Latest news with #KinrossCouncil
The National
4 days ago
- Health
- The National
Perthshire children's hospice announces major £17 million revamp
The Kinross-based Rachel House is one of two children's hospices run by Children's Hospices Across Scotland (Chas) and will undergo 'extensive upgrades' to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the families who rely on it. The redesign will include an additional hydrotherapy pool, better-equipped bedrooms, and fully accessible adventure gardens. Work on the building is due to start next year, with the full project set for completion in 2027, subject to approval from Perth and Kinross Council. READ MORE: More than £1m in funding announced for restoration projects for Scottish coastline The charity said that the redesign had 'put children and families at the heart of the process' with their input key to the changes being made. Dr Qusai Alhamdan, whose children Mo and Elaine have been supported by Rachel House since 2021, said Rachel House holds a 'very close' place in her family's hearts. The children both suffer from ataxia with oculomotor apraxia, which causes problems with movement, co-ordination and balance. (Image: Children's Hospices Across Scotland) 'As their condition is degenerative, making memories together as a family is very important to us and we have spent many wonderful respite visits at Rachel House over the last four years,' Alhamdan said. 'My wife Esraa and I find our visits to the hospice very relaxing because we don't have to worry about our caring responsibilities as the lovely nurses and staff take over and do everything that is needed so we can just enjoy precious time together.' Built in 1996, Rachel House cost £10m and supported just under 100 children a year in the first few years. Now that number has more than doubled and continues to rise, the charity said. Ken Lowndes' two daughters, Jenny and Marion, were two of the first children to be cared for when the hospice first opened. Both were born healthy, normal babies, but with a two-year age gap, Jenny and Marion were diagnosed with leukodystrophy when they were four years old. Before Rachel House opened, the family made a regular 900-mile round trip from their home in Achiltibuie, north of Ullapool, to Martin House in West Yorkshire. (Image: Children's Hospices Across Scotland) Lowndes said: 'The time we had together in Rachel House was precious for our whole family. It was a place my wife Ann and I felt supported and where we knew our girls would be loved and cared for. 'Children's hospices can sound frightening but in reality it's a place of joy, light and humour, where memories are made and where parents can recharge their batteries and can just be parents – not parent, medic, and round the clock carer.' He added: 'We helped to fundraise for Rachel House but we never knew if Jenny and Marion would get to visit, if they'd live to see it. They did. They loved it, as did we all. 'Ensuring the next generation of families has the same standard of care that my family experienced is vital and the redesigned Rachel House will go on to make a huge difference to hundreds more Scottish families.' Chas CEO, Rami Okasha, said the project is a huge development for the charity, but one they haven't taken on lightly. He added that the charity wants to transform end-of-life care for children and continue to deliver the highest level of care at the hospice. Okasha said: 'CHAS gives unwavering care to children who may die young, and their families, at every step on the hardest of journeys. Rebuilding Rachel House will cost £17 million and is part of getting that right. Applying for planning permission today is the first important step for us. (Image: Children's Hospices Across Scotland) 'This is a huge project for us and one we haven't taken on lightly. We want to transform end-of-life care for children and their families in Scotland. While Rachel House has served hundreds of families well until now, to deliver the high-level care required long into the future we need to upgrade and rebuild. Okasha added: 'No one should face the death of their child alone and to be successful we are once again asking or donors to get on board and help raise the millions of pounds that will make a difference every day for families dealing with the unimaginable reality of loving and caring for a child who will die young.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Children's hospice announces £17m revamp
Kinross children's hospice Rachel House is set for a £17m revamp, thirty years after it opened. The hospice, which was the first of its kind in Scotland, is one of two run by Children's Hospices Across Scotland (Chas). The redesign will include an additional hydrotherapy pool, better-equipped bedrooms and fully accessible adventure gardens. Building work is due to start next year with the full project set for completion in 2027, subject to approval from Perth and Kinross Council. Rachel House was built in 1996 at a cost of £10m and opened by HRH The Princess Royal. It supported just under 100 children a year in the 1990s, but that number has more than doubled and continues to rise. The charity said that the redesign had "put children and families at the heart of the process" with their input key to the changes being made. Dr Qusai Alhamdan, whose children Mo and Elaine have been supported by Rachel House since 2021, said the hospice was "very close to our hearts." The children both suffer from ataxia with oculomotor apraxia, which causes problems with movement, co-ordination and balance. Dr Alhamdan said: "As their condition is degenerative, making memories together as a family is very important to us and we have spent many wonderful respite visits at Rachel House over the last four years. "My wife Esraa and I find our visits to the hospice very relaxing because we don't have to worry about our caring responsibilities as the lovely nurses and staff take over and do everything that is needed so we can just enjoy precious time together." Ken Lowndes' two daughters Jenny and Marion were two of the first children to be cared for in Rachel House when it opened. Born healthy normal babies with a two-year age gap, both Jenny and Marion were diagnosed with leukodystrophy when they were four years old. Before Rachel House opened, the family made regular 900-mile round trips from their home in Achiltibuie, north of Ullapool, to Martin House in West Yorkshire. Mr Lowndes said: "We helped to fundraise for Rachel House but we never knew if Jenny and Marion would get to visit, if they'd live to see it. "They did. They loved it, as did we all. "Ensuring the next generation of families has the same standard of care that my family experienced is vital and the redesigned Rachel House will go on to make a huge difference to hundreds more Scottish families." Chas chief executive Rami Okasha said the charity wanted to transform end-of-life care for children and their families in Scotland. He said: "No one should face the death of their child alone and to be successful we are once again asking or donors to get on board and help raise the millions of pounds that will make a difference every day for families dealing with the unimaginable reality of loving and caring for a child who will die young."
Daily Record
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Record
Mixed response PKC's 'environmentally-friendly alternative' to grass-cutting
The initiative has been met with safety fears and criticism as PKC highlighted the "more environmentally-friendly alternative" to keeping its green spaces under control Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) has reverted to a medieval method of maintaining some of its green spaces. The local authority - which has been criticised for its "no mow" approach - this week announced staff had received training to cut grass with scythes. PKC also offered to train volunteers to safely use the sharp tools to maintain its public spaces. A PKC spokesperson said: "Our Community Greenspace staff have recently received training in the safe use of scythes from an experienced trainer through SABI (Scythe Association of Britain and Northern Ireland) as an effective and more environmentally-friendly alternative to fossil fuel-powered equipment. "As a result, we can now offer training to community groups, on request, if they are looking to use these tools safely when carrying out maintenance in their local green spaces. Only people who are suitably trained and have the council's permission can carry out this work in public green spaces. Anyone interested in volunteering with Community Greenspace can find out more on our website at Since 2021 PKC has changed the way it manages its grasslands. From 2021 to 2024 grassland management trials were carried out across 198 council sites. A "cut and lift" approach was carried out on some sites - where there was an annual cut and clippings were removed and a "cut and leave" approach was adopted on other sites where clippings from the annual cut were left to allow wildflowers such as daisies and buttercups to grow. In 2024 the Grow Wild programme was extended across Perth and Kinross for two years in a bid to improve biodiversity and reduce maintenance costs at up to 1,700 of the 1,900 sites PKC maintains. The initiative has been met with criticism, with children traipsing through hidden dog poo in long grass to get to play parks. Council cemeteries are scheduled to have their grass cut on a fortnightly basis and strimming around headstones on a monthly basis. However, staffing pressures last year led to a bereaved mum resorting to bringing a battery-powered strimmer to clear her son's grave. Carse of Gowrie councillor Angus Forbes - who has received a number of complaints about PKC's Grow Wild policy - is "perplexed" by this latest "full vintage" move. The Conservative councillor said: "I was a little perplexed that the council have gone full vintage on their grass-cutting policy and I certainly hope that none of these scythes are being sharpened up to make an even bigger cut to the grass-cutting budget than has already taken place. "I really don't understand the aim here; if it's honestly about reducing emissions then battery-operated strimmers would surely be suitable? Or else we could perhaps just order a few sheep to keep the grass down - after all, they get paid in grass, fertilise as they go and never complain." The news received a mixed response on PKC's Facebook page. Stuart King asked: "Is it April 1? Most dangerous tool out!" Craig Murray added: "Wow. Talk about using anything to save money; are we going back to the Stone Age?" Chris Jackson said: "So in other words, we're too tight to pay our employees to get out and cut all the grassy areas we've neglected for the last six months, so we'll get Joe Public to do all our work for us but claim we're doing our bit for the environment. Sounds about right." Some supported the green initiative. Gus Norman said: "Well done." Madeline Warriner added: "MacRosty Park looks fantastic. In my opinion, they have got the balance right between natural grassland and mown grassland. Congratulations to the team for doing this." Kim Winters Alumis said: "I like how parks and green spaces have patches of longer grass. It looks much better then just boring short grass."
The Courier
5 days ago
- Business
- The Courier
Perth's South Inch pavilion cafe reopens with Blend Coffee Lounge team at helm
Perth's South Inch pavilion cafe has reopened with a familiar city name on the door. The team behind Perth's Blend Coffee Lounge have taken on the running of the popular landmark. Blend's Sundeep Salins says it's a privilege to become the latest stewards of a venue that holds so many warm memories for the people of Perth. 'We've only just opened and the response has been great,' he said. 'People remember the pavilion and the boating pond, and they're all saying how glad they are to see the cafe open again. 'It's nice to be able to breathe new life into the place.' The South Inch pavilion is owned by Perth and Kinross Council. It advertised for a new operator to run the pavilion cafe at the start of the year. The rest of the building is occupied by Fair City Juniors Football Club. Under Blend's management, the South Inch pavilion cafe will initially be open from 10am-7pm. Sundeep says the team will settle on the right opening hours for weekends once they've had a chance to assess demand. They are also keen to stay open through the autumn and winter. The cafe will sell light snacks, ice cream tubs, milkshakes and soft drinks, as well as Blend's famous coffee. Its toilets will also be open to the public. Blend started in Perth's Old High Street in 2013. The South Inch pavilion cafe will be its seventh outlet. The original coffee lounge is still going strong, hosting regular events including a Menopause Cafe and a popular street poetry night. Sundeep says the aim was to create 'a safe space for the city', and that's the goal for the pavilion too. 'We're looking forward to growing our community at the South Inch,' he said. 'We're hoping we can make it a place for all the people who use the park – mothers and toddlers, people who work from home, people who have come to the park looking for a bit of headspace. 'Really we're hoping people will come to us and tell us what they want.' The South Inch pavilion cafe has had a number of operators over the years. Sundeep says the Blend team are grateful to Perth and Kinross Council for all their support in getting the building ready to reopen. Councillor Eric Drysdale, convener of the council's economy and infrastructure committee, says it's been a pleasure. 'It is fantastic to see Blend opening on the South Inch,' he said. 'The council has worked closely with Sundeep, and Fair City Community Football Club who have leased the rest of the pavilion, to bring the building back to life. 'I am sure this will be a huge success and a great addition to the South Inch.'
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Perth and Kinross Council will consider cumulative impact of multiple battery energy storage systems
The local authority has received a number of planning applications for electricity generating stations The Scottish Government has said councils should consider the cumulative impact of having several battery energy storage systems (BESS) in one area. There has been a recent explosion in the number of 49.9MW BESS applications being submitted to Perth and Kinross Council; anything 50MW or larger requires Scottish Ministers' approval. But that has led to places - such as Coupar Angus and Abernethy - having multiple planning applications for 49.9 MW battery energy storage systems next to one another. Last week Perth and Kinross Council's Planning and Placemaking Committee unanimously approved a 49.9MW BESS - on prime agricultural land at Abernethy because it was essential infrastructure. Planning permission for two other 49.9MW plants in the same area were granted just last year - and there are more in the pipeline. Applications for electricity generating stations with a capacity greater than 50MW are determined by Scottish Ministers and processed by the Energy Consents Unit (ECU). But is there a danger of large areas of land becoming awash with a mass of BESS developments - of 49.9MW - with applications submitted on a piecemeal basis to a local planning authority, such as Perth and Kinross Council? The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked both the Scottish Government and Perth and Kinross Council what measures - if any - are in place to stop this potential planning loophole being exploited. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Whether determined by Scottish Ministers or planning authorities where new development proposals come forward the impacts of proposals on communities, nature and other receptors, including prime agricultural land, as well as cumulative impacts, are important considerations in the decision-making process. All applications are subject to site specific assessments." Meanwhile PKC's Major Applications and Enforcement team leader Sean Panton said council planners would consider the cumulative impact of any such developments. He said: "Applicants can submit as many applications as they want in a particular area and we cannot stop them from doing this. They are also entitled to submit a number of applications near each other for 49.9MW as each application would be considered on its own merits. "However, if this was to happen, even although the combined output of all the different facilities would be over 50MW, as each application is under 50MW, it would be the council who would determine the applications rather than the ECU (unless called in). The council would consider cumulative impacts should we be in a situation where multiple applications have been submitted in the same area. "There is no specified limit, but we can consider the cumulative impact to be excessive and recommend refusal should we be concerned at the over-provision in a certain area." Pushed for an exact figure on what would be deemed too much, Mr Panton could not specify but added: "I can however say we would start to restrict them when the cumulative impact becomes 'excessive or unreasonable'." Scotland is in the midst of a housing emergency. A shortage of available land is often blamed, so some might question why land can be found for so many BESS applications. Mr Panton said: " In the Perth and Kinross Local Development Plan 2 (2019), there are allocated sites for housing. Housing is encouraged to be submitted on these areas rather than other areas of prime agricultural land. Equally, we would not encourage BESS developments on areas of land that are identified for housing."
