Stirling Eye - Winter 2008/09

Winter 2008/09

Inside this issue...

Special feature on Raploch Laying the foundations for a sustainable future

Business research and information How to find statistics and business information

Gordon Ramsay’s Gala Dinner Stars support Spina Bifida charity at Castle event

Business space Opportunities at Springkerse

Business profile Falcon Foodservice Equipment

Planning update Application for boutique hotel at Spittal Street

0845 277 7000

Contents

Welcome At a time when the media seems to

Local business news

3

Sponsors and stars lined up for Gordon Ramsay’s Gala Dinner...

7

Gordon Ramsay’s Christmas Appeal 7 for the Scottish Spina Bifida Assoc.

bring yet more bad news each day it is encouraging to see so many local

Business profile: Falcon Foodservice Equipment

8

number of those successes and my congratulations to them all.

IT and web training for Stirling farmers

9

The economy has been, and still is, the hot topic. At a time

Enhancing the evening economy

9

like this it is important that we try to ensure that as much

At your service: Licensing

10

of the money circulating in the local economy stays in the

Business space developments

12

local economy. I am pleased to note that local businesses

Planning applications update

13

are gaining business from each other and from the Council’s

Stirling’s Winter Festival

13

agencies. The features on Falcon and the Raploch URC

Commercialise your ideas

13

highlight the good work that has been achieved with local

Special feature - Raploch

14

suppliers.

New college campus for Stirling

17

Our profile on Council services in this edition focuses on

New initiative to help unemployed 17

Licensing and the changes that are taking place in that field.

Sector feature: Retail

18

30 second interview

20

businesses achieving success. This edition of Stirling Eye features a

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy

Interview with Kate Sankey, owner 21 of West Moss-side Organic Farm

and enjoyable Christmas.

Councillor Scott Farmer Depute Leader of Council and Corporate Resources and Economy portfolio holder.

If you need this information in large print, Braille, audio or in another language please contact 0845 277 7000 and quote reference number 7064.

Cover photo: Local business man and celebrity chef Nick Nairn with Gordon Ramsay - please see article on page 7 for more information. Photo by Peter Sandground.

Special feature: Research & information for businesses

22

Intercontinental Rally Challenge comes to Stirling

24

Support for local businesses and communities in Rural Forth Valley

25

BBC Christmas drama filmed on location in Stirling

25

Economic facts

26

Christmas Park & Ride opening times

28

Forthcoming events/training

28

Stirling Eye is compiled and produced by Stirling Council Economic Development Department.

If you have any interesting news with a business or economic focus, or would like to comment on this publication, please contact: Joëlle Russell, Business Research & Intelligence Executive Environment Services, Economic Strategy & Intelligence, Stirling Council, Viewforth, Stirling FK8 2ET Tel: 01786 442778 Email: russelljl@stirling.gov.uk Web: www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye Printed on recycled paper.

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Focus on the local economy

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Local business news

Stirling Business Panel update…

Stirling’s Business Panel now has over 500 members! If you are not already a member and would like to join or find out more, please contact Bill Fortune on 01786 443172, or email panel@stirling.gov.uk The 2008 Annual Business Panel Survey was sent out to members in October.

The results of the survey will be used to influence future Council plans and strategy, particularly where related to businesses and business needs. If you have not already returned your survey questionnaire, please do so before the end of December.

of business sectors and size bands, allowing the results of the Business Panel survey to be used to provide a representative view of the Stirling business community.

Please look out for the results of the 2008 Annual Business Panel Survey in a future edition of Stirling Eye!

Stirling and 61 per cent from urban areas.

The Business Panel Executive Group has also been active, with a second meeting in September. Collette Filippi of the Falkirk

describing progress in development of the Falkirk Business Panel.

Other topics discussed were procurement, developing a Panel website and considering an event for Panel members in early 2009.

The Panel also represents a broad range

Business Panel presented to the group,

www.stirling.gov.uk/businesspanel

The Stirling Business Panel is broadly representative of the Stirling business base with 39 per cent of members from rural

Business awards Stirling Eye is delighted to announce a number of award winning Stirling businesses…

Denvir win Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year Award

Contract Scotland are awarded Community Mark

Congratulations

Congratulations

to Stirling

to Stirling

based Denvir,

based Contract

the UK’s first

Scotland

dedicated

who were

brands agency

awarded their

who won

Community

the National

Mark in July at

Business

a Business in

Awards for

the Community

Scotland’s small

Awards Dinner in London.

to Medium

Contract Scotland is one of only 21 companies in the UK to

Sized Business

achieve the standard, and the only recruitment consultancy. The

of the Year in September.

Community Mark is awarded to companies that demonstrate a

Denvir beat off tough competition in the category, including Mackies of Scotland, Independent Women, Churchill Drilling Tools and Spurr Energy.

Denvir’s Managing Director, Suzanne George said: “We are absolutely thrilled at winning this award! Denvir has grown considerably in the five years since I set up the company becoming a £2.5 million turnover company with 30 qualified, experienced employees based in Scotland, operating UK-wide.”

long-term positive impact on the communities that they serve.

Colin Woodward, Director of Contract Scotland said: “Achieving the Community Mark is the continuation of our Community activities which started in 2003 and have so far helped those furthest removed from the market place into the Scottish Construction Industry at a time when the skills shortage in the sector has been most marked. We are justifiably proud of this achievement.”

www.denvirgroup.com

www.contractscotland.co.uk www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

Local business news

Pet Royale Limited secures Poppyscotland loan Denise Ward, from Stirling, was the first person to receive a loan through Poppyscotland’s new loan scheme for small

OSTA sold to Snowie’s Adamo Hotels OSTA has been sold to Adamo Hotels just three weeks after being placed on the open market. The boutique hotel and restaurant is located in the former Bank of Scotland regional head office in Stirling.

OSTA was sold by Knight Frank on behalf of Morris Inns Group Ltd. David Reid, a partner at Knight Frank said: “Literally within a few weeks of going on the open market, I had four sets of buyers seeking to purchase OSTA, which is without doubt one of the most admired and handsome buildings in Central Scotland.”

businesses aimed at ex servicemen and

Adamo Hotels Chairman Euan Snowie advised: “With the Queens Hotel in Bridge of Allan

women in Scotland.

just finished refurbishment and with another new hotel in Stirling to open in the near

The £3,500 loan has helped Denise get her

future, OSTA offered too good an opportunity to miss.”

pet boarding business, Pet Royale Limited,

“I have an excellent management team in place and the obvious synergy of having

off the ground. Denise has used the loan to

another boutique hotel round the corner fits perfectly with my over all expansion plans

purchase vital pet transportation equipment,

for Adamo Hotels. I plan to continue running OSTA in its current format for the next few

create a corporate identity for the business,

months and then I’ll review customer opinions before making any fundamental changes.”

to advertise her services and cover the cost of public and employer’s liability insurance.

Denise served in the Royal Air Force for six years between 1972 and 1978, making

Visual revolution

her eligible for the loan. She also had to

Stirling Optical, a family run opticians in the

engage with Business Gateway as part of

city centre of Stirling, has become the first in

the conditions of receiving the loan. And

the area to provide the latest Orthokeratology

with bookings running well in to next year,

(Ortho-k) technology for contact lens wearers.

it is safe to say that Pet Royale is off to a flying start!

The revolutionary technology uses a custommade lens, which is worn overnight and taken

Poppyscotland offers veterans wishing to start

out during the day. Wearers vision is corrected

-up in business access to loans of up to £7,500

throughout the day, without the need to wear

to get their business off the ground and

spectacles or contact lenses.

professional advice and mentoring both pre and post business start-up. For further information on Poppyscotland, please phone 0131 557 2782 or visit www.poppyscotland.org.uk

Over forty years ago, opticians discovered that it was possible to use contact lenses to reshape the cornea and correct the eye’s resolving power. These early lenses were difficult to produce to a repeatable level and were not a success. With the arrival of precision technology and gas permeable lenses, the latest developments mean that advanced individual lenses can be

For more information on

engineered to gently correct your eyesight as you sleep.

Pet Royale Limited, please visit

The Ortho-k lenses provided by Stirling Optical are manufactured in Scotland by Scotlens and

www.pet-royale.co.uk

are a convenient, risk free alternative to laser surgery.

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Focus on the local economy

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Local business news Stirling companies help to secure prestigious awards The skills and expertise of two local companies, Eastfield Engineering and Rok, have helped to secure prestigious awards for Gleneagles and the Titan Crane.

Naughtie Chancellor installed at University Dr James Naughtie, one of Britain’s bestknown broadcasters, has succeeded Dame Diana Rigg as Chancellor of the University of Stirling.

James was born and educated in Aberdeenshire and began a career in journalism in 1975 with the Press and Journal and wrote for the Scotsman and Guardian before moving into broadcasting. Currently, he presents Today on BBC Radio 4, and is host of the network’s monthly Bookclub. For the Today programme, he has travelled to more than two-dozen countries, and has written and presented two acclaimed series on American politics.

James was formally installed as Chancellor at a ceremony in October, where the University also awarded honorary degrees on The Rt Hon Jack McConnell MSP, Louise Martin CBE and Jasminder Singh OBE, in recognition of their contributions to society.

The Titan Crane, Clydebank

Gleneagles Spa

Eastfield Engineering help complete Titan rebuild Fallin based Eastfield Engineering provided specialist-riveting expertise as part of the £3 million rebuild of the A-listed Titan Crane in Clydebank. The completed Titan Crane and Visitors Centre recently won an International Award for Architecture, organised by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum.

The Titan Crane was one of only 14 projects from the UK to be given the award, in recognition of its iconic status as a symbol of the Clyde’s industrial heritage, and as a catalyst for the current regeneration of the Clydebank waterfront, the former location of the Clydebank shipyards.

John Davidson of Eastfield Engineering said, “It was a privilege to work on the restoration of the Titan Crane as it is a great landmark on the Clyde. Our involvement was to supply and fit pot headed rivets to bring back the original structure of the Titan Crane”. www.eastfieldengineering.co.uk To find out more about Titan and regeneration of the Clydebank Waterfront, please visit www.titanclydebank.co.uk

Gleneagles Spa wins award Rok’s building and maintenance team in Stirling is celebrating after two prestigious awards were presented to a world-renowned venue it completed earlier in the year.

The Spa at Gleneagles by ESPA, part of the AA Five Red Star resort in Perthshire, has been awarded the prestigious Condè Nast Readers’ Award for favourite UK Hotel Spa as well as the British Beauty Award for Hotel Destination Spa of the Year. The spa opened in March, following Rok’s work on building and fitting out the luxury facility.

John Smith, Senior Site Manager for Rok said: “We are thrilled that the spa is receiving the praise it duly deserves and these awards recognise the hard work and dedication of all involved.” www.rokgroup.com

Did you know?

The Titan crane assisted in the building of many famous ships including The Lusitania, The Queen Mary and the QE2. Standing 150 feet above ground level, Titan is still the most prominent and recognisable object on the Clydebank skyline.

Distillery contract for Rok Stirling Stirling based Rok has begun work on a project to improve and expand the historic Cameronbridge distillery. The Cameronbridge distillery first opened in 1823 and is located on a 20-acre site in Fife. The distillery was the first in the world to produce grain whisky on a large scale and its current output is used in Diageo blends including Johnnie Walker, J&B and Bell’s alongside white spirit brands such as Tanqueray, Gordon’s Gin and Smirnoff Vodka.

Willie Boyce, project manager for Rok Stirling, said: “Cameronbridge has a capacity to produce 66 million litres of alcohol each year. Diageo, the owners and operators of the site have plans to increase annual output to around 100 million litres and we are working on expanding the facilities and infrastructure to facilitate this growth.” www.rokgroup.com

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

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Focus on the local economy

Local business news Stirling researcher named in world top fifty A senior researcher at the University of Stirling has been named by an American magazine as one of the most influential people in the

Professor Rory O’Neill, who is Honorary Professor in the University’s Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group, has been selected in a global list of the 50 most influential environmental health and safety leaders.

He said: “I am delighted to have this recognition, which

world in his field.

will help to keep our work in the public eye. Occupational health and safety needs far more attention - market driven deregulatory approaches have left workers less secure and less content at work. Unless we act now to deliver better, more satisfying jobs we’ll see new epidemics of work related heart

disease, suicide and stroke.”

The survey was conducted by Occupational Hazards magazine, an American business magazine which serves the occupational safety and industrial hygiene market.

Business welcome…

Recently Stirling has welcomed various businesses and business start ups to commercial premises in the area, including:

Pots and Pans Warehouse

Thomsons Coffee

Pots and Pans recently relocated

Amaryllis Flowers

sale of specialist cookware.

A new shop specialising in roasted coffees and tea blends. The shop recently opened and is located on Broad Street. www.thomsons-coffee.com

A new business offering full floristry services. The business is located in McLaren Terrace, St Ninians. www.amaryllisflowers.co.uk

from King’s Street to the Thistles Centre. The shop specialises in the www.pots-and-pans.co.uk

A Wee Sweetie

Refinish Limited

A new business specialising in the sale of traditional sweets and candies. The shop is located in the Stirling Arcade.

Tel: 01786 445599

A new business start-up specialising in minor car cosmetic body

Bill Crusaders

repairs. Refinish Limited opened in

A new business offering membership services to residents, helping them save on gas and electricity bills and more. Bill Crusaders’ call centre opened in King Street, Stirling in November. www.billcrusaders.com

September 2008 and is located in

Baressensuals

materials and childrens toys. Shenanegans

A new lingerie boutique specialising in bra fitting for women post breast surgery – please see www.baressensuals.com for further information on events. The business is based in Henderson Street, Bridge of Allan.

Broadleys Business Park. www.refinish.ltd.uk

Shenanegans Crafts A new business providing a range of craft Crafts opened in September and is located on the High Street, Dunblane.

Tel: 01786 826975

Spotlight TV A new business specialising in dedicated broadband TV channels for business.

BPM Clothing BPM Clothing is a new men’s fashion retailer. The business opened in October and is located in the Stirling Arcade.

Tel: 01786 460310

Fleurtations & Temptations Fluertations & Temptations, formerly of Kildean Market has now moved to Back O’Hill Industrial Estate, Stirling. The business is a specialist florist and recently expanded to include sale of gifts. www.fleurtationsandtemptations.co.uk

Spotlight TV was started up in July this year and is located in the Alpha Centre, Stirling University Innovation Park. www.spotlighttv.tv

Stirling Bagpipes A new business specialising in bag pipe manufacture, restoration and retailing.

A Wee Sweetie shop, Stirling Arcade

**STOP PRESS** As Stirling Eye went to print, Janie reported that she was in process of opening a new chocolate shop next to her existing shop (A Wee Sweetie) in the Stirling Arcade. The chocolate shop will be open by December.

Youth A new shop specialising in sale of branded clothing for teenagers. The shop opened in August and is located in Friars Street.

Tel: 01786 446583

The business will open in December and

Zingerman’s Bar & Grill

is located on Broad Street, opposite the

A new restaurant and bar located on Port Street, Stirling. Zingerman’s opened in June 2008. www.zingermans.co.uk

Tolbooth. www.stirlingbagpipes.com

If you have recently set up a business in the Stirling Council area and would like a mention in Stirling Eye or would like to report a business news story, please contact Joëlle Russell on 01786 442778 or email russelljl@stirling.gov.uk

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Sponsors and stars lined up for Gordon Ramsay’s Gala Dinner...

The Scottish Spina Bifida Association, who staged Gordon Ramsay’s All Hallow’s Eve Gala Dinner at Stirling Castle on Thursday 30th October 2008, raised a staggering £100,000 with a little help from Prudential, the Stirling based Life and Pension provider, who was the main sponsor of this dazzling red carpet event.

Gordon Ramsay OBE, the Charity’s Patron, hosted the event and was joined by actor and West End star, John Gordon Sinclair; who introduced the guests to Stirling Castles ghostly past. Janet Street-Porter, often dubbed as Gordon’s worst nightmare; was the after dinner speaker. Direct from the critically acclaimed Broadway revival of Les Miserables was John Owen Jones, legendary star of the West Ends’ Phantom of the Opera; who performed showstoppers from West End musicals.

An excited Gordon Ramsay said, “I am really pleased Prudential supported the Association, it is such an important Scottish Charity, I cannot thank them enough.”

He continued, “The dinner was attended by leading personalities from Britain’s business and media communities. Once the guests entered the castle the gates were shut behind them and they found themselves in one of the most spectacular settings in the world sumptuously and dramatically dressed in damson and black, by 88 Events, Scotland’s leading specialist Events company who were also sponsoring the event.”

He added, “Guests sipped champagne in the Chapel Royal and then joined me in the historic Great Hall and experienced the ultimate Ramsay Nightmare as I hosted an exciting evening of world class entertainment to celebrate the most haunted night of the year.”

Deborah Roe, Head of Fundraising for the Scottish Spina Bifida

Association said, “We are delighted that Prudential sponsored Gordon Ramsay‘s Gala Dinner despite all the financial headlines and warnings of credit crunch nightmares.”

She continued, “With Prudential’s help we raised vital funds for the Charity; every year we require to raise over £500,000 to run the Family Support Centre and its services, for which we receive only 10% statutory funding.”

Andy Curran, UK Sales Director at Prudential said, “Participating actively in the community is important and we are pleased that our involvement has helped the Scottish Spina Bifida Association raise much needed funding for its activities.”

Gordon Ramsay’s Christmas Appeal for the Scottish Spina Bifida Association This Christmas Gordon Ramsay is appealing to the business community to help support The Scottish Spina Bifida Association.

Rather than buy your clients and colleagues expensive or unwanted Christmas presents, Gordon Ramsay is asking people to make a donation to the Charity instead. “In these tough financial times why not just have a simple Christmas collection and know that whatever you give will help over 3000 children, young people and families all over Scotland who are affected by spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Most of those born with these conditions will have lifelong disabilities. They really need your help. Do something special this Christmas; support the Scottish Spina Bifida Association.”

How to support: Donations can be made via the Scottish Spina Bifida Associations website at www.ssba.org.uk, over the phone with a visa, delta, master or switch card on 01236 794505 or can be sent to the Charity at their Family Support Centre at The Dan Young Building, 6 Craighalbert Way, Cumbernauld, G68 0LS.

Did you know?

SSBA was founded in Glasgow in 1965 by a group of parents. 40 years on, The SSBA provide the only specialist Family Support Service in Scotland.

In 2006 Gordon Ramsay OBE, the charity’s Honorary Patron, officially opened the Scottish Spina Bifida Association’s purpose built family support centre in Cumbernauld.

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Focus on the local economy

Business profile

Falcon Foodservice Equipment

Falcon is the UK’s leading manufacturer of commercial catering equipment and is part of Ali SpA, Europe’s largest foodservice group.

They were established over 150 years ago in

Moving with the times

Falkirk and now have 250 staff and an annual

Falcon was among the first equipment suppliers to be awarded the prestigious environmental ISO14001 certification.

turnover of £25 million.

The business relocated in 2003 to a 132,000 sq ft factory at Wallace View, Stirling that allowed the company to focus on ‘clean’ manufacturing processes. The facilities include an on-site Brand Technical Centre that hosts an R&D laboratory, development kitchen and a state of the art design office.

Customers range from public sector clients such as schools, prisons and hospitals to restaurants, hotels and gastropubs within the private sector. Recent projects include the supply of kitchens for the new Wallace High, Stirling and St Modan’s secondary schools!

Foodservice equipment Standard products account for 50 per cent of production, such as the Dominator six-burner range described as the ‘BiC pen’ of the catering world. The other half is based upon specialist products such

Part of adapting to changes in customer demand has involved investment in research and development. The company invests continually – in technology, training and staff.

as wok cookers and individual designs for top kitchens – including the design and manufacture of Bespoke Cooking Suites for the Champany Inn near Linlithgow and the

Never too big to learn

St Andrews Links Club House.

Looking to the future, David reported that Falcon is looking to

Falcon has also recently supplied

integrate more of their management systems, and will use a newly

bespoke catering units for eight

purchased CAD system to help them develop products faster.

T45 Royal Navy destroyers. The

He added, “You are never too big to learn. Manufacturing is tough,

units were so big that after

but we stay competitive by adapting to change. By continually

leaving Stirling on pallets, the

improving products, we help clients such as the NHS meet energy

exterior of the ships had to be

and operating targets.”

built round about the units!

Flexible specialisation

David Wilson said, “We have worked hard to achieve this accreditation, working with Envirowise and the Carbon Trust to increase energy efficiency. The Carbon Trust sent out a locally based energy consultant to review our operations, and on the back of his recommendations, we invested around £100,000 in energy efficient lighting and exterior light sensors. We also had a new heating system installed by Stirling based Mac Heating and expect to achieve pay back from investments within two to three years.”

T45 Destroyer

The specialist products such as the wok cooker are built from start to finish by one person within their own individual operating cell.

Standard products on the other hand, are line assembled. The units are passed down an assembly line with components added at each station to create the finished product.

David Wilson, Engineering Manager said, “We pride ourselves on flexible specialisation, with workers being able to move easily from one production line to another.”

“We are also involved with the Government backed Onsite Insight programme, which is aimed at helping businesses learn from one another. So far we have been on a number of field trips visiting other manufacturers, including Mitsubishi in Livingston and Stirling based United Closures and Plastics.”

Contact To find out more about Falcon Foodservice Equipment or how they achieved ISO 14001 accreditation, please contact Barry Hill, Group Marketing Manager, on 01786 455227, email bhill@falconfoodservice.com or visit www.falconfoodservice.com

Stirling Eye randomly selects a business to profile each quarter using the Council’s business database.

STIRLING EYE

Focus on Focus on the thelocal localeconomy economy

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Enhancing the evening economy As reported in the last edition of Stirling Eye, Stirling’s Community Safety Partnership is driving Pictured from Left to Right: James Cuthbertson from Gartentruach Farm, Buchlyvie; Colin Clark, IT & Web Advisor, Stirling Enterprise (STEP); Jim Fraser, Business Gateway Advisor; Caroline Brown, Rural & Farm Support Officer

forward a range of evening

IT and web training for Stirling farmers

form of a City Centre Night-time Economy Action Plan.

Stirling Enterprise (STEP) has been

being delivered. The key focus of all project activity is to increase community

given the green light by the Scottish

safety and bring additional economic benefit to the city centre.”

Government to deliver a year-long IT and Web Outreach initiative, aimed specifically at farmers in the Forth Valley area.

The local enterprise trust, who also deliver Business Gateway services in the Stirling District area, has secured £18,450 of funding from the Skills Development Scheme (SDS) which falls under the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) umbrella.

STEP itself will contribute a percentage to the total running cost of the programme, with participants contributing a small nominal fee to secure a workshop place.

The first of the mobile workshops hit the road in late November in Drymen, equipping local farmers and their families with the IT knowhow and web provision to access and negotiate the SRDP website and confidently tackle the on-line application process.

Further outreach workshops will allow local farmers access to twohours worth of IT and Broadband provision and an IT professional.

The workshops will be held in local hotels in the Stirling, Clackmannan and Falkirk areas in an evening format and participants will have the option of a one-hour individual follow-up support session to consolidate or refresh their knowledge.

Caroline Brown, Rural & Farm Support Officer for Stirling Enterprise (STEP) commented: “We are delighted to have secured this funding and are keen to get out on the road and meet with local farmers and start delivering the training as opposed to talking about it. Through our Business Gateway activity, we already have good links with farm businesses in the area and we have been working closely with NFU Scotland and SAC to extend and develop that.” l

have been brought together in the

Andy Kennedy, Stirling City Centre Initiative Manager, said, “Work on two of the new projects – ‘Safe Base ‘08’ and ‘Enhanced public transport provision’ – is at the final planning stage and other projects are already

Project activities include: l Best

Bar None 2008 – nine city centre licensed premises have

submitted applications – awards were due to be made as Stirling Eye went to print, so a full update will be provided in the Spring Edition. l CCTV

camera replacement programme – six new CCTV cameras

have been installed to monitor the busiest pedestrian routes of the night-time economy. l Enhanced

lighting – ‘white’ lighting has been installed on the

same routes as the CCTV cameras – this coordinated approach will enhance personal and community safety. l Safe

Base ’08 – this facility utilises specialist personnel and offers

support to vulnerable individuals (e.g. individuals who have consumed excessive levels of alcohol, single lone females, etc.).

The pilot project will operate on key festive nights from ‘The Basement’, on the Back Walk until late December 2008. l Enhanced

Transport Provision

– based on the findings of research undertaken by an independent consultant and work done with young people through Stirling Council Youth Services, it was highlighted that the public would use buses if later services were run and appropriate safety measures put in place.

Dates of SRDP workshops:

economy projects. The projects

28th January 2009, 7-9pm at the Harviestoun Hotel, Tillicoultry. l 26th February 2009, 7-9pm at Glenskirlie House, Banknock. l 25th March 2009, 7-9pm at the Bridge of Lochay Hotel, Killin.

To find out more about outreach workshop dates and venues, please contact Caroline Brown, Rural & Farm Support Officer on 01786 463416 or email cbrown@stirling-enterprise.co.uk

First Bus has responded by providing additional services at key times.

Evaluation criteria will be put in place to assess the effectiveness of each of the projects.

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

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Focus on the local economy

At your service

Licensing

What is Licensing?

Stirling Council is responsible for issuing a wide variety of licences. This legislation is in place to ensure the safety and welfare of the community.

Liquor licences are dealt with by Stirling

The licensing section provide advice and

Municipal Buildings, Corn Exchange Road,

Licensing Board. This board is made up of

assistance on the wide variety of licences

Stirling and opens between the hours of

eight elected members and meets four times

required by business and are always happy

9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday. Contact

each year. Other licences are dealt with by

to help if you have a specific licensing

licensing@stirling.gov.uk or telephone

the Council’s Regulatory Functions Panel.

enquiry. The Licensing Section is based in

01786 432294.

Activities that require a licence...

Nicy-Tams Bar & Bothy

Alcohol - See ‘Liquor’.

Public Procession - To hold a public

Approved Ceremony Venue - To use

procession.

premises for Civil Weddings, Partnerships, naming and renewing vows.

Second Hand Dealer Licence - Dealer

Betting and Gambling - Premises

Do you comply with the new liquor licensing system?

licenses for betting, bingo and gaming machine permits.

Stirling Licensing Board is gearing up for

exhibitions.

the biggest change to the liquor licensing

Firework Displays - Licence required for

system in over a quarter of a century.

Cinemas - To use premises for film

firework displays.

in second hand goods or articles of any description.

Street Trader Licence - Required to carry out street trading in any public place.

This includes trading from a vehicle, a kiosk or moveable stall, e.g., Ice Cream Vans etc.

We are currently half way through a

Game - Licences required to deal in Game

transition period before the new licences

and also to kill the game.

come in to effect on 1 September 2009. All

Hypnotism - See Public Entertainment

Tattoos and Skin Piercing - Required by any business which involves Acupuncture, Cosmetic Skin Piercing and Electrolysis or Tattooing.

businesses must be issued with the new

Licence.

Taxis

licence before this date. Anyone with a

Late Hours Catering Licence - To

current liquor licence must apply to have that

sell meals / refreshments to the public between 11pm and 5am.

Taxi Vehicle Licence - Vehicles that can ply for hire in the street.

Private Hire Vehicles - Vehicles cannot ply for hire in the street.

Taxi Driver Licence - Able to drive both taxi and private hire vehicles.

Private Hire Driver Licence - Able to drive a private hire vehicle only.

licence converted into a new premises licence.

What are the changes?

Previously, businesses have been trading with liquor licences under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976. This Act has seven types of licence for different businesses, for example, public houses, hotels etc. Under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, the liquor

Liquor - Any sale of alcohol requires a licence. Various licenses depending on your business.

Lotteries, Raffles - Registration of non-commercial society, Lotteries, Raffles, small fund raising facilities.

Market Operator’s Licence - For the

licence will be the same regardless of the

sale of goods offered by more than one seller on any private market.

nature of the business. This new licence will

Metal Dealer’s Licence - To buy and

Temporary Public Entertainment - This licence is required when an activity or event will last for a period of one day to six weeks, for example, funfairs, Shows, Fun days, Circuses etc.

sell scrap metal.

Theatres - To use Premises for the

The Licensing objectives of the new act

Methylated Spirits - To allow sale of

performance of plays.

are to prevent crime, disorder and public

Methylated Spirits and Surgical Spirit.

Venison Dealer - A licence is required by

nuisance, to secure public safety, protect

Private Hire - See ‘Taxis’.

anyone who deals in venison.

and improve public health and to protect

Public Entertainment Licence - Required for halls, discotheques,

Wheelie Bin Washing Service -

be called a premises licence.

children from harm.

Each premises licence must also have a designated premises manger who holds a personal licence. The premises manager must go through a certified training course to be granted a personal licence.

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STIRLING EYE

proprietary clubs, barns, marquees, swimming pools etc while being used for any public entertainment function.

Public Charitable Collections - For any Street or House-to-House Collections.

Focus on the local economy

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Washing of wheelie bins (classed as street trading).

Window Cleaner - A licence for this activity is required when carrying out the trade of, or being employed as, a window cleaner.

At your service

Licensing Licensing case study Name of company:

PROFILE Temporary Licensing Team Leader

DR Taxi’s Stirling Eye caught up with Jim Hughes, Managing Director of DR Taxis, to find out more about his recent expansion and application for more vehicle licences.

Name: Stephanie Gibson

Jim originally set up DR Taxis in 2004. The business started with one taxi and through Jim’s commitment to provide a superior level of customer service and professionalism took off rather quickly through word of mouth recommendations.

Within the first year Jim added another two vehicles to the fleet to cope with growing demand and has added new vehicles every year since.

Earlier this year the company expanded again and now provide everything from 4 seat to 8 seat executive vehicles including wheelchair access vehicles.

Role: Processing licensing applications and providing advice and information to members of the public on all aspects of licensing.

Key areas of expertise: Stephanie provides friendly, impartial advice to businesses, public and licence holders on all aspects of the licensing service, licensing laws and procedures.

She helps to protect the interests of local consumers and businesses by ensuring businesses comply with the relevant

Licensing laws state that both the vehicles and the drivers require separate licences. Drivers are responsible for obtaining their own licences and the company is responsible for obtaining the relevant licences for each individual vehicle.

licensing laws.

Having worked with the licensing department closely over the past four years, Jim knows the licensing system. However, with changes to licensing acts and different local regulations being brought in from time to time, it can prove to be a confusing process.

licensing article). At the moment there are 96 applications

Jim said, “The licensing department provide friendly, professional service and over the years I have built up a very good rapport with the staff. Although they are always very busy, it is reassuring that they are always available and happy to advise and help me with any problems.”

Regulatory Functions Panel who approve licence applications.

The issuing of licences can take around six weeks to process, so Jim had to apply for additional licences well in advance of operating new vehicles. Once all licences had been approved

by Stirling Council and processed by the licensing department, Jim was able to provide additional vehicles to serve his growing number of customers.

Jim said “ The licensing department has been instrumental in helping us to expand our company over the years and we will continue to listen and take advice from them on our future development plans.”

Did you know?

DR Taxis is the only taxi company in Stirling to have credit card machines fitted in every vehicle, making it even more convenient for customers to pay.

Current workload:

Currently Stephanie is dealing with

all of the applications for the new premises licence (see liquor being processed.

Stephanie must ensure that all applications are dealt with in the timescale allocated by the relevant act and prepares agendas and reports for submission to the Licensing Board and the

The team also deal with complaints regarding noise from licensed premises. These complaints are referred to the noise team within the Council for investigation. However, the licence holder is also made aware of the complaint so that they can provide a response and work together with the Council to resolve the issue.

Complaints regarding un-licensed window cleaners and street traders are passed on to the police as they enforce all licences.

It is important to investigate un-licensed traders to protect the public and also to protect legitimate licensed traders from competitors who fail to comply with legislation.

Did you know?

Since it became legal to marry anywhere with a temporary approved venue licence, there have been some interesting venues for wedding ceremonies, such as: the Summit of Ben Lui, Trossachs Trout Farm and the War Memorial at the base of Ben Lomond.

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

11

Business space developments Springkerse Industrial Estate, Stirling The amount of industrial property available to rent or buy in Stirling continues to be low in comparison with the Scottish average. This shortage is driving a number of speculative new-build industrial developments within Stirling, including sites in Springkerse Industrial Estate, Stirling’s largest industrial location.

The letting agents for both developments

Whitehouse Road, Springkerse

are J&E Shepherd. Surveyor Sandy Falconer said, “Despite the present difficult economic

New developments on Whitehouse Road,

climate, competitively priced new light

Springkerse will provide more than 3,270 sq

industrial space within Springkerse demonstrates

m (35,230 sq ft) of much needed industrial

industrial space opportunities for business as

space for a range of potential occupiers.

The first development at 22 Whitehouse Road will provide 6 units each of around 120 sq m (1,292 sq ft), which can accommodate requirements up to 600 sq m (6,460 sq ft).

Local builders Zanart Ltd are developing the site. Zanart Ltd intend to occupy one unit themselves with the remaining space for lease on flexible terms or for sale. Rental of £70/ sq m (£6.50/ sq ft) is currently being quoted.

well as continued investment and confidence New development at 22 Whitehouse Road under construction

Another development at 12 Whitehouse Road will provide 15 units with sizes ranging from around 235 sq m (2,530 sq ft) to 242 sq m (2,605 sq ft). The 0.78-hectare (1.93 acre) site will provide around 2,553 sq m (27,480 sq ft) of space in total.

in the local marketplace in Stirling.”

For more information on space within these developments please contact Sandy Falconer, J&E Shepherd on 01786 450438, mobile 07818 002170, or email sandy. falconer@shepherd.co.uk .

It is anticipated that rental over £65/ sq m (£6.00/sq ft) will be quoted depending on development timescales.

Stirling Agricultural Centre

Borrowmeadow Road, Springkerse There are also proposals being

Artist’s impression of new Stirling Agricultural Centre

developed for a new business campus at Borrowmeadow Road, Springkerse.

Initial proposals include detached two and three storey office buildings with space from around 350 sq m (3,750 sq ft) to 2,408 sq m (25,764 sq ft) within a prominent 0.92 hectare (2.28 acre) site. The development will include some managed office space

The rural area is also benefiting from a new feature development on a site extending to around 21 hectares (52 acres).

Situated close to junction 10 of the M9 motorway the development known as the Stirling Agricultural Centre will be the principal auction mart for Central Scotland as well as the new headquarters for United Auctions.

with shared services (reception, broadband, telephone etc.) and also some detached suites.

John Quinn of Bluewater Scotland LLP confirmed, “Although proposals are at an

The development by Elphinstone Land Limited will provide opportunities for agricultural and service operators or companies associated with the agricultural industry.

early stage with discussions ongoing, I hope

Extending to around 18,580 sq m (200,000 sq ft) the development includes a new agricultural centre, retail and office space, restaurant /café as well as extensive car parking facilities.

business campus development will be

Aimed at agricultural related uses the retail units on the ground floor extend from around 199 sq m (2,139 sq ft) to 644 sq m (6,928 sq ft) with first floor office suites from around 141 sq m (1,522 sq ft) to 642 sq m (6,906 sq ft). Space is being promoted for lease at rental of £161/ sq m (£15.00/ sq ft) for retail and £135/sq m (£12.50/ sq ft) for office.

Already well underway the Centre is scheduled for completion Summer 2009.

For further information please contact Stephen Gunn or Ewan Mackay of agents SGM on 0141 285 7940 or email stephen@sgmproperty.co.uk or ewan@sgmproperty.co.uk .

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STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

that an Innovation Park/Sports associated advanced some time next year.”

Further details and artist’s impressions will appear in a future edition of Stirling Eye and more information can be obtained at this stage from John Quinn of Bluewater Scotland LLP on 01786 832440, mobile 07876 658980, or email john.quinn@ bluewaterscotland.co.uk .

www.stirling.gov.uk/property

Planning applications update A number of planning applications with

An application by KW Properties for the

on land and property at 14-16 and former

a significant business focus have been

renewal of outline planning permission

toilets, Dumbarton Road East, Stirling.

submitted to Stirling Council since the last

for a hotel with 18 hole golf course and

edition of Stirling Eye (September) and are

clubhouse, public footpath/cycleway,

still being considered, pending a decision.

construction of access road and new

These include:

junction (110 hectares golf course) on land

l

l

l

An application by Kippendavie Group

Trust for the development of an 18 hole golf course with club house, car parking, open air practice facilities

at Park of Keir, Dunblane.

An application by Glenbervie House Hotel Ltd to change the use of a building at 33

l

(renewal of permission under Article

An application by Wordie Properties for a

Spittal Street, Stirling to a hotel with

six storey hotel development with ancillary

5 of General Permitted Order 1992)

extensions to house leisure facilities and

bar and restaurant, including servicing

(98 hectares golf course) on land at

ancillary accommodation (3,672 sq m hotel).

access and landscape details (6,492 sq m)

Kippendavie, Ramsay Drive, Dunblane.

Planning schedules can be viewed at www.stirling.gov.uk/planningschedule

Stirling’s Winter Festival Stirling’s Winter Festival kicked off on 22nd November with a visit from Santa and his reindeer!

The Thistles Santa and his real reindeer paraded their way from the Corn Exchange, down King Street, to a pen outside Costa Coffee. Santa was accompanied on the festive procession by the cast of Mother Goose, the Christmas pantomime being shown at the macrobert.

In the lead up to Christmas, Santa will be located in a brand new magical grotto in the Thistles, beside HMV. Stirling’s Winter Festival continues through December and wraps up with the Stirling Hogmanay festivities. To find out more about Stirling’s Winter Festival and Hogmanay celebrations, look out for the Winter Festival leaflet available from the Thistles Shopping Centre, Stirling Council libraries, the Albert Hall, the Tolbooth, the macrobert and other venues.

Commercialise your ideas Scotland has long had an excellent track record for producing new and innovative ideas but it is the commercialisation of these ideas where we have fallen down in the past. However, one Scottish agency has been working hard to change this scenario and maximize the potential of Scotland’s intellectual property.

The Innovator’s Counselling and Advisory Service for Scotland (ICASS) is a Scottish Government initiative which helps to commercially exploit Scotland’s intellectual capital by protecting intellectual property and seeking routes to market.

Delivered by one of Britain’s largest and most successful enterprise trusts The GO Group, ICASS provides specialist counselling and advice for Scotland’s inventors and small innovative companies. The service is free and completely confidential and

innovators can get advice on how to develop their ideas into actual products and processes.

One local businessman to have benefited is Gordon McKenzie who has invented a unique product called RampRidge™. Fitted in minutes, the RampRidge™ is a clever, quick and effective patented solution to the problems associated with wheelchair access over UPVC doors. Gordon’s product has really taken off and he said, “It was my local advisor Bob Williamson who first directed www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

me to the Patent Office and gave me helpful information about how to get started and safeguard my intellectual property. I have found the information and direction provided by ICASS invaluable.”

The ICASS service is available throughout Scotland, through its network of Advisors who hold regular surgeries.

Visit www.icass.co.uk for more information or contact Bob Williamson on 07714 411829.

STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

13

Special feature - Raploch Raploch: talking about regeneration Raploch’s ten-year £120M transformation into a 21st century community is bringing increased opportunity, employment and choice to its proud residents.

In 2004 Raploch was awarded Urban Regeneration pathfinder status by the Scottish Government. Two years later the Raploch Urban Regeneration Company (URC) was established to drive forward the regeneration and in that short period of time progress has been both skilful and rapid.

Key to its success is the URC’s close relationship with local people and its focus on strong community involvement. Locals have been involved in the decisionmaking process, as the regeneration has progressed.

The URC hope that Raploch will eventually share in the prosperity and economic activity witnessed by the rest of Stirling and just two years into the regeneration process it is clear this challenging goal will one day be a reality.

However, despite the great successes already achieved, the URC continues to look to the future and the Raploch it envisages for residents. This includes its aims to grow house prices in the area from an average £28,000 to £178,000, double the percentage of owner occupiers to 40% and significantly reduce crime levels by 2017.

Recently appointed Chair of Raploch URC, Dr Campbell Christie CBE, said: “It’s a tremendously exciting time for Raploch and we’re all committed to ensuring a bright future for all generations of the community.”

Old schools provide foundations for new Raploch This Summer Raploch URC knocked down four old school buildings to make way for some of the 900 new homes being built in the regeneration.

The URC teamed up with Stirling Council,

developments and for road capping

Stirling Council Corporate Asset Management

layers.”

and WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) to ensure materials from the demolitions were recycled and reused – with estimated savings of up to £60,000.

The URC adopted the principals of the approach for efficient use of materials in regeneration projects, published

by WRAP. Presented as a good practice

A spokesman for Raploch URC said: “This

step-by-step guide, it draws together the

underlines the URC’s commitment to both

Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Demolition

value for money and sustainable practices.

Protocol, site waste management planning

“We believe this removed around 500

and increasing recycled content, into one

vehicle movements, negating roughly 15

clear and common approach that links

tonnes of carbon emissions, not to mention

the demolition and new-build phases of

a financial saving in terms of fuel.

regeneration projects.

“Companies tendering for the contract had

A demolition recovery index of 90% was

to assess the likely demolition arisings

estimated by carrying out an audit of total

by undertaking pre-demolition audits as

tonnage of materials against potentially

well as costing approaches, which will

recoverable tonnage of material. Its

provide the URC with a stockpile of recycled

calculation was a condition of the tendering

materials for future use on the new housing

process and it was estimated a cost saving

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STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

of between £37,500 and £60,000 could be achieved.

Dave Marsh, Construction Project Manager at WRAP said: “Using the Regeneration Guide approach from the early stages of a project can ensure that benefits and savings are embedded in that project. Its use at Raploch has demonstrated that linking the demolition and build phases ensures the most efficient use of the existing materials on site – this minimises waste to landfill, gives financial savings, and reduces the carbon impact. I hope this will encourage other regeneration projects to adopt the Regeneration Guide approach to realise similar benefits.”

www.raploch.com

Raploch - Special feature

Real benefits for the community Faced with a high proportion of unemployed people (45%), the Raploch area had a major problem.

Sustainable Community Enterprise offered

The project provides construction and

one solution to address this and in just two

horticulture training and is unique in that

years of providing training opportunities

it strives to ensure job opportunities go to

to locals it has seen more than

local people. Developed over a number of

60 of them go into full-time employment.

years Sustainable Community Enterprise is now an accredited Learndirect Scotland Centre and delivers SQA qualifications.

One successful trainee who has first-hand knowledge of its benefits is Chris Kotrys.

Chris fought back from redundancy to bag the title of Career Changer of the Year at Learndirect Scotland’s Celebration of Learning awards 2008.

After seeing an advert for the Sustainable Community Enterprise in a local newspaper Chris wasted no time in applying for training and soon had an SVQ Level 2 in Construction and a full-time job under his belt.

Chris said: “I want local people to open their eyes to this wonderful opportunity which is right under their noses. I’ve recommended the Sustainable Community Enterprise to all of my friends. It’s free and I’ve walked away with invaluable training, a qualification and a job at the end of it. They

Did you know?

Chair of Raploch URC, Dr Campbell Christie’s impressive CV includes his work as general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, Chair of British Waterways Scotland, and vice chair of the British Waterways National Board. Dr Christie will head a newly-shaped board of directors of the URC to guide the area’s regeneration efforts.

even said that if I was stuck in the future then I should just give them a call.”

Nicole DeBrincat, Development Manager for the Raploch Sustainable Community Enterprise, said: “This is a great success for Chris and the Sustainable Community Enterprise and we are sure it is just the start of a very bright future for him. We want more people to follow Chris’ example and be aware of the real opportunities training with us can bring.”

The Sustainable Community Enterprise now also provides customised training to employers and their staff and to individuals seeking to buy their own training, such as first aid or manual handling, which can be provided on a single day basis. This training is available both to local companies and to firms across Scotland and helps position Sustainable Community Enterprise as a new learning centre for Stirling.

The Raploch Sustainable Community Enterprise can be contacted on 01786 465 825.

Did you know?

Stirling Bridge, the site where William Wallace and Andrew Moray defeated King Edwards’ army in 1297, forms a major part of the Raploch walkway development along the River Forth.

Did you know?

John Hendry, Raploch URC Vice Chair and Campbell Christie, new Chair of Raploch URC

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

The Regeneration Agreement includes a 28day Priority Purchase Scheme to ensure that the local people have the first opportunity to purchase a new home before they are made available on the open market.

STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

15

Special feature - Raploch

www.raploch.com

The Raploch community benefits from regeneration Another innovative feature of the Raploch regeneration is the Community Benefits in Procurement (CBiP) clause. This is written into the legal agreements with both housing developer R3 and roads contractor RJ McLeod to ensure that employment and training opportunities are created as a direct result of the regeneration. A pilot for the Scottish Government, it has since been hailed by Finance and Sustainable Growth Secretary John Swinney MSP as a best practice case study.

works for many of the buildings under

to continue to win work on the Raploch

construction at Raploch. David Whyte,

project.”

Regional Manager for Keller said, “I am delighted to be involved in the regeneration of Raploch. While we work all over the

Keller Ground Engineering has provided specialist Vibro Replacement Ground Improvement and Driven Cast Insitu Piling to

This clause also benefits Sustainable

world, there is something particularly

Community Enterprise trainees by providing

satisfying about being involved in a project

practical work experience as part of their

that I can see from our office window in

training programme, which can, and does

Castle Business Park!”

R3 has also committed to supporting the

David continued, “I chose to move our office

Sustainable Community Enterprise (SCE)

As part of R3’s commitment to CBiP, they

from Glasgow to Stirling some years ago.

in securing their own sub-contract work.

will provide 225 employment and training

Stirling is more central in Scotland, making

Among the contracts already won by SCE

opportunities through the housing element

it easier to access all of the other business

were renovating R3’s temporary sales office

of the regeneration, managed by the

areas and regeneration sites, including

on Drip Road and installing the landscape

dedicated staff in the Recruitment Office of

Raploch. This has proved to be a good and

around the Resource Centre which opened

the Resource Centre.

successful decision and we are hopeful

in the autumn of this year.

lead to employment.

support the foundations for the two, three and four storey buildings at Raploch.

Suzanne Granger, R3 project manager adds “R3 has built the new Raploch Resource

David Whyte, Keller Ground Engineering

Centre in the heart of the community to ensure that all local people can access general information regarding the regeneration project and also register with the Recruitment Office, in order to be considered for fantastic training and employment opportunities.”

Another element of the CBiP clause is for R3 to ‘open the doors’ to allow Stirlingbased businesses the opportunity to tender for sub-contracting work. To date local businesses Deeside Timber Frame, Clyde Insulation and Keller Ground Engineering have been among local businesses securing contracts with a value in excess of £1m.

Local business Keller Ground Engineering have been involved in the deep foundation

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STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

New college campus for Stirling Forth Valley College is poised to launch an exciting new era for education and training in central Scotland, thanks to an investment package worth more than £50 million.

from the adjacent motorway.

The package is the result of one

The new campus will also

of the largest ever investments

be at the centre of a new

made by the Scottish Funding

business growth area in Stirling,

Council and the College’s own

will have excellent transport

multi-million pound outlay.

links, and will be close to the

The investment will be used to deliver new state-of-the-art

business world alike that the

College’s existing Raploch

College is second to none in

Campus.

providing quality courses that

Development of this wonderful

produce quality employees.

site will begin in August 2010,

Stirling campus

with completion in February

And the story is not just about

the vision that we had when

bricks and mortar. As shown

The College has secured a new

2012, ready for the 2012/13

we amalgamated Falkirk

by the recent outstanding

site at Kildean on the banks

academic session.

and Clackmannan colleges in

inspection report by Her

of the Forth, at the heart of

Speaking about this hugely

August 2005.

Majesty’s Inspectorate of

what will be an exciting new

ambitious and broad-ranging

“I know that I speak for every

Education (HMIE), Forth Valley

business location in Stirling.

project, Forth Valley College

single member of College

College is at the top of the tree

When completed, this will

Principal Linda McKay said,

staff, its Board and our

when it comes to providing

arguably be the most attractive

“These truly are exciting and

stakeholders when I say that

effective learning and teaching

learning location in Scotland,

transformational times for

we are all as committed as we

- a hard-won accolade that

with wonderful riverside views

Forth Valley learners. This

possibly could be to bringing

reassures learners and the

and walks, and great visibility

project is the realisation of

this vision to fruition.”

learning campuses in Stirling and Alloa, and to improve facilities in Falkirk.

New initiative to help unemployed

Workcraft provides one-to-one support for customers and employers

A new initiative, Workcraft, was launched in September to support people from disadvantaged communities in Forth Valley, Fife and Tayside into employment over the next seven months.

Funded by Jobcentre Plus through the

those returning after longer

Disadvantaged Area Fund (DAF), Workcraft

spells away from work.

is delivered by Stirling-based Company Triage Central Limited and is targeted at

Workcraft will support employers

people not on existing programmes such

by providing a ‘no cost’

as New Deal and Training for Work.

recruitment service, eliminating

In its first four weeks of operation, Workcraft has already placed more than twenty people into employment

advertising costs, screening and assessing candidates, matching suitable candidates to

across a range of occupational sectors.

vacancies and providing a post-

For more information on Workcraft,

Beneficiaries have included those who

employment aftercare service. Funding may

contact Peter Boulton on 01786 451513

have recently been made redundant to

also be available for job specific training.

or mobile number 07979 534029.

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

17

Sector feature

RETAIL The importance of the retail sector to Scotland has increased over time and currently accounts for £21 billion of turnover. This is 12 per cent of total turnover for all enterprises in Scotland.

Retail also provides employment for 238,000 people, some 11 per cent of the national workforce. Contrary to popular belief, employment in retail is not all part-time, in fact some 45 per cent of employees are full time. The

Point of view from Thistles Centre Colin Moulson, Manager of the Thistles Centre gives his views on changes to the retail sector…

How many units are there in the Thistles Centre?

97 units.

sector in Scotland does have a higher

How big is the Thistles Centre?

percentage of female employees than

524,000 square feet.

the rest of the UK.

When did it open?

Retailing in the Stirling area is (with the exception of Health/Social work)

The Thistles Centre opened in 1976 and the Marches mall in 1997. The original Centre was refurbished in 2002.

the highest provider of employment at

What types of tenants are there?

12 per cent.

The main retail tenants consist of mass-market department stores and high street fashion operators.

Expenditure on retail at the Stirling area level is difficult to measure

How have tenants changed over time?

due to data collation reliability

Retailers are now more focused on sales returns per sq ft and this has caused reengineering of units to satisfy retailer needs for today’s consumer market.

and commercial confidentiality.

How has the customer profile changed over time?

However in a recent benchmarking

It hasn’t changed that significantly, but our research has shown that people are travelling further to come to The Thistles.

report compiled for Stirling City Centre Management, spending on

How have customers’ demands for goods changed over time?

‘comparison’ goods (clothing, gifts,

Customers today are more aware of what they want, with greater knowledge about goods and a wider range of shopping choices.

electrical, furniture etc) throughout

What do you think the biggest issue is facing national retailers?

Stirling’s catchment was estimated

There are two major issues. Scotland is at saturation level in the provision of large warehouse and out of town retailing. Secondly the expansion of the internet has changed the way people purchase goods. These issues have had major impacts on how retailing works as an industry and the saturation means retailers need to carefully choose where they have retail units.

by national data collector ‘Promis’ at £588 million.

The sector is dynamic and constantly changing with new ways of buying goods available for potential purchasers and demands from customers increasing. In a recent national survey, increasing competition, attracting new customers, business regulations and attracting appropriately qualified people were identified as key challenges. Stirling Eye spoke to a sample of retail professionals in Stirling to seek their views on retailing in the Stirling area.

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STIRLING EYE

Are there any particular types of retailers you would like to attract to the centre?

We would like to attract other fashion/lifestyle brands such as H&M and Borders. They would provide further diversity to the retail offer in Stirling.

What are the future plans for the Thistles?

Standard Life, the owners of the shopping centre are constantly doing appraisals on development opportunities to try and continue to improve the retail offer in Stirling.

However this is no easy task given the major investment that is required and we also need to be mindful of other retail developments being given the go ahead in the Stirling area.

What two things would you like to see done to improve Stirling as a retail destination?

A robust planning system that as a priority, seeks to protect the city centre retail core and secondly, John Lewis, right in the heart of Stirling ! !

Focus on the local economy

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Sector feature

WoodWinters Wines & Whiskies

Andrew Pe

mberton

Independent retailer point of view

Douglas Wood of WoodWinters Wines & Whiskies in Bridge of Allan and Andrew Pemberton of Pemberton’s Sewing Shop in Stirling provide their views on changes to the retail sector…

Douglas Wood WoodWinters Wines & Whiskies www.woodwinters.com

How long have you been trading in the Stirling Council area? Why did you choose this location?

Has your customer profile changed over time?

Have you changed your service to meet the demands of customers?

What is the biggest issue affecting independent retailers?

What are your future plans for the business?

www.psmc.co.uk

3 years.

Since 1973.

We identified a gap in the market in Bridge of Allan for a good independent wine retailer.

Stirling provided a really good central point with easy access for customers from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Dundee.

Yes, our customers now want to learn more about flavour, demanding a greater range of quality wines. People are becoming tired of falsely discounted wines in supermarkets and are looking for value for money.

Not really – customers still want the same standard of quality. Sewing products continue to develop however, with changes reflecting technological advances and fashion cycles.

Yes, we’ve increased our range of quality wines, but particularly those under £10.

We’ve also strengthened the investment arm of our business, taking on a new employee to provide specialist advice on investment wines.

Our service has remained constant in terms of quality and customer service, but we have introduced a web-shop – internet sales now account for 20 per cent of sales and we are selling sewing items to a number of countries including America, France and England.

Maintaining a good presence, e.g. through press and advertising. It’s no longer simply enough to have a good shop frontage, we need to actively reach out to customers.

The biggest current issue is the problem with the banks. Banks don’t want to lend to businesses or consumers, which is having a big impact on the retail sector.

Fortunately we are well established, but it is harder for new retailers who need to find money to purchase stock.

To maintain advantage over larger retailers, small independents need to move quickly with demand and be agile in responding to the market while maintaining quality customer service.

What are the strengths of retailing in Stirling?

Andrew Pemberton Pemberton’s Sewing Shop

Recessions are strange times though – we find that sales increase as more people look to sew and repair their own clothes!

The key strength is that local businesses work together. We’ve worked closely with The Running Company, Queens Hotel, Royal Hotel, L’Angevine, Bang & Oulsen and Bravado running wine tasting at various events.

The new Park and Ride facilities have been a great boost, making the city centre more accessible. I’m also really pleased with the new look of Friars Street following recent streetscape improvements.

We are opening a new warehouse in Springkerse and a new retail unit in Edinburgh. Over the long-term, we plan to open further retail outlets in Glasgow and Perth.

To continue providing a quality service!

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

19

Sector feature The Stirling Arcade China Merchant and Town Councillor William Crawford built the Stirling Arcade between 1881 and 1882.

In 1882, the Arcade occupied the very heart of the Royal Burgh of Stirling, connecting Murray Place and King Street. It was a thriving and fashionable place extending to 22,333 square feet, including 39 shops, the Douglas Hotel fronting the Railway Station, a large Temperance Hotel facing onto King Street and at its very centre, the Alhambra Theatre.

William Crawford died in 1894 and his family later sold the

Arcade. Tenants at the start of the twentieth century included a rubber goods shop, a large draper saloon, tea merchants, jewellers, a licensed house, a restaurant, William Lows, a fruiterer and a billiard hall. Over the years the Arcade has had various names including the Stirling Arcade, Alhambra Arcade and Crawford Arcade.

The Grade B listed Alhambra Theatre was designed by Stirling architect John McLean. The Theatre closed in 1939 and is now unused and hidden behind retail units. The form

of the auditorium is still evident however, with an ornate twisting staircase in the entrance and fragments of plaster decoration remaining.

The Arcade recently underwent extensive renovation and was re-launched this year as the ‘Stirling Arcade’. It is still home to an array of small specialist businesses, including Betti Loves It women’s fashion, A Wee Sweetie candy shop, BPM gents clothing, Andy Simpson Music Centre, Ebu beauticians, Pretam Beau hairdressers, EC Café, Silver Gems jewellers, Kiddie Kouture children’s wear, Cornish Pasty Bakery and Abacus toy store.

said: “There are currently a number of opportunities in the Stirling Arcade and the owners are looking to attract even more specialist independent retailers to the heart of the city.”

Andy Kennedy, Stirling City Centre Initiative Manager

30 second interview Name:

Julie Campbell & Tony Bancewicz

Job Title:

JC: Optician

Place of work:

Stirling Optical, Port Street, Stirling

How do you get to work?

JC: Drive own car

TB: Practice Manager (Business Partners)

TB: Cycle and train

What is your favourite place to eat out? Why?

JC: My Mum’s, great food and it’s free!!

TB: The Old Smiddy, Killin, Great food and great service.

What do you think the Stirling area could most benefit from? JC: A comedy club

TB: More cycle lanes

What is your favourite colour?

JC: Red

What is the best thing about doing business in Stirling?

JC: There is a good mix of big chains and independent retailers

TB: People travel from all over to come to Stirling, it’s nice to meet such

TB: Tartan!

a diverse clientele as well as all of the tourists you meet.

What do you think the biggest issue is for businesses in

JC: The domination of marketing power that the big chains have.

the Stirling area?

TB: Increasing internet sales.

What is the biggest issue for your business?

JC: Letting everyone know we are here!

TB: Overcoming the perception that a family run business is more expensive that its larger competitors.

What is your favourite shop?

JC: Let’s Party - and it’s right next door!

TB: Mothercare!! (See ‘Did you know?’)

What is your greatest ambition?

JC: To travel the world

TB: A healthy and happy family and to own a chalet in the Alps.

Did you know?

Stirling Optical has recently had a ‘baby boom’ with three members of staff welcoming baby girls since the last edition of Stirling Eye!

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STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Kate Sankey

Interview with Kate Sankey, owner of West Moss-side Organic Farm

Scheme (TERMS) gaining valuable marketing advice. I have also acted as a mentor through TERMS to other entrepreneurs on areas where I have a lot of experience, including farm diversification!

And the networking events have been great for making contacts, seeking advice and bouncing ideas around.

Stirling Eye caught up with Kate Sankey to find out more about her farm diversification project…

Kate, can you tell our readers a bit about your farm?

I run West Moss-side farm, an organic conservation farm located on the edge of Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve. My farm business is based on farming organic Shetland beef cattle, organic hay and oats.

Five years ago I decided to go for a complete change and diversified the farm business through the sustainable conversion of a steading and hayloft into a learning centre.

Where did your inspiration come from for the learning centre?

I have always been interested in nature and the environment, part of living on Flanders Moss I guess! My aim was to create a centre of excellence for people wanting to learn about local crafts. Many of the courses developed at the centre involve use of nature in a sustainable way, and get their inspiration from the natural surroundings including basket making using willow coppiced from the banks of the local Goody Water, and natural papermaking using materials found on the moss.

The conversion took around a year to complete…the result of a lot of hard work by local builder Duncan Kinloch and joiner Bobby Cameron! St Ninians based IT specialist Stephen Rubin contributed to the unique interior design and project management, incorporating all of the state-of-the-art IT and telephone conferencing facilities that

Do you have plans to diversify West Moss-side further?

Yes! I’m currently looking into the possibility

make the centre a really versatile space for a variety of corporate activities. I decorated the interior with local crafts, resulting in a unique space, which is used for a wide variety of activities and events... we’ve even had a wedding held here!

How did you fund the farm diversification?

I contacted the Government Farm Business Diversification Scheme (now part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme) and was provided with advice on how to produce a business plan and apply for funding. I had to make sure that my ideas were financially viable and would provide a return in the long run. Once I’d worked out a viable plan, I stuck to my environmental principles by sourcing natural, local and reused materials… and also tried to keep costs down – Ebay was key to this process!!

I also received mentoring support through the Trossachs Enterprise & Rural Mentoring

of working with Paul Millard from Red Kite Yurts to provide green accommodation. I would like to have a couple of yurts in the natural woodland on the farm that can be used by people wishing to do residential craft courses. I want to look at using composting loos, natural rainwater and solar showers and other environmental technologies. I would also like to convert another part of the steading into a catering facility for the centre and might look at providing this space to a social enterprise involved in organic food.

However, these ideas are still very much at concept stage! I am engaging with the new Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) to look at funding potential, as well as researching other ways of bringing the projects forward.

To find out more about West Moss-side Centre & Organic Farm, please contact Kate Sankey on 01786 850428, email info@westmossside.com or visit www. westmossside.com

The name game!

Every year, calves born at West Moss-side Farm have names beginning with a different letter, and the names of every cow’s calves follow a different theme. This year was the year of ‘J’ (so that’s 10 years!!). Amy calved while a group from BTCV and the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group were meeting at West Moss-side, so Kate asked the group to come up with a name for the heifer calf. Amy’s theme is trees so the group chose the name Juniper! www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

21

Special feature - Research & information for businesses Business research and information Finding statistics and information for business plans, funding applications, targeting customers and general market research can be tricky if you don’t know where to look.

The Research Team at Stirling Council give you a snap shot of what information is freely available online.

What is the latest population and household information available?

The latest population figures available are the 2007 Mid Year Estimates (published June 2008). This information is published annually and is available for different age bands and sex for each Council area. Population estimates are also available for each

What are the best sources of information for key statistics?

settlement or town e.g. Bannockburn, Callander. This information

GRO (General Register Office) Scotland - provides

can be found on the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS)

a range of statistics on population, households, births, deaths, marriages, life expectancy and popular names. www.gro-scotland.gov.uk

website – www.gro-scotland.gov.uk The latest household statistics are the 2007 Household Estimates.

This dataset gives estimates of the number of households and trends in household types. This information is available at GROS for each Council area. Information for smaller areas can be obtained from Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics (SNS) – www.sns.gov.uk Looking to the future, population and household projections up to

Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics - particularly useful source for small areas – provides statistics on population, households, access to services, community care, health, economic activity, benefits and tax credits, education, skills and training, health, housing, and the index of multiple deprivation. www.sns.gov.uk

Scottish Census Results OnLine (SCROL) - Although

the year 2031 can be accessed on the GROS site.

now a few years old, the 2001 Census provides comprehensive information on socio-economic classifications, ethnicity, demographics, education, health, home accommodation and dwellings, work and transport. www.scrol.gov.uk

What about smaller areas?

Sometimes it is helpful to get information on specific places within the Stirling Council area. Stirling Council is split into 7 electoral wards and there’s lots of information available for these.

Getting even smaller, there are areas called datazones. These are

Nomis - the best place for labour market information,

There are 110 datazones in the Stirling Council area!

including employment, unemployment, qualifications, earnings, benefit claimants and businesses. www.nomisweb.co.uk

The table below gives you the number of households, population

Stirling Council Research Team - pull together key

and sources of information for the key geographies (starting from

statistics on the Stirling area to produce ‘Stirling at a Glance’, which is updated monthly: www.stirling.gov.uk/stirling_at_a_glance A selection of key sources can be found at www.stirling.gov.uk/local_information They can also assist you in finding or understanding statistics. email: research@stirling.gov.uk Tel: (01786) 442992

the smallest areas for which statistics are commonly available.

the largest geography to the smallest).

Geography

Number of households

Population

Sources of statistics for this geography…

Local Authority – Stirling Council

37,328

88,190

SCROL (census results), GROS, NOMIS, SNS

Wards (electoral boundaries – 7 in Stirling Council

5,000 - 7,000

12,000 – 15,000

SNS

Settlement (towns and villages)

Varies

Varies

SCROL and GROS

Data Zones

250 - 500

500 - 1,000

SNS

Example of a datazone

area)

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STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

© Crown Copyright.

All rights reserved.

Stirling Council 100020780 (2008).

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Research & information for businesses

What type of information do enterprises require?

- Special feature

Business information

Stirling Council’s Research Team caught up with a local business and voluntary organisation to find out more about their research requirements.

There are a number of resources that you can use. Here we take a closer look at the Business Gateway Information and Research Service and the National Library of Scotland’s Scottish Business Information Service (SCOTBIS).

Fallin Community Enterprises – www.recyke-a-bike.co.uk

Business Gateway Information and Research Service

Fallin Community Enterprises (FCE) is a not-for-profit organisation. FCE established a bicycle recycling service known as Recyke-a-bike in June 2006, which is helping to reduce the impact of waste on the environment as well as providing employment and training opportunities within the Fallin area.

Research and information requirements: Manager Alasdair Tollemache said, “Statistics are very important for our grant application work to provide hard evidence to backup funding requests. Up-to-date figures are also used for planning work and our future developments.”

Sources of research and information: Alasdair uses the Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics (SNS) online mapping system to identify datazones in the places he is interested in, e.g. Fallin and the Polmaise community council area. He can then access a range of statistics through the SNS website, including population projections, number of young people, number of unemployed and deprivation data.

Youth – 9-16, Friars Street, Stirling Youth opened its doors in August, providing designer fashion for girls and boys aged 9-16. The owner Craig Hopkins found a niche in the market to provide clothing to youngsters as an alternative to adult clothing. Craig set up his business based on his own observations of the clothing market. He already has plans to expand with the opening of a store just for girls after Christmas.

He is also looking at the possibility of opening further retail units in neighbouring towns.

Research and information requirements: To help plan for expansion Craig will need population, school roll, household formation and income information.

Sources of research and information: There are three main sources Craig can easily access online; Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics for school rolls and household information, General Register Office for population and Nomis/ SNS for income figures.

The Business Gateway Information and Research Service can tailor information specifically to your needs.

The Service can provide a range of information – some free and some at a charge. Examples of the type of information the service can provide include: l A

list of Irish knitwear manufacturers or Scottish cheese makers

l Financial

information on a local or national competitor

l Trends

in the soft drinks market or the outlook for the optoelectronics industry

l Press

and trade articles which mention your industry or company

l Detailed

demographics on the population of Stirling

l Statistics

on Scottish car usage or total UK manufacturer sales of rubber tyres

You can access the Business Gateway Research and Information Service for free by contacting Business Gateway. Charges only apply if you require data from a charged source, e.g. mailing lists from Equifax or FAME. To find out more, please email info@bgateway.com or phone 0845 609 6611 and ask your Business Gateway Adviser about assistance available through the Research and Information Service.

SCOTBIS - Global business information at your fingertips The National Library of Scotland’s SCOTBIS (Scottish Business Information Service) – www.scotbis.com – provide a free business information enquiry service. One of the main advantages of this service is that you can access information entirely online.

SCOTBIS can provide businesses with company financial accounts, news information, market research and mailing lists directly through the web. While it is free to register and use the enquiry service, there may be nominal charges for data from some sources – for example it may cost around £10 for a mailing list of 100 businesses.

To find out more about services offered through SCOTBIS, please contact John Coll on 0131 623 3816, email j.coll@nls.uk or visit www.scotbis.com

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

23

Intercontinental Rally Challenge comes to Stirling Stirling and Perth & Kinross will play host to the final round of the prestigious Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) on November 19-21, 2009, forming a centrepiece event within the Homecoming Scotland celebrations. The IRC is all set to start in January 2009 with the closed mountain road stages of the world famous Monte Carlo Rally and conclude with its newest event, officially named the ‘Rally of Scotland’. There are ten rounds in total, and host countries in 2008 included Spain, China, Italy and Switzerland.

The announcement about the event - secured by EventScotland, the national events agency, in partnership with Stirling and Perth and Kinross Councils - was made by the First Minister on 14th October.

the FIA and is closely based on production cars, with 2 litre, normally aspirated engines.

This format is designed to attract more manufacturers to the sport and is now supported

by Fiat, Honda, Mitsubishi, Peugeot and Volkswagen.

Making the announcement the First Minister of Scotland, the Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP said:

The international-status event will be decided by three days of competitive driving over timed Special Stages on closed Forestry Commission Scotland gravel roads and will include a ceremonial start, service stop and high profile village featuring additional activity for the many thousands of spectators expected.

“Scotland’s reputation for leading innovation and setting new standards in the motor sport industry makes it an ideal location for the Intercontinental Rally Challenge finale. The event will be made even more special as it will be one of the signature events in our Homecoming programme. For 2009 we are inviting Scotland’s friends and family to return home to celebrate our strengths and culture.

“Today that invitation is being extended to the countless rally fans and enthusiasts around the world. With dramatic landscapes, warm hospitality and fierce competition – I hope that many will answer the Homecoming rally call.”

Eurosport is the global promoter of the IRC series and will be showing live footage, as well as highlight programmes, through their international network. The event will attract around 8.5 hours coverage in total, with 1.5 hours of

this being live. The broadcast will showcase Stirling’s natural assets, with the route taking in some of the most stunning scenery the area has to offer.

The event, which is also due to take place in 2010 and 2011, will benefit from significant TV and media exposure.

Organisers also anticipate spectator numbers at the event to grow in excess of 100,000 as the event becomes more established.

Councillor Scott Farmer, Depute Leader of Stirling Council and Corporate Resources and Economy portfolio holder said, “I am delighted to

Scottish Rally Championship © Rally-photo.com

STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

“The Council looks forward to working with EventScotland and the promoters, International Motor Sports, who have a proven track record for delivering motor rally events throughout the world. As a country with a rich motor sporting heritage, we are also committed to ensuring - in partnership with the organisers and the Forestry Commission that there is no negative impact on the local environment.”

For more information contact Caralin Montgomery-Cichy, Events & Film Liaison Executive, on 01786 442 535, email montgomerycc@stirling.gov.uk

The Intercontinental Rally Challenge was introduced in 2006 as a new rally series, carrying the endorsement of

24

welcome this prestigious and exciting event to Stirling. As joint hosts of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, we believe that the event will provide a unique platform for showcasing Stirling and the beauty of its landscape to the world, thereby boosting tourism and delivering major economic benefits to the community”.

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

Support for local businesses and communities in Rural Forth Valley The new Forth Valley & Lomond LEADER funding programme was launched in October at Callendar House, Falkirk. This new programme will award grants across the rural Forth Valley area until 2013, including the whole of the Stirling Council area outwith Stirling city itself. community Hub. GH Groundworks Ltd and MTS Recovery & Repairs contributed time and resources to the demolition process and without this support, it is likely that the community would still be struggling to get funding.

One of the priorities of the programme is ‘Supporting sustainable local enterprise’, and while individual businesses can’t apply for funds to LEADER, there are a number of ways that you can get involved: l

LEADER wants to support connections between local producers, distributors and rural retailers.

l

We can encourage projects that support the start up and development of local enterprise.

l

Ideas that support a more enterprising voluntary and community sector could be LEADER funded.

How businesses can get involved Businesses in rural areas can help community projects in a number of ways: l

l

l

You might be able to help community groups develop a project by providing meeting space, access to a computer, or putting up notices and making sure that the rest of the area know what’s happening.

By getting involved in community plans you can make sure that business needs are included.

How businesses can benefit While individual businesses can’t apply for funding from LEADER, associations of local companies or trade groups can apply for a range of projects. Ideas must be innovative and able to demonstrate some benefit to the community. Previously, trade associations have applied for funding to LEADER to improve access to an area, provide joint marketing of local products, support broadband provision in rural areas, and develop better visitor services MTS Recovery & Repairs – “Happy to support the Throsk community!”

In-kind support – a recent LEADER project, The Throsk Hub received lots of support from local businesses who helped with demolition of an old prefab building to make way for a new

to encourage visitors to stay longer in one place.

More information and how to apply To apply for funding, you need to submit an initial enquiry form to the Forth Valley and Lomond LEADER Support Unit.

More information is available on the website www.fvl.org.uk . If your business or community group already has an idea for an innovative project, please contact info@fvl.org.uk or complete a copy of the Initial Enquiry Form which is available on the website.

BBC Christmas drama filmed on location in Stirling Keep a look out for ‘The 39 Steps’, a great one-off drama, which makes its television debut on BBC One this Boxing Day (26th December).

Based on the classic novel by Scottish author John Buchan, and set in the build up to the First World War, The 39 Steps is a roller coaster action adventure, full of excitement, danger, fun and romance. It stars Rupert Penry Jones (Spooks, Burn Up) as the main character, Richard Hannay.

Filming for the drama took place throughout Stirling at various locations including Stirling Castle, Loch Katrine and Touch Estate and also in Edinburgh. www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

STIRLING EYE

An extra for ‘The 3 9 Steps’ duri ng filming at Stirling Ca stle

Focus on the local economy

25

Economic facts Population and Households Figure 1: Population

Stirling 2000-2007 % Change 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Stirling Scotland

Total Population

86,160

86,200

86,150

86,370

86,370

86,930

87,810

88,190

2.4%

1.6%

Working Age Population

54,058

53,771

53,501

53,667

53,268

53,588

54,310

54,367

0.6%

2.7%

Total Number of Households

35,206

35,544

35,961

36,454

36,658

36,958

37,164

37,328

6.0%

5.0%

and

Households

Source: General Register Office for Scotland

Employment Rate

Unemployment Rate

Figure 2: Employment Rate (as % of Working Age Population)

Figure 3: Unemployment Rate (as % of Working Age Population) Unemployment rate

Employment rate

77.0

76.0

75.0

Stirling Scotland

3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5

74.0 2004

0.0

2007

Source: Annual Population Survey (Nomis)

September 2003

September 2008

Source: Claimant Count with Rates and Proportions (Nomis)

Growth in Number of Jobs Figure 4: Jobs Growth 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2000-2006 2000-2006

Change % Change Stirling

40,600

Scotland Source:

42,100

41,300

40,900

42,800

45,600

46,400

5,800

14%

2,234,300 2,299,800 2,279,500 2,307,000 2,340,000 2,391,400 2,370,600 136,300

6%

Annual Business Inquiry (Nomis)

Enterprise

Figure 5: New Business 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2002-2007 2002-2007

Change % Change Starts Stirling

449

534

460

452

474

480

31

6.9%

Scotland

18,518

21,468

20,808

21,383

23,468

25,041

6,523

35.2%

Source: The Committee of Scottish Clearing Bankers

Business Survival Rates

3 Year Survival Rate - %

80 75 70 65 60

1999 2002 Year business registered for VAT

Source: Small Business Service

26

STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

Stirling Scotland

Figure 7: Number of VAT Registered Businesses per 10,000 Population

Stirling Scotland

500 No. VAT Reg. business per 10,000 population

Figure 6: 3 Year Business Survival Rates - VAT Registered Businesses

Business Density

400 300 200 100 0

2000

2006

Source: VAT Registrations and De-Registrations (Nomis)

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

VAT Registered Businesses Figure 8: VAT Registered Businesses in 2006 – Percentages based on stock of VAT registered businesses

Stirling – Number

Stirling - %

Scotland - %

280 215 3,210

8.7% 6.7% -

8.6% 6.7% -

VAT Registrations VAT De-registrations Stock at start of year

Source: VAT Registrations and De-Registrations (Nomis)

Industry

Occupational Distribution

Figure 9: Employment by Industrial Sector, Stirling, 2006

Figure 10: Occupational Distribution, Stirling, 2007

Occupational Distribution of workers in Stirling, %

Employment

by Industrial Sector, %

11.8

14.1

4.9

11.6 13.6 5.7

Source: Annual Business Inquiry (Nomis)

Source: Annual Population Survey - Workplace Analysis (Nomis)

Qualifications

Visitors to the Stirling Area

% of working age population

Figure 11: % of the Working Age Population Qualified to SVQ Level 4+ (or equivalent) and % with No Qualifications, 2007 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

SVQ Level 4+ No qualifications

12.6 11.0

Figure 12: Tourism Revenue, Tourist Days and Visitors to Key Attractions in the Stirling Council Area Visitors 2006 2007 Argyll’s Lodging Bannockburn Heritage Centre Blair Drummond Safari & Adventure Park Mugdock Country Park National Wallace Monument Old Town Jail Stirling Castle Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum Tourism Revenue (£’s millions) Tourist Numbers (thousands)

Stirling

14.7

54,054 65,871 402,701 543,055 119,526 27,328 385,755 44,264

50,573 61,410 433,070 559,695 135,000 30,719 389,011 40,859

388.83 4,366.60

390.45 4,323.50

Source: Scottish Tourism Economic Assessment Model; Visit Scotland; Mugdock Country Park

Scotland

Source: Labour Force Survey/Annual Population Survey (Nomis)

Earnings Figure 13: Average Gross Weekly Earnings of people working full time

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2002-2007 % Change

Average Gross Weekly Earnings – Residents – Stirling Average Gross Weekly Earnings – Residents – Scotland Average Gross Weekly Earnings – Workers – Stirling Average Gross Weekly Earnings – Workers – Scotland

£425.9 £369.3 £376.4 £371.7

£428.4 £381.8 £377.8 £381.3

£419.7 £390.6 £390.1 £390.4

£455.3 £409.8 £382.6 £408.6

£472.1 £427.9 £419.3 £428.1

£478.9 £441.0 £434.2 £441.5

12.4% 19.4% 15.4% 18.8%

Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Nomis)

www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye

STIRLING EYE

Focus on the local economy

27

Design by The Write People, Stirling Tel: 01786 445022 www.thewritepeople.co.uk

Christmas Park & Ride opening times Park and Ride services in and around Stirling have been extended for the Christmas period.

In addition to the usual Monday to Saturday service (7.30am to 6.30pm, except Thursday when services are extended to 8.30pm), a Sunday service will operate in December from the Castleview and Springkerse sites, 10.00am to 6.00pm.

Service contacts Adult Learning, Stirling Council Lynne Gibbons, Tel: 01786 432360, email: gibbonsla@stirling.gov.uk

Employability Service, Stirling Council Gordon Wright, Tel: 01786 442866, email: wrightg@stirling.gov.uk

Building Standards, Stirling Council Cecil Stokes, Tel: 01786 432203, email: stokesc@stirling.gov.uk

Planning, Stirling Council Peter Morgan, Tel: 01786 442914, email: morganp@stirling.gov.uk

City Centre Management, Stirling Council Andy Kennedy, Tel: 01786 442534, email: kennedya2@stirling.gov.uk

Tourism, Marketing & Rural Development, Stirling Council Deborah Murray, Tel: 01786 442821, email: murrayd@stirling.gov.uk

Economic Strategy & Intelligence, Stirling Council Hugh Lightbody, Tel: 01786 442593, email: lightbodyh@stirling.gov.uk

Useful web links Business Gateway – www.bgateway.com

Forth Valley College – www.forthvalley.ac.uk Forth Valley Construction Forum – www.forthconstruction.co.uk Forth Valley and Lomond LEADER – www.fvl.org.uk Funding Search Facility – www.stirling.gov.uk/business/funding The Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park – www.lochlomond-trossachs.org Lottery Fund – www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/scotland Property Search Facility – www.stirling.gov.uk/property Raploch Urban Regeneration Company – www.raploch.com Scottish Chambers of Commerce – www.scottishchambers.org.uk Scottish Enterprise – www.scottish-enterprise.co.uk Scottish Government – www.scotland.gov.uk Scottish Parliament – www.scottish.parliament.uk Stirling Business Directory – www.stirling.gov.uk/business/directory Stirling Business Panel – www.stirling.gov.uk/businesspanel Stirling Council Business Pages – www.stirling.gov.uk/business Stirling Enterprise (STEP) – www.stirling-enterprise.co.uk Stirling Eye – www.stirling.gov.uk/stirlingeye Stirling University Innovation park – www.suip.co.uk Trossachs Rural Mentoring Scheme – www.ruralmentoring.co.uk University of Stirling – www.stir.ac.uk Visit Scotland – www.visitscotland.org

Trading Standards & Licensing, Stirling Council Neil Chalmers, Tel: 01786 432170, email: chalmersn@stirling.gov.uk

Forthcoming events/ training December 2008 2nd morning – Stirling – Get Real Results From Your Website.

2nd evening – Stirling – Marketing Your Business.

4th morning – Alloa – Negotiation Skills.

11th evening – Stirling – Advertising and Promotion.

January 2009 20th evening – Falkirk – Improve Your Search Engine Ranking.

22nd morning and afternoon – Alloa – Customer Care 1 and Customer Care 2.

23rd morning – Falkirk – Credit Control.

28th morning – Stirling – Improve Your Search Engine Ranking.

29th Stirling – Women Into Business: Business Planning.

EVENTS Contacts Stirling – STEP Tel 01786 463416, email reception@stirling-enterprise.co.uk Alloa – CETERIS Tel 01259 726430, email aharrick@ceteris.co.uk Falkirk – FEAT Tel 01324 665500, email mandyc@feat.org.uk

Stirling Council Environment Services, Viewforth, Stirling FK8 2ET phone: 0845 277 7000 email: info@stirling.gov.uk text: 0771 779 0001 web: stirling.gov.uk