Latest news with #Hyslop
The Courier
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Courier
Dunkeld roundabout and new junctions in A9 dualling plans going on public display
A new roundabout at Dunkeld and grade-separated junctions at Birnam and Dalguise feature in the next batch of A9 dualling plans. The proposals will go on display to the public next month. The plans also include a new car park for Dunkeld and Birnam station and an underpass under the A9 and the railway. They form part of the 8.4km Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section of the A9. Transport Scotland published its draft orders, including compulsory purchase orders, for the project today. The move signals the start of an eight-week consultation. Public exhibitions will be held on June 11 and 12 at Birnam Arts Centre. An online exhibition, which includes information on the plans for the route, has gone live today. Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said elements, such as the roundabout at Dunkeld and junction layouts at the Hermitage and Dalguise, had been developed out of previous discussions with the community. And she urged anyone with an interest in A9 dualling to take part in the next phase of consultation. 'Whilst the magnitude and complexities of this work are considerable, there will be no let up on progressing the dualling programme,' she said. The pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing section is scheduled to be finished by 2032. The new target date for the completion of A9 dualling in its entirety is the end of 2035. That's 10 years later than the Scottish Government's initial goal. And just two sections of single carriageway, totalling about 18km, have been upgraded over the past decade. Another 124km have still to be improved as part of the £3bn project, which will extend from Inverness to Perth. Speaking in January, Ms Hyslop said she also expected to see the contract awarded for the Tay Crossing to Ballinluig section and the start of procurement for the Pitlochry to Killiecrankie phase 'in the next few months'.
Edinburgh Reporter
4 days ago
- Politics
- Edinburgh Reporter
Councillors highlight class sizes at Wardie Primary School
Local councillors have been seeking answers on plans intimated to parents to amalgamate classes at Wardie Primary School. SNP Councillor for Forth Ward, Stuart Dobbin, and the Education spokesperson for the SNP Group, Cllr Euan Hyslop, expressed their concerns about proposals indicated to parents just last week to merge three P4 classes at Wardie Primary School into two, saying that this appeared to be based on finances rather than what is best for pupils. On 22 May P4 parents at Wardie Primary School received notification that due to the number of P4s in the class reducing from 67 to 66 the school would be merging three primary four classes to two classes of 33 – which is the maximum legal class size in Scotland for primary 4-7. According to their investigations, SNP councillors (and also concerned parents), found out that the council's decision has been put on hold but will be kept under review until the September census. However, parents have been told that a further reduction in the P4 pupil roll would be likely to lead to a reduction to two classes of maximum size. One of the P4 parents who initially raised concerns about the proposal, Carolyn Samson, said: 'When parents were first notified of this proposal we were shocked because we felt that the council was taking a decision based on finances, rather than what would be best for our children. We were also very confused about the council's own policy on class amalgamation because a child in catchment was placed on the waiting list prior to the amalgamation of classes.' She added: 'It's so important for every child's education and the wellbeing of children and teachers that class sizes are not completely maxed out to the legal limit.' Parents from Wardie Primary school launched a petition available here: The councillors said this had generated uncertainty within the school community as a result of the communication from the council. Council response The council has now responded to enquiries. A Council spokesperson said: 'The decision to reduce the number of classes required has been reversed given that there is a catchment child on the waiting list. A three class arrangement for P4 will be in place for August.' They confirmed the situation will be kept under review – as indeed they do with all schools in the city. And the council has said the news has been communicated to all parents and carers. Meantime Cllr Hyslop has submitted a motion to the next Education, Children and Families Committee on 10 June seeking a review of the council policy on merging classes in order to provide clarity for families, (but as we set out below the size of classes is linked to Scottish Government funding, and the rules in place which govern that). Cllr Hyslop said he wants the council to develop a stated policy about class sizes. He said: 'This situation has highlighted a real lack of clarity around the Council's policy on this matter. It's our view in the SNP that the Council should not be taking steps to increase class sizes to their absolute maximum without reserving at least one space per class to accommodate for children and young people moving into the catchment area during the academic session. 'The Council should also not be moving from three to two classes when there are young people waiting to be allocated a space in the year group that would take one of the classes above the legal limit – as was the case here at Wardie. There is also a really important argument here to be made about local considerations as we have a responsibility to get it right for every child at Wardie Primary School. That means listening to the staff and parents in the school community when they have concerns about the impact that an increase in class sizes would have on a particular cohort of young learners because of their specific educational needs.' The Scottish Government sets the national limits for class sizes and each local authority in Scotland, including The City of Edinburgh Council, can choose to structure their own classes taking account of school capacity, staffing and local factors. The Council have stated that they need to run their class sizes as efficiently as possible because funding for each school is based on the pupil roll. Cllr Dobbin said: 'I very much welcome the Council's decision to rescind their proposed increase in class sizes but the matter is very much still alive and we need to act in order to give parents clarity. Smaller class sizes are not only vital for maintaining high standards of teaching and learning, but they are particularly crucial in creating supportive and inclusive classrooms for pupils with additional support needs. Ensuring every child receives the attention and resources they require must remain a key to a positive learning environment.' The motion from the SNP group will be debated at the Education, Children and Families Committee on Tuesday 10 June. We understand that some parents will be seeking further information about the decision through Freedom of Information legislation asking about the school roll, class sizes, waiting lists, in catchment requests, out of catchment requests or anything else that could be considered relative to the management of the number of classes at Wardie Primary. Like this: Like Related
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Will Glasgow's M8 viaduct repair work be complete next year?
Essential propping up work on the Woodside Viaduct east of Charing Cross has been ongoing since 2021. The motorway has been restricted with lane closures and on and off ramps closed to allow work to be carried out. READ NEXT:10 firms in the Glasgow area named for not paying National Minimum Wage Pauline McNeill, Glasgow Labour MSP said the completion date on the Transport Scotland website is 2006 but she told the Transport Secretary, Fiona Huyslop that the organisation wrote to her recently to say that cannot be confirmed. Hyslop said the work was necessary and complications involving he subway tunnel had caused delays. McNeill said: 'The M8 project in Glasgow was due for completion in late 2023. 'Since 2021, those using the M8 have had constant delays as part of their daily commute, which is impacting on the west of Scotland economy.' She added: 'Is the cabinet secretary at all concerned that Transport Scotland wrote to me on 21 May to say that it now cannot confirm that completion date but that the website still says that the work will be completed in early 2026? 'It is unacceptable that the public, who are putting up with these delays, are not getting up-to-date, accurate information.' READ NEXT:Glasgow's drug consumption room to come under scrutiny at Westminster next week Hyslop said: 'The M8 Woodside viaducts project is a complex one that involves constructing temporary propping in a constrained urban environment to enable repairs to the half-joints that support the motorway. 'Transport Scotland and its contractor, Amey, have been examining each and every activity that is required to complete the works to ensure completion as soon as possible. 'However, there have been delays to the piling work around the subway tunnel, which has to be carried out very carefully.' She added: 'What is unacceptable is to question the work that is required to ensure that the works are carried out safely. 'As of May 2025, props have been installed at 13 of a total of 23 locations and 10 locations have been fully jacked, meaning that the load from the bridge deck is being transferred away from the existing supports and on to the newly installed propping system.' Transport Scotland states: "A total of 23 supports are required to be propped. "Each support requires individual propping designs to take account of the varying column heights, span length and widths resulting in different loads to be supported by the props. "The propping foundations at some locations are affected by a number of buried services (such as gas and water mains) as well as Strathclyde Passenger Travel's (SPT) subway tunnels. "These services have a major impact on the propping solutions available." On completion dates it states: "Completion of the propping and jacking work - which will result in the removal of lane restrictions on the M8 - is expected to be completed in early 2026. "However, the Contractor, Amey PLC is working towards delivering the eastbound carriageway sooner, in Summer 2025. "They are also exploring opportunities to bring work forward where possible. "These dates are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances such as adverse weather or unexpected service diversions."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
UND dedicates monument at Hyslop at Memorial Village
May 23—GRAND FORKS — Fifty-one military service members who lost their lives during WWI were remembered and honored Thursday, May 22, during a dedication ceremony for the monument that graces the entrance of the Hyslop at Memorial Village building. The monument "shines a light on the sacrifices our students gave to their country," said President Andrew Armacost during the ceremony. Several members of the local American Legion post served as the color guard for the occasion. The colors were presented in ceremonial fashion and the U.S. flag was raised to the middle, and highest, of three flagpoles, between the North Dakota flag and the UND flag. The monument includes the names of 33 UND soldiers and 18 members of the Student Army Training Corps. The trainees were not UND students, but they came to UND to prepare for military service. All 51 died during WWI. The memorial "is a perfect example of the sacrifice that they and others have made not just to the university, but the nation," Armacost said. "We owe it to them that that sacrifice is recognized and remembered forever." The memorial is titled "Memorial Stadium Monument" and the message on its face reads: "Dedicated to those from the University of North Dakota who served, fought and died during WWI. We honor their sacrifice and preserve their legacy in stone and memory. Memorial Stadium, 1927. Memorial Stadium Monument, 2024." Atop the brick base, five black granite pillars stand tall — four of them reflect aerial views of the stadium full of fans. The pillar on the right lists the names of those who lost their lives during WWI. That pillar reads "Honor. In Memorial" and "They hover as a cloud of witnesses above this nation. — Henry Ward Beecher," followed by the 51 names. The Hyslop at Memorial Village building, located on the southeast corner of the intersection of Second Avenue North and Columbia Road, has provided first-floor office space for athletic department personnel since July 2024 and living quarters — in one- to four-bedroom apartments — for students and others during the past academic year. It occupies the area where the former Memorial Stadium was built in 1927 — with 392,000 bricks — and razed in 2021, Armacost said. A ceremony held in March 2021 was before the stadium was razed. About 100 years ago, nearly $200,000 was raised by students, faculty, alumni and Grand Forks business-owners to fund the project, which was dedicated to 33 UND soldiers and 18 young men who trained for the military at UND and who died in WWI. The stadium was also meant to honor Webster Merrifield, the university's third president. The campaign was titled "Help the U that is helping you," Armacost said in his remarks during the program. Thursday's ceremony replicated the ceremony that occurred in 1927, including Armacost's reciting the names of the 33 UND soldiers who died in WWI. At the conclusion of the reading, Joel Ness played the somber Taps. "We gather together to dedicate not only a monument, but to honor a legacy of the UND students who left to serve in WWI and never returned," said Steve Burian, who serves on the Memorial Village Development Team and led the construction project. A UND alumnus and track athlete, Burian is president and CEO of Burian and Associates and serves on the UND Advisory Board. The monument is a testament to "the courage, commitment and character of those men," but also to the athletes, students and fans who filled and enlivened the stadium. Those enthusiasts "poured their pride into UND at this historic site," according to the event announcement. The five vertical pillars of the monument represent "loyalty, respect, service, courage and most importantly sacrifice," Burian said. The legacy of this site is preserved through a time capsule, he said, and space has been designated for the capsule that will contain "a message for the future, about how far we've come" and progress expected in decades ahead. Burian expressed gratitude to Armacost for "his deep respect for the military" and personal oversight of this project. "May this memorial forever stand as a place of remembrance, reflection and gratitude," Burian told the crowd. In his remarks, Armacost noted that the time capsule — to be placed in the building later — contains the flag that last flew in 2021 before Memorial Stadium was razed, a 2021 UND yearbook that features the stories of the 33 soldiers who died in WWI, the original ticket to the first game played in the stadium in 1927, other UND military items, an official football, and "a handwritten note from me to the UND president 50 years in the future." The capsule will be placed within the new building sometime this summer, he said.
The Herald Scotland
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
'Doubt' over CalMac new ferry contract from October
It comes as some ferry users raised concerns over why the Scottish Government agreed to give state-owned CalMac licence to continue operations. The Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop had previously said she "fully expected" the direct award would be a "catalyst for positive change". It has been estimated that the subsidy for the running of over 30 lifeline ferry routes over a new ten year period would soar to £370m-a-year from just over £120m a year in the the last eight-year contract period. CalMac's £975m eight-year contract expired in September 2024 but it was given an extension last year while ministers consider the legal implications over the direction in which it wants to go over the running of lifeline services. Fiona Hyslop (Image: NQ) The Scottish Government had previously said direct award with no contest from other potential bidders is the preferred option – closing the door on opening routes up to private operators. A final decision after a due diligence process was expected by the summer of last year with an aim to have the new arrangement in place by the following October. The Scottish Government which has been carrying out due diligence over whether it can go ahead with awarding a long term contract to the under-fire ferry operator says that considerable work has been involved in putting arrangements in place for the direct award of the new Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract to CalMac. But Ms Hyslop's statement to the Scottish Parliament raised concerns from some that there remains uncertainty over ferry operations. One ferry user group official said: "Stating there is an intention to offer the contract is indefinite and takes us but to when they said it was a preferred option. I do wonder if that was an error on her part but it appeared to be a prepared statement. " Islanders need to know where they stand on these lifeline services. If there remains questions over the future operation of our service, then we need to be clear what that is. "There is a belief that the contract for ferry services should be put out to competitive tender, but I have always felt that the future of lifeline services could be plunged into limbo if firm decisions were not made now. Although it wouldn't mean as I have said before giving the contract to CalMac by default. "The Scottish Government needs to be clear in its communications on this." CalMac had previously said it was "confident" that the contract will be extended or renewed under a direct award from October this year. On direct award, a source from the Scottish Government's Transport Scotland agency previously said: "Such a significant decision requires an appropriate level of governance to allow ministers to be in a position to make that decision formally. As we have made clear with stakeholders during recent engagements - none of the due diligence has highlighted any issue that would prevent a direct award from proceeding." Read more from Martin Williams: When asked by MSPs why she decided to make the direct award, Ms Hyslop said : "This is a unique opportunity to change the emphasis from a commercially driven arrangement to public focused service, wholly directed and meeting the important and particular needs of island communities. (Image: PA) "A direct award will enable Scottish ministers to have greater influence over strategic objectives and significant decisions relating to the provision of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services. "This will provide the flexibility needed to drive improvements and adapt to the evolving needs of our island communities." Ministers have been contemplating the feasibility of the direct award approach from a financial, operational and legal perspective, and it has been confirmed that the due diligence has not highlighted any issue that would prevent the direct award happening. That's despite the UK government business regulator telling Scots ministers to clearly explain how its refusal to privatise lifeline ferry routes would not result in cheaper costs to the taxpayer as it emerged costs are set to treble. One advantage cited for a direct contract is a saving on the tender process. The Scottish Government has estimated that the costs of tendering the 2016 to 2024 contract was £1.1m. But that included a £439,000 bill for consultancy support. Angus Campbell, chairman of Cumbrae Ferry Users Group was among those to raise concern over the award and that it should have gone to competitive tender. He said he was not convinced necessary changes that need to be made within CalMac had been made. He gave the example of the Cumbrae Ferry Users Group lodging a past protest with the transport secretary Fiona Hyslop about a sudden 20% reduction in services to and from Great Cumbrae brought in by CalMac. The Ferries Community Board - formed as part of CalMac's previous franchise bid for the contract to be the voice of the communities - told ministers before the award was made that the "majority" view was that the contract should go out to tender to "test the market for best value and encourage innovation and best practice". It said that the response was "very much in the context of real anger and disappointment at how the existing contract was managed and also the decision making at senior management level both at CalMac and Transport Scotland". And Mr Campbell said the position had not changed as it reflected the strong feedback from the communities to the board across the CHFS area. Former First Minister Humza Yousaf, when he was transport minister, indicated in 2017, the year after CalMac was last awarded the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract that CalMac should get a direct award. At the time, the UK was in the European Union and Mr Yousaf said that he was going to "work hard" to satisfy the European Commission that it will meet its state aid rules. The decision scrap the tender process ended up being delayed and delayed due to the need for thorough due diligence. This includes assessing the financial, operational, and legal feasibility of a direct award to CalMac under what is called the Teckal exemption. The Herald has approached Transport Scotland for clarification.
