Following the recent election, the Leith Links Community Council is now reconstituted, with 12 members – 9 of whom were previously CC members, and 3 of whom are new members. We would like to welcome both our ‘old’ and our new members and look forward to the first meeting of the ‘new’ Community Council, which will be on Monday 31st March, at 6:30pm, in-person, at Duncan Place.
Agenda and previous Minutes to follow shortly.
Do come along to the next meeting of the Leith Local History Society, on TUESDAY 18th March AT 7pm in Leith Community Education Centre, to hear this fascinating presentation:
The Royal Navy and Leith between 1780 and 1805
Brian Pinkstone will share his research into Royal Navy ships, some with Leith crew or ‘pressed men’ who escorted valuable cargo during a time when shipping could be attacked by privateers
All welcome, £2 or free to members
The Leith Low Traffic Neighbourhood has now been made permanent (and has apparently also been ‘renamed’ the “Leith Liveable Neighbourhood”)
But things have not stopped there. At the Council’s Transport and Environment Committee next week (6th March), Councillor Chas Booth is proposing a motion that signposts to further changes in our area. (See below) What do people think of these?
Can / should such steps just be imposed from ‘above’? Is it time for a public meeting, and a focused discussion with local residents, to explore the ideas Councillor Booth is pushing forward?
You can comment below, or email your views to: contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk
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| Motion by Councillor Booth – Liveable Neighbourhoods
“Committee: 1) Notes the decision of TRO sub-committee on 18 February to make the Leith Liveable Neighbourhood, introduced under ETRO 23/20, permanent; further notes that while the scheme was generally successful at reducing motor traffic, there was a traffic increase on Duncan Place and northbound on Salamander Place; 2) Notes that while there is a commitment in the City Mobility Plan (CMP) to roll out liveable neighbourhoods, this work is currently unfunded within the CMP action plan (action 105) but this is being assessed as part of the CMP CIP review agreed by committee in December 2024; 3) Requests a report to committee in 4 cycles setting out: a) options to address the increase in traffic on Duncan Place and northbound on Salamander Place including, but not limited to, moving the bus gate to Links Gardens and introducing a full modal filter at either the north end of Johns Place or the south end of Duncan Place; b) what further action can be taken to improve dropped kerbs, pavements camber and improve conditions for walkers and wheelers throughout the project area and in particular at Claremont Park/Gladstone Place, including the potential for a new pedestrian crossing near the nursing home; c) what further action can be taken to improve conditions for those cycling in the area, in particular along quiet route 10 between Sandport Bridge and Links Gardens; d) whether there would be advantages to coordinating the timing of any further changes to the Liveable Neighbourhood with rollout of the CPZ to the area south of Leith Links; e) any lessons learned from the Leith Liveable Neighbourhood scheme, in particular on how the council can better engage with disabled people who might be impacted by a scheme at the earliest possible stage.” |
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At the same meeting, it is proposed to launch proceedings to ban parking on a number of streets, by introducing new double yellow lines on both sides. Worryingly, according to a recent Evening News article, Claremont Park is included on the list – can this really be the case, given that it is a wide road with plenty room for buses to pass each other, and no record of pavement parking? Seafield Place, Seafield Road and Salamander Street are also listed. Further information urgently needed!
See the full meeting agenda here: https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=7245&x=1
The role of a Community Council is to keep local residents and businesses informed about matters that will affect them, in the area, and to consult members of the local community for their views, and to represent those views to the Council, and elsewhere, so that the ‘voices’ of local people are heard. That is our job, and that is what we have been trying to do, over the Low Traffic Neighbourhood issues.
Although we had suggested that the bus gate should be excluded from the approval, the Leith Links Community Council is happy that the effects of Leith Low Traffic Neighbourhood which benefit many within the area have now been permanently established, for example quieter safer roads that encourage active travel, especially for children. Naturally, we want the best for our area and its residents.
However it was disappointing that members of the TRO sub-committee apparently made no serious effort to understand or analyse the traffic monitoring figures (or lack of figures in many cases, such as no baseline measures to allow true comparison). One Councillor did point out how badly the figures were presented, so as to make them difficult to understand. Overall the committee just accepted unquestioningly what the Leith Connections team told them, and dismissed the experience of the people who live in the area, who consistently report evidence of displaced traffic causing increased congestion on the boundary roads, and correspondingly reduced quality of life for many who live and work just outside the LTN. The Community Council would like to see a better scheme for traffic monitoring in future.
The City of Edinburgh Council’s Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) Sub-Committee today voted to make all of the temporary traffic regulation orders of the Leith Low Traffic Neighbourhood permanent. You will be able to watch a recording of the meeting by Thursday, when it should be archived.
The committee acknowledged that they had received a large number of representations from the public and from different groups, and thanked all who had made the effort to contribute. Their decision seemed to be at least partly based on the fact that ‘the majority’ were in favour (although one Councillor did remind them that this was “not a referendum”). They agreed that the current scheme is “not perfect” but felt that no scheme is perfect and that you couldn’t please everybody.
It took the Committee less than an hour to reach this decision. A lot hinged on the issue of increased displaced traffic on the boundary roads, the data on which none of them understood, but were happy to take the word of Council officers and dismiss the experience of people who live here. The Committee Convener said in conclusion that in relation to increased traffic displacement that she was “happy that’s being thingummied”.
This decision means that all the features of the LTN that people are enjoying and valueing will remain, such as quieter and safer roads inside the LTN that encourage active travel, especially for kids, so hopefully that is something that everybody can feel good about.
This Community Council had asked the Committee to make the measures permanent in part only but excluding the bus gate, however this option was rejected.
Making all the current measures permanent means that the current bus gate will remain. It means that in due course – perhaps in a few months – the Leith Connections team will come back with a proposal to change its location and to move the bus gate to Links Gardens and to make it two way.
Meanwhile, thank you to all who got involved in putting their views forward.
This week is when you can put in a nomination form and stand for election to your local Community Council. It’s not a difficult procedure, but please note that signed nominations must be in by 27th February (4pm) Details of the process are all here.
Here are some arguments for why joining a community council is worthwhile.
Leith Links Community Council needs you!
The next meeting of Leith Links Community Council will be held in person at Duncan Place at 6:30pm on Monday 24 February 2025.
This will in effect be the last meeting of the current Community Council, as elections for a new Community Council take place in March 2025. There will be no meeting in March, and then the new Community Council will meet in April.
New Community Council members are much needed! This is a great time for local residents to step forward and volunteer to get more involved in supporting our local community! All sorts of ages, interests, and different skills and opinions are very welcome – the only real and necessary qualification is an energy to try to help the local community to have a voice in matters that concern the area.
Please think about it! To qualify, you simply need to be over 18, live in the area and be on the Electoral Roll for this ward. Applying is easy. You download a nomination paper, get it signed by two other local residents (also on the Electoral Roll for this area) and send it in.
Constituted local Community Groups that have been established for 2 years or more can also apply to have an official representative on the Community Council (NB. different form to fill in, though)
You’ll find everything you need, here:
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/community-planning/community-councils/3
URGENT
The Council’s TRO Sub-Committee meets in one week’s time (18th February) to take important decisions about the Leith Low Traffic Neighbourhood (whether to make all the changes permanent or not).
The Community Council has recommended that the bus gate be dropped from the scheme, allowing traffic to flow through from Links Gardens to Queen Charlotte Street, thus relieving pressure on Salamander Place, Duncam Place, Johns Place and on the narrow residential streets (Fox Street, Pattison Street, Elbe Street).
We now see in a newly published Report that has been sent to the Committee (by Council Officers) the recommendation that the bus gate be moved so that it blocks off Links Gardens (not just Links Place) to all traffic except buses. And that it would be made two-way, so that as well as forbidding traffic as at present from east to west, it would also block all traffic coming through from west to east.
The proposed new bus lane/bus gate would remove through traffic from the raised pedestrian/ cycle crossing point on QuietRoute 10 at Links Gardens.
This would be a re-introduction of the situation caused by the Places for People blocking of Links Gardens during the Covid period, which was massively unpopular because it caused huge increases in traffic and congestion all along Claremont Park, Gladstone Place, East Hermitage Place, Hermitage Place, Vanburgh Place and the junction with Lochend Road / Easter Road / Duke Street, and all along Duke Street and Great Junction Street.
This is something that would have a huge effect on the lives of all who live in the Leith Links Area. You can read the proposal in Para 4.70 (and elsewhere) in this Report to Committee (uploaded here, as it seems to ‘come and go’ a bit on the council website, but you can try via https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=645&MId=7581)
Closing Links Gardens couldn’t be decided at the meeting next week, it would require a new consultation, but local people need to be aware that this is a first step.
If you have a view on this proposal, please write immediately to all the members of the TRO sub-committee, whose email addresses can be found here.
And please copy to the three Leith Councillors who have been reported in the press as being ‘united’ on supporting these proposals.
chas.booth@edinburgh.gov.uk
cllr.katrina.faccenda@edinburgh.gov.uk
adam.nols-mcvey@edinburgh.gov.uk
City of Edinburgh Council (TRO sub-committee) is going to take decisions on 18 February as to whether to make the Leith Low Traffic Neighbourhood permanent or not.
Lobby groups and press publicity so far have been very one-sided, insisting that ‘everyone’ is in favour. Is this true?
The findings of our own recent Community Council survey show that the local community is actually very divided on the issue (40% FOR, 34% AGAINST, and 26% MIXED FEELINGS). You can read our Summary Report of the survey findings here.
The Councillors on the TRO sub-Committee are still prepared to receive representations from the members of the public on the matter.
Please, if you feel strongly, will you email in to the councillors in question, to say whether you –
You can find the email addresses for the members of the committee here, if you wish to add your views.
Please remember that this is JUST about the LTN measures that are still classed as ‘experimental’ (it is NOT about reversing the Controlled Parking Zone, or any of the changes linked to the tram). For example, it covers:
The Community Council finds that there are many mixed views about the LTN, particularly because of the additional traffic congestion which has resulted, especially at peak times, on the surrounding main roads. We are making a few Recommendations on the basis of the survey findings, including that the so called ‘bus gate’ be removed.
Read our Summary Report of the 2024 survey findings here.
Read quotes from the public collected at Gala Day, june 2023, here.
