem, especially with car engines left idling. Early indications from trials we started with three schools last summer are already showing that the restriction of vehicles within the zones have resulted in better air quality which is great as it’s reducing the exposure of

penalty notice. The council’s Community Enforcement Wardens will be enforcing doubled yellow lines and school markings within the zones and surrounding areas, to ensure vehicles are not parked in inappropriate locations around the school. Sergeant Gordon Dickson from the area’s Road Policing Unit, Police Scotland said: “We have worked closely with Angus Council over the years in relation to school safety and will continue to do so to ensure it is safe for all of our children to get to and from their schools. “The new school exclusion zones are there for the safety of everyone’s children. They’re an excellent way of promoting road safety and my team will be out there educating and enforcing.”

July/August 2022

roads & transportation

Reston station opens to the public as first passengers depart for Edinburgh

2nd from right Matthew Golton Managing Dir TransPennine Express celebrating with station campaigners

he brand-new railway station at Reston welcomed its first passengers recently as it was officially opened to the public. Members of the public eagerly awaited the arrival of the first service in to Reston station at 6.16am, marking the end of a 58 year wait for the return of local rail travel to the area following the closure of the old Reston Station in 1964. School children from nearby Reston Primary School were some of the lucky first few to experience the journey with a carriage carrying pupils on a return journey to Edinburgh Waverley. The opening of the new station follows significant investment of approximately £3 million from Scottish Borders Council into the project to help improve transport connectivity across rural areas of Berwickshire and support the development of Reston and the surrounding area. Construction of the two-platform station commenced in early 2021, following the overwhelming success of the Borders Railway project in helping to connect the central Borders to Edinburgh following the opening of the route back in 2015. It is predicted that the station will deliver significant economic and social benefits to the wider area and help to increase transport accessibility for communities throughout Berwickshire. It is hoped that the new station will help encourage more tourism related activity and help to revitalise Reston village and other local communities by presenting

development and inward investment opportunities for the surrounding area. The new fully accessible station at Reston represents a £20 million investment by the Scottish Government to improve access to rail services in the Scottish Borders. The facility will allow connectivity options to local public transport services, active travel provision and 70 park and ride car parking spaces, including a number of electric vehicle charging stations. The station will initially be served by cross border operators including TransPennine Express and LNER services. Transport Minister, Jenny Gilruth MSP, was in attendance to help mark the occasion along with a number of local elected members. Euan Jardine, Leader of Scottish Borders Council said: “Today is such a momentous day for communities across Berwickshire and the Borders as a whole. “As a Council we have worked tirelessly to make the return of rail travel to Reston a possibility, and although I was unable to attend in person today, I have heard extremely positive feedback from all involved and am delighted to see the Council’s hard work bear fruit. “There can be no doubting that the addition of Reston station will deliver huge economic and social benefits to the people of Berwickshire – helping improve transport connections between the region and the rest of the country whilst also developing the surrounding area and making Berwickshire a more attractive place to stay and visit.”

Scottish Local Authority News

roads & transport

Improved Hayton Road Underpass unveiled

he Hayton Road underpass – which connects Woodside and Great Northern Road – has been unveiled following a colourful redevelopment. The revamp of the underpass was carried out to improve accessibility and safety following a community consultation. Residents were invited to vote on nine proposed designs to help shape the future of the area and raise the standards of streets. The new design for the underpass uses an array of colourful anti-slip paint to brighten the area, along with reflective panels and lighting to increase visibility and become more pedestrian–friendly. The redevelopment was resourced by the Scottish Government Town Centre Regeneration fund and Aberdeen City Council’s Place Based Improvement fund. This forms part of a wider Street Design Project led by Sustrans and Aberdeen City Council, known as the Tilly-Wood Street Design Project. The Tilly-Wood Street Design Project aims to make Tillydrone and Woodside a more attractive place to live, work and move around independently by improving Hayton Road and Don Street. The project builds on a traffic safety audit undertaken by Living Streets and the council’s Community

July/August 2022

Development officer which identified potential solutions to address road safety in the area. The project team have worked closely with residents in a co-design approach to understand the aspirations, needs and ideas of the local community. Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader, Councillor Ian Yuill, said: “We are pleased to have worked with Sustrans to make improvements to the areas of Tillydrone and Woodside. “This fantastic redevelopment is not only an attractive addition to the area, but it will improve safety and visibility for those who live in the community and utilise the Hayton Road Underpass for years to come.” Convener for the Operational Delivery Committee, Councillor Miranda Radley, said: “This is an exciting period of improvement for both Tillydrone and Woodside. “We are delighted to be supporting a project that puts that residents priorities and opinions at the heart of the developments being made within their community.” Paul Ruffles, Project Manager, Co-Design Sustrans Scotland, said: “We are really pleased to see the redevelopment of the Hayton Road underpass complete. “The transformation of the underpass is a genuinely positive step in encouraging more people to walk and wheel between the two communities of Tillydrone and Woodside.”

roads & transportation

Key section of Leith Walk to reopen as Trams to Newhaven progresses L eith Walk has reopened to twoway traffic between Pilrig Street and London Road marking a key milestone for the Trams to Newhaven project. The main construction works between Montgomery Street/Annandale Street and Pilrig Street are now complete and fencing will be removed from outside businesses and homes. The project remains on schedule for completion by spring 2023 and within the £207.3m budget, with all major construction anticipated to be complete by the end of 2022 ahead of a testing and commissioning period. Progress to date includes: • Almost 3,900 metres of track laid, 84% of the total • Main construction works completed on three out of the eight new tram stops with works progressing well at the Balfour Street, Foot of the Walk and Newhaven stops • Over 4,000 metres of communications ducting installed (87% of the total) serving the tram and future communication requirements in the area • More than 4,000 metres of drainage installed (89% of the total) • Over 60,000 deliveries from the logistic hubs to local businesses • Almost 24,500 itison vouchers sold, generating over £240,000 potential spend in participating businesses on the route. • Over £175,000 spend on open for business campaigns • Main construction works complete on several sections, including Ocean Terminal to Rennie’s Isle and between Tower Street and Constitution Place and Tower Street and Baltic Street However, the programme for some specific sections of the route has changed due to industry wide challenges with the availability of materials and skilled labour, as well as other issues including complex utility conflicts. As a result, some stretches are scheduled to take longer than originally planned, including Melrose Drive and outside Ocean Terminal. Full details of the updated

programme are available on the Trams to Newhaven website. Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: It’s great news that this key section of Leith Walk will soon reopen and will start its transition to becoming a vibrant multi-modal transport corridor. Not only does it mark a major milestone for the Trams to Newhaven project but I’m sure it will be most welcome to businesses and residents along this part of the route. I’d like to thank all those living and working nearby for their patience throughout the programme of work. As the project nears completion, the progress made so far is clear to see. Once finished, it will be transformative for the area and beyond. As well as delivering a low-carbon, high capacity and clean mode of transport to this densely populated part of Edinburgh, it will create improved public spaces, active travel links and support future growth and development. I do of course recognise that changes to the programme, which are down to issues outwith our control, are likely to affect people and we’ll be working hard to share the latest information and will continue to look at ways in which we can mitigate against some of these delays. To

ensure residents are kept safe, I have also asked that parking restrictions are robustly enforced along the route. I’d like to thank the Trams to Newhaven project team for all their hard work. Despite the pandemic and global logistics problems, the project is on track to welcome its first passengers in spring 2023 and will be delivered within budget. Maria Ortega, SFN Project Director on Edinburgh Trams York Place to Newhaven, said: We continue to make excellent progress on this project on behalf of our client The City of Edinburgh Council and we are delighted to be reopening this key section of Leith Walk to two-way traffic. As contractors we are working hard to ensure that continued progress is made throughout the remaining section of works. Despite the challenges of the pandemic and industry wide issues, we are proud of the progress we have made by working successfully alongside our partners, supply chain and client. We look forward to this line being operational in spring 2023. Steve Jackson, Project Director, Turner & Townsend said: As a project we have experienced numerous challenges, as well as industry wide issues, however collaborative working has played a key role to ensure that we have remained on track throughout the life cycle of the project. As we enter the final phase of construction works to deliver the Edinburgh Trams to Newhaven line, achievements such as this begin to bring the project together in real life and allow people to see the positive transformational impact this system will have for them. I would like to thank all project partners for their efforts to date and we look forward to making continued progress across the route. As part of the changes, there is no waiting or stopping between Pilrig Street and Annandale Street, though there is designated loading and parking provision on both the east and west side of Leith Walk. Logistics hubs to support businesses on Albert Street and Montgomery Street with deliveries and dispatches will also remain on this section of Leith Walk.

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