Category: Leith Links Community Council

Next meeting of Leith Links Community Council: Monday 31 January 2022, 6:30pm, online (Microsoft Teams)

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be held on Monday 31 January 2022 at 6:30pm, online (Microsoft Teams)

Papers for the meeting can be found here:

  1. Agenda 31 January 2022
  2. Minutes of last meeting, 29th November 2021

(These are also stored for access at any time in our online Library.)

We are intending to review and discuss the rollout of communal Bin Hubs in our area. We will also have updates on ongoing topics of local importance e.g. from our sub committees: Travel and Mobility, Parks and Greenspaces, Planning, Licensing.

If you have any questions  / issues about the communal bins near you, that you would like to raise with our local Councillors (and, hopefully, a relevant Council official), please email these in advance to contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk

As always, our meetings are open to interested members of the public. If you wish to attend, please email contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk and you will be sent an invitation / link for the meeting.

A New Years message

A New Year message from Gail Clapton, Vice Chairperson of Leith Links Community Council;

 

Sadly 2021 has been a difficult year for many people in Leith and beyond, and our thoughts go out to all those who have faced hardship and the loss of loved ones throughout the pandemic.

Unfortunately, moving into the New Year of 2022 sees us under similar restrictions as this time last year so perhaps not ‘the times they are a changing’ just yet.

Many have faced having to adapt to working from home with little or no direct interaction with their work colleagues other than online.  Not ideal but perhaps a safe approach. Similarly, Leith Links Community Council has continued with Zoom calls and it has been encouraging to see more people joining in and it would be good to see that participation continue whether online or in person, when that option returns to us.

It is to be hoped that as more medical advances are made we can meet the current setback as we have other challenges in the past.

So Leithers, lets Persevere, and head into 2022 with high hopes for a light at the end of this long tunnel.

With sincere good wishes to all for a happier and healthier New Year.

 

 

 

 

 

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A festive message

A festive message from Jim Scanlon MBE, Chairperson of Leith Links Community Council;

 

Last Christmas we ended our message hoping that Christmas 2021 would be better.

You may not believe it but things have got better. Since last year the vaccine programme has been successful with most of the population double jabbed and have had or waiting to get the booster.

Unfortunately with this new wave of the virus we have to be careful when going out but if we’re sensible you can still enjoy Christmas with your family. Test test test before you meet up to protect yourself and others.

We are all having to learn to live with this virus to survive and have a reasonable life in this “new” normal.

Remember all those people who you all plan to phone and never do? Why not take the time to call one or two. I can guarantee they’ll appreciate it and you could feel better.

On behalf of the Community Council I hope you all have a peaceful and safe festive period.

 

 

 

 

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Leith Community Councils call for conservation of the Manderston Street arches

The three community councils representing Leith (whose respective boundaries converge near the area in question) have jointly submitted this response to Edinburgh Council’s consultation on extending the Leith Conservation Area to include the former railway line that used to run across Leith Walk:

We, Leith Community Councils, would like to express our full support in response to the initiative by the Council to seek views from the Community about the proposal to extend the Leith Conservation Area to include the arches on Manderston Street / Jane street along with the former Capitol Theatre.

The significance, for Leith, of permanent elements such as these arches cannot be underestimated. Not only do they contribute to Leith’s collective memory, they also help Edinburgh reconcile itself to its industrial past by revealing layers of railway, manufacturing and service traditions.

Protecting such a landmark is about finding a balance between singular monuments like the arches and embracing sensitive new developments in Leith. It is about propelling Leith in a future where the Community keeps a sense of belonging, both symbolically and physically.

By having served the Community for over a hundred years and continuing to do so, the arches represent architecture at its highest degree, where constant alterations of functions emphasise the value of the form, may it be as the present Bingo Hall at 24 Manderston Street which once was Edinburgh’s largest cinema or the arches where airplanes used to be made.

We, Leith Community Councils, aspire to protect Leith’s unique character and appearance for future generations and for the city itself so we strongly support the inclusion of the arches and former cinema to the Leith Conservation Area as these are not only Leith’s architectural heritage, they are Edinburgh’s true foundations.

Leith Central Community Council

Leith Harbour & Newhaven Community Council

Leith Links Community Council

The consultation closes on December 19th. There is still time for individuals to comment.

WARNING Seafield Update for plant maintenance

The Community Counci received the following message from Scottish Water regarding work starting tomorrow, Monday 13th December. If you experience any odour issues please report them through the community council webpage and to Scottish Water.

Dear Stakeholder,

We wanted to let you know that Veolia, the operator at Seafield WwTW, will be commencing significant planned maintenance to one of the Primary Settlement Tanks on Monday 13th December. This will involve draining and cleaning the tank over the next week.The current weather forecast suggests favourable conditions during this period.Both SEPA and the City of Edinburgh Council have been informed.We will issue a further update once Veolia has completed the work.

 

 

 

 

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Scottish Water’s Seafield Shenanigans

At the last Seafield Stakeholders’ meeting we complained yet again about the fact that our small voluntary Community Council has been doing all the work of effectively gathering complaints about Seafield smells, while big powerful and well-funded organisations like SEPA, Veolia and Scottish Water just sit back.

This imbalance of power:effort led our MSP to charge Scottish Water with the duty to meet with us to explore ways of working together to create a more effective complaints system for all.

However, when we met, we found that Scottish Water had already used our template to create a new reporting system which is in their control exclusively. We in the community are to have no access to complaints (which they call ‘observations!) This, we were told, was because of privacy issues.

We felt that this action was a betrayal of trust and goodwill, and that we were left with the difficult choice of either dropping our own complaints system in favour of one we will have no access to, or keeping ours and having two systems running at once, causing confusion for local residents.

The Community Council felt overwhelmingly that it was vital that we keep our independent complaints system, so that we and others have evidence and data  around which to campaign.  You will see it is still there on our website, to use.

Although winter does not tend to be a ‘smelly season’, that can start as early as February, and we ask you to please continue to use our complaints facility whenever you notice a Seafield stench, whether it be of sewage, burning rubber or other chemical smells. Don’t hesitate, it only takes a few minutes!

 

 

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Next meeting of Leith Links Community Council, 29 November 2021, 6:30pm

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be held on Monday 29 November 2021 at 6:30pm, online (Microsoft Teams)

Papers for the meeting can be found here:

  1. Agenda for the Meeting
  2. Minutes of Meeting on Monday 25 October 2021 (draft until adopted)

(These are also stored for access at any time in our online Library.)

We have an interesting Guest Speaker coming, from Living Rent Edinburgh / Leith, and we will also have updates and discussion on ongoing topics of local importance including: Controlled Parking Zone for Leith, Seafield sewage plant and sewage outflows into Water of Leith, City Plan 2030 and more.

As always, our meetings are open to interested members of the public. If you wish to attend, please email contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk and you will be sent an invitation / link for the meeting.

We tend to alternate between using Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Both platforms have their pluses and minuses. Officers and elected representatives of Edinburgh City Council are not ‘allowed’ to use Zoom with/on Council IT, so if we hope to have input from those people, we need to use Teams.

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Extended time to comment on parking zone for Leith – make your voice heard!

Leith Links Community Council has successfully negotiated an extension of the time available for commenting on the proposed controlled parking zone for Leith – which is imminent. A lot of people had not realised that this affects our area (as well as Leith Walk, Pilrig  Abbeyhill etc.)

PLEASE take the time to send in an email with your views (see below for contact address) – it is the only way that the local community can be heard. These must be sent in by 5th December 2021

The proposed scheme will affect many streets in the areas around Constitution Street / Salamander Street & Place, Links Place & Gardens, Duncan Place, Johns Place etc. – and , of course, there will be a significant knock on effect on streets that are just on/beyond the boundary, as parking will ‘migrate’ from the controlled zone to the nearest free parking. The boundary is along the edge of the Links, so there will be increased demand for parking on Vanburgh, Hermitage & East Hermitage Place, Gladstone Place and Claremont Park, and other streets near here.

NB. This is different from and not to be confused with the proposed CPZ for our area earlier this year (the area inaccurately referred to as ‘West Leith’) which has been paused / postponed until later in 2022. Final plans and consultation of that are still to come, next year.

Feedback and comments on this final design proposal have to be made in writing by 5th December so there is not much time.

To view detailed plans and further information regarding the proposals, please visit the consultation website:

http://pclengagement-hub.co.uk/en-GB/folders/parkingreviewph1

With comments on the proposals or any details of them, please email by 5th December to the team at Edinburgh.Consultation@projectcentre.co.uk 

Click on the project link and then scroll down and click on EDINBURGH AREA N8

https://pclengagement-hub.co.uk/en-GB/projects/leith-northleith

Look on the map and note the number of the area you are interested in. Then scroll down through all the separate ’tile’ maps till you get to that number. Each number has two tile maps, showing the existing parking situation and then the proposed changes.

For example tile 939  will show you Duncan Place, Academy Street, Wellington Place, Johns Place.

   

Having looked at the numbered tile map, you have to keep referring to the legend map at the top of the page so you know what each colour indicates. For example pink is resident parking, brown is pay and display/resident parking, shared – and so on.

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The faff of finding the right pages and working out what each colour means is is pretty off-putting. But please do try to have a look and email in your comments, it’s the only chance for the local community to affect the final decisions. This Community Council will TRY to get an online meeting set up so that local residents can ask questions and comment directly, but we don’t know yet if this can be done.

The stated aim of the proposals is, amongst other things, to make it impossible for drivers from out of town to use our area as a ‘Park and Ride’, where they would park and then take the tram into town. That does make sense. But do the specific plans for your street make sense? You know your streets and the behaviour and needs of residents better than the Council or a firm of ‘consultants’.

You can copy your comments to us at the Community Council if you wish, that helps us get a ‘feel’ for the views of local residents. But don’t JUST send to us, you MUST send your comments directly to the Edinburgh.Consultation@projectcentre.co.uk 

Controlled Parking Zones coming to streets near you! Last chance to comment!

Important! The City Council is now moving forward (1st TRO advertisement) with the introduction of Controlled Parking Zones for Abbeyhill, Leith Walk, Pilrig, Leith and North Leith, which were first proposed and discussed back in 2019. ‘Leith’ covers some (but not all) of the Leith Links area, see map below. And it will definitely also affect other parts of our area that are just on/beyond the boundary, as parking will ‘migrate’ from the controlled zone to the nearest free parking. The boundary is along the edge of the Links, so there will be increased demand for parking on Vanburgh, Hermitage & East Hermitage Place, Gladstone Place and Claremont Park, and other streets nearest these.

NB. This is different from and not to be confused with the proposed CPZ for our area earlier this year (the area inaccurately referred to as ‘West Leith’) which has been paused / postponed until later in 2022. Final plans and consultation of that are still to come, next year.

They are inviting feedback and comments on the final design proposal. These have to be made in writing by 12th November so there is not much time.

To view detailed plans and further information regarding the proposals, please visit the consultation website:

http://pclengagement-hub.co.uk/en-GB/folders/parkingreviewph1

With comments on the proposals or any details of them, please email by 12th November to the team at Edinburgh.Consultation@projectcentre.co.uk 

It’s not an easy process!

Click on the project link and then scroll down and click on EDINBURGH AREA N8

https://pclengagement-hub.co.uk/en-GB/projects/leith-northleith

Look on the map and note the number of the area you are interested in. Then scroll down through all the separate ’tile’ maps till you get to that number. Each number has two tile maps, showing the existing parking situation and then the proposed changes.

For example tile 939  will show you Duncan Place, Academy Street, Wellington Place, Johns Place.

   

Having looked at the numbered tile map, you have to keep referring to the legend map at the top of the page so you know what each colour indicates. For example pink is resident parking, brown is pay and display/resident parking, shared – and so on.

*

The faff of finding the right pages and working out what each colour means is is pretty off-putting. But please do try to have a look and email in your comments, it’s the only chance for the local community to affect the final decisions. This Community Council will TRY to get an online meeting set up so that local residents can ask questions and comment directly, but we don’t know yet if this can be done.

The stated aim of the proposals is, amongst other things, to make it impossible for drivers from out of town to use our area as a ‘Park and Ride’, where they would park and then take the tram into town. That does make sense. But do the specific plans for your street make sense? You know your streets and the behaviour and needs of residents better than the Council or a firm of ‘consultants’.

You can copy your comments to us at the Community Council if you wish, that helps us get a ‘feel’ for the views of local residents. But don’t JUST send to us, you MUST send your comments directly to the Edinburgh.Consultation@projectcentre.co.uk 

 

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CONTROLLED PARKING ZONES ABBEYHILL, LEITH WALK, PILRIG, LEITH AND NORTH LEITH NORTH

Important! The City Council have reached the next step (Traffic Regulation Order, consultation stage) in the introduction of Controlled Parking Zones for Abbeyhill, Leith Walk, Pilrig, Leith and North Leith, which were first proposed and discussed back in 2019.  This covers some (but not all) of the Leith Links area (which apparently counts as ‘Leith’ in this scheme) see map below, and will definitely also affect other parts of our area that are just on/beyond the boundary, as parking will ‘migrate’ from the controlled zone to the nearest free parking. The boundary is along the edge of the Links, so there will be increased demand for parking on Vanburgh, Hermitage & East Hermitage Place, Gladstone Place and Claremont Park, and other streets nearest these.

NB. This is different from and not to be confused with the proposed CPZ for our area earlier this year (for the area inaccurately referred to as ‘West Leith’) which has been paused / postponed until later in 2022. Final plans and consultation of that are still to come, next year.

Comments on this first TRO/21/03ADY have to be made in writing by 12th November so there is not much time.

INTRODUCTION OF NEW CONTROLLED PARKING ZONES (CPZ)

AREA 1 ABBEYHILL, LEITH WALK, PILRIG, LEITH AND NORTH LEITH

AREA 2 GORGIE, SHANDON, MOAT, CHESSER AND HUTCHISON

To view detailed plans and further information regarding the proposals, please visit the consultation website:

http://pclengagement-hub.co.uk/en-GB/folders/parkingreviewph1

With comments on the proposals or any details of them, please email by 12th November the team at Edinburgh.Consultation@projectcentre.co.uk 

Click on the project link and then scroll down and click on EDINBURGH AREA N8

This takes you to the ’tile’ maps which shows existing and proposed changes

It’s not easy to drill down to the important pages, and then you have to look at each numbered tile, then look at existing and proposed for each section

For example tiles 930,989,871 and 830 are closest to my house on the LEITH map tile grid for Links Gardens. (There’s also a North Leith tile map)

Having looked at each section you have to print off the legend map at the top of the page so you know what each colour indicates. For example pink is resident parking, brown is pay and display/resident parking, shared  – and on and on it goes.

Finding the pages to make comments is not easy and may put people off commenting. (I’m sure the City Council will deny that it has deliberately made it complicated to put people off commenting. However, I feel that  it could have been much better designed IF the council really wanted local people to engage…).

But please do try to have a look and make comments, it’s our only chance to affect the final decisions.

 

 

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