Tag: City of Edinburgh Council

Parkour in the park at transformed Leith Links play area

The new Leith Links play area was officially opened on Friday 1 November 2019.

Image may contain: 4 people, people smiling, tree, child and outdoor

A parkour unit, a Rolli trampoline for wheelchair users, a natural play area and oodles of great new play equipment chosen by the local community have allbeen installed in the north Edinburgh park.

Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust (ELGT) enlisted the help of pupils From Leith Primary and City of Edinburgh Council’s Vice Convener for Culture and Communities to help officially open the new play park today following its £290,000 revamp.

The previous play park equipment was built in 1992 and fell below the play value score of good due to its age and condition.
ELGT held a number of consultation events to identify what types of new play equipment would make an immediate and very visible improvement to the play park. These will aim to serve as a catalyst for subsequent activities in the park.

A variety of equipment to cater for all ages has been installed in Leith Links, including a wide range of exciting new pieces of equipment – all selected by the local community.

Highlights include:

  • A zipwire, a swing basket, a climbing unit, a seated springer and a 3m cone net climber for junior ages
  • A toddle zone, with a swing with seat and cradle; a sand-play area with slide, a springer, a make-it-rain play piece, a wooden snail seat, a 2m orbit roundabout and a springer water lily
  • A Rolli Trampoline for wheelchairs users
  • An area for natural play, which includes a stilt walk and log stack to encourage natural play
  • A parkour unit to cater for teenagers, with a woodchip and rubber safer surface

Councillor Amy Mcneese-Mechan, Vice Convener of Culture and Communities, said: “This wonderful new facility is a fantastic addition to Leith Links, making it one of Edinburgh’s largest and most exciting play spaces. Play facilities for local children were arguably lacking and out of date before but with all these new additions the park’s now a great space for all the family to play and have fun. I’m particularly thrilled that we’ll have play equipment specifically designed for wheelchair users, so that families with disabled children can join in the fun.

“We have a first-class range of parks across the Capital, and we want to help communities make the most of these excellent open spaces. I’m sure these new facilities will draw visitors to Leith Links from all over the city.”

Charlie Cumming, Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust, Chief Executive, said:“I am delighted that we have delivered an upgraded play area at Leith Links Park thanks to funding from FCC Communities Fund and the City of Edinburgh Council. The play equipment will help meet the needs of the local children now and for future generations and will encourage greater use of the park for local families”

Leith Links Community Council’s Sally Millar said: “Leith Links Community Council reported that all the users of the new Leith Links Play Park are absolutely delighted with the new design and facilities. It’s buzzing! The old play park was very limited and definitely past its sell-by-date. The newly upgraded play park, thanks to City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust, is so much more interesting, with lots of exciting new activities to explore and enjoy. The large wooden Pirate Ship is an especial favourite, for ‘clamberers’, also the new Zipwire is very popular. Safe, soft surfaces underfoot are reassuring for parents, who also like the seating facilities within the enclosure. A separate space for the smallest/ youngest children is much appreciated, as are the wheelchair friendly and all-age adapted activities that allow children with disabilities to be included in the fun. Thank you, CEC and Greenspace Trust!”

Sophie Cade, FCC Communities Fund Grants Manager said: “We are delighted to have supported this project. As well as providing a modern and safe area for children to play, the new play park will make a lasting and positive impact on the local community, a key objective of the Foundation.”

The new play park was funded by the FCC Communities Fund, which is from the Landfill Communities Fund, and by the City of Edinburgh Council’s Neighbourhood Environment Grant.

, , , , , ,

Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in Leith?

What do you feel about parking in your area? Many Leithers will have received a big leaflet through the door about the proposal to introduce controlled parking across a very wide area of Leith (basically from Abbeyhill to the docks). The Council is now seeking the views of residents, but unfortunately have only allowed a short period for this consultation – your views must be in by 10th November 2019.

This could make a HUGE difference to life in Leith – some will feel for the better, and some will oppose bitterly. It is important that everyone’s voice is heard. So PLEASE respond to this consultation. You can do so online at www.pclconsult.co.uk/edinburghcpz 

If you didn’t get a  leaflet, you can see it at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/parkingreview

There is a chance to go along and look at the plans and ask questions – do take this chance!

  • St. Paul’s Church, 1b Pilrig St, EH6 5AH on Thursday 31 Oct 2019, 4-7pm
  • North Leith Parish Church, 1a Madeira Pl, EH6 4AW on Tuesday 5 Nov 2019, 4-7pm
  • Fort Community Centre, 25 N Fort St, EH6 4HF on Wednesday 6 Nov, 11am-2pm

When you respond, remember that this is not just a ‘Yes / No kind of issue. You can give your view about particular streets or areas. You can express your opinions about different kinds of parking control. There is not just one kind: there is permit holder only; pay and display; mixed permit holder/pay and display(8:30-5:30). There is also Priority Parking Area (PPA) which may be more suitable for some areas. This stops all-day commuter parking by requiring a permit or paid ticket for a short period in the middle of the day, but not all day, read more here

, , ,

Update – Duke St./Easter Rd. and Leith Links area road works

Hot off the press – the latest bulletin on the Duke Street / Easter Road roundabout and resurfacing works in the area, from the Council’s Transport Design and Delivery team. (aka If you were thinking of driving anywhere around Leith Links in the next few weeks, perhaps you’d better think again……)

Scottish Power attended site last Friday (18th Oct) to disconnect the lighting column and we are removing the roundabout today (21st Oct).

This week we also have Siemens on site to start installing the new traffic signal equipment and we will also use this week to complete all outstanding kerbing works for the junction.

Next week we will hopefully complete the footway works, start to install the new lighting columns and resurface the junction over the course of a few night (dates below). We will also need to remove the old PUFFIN crossings and create the lay-by at Vanburgh Place for the bus stop but this cannot be started until the new traffic signals are operational.

So between this week and next week we will be mostly complete bar some minor works and snagging. Hopefully after 3 weeks we are completely finished and off site.

Please be aware that we also have a lot of other resurfacing work ongoing at the moment. Please find below a provisional programme of those works

  • East Hermitage / Restalrig Rd junction   25-28 Oct (Links Gardens Closure with 3 way TTL’s)
  • Links Place  29-30 Oct   (Straight closure. Diversion via Constitution Street, Duke Street)
  • Easter Rd Roundabout  31 Oct-4 Nov (Close Duke St eastbound at Duncan Place and 3 way TTL’s. same closure and diversion as this week)
  • Academy Street  5-6 Nov  (Also close Duke Street eastbound between Leith Walk and Academy Street to assist. Diversion via Constitution >> Queen Charlotte >> Duncan Place or Gordon Street

(Programme subject to change as a result of wet weather)

from: Steven Blacklaw ¦ Engineer – Transport Design & Delivery

Place ¦ Planning & Transport ¦ The City of Edinburgh Council

G4, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BG

Tel 0131 529 3252  steven.blacklaw@edinburgh.gov.uk

 

 

, ,

Leith Links event application: Lady Boys of Bangkok / La Clique Cabaret (August & September 2020)

City of Edinburgh Council have made us known that they are considering an application by The Lady Boys of Bangkok / La Clique Cabaret to occupy an area of Leith Links for the purposes of performances (including setting up & taking down time) from 2 August – 2 September 2020.

This follows on from an application submitted in 2018 for The Lady Boys of Bangkok to occupy part of Leith Links during 2019.  View an earlier posting on our website here about the application at that time, and our response at that time.

As this is a large scale event, both in terms of attendees (estimated at 500 per day) and in terms of length of occupation of Leith Links, we are encouraging all members of our community to take part in the application consideration process.

Our community is encouraged to express their views, ask any questions and provide any suggestions by 11 October 2019, in order that the City of Edinburgh Council can take them into consideration when deciding whether to grant the application or not.

The City of Edinburgh Councils local Parks Officer has already made know their comment/s & fed them into the application consideration process – “this site could accommodate the event and still have areas for the locals”.

At Leith Links Community Council we have a policy on requests relating to events on Leith Links, which can be viewed here.

The web form at the bottom of this post will be automatically sent to:

  • Councillor Gordon Munro (Leith Ward)
  • Councillor Chas Booth (Leith Ward)
  • Councillor Adam McVey (Leith Ward)
  • Councillor Lesley MacInnes (Convener, Transport & Environment Committee)
  • Councillor Karen Doran (Vice Convener, Transport & Environment Committee)
  • Councillor Donald Wilson (Convener, Culture & Communities Committee)
  • Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan (Vice Convener, Culture & Communities Committee)
  • Leith Links Community Council
  • City of Edinburgh Council (Parks, Greenspaces and Cemeteries service)

 

Update (08:15 on 29/9/19)

As of 08:15 on 29/9/19, a total of fifty responses to the consultation have been submitted:

  • Strongly support – 21 (8 responses with comments, questions, suggestions etc)
  • Support – 3 (3 responses with comments, questions, suggestions etc)
  • Neutral – 2 (2 responses with comments, questions, suggestions etc)
  • Object – 2 (2 responses with comments, questions, suggestions etc)
  • Strongly object – 21 (21 responses with comments, questions, suggestions etc)
  • Undecided 1 (0 responses with comments, questions, suggestions etc)

Update (21:45 on 1/10/19)

At our meeting on 30/9/19, we have decided to remove the function whereby the completed web forms automatically send to City of Edinburgh Council officers & Councillors, instead, from this point we will collate all responses into a spreadsheet which we will forward to them at the end of the consultation.  This is to avoid their email inboxes being flooded.

 

 

Consultation response form

Please note that this is a consultation, not a petition or a vote.  You may wish to provide comments, questions & suggestions that those deciding on the application can consider, rather than simply stating whether you object or support the application.

Please select a valid form.

, , , , ,

Roundabout works at Duke Street / Easter Road – latest Update

Rather than trying to summarise or paraphrase this information, we are passing it on to local residents exactly as it came to us from City of Edinburgh Council, with thanks to Steven Blacklaw for keeping us posted so comprehensively.

At present we are having to tentatively work around each side of the junction while the old roundabout remains in place.

The roundabout cannot currently be removed while we wait for Scottish Power to disconnect the lighting column located in the middle of the roundabout. We are pushing them every day to confirm a date to carry pout the disconnection.

As such the roundabout cannot be removed at present which means we cannot construct the new kerb line on the northside in front of the former Leith academy building. So we have been tentatively working around the other corners while trying to maintain space for normal traffic while the existing roundabout is in place.

With regards progress, we have almost completed the footway works outside the shops on Duke Street. The final piece of that puzzle will be to remove the old pedestrian crossing once the new traffic lights are installed, and complete the kerbing and slabbing work outside Bombay Spice.

The contractor is currently working at the foot of Lochend Road and will complete the new kerb line and resurface the footway this week before removing the old pedestrian island and widening and resurfacing the footway up towards the corner of Burns Street.

Over on Vanburgh Place, the new bus shelter has been installed and once the new traffic lights have been installed we will remove the existing pedestrian crossing (the equipment will be recycled at another location) and create the new bus stop lay-by.

At the same time we hope to have the roundabout removed (replacing it with cones so that cars can continue to use it as a roundabout for a while longer) and start the new kerb line and slabbing outside the former Leith Academy which will start to completely reshape the junction. As such there will come a time when the junction can no longer operate as a roundabout and we will require temporary traffic lights at some point in October however we hope to keep this as short a time as possible. Siemens will take approximately 1 week to install the new traffic signals so I would hope its not much longer that 1 week of temporary traffic lights.

I estimate around another 3 weeks before the new traffic lights are installed at the junction and we start to see something near completion.

Once the new lights are operational, we will remove the double pedestrian crossing on Easter Road and a new pedestrian refuge island will be installed in its place.

The whole junction and the approaches will all be resurfaced over 2/3 nights which will require temporary traffic lights but I hope to do this before the new permanent traffic lights are operational so that we only have 1 period of temporary traffic lights (instead of temporary lights, new permanent lights installed, then back to temporary lights again for a few nights).

Once the contractor has left site, I will arrange for the current site compound to be resurfaced and we will look into contacting an artists about some artwork on the surface to improve the visual aspect of the park entrance from Vanburgh Place. Transport for Edinburgh (who manage the Just East Cycles contract) have been in touch about locating a bike hire station in the area again once works are complete – this time on Duke Street outside the former Leith Academy in an area less secluded to avoid a repeat of the previous vandalism.

We have had contact about rehoming the plants and once we have a date for removing the roundabout I will contact these people again to arrange rehoming the plants. Tree pits are still proposed for the footway outside the former Leith Academy and I will try and bring in some of the Corten steel planters from Leith Walk once they become available in October. We can perhaps discuss suitable locations for these once all the new footway works are complete.

Finally, the resurfacing of Easter Road will commence on October 1st under nightshift working. The work will be carried out in phases from Duke Street towards London Road over the course of around 3 weeks but hopefully closer to 2 weeks.

Let me know if there are any issues or questions

Kind regards, Steven

from Steven Blacklaw ¦ Engineer – Transport Design & Delivery
Place ¦ Planning & Transport ¦ The City of Edinburgh Council
G4, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BG
Tel 0131 529 3252  steven.blacklaw@edinburgh.gov.uk

 

,

City of Edinburgh Council publish nomination papers for Leith Links Community Council 2019 election

The City of Edinburgh Council have now published the nomination papers for this years Leith Links Community Council elections.

Elected members

Individuals seeking election to a community council must be nominated by a proposer and seconder, both of whom must be on the electoral register for the community council area. Each elector may only propose one nominee and second one nominee. Nominations require to be submitted with the candidate’s consent. Self-nomination is not permitted.

The nomination form must be completed and a scan returned by email to Gordon.Munro@edinburgh.gov.uk. Alternatively a hard copy can be returned to Cllr Gordon Munro, City Chambers, High Street, EDINBURGH, EH1 1YJ by 4pm Monday 30 September 2019.

The timetable for the election process for elected members is as follows:

  • Monday 9 September –  publication of Notice of Election (start of nomination period)
  • Monday 30 September 4pm  –  deadline for nominations (forms to Returning Officer)
  • Monday 30 September 4pm  – deadline for withdrawal of nominations
  • Thursday 10 October – publication of Notice of Poll (if a poll is required)
  • Thursday 31 October – polling day (if a poll is required)

Download the nomination form here.

Nominated members (local interest groups)

Registration forms for local interest groups should be returned to the Council’s Elections Team who will ensure that qualifying organisations are appropriately registered by the close of nominations (30 September 2019).  The Elections Team will inform the Returning Officer of the number of valid application forms received. Where the number of nominations does not exceed the maximum number of nominated members those nominees will be declared duly elected.

Should the number of nominees registered exceed the maximum number of nominated members, the Returning Officer will convene a meeting of representatives from all registered local interest groups and the elected members of the community council. Participants at this meeting will vote by ballot to determine which local interest groups will become members.

The timetable for the election of representatives of local interest groups is as follows:

  • Monday 9 September – Notice of Election
  • Monday 30 September – Close of Registration

Download the nomination form here.

 

Questions or advice

If you have any questions about the election process please contact the Elections Team

 

, , ,

Community Council elections: Information from City of Edinburgh Council

City of Edinburgh Council have this week released some promotional materials relating to the upcoming Community Council elections.

The materials are copied below for your information.

The Returning Officer for Leith Links Community Council is Councillor Gordon Munro.

Please ignore the reference to Neighbourhood Partnerships in the leaflet.  Neighbourhood Partnerships have been disbanded but the Council still had several thousand of the leaflets to use. Please also note that £eith Decides is now known as £eith Chooses.

, , , ,

TV chef cooking up plans for Leith Links event

City of Edinburgh Council, who have oversight of Leith Links, are considering a proposal to host an event at Leith Links, and you are invited to submit your views and questions.

The event – ‘Tom Kerridge Presents Pub In The Park’, is proposed to take place at Leith Links from 22 June 2020 to 1 July 2020. We have also been informed that a Council officer has suggested the event be held in the same area of the Links used by the Mela.

You can view the proposal below (there is very little information provided to us by City of Edinburgh Council) then submit your views or questions.

Your views should be submitted to parks@edinburgh.gov.uk by 4th September 2019.

You may wish to copy in one or more of the City of Edinburgh Councillors who represent Leith Ward 13;

You may also wish to copy in Councillor Lesley McInnes (lesley.macinnes@edinburgh.gov.uk), who is the Convenor of the City of Edinburgh Councils Transport & Environment Committee.

Click on the picture for more information.

, , , , , , ,

DUKE STREET JUNCTION WORKS UPDATE

This is what is happening –

Footway widening outside former Leith Academy building from Duncan Place is progressing with new slabs being laid this week. It will stop at the existing pedestrian crossing for now until the roundabout is removed in around 3-4 weeks.

The contractor is also widening the footway outside the shops on Duke Street and they are currently laying the new slabs – will probably be completed later this week.

The contractor will then remove some of the existing islands at Lochend Road / Vanburgh place and will widen the footpath at that location. At the same time they will also start laying new ducts for traffic signals outside St. Andrews Church on Easter Road (so there may be some temporary pedestrian walkways created to facilitate this).

The new bus shelter for Vanburgh place will be installed early September,  however the existing bus stop will be kept in operation until all works are complete.

The deadline has now passed with regards the plants in the roundabout and transportation of these to new owners will be arranged.

If any local residents living near the junction would be prepared to commit to watering them regularly, some trees in giant pots could potentially be relocated to the newly widened walkway, from Leith Walk. Let us know! Quickly!

City of Edinburgh Council is currently exploring the possibility of a mural on the footway as you enter the Links from Vanburgh Place,  and also discussing the option of planting additional trees at that same location. In addition, Transport for Edinburgh are exploring the possibility of utilising the widened footway outside the former Leith Academy building to reintroduce a cycle hire station on the basis that this location is more open and may be less susceptible to vandalism.

If you have any further queries, please directly contact:

Steven Blacklaw ¦ Engineer – Transport Design & Delivery

Place ¦ Planning & Transport ¦ The City of Edinburgh Council

G4, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BG

Tel 0131 529 3252  steven.blacklaw@edinburgh.gov.uk

 

 

, ,
1 … 6 7 8 9 10 … 15