Category: Leith Links Community Council

This is what is happening –

Footway widening outside former Leith Academy building from Duncan Place is progressing with new slabs being laid this week. It will stop at the existing pedestrian crossing for now until the roundabout is removed in around 3-4 weeks.

The contractor is also widening the footway outside the shops on Duke Street and they are currently laying the new slabs – will probably be completed later this week.

The contractor will then remove some of the existing islands at Lochend Road / Vanburgh place and will widen the footpath at that location. At the same time they will also start laying new ducts for traffic signals outside St. Andrews Church on Easter Road (so there may be some temporary pedestrian walkways created to facilitate this).

The new bus shelter for Vanburgh place will be installed early September,  however the existing bus stop will be kept in operation until all works are complete.

The deadline has now passed with regards the plants in the roundabout and transportation of these to new owners will be arranged.

If any local residents living near the junction would be prepared to commit to watering them regularly, some trees in giant pots could potentially be relocated to the newly widened walkway, from Leith Walk. Let us know! Quickly!

City of Edinburgh Council is currently exploring the possibility of a mural on the footway as you enter the Links from Vanburgh Place,  and also discussing the option of planting additional trees at that same location. In addition, Transport for Edinburgh are exploring the possibility of utilising the widened footway outside the former Leith Academy building to reintroduce a cycle hire station on the basis that this location is more open and may be less susceptible to vandalism.

If you have any further queries, please directly contact:

Steven Blacklaw ¦ Engineer – Transport Design & Delivery

Place ¦ Planning & Transport ¦ The City of Edinburgh Council

G4, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BG

Tel 0131 529 3252  steven.blacklaw@edinburgh.gov.uk

 

 

Could YOU re-home an exotic plant from the roundabout?

LLCC is still awaiting confirmation of the start date of work (‘soon’) on the new junction. The latest designs have more or less sorted out most of the problems raised by LLCC and residents, with the exception of the loss of a right turn from Lochend Road into Vanburgh Place. This raises worries about development of a possible ‘rat run’ through Burns Street/ Industrial Road/the Colonies. Council has agreed to monitor traffic here and to review the situation after an initial period with the new junction in place.

Meanwhile:

• Any residents wishing to re-home any of the Flax and Cordylines (the palm tree-like plants) from the roundabout should contact transportdesign@edinburgh.gov.uk before 19^th August 2019, as these will soon become available.
  (Sadly – and we HAVE explored this –  they cannot just be replanted on the Links as the Council experts don’t think they’d thrive there, and can’t undertake to water and maintain them. Also they can’t be planted in pots as they are too big and also would need endless watering. But if any local people can take them for their garden, allotment, plot, community garden or wherever, and will commit to watering them, they are going free to a good home. Get in touch straightaway!
• To make up for this (sort of…) the Community Parks Officer has suggested new trees at the entrance to the Links as a way of replacing the planting from the roundabout which will be removed. His vision is to introduce blocks of colour (see example images below). A cost is still to be confirmed and agreed and any trees would be planted young and so the full effect may take some time to develop but idea is for a more striking entrance to the Links through the use of colour. Your thoughts on this?
  
• The Council has the idea of considering commissioning a local artist(s) to create a mural on the ground at the entrance to the Links off Vanburgh Place, similar to works created at the corner of Albert Street / Crighton Place (Leith Walk) but still needs to work out all the details and is very much just a concept at the moment. Ideas? Suggestions about possible artists and designs appreciated.
  
• The existing eastbound bus stop on Vanburgh Place is going to be kept, but will be relocated into a new layby which will also include the procurement of a new bus shelter given the poor condition of the existing bus shelter.
• During the recent site meetings/discussion with LLCC and local residents, the traffic congestion on Duke Street was raised with emphasis on the positioning of the existing bus stops (virtually opposite each other outside Tescos) being a potential cause. Lothian Buses are currently considering the positioning of the bus stops on Duke Street in a bid to reduce congestion and Council will relay their thoughts once they have carried out this exercise.

Council will provide a further update in due course  and in the meantime any questions or comments can be sent to transportdesign@edinburgh.gov.uk