Latest news with #Government-led
Scotsman
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Festivals outside Edinburgh and Glasgow ignored under £1m expansion in Expo funds
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers 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... Festivals have warned of a 'missed opportunity' as SNP ministers admitted events outside Scotland's two biggest cities will not benefit from this year's expanded Scottish Government Expo fund this year. Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said in January the fund, which was boosted by £1 million as part of a significant rise in culture funding announced in January, would look to expand its reach beyond Edinburgh and Glasgow, where 14 major festivals will see significant grant increases. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Edinburgh International Book Festival is to see its contribution rise from £105,000 last year to £200,000 this year. | Edinburgh International Book Festival However, the Government confirmed to The Scotsman the roll-out will not happen this year and instead will be considered for the future as part of a new Government-led steering group - the Strategic Festivals Partnership - set up earlier this year. Some Central Belt festivals will see their funding more than tripled, with the overall pot totalling £2.8m across the 14 festivals, up from £1.7m the previous year. Cathy Agnew, chair of Wigtown Festival Company, which runs Wigtown Book Festival, as well as stand alone children's book festival Big Dog in Dumfries, said: "Additional funding is urgently needed for the arts in every part of Scotland and it will be a missed opportunity if extra resources are not being spread beyond the Central Belt right away. 'Arts and cultural organisations in rural areas are in especially urgent need of support as they often have little chance of finding sponsorship and support from other sources. Many had hoped that this round of funding would help them in difficult times.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Agnew added: "We are hopeful that the Scottish Government will, at the very least, ensure that funds are allocated to other organisations and other parts of the country in the very near future." The Edinburgh International Book Festival is to see its funding rise from £105,000 last year to £200,000 this year, while Edinburgh International Film Festival's grant will increase from £60,000 last year, when it was relaunched under new leadership, to £193,000. The Edinburgh International Festival will receive £100,000, up from £80,000 last year, and the Fringe Society will get £670,000 for its Made in Scotland showcase, an increase from the £540,000 it received in 2024. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Meanwhile, Celtic Connections in Glasgow will be handed £154,000, up from £100,000 last year, and Edinburgh Art Festival's money will rise from £110,000 last year to £200,000. Art festival Glasgow International will receive £130,000, up from £70,000 last year, while the Scottish International Storytelling Festival will see its funds double from £100,000 last year to £200,000. An open letter published by Mr Robertson in May said 'early action within the programme' of the steering group would be 'likely to include ... building upon the success of the current Scottish Government Expo Fund'. The Edinburgh International Book Festival is to see its contribution rise from £105,000 last year to £200,000 this year. Announcing the funding today, Mr Robertson said: 'Scotland's festivals are our cultural shopfront to the rest of the world. As well as offering performers and creatives an unrivalled international platform, they also deliver an annual economic uplift to businesses, jobs and livelihoods right across the country. 'This year's funding increase for the existing Expo festivals cohort represents an increase of £1m across the 14 festivals in Glasgow and Edinburgh, the first in ten years. It recognises the success of festivals in shaping and supporting hundreds of commissions, enhancing the ambitions of thousands of Scottish artists and attracting audiences in the millions for Expo supported work since the fund's creation in 2007.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Culture secretary Angus Robertson. | Getty Images Mr Robertson added: 'From this foundation, we will expand the reach of the Expo fund across the whole of Scotland, and I am working with festivals across the country through the Strategic Festivals Partnership to realise this commitment.' The Expo fund, established in 2007, is designed to support festival innovation and maximise national and international opportunities for the artists contributing to the festivals. It is managed by Creative Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. A ministerial statement by Mr Robertson in the wake of Finance Secretary Shona Robison's Budget announcement in January, which included a £34m package for the arts and culture sector, announced the Festivals Expo fund would 'more than double in value and expand its reach beyond Edinburgh and Glasgow'. A timescale was not set, but it is believed many festivals had expected the expansion would come at the same time as any increase to the funding pot itself. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dana MacLeod, executive director of arts, communities and inclusion at Creative Scotland, said: 'The Expo Fund enables Scotland's festivals to commission bold ideas, develop creative collaborations and present high-quality programmes for audiences in Scotland and internationally.' Separately, Festivals Edinburgh will also receive £200,000 via Creative Scotland to support its branding and marketing work to promote the Edinburgh festivals.
Daily Record
30-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
New Council Tax warning to people inheriting a home from bereaved relative
An inheritance disputes lawyer from Lime Solicitors has warned bereaved families to be on high alert over unexpected Council Tax charges on inherited properties, particularly the so-called 'second home' premium, which some councils are applying immediately after a death. Under current rules, most local authorities offer a grace period of up to six months during which Council Tax is not payable on a property that has been left empty due to the death of its owner. However, the process of obtaining probate, selling the property and completing conveyancing often exceeds this timeframe, which can leave families vulnerable to unexpected charges. The warning comes after one council in England reportedly imposed a second home levy on an estate property, even though it was not used as a second home. The six-month exemption did not apply in this case because the property was legally in the son's name at the time of the owner's death, meaning the council considered it a second home from a technical perspective. Andrew Wilkinson, head of inheritance disputes at Lime Solicitors, described the decision as 'incredibly harsh'. He said: 'It's deeply concerning to see councils imposing hefty council tax bills on grieving families who are already navigating the complex probate process. In all my years of practice, this isn't something I have seen before, and it feels extremely unfair, especially when executors are actively trying to deal with the estate. 'In most cases, it takes many months, often over a year, to obtain a grant of probate, arrange a sale and complete conveyancing. That means most families are already struggling with delays before they even get the chance to put the property on the market. If councils start piling on charges prematurely, it only adds to the emotional and financial stress. 'Families dealing with estate properties should proactively communicate with their local council to explain the situation and timelines. This can help in negotiating any available exemptions or reliefs. Additionally, if a property is expected to remain vacant for an extended period, renting it out might be a viable option to offset council tax liabilities, though this comes with its own set of responsibilities and considerations.' The warning comes amid a nationwide crackdown on second homes - part of a UK Government-led effort to tackle the housing shortage in popular towns and rural communities. On April 1, 2025, more than 200 local authorities across England implemented new powers allowing them to levy a 100 per cent Council Tax premium on properties that are furnished but not the owner's main residence. The policy, introduced by Michael Gove in 2023, was originally aimed at curbing the 'scourge' of second homes in coastal towns where housing supply is under pressure. However, its rollout is now affecting a far broader range of properties. Andrew said: 'This policy was designed to free-up housing, not penalise bereaved families. The loss of a loved one is already a challenging time. Families shouldn't be further burdened by unexpected financial pressures due to administrative oversights or rigid policies. 'It's imperative councils handle such situations with the sensitivity and understanding they deserve. Probate is complex enough without councils jumping the gun on tax.' Most councils in Scotland have information on inherited homes after someone dies on their website. Guidance on the South Lanarkshire council website states: 'If a property is unoccupied because the occupier has died, as long as it is unoccupied, and liability for Council Tax falls solely to the estate of that person, it could be exempt from Council Tax. 'If the property was owned jointly with someone else, is owned by someone else, or is held in a Trust, liability for Council Tax will fall to that owner, or Trust, and this exemption category won't apply.'
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Grant will allow more tree-planting for town
A town will be able to enact the next phase of a project after it was awarded a grant for planting more trees. The grant from the Trees for Climate programme will go towards the Trowbridge Green Thread project, named to the reflect Trowbridge's weaving history. Since spring 2024, about 400 trees have been planted in the town as well as thousands of whips, which are smaller tree seedlings. The town council said this time it will invest in some bigger tree guards after some trees were damaged during the first phase. More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire Part of the national Government-led Nature for Climate fund, Trees for Climate is a woodland creation programme which is taking place across England's Community Forests. Planting has happened in parks, allotments and green spaces like Biss Meadows, Paxcroft Brook Open Space and the Sensory Garden as well as fruit trees for The Mead School and Castle Mead School. The council added it had wanted to plant more trees in urban areas, but could not get permission from landowners for all the places suggested by residents. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. New national forest to see 20m trees planted Thousands of arboretum trees planted after disease Work under way to plant 20 community orchards
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Grant will allow more tree-planting for town
A town will be able to enact the next phase of a project after it was awarded a grant for planting more trees. The grant from the Trees for Climate programme will go towards the Trowbridge Green Thread project, named to the reflect Trowbridge's weaving history. Since spring 2024, about 400 trees have been planted in the town as well as thousands of whips, which are smaller tree seedlings. The town council said this time it will invest in some bigger tree guards after some trees were damaged during the first phase. More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire Part of the national Government-led Nature for Climate fund, Trees for Climate is a woodland creation programme which is taking place across England's Community Forests. Planting has happened in parks, allotments and green spaces like Biss Meadows, Paxcroft Brook Open Space and the Sensory Garden as well as fruit trees for The Mead School and Castle Mead School. The council added it had wanted to plant more trees in urban areas, but could not get permission from landowners for all the places suggested by residents. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. New national forest to see 20m trees planted Thousands of arboretum trees planted after disease Work under way to plant 20 community orchards
BBC News
06-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Trowbridge can start phase two tree planting after grant
A town will be able to enact the next phase of a project after it was awarded a grant for planting more grant from the Trees for Climate programme will go towards the Trowbridge Green Thread project, named to the reflect Trowbridge's weaving spring 2024, about 400 trees have been planted in the town as well as thousands of whips, which are smaller tree town council said this time it will invest in some bigger tree guards after some trees were damaged during the first phase. Part of the national Government-led Nature for Climate fund, Trees for Climate is a woodland creation programme which is taking place across England's Community has happened in parks, allotments and green spaces like Biss Meadows, Paxcroft Brook Open Space and the Sensory Garden as well as fruit trees for The Mead School and Castle Mead council added it had wanted to plant more trees in urban areas, but could not get permission from landowners for all the places suggested by residents.
