Latest news with #AndrewMorrison
Scotsman
13 hours ago
- Business
- Scotsman
TIME names East Scotland housebuilder among world's most sustainable Ccompanies
Barratt Redrow, which owns local housebuilder Barratt and David Wilson Homes East Scotland, has been named as one of TIME magazine's World's 500 Most Sustainable Companies for 2025. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The recognition for the developer, who is responsible for developments such as David Wilson Homes at St Andrews, Merchant Quay in Leith and Bangour Village in West Lothian, underscores its industry-leading commitment to preserving and enhancing the natural environment and building great places that promote healthy and happy living for customers. This accolade places Barratt Redrow amongst a select group of companies across the globe recognised for their leadership in sustainability, and they are on the only UK-based housebuilder to feature on the list. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Andrew Morrison, Managing Director at Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes East Scotland, said: 'We are immensely proud that our work here in East Scotland contributes to a national legacy of building not only high-quality homes, but a more sustainable future. This achievement reflects the dedication of our teams to reducing our impact, innovating and creating communities that last.' Andrew Morrison, Managing Director at Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes East Scotland David Thomas, CEO of Barratt Redrow, said: 'We are incredibly proud to be recognised by TIME magazine as one of the world's most sustainable companies. 'Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do - from driving carbon emission reductions across our value chain to creating communities that thrive for generations. Being included on this global list is both an honour and a powerful motivation to keep pushing the boundaries of what responsible homebuilding can achieve.' Only 32 UK-based companies received the accreditation in 2025, all of whom are setting the benchmark on sustainability performance, transparency and innovation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad TIME and its research partner, Statista, used a transparent, multi-stage methodology to identify the world's most sustainable companies. The process began with a pool of over 5,000 of the world's largest and most influential companies. Following a rigorous four-stage assessment, the final ranking excluded unsustainable industries and considered factors like external sustainability ratings and commitments, corporate reporting practices, and environmental and social performance indicators. This comprehensive approach produced a ranking of 500 companies from over 30 countries. Leading sustainable housebuilding Prior to the merger with Redrow to form Barratt Redrow, Barratt Developments was the first major housebuilder to set science-based emission reduction targets and is a signatory of the UN Global Compact, reflecting ongoing commitments to its Ten Principles for Corporate Sustainability. Working with highly skilled partners in the sector, the business is driving change across the organisation and its value chain to meet society's most pressing challenges, including climate change, diversity and inclusion, and human rights. Barratt Redrow is committed to being transparent on sustainability plans and performance with independent assessments and accreditations. As Barratt Developments, the Leicestershire-based company was ranked the highest national housebuilder in the NextGeneration sustainability benchmark last year, and was awarded the Crystal Award for being the most transparent housebuilder. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad At the University of Salford, Barratt Redrow and scientists are working together to rigorously test how climate change will affect the homes of the future. The research from Energy House 2.0 is being shared with housebuilders around the world to support their own transition to zero carbon. Already, the learnings from Energy House 2.0 are being transferred to customer homes. According to HBF data (January 2025) a brand-new home could be up to 65% more energy-efficient than an older home.* Barratt Redrow is committed to all homes being zero carbon in regulated energy use from 2030. As part of this, over 1,200 Air Source Heat Pumps have so far been installed into homes and we gather customer insight on perceptions and experience with a range sustainable technology to inform our future roll out strategy. On site, Barratt Redrow is taking steps to reduce our operational footprint, with a major focus on eliminating and reducing diesel use. This includes trials of hydrotreated vegetable oil as a lower-carbon fuel alternative, and trialling hydrogen telehandlers. Alongside this, we're improving site energy efficiency, expanding the use of renewable electricity and introducing tools to monitor emissions from construction activities. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A focus on driving down waste has led to 97% of waste being diverted from landfill in 2024. A decade-long partnership with the RSPB has changed the way in which nature and wildlife is incorporated into communities. A transformational year The past year has been transformational with the combination of Barratt Developments and Redrow in October 2024. The combination is focused on tackling the country's housing shortage by growing towards delivering 22,000 new homes a year and leading the industry on quality, customer service and sustainability. Another milestone has been the creation of the MADE Partnership, a joint venture between Barratt Redrow, Homes England, and Lloyds Banking Group. MADE was established to provide the expertise, vision, and financial capacity to deliver large-scale and complex regeneration projects. Barratt's impact as an employer is far reaching, generating almost 43,000 jobs both directly and through our supplier chain, contributing £4.16 billion to the national economy and £536m into local communities through infrastructure, affordable housing, community facilities and environmental improvements. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Barratt Redrow's determination to be a quality, sustainable builder was recognised by the NHBC's Pride in the Job Quality Awards with 115 site managers given awards in 2025, including 11 in Scotland – more than any other housebuilder for the 21st year running. Also, the housebuilder was awarded Five Stars by customers for the 16th year in a row.
Scotsman
13 hours ago
- Health
- Scotsman
Dunfermline volunteer scoops coveted title
Andrew Morrison at Canmore Lodge in Dunfermline has been crowned Volunteer of the Year for the North East & Scotland Division in the Barchester Care Awards 2025 and is through to the national round of judging. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Barchester Care Awards celebrate the staff who go the extra mile for the benefit of the 13,500 residents living in Barchester's 267 care homes and private hospitals across the country. Categories range from 'Registered Nurse of the Year' and 'Carer of the Year' to 'Dementia Care Champion' and 'Activities Coordinator of the Year'. More than 5,000 nominations were received from homes and hospitals across the UK. All entries were a very high standard and Andrew Morrison is over the moon to have been named the winner for the North beating hundreds of other nominees. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Andrew Morrison said: 'The winning for me was seeing the residents' reactions at each visit and when the works were completed. They loved spending time with the students and it was a great pleasure to see how they all interacted with each other. We are looking forward to our next project'. BHC As the winner for North East & Scotland, Andrew is through to the national finals in which the overall winner is decided. They will join winners from across the UK at a special awards event in October to celebrate their outstanding achievements and discover if they have won a national award. General Manager, Kimberly Laird, said: 'This is an amazing achievement and the whole home is supporting Andrew. We are so proud of him. He and his team at Fife College done amazing work on our homes Memory Lane Garden, it just looks fantastic and we could not be happier with it!'
Glasgow Times
28-06-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Plans to build dozens of new flats in Newton Mearns rejected
Planners at East Renfrewshire Council had recommended Westpoint Homes' proposal for the former Mearns Primary School site was given the go ahead. But the planning committee rejected the scheme amid concerns over the access road and the suitability of the site. The decision came after over 20 objections, many from residents in nearby Scholars Court, which raised a number of issues including overlooking, over-development and the height of the buildings. The overflow car park sits behind a Marks & Spencer foodhall and beside a Royal Mail sorting office and Mearns library. M&S had concerns about the impact on delivery and servicing access to its store while Royal Mail was worried about 'potential noise complaints' from new residents. Westpoint wanted to build two blocks of flats, each with a private balcony or terrace, to be marketed to over-55s due to pressure on school places in East Renfrewshire. A council report stated the owners of the site had monitored the demand for parking and confirmed the car park is 'surplus to requirements and that sufficient car parking within the remainder of the site can accommodate demand'. Planners added the site is 'considered to be a highly sustainable location for residential development' and the scheme was 'considered to be of a design, scale, height, massing and density that is in keeping with the buildings in the locality'. READ MORE: Here's when Paisley Museum is now expected to reopen after latest delay 'The height of the buildings has been reduced to 4 storeys which is more in keeping with the surrounding area and the neighbouring development at Scholars Court,' the report stated. 'Any potential adverse overlooking has been addressed by means of privacy screens.' They also reported the proposal would not be 'considered to give rise to significant additional overlooking' and the council's road service had no objection to the plan, subject to conditions which would have been attached to the planning permission. However, Cllr Andrew Morrison, Conservative, said he was 'still quite concerned about vehicle access to this, because the existing road is single track in parts'. He said while there was a proposal to widen the road, it is 'essentially going to be a shared space with a significant number of HGVs'. A council planner said there was an 'expectation' that the road would be widened. He highlighted there was no objection from the council's roads team. However, Cllr Morrison moved the application was rejected as he believed it would result in 'significant loss of character and amenity to the surrounding area' and wasn't 'appropriate to the location'. He added it did not provide safe access. 'There are complaints from residents already with respect to HGV movements in the goods yard which is from the residents of Scholars' Court and this application will be even closer to said yard.' His motion was seconded by Cllr Paul Edlin and permission was refused. Provost Mary Montague had been in favour of approving the application.
Glasgow Times
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Council speaks out over Barrhead school's union flag letter
The letter, sent out by the head teacher of Cross Arthurlie Primary School in Barrhead, detailed that the use of a 'union flag with staff images on caused some upset' and later states that the children have been spoken to about the incident. Councillors and MSPs in the area have criticised the letter, saying, "Questions will be asked." Now, the council has spoken out over the incident after confirming that the letter was genuine. A spokesperson for East Renfrewshire Council said: 'It was not the school's intention to imply the Union flag is sectarian and both the Head Teacher and the council apologises for any offence and upset that has been caused to pupils, parents and carers and the wider community. 'All educational establishments in East Renfrewshire should be spaces that are focused on learning, unity, and pride in a diverse British society. 'We expect our schools to foster an ethos of respect for diverse perspectives and national identity.' Council speaks out over Barrhead school's union flag letter (Image: Newsquest) READ MORE: Politicians hit out over primary school's 'outrageous' union flag letter READ MORE: Glasgow reacts to O2 ABC site plan urging rethink as city 'deserves much better' READ MORE: Inside the life of rare bird family nesting in Glasgow University tower Earlier today, Councillor Andrew Morrison spoke with the Glasgow Times. He said: "Many of you have expressed alarm regarding this communication, which has been doing the rounds. "Regrettably, it is a genuine letter - its content is so outrageous you could be forgiven for thinking it's a spoof. "This is the flag of our country, and it is a flag the Council flies itself officially to mark ceremonies during the year, not as often as I'd like personally. "If school isn't a place to learn the meaning of Union flag, then where is? "Being British is core to our nationhood. That is a simple fact. It must not be airbrushed out in this manner. "Questions will be asked." Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay took to social media to share his anger, he posted: "This is what happens when the SNP's toxic nationalism infects schools and councils. "Our country's flag is NOT 'offensive or sectarian'." This is what happens when the SNP's toxic nationalism infects schools and councils. 👇 Our country's flag 🇬🇧 is NOT 'offensive or sectarian'. — Russell Findlay MSP (@RussellFindlay1) June 16, 2025 The letter states that the children involved were spoken to about 'using images without permission', 'the symbolism and association of flags and symbols to different groups of people', and 'their actions which were contrary to the school values of respect and kindness'. MSP for Eastwood and former leader of the Scottish Conservatives has also hit out, he said: "I am both angry and concerned to learn that an official letter (now confirmed as genuine) issued by the head teacher of a primary school in East Renfrewshire has suggested the use of the Union Flag amounts to "sectarian messaging". "Let me be clear - to equate the Union Flag with sectarianism is totally unacceptable and deeply offensive to people both locally and across Scotland. "Having spoken with a senior official at East Renfrewshire Council this morning, I expect an urgent response, resolution and retraction. "As a start, the council must issue an unconditional apology. "Our national flag is not up for debate - it is a symbol of our tradition, unity as a nation and hope for so many." I am both angry and concerned to learn that an official letter (now confirmed as genuine) issued by the head teacher of a primary school in East Renfrewshire has suggested the use of the Union Flag amounts to "sectarian messaging". Let me be clear - to equate the Union Flag with… — Jackson Carlaw (@Jackson_Carlaw) June 16, 2025 The Glasgow Times understands that details of the flag, its design or what it looked like have not been shared.
Glasgow Times
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Politicians hit out over Barrhead school's union flag letter
East Renfrewshire Council has confirmed that the letter, which was sent out by the head teacher of Cross Arthurlie Primary School in Barrhead, is genuine. The letter details that the use of a 'union flag with staff images on caused some upset' and later states that the children have been spoken to about the incident. Councillors and MSPs in the area have now criticised the letter, saying, "Questions will be asked." Councillor Andrew Morrison spoke with the Glasgow Times. He said: "Many of you have expressed alarm regarding this communication, which has been doing the rounds. "Regrettably, it is a genuine letter - its content is so outrageous you could be forgiven for thinking it's a spoof. "This is the flag of our country, and it is a flag the Council flies itself officially to mark ceremonies during the year, not as often as I'd like personally. "If school isn't a place to learn the meaning of Union flag, then where is? "Being British is core to our nationhood. That is a simple fact. It must not be airbrushed out in this manner. "Questions will be asked." READ MORE: Glasgow reacts to O2 ABC site plan urging rethink as city 'deserves much better' READ MORE:Inside the life of rare bird family nesting in Glasgow University tower READ MORE:Mack rebuild 'at risk' from 02 ABC plan says Glasgow School of Art Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay took to social media to share his anger, he posted: "This is what happens when the SNP's toxic nationalism infects schools and councils. "Our country's flag is NOT 'offensive or sectarian'." This is what happens when the SNP's toxic nationalism infects schools and councils. 👇 Our country's flag 🇬🇧 is NOT 'offensive or sectarian'. — Russell Findlay MSP (@RussellFindlay1) June 16, 2025 The letter states that the children involved were spoken to about 'using images without permission', 'the symbolism and association of flags and symbols to different groups of people', and 'their actions which were contrary to the school values of respect and kindness'. MSP for Eastwood and former leader of the Scottish Conservatives has also hit out, he said: "I am both angry and concerned to learn that an official letter (now confirmed as genuine) issued by the head teacher of a primary school in East Renfrewshire has suggested the use of the Union Flag amounts to "sectarian messaging". "Let me be clear - to equate the Union Flag with sectarianism is totally unacceptable and deeply offensive to people both locally and across Scotland. "Having spoken with a senior official at East Renfrewshire Council this morning, I expect an urgent response, resolution and retraction. "As a start, the council must issue an unconditional apology. "Our national flag is not up for debate - it is a symbol of our tradition, unity as a nation and hope for so many." I am both angry and concerned to learn that an official letter (now confirmed as genuine) issued by the head teacher of a primary school in East Renfrewshire has suggested the use of the Union Flag amounts to "sectarian messaging". Let me be clear - to equate the Union Flag with… — Jackson Carlaw (@Jackson_Carlaw) June 16, 2025 The Glasgow Times understands that details of the flag, its design or what it looked like have not been shared. A spokesperson for East Renfrewshire Council said: 'It was not the school's intention to imply the Union flag is sectarian and both the Head Teacher and the council apologises for any offence and upset that has been caused to pupils, parents and carers and the wider community. 'All educational establishments in East Renfrewshire should be spaces that are focused on learning, unity, and pride in a diverse British society. 'We expect our schools to foster an ethos of respect for diverse perspectives and national identity.'
