Tag: Stirling Council

Stirling Council call for public input in budget allocation for 2023/24

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By Nikita Vance

 

With a £17 million funding gap on the horizon for the next year’s budget setting process, Stirling Council want to hear your opinion on how they can best tackle financial issues.

No increase to the Local Government’s core funding from the Scottish Government is to be expected over the next three years, the Council need to find a way to “bridge a gap which is almost double its annual roads and land services budget”.

All Stirling residents are invited to take part in the Budget consultation here.

Image via Twitter @stirlingcouncil

Penalty Charge Notices in Stirling on the rise, following sharp drop over first COVID lockdown

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By Nikita Vance

 

New data obtained from Stirling Council shows that when Scotland first went into lockdown in 2020, the amount of PNC’s administered by the Council had a sharp decline in comparison to that of the previous year.

The severe drop in PNC’s administered in 2020 was directly caused by the stringent measures put in place by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 March that year, which meant that less people were driving or parking their cars in ticketible zones in Stirling. These measures saw that people in Scotland were required by law to stay at home except for:
  • Essential shopping – for food or medicines and only once a day
  • Exercise – only once a day and alone, or with someone from your household
  • Medical reasons or for the care of vulnerable people
  • Travel to and from essential work – all employers should be making provision to work from home

Of these measures, the First Minister said, “Let me blunt. The stringent restrictions on our normal day to day lives that I’m about to set out are difficult and they are unprecedented. They amount effectively to what has been described as a lockdown.”

“I am not going to sugarcoat it in any way,” the first minister said. “Coronavirus is the biggest challenge of our lifetime.

“Stay at home,” she said. “That is the message I gave yesterday and I am reinforcing that message now.”

Police Scotland also enforced this legislation, by increasing police patrols in key areas such as cities. This build up of fear and compliance further decreased the amount of people leaving their homes, not to mention those who would drive. With less cars on the road, there were less PCN’s needed to be administered.

The Stirling Council data supports this assumption, as there is no data for April or May 2020 so therefore no PCN’s were administered. This could also be due to that fact that some UK councils relaxed or even suspended parking enforcement regulations at the start of the first lockdown, which could well have been the case here.

 

The data also shows that the most ticketed months of each year are affected by COVID lockdowns. In 2019, before COVID, November was the most ticketed month of the year. This is due to the influx of people travelling by car into Stirling, as they most likely would be going for Christmas shopping.

The following year, however, the most ticketed month was January as the first case of COVID had not yet reached the UK until the end of that month. Following the announcement that the first case of COVID had been detected in the UK on 29 January 2020, people became fearful of contracting the virus and left the house much less. Then, with Scotland in lockdown by March 2020 no one was able to leave their house hence less tickets for the remainder of that year.

By 2021, life returned to some semblance of normality, as the high vaccine uptake encouraged the First Minister to lift restrictions in the run up to Christmas. This meant that the shopping behaviours of those in Stirling not only returned to normal, but almost doubled as the most tickets across the four years were issued in this month.

 

Top 5 Most Ticketed Places in Stirling

From the data, we have worked out the top 5 places in Stirling to avoid if you do not want to get a PNC. This is solely based of the amount of times each area was ticketed per month in 2020, therefore it does not take into account total amount of PNC’s issued.

Stirling train station undergoes £5 million makeover

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By Achilleas Salaveris

 

Stirling train station and the area around is in the process of a £5 million makeover.

The project, which began on 18th July, is set to be completed in Spring 2023, The aim of the project is to provide safe areas for pedestrians and cyclists, which will deliver “greener” and more sustainable transportation options in Stirling.

Funding for the project was provided by the Scottish government and Network Rail Scotland, with the project itself being delivered by Sustrans Scotland in collaboration with Stirling Council.

Michael Melton Grant, Manager of Sustrans Scotland, hopes that “this will create a more people focused entrance to Stirling station.”

The areas of the train station receiving a ‘makeover’ include:

  • Refurbishment of the station entrance canopy.
  • Creating a pedestrianised plaza around the station.
  • Improved customer waiting facilities on platforms 2 and 3 and new public toilets.
  • The creation of a Cyclepoint with 150 additional cycle parking spaces and a small maintenance area. This will also enhance the e-bike offering on the station forecourt, which is already very popular.
  • Pedestrianisation of the current station forecourt, replacing the roundabout on Goosecroft Road with a T-junction and a new car park entrance created from Burghmuir Road.
  • Existing bridge top deck waterproofing works in advance of the forecourt works.
  • Taxis being relocated out with the station area to the city centre, also managed by Stirling Council.

These improvements will make the station safer due to the reduction of traffic, which includes a reduction of taxis waiting in front of the station. Taxi drivers have been left frustrated by this, as the renovations and subsequent permanent change has been damaging to business thus far.

One taxi driver says, “It has affected us really really bad; we would normally sit at the train station picking up hires now people are walking, I have less hires and I don’t think I’ll get any more”

Others have also complained that the lack of a taxi rank at the improved station will affect business further.

Image Credit: Achilleas Salaveris

Alongside the reduction of traffic, new bike routes will provide better travelling connections between the city centre and the University of Stirling campus.

Some employees working on the train station are awaiting this project with excitement, saying “it will worth it when it is done”.

However, some are not so keen on the proposed changes; “The Stirling Council changed the road system a few years ago, they made it one way, and the people were getting stuck in the Thistle centre, and they cannot park, so I personally think it is not going to work”.

According to the works manager the biggest concern of the whole project was the condition of the bridge deck. It had been noticed that the deck was suffering from corrosion in the concrete, due to weather and age. Luckily, it was found that the condition of the deck was solid, which made re-construction and repair to the bridge easier.

Of the project, Jenny Gilruth MSP, Minister for Transport, said “We welcome the start of this latest phase in the Stirling Station redevelopment, marking further Scottish Government investment in Scotland’s Railways.

“This is a great example of how we are working closely with our industry and local partners to significantly enhance passenger facilities at this station, as well as improve the active travel links between the station and the Stirling community.

Image Credit: Achilleas Salaveris

‘Our aim is to encourage more people from the Stirling area to want to travel by train while also choosing more sustainable ways to get to and from the station whether that is by bus, walking, wheeling or cycling.

“We also want to drive local economic benefits by encouraging more people to visit Stirling by rail to explore the city and the surrounding areas.

“This is all part of our vision for rail services going forward; services which are attractive, efficient, passenger focussed and provide best value for money.”

Luxury Care Home to be constructed in Stirling

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By Achilleas Salaveris

 

In February 2021 UNUM Partnership submitted plans on behalf of Northcare, proposing the construction of a luxury care home southwest of Orchard House Health Centre on Union Street.

Original plans were for a four-storey housing complex that was accompanied by a masterplan proposal idea which was denied. The masterplan proposed the construction of a Student Residential Scheme which would be mixed with the care home.

This masterplan was proposed with the greater interest of Stirling in mind, as the aims were outlined in the planning application as follows; “The proposed development will transform an under-utilised island site into a key gateway location and in doing so fulfil an important aspiration for the city of Stirling as expressed in development plan policies and supplementary guidance”. The accommodation would have been the home of 305 students and the care home would have the capacity of 71-beds.

The reasons for refusal were mainly due to student housing, lack of parking and overall scale of the project. A decision was therefore made, to submit a new application for the construction of a care home alone.

Image Credit: Achilleas Salaveris

The home, which is projected to open in Spring 2023, will be a three and a half level building complete with accommodation and car parking.

Work is well underway, as the old small park has been transformed into an active construction site.

We asked residents of Stirling about what they think of this new addition to the town and their response was positive. One resident mentioned, “We have an aging population, so I think they we need a care home. The hospitals are crowded by old people and so a care home is good to have”.

When asked about the home, Stirling Council responded, “The care home building proposed is located in a similar position within the site as the previous approved building and is of similar scale. It is predominately three and a half storeys in height, dropping to three storeys adjacent to the existing health centre building”.

Image Credit: Achilleas Salaveris

“It will be separated from the street by a garden strip which will include some trees and shrubs. As for its architecture it will have the same tenement blocks on Union Street and will be a similar height with pitched roof pattern. The proposals for the roof were altered to introduce a traditional pitched roof and so did the size of the building, reducing from four floors to three and a half.

“The development provides some landscaping, with provision for sitting out areas or outdoor social space, however, such garden space as there is on the site will suffer from the adjacent traffic.”

Ultimately, the proposed development will transform an under-utilised island to a great place for Stirling’s elderly to live comfortably and in peace.

Stirling set to become world’s first fully augmented reality city

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By Nikita Vance

 

The “cutting-edge” software developed by BT and Seymour Powell, with the involvement of Stirling Council aims to completely transform the tourism industry in Stirling, by allowing visitors a unique view of the city through their phone screen. The £200,000 project was funded by Stirling Council via funding from the Scottish Government’s Place Based Investment Programme.

Through the free Stirling XP app (which is available to download here), tourists can use the AR technology simply by opening the app and holding up their phones as they make their way around the city centre. The AR technology detects key points within the city and, utilising sound; video; and other mediums, brings the rich history and heritage of Stirling to life.

Seymore Powell’s Head of Immersive Experiences, Chris Doughty, expressed his pride in the app saying, “Using Google’s new Geospatial platform, we were able to design a truly immersive experience that brings the city to life by revealing an exciting digital layer, gamifying local history, and providing tourists with local challenges that encourage them to go out and explore the city.

“We are delighted to have been able to deliver a project which firmly positions Stirling as a world-class digital destination and paves the way for continued, industry-leading, development.”

The app also features a rewards system, in which you win prizes for your ‘collection’ through playing and winning interactive games which include the “Stirling Wolf” and the “Chained Unicorn”. You are also able to unlock new areas and landmarks on the 3D map by visiting and interacting with them. Abbey Craig and Stirling Bridge are amongst those available to unlock, as well as Old Town Jail; The Tolbooth; and the Highland Hotel.

Of this exciting new venture for Stirling, Councillor Chris Kane, the leader of Stirling Council, said: “Offering this complete AR environment across Stirling is an exciting world first and will revolutionise the visitor experience in our amazing city.

“Stirling’s historic city centre and world-class attractions will be overlaid with interactive information, graphics, 3D models and much more, creating a fully immersive and dynamic experience that no other city currently offers.

Image via Stirling Council

“Stirling is already a must-visit destination, and this pioneering product will raise the city’s profile and attract more people to come here, boosting the wider tourism economy.

“The new free app will also open up a plethora of fantastic opportunities for local businesses and will make Stirling a more inclusive and accessible place that’s setting the world standard for next generation tourism.”

There’s no doubt that this incredible venture will do wonders for tourism in Stirling, as it gives the city an ‘edge’ over other heavy tourist areas such as Glasgow or Edinburgh. It is simply a matter of time before other cities follow suit and jump on the AR bandwagon.

Of this potential tourism boost, VisitScotland Regional Director Neil Christison said, “AR enables people from anywhere in the world to experience Stirling from the palm of their hands and learn more about this historic and vibrant city in an interactive way.

“It is also great to have a new platform that local businesses can take advantage of and a tool that visitors can use to plan their trips to Scotland.

“We know that tourism is a force for good with an impact that spreads far beyond the industry itself – it benefits our economy, our community and our wellbeing.”

Computers are key at The Thistles Shopping Centre

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By Nikita Vance

 

The Thistles Shopping Centre is all about computers this week, as they host a coding challenge and an electronic art instalment for the Stirling Science Festival which is set to end on 22 October. The festival has been providing a plethora of events aimed at children and young people, to keep them entertained while still learning over the autumn break.

Betty the Basking Shark is a sculpture created by Edinburgh artist, Johnathan Elders, with the sole aim of outlining the sheer magnitude of the electronic waste problem in Scotland. It was created using various second-hand electronic devices which include more than two hundred keyboards and water panels, each one being saved from going to landfill; alongside two projector lenses and TV screens which show a film detailing the real and raw impact of e-waste that gets shipped overseas each year.

Talking about his inspiration behind the piece Elders said, “I chose the basking shark, native to Scotland, as I encountered one as a child whilst on a boat trip to Bass Rock in North Berwick. This moment had a huge impact on me, and it has stayed with me ever since.

“I didn’t want to be subtle. As a nation, we have so much to be proud of – like these magnificent creatures – but we also have a massive problem that we’re just not doing enough to address. Like producing such vast quantities of e-waste.

“As the footage shows, much of this waste is shipped away to other parts of the world so that we can forget about it. But that needs to stop.

“Betty is the name of a lovely local lady – a total character who knows everybody. She lives overlooking Newhaven Harbour but won’t go anywhere near it because she is scared of the sea. Hence the reason I called the shark Betty, because like the real-life Betty, this shark will never go to the sea!”

It is only fitting that this computer constructed sculpture be accompanied by a coding challenge, which is available to interact with around Thistles via a QR code. The prompt for the challenge is “Create a text based adventure game using any piece of software. In a classic interactive fiction book your story would change depending on what option you picked at various points …there was always more than one ending to the story or you sometimes never made it to the end of a story! We would like you to create a similar story using software.”

Some of the suggestions for software entrants can use include Scratch; Python; Makecode; and Javascript or you could simply create a game using an interactive Google Slide which utilises hyperlinks to make each choice and progress the story. Thistles also encourages entrants to get creative and tell whatever story their heart desires, provided it is appropriate for public consumption.

Learn more about the coding challenge here.

Stirling gets starry-eyed for observatory

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By Peter Humfrey

 

The Observatory has opened it’s doors for the evening as part of the Stirling Science Festival, giving locals a chance to see inside one of the city’s hidden gems.

The event, yesterday evening, was hosted by the Stirling Astronomical Society, the custodians of the observatory and it’s Newtonian reflector telescope. 

More than 120 people attended, greatly exceeding expectations, with chairman, Deirdre Bryce, describing the turnout as “excellent”

Groups of people were taken up a narrow spiral stairway to the roof of the old High School, now Stirling Highland Hotel, and from there into the small wooden observatory.

 

Observatory guide, Bert Mackenzie, was on hand to talk about the observatory and explain the use of the 133-year-old telescope and answer questions from visitors.

The plan had been to gaze out at giants such as Saturn, Jupiter, and Earth’s closest planetary neighbour, Mars. Sadly the weather had other ideas and, faced with poor visibility the telescope was instead pointed at the Wallace Monument to show off its powerful zoom.

Chairman Deirdre Bryce, the society’s first female chairperson, spoke of how it was “very nice to know people are interested enough to turnout to something they didn’t know existed”

Speaking to The Stirling Scope, Bryce spoke of her path into astronomy, with a Christmas present of a telescope from her eldest son, before joining both Falkirk and Stirling’s astronomical societies when she moved north to Scotland.

The observatory has a storied history, dating back to 1889, being a gift from then MP for Stirling Burghs, Henry Campbell-Bannerman, who was later knighted and went on to serve as Prime Minister from 1905 to 1908. The observatory tower was designed by former pupil, and architect, James McLaren, who sadly died before it’s completion.

The centre-piece of the observatory, the 9ft telescope, was designed, constructed and installed in 1889 by 27yr-old, and later knighted, William Peck, City Astronomer of Edinburgh.  From 1906 onward it fell into disuse until the appearance of Comet Kohoutek in 1974 prompted staff and pupils to begin work on restoring the old telescope. By April of that year the telescope was restored and has been used regularly ever since.

For those inspired by last night’s event, or who simply have the time, next week on Tuesday is a partial solar eclipse. For those viewing the eclipse it is advised you do not stare directly at it but instead make use of a pinhole viewer, of which the instructions on how to make one are available online.

Anyone interested in joining the society or seeing what it’s all about they meet on the last Friday of each month at the Stirling Highland Hotel. Other than it’s historic telescope in the observatory, the society also has an array of smaller telescopes they loan out to members.