
Derelict school to be transformed into affordable housing
Chair of the Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: 'This is exactly the type of project the Vacant & Derelict Land Investment Programme should be supporting. The renovation of this derelict school and school house will create 5 or 6 fuel efficient user-friendly housing unit, in an area where affordable housing is very limited.'
READ MORE:
The Council will the administer the funding and the project will be delivered by the Communities Housing Trust Communities Housing Scotland (CHT) working with The Glendale Trust.
The project will be a case study to demonstrate how derelict buildings can be refurbished cost effectively, provide significant benefits to the community and much needed housing.
While undertaking the renovation, under existing building regulations, each stage will be analysed to determine improvements that could make renovations a more attractive and cost-effective option.
Councillor Gowans added: 'Improvements identified could include changes to regulations and planning status, project efficiencies, energy management, waste management and reduction in environmental impact.
'I wish everyone involved all the very best as they move forward with this exciting transformation project.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Cumberland Council approves expansion of local bus services
A major expansion of bus services has been approved, aimed at targeting areas where routes are currently limited or commercially Council said the move follows talks with residents and stakeholders to understand local travel by £3.5m in government funding through the Bus Services Improvement Plan (BSIP), the delivery of the proposed new services are subject to operators submitting a tender to run them, the local authority plans were backed by councillors at a Highways and Transport Strategic Board earlier. Labour councillor Denise Rollo said: "This is the next step in building a better future for public transport in Cumberland, one that directly reflects what our communities have told us they want."While not all services may attract tenders, given market constraints such as vehicle and driver availability, Cumberland Council is committed to securing the best possible outcomes for residents within the available funding." The proposed new or expanded services include:Carlisle to Anthorn - Addition of peak journeys and a new Sunday serviceKirkbride to Carlisle - The reinstatement of a previous service including enhanced links for Cargo, Houghton Rockcliffe and Currock Community CentreWhitehaven to Ravenglass - New serviceCarlisle to Cockermouth - Upgrade to hourly serviceCockermouth-Lillyhall-Distington - West Cumberland Hospital- New serviceCarlisle to Hadrian's Wall - New serviceCockermouth Town Buses - Return of the local town serviceBootle to Millom via Ravenglass - New serviceCockermouth to Mayport - Service enhancements that include peak journeys and a new Maryport and Dearham town serviceWhitehaven Town Loop - New north eastern loopCarlisle-Longtown-Penton - Expanded rural covergeCarlisle to Durranhill/Carleton - New route service Locke Road Surgery and GarlandsWetheral-Carlisle-Dalston - Greater frequencyFrizington to Cockermouth/Workington - Return of previous serviceThe plans also include the continuation of services introduced in November 2024, including:Silloth to MaryportMaryport-Egremont-ThornhillMaryport-Cleator Moor-FrizingtonWorkington to Carlisle Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.


Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Telegraph
Middle-class households at risk of rocketing council tax bills
Local councils should be given the power to hit wealthier households with higher council tax bills, MPs have said. A cross-party housing committee, led by MPs, said that councils should be given more control over the council tax system, which is still based on house price valuations from 1991. This would include giving individual authorities the right to revalue properties in their area, define property bands and apply or remove discounts. The review, led by the Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, said the current council tax system was 'highly regressive' and 'extraordinarily unfair,' thanks to the outdated valuation system and the fact that lower-value properties pay a larger share of council tax relative to their house price. Updating these values would likely result in higher bills for households in wealthier areas where property prices have risen the most. Currently, homes in band H are valued at more than £320,000, but pay just three times as much council tax as band A properties valued at less than £40,0000. The committee urged the Government to 'begin the process of overhauling or replacing council tax', and devolve powers to local authorities while it does so. It also recommended that councils should have the power to impose a 'tourist levy' on holiday hotspots – a policy favoured by deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner but opposed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Elliot Keck, of the TaxPayers' Alliance campaign group, said: 'While there is a case for revaluation and for giving councils some flexibility, households are already being clobbered annually by inflation-busting rate rises on top of the catastrophic tax raid launched in last year's Budget. 'Any council tax reform should focus on how to reduce the overall burden of council tax on families.' Currently, local authorities have the power to set their own council tax rates for each band up to a government-imposed maximum. This has meant large differences in tax bills for properties across the country. Some 46pc of households, or 11.6 million homes, paid more than the £1,828 band H council tax rate charged on Buckingham Palace last year. This is up from 32pc of households – some 7.5 million homes – in 2011-12. The average levy imposed on a typical band D home rose by £109 to £2,280, according to official data. Many local councils are under severe pressure to raise revenue because of rising costs driven by increasing demand for vital services such as social care and special educational needs provision. Nine in 10 town halls opted to raise council tax in April after Ms Reeves approved a rise up to a maximum of 4.99pc in her inaugural Budget last year. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that Britain should brace for council tax to rise at its fastest rate in 20 years, which would mean half of local authorities facing increases of at least £500 by 2030. A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: 'We have announced over £5bn of new grant funding for local services on top of £69bn made available this year to boost council finances, and we will go further to reform the funding system.

The National
14 hours ago
- The National
Portobello residents threaten to sue Edinburgh Council over parking plan
A coalition between business and residents has formed over the City of Edinburgh Council's plans for Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ), which the local authority describes as an area where parking is restricted on public roads to manage parking demand and improve traffic flow. However, campaigners are threatening legal action if the scheme moves forward in its current form at the Traffic Regulation Order Sub-Committee's meeting this autumn. In a letter to councillors, the group has accused the local authority of advancing a 'procedurally flawed, substantively unsound, and potentially unlawful' plan. READ MORE: Heritage groups join forces to save rundown studio owned by former renowned designer Residents and traders argue that the proposal lacks public support, is built on unreliable data, and would inflict lasting damage on the local economy. They added that in the council's 2021 informal consultation on the plans, a 'clear majority' expressed opposition to CPZ and have accused the council of disregarding public opinion. One of the campaign's organisers, Nikki Middleton, has accused Edinburgh council of not consulting residents in Joppa over the proposed CPZ plans. She said: 'Not only did the vast majority of people consulted reject the proposals, but the Council ran the consultation during the chaos of the Covid-19 pandemic, when travel and parking patterns were completely unrepresentative. How is that a fair reflection of public opinion? 'The council also failed to consult Joppa residents at all, despite extending the CPZ boundary to include this area. 'Drawing lines on a map without considering those communities undermines people's voices and is not a fair representation. These are not just technical errors – they represent a fundamental disregard for transparency and democracy.' (Image: Supplied) The group have also raised concerns regarding the lack of documentation of a public meeting held in May this year at Portobello Town Hall. Campaigners said the meeting was attended by more than 500 residents and business owners, many of whom voiced strong opposition to the plan directly to the council's transport convener, councillor Stephen Jenkinson. However, they claim that no formal minutes were taken and say the decision further 'undermines transparency and public confidence' in the council's democratic engagement with the community. Local resident Jane Grant, who is owner of the Velvet Easel Gallery and chair of the Portobello Traders Association, said: 'The surveys were conducted during major roadworks and the height of the tourist season, when Portobello's popularity as a seaside destination creates unusual, short-term parking pressure. 'Basing permanent changes on data gathered in such distorted conditions is not only methodologically flawed, it's legally questionable.' The community group has also criticised the council for ignoring existing alternatives already in place. Since January 2024, citywide enforcement of pavement parking, double parking, and obstruction at dropped kerbs has been in effect. (Image: Supplied) Double-yellow lines have also been introduced at known pinch points such as Marlborough Street and Regent Street. Campaigners argue these measures already directly address any concerns raised during consultation without resorting to the sweeping restrictions of a CPZ. Local businesses have voiced particularly strong opposition. Karen Mackay, the owner of Cahoots, an independent store supporting local designers and artisan makers, said: 'This scheme is a direct threat to local businesses, it will kill footfall, disrupt deliveries, and drive our customers elsewhere.' 'We've worked hard to bring life back to the High Street with independent shops, cafés, and services, and now the council wants to sabotage that progress. If these businesses start closing down, it's not just livelihoods that are at stake – it's access to essential amenities for local people. 'We've seen the damage these schemes have done in places like Leith. Why is the council determined to repeat the same mistakes here?' The letter concludes with a list of demands, including an immediate halt to the CPZ proposal, a rejection of the consultation and survey data, and a fresh consultation process that includes all affected areas. The group has also called for full disclosure of the financial, legal, and traffic modelling used to justify the plan. A petition opposing the CPZ has already attracted more than 1300 signatures. Traffic regulation order (TRO) sub-committee convener councillor Margaret Graham said: 'We've received a letter from this group and will now take the time to consider its contents. 'The proposed Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) for Portobello is intended to ease parking pressures in the area. The traffic regulation order advertising period ended in late May 2025 and all objections to the proposals will be presented to a future TRO sub-committee. Members will consider all the available evidence before coming to a decision on the scheme.'