Work to remove dangerous crumbling concrete from school roofs in Edinburgh has been hit by a setback after the council’s contractor went into administration.

Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was found in eight of the city’s schools following investigations, costing the authority up to £50m in repairs.

Used up to the 1980s, the cheap, bubbly material has a lifespan of around 30 years and is now liable to suddenly collapsing. Concerns over the risk to pupils sparked the closure or part closure of hundreds of schools across the UK last year as emergency remedial works were commissioned.

Hadden Construction, which was carrying out RAAC removal projects at four Edinburgh schools, announced last week it had gone into administration, resulting in 66 job losses.

It means works have now been put on hold at Trinity, Cramond, Pentland and Colinton primary schools.

Council bosses said they have “bolstered resources” to ensure delays are kept to a minimum.

Crawford McGhie, the council’s head of strategic asset planning, said at Trinity and Cramond repairs were “nearing completion” and officials were working with the main sub-contractor “to see if we can take on the responsibility for those works”.

However rectifications at Colinton Primary and Pentland are yet to begin and a retendering process to find a new contractor could delay works being progressed by two to three months, officials said. 

Initial mitigation measures at Colinton Primary were “minimal and implemented quickly” with no impact on school operations, with the roof replacement costing around £2m. At Pentland Primary, the presence of RAAC has rendered its kitchen and part of a corridor not capable of being used safely, however additional classroom space has been available and school meals have been delivered.

Mr McGhie said: “At Trinity which is the one nearest completion there are ongoing surveys to look at the detail of the work that’s actually been completed and whether that aligns with the contractor that’s gone into administration, what they were claiming had been done.

“We’ll look to get an indication of the programme to completion . . . the classrooms there were due to be handed over already so we’re at least looking at a delay until the end of October.”

“For the other two, Pentland and Colinton, the works hadn’t really been started so the likeihood is that they will be retendered.

“I would imagine two to three months for a re-tendering process would be the delay at least in those circumstances. That’s a rough guess at the moment.”

Peter Watton, head of property and facilities management, added: “Whilst we can’t give anything definitive I’d like to give committee the assurance that we’re giving it the utmost priority in terms of finding a solution.

“Unfortunately these circumstances, whilst they are not new, they do create a problem and we have to address that as soon as we can in order to get the buildings finished.

“We’ve bolstered resources in that area to make sure we keep delays to a minimum and do it as quickly as possible.”

Meanwhile councillors have agreed to set up a temporary library facility in a modular building outside Davidson’s Mains Primary School while Blackhall Library remains closed following the discovery of RAAC.

A report said options include replacing all the library’s RAAC, or knocking it down and building a new one on the same site or on the Davidson’s Mains Primary School site.

“Because there is the opportunity for the replacement library to be in a different location, it is proposed that detailed community engagement to discuss and consider these options is progressed over the next six months.” the report said.

“The best value option is for the facility to be purchased rather than rented. This option allows the most flexibility in terms of the time taken to deliver the permanent solution as the one-off cost is known compared to rental fees which increase the longer it takes to deliver the permanent replacement library.

“The cost of the temporary facility will be in the region of £1m and can be funded from the RAAC capital budget allocated in the 2024 budget setting process.”

By Donald Turvill Local Democracy Reporter

This article is the third part in our mini series about Low Traffic Neighbourhood measures introduced in Corstorphine.

The Improve Corstorphine Group focuses on matters that they believe the whole community can get behind, gathering evidence  and feeding that evidence back to the council. 

The group is made up of ordinary residents in Corstorphine who are not involved in any existing campaigning groups or committees. Having such a group allows membership of the Community Reference Group for the Corstorphine Connections project. They have provided evidence and challenged assertions over the past year in relation to this Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN). The emphasis is on the residents of Corstorphine working together and where they disagree, doing so respectfully. They are if you will the middle ground – and not often heard.

Here they explain what they do and what they would like to happen when the sub-committee meets on Tuesday to decide if the LTN measures should become permanent.

Corstorphine Connections

The Corstorphine Connections objectives are to:

• improve the safety of routes to schools in the area
• understand and address issues with speed and volume of traffic in residential streets
• improve walking and cycling routes and access in the area
• improve local air quality
• create a more attractive environment with new public realm spaces.

The City of Edinburgh Council received Scottish Government funding to be specifically spent on the project. No money was diverted from pothole fixing or the many other things that need done. LTNs were supported over the years by all political parties as a way of improving neighbourhoods, although recently that stance has changed.

In Corstorphine there is a long history of traffic issues and measures such as the closure of South Gyle Road to through traffic has had wide community support. 

More unites the residents of Corstorphine than divides them. 

All groups broadly agree with the widening of pavements and installation of crossing points making life easier for families, the disabled and the elderly. 

Everyone wants safe routes to school for children and encouragement of active travel. But that approach has to be inclusive – for instance, Improve Corstorphine has been arguing for better parking for parents who live near the airport and have a stressful morning school run by car. They have also asked for small bus route diversions once a day to allow children to travel to the Primary School, as happens in other council areas.

Consultation and communication was originally ineffective

The council changes coupled with ineffective consultation have set resident against resident with frustration and anger about disruption to daily lives and the apparent poor value for money when so much needs fixed. The council’s project manager is committed to communication and has attended nearly every Community Council meeting over the last four years. He also runs a Community Reference Group.

Communication with residents has improved over the project with leaflet drops to every household. Despite that many people leading busy lives say they have never heard of the community council, have not seen the leaflets and did not know about the Community Reference Groups – so their input has been missed.

Lack of school improvements in the project area

Pupils in the project area attend five different schools, but only routes to two have been considered and even then Corstorphine Connections misses the majority of pupils at one. No improvements at all have been made for Gylemuir Primary, Forrester High School, or St Augustine’s nor has the full catchment area for Corstorphine Primary been considered for improvements with hundreds of pupils travelling long distances without safety improvements.

Using census data Improve Corstorphine have asked council officials why there have been no improvements at all for hundreds of young people. They have also asked officials to look at resident journeys – how do they get to the chemist or post office when roads are closed and no cycleways are present?

Featherhall, Station Road and the bus gate

Featherhall and Station Road feedback is pretty negative as the residents in these areas suffer daily frustrations. Correspondents from these areas say that consultation was poor and the implementation does not meet residents’ needs .

The signage for the bus gate continues to be ineffective at alerting people from outside the area of what a bus gate is, and that they will be fined. The council’s own figures show that 92% of drivers fined are from outside the project area which indicates the signage is still an issue.

Local people regularly stop cars and the School Crossing lady says she stops six cars an afternoon being fined.

More than 400 potholes have been reported and made safe

Improve Corstorphine try to live up to their name and more than 400 potholes have been made safe across the area after members reported them to the council uniting car drivers , cyclists and pedestrians in positive action. 

Map showing over 400 potholes reported:

Other initiatives include installation of litter bins, the repair of pavements after liaising with a local disability group, graffiti removal and collecting evidence on other council consultations such as St Margaret’s Park Bowling Green and the realignment of community council boundaries.

Streets identified by Improve Corstorphine for cleaning and the result:

New litter bin installed after Improve Corstorphine provide evidence to the council

The Council need to learn lessons and apply them going forward

One of the sad aspects to this project is that it has polarised opinion and led to the harassment of individuals on both sides of the debate. People from each side are giving up their spare time to help build a better Corstorphine but with passions running high no local organisation has taken a stance for or against the changes. Meetings are all online preventing a building of relationships and continuing a feeling of exclusion.

A decision will be taken on Tuesday 24 September at the meeting of the new sub-committee. Whatever happens we need to ensure the wider community has a chance to input to measures going forward and allow debate between all residents in Corstorphine. There are many people who are now engaged and  we can harness that community energy to Improve Corstorphine. 

Police in Edinburgh say they are following a ‘positive line of enquiry’ in connection with a reported assault in High School Wynd. 

The incident took place following an altercation between a 34-year-old male cyclist and the driver of a vehicle around 6.25pm on Friday 20 September 2024. 

A video posted online shows the cyclist initially speaking to a female in front of the vehicle before the male driver emerges from the driver’s side and throws the cyclist to the ground. 

The clip has so far been viewed almost six million times, and clearly shows the identity of the alleged assailant, his partner and the registration number of the car. We are unable to report any of these details as a police investigation is underway.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 6.25pm on Friday, 20 September, 2024, we received a report of a male cyclist being assaulted during an altercation with the male driver of a car in High School Wynd, Edinburgh. 

“The 34-year-old victim was taken to hospital to be checked over and officers are following positive lines of enquiry in relation to the incident.” 

Robbie Neilson was sacked as manager of Hearts in April 2023 after a 2-0 home defeat by St Mirren after almost three years in charge and following five straight defeats.

His replacement, Steven Naismith, parted company with the Tynecastle team less than 24-hours after their 2-1 reverse to The Buddies at the SMiSA Stadium on Saturday.

Naismith, Gordon Forrest and Frankie McAvoy (pictured in the Tynecastle dugout) were recently handed contract extensions to 2026 but Liam Fox takes over as interim manager assisted by Angus Beith and Lee Wallace. Beith is involved with the B Team and Wallace the under-18 side.

A statement on the club’s website said Liam, the B Team head coach, will temporarily oversee first team affairs while the board undergoes the process of appointing a new management team.

Andrew McKinlay, the club’s chief executive officer, confirmed that the board met on Sunday to agree a way forward and the process of identifying and hiring a new management team has started.

He stressed that updated would be provided in due course and urged fans to continue to back the team.

Earlier, McKinlay confirmed the departure of head coach Naismith and his assistants Forrest and McAvoy in a statement which said: “Steven, Gordon and Frankie leave Hearts following a 17-month spell in the Tynecastle dugout as the club’s management team.”

McKinlay added: “I’d like to firstly thank Steven, Gordon and Frankie for all their efforts over the past year and a half. They worked tirelessly in their roles and without them we would not have enjoyed the successes of last season.

“However, things can change quickly, particularly in football, and it has been clear for all to see that things are not working this season. Results and performances have fallen below the standards expected at this football club and, unfortunately, there is little evidence of any potential upturn in fortunes.

“With our UEFA Conference League campaign about to commence, and the spotlight on our league position, we cannot afford to stand still.

“That is why we, as a Board of Directors, have made the difficult decision to part ways with the management team who go with our thanks and best wishes.

“We will update supporters shortly about next steps in both the short and long term but, for now, the club shall be making no further comment.”

Hearts, of course, entertain eighth-placed Ross County at Tynecastle on Saturday, September 28 (15.00) then travel to face Dinamo Minsk on Thursday, October 3 in the Mehdi Huseynzade Stadium (kick off 17.45) in Azerbaijan in the UEFA Conference League.

Then they jet direct to Aberdeen where they face the second-placed Dons at Pittodrie Stadium on Sunday, October 6 (15.00). Aberdeen under new manager Jimmy Thelin are on 15 points, the same at leaders Celtic.

Looking back, Naismith, a former Scotland international who played for Everton (103 appearances) and Norwich City (44) in England as well as Kilmarnock (102 appearances), Rangers (98), ended his playing career at Hearts and took over the club’s B team.

The 38-year-old, Irvine-born, ex-player was promoted when Neilson was sacked and was handed the head coach job on an interim basis in June last year. The club finished a clear third in the 12-strong table and ended the season on a high with a 3-3 draw against Rangers at Tynecastle.

Pressure has, however, been building after a disastrous run of eight straight defeats and fans were deeply unhappy with the performance of their favourites who started the current league campaign with an encouraging 0-0 draw at home to Rangers.

Naismith remained bullish after the defeat in Paisley which leaves the club propping up the 12-strong table with only one point after six games.

He said he was “up for the fight” and felt he could rediscover the form which took them into third last term. The board thought otherwise.

Officers from South West Edinburgh have been carrying out proactive patrols over the weekend as part of Operation Sheath. 

Operation Sheath is an initiative aimed at reducing knife related crime in SW Edinburgh.  

Last night Saturday 21^st September 2024 officers stopped numerous individuals and vehicles. 

As a result of this action two people were reporter for road traffic offences. 

One person was reported for drug driving. 

Three people were reported for drug offences and one person was arrested after being found in possession of a knife. 

Operation Sheath will run throughout September and October with further dedicated patrols and days of action planned. 

This is the most up to date list of roadworks and events leading to road closures or diversions for traffic in Edinburgh for the next week or so.

If you see anything on the roads which is not on the list then let the travel team know on Twitter @EdinTravel or otherwise you can check on the Scottish Roadworks register which is a comprehensive list of places to avoid.

Updated versions of the listings are posted to the website most weekday afternoons, these can be found by going to https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/edintravel

Any new works or events are marked in blue.

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Craig Halkett scored with a header in a losing cause at St Mirren in the William Hill Premiership on Saturday, a rare moment of joy in a difficult season for Hearts and after a mentally tough spell on the sidelines through injury.

The Scotland under-19 international defender had, only two days previously, appeared at a media briefing where he articulated his lengthy comeback which culminated with restoration of Halkett into first team duty.

The 29-year-old made his long-awaited comeback after nearly two years and he stressed that the injury and stop-start recovery period had been a difficult period in his career.

He has enjoyed a full pre-season and Campsie-born Halkett, who joined Hearts as a free agent from Livingston in July 2019 on a three-year deal after 144 appearances for the West Lothian club, admitted: “I knew the start of the season was going to be difficult as I knew how well the boys did last year. I have bided my time waiting to come in and I have done that. The results have not gone our way, but it is good to get back and try to do what I can to help.”

The former Livi Lions skipper, who came through the youth system at Rangers, and had loan spells at Clyde and Berwick Rangers, said: “You can train and do as much as you can off the pitch, but it is really hard to get match fitness back (after being out so long) and match sharpness can only come with games. It is not so much fitness, it is about the wee things that happen in games, the game reactions mentally and positions, and I am getting there.”

Looking at the squad in general, Halkett said that confidence is not as high as it would be if Hearts were winning games and picking up points but he added: “It is something we are really working hard on and we all want the same goal, players, coaches and fans, we all want the same at the club.”

Part of the recovery process is re-watching past games and putting them under a microscope to view things that they are doing right and issues the club can improve on.

Halkett said: “As a group, collectively, we all know what the goal is and we want to win games of football. We have not been doing that but, when you are at Hearts you have pressure every single game, no matter if you are winning or losing. We all know what the situation is but we are all confident we have got the quality of squad in the changing room.

“In general, Hearts are one of the biggest clubs in Scotland and clubs are going to give you a little more respect, but, off the back of last year and how well we did, it is up to us to break teams down and to make sure we get the win.”

The big defender said: “There are moments in games which are not falling our way at the moment, a scrappy goal or referees decision, but it is up to us to doing what we are doing on the training pitch and to keep working on it and put that work into place on a Saturday. We all know that if we are doing the right things then results will come.”

Halkett stressed that the Tynecastle club “have a great group down there” and added: “We are all working as hard as we can every day and training has been really good most weeks. Come a Saturday, we are just coming up a little bit short and I am sure if we keep doing what we are doing then results will come.”

There has been criticism of Hearts during their poor run and Halkett said: “You don’t want to ignore what everyone is saying, but it is up to us to block it out (criticism from fans) and do what we have been working on and it is just getting that first win and taking it from there.”

Charlie Jack comes from sound, hockey-playing stock. His Jedburgh-born mother, Janet, a former Great Britain and Scotland player, has captained Scotland’s women Over 55s in the Masters World Cup and has been a stalwart for Fjordhus Reivers Hockey, the largest hockey club in the Borders.

No surprise then that Charlie has followed in his famous mum’s prodigious footsteps and his carving a career for himself in the sport north of the Border.

He is big in stature and a huge influence for Edinburgh club side Inverleith who are endeavouring to carve a niche for themselves in the men’s Premiership and, at the same time, develop  raw, teenage talent, a difficult scenario.

However, the Purple have a sound track record in bringing through young players and, on Saturday, they had eight under-18 players in their line-up against Watsonians who have started the season well, collecting back-to-back wins (7-0 over Dundee Wanderers and 3-1 against Inverleith) to top the 12-strong table on goal difference from Western Wildcats and defending champions Grange.

Charlie patrolled the back line for most of the game against Watsonians and was vociferous on the pitch. He was particularly vocal at the end of each quarter, and at half-time, exhorting his team-mates to up their game.  

They listened and clawed their way back to 2-1 after going 2-0 down following two penalty corner strikes after 14 and 20 minutes by Watsonians. That goal after 23 minutes provided a platform and a foothold in a game in which Watsonians had dominated possession, but, sadly, the euphoria lasted for around 60 seconds as the men in maroon, carrying the colours of George Watson’s College, the school which Charlie’s mum attended, struck a third which proved decisive in an entertaining game in a depressing drizzle at The Mary Erskine School.

Post-match, Charlie was philosophical about the result and preferred to focus on the long-term journey for the Capital club. He may only be 21, but the employee of Musselburgh-based Loretto School has much to offer and admitted: “Yes, we have a very young side. There is a lot we need to work on.”

Inverleith did not attract new blood over the close season but Charlie said: “We have youth talent and boys who will be with us for the next two years, at least.”

The spirited performance in the defeat, which was a step-up from the disappointment of a 7-1 thrashing at Uddingston in their Premiership opener, augurs well for the future and the Scotland under-21 player underlined the club’s desire to blood new, young players despite playing the elite of men’s hockey in Scotland.

The Purple are currently pointless and second-bottom of the table, bracketed with Erskine Stewart’s Melville, newly-promoted Dunfermline Carnegie, and bottom-club Dundee Wanderers, but it is early in the season.

However, setbacks and understanding how to hang in there and dig out points is all part of a learning process for the squad and Charlie said: “We have a history of youth development at this club and we have a number of really talented young players in our system. Some will aspire to reach the higher echelons of hockey and others just want to play the sport.”

The job of coaches within the club is to develop those players to give of their best and the youngsters, bolstered by some experienced men, showed bags of desire and also snapshots of their talent against a strong, well-organised Watsonians outfit coached by former Great Britain squad player, and Scotland international, Dan Coultas.

Jedburgh-born Charlie conceded that it was a body blow to surrender a goal to Watsonians seconds after getting back in the game at 2-1 with a well-constructed, breakaway strike down the right, but that is part of the steep learning curve that many of the Inverleith players are now on.

He conceded: “We spoke (in the huddle) about the minutes after scoring being so important and how we must focus and also about conceding from penalty corners. We want to compete against these teams and we have to learn to do those elements better if we want to make an impact.”

Wise words from a young man who appears to be going places in hockey and who has a cool head on extremely broad shoulders.

Leicester Cubs roared to the National Development League title, but they were stopped in their tracks by Stellar Monarchs Academy at Armadale.

Prior to their visit to West Lothian, Cubs were unbeaten with an unblemished record of nine wins from nine meetings.

Stellar Monarchs Academy produced their A game and a determined display saw the septet emerge with a 47-42 victory to bring the season at Armadale down on a high note.

Mitchell Davey, the stand-in team manager for the night as Scott Wilson was unavailable, praised his squad and said: “Sensational effort, all the boys were up for it.

“They really wanted to put their stamp on it to show that they were a competitive team, and they all worked really well together. It was awesome.”

Dayle Wood (pictured by James Kenny, courtesy of Edinburgh Moanrchs) was a 14-point hero, but the whole side showed a determination and belief despite the visitors taking 4-2 results in the first two heats won by Joe Thompson and Arran Butcher,.

Wood won heat 3 impressively and Monarchs racer Sam McGurk took a point even though he started off 15 meters after missing the two minutes warning hooter.

Cubs suffered a blow in Heat 4 when Butcher fell while leading, then team-mate Vinnie Foord fell in the same spot in the re-run, handing a 5-0 to the Academy to give them the lead.

That inspired the home side who went on a run of six successive race wins, with Wood, Connor Coles and Max Perry all victorious against visiting top men Thompson, Foord and Max James.

Guest Harry McGurk won Heat 8 then his brother Sam passed Vinnie Foord to join Wood for a 5-1 in Heat 9 and, by adding a further 4-2 in Heat 10, the Academy held a 35-24 lead.

Leicester hit back with a 4-2 followed by a 5-1 after a machine failure for Sam McGurk in Heat 12, cutting the gap to five going into Heat 13 and Max James earned his first race won beating Wood in the second last race.

That set up a last heat decider, with Leicester requiring a 5-1 to win, but another determined gate by Wood and Coles ensured that did not happen.

Academy signed off the season with two victories in two nights having won 46-44 at Middlesbrough Tigers on Friday, but it will be next spring before there is more speedway action at Armadale.

Edinburgh Monarchs Academy (47): Connor Coles 9+0, Harry McGurk 7+0, Sam McGurk 3+1, Dayle Wood 14+0, Max Perry 9+1, Mark Parker 2+0, Kyran Lyden 3+1

Leicester Lion Cubs (42): Joe Thompson 11+0, Sonny Springer 5+1, Tom Spencer 4+1, Max James 11+0, Vinnie Foord 3+0, Lee Harrison 1+0, Arran Butcher 7+2

The Eye Pavilion will close for six months for repairs from the end of October.

Urgent repair work will have to be carried out at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion at the end of October.

Extensive work is required on the plumbing system, and all patient appointments which were scheduled to take place from 28 October will be moved to other NHS Lothian facilities. The health board says this move is needed to ensure the safety of staff and patients.

Jim Crombie, Deputy Chief Executive, NHS Lothian, said: “We are very sorry for the inconvenience this will cause our patients and it is not a decision we have taken lightly.  

“Whilst patients and staff are not at risk, the work is essential and the advice we have received from our contractors is that this can be done more speedily and safely if the building is temporarily vacated. 

“Patient and staff safety are always our chief consideration. Our teams are working hard to minimise disruption and to ensure patients continue to be seen and treated throughout this period.”

Those who already have appointments booked for dates from Monday October 28 will be contacted by letter, text or both in good time to arrange their new appointments, starting with patients who have appointments in the week beginning October 28.  

Parliamentary discussion

The matter was raised at First Minister’s Questions on Thursday in The Scottish Parliament by Lothians MSP, Miles Briggs.

Miles Briggs said: “NHS has announced that urgent major repair works will have to be undertaken at the Princess Alexandra eye pavilion. All patient appointments that are scheduled to take place from 28 October will be moved, and it is expected to be six months before the hospital can reopen. In 2014, the current eye pavilion was declared not fit for purpose. There is now real anger about the latest situation, which demonstrates, yet again, the need for a new eye hospital.

Ministers need to take responsibility. They have cancelled the new hospital on two occasions. Will the First Minister personally meet campaigners and cross-party MSPs to get the replacement hospital back on track?

The First Minister, John Swinney, replied: “I appreciate the anxiety that will be felt because of the issues relating to the eye pavilion in Edinburgh. As we would expect it to, the health board is working to ensure that there is no diminution of the service and support that are available to patients, so that they can have their needs met.

“Obviously, the Government is wrestling with capital funding pressures. Mr Briggs will be familiar with the statements that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government has made about the reduction in our capital budget. That, combined with the significant increase in construction costs that has arisen because of sky-high inflation, has had a consequential effect on our ability to afford projects. Those are the realities that we are wrestling with.

“I assure Mr Briggs that the Government is doing everything that we can to deliver that capital programme, but we cannot deliver it as timeously as we would like to because of the effect of inflation and the cuts to our capital budget. I assure him that the Government is focused on finding solutions to those challenging issues.”

Fife Flyers made the 450-mile trip to Cardiff Devils and Tom Coolen’s men ended up being beaten 5-1 in the Elite League.

The Kirkcaldy club, however, kept it tight until the final session which the home side won 3-1.

Zach O’Brien scored in the first period, Sam Duggan in the second, and O’Brien added his second and Cardiff’s third early in the final stanza before Lucas Chiodo netted for Fife after 50 minutes but Josh MacDonald and Tyler Busch added to the home side’s total before the final whistle.

On Tayside, Dundee were edged 5-4 by Manchester Storm also in the Elite League with Jake Durflinger scoring the game-winner after 37 minutes for the visitors.

Elite League: Cardiff Devils 5, Fife Flyers 1; Dundee Stars 4, Manchester Storm 5

Fixtures for Sunday: Challenge Cup: Dundee v Belfast (17.00); Fife v Glasgow Clan (17.15).

PICTURE: Tom Coolen on the bench. Courtesy of the Elite League

Steven Naismith, Hearts’ head coach, was in defiant mood after his hand-picked side skidded to their eighth straight defeat when they were edged 2-1 at St Mirren in the William Hill Premiership.

Undoubtedly, the pressure is mounting on the former Scotland international but he still believes he can arrest the depressing slide which leaves the ambitious Tynecastle side rooted at the foot of the 12-strong table.

A Gerald Taylor headed into his own goal to break the deadlock after eight minutes but Craig Halkett, restored to the team recently after a frustrating spell on the sidelines through injury, levelled eight minutes later, heading home a cross from Blair Spittal.

But a strike from Toyosi Olusanya set up by Killian Phillips during a period of St Mirren pressure after 34 minutes proved the game-winner at the SMiSA Stadium in a contest watched by over 7,000 fans, many of them from the East of Scotland.

Sadly, the visitors failed to put St Mirren under real pressure during the second 45 minutes and Hearts have only one point from six fixtures with Kilmarnock second-bottom a point ahead after five games.

St Mirren are tenth with four points from six games and Hibs are ninth with five points from the same number of fixtures.

Naismith lead Hearts to third place in the league last term and he told BBC Sport Scotland that he can snap the bad run. He said: “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. Small parts of the game are costing us, but I’m up for the fight.”

PICTURE: Craig Halkett on the mark for Hearts at St Mirren. Picture Nigel Duncan

Watsonians saw off a spirited and enthusiastic Inverleith side to claim their second straight win of the new campaign and take their total goal tally to ten with only one in reply, an impressive start.

The 3-1 victory over their Capital neighbours at The Mary Erskine School, who had eight under-18 players in their 17-strong squad, was also achieved without player/coach Dan Coultas, a former Great Britain squad player, and Tom Swarbrick, one of their long-standing players.

Two of their goals came following penalty corner awards and the other from open play and the platform was a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes, a period in which they enjoyed the major share of possession.

Plucky Inverleith pulled a goal back after 23 minutes from a breakaway down the right, but they were undone when Watsonians claimed their third a minute later, a goal which deflated the developing young team.

They, however, struck admirably to their task and Swarbrick, who has a hamstring injury, sportingly praised their opposition and said: “Yes, we are happy with the win and six points, but we have to sharpen up our finishing.”

Euan Burgess celebrated hugely, arms aloft, after opening the scoring in 14 minutes from a penalty corner and Danny Cain added No 2, also from a penalty corner, six minutes later, but Inverleith, with hard-working, Scotland under-21 international, Charlie Jack, heavily involved, hit back through Thomas Temperley who neatly finished off a darting move down the right to get The Purple back into the game.

Their joy was short lived when Mathew Leiper netted from open play, deflecting the ball home following a ball driven down the middle of the pitch from just outside the 23 from Craig Yelland, for No 3.

Scottish international, Duncan Riddell, restored to the side after missing the opening fixture due to a family wedding, hit a post from close in and Watsonians had other chances including one which Ronan Kingsbury put wide from close in, underlining Swarbrick’s point.

Stuart Neave, one of Inverleith’s backroom staff, said this was a much-improved performance from their opening game which they lost 7-1 at Uddingston, and he added: “We competed well against a good, well-organised Watsonians team.

“We know where we are. We are a young squad with eight, under-18 players, and we have some players injured. We are going in the right direction and we know we conceded goals from penalty corners. Things to work on.  

Dundee Wanderers, thrashed 7-0 at Watsonians on opening day, lost 4-0 at home to Western Wildcats and Dunfermline Carnegie, beaten 3-0 at champions, Grange, lost 3-1 at home to Hillhead 2 while FSEG Clydesdale edged Uddingston 1-0 in Glasgow. The University of Edinburgh were held 1-1 at Grove Menzieshill. 

Grange got out of jail after scoring twice in the final five minutes to down Capital rivals Erskine Stewart’s Melville (ESM) 3-2 at Inverleith in a tight match in which the visitors created more clear-cut changes.

The champions went ahead after 12 minutes through Scottish international David Nairn but Will Kelly levelled 15 minutes later and Jack Collister converted a penalty stroke to put ESM 2-1 in front after 46 minutes.

It looked bleak for Grange but they battled back and Nairn’s second levelled at 2-2 and Dylan Bean stunned the home side with the game-winner with less than ten seconds left.

Watsonians top the table on goal difference as they have six points as do second-placed Western and Grange who are third.

PICTURE: Euan Burgess celebrates opening the scoring for Watsonians v Inverleith at The Mary Erskine School. Picture Nigel Duncan 

Edinburgh Council is facing “serious questions” after it emerged it is breaking the law “on an industrial scale” by placing homeless people in 30 unlicensed houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) across the city.

The authority’s top legal expert has warned the practice “cannot continue” and that the cost of finding alternative temporary accommodation “could be substantial”.

Homeless charity Shelter called on the council to clarify what its plans are for anyone who might be forced to move out of unlicensed HMOs and said forcing residents on to the streets “simply should not be an option”.

Councillor Jane Meagher, convener of housing, homeless and fair work committee, admitted the situation was “unsustainable” but said a “guillotine approach” would be “inhumane” and could lead to an increase in rough sleeping.

A new report written by Nick Smith, Edinburgh City Council’s monitoring officer, said that during the pandemic when urgent action was taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19 homeless accommodation was “procured at short notice”.

This included using B&B-type accommodation which did not comply with the council’s own regulations requiring HMOs – properties occupied by three or more people who are not from the same household – to be licensed to ensure residents are kept safe and afforded suitable living conditions.

Mr Smith said the decision was taken “on a balance of risk, considering the public health requirements at the time, as well the need for the landlord to be (or become) registered”.

However the council’s reliance on unlicensed HMOs has continued long beyond the end of the pandemic. The number of households in temporary accommodation across the capital has risen to over 5,000 from 3,570 at the start of the first lockdown in 2020.

This has been driven in part by increasing numbers of asylum seekers and refugees presenting as homeless, and various policy changes by the UK and Scottish Governments including the removal of local connection, the early prison release scheme, changes to the welcome accommodation policy for Ukrainian Displaced People (UDPs) and accelerated asylum decisions.

Further enquiries by the Local Democracy Reporting Service confirmed 30 illegal HMOs are still being used by Edinburgh Council, with around 700 rooms currently occupied in non-compliant shared houses.

Inspections of all properties have been undertaken prior to placing any people within them, according to the report.

The council wrote to  landlords “to request that they register for an HMO licence to resolve the position,” Mr Smith wrote. “Many did so or have undertaken to do so, but others have refused or taken no action.

“The council therefore remains in breach of its HMO licensing duty by maintaining the support of homeless persons and households in some unlicensed HMO properties.

“Operating an unlicensed HMO is a criminal offence. The council is empowered to take appropriate enforcement action against any unlicensed HMO properties and their landlords.

“The normal enforcement response would be to serve a rent penalty notice and consider reporting the offending landlord to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal for potential criminal prosecution in circumstances where they do not apply for a licence and continue to operate the HMO property.”

The report, which will be discussed at a full council meeting next week, added this “potentially undermines” the council’s crackdown on unlicensed landlords, amounted to illegality and maladministration “and cannot continue”.

Edinburgh Council now spends around £50m a year on temporary housing, up from £16.7m in 2019-20. As demand has risen, the council has been forced to place hundreds of households in B&B-type provision, which the Scottish Government classes as ‘unsuitable’ and says should only be used as a last resort and for a maximum of seven days.

However amid a housing emergency in Edinburgh and increasing rates of homelessness, the local authority regularly fails to meet this target.

Finding alternative accommodation for people currently staying in the 30 unlicensed HMOs is likely to drive costs up even higher. “Whilst the cost of finding alternative temporary accommodation for homeless persons of households in Edinburgh could be substantial,”Mr Smith wrote, “it is not possible for the council to remain legally non-compliant.”

A report to the housing, homelessness and fair work committee on Tuesday, October 1 recommends councillors to instruct officials to “take immediate steps to secure safe transition to compliant temporary accommodation from all unlicensed HMO accommodation for all homeless households affected”.

It said: “Ongoing efforts have been made with providers to achieve licensed status. Seven operators who require an HMO and are currently unlicensed, and have no application in process, are undertaking renovations and have indicated they will apply once these renovations are complete. The majority of these providers are on ‘spot purchase’ contracts, requiring no notice period.”

Alison Watson, director of Shelter Scotland, said: “This report raises serious questions which need answers quickly.

“Most pressingly, we need to know what plans are in place for anyone who might be forced to move out of their temporary accommodation; forcing residents on to the streets simply should not be an option.

“Edinburgh’s homelessness system is failing, the council is breaking the law on homelessness on an industrial scale, and it’s devastating lives.

“When the capital declared a housing emergency we made clear that every part of the council had to work together to tackle it, but it was also a call to action for every level of government.

“This is another stark reminder of why that action is so urgently needed.”

Cllr Meagher said: “The broad situation is that we are under phenomenal pressure to provide accommodation for people.

“On the one hand we have a legal obligation to provide accommodation for people and on the other hand we have a severe shortage of accommodation.

“These are the kinds of dilemmas we are caught in. We have to prevent people from being at the worst end of homelessness which is being on the streets – rough sleeping.”

The housing convener said while some HMOs were not licensed all were subject to fire safety gas and electricity checks.

She said: “Some of the premises are in the process of being licensed.

“It’s not just a question of filling in a form and submitting it, it’s about much more complicated and costly things than that. For example, it might include having to install kitchens or having to make alterations to the building which would be costly.”

“We do understand this situation is not sustainable, but we also understand we can’t have a situation where it would be the owners of the unlicensed HMOs would be locking the doors.

“A guillotine approach would be inhumane and in my view completely unacceptable, but also would potentially lead to a significant number of people rough sleeping.

“We can’t continue forever with this situation. It’s not a situation where you can just say ‘we’re going to stop now’. Because we’re talking about human beings and responsibility for them and their welfare, as well as the welfare of the wider city.”

By Donald Turvill Local Democracy Reporter

UPDATE – Sheryle Anne Speirs has been found safe and well.

Police in Fife are continuing to appeal for assistance in tracing Sheryle Anne Speirs, also known as McKinney, 32, who was reported missing from the Levenmouth area.

It is believed Sheryle travelled to Edinburgh by bus with a man with distinctive facial tattoos and a Golden Labrador dog. They were seen on Princes Street on Tuesday, 17 September, and may still be in the area.

Sheryle is described as white, around 5ft 2 in height and of slim build, with medium length dyed red hair. She was last seen to be wearing a dark anorak jacket.

Inspector Colin Salmond said: “Sheryle has been missing for a number of days now and this is out of character for her.

“We have a number of police resources out looking for Sheryle and just want to make sure she is safe and well.

“Sheryle, we would also ask you to get in touch, so we know you are okay.”

If you have seen Sheryle or have any information which could assist police, please contact 101 quoting reference 2573 of 16 September 2024.

The City of Leisure will be seen through the lens of Edinburgh Leisure in the Edinburgh 900 celebrations.

Edinburgh Leisure, the largest sports and leisure facilities provider across the city will launch a new pop-up exhibition on Monday 30 September at the Royal Commonwealth Pool. Celebrate Edinburgh’s legacy of health and fitness and discover how Edinburgh Leisure continues to inspire and support active lifestyles across the city.

The Your Health is for Life exhibition will focus on one of the ten themes of Edinburgh 900, ‘the City of Leisure’ through the lens of Edinburgh Leisure. It will showcase the vital role Edinburgh Leisure has played in promoting active lifestyles for the past 26 years and generations before, and the history of pools in Edinburgh, including a 2005 film by Sitar Rose and Karen Chambers, Liquid Paradise which captures the unique atmosphere of the Victorian Warrender Swim Centre.

The free exhibition can be viewed in the foyer and café area of the Royal Commonwealth Pool and will complement the existing display which celebrated the Commie’s 50th anniversary in January 2020.

Free Sporting Memories reminiscence event

On what is also National Sporting Heritage Day, as part of the celebrations, Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities in association with the Sporting Memories Foundation, will be hosting a free, one-off event at the Royal Commonwealth Pool themed around memories of the Commie pool and their five Victorian pools.

It will be a fun and friendly session to talk and reminisce with older sports fans over a cuppa. Taking place on Monday 30 September 2024 from 10.30am – 12.00 noon in the Sir Peter Heatly Room at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, 21 Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh EH16 5BB, the event is open to anyone, including people living with dementia and their carers. Booking is not required but registering your interest to attend is recommended by emailing: samscott@edinburghleisure.co.uk.

Kerry Teakle, Project Lead for Edinburgh 900 at Edinburgh Leisure said: “Timed perfectly to coincide with Sporting Heritage Day on 30 September, we hope the new exhibition will spark conversations across multi generations about the rich heritage across our sporting estate.

“The exhibition will also highlight Edinburgh Leisure’s ongoing vision to make a positive difference to communities by creating opportunities for everyone in Edinburgh get active, stay active and achieve more.”

Just a mile from the city Centre Wester Coates Nursery School is an environment where “children are loved, nurtured and educated, mostly outdoors, and through play”. Now the school founder is shortlisted for the Nursery World Award for making an “Outstanding Contribution”.

Heading the nursery, founder and teacher Alison Hawkins, started Wester Coates almost 35 years ago when her youngest child was two and a half.

The nursery has gone from strength to strength, supporting children and their families over the years.

• Parents have said: “It is no wonder Alison has been nominated for this award – she ‘looks after’ everyone in sight!”
• “Our whole family has benefited from Alison’s freely given time and wise counsel”
• “At Wester Coates Nursery School children do really thrive. Their learning is deep and varied and every time I visit, the overwhelming impression is one of happiness and fun”

Alison said she is honoured by the nomination and delighted by the recognition, but is even more pleased that the philosophy and ethos of the kindergarten approach, founded on the principles of Friedrich Froebel, have been recognised through her work.

This weekend staff and volunteers are going to London to attend the award ceremony.
Alison was one of the authors who contributed to the publication “Putting Storytelling at the Heart of Early Childhood Practice” which won the Professional Book of the Year in 2021.
She said that the annual awards evening sums up expertise and dedication from the many people involved and gives a rare opportunity for Early Years workers to meet and celebrate together.

Earlier this year Mrs Hawkins graduated with a Master’s degree – her second degree in 50 years.

Edinburgh rock climber, Robbie Phillips, 34, has made the first repeat of the notorious ‘Great Arch’ on the island of Pabbay in the Outer Hebrides.

The steep and imposing rock face is 100m high and finishes in a dramatic horizontal roof.

The rock was only successfully free-climbed in 2013 by Glasgow climber, Dave MacLeod, and hasn’t seen a successful attempt since.

Robbie, a former pupil of George Watson’s College whose conquests include the infamous North Face of the Eiger, described his latest accomplishment saying: “The Great Arch lies on the edge of possibility for climbers. The striking feature is the focal point of the island. It’s also just improbable as a climb  (but) there’s just enough holds and the easiest way up is directly through the roof of the arch.

“When you climb through it, you’re upside down looking out at the Atlantic towards North America.”

Most famously the climb was first attempted in 1996 by Scottish climbing pioneer Dave “Cubby” Cuthbertson, a former pupil of Edinburgh’s Firrhill HS, and the climbing legend Lynn Hill, who only a couple of years prior had made history with her ascent of “The Nose” in Yosemite National Park.

Cuthbertson, 46, who now lives in Ballachulish, was the first person to map the route for the climb, which every team since follows.

The pair attempted the climb as part of a BBC documentary called ‘Extreme Climbs’, however the series ended on a cliffhanger as the pair had fallen during their attempt leaving their free ascent incomplete.

Robbie Phillips had initially planned his expedition in June, when all previous attempts had taken place, but was forced to reschedule on account of bad weather.

 Due to its location the rock suffers from poor conditions from condensation and sea spray, which can make the already difficult

climb exceptionally slippery for a climber. This change of timing dramatically threatened the potential success of the team.

Robbie said: “You need the long days in the height of summer to give you the biggest window of daylight to attempt the climb. You also need the warm weather and sun to burn off any moisture on the rock. Due to the timing of our trip we weren’t able to start climbing until 2pm, leaving us only 6 hours to climb the entire wall before we lost the light”.

With only his relay partner, 21-year-old Jamie Lowther, for support during his attempt, it was a race against time to summit before it got dark. Despite the challenging conditions Robbie managed to

successfully summit with the last remaining sunlight. This makes him the second person ever to successfully free the ‘Great Arch’.

He captured his incredible ascent on camera, including the heart-stopping moment when his foot slips, leaving him dangling high above the sea by just his fingertips. Describing the moments before he succeeded, Robbie said: “It’s moments like this that can

make or break a climber. By this point I was only 5m from the top  but the moves to get there were going to be exceptionally challenging. I was hanging off a colossal hollow flake of rock, that if it fell could cut my rope and take me with it. But if I was going to get to the top, I needed to give it my all without worrying about that.”

Following his successful ascent, Phillips will be sharing the story of the climb in a film, as well as in his upcoming speaking tour.

robbieclimbs.com

Josh Pickering provided Stellar Monarchs with a parting gift to remember by powering to a 15-point maximum as the Armadale men bowed out of the BSN Series at the semi-final stage.

The Armadale men went down 48-42 at Scunthorpe Scorpions, losing by 15 points overall on aggregate and the popular Aussie was in outrageous form, coming from the back in four of his five rides with passes both inside and out.

Pickering (pictured) said: “My goal was to go out making a statement. Everyone knows I am dropping this league to progress even more so to end on a full 15 and go out on a good note I can’t be unhappy.”

He added: “There have been a lot of what ifs this season and, unfortunately, there were too many nights we haven’t performed as a full 1-7 and the damage was done (against Scunthorpe in the semi-final) in the first-leg at home.”

Monarchs came into the second-leg with a thin chance as Scorpions took a nine point advantage from the first-leg in West Lothian, but a decent start saw Monarchs two ahead after three heats before the home men took control.

They reeled off four maximums in five heats and, by Heat 15, all that was left was to see if Pickering could complete his maximum. He delivered.

Scunthorpe now face Poole Pirates in the final.

Scunthorpe 48: Kemp 2+1, Mountain 8+1, Lambert 6+2, Allen 10+1, Howarth 8, Ablitt 3+2, Harrison 11+2

Stellar Monarchs: Pickering 15, J Thompson 1, Fredriksen 7, Castagna 8+1, D Thompson 5, James 1+1, Coles 5

Stellar Academy track against a Leicester Cubs team who are unbeaten this season at Armadale on Saturday (7pm) to bring the curtain down on racing at the West Lothian stadium this season.

The squad go into the National Development League match boosted by their narrow 46-44 win at Redcar over Middlesbrough Tigers on Friday with Jacob Clouting and Dayle Wood both scoring ten points to top score.

That moved the Academy into fourth place in the table and Scott Wilson, the Academy team manager, said: “This (match against Leicester) presents a tough task for us as Leicester arrive already crowned as league champions and have won every match so far this season.

“Only we can stop them recording a perfect season and I’m sure the team will use this as extra motivation and battle hard to end the season with a win.”

Stars of the Cubs team are Joe Thompson, Vinnie Foord and Max James who have all been riding in the Cab Direct Championship this season and made progress.

James is a Monarchs’ rider so he has gained extra knowledge of Armadale. The home men have not always hit form together, but they do have the personnel to cause an upset.

Saturday’s match will be live streamed, details on www.edinburghmonarchs.co.uk.

STELLAR MONARCHS ACADEMY: Connor Coles (captain), Harry McGurk (guest), Sam McGurk, Dayle Wood, Max Perry, Mark Parker, Kyran Lyden.

LEICESTER CUBS: Joe Thompson (captain), Sonny Springer, Tom Spencer, Max James, Vinnie Foord, Lee Harrison (guest), Arran Butcher.

During the evening there will be two National Junior League matches, West Lothian Wildcats v Ashfield and Armadale Angels v West Lothian Wildcats.

PICTURE: Scott Wilson (right) in the pits at Armadale by Nigel Duncan

Staff and patients at Duddingston Dental Practice are proudly continuing their support of renowned local charity LifeCare Edinburgh.

The dental team are actively getting involved with a huge number of activities to help raise vital funds for the charity which has provided care for older people in Edinburgh for over 80 years.

Duddingston Dental chose LifeCare as their charity partner in 2023 and the team have done an amazing job rolling up their sleeves and jumping into a variety of challenges including the Forth Bridge Abseil and most recently, they entered a team of five in the Kiltwalk.

LifeCare offer a range of compassionate and considered services for older people to enable them to continue to live independently.  The charity supports people living with dementia, those who are frail, who are isolated and those who are struggling with other health issues.  Over 75% of the charity’s clients live alone and services include registered outreach and day clubs, help at home, meals on wheels, wellbeing support for unpaid carers, Vintage Vibes companionship and a Saturday Social warm space.  Collectively these services support over 900 older people a year and all the charity’s services are either subsidised or provided for free for those struggling on a low income.

The Cottage on Milton Road East, nearby to the Duddingston Practice, is home to one of LifeCare’s day clubs for people living with dementia.  The team have been volunteering their time at the Cottage on a regular basis with cleaning, painting, supporting clients in their recent sponsored walk

Amy Robertson, Fundraising Coordinator at LifeCare said “We are so grateful to the brilliant team at Duddingston Dental Practice.  They’ve raised over £1,704 for LifeCare already but they have also done so much more than that. They’ve engaged with our clients, got to know our staff and raised awareness of our services amongst their patients.  We are absolutely delighted to be working alongside them and can’t wait to see where this partnership goes.

Local older people rely on our support to help them keep physically and mentally well, and in the current climate our accessible services have never been needed more.  We are always eager to chat with businesses keen to get involved – to both raise funds and to support our services through volunteering.  We are actively encouraging anyone interested to get in touch by giving us a call or dropping in to our centre on Cheyne Street.  We always look forward to meeting new kind-hearted local people, please do get in touch for a chat!”

LifeCare Edinburgh is a registered charity and relies on the support of its funders.

https://www.lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk

Parents have warned something “catastrophic” could happen after plans to replace their dilapidated primary school building with a new multi-million pound campus were put on hold by Midlothian Council.

Families with children attending Mayfield and St Luke’s Primary Schools, in Dalkeith, had expected the building to be demolished and work on the new campus to get under way this autumn.

However a letter from education chiefs this week revealed the construction contract had fallen through and the work would be delayed.

Masonry from the building fell onto the playground last year sparking surveys of the building and work to make it secure as they awaited the new facility.

Now parents say they are concerned their children are being sent into classrooms which are ‘verging on dangerous’ after months of ‘patching up’ problems.

One mum said: “Mayfield is the most deprived area in Midlothian. Nevertheless, our children deserve to have a learning environment that is both safe and will encourage them to reach their full potential.

“I fear something catastrophic will happen before there is any action.”

Last June Councillor Ellen Scott brought a ‘brick of shame’ from fallen masonry at the school into the council chamber as elected members agreed to give £60,000 towards repairs and maintenance at the school.

They were told that following the incident in the playground £36,000 had been spent on putting up scaffolding and protective measures which will need to remain in place for the rest of the schools’ lives.

Funding for the new campus was secured four years ago as part of an £800million Scottish Government education investment.

However parents have claimed that since then problems at the school have been ‘patched up’ in anticipation of the new facility.

One said: “There have been numerous stories from people within the school about problems with plumbing, sewage, water leaking through the ceiling, and other maintenance issues which are “patched up” or “bodged” by the council due to the school being replaced “soon.”

And a worried dad added: “How can we trust our children into the school’s care when the building is being held together with little more than sticky tape?”

Midlothian Council wrote to parents and carers this week to break the news that the campus construction faced further delays and sought to reassure them by promising the facilities management team would carry out ‘daily’ monitoring of the building.

But it did little to allay fears with one parent saying: “It just drives home how serious the situation is in there. How are we supposed to feel our children are safe.”

A Midlothian Council spokesman said: “We sent a letter to parents and carers last week to update them on what’s happening with the new Mayfield community learning campus.

“We explained because of commercial and pricing considerations, it’s not yet been possible to agree the final contract to build the campus.

“We understand parents and the wider community will be frustrated about this delay, as are we, but we need to be mindful of the public purse and getting best value.

“We remain committed to delivering an outstanding learning environment for the community and we’ll provide further updates on our progress just as soon as we can.

“Meanwhile, the current building continues to be monitored on a daily basis by our facilities management team, with our maintenance surveyor meeting with the headteacher on a fortnightly basis.”

By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter

Hibs official open training session will take place on Monday 14 October, 2024 at Easter Road Stadium, exclusively for Season Ticket Holders and Hibs Kids Members.

Head Coach, David Gray and his coaching staff will put his players through their paces with a full training session, allowing supporters to gain a greater insight into how the team prepare in the lead-up to match day. 

This popular event is one of the benefits to all Hibernian FC Season Ticket Holders, Hibs Kids Members and Hibs Kids Plus One members – who will be able to attend for free.

Doors will open at 10am on Monday 14 October, with the players taking to the pitch for the session at 10:30am. 

Alongside the action on the pitch, there will be a range of other activities happening around the ground on the day, including face painting, balloon artists, virtual reality football, skill-based games & more. 

The kiosks will also be open serving breakfast rolls from 10am. 

Supporters will also get to hear from the coaches with live interviews during the event conducted by matchday host, Barrie Wilkins. 

Following the training session, the players will stay behind to sign shirts and pose for photos with supporters before the event finishes at 12:45pm! 

The event is free of charge for Season Ticket Holders, Hibs Kids, and Plus One Members. 

CLICK HERE to book your tickets online! 

Hibs Kids will be able to bring one parent/guardian per membership to the event (so two tickets per client reference number).  

Season Ticket Holders and Hibs Kids Plus One Members are entitled to one ticket per client reference number.  

Please note, all tickets must be assigned to the relevant client reference numbers. 

Those eligible will be able to redeem their free tickets by logging into their account within e-ticketing, selecting this event, adding their tickets to their basket, and then checking out as normal. 

 Tickets will only be available as print at home or digital e-tickets. 

Should you have any questions or require further information, please reach out to events@hibernianfc.co.uk. 

Wheelchair users can also email events@hibernianfc.co.uk to claim their tickets. 

As well as access to the Open Training Session, all Hibs Kids members will receive free tickets to designated Men’s and Women’s fixtures throughout the season! 

All young fans who sign up will receive a welcome pack with gift, invitations to attend special events and will have several opportunities to win the chance to play on the Easter Road pitch or be a matchday mascot. 

West Lothian Council will ask Holyrood to increase funding for council housing and reverse cuts to budgets as two key planks to tackle the housing emergency it faces. 

Housing Minister Paul Mclennan will also be urged to suspend legislation which has helped fuel West lothian’s housing crisis. 

The SNP branded that crisis, especially the millions spent on B&B accommodation, as being as self-inflicted. The council was causing “real misery and distress”, said housing spokesman Councillor Robert de Bold. 

The Housing Services PDSP heard proposals for the Housing Emergency Action Plan. It outlines an eight-point plan to take back to Housing Minister Paul McLennan following a meeting he had with senior councillors and housing officers in Livingston in July. 

 The Action Plan proposes:- 

• an urgent meeting with the Minister for Housing, whereby the Council is represented by the Executive Councillor for Housing Services and appropriate senior officers.  

• that the Scottish Government increases the revenue grant funding made available to the council in 2024/25 to £297,000 in support of the council’s RRTP, and  

• that the Scottish Government immediately reverses its decision to cut the affordable housing programme budget by 26%.  

Other demands include the suspension of the removal of local connection for the duration of the national Housing Emergency and urges the Scottish Government to take action to address lengthy delays by energy suppliers in replacing or updating meters- the latter being a major reason for the delays in getting empty homes back to the market for let. 

The removal of local connection allows anybody to demand to be housed by the council in West Lothian. Previously to qualify you had to show family connection to be housed. 

Answering questions from Councillor Andrew McGuire on Holyrood’s own declaration of a housing emergency Marjory Mackie, Housing Strategy and Development Manager told the meeting that West Lothian had been promised an extra £2m funding from the Scottish Government for acquisitions of former council homes to build up housing stock.  

The SNP group housing spokesman Councillor Robert De Bold said: “I feel the need for many of these measures has been self-inflicted by the Labour conservative administration. Over a 12-year tenure in office the administration has refused to build sufficient housing stock. 

“Each year they shrug their shoulders and claim insufficient funding.” 

Councillor de Bold referred to the motion he had made at the last Budget meeting earlier this year which would have doubled the council house construction programme. 

“It was fully costed and approved by officers, and you voted it down. We could have had an additional 388 council houses yet here we are spending £2m a year on hotels and B7B to house 170 people per night. It makes zero financial sense.” 

Councillor McGuire said: I would urge councillor De Bold to learn more about housing he might discover that far from being the only local authority    with housing issues they are widespread which obviously led to the Scottish Government declaring their own housing emergency. 

 “Council housing plays only a fraction of the role in housing people adequately and we have a very strong record on both council house building as do our partners in the registered social landlord sector. 

 “I welcome the proactive approach we have already taken about this.  I think nationally there has to be a good conversation about how we want housing to look as we go forward. We need to continue to have discussion and dialogue to get to a place which takes pressure of the council financially but ultimately gives constituents and residents in West Lothian proper decent homes and a place they can set down roots. 

 “I think the current minister has shown a more proactive approach and that’s to be welcomed.” 

Councillor George Paul chairing the meeting said: “We didn’t declare a housing emergency lightly. Every other council declared a housing emergency for the same simple reason. That the Scottish Government did not or will not fund more extra housing. There is not much point in blaming the Westminster government. The SNP took on the mantle of housing in Scotland and I don’t think they have done very well.  To criticise  West Lothian and every other council I think is a piece of nonsense.” 

The action Plan will be presented to the council Executive 

By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter 

Steven Naismith, Hearts’ head coach, believes his men can earn a result at St Mirren on Saturday (kick-off 15.00).

The former Scotland international told a pre-match briefing at Riccarton that he has full confidence in his men but side-stepped media talk about a the possibility of a multi-million pound investment in the Jambos from Brighton boss Tony Bloom.

Naismith (pictured with some of his backroom staff by Nigel Duncan) said: “I am not in a position to talk about that. I have more important things to concern me, like the result tomorrow (at St Mirren).”

He added: “It’s been a tough start, and there have been some poor moments, but our play against Celtic was all right compared to what happened during the week (in Europe), and we have been punished for every mistake we have made.

“I don’t think that will continue and I think we will get a bit of luck in some respects, but we need to make more chances and take more chances and that has to be the short-term fix.

“When I am saying we need to be better at this and that it is ultimately my mistake and my problem but, as I have said continuously this season, we work tirelessly on the pitch and the players are really responsive to it.

“They are really trying and the results will pick up.”

Some of Hearts’ new players are getting more comfortable and he added: “I have full confidence in the squad and believe that we can get a result tomorrow (at St Mirren).”

Naismith added: “Last season we won games consistently and that got us a good run. I do think you will see us progress and consistency will come. Ultimately, we need to win games to get that confidence back.

“The clear message is that we stick to what we are doing and there is a calmness around us. There is a frustration in the fans but, ultimately, we need to get results. As I have said, we work hard and the squad are really receptive. This squad is up for the fight and players want to get in the team to win games.”   

Edinburgh will provide four men to the Scottish teams taking part in the inaugural Masters Racketball home international tournament at the Newlands club, Glasgow, this weekend.

Captaining the over-70’s will Colin Cruickshank from Edinburgh Sports Club while Waverley Sports Club’s Rod Robinson is included in the over-60’s squad.

Carrying the flag for Watsonians will be Chris Green (over-50’s) and Chris Gray (over-40’s).

Competing teams will be Scotland, England, Wales and Jersey.

Racketball is played on a squash court using a stringed racket and large hollow rubber ball.

Unlike squash the tin at the bottom of the wall does not come into play and the ball must be bounced prior to serving.

Red lights illuminated Edinburgh Castle on Thursday evening to mark the start of the Red4Research Day celebrations. 

The event is organised by the R&D Forum  to shine a light on the contribution of clinical research and all those that work participating, supporting, and undertaking research, on the front line and behind the scenes.

#Red4Research Day aims to get as many people as possible wearing red to demonstrate their support and appreciation for all those participating, undertaking and supporting research.

It is an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the phenomenal work, learning legacy and innovative treatments/systems/techniques that have arisen from Research and Development. 

Patient Aerin Thompson attended the event in recognition of the difference research has made to her life.

She said: “I was only 16 when I was diagnosed with pan-ulcerative colitis a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which was making me feel constantly sick as well as losing both weight and general excitement for life.

“After a few years on medication and thanks to a very caring consultant who would listen and find new ways to help me, I managed to feel much better. I could start engaging in my usual activities again and by 18 I had managed to get selected to row for the England team.

“Going through university my desire to understand my condition grew, and now I am doing a PhD at the University of Edinburgh in immunology and inflammation.

“Research for me is not only my work but is also my daily life and has allowed me to achieve so many things from being able to lead a normal life to winning medals and pursuing my chosen career. Without research teams and the constant innovation, my love for being outside and active wouldn’t be able to be acknowledged.”

Over a million people take part in clinical research in the UK every year. In the past year in NHS Lothian, we supported nearly 800 studies and recruited over 13,000 participants into projects. Last year, over 35,000 participants across Scotland took part in over 1,500 vital clinical research trials. These trials spanned all disease areas and demonstrated the incredible work of the research community in advancing future healthcare.   . Professor Alasdair Gray, NHS Lothian Research and Development Director aid: “It’s so important to recognise the impact of research on improvements in healthcare and the difference this makes to patients. 

“We are fortunate in Lothian to have a well-established research and development office, called ACCORD, which is a partnership between NHS Lothian and the University of Edinburgh.  

“ACCORD supports the delivery of a broad range of research projects that offer patients the chance to take part in new clinical trials and be at the forefront of improving treatment for patients in Scotland.”

A bid by grandparents to rent their listed flat two months a year to holiday guests in an East Lothian village has been rejected by councillors.

Amanda White was refused a change of use for her ground floor flat in East Linton’s village square, to allow it to be used as an Airbnb because it shares a communal staircase with other residential properties in the Category B listed building.

In a statement she said she and her partner bought the flat 14 years ago to be close to grandchildren and family and only rented it out through the holiday let platform for 59 days a year.

Planning officers refused to allow the change of use after ruling the communal entrance made it “incompatible with and harmful to the amenity of the occupants of other flatted properties used as residential dwellings within
the building.”

But at a meeting of East Lothian Council’s Local Review Body members were divided over the impact of the use which was described as home letting on other residents.

Councillor Norman Hampshire told the meeting that while there had been no objections from neighbours or complaints about previous use of the flat that did not mean there would not be problems in the future.

He said: “When somebody buys a property in a stairwell, they have a shared area and they have to live with their neighbours in that stairwell. When you introduce a short term let you have different people coming in every week.

“For a lot of people it would not matter, they may enjoy meeting different people but you can having situations where you could have a young single woman or young children form whom meeting strangers in that enclosed are can be really intimidating.”

Councillor John McMillan, who told the meeting short term holiday lets were his preferred accommodation while on holiday, said in this case the “disbenefits outweigh the benefits”.

He said: “I think it is important that we encourage tourism and there is a need for this type of accommodation. If I am honest it is my preferred holiday. My main holiday is taking a short term holiday let.

“But I think there are risks to the character  and sense of place in what is a beautiful corner in East Linton. We can’t predict the future but the purpose of planning is to try and ensure the best outcome and for me allowing a home let/short term holiday let, would be detrimental to the overall amenity and character of the place.”

However fellow review body member Councillor Jeremy Findlay argued planning decisions could not be made on  future problems which may not happened.

He added: “We haven’t had any complaints from neighbours and there is no evidence of loss of amenity.

“There is a huge demand for short term lets, there are a lot of hotels in East Lothian and a lot of them are very expensive. Not everyone can afford to go into hotels and an Airbnb type residents are a very important part of the tourism make up in East Lothian.”

The review body was split with councillors Hampshire and McMillan voting to refuse the appeal and councillors Findlay and Liz Allan supporting it. Councillor Hampshire had the casting vote and the appeal was rejected.

By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter

The future use of electric scooters will have to be addressed as part of wider changes to the way people travel in the future, one of West Lothian’s new Labour MPs has said. 

The use of traditional scooters gets plenty of mention in the West Lothian Active Travel Plan drawn up for the next five years. 

But the growing popularity of E-scooters, which can reach speeds of 40mph, and the way they are currently used is at odds with the promotion of safer, more active travel 

Councillors regularly hear complaints about the use of E-scooters on public footpaths and roads as their popularity grows. 

Chairing a meeting of the Environment and and Sustainability PDSP this week Councillor Kirsteen Sullivan, elected as MP for Bathgate and Lintlithgow constituency in July, said something would have to change. 

Referring to the use of E-scooters  Councillor Sullivan said: “There’s something not quite right about them at the moment. 

“I’m a wee bit concerned. We get lots of reports about them and regularly get complaints about them associated with anti-social behaviour. Zipping along pavements and in and out of traffic. We know that they are only meant to be used on private land.”  

She was responding to a presentation of the council’s 2024-2029 Active Travel Plan from Victoria Mungall, Development and Transport Manager. 

Ms Mungall agreed, saying: “It’s an important point. Motorised scooters are not supported. The difficulty comes in how to police their use. Going forward we would need to identify their volume as a transport mode.” 

Councillor Sullivan said: “I know on the continent they are recognised as a valuable mode of transport and are used responsibly.  Should we be looking at them as part of active travel? It seems a bit of an anomaly.” 

The Active Travel plans look at ways to promote safer routes to walk, cycle and wheel – by scooter, disability buggy or wheelchair. The local plan is part of a nationwide promotion of behavioural change, encouraging people out of private cars toward more active lives and towards using public transport. 

It is expected to be ratified by the council’s Executive at its next meeting. 

Comments about the use of E-scooters are regularly brought up with police at local area committees as their use grows.  Despite becoming more and more common on streets it is illegal to use them on public footpaths and roads. 

Current law states that to be used on a road they are required to have insurance, be registered with DVLA, be taxed and have a valid MoT certificate – the rider must also have an appropriate driving licence. 

However, their use is difficult to police in the same way that the use of off-road bikes in housing areas is. 

Speaking at a recent meeting of the Livingston South Local Area Committee, Community Sgt Liam Arbuthnot told councillors: “The biggest problem is being there at the time. There is work on going to deal with ongoing issues of unregistered vehicles.”  

He is working with colleagues in traffic policing and also consulting police in Edinburgh and schemes that community teams in the city are working on to tackle the problem. 

Councillor Moira McKeen Shemilt told the meeting that there was a particular problem around Crofthead farm community centre. 

By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter 

A case management initiative introduced at several courts has the potential to transform summary justice across Scotland, bringing early resolution for victims and witnesses, a reduction in police officers attending court, and a substantial decrease in case backlogs, a report has found. 

The Summary Case Management (SCM) Pilot was launched in September 2022 at Dundee, Hamilton and Paisley Sheriff Courts, before being expanded to Glasgow and Perth earlier this year. Following its success, the decision has been taken to roll it out to all courts in Scotland. 

An evaluation of the pilot, published today reveals that cases within the pilot courts are resolving more quickly, improving the experience of victims and witnesses, particularly in domestic abuse proceedings. 

More than 500 summary (non-jury) trials did not require to be fixed in the pilot courts over the 19 month period directly as a result of SCM.  

During the same period, an estimated 18,000 witnesses, including approximately 11,000 police officers, were not cited or recited to attend court unnecessarily. 

Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Wendy Middleton said: “In addition to the obvious benefits to victims, Police Scotland is seeing a reduction of first issue citations for domestic abuse cases by up to 34% in all pilot courts which equates to around 5000 citations not being served on operational officers.  

“This reduction is welcomed by Police Scotland as more officers are available to deliver a policing service in local communities. It also ensures that officers can be rested appropriately, ensuring that they remain fit and well to continue to deliver an effective service.” 

Had the scheme been in place at a national level over the same period, it is estimated that almost 3,300 trials would not have been fixed and a further 50,000 police officer citations would not have been issued. 

Sheriff Principal Aisha Anwar, who led the pilot, said: “The findings from this final evaluation are very encouraging and provide good cause for optimism. The success of the pilot is attributable to the commitment of justice partners – including Police Scotland, the Crown and defence practitioners – who have worked with the judiciary to achieve a common goal. 

“The initiative encourages early disclosure of evidence and prompt engagement between the Crown and the defence to allow solicitors and accused persons to assess and discuss the evidence from the outset of proceedings. 

“Where appropriate, this results in early resolution avoiding the need for complainers and witnesses to attend court.  Where trials are necessary, these have been closely case managed by the judiciary; the evidence is focused and trials are shorter helping to minimise the trauma, inconvenience and delay for complainers, witnesses and accused persons. 

“As the report shows, summary case management has the potential to transform the summary criminal justice system and we are committed to expanding the programme nationwide so that court users across the country can benefit.” 

The evaluation report found that the pilot has had a positive impact on criminal justice journey times and helped to reduce the backlog of summary trials in the courts taking part. 

Despite a higher than expected number of new cases registered with Sheriff courts between 2023 and 2024, the number of scheduled summary trials at the pilot courts has reduced by 31%, compared to non-pilot courts which rose by 10%. 

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, Angela Constance, said: “It is pleasing to see that this has been a very positive project and one worth rolling out. Alongside other projects, such as the world-leading government initiative Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) which allows evidence to be collected, stored, processed and managed digitally, this will make a significant contribution to increasing the efficiency of the justice system and improving the experience of victims and witnesses.  

“I look forward to working with justice partners to deliver the roll out of summary case management nationally, which is a key commitment in our Programme for Government.” 

Malcolm Graham, chief executive of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, added: “The success of the summary case management pilot has been driven by strong collaboration among justice partners, and it is important that we continue that partnership working as we look to expand the initiative across Scotland. 

“The report is clear that victims and witnesses are benefiting from an improved experience and early resolution of cases, while justice partners are seeing significant efficiencies both in the justice system overall and their individual operations. 

“SCTS is committed to providing an effective and efficient court and tribunal system for all, and summary case management is just one example within our programme of reforms designed to improve the experience of those who use the justice system.” 

The roll out of the initiative has also been widely welcomed by other justice partners, with several crediting it with creating significant improvements in their own fields. 

Lynn MacDonald, of domestic abuse advocacy service ASSIST, said: “Dundee ASSIST feel that the pilot has been really positive for victims of domestic abuse. It has been clear to see that the timescales for cases coming to conclusion is shorter than before, which is a huge positive for our clients given the emotional and mental strain the process can cause.” 

COPFS Deputy Crown Agent Jennifer Harrower added: “The SCM initiative radically improves the experience of victims and witnesses of crime and introduces a new approach to how we communicate with victims of domestic abuse. Providing more confidence, promoting greater understanding of the justice system and giving them a voice at an early stage. The feedback is that victims feel listened to and empowered.   

“COPFS is committed to continuing to work collaboratively with our justice partners to improve the efficiency of summary business and the experience of the public as the pilot model is refined and extended across Scotland.” 

Defence solicitor Matthew McGovern said: “Perhaps the greatest success of the SCM pilot has been the collaborative nature of its implementation. At both a local and national level, defence lawyers have been treated as problem solvers rather than as problems to be solved.  

Sheriff Principal Anwar should be commended for adopting this innovative approach and the SCM pilot has proven that when the defence are treated with respect, the administration of justice improves.  

“My firm now works on the principle that any trials in the diary are likely to proceed to trial as we have largely resolved all other appropriate cases at an earlier stage of proceedings. The SCM pilot has demonstrated significant advantages for both my clients and my business.”