City backs record council tax rise to protect essential services
Plus: Hotel plan for former brewery near Craigmillar; and Chief Miekelson returns
Capital set to approve record council tax rise to avoid more brutal cuts
City councillors are set to agree a record rise in council tax in Edinburgh this week in order to protect essential services from more severe cuts.
The rise will see the average council tax bill in the Capital soar above £2,000 a year for the first time in order to raise up to £26 million to help protect public services.
The extra money will be used mainly to offset the rising cost of the city council’s National Insurance Contributions (NICs) bill following Rachel Reeves’ budget and protect services such as at-risk social care projects.
Labour needs the backing of at least two other parties to get its budget plans through as it is a minority administration. However, the stances of the various parties mean an increase of either 7 or 8% is guaranteed.
The numbers: An 8% rise would see an average Band D council tax bill rise from £1,994.08 to £2,109.89, once water and sewerage charges are taken into account, an increase of £115 a year. That would generate an extra £26 million.
The NICs effect: Almost a third of that would instantly return to the UK Treasury, as the council estimates the UK government has left it with a £9.5 million funding gap to cover its increased NICs.
Party politics: Horse trading between now and Thursday’s vote will determine the exact make-up of the council’s budget for the next financial year. However, Labour, the SNP and Lib Dems are all proposing an 8% rise, while the Conservatives are backing 7% and the Greens 10%.
Social care crisis: Even the proposed 8% rise, and the fact councillors across parties are agreeing to make social care a priority, will not avert severe cuts. Social care services are still facing a £22.1m cut under the current proposals for next year. That means the 64 charities and social enterprises whose future was put at risk by joint NHS Lothian and council cuts last year still face an uncertain future.
Homelessness services also face a £8.2m cut, despite the city council declaring an affordable housing emergency. However, £50m is earmarked for building suitable temporary accommodation for the city’s homeless.
Edinburgh Leisure is also facing a £2.5m funding cut. Successive drops in its council funding has prompted more belt-tightening including reducing services offered to sports clubs as we reported last week.
Schools squeezed: Current budget plans would cut £700,000 for classroom assistants in P1 and P2 and £900,000 for staff supporting pupils as they switch from primary to high schools, as well as a £2.2m cut in home to school transport. Controversial proposed cuts to staff in pupil support services and holiday hubs have been scrapped.
Parking charges would rise by up to 13% under the current proposals, pushing the cost of parking in George Street and some other central streets up to £9 an hour. Parking in other parts of the city centre would go up to £6.80 and £8 an hour depending on the street.
Five new schools: There is £296m earmarked for five new schools (Granton Waterfront, Newcraighall, St Catherine’s, Gilmerton Station and Builyeon) and five extensions (Hillwood, Queensferry and Frogston primaries, plus Castlebrae and Craigmount high schools), together with replacement of Fox Covert Campus.
YOUR EDINBURGH BRIEFING
TOURISM SPREADS: The former Drybrough Brewery site between Craigmillar and Duddingston Village would be turned into a 26-bed hotel under the latest plans to accommodate tourism outwith the city centre. The hotel would be part of a wider regeneration of the industrial site close to Holyrood Park, on Duddingston Road West, by Format Designs and developer Scohouse Ltd. The site closed as a brewery in 1987 and has existing planning permission for 131 homes and 15 commercial units.
CLUB HOUSE: Edinburgh City’s former social club would be converted into six new serviced apartments under plans submitted to the city council by Ziydin Properties. The social club at 7 and 8 Baxter’s Place is part of the terrace of A-listed Georgian townhouses between Toppings bookshop and the Playhouse.
HAIL TO THE CHIEF: Jack Docherty is reprising his role as the hapless Chief Commissioner Miekelson in a new spin-off series of BBC Scotland comedy hit Scot Squad. The Edinburgh actor and comedian returns to our screens from Thursday in The Chief.
STOCKBRIDGE ‘ZIT’: A large inflatable dome covering tennis courts in Stockbridge has been branded an eyesore by residents in Stockbridge, who describe it as resembling “an enormous zit”. The green and white dome was installed by the private sports club The Grange Club after the Scottish Government over-ruled the city council’s refusal of planning permission last year. Residents are asking for “visual adjustments” and soundproofing of the dome.
DOUBLE DEATH UPDATE: French police are “ruling nothing out” as they step up their investigation into the deaths of Andrew and Dawn Searle who emigrated to France from Musselburgh. Mr Searle was found hanged and his wife had severe head wounds caused by a blunt weapon which has not been recovered, BBC News reports.
TREASURE TROVE: Historic Environment Scotland has launched a new digital platform to provide access to online records illustrating more than 5000 years of history - trove.scot users can access approximately 3 million records of historic buildings, their contents and other items.
ATTEMPTED MURDER: A man has been jailed for eight years for attempted murder following a “random” street attack in Loaning Road, Craigentinny. Terence Reilly did not know his victim, a 63-year-old man, who played a crucial role in Reilly’s arrest, when he attacked him on August 6, 2023.
SAVILLS SUED: A former property manager at the St James Quarter is suing his ex-employer Savills Management Resources for unfair dismissal. John Watt, 38, from Dunbar, claims he was sacked from his role at the shopping district as a result of raising health and safety concerns, rather than for his alleged poor performance.
THE BUSINESS
Under pressure sector continues to create city jobs
The importance of the hospitality to the economy of Edinburgh and the Lothians, and its potential to create jobs and opportunities even beyond the city centre, has been reinforced this week.
Scottish-based hospitality group Buzzworks has unveiled plans for its newest Herringbone venue, set to open this May in Barnton, creating 40 jobs in the process. The new venue brings to 19 the number of venues the group now operates, with several of those in and around the Capital.
Located at 201-205 Whitehouse Road, the new venue was previously a local Sainsbury’s store. A six-figure investment is being made in a kitchen featuring an Italian Moretti Forni pizza oven, and hiring is now underway.
This will be the fourth Herringbone venue to be opened by the hospitality group, adding to existing Edinburgh sites in Goldenacre and Abbeyhill, as well as the original Herringbone in North Berwick.
Meantime a further 20 jobs have been created at The Centre in Livingston where a new 90-seater Starbucks has opened.
PROPERTY PODCAST: Capital property portal ESPC has announced the launch of the fifth season of its popular podcast, The ESPC Property Show, with its first episode running on Thursday, and the show will run every two weeks.
NUMBERS UP: The number of businesses in Scotland hit a record high during 2024. A total of 299,235 companies were registered in the country at the end of the year, an increase of 2.9% in 12 months. During the year, 38,273 new companies were established, and of these 5752 were in Edinburgh.
BUS AGE: Lothian Buses has announced a new Charity partner for the next two years in Age Scotland following a staff vote of the company’s 2600+ strong workforce. Gaynor Marshall, Communications Director for Lothian, said: “We look forward to working with the team at Age Scotland over the course of the next two years to raise awareness of the support they can offer - helping to tackle loneliness, support inclusion, and deliver better lives for older people across our operating area.”
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
SCOT ‘N’ ROLL: Scottish alternative rock royalty take over the Usher Hall this weekend with indie kings Mogwai taking to the stage on Sunday night and crown prince Hamish Hawk the night before.
KINKY BOOTS: The music of Cyndi Lauper, the dance moves of Strictly’s Johannes Radebe, it must be Kinky Boots The Musical. The Broadway and West End smash hit comes to the Playhouse from Tuesday to Saturday.
UKRAINE FOREVER: An outstanding line-up of Scottish and Ukrainian artists perform at a special one-off fundraising night at the Usher Hall on Tuesday, 25 February, marking three years of sacrifice and resilience since the Russian invasion. Topping the bill at Ukraine Forever are Celtic music stars Old Blind Dogs, Crimean singing sensation Elzara Batalova, best-selling Scottish novelist James Robertson and Culture Code Orchestra (members of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland playing traditional Ukrainian music).
QUICK BITES
TIME FOR TEA: Anyone for tea? If so, you may wish to try one of Scotland’s very best in the heart of Edinburgh. According to The Times, Colonnades at the Signet Library is “a most civilised drawing room” and one of Scotland’s five best tearooms.
FISH IS BARRY: Chef Barry Bryson has returned to his home city to launch Barry Fish at the Shore in Leith, after 14 years as a prominent international events chef. While the restaurant will showcase seafood, meat and veggie options will also be available.