Close off Links Gardens again?
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