Category: Community information, events and news

The Community Council received the following update email from Michael Motion, Senior Project Manager, Infrastructure, Turner & Townsend

Phase 4 (Pilrig Street to McDonald Road)

Weekly lookahead (w/c 26^th June 2017) and further CEC project update 

Please see below details of works to be undertaken during the course of next week:

–      Complete grouting to the slabbed paving at the Library corner and open up areas to     pedestrians where safe to do so

–      Commence paving to the N/W corner of Croall Place (West side of Leith Walk)

–      Commence paving to Brunswick Street footpath at the junction with Leith Walk

–      Continue paving to the east side of Leith Walk

–      Kerb realignment, and commence kerb laying at Brunswick Street junction

–      Continue works to the road crossings at McDonald Road junction, excavating the tracks and installing ducts

 165 Leith Walk – Former Tram Depot Demolition

The former tram depot (located at 165 Leith Walk) is due for demolition, and further communication will follow regarding the programme for these works in the coming weeks.  The area will be cleared and a creative workspaces project will occupy part of this site.

 The smaller building at the front of the former depot (165a Leith Walk) will be retained and refurbished to create a pilot partnership hub delivering local services.  The project is a collaboration between site owners, The City of Edinburgh Council and local arts trust, Out of the Blue.

 The project team intend to hold a drop-in community event on 28^th June, between 4.30pm – 7.00pm, in the McDonald Road Library.  At this event, there will be an opportunity to find out more about these proposals and to ask any questions.

Any queries or concerns with regards to the above, please contact leith.programme@edinburgh.gov.uk

The community council and other stakeholders received the following email from Michael Motion, Senior Project Manager, Turner and Townsend

We have been formally notified today that the contractor responsible for the works currently underway on Leith Walk, Land Engineering, has been put into administration.

Having carried out a comprehensive assessment of the company’s financial stability prior to signing the contract, which did not highlight any concerns, this is unexpected and particularly disappointing.  As part of any assessment the Council seeks a third party credit agency opinion of the risk of business failure, and in relation to Land Engineering the third party opinion did not raise any issues.

We appreciate how frustrating this will be for businesses and residents.

We are currently in communication with the administrator and we are evaluating options to mitigate the impact and ensure the works, which to date have been running on time and to budget, are completed as soon as possible.

I am also aware that Land Engineering had recently issued a communication indicating that Brunswick Street would close on Monday 5^th June to accommodate works to that junction.  As a result of the above, this closure will not go ahead on Monday, and we will be in touch in due course with a revised closure date to complete the works at Brunswick Street. 

Further updates will be issued as more information specific to completion of the works becomes available.