Latest news with #PaulLawrence
The Herald Scotland
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
What is West Town? How 'UK's biggest urban extension' will take shape
It could see a major difference to the capital and offers a hint at what the city could look like in the future. Speaking to The Herald, Edinburgh Council chief executive Paul Lawrence said: "West Edinburgh is the largest potential urban extension in the growth, employment growth in West Edinburgh which is huge; we gave planning permission to more than 11,000 homes in the last three months of last year." But what is West Town and where exactly is it? What has been approved already? It is hoped the proposals will create a mixed-use development as part of a homes-led neighbourhood that will provide employment, commercial and community amenities and facilities required for a 20-minute neighbourhood. It has been highlighted as an essential part of the vision for west Edinburgh to become a 'vibrant, high-density mixed-use extension to the city with a focus on place-making, sustainability, connectivity and biodiversity.' In April 2022, a £500 million housing development in Edinburgh was given final approval by the Scottish Government. It included 1,350 new homes – of which there would be 330 affordable homes – as well as a primary school, nursery and shops. It had originally been approved by the council in 2016 but was called in for review by MSPs who then approved it a lot further down the line. It was followed by a total of 10,000 new homes being approved in two separate developments in December last year. Read More The Herald revealed that plans for the new town had been approved for 7,000 new houses as well as two schools on a site just south of the Edinburgh Airport. The masterplan, which also includes a doctor's surgery, offices, hotels, shops, pubs and restaurants, has been designed around the council's '20-minute neighbourhood' vision to have all local amenities within walking distance. It was a major milestone for the development of west Edinburgh where thousands of additional new homes are set to be delivered over the next decade through separate developments. Within weeks, another development of 3,000 homes was approved and would be constructed on a 29-hectare site that includes a former runway for the airport. 'Edinburgh Elements' will also include a school, shops, office space, active travel routes and a green urban park. Location The plans for West Town are, unsurprisingly, in the west of Edinburgh and is located on 205 acres between Ingliston Park & Ride and the Gogar Roundabout. Proposals already approved near Edinburgh Airport include sites near Cammo, East Craigs and South Gyle. Transport provision will focus on a new tram stop in the centre of the development linked to the Edinburgh Tram route running directly through the site, together with an integrated bus service.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Teenagers charged over death of father-of-three
A 17-year-old from Bognor has been charged with manslaughter over the death of man in January 2024. Paul Lawrence, a 51-year-old father-of-three and grandfather, was found dead in Gladonian Road, Littlehampton, in the early hours of 28 January, prompting a police inquiry. Another 17-year-old boy, from Littlehampton, has been charged sending a message that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character, and possession of cannabis. The teenagers, both of whom cannot be named for legal reasons, have been released on conditional bail. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Sussex Police
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Teenagers charged over death of Littlehampton man in 2024
A 17-year-old from Bognor has been charged with manslaughter over the death of man in January Lawrence, a 51-year-old father-of-three and grandfather, was found dead in Gladonian Road, Littlehampton, in the early hours of 28 January, prompting a police 17-year-old boy, from Littlehampton, has been charged sending a message that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character, and possession of teenagers, both of whom cannot be named for legal reasons, have been released on conditional bail.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
We are the city of growth and opportunity - the future is bright
According to the individuals responsible for ensuring this growth is carefully managed and inclusive, Edinburgh's future is 'bright' as long as those most in need aren't left behind. Edinburgh, they say, must 'move forward in a way that's going to enhance our success rather than cause further problems'. It is no small task, and one which many rapidly-expanding cities around the world have struggled to overcome. In the first of an exclusive two-part interview for The Herald's series looking at the Future of Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh Council's leader Jane Meagher and chief executive Paul Lawrence discussed the challenges facing the city and the solutions being explored. 'We've got a growing city, we've got a successful city and we've also got a city that faces a huge number of challenges,' said Meagher, who stepped up from her previous role as the authority's housing convener just five months ago after former council leader Cammy Day resigned over allegations of inappropriate behaviour. 'If we are going to continue to grow as a city, for obvious reasons we need to make sure that we can provide enough places for people to live. It's as simple as that.' Read more from The Herald's Future of Edinburgh series: When it comes to the capital's continued economic success compared to most UK cities, the figures speak for themselves. A new and as yet unpublished Scottish Cities Outlook report by the Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) shows Edinburgh accounts for around 18% of Scotland's economic activity, more than any other city, and recorded strong average GVA growth of 5% between 2017 and 2022 - significantly outperforming the Scottish average of 3.7%. It also shows workers in Edinburgh produce more value per hour than anywhere else in Scotland — £49 an hour, compared to the national average of £38.50. Furthermore 82.2% of Edinburgh's working-age population is economically active, above London (78.6%) and Glasgow (73.6%). The capital's 2.6% unemployment rate is the UK's lowest and its median hourly pay of £17.70 is the highest outside London. Highlighting huge innovation growth in artificial intelligence and life sciences, Lawrence likened Edinburgh to the Oxford-Cambridge corridor which, while attracting major investment, has resulted in pressure on infrastructure, particularly transport and housing. 'The challenge is to ensure that growth is inclusive not exclusive,' he said. 'If you look at innovation cities around the world, particularly in western economies, often the most innovation strong also have significant amounts of poverty and inequality as well. We need to ensure that innovation-driven growth, which all the stats show is unarguable, is accompanied by an inclusive approach to employment.' Edinburgh's BioQuarter health innovation hub, he said, has the 'largest concentration of stem cell scientists in the UK with growing companies in life sciences, a world-leading cluster of healthcare and life sciences academics'. But he noted it sits between some of the city's most deprived neighbourhoods. Edinburgh's population is growing three times faster than any other Scottish city (Image: Colin Mearns) 'The challenge for us is to make sure those jobs of the future at the BioQuarter provide meaningful routes to high-quality jobs for the people of Niddrie, Craigmillar and Moredun, as much as postdocs from San Francisco or Singapore,' he added. The Forth Green Freeport is another key driver of the city's growth. Meagher said the council is making it clear to any potential investors that 'local people should not be left behind'. She said: 'What we're doing is drawing together not only investors and potential employers, but also the colleges and universities so they can make sure things like training are happening which equip young people that, for example, will be needed at the Forth Green Freeport so investors go ahead with the development that their planning. 'Then we need to start thinking now about things like apprenticeships, about what kind of college courses are going to be put on so that, in the interests of the company, they've got on their doorstep the right kind of people to make their business a success.' Meanwhile, one of the largest urban extensions in the UK is planned in West Edinburgh, where planning permission was granted for 11,000 new homes in the last three months of last year. 'Here, you have two huge motors of economic development,' Lawrence said, 'one being the airport and the other being Heriot-Watt University, and you have areas of significant deprivation on the other side of the bypass. 'Edinburgh airport is the fastest growing airport in Scotland, Heriot Watt has amazing plans, a big part of the City Region Deal with the National Robotarium. So what does that mean if you live in Wester Hailes? And is there a meaningful route to a meaningful career, not just at entry level but right through the employment spectrum? 'So that allying of Edinburgh's growth with the people who historically have been excluded from it, whether it's in Leith, West Edinburgh; that's the challenge. And to make sure the city, while all that growth is happening, and obviously we see the public saying this, the city doesn't come to a standstill through the growth in car use and public transport not keeping up. 'Transport is a huge part of that. Employment and wider infrastructure to mean that growth is for the city's good, rather than things that for the city's continued division, polarisation if you can call it that, and that the infrastructure needed doesn't keep up. We see examples all around the country where there's been a lot of housing growth and members of the public saying to their elected representatives 'but what about the public services that are needed to support this?' 'It's the challenges of growth that Edinburgh has historically faced into, historically we've actually done pretty well, but those are big challenges for us to address.' But in a climate of increasingly underfunded local government and gaping holes in budgets for housing, transport and education, is the city really up the challenge? The short answer, Meagher said, is yes, 'but only in partnership'. More on The Future of Edinburgh: She said: 'If we're going to take forward these big issues we can only do it with the right people on board. I think there are lots of strands that need to be drawn together and some of them lie in the hands of the Scottish Government, and it's important to keep them in the equation because that's the only way we can make sure that not only do we need enough homes for people to live in, we also need the right types and tenures of homes. 'We need social rented homes and the way the figures stack up at the moment, one of the ways we can achieve that is through grant funding from the Scottish Government. There are other ways we can work out what kinds of financial mechanisms that we can use in order to attract increasing investment and not to rely entirely on government funding. 'We're not saying we need to go to the Scottish Government with a begging bowl, but we are saying we're looking at all different kinds of financial mechanisms.' Lawrence said there is 'no question' significant public funding is required for the housing and transport infrastructure needed to support Edinburgh's projected growth. Some of the figures on this, he added, are 'pretty stark'. The council's plan to deliver 11,000 new affordable homes in the next five years faces a gap of £665 million, while it's estimated a north-south tram extension from Granton to the Royal Infirmary will cost £2 billion. 'A new tram line will need direct investment from the government, there is no question about that. You will not be able to build that at scale otherwise,' he added. 'There are parts of the UK where they've used something called land value uplift where you can say 'this land is currently worth X because it's not being used', transport infrastructure goes in, as a result the value of the land increases and you can capture some of that. That's more difficult to do in a dense, already urban built city like Edinburgh. So while there are mechanisms we can look at, there is no question that for us to take the tram forward will need some very tough decisions from the Scottish Government to prioritise mobility in a major city like Edinburgh. 'What's happened over the past 10 to 15 years with large scale house building outside the city is a lot of people are living outside the city, because frankly house prices are cheaper, but are coming into the city for employment. So we have to plan that together and something like public transport expansion, whether that's tram or bus - and bus is extremely important to that - that we do that as a region. 'We are the fastest-growing region in Scotland and that means that infrastructure investment in public transport needs to keep pace.' He said the Growth Accelerator Model (GAM) used to deliver the St James Quarter 'has got a lot more potential' in Edinburgh. 'This was effectively a way of recycling tax uplift which wouldn't have happened if the development hadn't happened, and then partially reinvested it into the development to support viability and the quality of the public realm. 'That was a partnership between the council, Scottish Government and the private sector investor. It took us a long time to design and deliver that but it was done very successfully, we see the public enjoying Edinburgh St James. We think there's more like that can be done where it's not just us with a hand out, it's also creating mechanisms that we think will work.' Jane Meagher has been City of Edinburgh Council's leader since December 2024 (Image: Gordon Terris) Meagher added: 'If you think about the benefits to the Scottish economy as a whole, it's an undeniable fact that the central belt is what, at least in part, drives the whole of the Scottish economy. 'If we're bringing in all these jobs then clearly that's going to increase revenue in terms of taxation, etcetera. We think this is not just for Edinburgh's benefit but for the benefit of the whole country. 'The future is bright provided we don't leave behind the people and parts of the city who suffer most from things like poverty. 'We've got major challenges to address in order to move forward in a way that's going to enhance our success rather than cause further problems.'
Miami Herald
05-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
New to The Street Acquires 15% Equity Stake in CommercialVille, Launches National Media Campaign Featuring Patent-Backed Platform
CommercialVille's 30-Second Commercial and NYSE Interview Rebroadcast on Bloomberg Friday, May 2. Paul Lawrence Returns for Second Interview Detailing CommercialVille's Value to Advertisers, Investors, and Local Search NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / May 4, 2025 / New to The Street, the veteran financial media brand airing weekly on Bloomberg Television and Fox Business, announces a strategic 15% all-equity stake in CommercialVille, a pioneering, zip code-targeted video search engine platform. The deal includes full rights to CommercialVille's patent portfolio and supports a multi-platform media rollout to expand brand visibility, investor engagement, and advertiser onboarding. On Friday evening, May 2, both CommercialVille's 30-second television ad and its NYSE interview were rebroadcast during prime time on Bloomberg Television, highlighting the company's platform innovation and commercial launch. IP-Driven Deal: CommercialVille Patents Included The equity agreement includes: Two fully granted U.S. utility patents (Nov. 2, 2020 & Jan. 7, 2021)One granted Canadian utility patent (Nov. 29, 2022)One patent pending in the People's Republic of China (PRC) These patents secure CommercialVille's unique ability to deliver localized video search results entirely within its proprietary zip code gallery system, without external mapping or third-party engines. Advertisers can upload and serve video ads that are sorted and surfaced by location, offering a direct, non-disruptive connection to consumers actively searching. "This partnership brings patented, scalable tech into our media ecosystem," said Vince Caruso, Founder and Managing Partner of New to The Street. "CommercialVille is redefining video search for small businesses-and we're proud to put them in front of investors and consumers through our broadcast platform." Second Interview with CommercialVille's Paul Lawrence: What Viewers Can Expect In his second televised interview on New to The Street, Paul Lawrence will dive deeper into: Why CommercialVille was created to fill a major void in local video the platform empowers small businesses to target by zip code and control ad ease of onboarding-businesses can upload video creatives in differences from Google, YouTube, or third-party ad engines.U.S. search ad spending forecasts for 2025 and what it means for local CommercialVille is ideally positioned for industries that rely on geographic targeting (e.g. real estate, healthcare, contractors).How the platform offers a cost-effective, IP-protected alternative amid economic uncertainty, tariffs, and search algorithm fatigue.A snapshot of U.S. video consumption growth and why CommercialVille is poised to capitalize. Lawrence will also share investment updates, and close with how viewers can learn more or inquire at or PR@ About CommercialVille CommercialVille is a patented, zip code-targeted, video-based search engine that empowers small businesses to reach their local customers directly through geo-targeted video ads. The platform is fully enclosed, runs independently of mapping systems, and is protected by a growing IP portfolio across the U.S., Canada, and pending in China. For partnerships or investor inquiries: PR@ About New to The StreetWith 2.51 million YouTube subscribers, 711,000+ social media followers, and over 16 years of broadcast credibility, New to The Street delivers national exposure and institutional trust across Bloomberg Television, Fox Business, and digital. The platform films weekly from the NYSE, Nasdaq MarketSite, and other leading venues, combining sponsored content, earned media, and iconic outdoor reach. Media Contact:Monica BrennanDirector of CommunicationsMonica@ SOURCE: New To The Street
