Latest news with #NeilRoss
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Free rooftop Edinburgh St James Quarter music festival returns for summer
Edinburgh's St James Quarter Sessions music festival is set to run for a third year. Members of Edinburgh Council's licensing sub-committee granted a public entertainment licence at a meeting on Monday, July 21. The free festival will be held on the centre's rooftop terrace, Level 6, with a stage featuring a range of headliners, local acts, and musicians. READ MORE: Edinburgh couple victorious in years-long battle with neighbours over hedge READ MORE: Edinburgh drivers wade through water as busy road completely flooded after downpours The event was referred to the council's licensing sub-committee for scrutiny due to its city centre location. It was confirmed there will be two safety stewards on site, first aiders, and the usual security staffing by St James Quarter. Lib Dem Councillor Neil Ross quizzed: 'As you are on the roof, you are presenting your music to the world. Who are your newest neighbours? What is the communication with them?' A St James representative confirmed: 'The newest neighbours are located on Leith Street. Last year, the neighbours were informed and we didn't have any complaints. The PA system is not directed out to Leith Street; it is directed into the quarter.' The rooftop will include audience seating and a bar area to take advantage of panoramic city views. Entertainment will feature a diverse range of musicians, from Glastonbury acts to local grassroots talent. 'You're looking at Jazz, Rock, R&B, Indie, Hip-Hop — all sorts of different performers — covering the whole spectrum,' said the St James representative. In terms of perks for competing musicians, there will be a £1,000 cash prize in place, and opportunity for acts to use W Hotel's recording studio located nearby. 'It's a really well co-ordinated thing,' confirmed the representative. "We're keen to do this next year and the year after that.' Conservative Councillor Jo Mowat said: "I think the neighbours you are most likely to disturb are the Calton Cafe." The sessions will take place from August 15 to August 24. All events are free but ticketed. There will be a cancellation fee for no-shows, which will be donated to charity. More details can be found on the St James Quarter website.
Edinburgh Reporter
08-07-2025
- General
- Edinburgh Reporter
Sustrans call for legislation change for zebra crossings on side streets
A Sustrans report 'Transforming Mobility' published on Tuesday will call for changes to transport so that disabled people are not 'further excluded in society'. The report says that around half of disabled people in the UK think government could do better. One of the proposals in the report is to legalise zebra crossings on side streets. This was called for in Edinburgh previously by Cllr Neil Ross. By law, all zebra crossings in the UK must currently include belisha beacons and zig-zag approach markings. Side road zebras, commonly used across Europe, do not include beacons or zig-zag markings. This ensures they can be used at a side road junction, are quick to install and much cheaper. A two-year trial of side road zebras in Manchester found that drivers give way 65% more times than when the road markings are not present. The findings in the Sustrans report come from a survey of 1,107 disabled people across the UK, and workshops with disabled people in Edinburgh, Birmingham, and Oxford. The survey found that 72% of disabled people support giving greater priority and investment to low-cost solutions, such as side road zebra crossings, or step-free access when crossing roads. An Edinburgh man with sight loss is featured in the report. Joe who is registered blind speaks about the everyday issues he faces getting around the capital. He said: 'I like walking around independently like a sighted person, but not all the time I can manage it, because, for example, on some pavements, the dropped kerb is not very obvious. 'The other thing I think should be improved is that not all the traffic lights have the beeping sound in Edinburgh […] the beeping sound is useful because it can help me to cross the road in a straight direction. 'I think when the council or the organisations have meetings, they should ask some blind people to join in the meeting to give advice, or do testing by looking for some blind people to do it.' Edinburgh and Glasgow are among local authorities across the UK currently developing plans to transform the way people move around and better connect our transport systems. The evidence from Sustrans' report seeks to support these efforts. Five key ideas Alongside side road zebra crossings, the report highlights four other ways to help improve transport connections for disabled people: Rebalance street space to prioritise through – traffic on some roads while reducing it on others. This can improve speed and reliability for cars and buses, whilst making it safer and more pleasant to walk, wheel and cycle. 65% of disabled people support local councils developing a framework for how streets should be used for different types of transport. to prioritise through traffic on some roads while reducing it on others. This can improve speed and reliability for cars and buses, whilst making it safer and more pleasant to walk, wheel and cycle. 65% of disabled people support local councils developing a framework for how streets should be used for different types of transport. Reduce unnecessary car parking to free up public space and declutter pavements. Only 22% of disabled people oppose reducing on-street visitor parking spaces, excluding disabled parking. to free up public space and declutter pavements. Only 22% of disabled people oppose reducing on-street visitor parking spaces, excluding disabled parking. Develop a network of 'mobility hubs' to seamlessly connect walking, wheeling and cycling with buses, trams and trains. 81% of disabled people support providing a better experience when changing between different types of transport. to seamlessly connect walking, wheeling and cycling with buses, trams and trains. 81% of disabled people support providing a better experience when changing between different types of transport. For the rest of the UK to follow Scotland's lead in setting up paid access panels of disabled people to inform local transport policy and practice. 65% of disabled people support giving funding to local councils to create access panels to inform and shape transport plans and projects. Tim Burns, Head of Research at Sustrans, said: 'The next ten years will see exciting changes in the way we move around our cities, as local authorities respond to the UK's economic, health and environmental challenges with visionary transport plans. 'To be truly transformative, these plans need strong, local leadership to transform communities and to put disabled people at their heart. 'We know that disabled people face greater barriers to getting around and accessing the things they need to live well while also wanting to travel more sustainably. 'Our report highlights tried and tested ideas, increasingly being adopted in the UK. Disabled people want transport to change. When disabled people are represented, the outcomes are better for everyone.' Dr Ruth Cumming, Senior Research Officer at Transport for All, who partnered with Sustrans in developing the report, said: 'We all need the freedom to travel – for work, for school, for shopping, and to be able to make those journeys easily and safely. Disabled people are often blocked from that. 'Including disabled people as experts in transport and urban planning ensures our requirements are built into developments, creating streets, communities and cities that we can all use and enjoy.' To read the full report, visit the Sustrans website. Joe from Edinburgh in the Transforming Mobility report Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
30-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Pension fund divestment would send strong signal
Palestinian youth and children are seen at a tent camp set up amid war-damaged infrastructure in Gaza City (Picture: AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Like many people, I have watched events unfolding in Gaza with horror and a feeling of powerlessness. The attack by Hamas on Israel in October 2023, the murder of 815 civilians and taking of 251 hostages, rightly received global condemnation. 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... Since then, an independent UK estimate puts the number of deaths in Gaza as exceeding 70,000 people, the majority of these being women, children and the elderly. Most recently we have seen shocking scenes of hundreds of people being killed as they desperately try to reach food aid supplies – a war crime according to the United Nations. Our influence here in Edinburgh is limited, but one of the ways that opposition could be demonstrated is through the Lothian Pension Fund that provides pensions for council employees and many other organisations including VisitScotland, Lothian Buses and Scottish Homes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Last year a report to Edinburgh City Council's Pensions Committee, that oversees the Lothian Pension Fund, showed that there is around £167 million invested in three companies implicated in supplying the Israeli military and government with weapons and infrastructure. So on Wednesday I brought a proposal to the Pensions Committee paving the way for the removal of the investments from these companies. Of course divestment from these companies wouldn't in itself end the Gaza war but it would send a strong signal to these companies that their involvement in supporting the Israeli military needs to stop. A signal that will grow stronger as more and more investors around the world take the same action. Disappointingly this proposal was defeated by four votes to two, with one abstention, in favour of a proposal by Councillor Neil Ross, that it isn't the Pension Committee's place to decide whether the fund should invest in these companies. There were also views expressed that a relatively small divestment of shares by the pension fund wouldn't make any difference. We may not be able to do much directly about what's happening in Gaza, but surely we should be doing all that we can, however small, in hope that it makes a contribution. Steve Burgess is Scottish Greens councillor for Southside/Newington
Hamilton Spectator
22-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Canadian Large Cap Leaders Split Corp. Declares Distribution
TORONTO, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (TSX: NPS) – Canadian Large Cap Leaders Split Corp. (the 'Company') announces distribution payable on June 13, 2025, to Class A Shareholders of record at the close of business on May 30, 2025. The Company offers distribution reinvestment plan ('DRIP') for Class A Shareholders which provides Class A Shareholders with the ability to automatically reinvest distributions, commission free, and realize the benefits of compound growth. Class A shareholders can enroll in a DRIP program by contacting their investment advisor. About Ninepoint Partners Based in Toronto, Ninepoint Partners LP is one of Canada's leading alternative investment management firms overseeing approximately $7 billion in assets under management and institutional contracts. Committed to helping investors explore innovative investment solutions that have the potential to enhance returns and manage portfolio risk, Ninepoint offers a diverse set of alternative strategies spanning Equities, Fixed Income, Alternative Income, Real Assets, F/X and Digital Assets. For more information on Ninepoint, please visit or contact us at 416-362-7172 or 1-888-362-7172 or invest@ . Sales Inquiries: Ninepoint Partners LP Neil Ross 416-945-6227 nross@
Edinburgh Reporter
21-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Parking charges should be increased to fund essential bus services
Parking charges should be increased in parts of the city centre to fund essential bus services in the capital, according to an Edinburgh councillor. Liberal Democrat councillor Neil Ross wants to see more useful bus routes established, like the recently axed 42 that connected Craigleith to Portobello. And to fund services which are often not profitable, he wants to see 'pay and display' bays near the city centre changed to standard parking, and have the council do away with free motorcycle parking bays. Additionally, he is proposing that free parking on Boxing Day and Easter Monday is done away with – but the capital would still be left with free parking days on Christmas Day and New Years' Day. He said: 'These bus routes are needed, but they're not commercially successful routes, and that's where the subsidies have to come in. 'But where's the money coming from? That question needs to be answered. 'There are gaps left. One example was the 42 route between Blackhall and Stockbridge, [with its elimination] there isn't a connection which would join up those communities. 'Dumbiedykes doesn't have a connection anymore, from there to the city centre, because for whatever reason it's not got a service anymore.' In a motion submitted to the council's Transport and Environment Committee, Cllr Ross says that Lothian, as well as other operators, could take up routes funded through the parking changes. And he asks that council officers research the feasibility of funding the new services and reports back to the same committee in August. He says that the 'pay and display' bays around the city centre effectively offer discounted parking, raising that some of these bays are across the road for normal, hourly rate parking bays. He continued: 'Anyone can commute into town from elsewhere, or indeed the suburbs, and park there, for I think four or five pounds a day. 'The same bay across the road is charged at a normal rate, and it would be £2.50 per hour, or whatever the going figure is. 'My point is, I'm happy for people if they want to park there for the whole day – just the same price as everybody else. Why should it be discounted? 'It's taking away that incentive for anyone wanting to commute from the outskirts, or indeed outside town altogether. 'I don't think that's in line with the objectives of the sustainability plans not to encourage people to commute [by driving].' He said that, in looking to remove free parking on Boxing Day and Easter Monday, he didn't want to squeeze retailers. Rather, he wants to see people take the bus in to go to the shops on that day. By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
