Tag: 2020

Local traffic congestion & Links Gardens closure

At the last meeting of the Leith Links Community Council, the following motion was proposed and carried.

Due to excessive local traffic congestion, with concomitant air pollution and danger to pedestrians and cyclists, Leith Links Community Council proposes that a review is needed of the closure of Links Gardens and of the working of the redesigned junction at the foot of Easter Road. This should be carried out in the context of all the other nearby road closures, roadworks, and diversions affecting traffic across Leith, and should include full consultation with local residents and businesses.

The motion has been passed on to our three local Councillors, and to all members of the Transport and Environment Committee.

At the Community Council meeting (which was held online, but was open to members of the public to attend), the following points were raised in discussion:

LLCC is receiving many emails from local residents about severe traffic congestion problems, particularly relating to the redesigned Easter Road junction and to the Links Gardens closure. Residents are divided: many support the closure of Links Gardens for use by pedestrians and cyclists, while others are deeply upset by the traffic congestion, delays and blocked routes that beset our area currently. Recent online petitions have garnered hundreds of signatures. Currently some streets (eg. East Hermitage Place / Vanburgh Place) are actually worse for pedestrians and cyclists, rather than better, due to nose-to-tail queuing traffic and air pollution. Delays to public transport drives more people back to their cars.

LLCC is not anti-cyclist and is not demanding immediate reopening of the road, but just requesting a review. There was no consultation at the time of the closure.

A recent report from Police Scotland (Community Officer) states that “There are no highlighted concerns from Police Scotland in relation to public safety for this road [Links Gardens] re-opening. From a Police Scotland point of view we have no objections to this road re-opening and resuming normal traffic. This will hopefully alleviate a lot of traffic that is amounting along Vanburgh Place and Hermitage Place due to the new traffic light system on Duke Street.”

It is clear that the traffic problems are not ALL caused by the closure of Links Gardens, but by a ‘perfect storm’ of multiple road closures, roadworks and diversions all over Leith, and also by the new junction at the bottom of Easter road which has never worked well. Re-opening Links Gardens is the one thing that could be relatively easily achieved, and might help somewhat, even just temporarily while the Tramworks are at their most disruptive.

CEC policy is apparently to hope for “traffic evaporation” but it is not clear how this can be achieved.

Cllr McVey noted that the Links Gardens closure, along with early Covid 19 measures on other roads, is due to be reviewed at the next meeting of the Transport and Environment Committee.

           

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Rattray statue uncaged at last

After 10 years of fund-raising by Leith Rules Golf Society, amounting to an amazing £120,000 followed by motions to Parliament, Royal Consent and planning applications, the statue of John Rattray was cast by Powderhall Bronze and erected on its current position on the Links last September surrounded by a fence.

Finally, after a further year of negotiations with City of Edinburgh Council, the fencing came down yesterday.

Leith Links and Rattray have an important part in the history of golf. The original 13 rules of  the game were written down by Rattray for a competition on Leith Links in 1744. Those 13 rules were the foundation of the rules of golf up to the present day.

The statue belongs to the people of Leith and we should all be proud of this additional part of our rich history.

I hope we can all respect the statue and protect it from vandalism and I encourage you all, like me, to keep an eye on it to protect it.

Since yesterday there’s been lots of interest in Rattray and we hope it will attract visitors from all over the world who, fingers crossed, will also spend their money in Leith.

Jim Scanlon

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Free benefit and debt advice for Edinburgh residents

Free benefit and debt advice for Edinburgh residents

As the coronavirus pandemic hits the economy harder, more people are now dependent on benefits due to job loss and reduced income. Many people aren’t able to pay for essential things like rent and mortgage costs while others struggle with fuel and food costs.

Four of the city’s advice services are still busy working to support residents to maximise their income and support through these difficult times – whether it is helping people to get the benefits they are entitled to, helping manage debt or rent arrears, giving advice on housing problems or budgeting or help with food and bills. All services are currently providing assistance remotely though some are starting to offer limited face to face appointments.

Contact us if you or any of your clients/residents/community/members need help through these difficult times:

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Community Councils Together on Trams: Minutes of meeting held on Thursday 30 July 2020

Leith Links Community Council is a member of the coalition ‘Community Councils Together on Trams’  (CCTT) alongside Leith Central Community Council, Leith Harbour & Newhaven Community Council and New Town & Broughton Community Council. CCTT meets monthly with the Tram Team to discuss, scrutinise and influence the step by step development of the Trams to Newhaven project, on behalf of our local communities.

Minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 30 July 2020 are copied below for information.

If you have something you want this Community Council to raise at one of these meetings, please email contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk 

 

» Read more

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Next Meeting of the Leith Links Community Council, 31 August 2020, 6:30pm by Zoom

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will take place on Monday 31 August 2020 at 6:30pm. It will be online, via Zoom.

The Agenda for the meeting, and the Minutes of the previous meeting are here, and in our online Library. Short Reports from Sub Committees are here.

The meeting is open to members of the public who are resident, or have close links to our local area. If you wish to attend, please email contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk and ask for a Zoom link for the meeting.

Is your Community Council working?

Yes! The Leith Links Community Council has has met online (via Zoom) each month, since its last  ‘in person’ meeting in February 2020 and of course continues its work also by email, phone and social media.

Leith Links Community Council is currently following guidance issued by the Chief Executive of City of Edinburgh Council, which states that – in line with Scottish Government’s ‘Route Map’ -“It is our strongly recommended position that all Edinburgh’s community councils also continue to meet remotely during this period. We believe that this in the interest of safety and public health….a coordinated approach between all public sector and community partners will help reduce transmission levels and ensure that vulnerable citizens are kept safe.”

The Edinburgh Association of Community Councils (EACC) also issued a paper summarising the situation ‘Community Council Meetings During the COVID-19 Emergency: Emerging Practice’

Meeting online exclusively does exclude some people who do not have access to the appropriate technology, as we all know, and that is very unfortunate. However, there is also evidence that virtual rather than physical meetings may actually make it easier for some other people to attend, who otherwise could/would not.

Members of the public who are resident or linked to the area are welcome to attend these meetings, although we can’t always guarantee much time for discussion of your particular issue (Community Councils meet in public, rather than being ‘public meetings’ as such, and often have busy pre-arranged agendas.) Keep your eye on this website for pre-meeting announcements and click the link on there to request a link to the next meeting.

In between meetings, if you have anything to ask, tell or propose to the Community Council, please get in touch by email to contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk

You can also use the comments facility below to raise any important points, about our area.

 

 

 

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Leith Links Community Council Meeting 27 July, 6:30

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be on Monday 27th July at 6:30pm, online, via Zoom.

The Agenda for the meeting and Minutes of the previous meeting are here and in our library.

This is an extra meeting (there is usually a ‘holiday’ in July) and will follow a different format from usual. Our aim is to allow as much time as possible for discussion of some internal organisational issues.

The meeting is nonetheless open to members of the public as usual. Any local resident who wishes to attend should email contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk and ask for a zoom link.

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Possible smelly weekend…

Scottish Water have sent the following ‘warning’ of work at the Seafield sewage plant this weekend that could cause a possible increase in foul odours.

From: Bill Elliot <Bill.Elliot@SCOTTISHWATER.CO.UK>
Date: 10 July 2020 at 09:41:47 BST
Subject: Seafield Update 10/07/20
Dear Stakeholders,

As part of our commitment to keep the community informed we want to make you aware of a planned maintenance activity at Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works this weekend.

After regular rainfall over the past few weeks, the site operator Veolia will start draining the storm tanks this afternoon, and cleaning will commence on Saturday  (11/07/2020) with work due to finish on Sunday. The current forecast suggests favourable conditions for this period, providing Veolia with an opportunity to clean the tanks before further periods of forecast heavy rain. This work was initially planned for Wednesday 08/07/2020, but was postponed due to unfavourable weather conditions, in particular, a persistent onshore wind.

I would be grateful if elected members and the Community Council could help and share this message locally to help us ensure as wide a reach as possible.

An update will be provided upon completion of the works.

Note: A copy of this communication will be posted on our website  – https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/seafield

Kind Regards,

Bill Elliot

Stakeholder Development Manager (Scotland)

Corporate Affairs

07875 879159

bill.elliot@scottishwater.co.uk

twitter SW_BillElliot

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Changes planned for Great Junction Street – have your say

City pf Edinburgh Council’s ‘SpacesforPeople’ scheme is proposing the following changes to Great Junction Street in order to make it better for pedestrians and cyclists.

Consultation time is very short – all comments must be in by 1200 on Friday 10 July to spacesforpeople@edinburgh.gov.uk

“Covid-19 Cycling and Walking Emergency Response Measures
Proposed waiting/loading restriction changes to facilitate footway widening – Great Junction Street

We would suggest that you view the attached plan to see the detail of what is proposed. In summary it shows:

  • Intervention to widen footpaths where necessary adjacent to commercial properties, unfortunately Great Junction Street has considerable street clutter that reduce the available width. Additional parking/loading/unloading facilities can be provided in adjacent side streets, and reintroduced where possible.
  • All of the existing bus stops will be retained.
  • Unfortunately, due to the limited width on the footway, and the presence of on street queueing significant footpath widening is necessary.
  • Footways widened into the bus lane on both sides of the road from Leith Walk to Junction Place, to enable social distancing in the area of highest density business premises.
  • Remainder of bus lane outside of widened footway to be availible for cyclists.
  • South west footway widened from Junction Place to Bangor Road to provide additional capacity for social distancing and to aid businesses reopening.
  • Note that it is planned that several narrow points at existing bus stops will be widened under Phase 2 when temporary ramp materials are available.

In the first instance these measures will be introduced quickly using temporary traffic management equipment, such as cones. Where deemed suitable, this equipment will then be replaced with more robust semi-permanent materials once available.

Given the urgency to make the required changes any comments relating to these proposals should be received by 1200hrs on Friday 10 July to spacesforpeople@edinburgh.gov.uk.

All feedback will be reviewed and where possible the scheme will be further refined. Feedback will be summarised in an assessment feedback form which will be presented to the Council Incident Management Team for approval. Please note that we will be unable to respond to each and every email.

If the proposal is approved for implementation, publicity will then be undertaken so that local people are aware of the changes. A dedicated inbox will help us to manage any feedback around proposals –spacesforpeople@edinburgh.gov.uk

The introduction of, or changes to, any restrictions will be implemented under emergency delegated decision-making powers using a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order.

Regards

Spaces for People Team”

 

(you will see the map better if you open the view the attached plan document, this is just a screen shot)

 

 

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Planning – Restalrig Road office to housing

A planning application has been lodged to change the use of existing offices at 102 Restalrig Road to form 6 flats.
The offices have been empty for some time.

Drawings of what the planned refurbished (and slightly extended) building would look like.

To really get an idea of the planned 5 flats & 1 studio, you need to look at the ground floor and first floor floor plans.

20_02417_FUL-03-PROPOSED_GROUND_FLOOR-4611754

20_02417_FUL-04-PROPOSED_FIRST_FLOOR-4611755

If members of the local community wish to comment on the application, please leave a comment here below by 10 July 2020 (and we will forward it along with the Community Council’s own response), and / or see further details and comment directly on the City of Edinburgh Planning Portal Case number 20/0241/FUL by 13 July 2020.

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