Category: Parks and Greenspaces

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Update on permanent Public Toilets for the Links, 2025

Leith Links Community Council has received the following letter which aims to update local residents and park users about the plan to install permanent public toilets on Leith Links. The short version of all this is that there WILL be toilets installed next year, although the final date cannot be guaranteed. Members of the Community Council and the local community were consulted about the matter, and although we are not terribly enthusiastic about the location the Council has chosen to install them, and although the design is much pared back from the original suggestions, we nonetheless welcome the development. We will be following the timeline of the installation closely, and pressing the Council to install temporary toiets again, if the new ones are delayed.

From Thriving Green Spaces, City of Edinburgh Council:

“… We are pleased to share an update on our progress with the public toilets in parks project. Please find here the finalised design, which showcases the thoughtful integration of accessibility and environmental sustainability. Details can also be found under Latest News webpage.

Further information about the project, including locations, key features, decision-making and FAQ, can be found on Public Toilets in Edinburgh’s Parks website.

The finalised design of the new facilities reflects our shared commitment to creating accessible, sustainable, and inclusive spaces for all. Each facility includes energy-efficient lighting, water-saving fixtures, and unisex cubicles designed to accommodate people of all abilities. Features like grab rails, baby changers, and enhanced safety measures are incorporated to ensure ease of use and accessibility for everyone.

Project Timeline and Phased Installation

We are progressing according to a carefully structured and conservative programme, with a targeted timeline designed to minimise impact and accommodate potential challenges. Key phases include:

  • Factory design and build: Began on Monday 4th November 2024, covering the detailed design of both the buildings and groundworks. This stage is essential for ensuring that each component is precisely tailored to meet the required standards before installation on-site.
  • Groundworks: Expected to start in early February, following the appointment of groundwork contractors by Healthmatic. Groundworks will be staggered, allowing for the Healthmatic project manager to supervise each phase closely and ensures the concrete can cure without rushing.
  • Phased Completion Dates: Installation completion is set for April 21st, May 5th, and May 19th 2025 for the three facilities. The specific order of completion will depend on contractor availability, connections to utility services, and external factors. This flexibility enables us to address any site-specific challenges that may arise; if one site requires additional work, we can proceed with another to keep the overall timeline on track.

This conservative approach includes allowances for unforeseen elements such as contractor scheduling, utility connections, and weather-related delays.

We are reviewing options to retain the temporary public toilets until the new facilities are built, and I will update you once a plan for this has been agreed.

Focus on Landscape

As installation moves forward, our attention will turn to enhancing the surrounding landscapes. Wildlife-sensitive lighting, bike racks, and benches will complement the facilities, ensuring a welcoming, comfortable environment that supports both people and nature.

Maintenance and Operational Readiness

We have also initiated close collaboration with the waste and cleanliness team to co-develop a maintenance plan tailored to the new facilities. Our goal is to ensure the team has the necessary resources and tools to maintain the toilets to a high standard, keeping them in excellent condition for all park visitors. We will also be working with the grounds maintenance teams to develop maintenance guidelines for the sedum roofs and to arrange any necessary training.

Thank you once again for your ongoing support and involvement in this ambitious project. If you have any questions or would like more detailed information, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Warm regards,

Thriving Green Spaces
City of Edinburgh Council – Parks and Greenspace – Place
Level 2.1 Waverley Court – 4 East Market Street – Edinburgh – EH8 8BG

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Public Toilets on Leith Links 2024

The temporary public toilets on the Links are located beside the low cream coloured (heavily grafittied) building beyond the hedge, behind the tennis courts, in the old bowling greens area of the Links, near the junction of Links Gardens and Johns Place

These toilets are operational 10-6pm daily. Or so we’re told. If you go to use them within those times and find them locked, please email parks@edinburgh.gov.uk to report the date and time you found them locked.

You’d think that installing the temporary public toilets on Leith Links for the summer season would go fairly smoothly, wouldn’t you, considering that this is the fourth year it has been done? Sadly, you’d be wrong.

First, the Council said they wouldn’t install temporary toilets this year, as permanent ones were to be installed.

Then they said they would, because the permanent ones have been delayed indefinitely.

Then they said they didn’t know when they would be installed, but they would let us know. They didn’t.

Then the toilets suddenly appeared, in mid June, without warning – though the Community Council was not informed.

They were not connected up to the water and electricity for some time, and again the Community Council was not kept informed.

They were still not open for public use on 12 July (when there was a World Orienteering Championship held on the Links, with 200 + people attending)

Ar random times between 13 July and the present, the toilets have sometimes been found open and operational, and sometimes / often been locked.

The council tell us they have been operational since 15 July and are open 10am – 6pm daily. We know that is simply not true as we have often found them locked and deserted during those hours.

There has been no sign erected to notify the public that the Portocabin on the bowling greens area is a public toilet. But now (24 July), after repeated requests from the Community Council, one has been affixed to the door at last. Good.

However there are no signs anywhere in the park to alert park users to the fact that the toikets exist at all, and where they are. The community council has fixed up some ‘home made’ signs, to help people find them.

Do use the Comments below to feed back to us your experiences of the toilets and how well they are working out, for the local community.

What’s the situation elsewhere?

Portobello – toilets open 10-6pm at the beach end of Pipe Street, near the food stalls on the Prom. (Other ‘alleged’ toilets at 4 Bath Street – are they open or not?)

Joppa – The restaurant Joppa Rocks at the furthest (east) end of the beach kindly makes its loos available to the public even if you don’t buy anything there. Staff will direct you to an upstairs loo, but there is a downstairs one for anyone with mobility issues.

Inverleith Park – same as Leith Links – temporary toilets but not obvious to visitors, no signage or notice re opening hours etc.

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What’s Happening around Leith Links this summer?

Here’s what we know about – please contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk if you know of any other events on or around the Links in the next couple of months, that local people might like to be aware of.

Public Toilets
The Links were supposed to be getting a permanent public toilet block this summer, but it has been delayed, apparently, for various reasons, and will not now be built until the autumn or later…watch this space….
HOWEVER, good news – the Links WILL be getting temporary public toilets, like the past few years. If you want to know when exactly these will be arriving we suggest that you all – like this Community Council – email your local Councillors to ask when / and can they please try to speed the process up, stressing the urgent need that you and your family and friends experience for toilets, now that the weather is improving and people are spending longer out of doors.
Cllr.katrina.faccenda@edinburgh.gov.uk; chas.booth@edinburgh.gov.uk; adam.mcvey@edinburgh.gov.uk

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Duncan Place
All sorts of exciting events & activities take place at Duncan Place Community Hub, including sociable and undemanding ‘Seasonal Strolls’ around the Links, usually on Wednesday lunchtimes (But not every week- check with Duncan Place for schedule). Sign up here to receive their regular Newsletter, to keep abreast of what’s on.

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Earth in Common (on the corner of the Links at the Queen Charlotte Street end of John’s Place) now offers a Cafe and Farm Shop (Food Hub).
Cafe open Tuesday -Friday 9-3pm and Saturday-Sunday 10-4pm for tea and coffee, homemade sweet treats and a simple vegetarian menu.
Farm Shop sells local produce like vegetables, eggs and milk

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Leith Links Funfair
The traditional ‘shows’ will be on the Links this year as they are every year around Leith Festival time (over on the Duncan Place side) Sunday 2nd – Sunday 9th June

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Leith Festival Gala Day
This traditional community event will be held on Saturday 8th June

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Leith Festival 8th – 16th June
For news of the many exciting events held all around Leith during the Leith Festival, see www.leithfestival.com and look out for the printed paper programme which you will be able to pick up soon all over Leith (in cafes, pubs etc.)

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World Orienteering Championships 2024 – 12 July
This one off event will be held on and around the Links on the morning of  Friday 12 July, with start & finish points on the small triangle on the west side of Leith Links at Duncan Place, beside Leith Primary School. For more information, see www.woc2024.org/woc-tour/

Organisers are keen for people to come along and spectate too. The WOC races earlier in the morning on Leith Links will be the most exciting for spectating and there will be a ‘Finals’ event culminating in Central Edinburgh the same afternoon.

Latest news is that there are also going to be ‘open’ races for spectators / the local community, on the main part of the Links, slightly later in the day, with entries open to anyone – the shortest courses are suitable for complete beginners!  These involve people running around, navigating to checkpoints marked with a stake, small flag and electronic timing box. Entries are at:

https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?elid=Y&event_id=1280

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Archeology tests on the Links

Please be aware that there will be people working on site at the bowling greens at Leith Links this Thursday 9th May.  In case you are wondering – and to combat any possible misinformation – these are workers from AOC Archaeology Group who have been officially contracted to carry out archaeological tests at the site. This is part of the development work and site scoping for the proposed Activity Hub project (part of the Leith Links MasterPlan).
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Leith Links Litterpick, Saturday 27th April – Join us!

In partnership with our friends at Duncan Place Community Hub, Leith Links Community Council is organising a community litterpick on Leith Links on Saturday 27th April, from 10am until 12 noon

Please do join us! All are welcome! Adults and children!
Litterpicking  – believe it or not – is strangely enjoyable and satisfying.

Litterpickers and bags will be provided but please bring your own work gloves.

Meet outside 4 Duncan Place (next to the school) at 10am on 27th.

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Duncan Place Trustee Recruitment

Duncan Place are recruiting 6 new trustees to help run this important community hub.

If you would like to find out more about what the role involves then contact Duncan Place at:

info@duncanplace.org

or drop in to Duncan Place on 16th April between 7pm and 8pm for more information on what would be expected from you.

Duncan Place already delivers a range of services to the community and this is an exciting opportunity to get involved.

link to job advert on Right Move

Potential Trustee Form V1

Music Encounters on the Links, 16 March 2024

There will be some live music on the Links for all park users to enjoy, free of charge, on Saturday 16th March, as follows:

11-13:00 set-up

13:00-13:30 Firelight Trio – European music including Swedish polskas, Scottish reels, French waltzes, toe-tapping klezmer and dazzling original tunes. www.firelighttrio.co.uk

13:40-14:10 Ché Caré – One of Edinburgh’s finest Latin Trios and house band at Boteco Do Brasil playing timeless pop classics from all around the globe with a Latin core and jazz-rock twist. https://www.instagram.com/checaretrio/

14:20-15:00 Tom Oakes Duo/Trio – 2019 Scots Trad Awards ‘Musician of the Year’ nominee, Edinburgh-based Tom is regarded as one of the UK’s top Flautists and Multi instrumentalists. www.tomoakesmusic.com

15:00-16:00 take down

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Dept Q , Location Filming , Monday, 11th March , Links Gardens

Location filming will take place in Links Gardens/Links Place for a chilling new detective series called Dept Q.

The crew will be filming scenes between 4pm and 10pm on Monday 11th March and this will lead to some road closures during these hours to allow the action to take place.

Location equipment and crew will be on site from 9am to set up.

The map link below shows where road closures will take place from 6pm to 10pm.

If you would normally be planning to drive through the area at that time of day then plan an alternative route.

LINKS ROAD CLOSURES

Dept Q is based on the crime novels of the Danish author, Jussi Adler-Olsen which have sold many millions of copies. The books have been made into successful television adaptations and films ( In Danish). This new production which moves the location of Dept Q to Scotland stars some well known actors and could be very successful.

I’ve just finished the first book in English which introduces you to the characters.

The book was first published in 2008 and then made into a movie.

Lets wish them great success with this new take on the novels.

 

 

 

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Events on and around the Links

Filming on Links Place / Links Gardens, Monday March 11

Filming for a new Netflix detective series (a Nordic noir type drama) is taking place on Monday 11th March. There is likely to be traffic disruption as roads are closed temporarily and equipment moved in and out of the area, as well as actual filming. Nearby neighbours will get a letter delivered nearer the time with more details. Others would just be wise to seek an alternative route that day. If you’re interested, here is the background to the series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_Q

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Music Encounters on the Links, March 2024

Provided by the Council, there will be some live music on the Links for all local residents and ‘ordinary’ park users to enjoy, free of charge, on Saturday 16th March, as follows:

11-13:00 set-up

13:00-13:30 Firelight Trio – European music including Swedish polskas, Scottish reels, French waltzes, toe-tapping klezmer and dazzling original tunes. www.firelighttrio.co.uk

13:40-14:10 Ché Caré – One of Edinburgh’s finest Latin Trios and house band at Boteco Do Brasil playing timeless pop classics from all around the globe with a Latin core and jazz-rock twist. https://www.instagram.com/checaretrio/

14:20-15:00 Tom Oakes Duo/Trio – 2019 Scots Trad Awards ‘Musician of the Year’ nominee, Edinburgh-based Tom is regarded as one of the UK’s top Flautists and Multi instrumentalists. www.tomoakesmusic.com

15:00-16:00 take down

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Leith Festival Gala Day
This traditional community event will be held on Saturday 8th June

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World Orienteering Championships 2024
This one off eventwill be held on and around the Links on Friday 12 July

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City of Edinburgh Council REFUSED permission for the proposed electronic music festival FLY Summer Of Love’92 to take place on the Links, in May 2024.

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