Half a million books to be handed out to kids

NEARLY half a million books will be given out for free across Scotland as pupils in primary one-three take part in the eighth annual Book Week.

Primary one pupils from Simpson Primary School, Bathgate, joined Bookbug at Spring Distribution centre (pictured) to mark the event, ran by the Scottish Book

Trust in collaboration with the Scottish Government.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “We know that parental engagement has a significant impact on children’s academic achievement and I hope our gift bags will spark a lifelong love and appreciation of books and numbers for those receiving them.”

AMAJOR £75million plan to redevelop Glasgow’s former BHS site has “stalled” due to funding shortages, it has been claimed. The developers in the charge of the project are UK firm Formal Investments, headed up by Nicholas King and formerly Malcolm King who took on a 120year lease in 2015.

The following year the firm unveiled ambitious re-develop plans for ‘boutique’ offices for around 1750 workers in a new 12-storey building, on the site on Bath Street and Sauchiehall Street, which was used for almost half a century by BHS before the firm’s collapse.

However, three years after taking control of the site there has been no progress, delaying an overall plan by the council to revitalise one of Glasgow’s most famous streets. The building is lying empty, covered in graffiti and was being used by rough sleepers until quite recently before the entrance was sealed off.

According to well placed sources, the re-development plan has stalled due to a ‘lack of funding.’

When contacted by the Evening Times, a spokesman for Nick King of Formal Investment said there was “no update.”

There is now a ‘To Let’ sign on the building under the name of Minota Lettings which states ‘short term licences’ are available. No-one was available when the Evening Times called the mobile number advertised.

Glasgow architects StallanBrand were appointed as designers for the project and expressed frustration at the lack of progress on the development.

A spokesman for the firm said: “We are passionate about this part of the city centre and desperate to see this site re-developed.”

The building is owned by Primericam a United States-based marketing company that sells insurance and financial services.

When the plans were unveiled in 2016 the 80,000 sq ft of offices above BHS was said to be aimed at ‘creative businesses.’