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Edinburgh Live
28-04-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh masterplan to see 160 affordable homes delivered by Place for People
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Places for People has announced it will deliver 160 "high quality affordable homes" on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Land at Beat Street East has been acquired by the social enterprise in what will form part of the wider Edinburgh Park masterplan and deliver a mix of social rent and mid-market rent properties. The masterplan will also see 1,000,000 of office space, over 1,000 build to rent and mid market rental units, a hotel and food and drink offerings built on the outskirts of the city. Places for People's 160 homes will benefit from the popular tram link all the way to the city centre and Newhaven. The acquisition builds on PFP's ongoing investment in Edinburgh, which includes the delivery of 377 new homes at The Engine Yard as well as the developer's planned 1,300 homes at Redheughs Village. This activity highlights PFP's ongoing commitment to support the city's efforts to address housing needs with "high-quality, affordable new homes." In addition to new housing, the Beat Street East project will also include landscaping, green courtyards and accessible housing, enhancing biodiversity and quality of life for future residents. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages Colin Jack, Regional Managing Director for Scotland at Places for People Developments, said : 'Beat Street East is a vital addition to our growing portfolio of developments in Edinburgh. We are committed to tackling the city's housing needs and delivering well-designed, affordable homes in thriving, connected neighbourhoods. "As a social enterprise, we reinvest our profits to create long-term value for communities, and we are already making a tangible impact in Edinburgh through our community hub, tool library, and the regeneration of local housing stock.' The Beat Street East project will be delivered in partnership with Parabola, the landowner and master planner behind Edinburgh Park, and the City of Edinburgh Council. The land has planning permission in place and PfP expect work to start on site in August 2025. Tony Hordon, Managing Director at Parabola comments : 'We are pleased to be working in partnership with Places for People to deliver much-needed affordable housing at Edinburgh Park. The Beat Street East site forms an integral part of the wider vision for a connected, inclusive and sustainable new district for Edinburgh. "Ensuring that high-quality affordable homes are embedded within the masterplan is central to our ambition to create a vibrant and balanced community. We look forward to seeing this next phase of the development take shape.'
Scotsman
28-04-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Places for People to deliver further affordable housing for Edinburgh at Beat Street East
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now Places for People (PFP) has completed the acquisition of land at Beat Street East, part of the wider Edinburgh Park masterplan, in a move that will deliver 160 affordable homes. From gorgeous Georgian town houses to jaw-dropping penthouses, converted campervans to bargain boltholes. Take a peek at the finest homes across the UK. 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 development, which will include a mix of social rent and mid-market rent properties, is the social enterprise's second major land deal in the city in 2025, following its acquisition of Redheughs earlier this year. Located to the west of the city with excellent transport links including tram and rail connections, the 'Beat Street East' site forms part of the affordable housing provision for Edinburgh Park. The site will be developed and owned by Places for People Scotland, part of the PFP Group, and will benefit from Scottish Government grant funding. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This acquisition builds on PFP's ongoing investment in Edinburgh, which includes the delivery of 377 new homes at The Engine Yard as well as the developer's planned 1,300 homes at Redheughs Village. This activity underlines PFP's 'ongoing commitment to support the city's efforts to address acute housing needs with high-quality, affordable new homes'. An artist's impression of the Beat Street East development at Edinburgh Park. | Places for People In addition to vital new housing, the Beat Street East project will also include landscaping, green courtyards and accessible housing. Colin Jack, regional managing director for Scotland at Places for People Developments, said: 'Beat Street East is a vital addition to our growing portfolio of developments in Edinburgh. We are committed to tackling the city's housing needs and delivering well-designed, affordable homes in thriving, connected neighbourhoods. 'As a social enterprise, we reinvest our profits to create long-term value for communities, and we are already making a tangible impact in Edinburgh through our community hub, tool library, and the regeneration of local housing stock.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Beat Street East project will be delivered in partnership with Parabola, the landowner and master planner behind Edinburgh Park, and the City of Edinburgh Council. The land has planning permission in place and PfP expect work to start on site in August 2025. Another look at the proposed new homes at Edinburgh Park. | Places for People Click here to sign up 👇 Tony Hordon, managing director at Parabola, said: 'We are pleased to be working in partnership with Places for People to deliver much-needed affordable housing at Edinburgh Park. The Beat Street East site forms an integral part of the wider vision for a connected, inclusive and sustainable new district for Edinburgh. 'Ensuring that high-quality affordable homes are embedded within the masterplan is central to our ambition to create a vibrant and balanced community. We look forward to seeing this next phase of the development take shape.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad PfP's development activity in Edinburgh brings wider benefits beyond housing delivery. Colin added: 'By investing in underused sites and introducing new affordable homes in well-connected locations, PFP is helping to meet urgent housing need while relieving pressure on existing infrastructure. 'Our community-focused model also ensures support services and facilities are put in place to help people thrive.'
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
IPP will keep one coal generator operating and the other on standby under new bill
The coal-fired Intermountain Power Plant near Delta, Utah is pictured on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Over the last few years the Utah Legislature has approved bills to keep Intermountain Power Plant's coal generators open for longer, going against its owners' plans to move to a cleaner energy project. Last year, lawmakers blocked the 2025 retirement of the fossil fuel units. And this year, they want to ensure that technical issues won't compromise the plant's coal energy production. In November, during the Legislature's interim session, Rep. Colin Jack, R-St. George, unveiled HB70, a bill that banned the Intermountain Power Agency from disconnecting switchyard equipment from its coal-powered facilities while the agency builds and makes its transition to IPP Renewed, a multibillion-dollar natural gas project originally meant to replace coal power generation. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Then, there were questions on whether the agency, which is owned by 23 Utah municipalities, would be able to deliver the state's request while keeping IPP Renewed on track. But, after some tweaks, IPA doesn't seem totally opposed to the legislation. Disconnecting the two existing coal plants from the switchyard would mean that 'if somebody bought that power plant, they would have nowhere to go with the power and potentially disconnect the station service to the power plant, which would then make the power plant unusable,' Jack said on Friday. New legislation looks to protect coal power generation as IPA prepares to hand over the reins After a series of negotiations and a field trip to the plant, Jack changed his bill to specify that IPA should 'maintain' the facilities that provide power to ensure continued functionality, as opposed to the past language that forbade the agency from altering, removing, disabling or modifying its equipment. The House Public Utilities and Energy Committee voted unanimously to recommend that last version. It will now go to the House floor for consideration. The new version also requires IPA to keep critical switchyard equipment 'in a manner that ensures the ability to reactivate at least one of the project entity's coal-powered electrical generation units,' according to the bill. This means that one of the coal units will remain connected, while the other will be put in standby mode to allow the new IPP Renewed generators to use the switchyard space to serve its main client — Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. One of the reasons IPA was opposed to leaving its coal units operating past 2025 was because of a federal air quality permit that contemplated the retirement of the units. However, Jack said, through a report the Legislature requested, the state learned that 'there is room in the air permit for the two gas plants and one of the two coal plants.' 'And then it gives us time, brings 900 new megawatts into Utah, which have not been in Utah,' he said about the coal load sent to California. 'It lives in Utah, but it doesn't flow into Utah. This would allow it to flow into Utah.' Cameron Cowan, the general manager for IPA, remained neutral in a public comment during the committee hearing. 'I do appreciate the conversations we've had with Rep. Jack. They've been very productive. We appreciate him listening to us and hearing our concerns and also trying to find collaborative solutions to address concerns for multiple stakeholders,' Cowan said, 'And we look forward to those continued conversations.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Will Utah follow Tennessee's lead by banning adult-themed performances in public?
One Utah lawmaker introduced a bill this week that aims to keep publicly accessible places family friendly amid rapidly changing norms about what that means. State Rep. Colin Jack, R-St. George, publicly unveiled HB401, Adult-oriented Performance Amendments, on Monday. But he has been working on the bill ever since entering office in 2022. 'I want parents to have the comfort knowing that if they're out in public with their children, then they have a reasonable expectation to not be visually assaulted by an adult-oriented performance,' Jack told the Deseret News. The bill, based on Tennessee legislation prohibiting 'adult cabaret performance,' would create a criminal offense for individuals engaged in an adult-oriented performance in a public place or in the presence of a minor. An adult-oriented performance is defined as a live performance that is 'harmful to minors,' which includes: The removal of clothing in a sexual manner. Nudity. The depiction of sexual conduct. Sexually oriented dancing. An act of lewdness as defined by a 2024 bill sponsored by Jack. Under HB401, adult-oriented performances would be prohibited in any location where a substantial group of the public has access, including roads, parks, public recreation facilities, shopping centers, schools and certain businesses. Individuals who engage in adult-oriented performances in public spaces that are accessible to minors can be charged with a class A misdemeanor if they are over 18 years old, or a class B misdemeanor if the individual is 16 or 17. A subsequent violation of the law would be considered a third degree felony if the individual is at least 18 years old. The bill would prohibit cities or counties in Utah from adopting or enforcing a conflicting ordinance. Jack, who typically focuses on energy policy, sees his bill as an attempt to maintain family-friendly values in the Beehive State as other states expand 'family friendly' to include more behaviors. 'As parts of the country start to declare these things normal, I feel like certain elements are targeting Utah to try to normalize them here,' Jack said. 'And I think it shouldn't be.' There were multiple activities engaged in during last year's pride parade in Salt Lake City that would have run afoul of his new bill, according to Jack. But the enforcement of his bill, if it passes, will ultimately depend on which communities are willing to prosecute based on the complaints they receive, Jack said. Critics have already begun to express worry that the bill unfairly targets certain groups with censorship. Equality Utah, one of the largest LGBTQ activist groups in the state, confirmed they will speak with Jack about the bill on Wednesday. House Minority Whip Sahara Hayes, D-Salt Lake City, said she is worried about how the bill could affect performances such as plays that parents could choose to bring their children to. Hayes, who says she ran for office to advocate for LGBTQ+ youth, opposed Jack's 2024 lewdness bill — which was eventually signed into law — saying he cherrypicked the worst examples to justify a blanket ban that could have unintended consequences. On Jack's current legislation, Hayes said that many of the acts prohibited by the bill are found in popular plays. As with R-rated movies, Hayes said the decision of what performances are viewed by a child should be left to the parent. 'I find it a frustrating bill in the first place because I do think it is trying to target drag through so many words. But I also think it's going to have ramifications in our performing arts sector in a really big way,' Hayes said. The issue of controversial public performances was top of mind for Jack when he entered office in July of 2022. Months earlier, HBO had filmed an episode of its drag queen reality show 'We're Here' in St. George's Town Square park. The event sparked outcry among some city residents and led to the resignation of the city manager who approved the permits for the event. In May 2023, drag performers sued St. George for denying a permit for a drag show. Following a court ruling, which allowed the drag show to move forward, the case ended with a private settlement in January 2025. During his three sessions as a lawmaker, Jack has introduced at least one bill each session addressing his constituents' concerns about the kind of public events that should be allowed. In 2023, Jack planned to introduce a similar bill to the one he is running this year. But with the model legislation in Tennessee being upheld in court, Jack opted for a bill that would require all events on public property with potential adult themes to have a sign warning people about it. While the bill, HB329, garnered two dozen co-sponsors and passed the House with wide margins, it stalled in the Senate when concerns were brought up that it may have presented a liability for municipalities, Jack said. In 2024, Jack successfully introduced HB244, creating new criminal penalties paired with an updated definition of lewdness involving a child, which would include things like simulating sexual acts with the intent to cause 'affront or alarm' to minors. This year, a federal court ruling paved the way for Jack to pursue the policy he initially pushed for in response to the drag show in St. George. In July, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Tennessee law banning 'adult cabaret performances' in public places. This bill was a model for what Jack is trying to do with HB401 but Utah's version has more specific definitions, Jack said. Now, with firmer legal footing, Jack expects his bill to move quickly through the Republican supermajority in the House and Senate this legislative session. 'There are those who feel like indecent material should be presented to minors. I don't, I don't think the majority of the Legislature feels that, I don't think the governor feels that, and I don't think the vast majority of Utahns feel that,' Jack said.
