Category: Parks and Greenspaces

You are viewing all articles on our website relating to Parks and Greenspaces.

You may also be interested in viewing our Parks and Greenspaces Sub Committee page, which can be accessed by clicking here.

Long overdue playpark repairs coming….slowly……

Much to the distress of local families, the state of the childrens playpark on the Links has been extremely poor for some time, and is deteriorating. Complaints have been pouring in, demanding repairs and restoration of favourite play equipment but the Council seems to have taken its eye badly off the ball on this one. Leith Councillor Katrina Faccenda, having escalated the matter on our behalf and on behalf of the many frustrated local parents, has recently received this reply from the Parks Technical Manager:

Dear Cllr Faccenda,

Thank you for your email to Gareth (Corporate Director of Place) regarding the ongoing issues with the play equipment at Leith Links and which has been passed to me for a response. I fully appreciate the frustration this situation has caused for residents and park users, particularly given the length of time these matters have remained unresolved.

There have unfortunately been prolonged difficulties in progressing these repairs. This has been caused by a combination of staff shortages within the service, wider supply chain issues affecting the availability of specialist parts and equipment, and the complexity involved in working with suppliers to identify solutions that are both safe and cost-effective for the specific faults affecting the units.

I do however understand that a series of repair solutions has now been agreed and that the necessary equipment and components have now been sourced. I have discussed this directly with the outsourced maintenance provider, who has assured me that the required works are expected to be completed within the next two to three weeks.

This situation has very much highlighted the need for the service to improve responsiveness to play area repairs. We are currently progressing recruitment to several vacant posts within the play park maintenance team to help address both these issues and wider repair backlogs currently being experienced across the service.

In addition, where agreed targeted repair programmes are not being delivered within expected timescales, we will also look to engage additional external support to help accelerate delivery and improve overall performance.

I appreciate the continued patience of local residents while these matters are resolved and apologise for the delays experienced.

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Hhhmmm. Could do better, let’s hope they do!

 

 

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What news of the Leith Links toilets?

We have been asking!

A message has recently been received from the Council, providing an update regarding:

Leith Links Public Toilets

Drainage remediation works have begun on site during the week commencing 4 May 2026. The construction works are expected to take approximately 3 to 4 weeks, followed by reinstatement of the surrounding area and testing of the drainage system before reopening. We are currently targeting completion by the beginning of June 2026, subject to final testing and verification.

The toilets were temporarily closed in December 2025 after issues were identified with the drainage system. Investigations found that the service disruption was caused by a combination of foreign objects entering the drainage network and a construction fault which needs to be rectified to ensure the system works reliably. Since then, the Council has been working with our contractor Healthmatic to develop a solution that addresses both issues and ensures the facility can operate effectively in the long term.

The temporary chemical toilets were removed during the week commencing 14 April 2026 and replaced with a new set of temporary toilets, which will remain in place until the drainage works are completed.

 We understand that this has caused inconvenience for park users and the local community, and we appreciate your patience while we work to resolve the issue properly. We look forward to bringing the new public toilet facility back into operation as soon as possible and will continue to provide updates as works progress.

Marco Galli
Green Space Development Officer
City of Edinburgh Council – Parks and Greenspace – Place
Waverley Court – 4 East Market Street – Edinburgh – EH8 8BG

Tel 07709720833  Email: marco.galli@edinburgh.gov.uk

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Toilets on the Links – closure for repairs & temporary arrangements

Well, sadly, yet another ‘hiccup’ regarding the new toilets on the Links. Here is an update from the Council:

“I want to share a brief update on the public toilet facility at Leith Links.

Following ongoing operational issues, we have identified two combined factors affecting the reliability of the drainage system. These are a construction fault within the drainage network and the continued presence of foreign objects entering the system, which together have caused repeated blockages and service disruption.

To prevent ongoing disruption, Leith Links public toilets will be temporarily closing while essential remedial works are carried out.

During this period, temporary chemical toilets, including an accessible cubicle, have now been installed nearby to ensure continued provision for parks users.

At this stage, it is expected that the temporary closure will continue over the Christmas period into early 2026, with further updates on the programme and reopening to be shared at the beginning of 2026.

We are currently working closely with our contractor, Healthmatic Ltd, to implement the most appropriate technical solution that will provide a robust and long-term fix, improve reliability and reduce the risk of future disruption. This work is being progressed as a priority and we will keep the community informed as the work progresses.

We appreciate your patience while we resolve this issue and work to restore the facility as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your patience and support.”

Best regards,

Marco Galli

Green Space Development Officer

City of Edinburgh Council – Parks and Greenspace – Place

Waverley Court – 4 East Market Street – Edinburgh – EH8 8BG

Tel 07709720833

Please note I work condensed hours Monday to Thursday, and Friday is a non-working day for me.

The temporary toilets are located near the entrance at the John Rattray golfer statue.
thrivinggreenspaces.scot thrivinggreenspaces@edinburgh.gov.uk

 

 

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Please come and join the Litter pick on the Links, Saturday 4rth October 10am

NOW CANCELLED DUE TO BAD WEATHER!

Duncan Place is organising a litter pick on the Links next week, and looking for volunteeers to come along to help. Do come and join in – litter picking os surprisingly satisfying!

Leith Links Litter Pick

When?

  • Saturday 4th October
  • 10am – 12noon (free cuppa afterwards).

Where?

  • meet at Duncan Place Community Hub at 10am (4 Duncan Place, EH6 8HW)

What?

  • Litter pick on Leith Links
  • Followed by a hot drink and biscuits inside
  • We have litter pickers, and a limited number of bin bag hoops and gloves for you to use. If you have your own, please bring them!

Who?

  • Everyone is welcome to come and help!
  • Young people (under 16) attending should be accompanied by an adult

If the weather is really bad, the the litter pick wil be called off! If in doubt, give Duncan Place a call on the morning (from 9am) on 0131 364 4351.

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Events on the Links this spring / summer

People often say that they wish that there was a list that they could view, of events happening on Leith Links, so we asked for one. The Council has sent us this list for the meantime and has also said “We are looking to get a public facing events calendar for events in all of our Parks up and running as soon as is practicable.”

We will update this list with more details of each event if, as, and when we receive more information.

Next meeting of Leith Links Community Council, Duncan Place, 6:30pm, Monday 26 May 2025.

The next meeting of Leith Links Community Council will be held in person at Duncan Place at 6:30pm on Monday 26 May 2025.

Minutes of previous meeting are here.

Agenda is here.

This will be the second meeting of the new Community Council, as elected in March 2025, and we will welcome our new Community Councillors, and any local residents who wish to attend. Thre are quite a few things going on locally so it’s good to catch up!

A Teams link will be set up for councillors and local residents who are unable to attend in person, but we do not have the technical facilities to guarantee a good ‘hybrid’ set up.

Please email contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk if you wish to receive an online link.

 

New ‘Rules’ for parks – have your say!

Revised rules for parks and greenspaces – your chance to comment by 11 April 2025

https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/management-rules-parks/

Do you use Leith Links and other parks in Edinburgh? If so, you might be interested in the Council’s ‘rules’ for use of parks which are intended to ensure these shared spaces are used properly and safely. For example barbecues and fires – which are clearly safety issues – cause damage to grassy areas and in hot dry weather could cause wild fires and also result in high levels of particulates in the air, are already not permitted in parks except in designated areas. Did you know that a range of other activities and events need prior permission from the Council to be held in parks?

The Council plans to bring in a revised set of Management Rules for Public Parks, Beaches, and Green Spaces to cover the next 10 years. These rules are made under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. A revised draft set of management rules have been developed over the past 2 years and are now out for consultation.   A final version will be submitted to Culture and Communities Committee for consideration. Once it’s passed, presumably the Council will be empowered to enforce these rules.

Here is a link to the consultation exercise on the Council’s website – please take a little time to contribute your views on the matter.

Management Rules for Parks, Beaches, and Greenspace – City of Edinburgh Council – Citizen Space

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Links Place Bus Gate Open to ALL traffic

Duncan Place and Johns Place are currently closed for possibly the next 10 weeks for maintenance work on pavements.

The road network around and through Leith has had increased traffic volumes as traffic that would normally use the closed off roads attempts to find another route to destinations withing the ‘liveable neighbourhood’.

The Community Council asked council officers to consider lifting restrictions on Links Place until the road works have been completed allowing traffic to flow East and West along this road.

Council Officers responded that this was possible and the restrictions which includes the camera have been removed for the duration.

Hopefully we’ll be told before work is completed a date for the camera being switched back on.

 

Join the Litterpick, Saturday 22nd March

Please come and join in the Spring Litterpick on Leith Links, next Saturday morning, 22nd March! Litter-picking is surprisingly satisfying in itself, and you will be contributing to making our area a much more pleasant place for everyone.

Duncan Place is coordinating the litterpick, which is also supported by the Leith Links Community Council.

  • We’ll all meet in the Duncan Place car park at 10am. 4 Duncan Place, Leith, EH6 8HW.
  • We have litter pickers you can borrow, however please do bring your own if you have one. Bring gloves (not your poshest pair!)
  • We’ll supply bin bags. We have a limited number of bin bag hoops and sturdy gloves that people can borrow.
  • Children very welcome, but under 16s to be accompanied by an adult.
  • Join us after the litter pick for a hot cuppa and biscuits, inside Duncan Place, as a thank-you for getting involved.
  • If the weather is *really* bad, we’ll call the litter pick off. If in doubt, check the Duncan Place socials, or call 0131 364 4351.
  • Litter picking volunteers can just turn up on the day, but it does help to let the organisers know you’re coming. You can email on events@duncanplace.org or fill in the form here > https://forms.gle/e7DbVQHq7ENikTSZ6

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