Leith Links Community Council responds to Leith Festival Funfair plan being considered by City of Edinburgh Council

Earlier this month we let you know that City of Edinburgh Council are considering an application to for a funfair to be brought to Leith Links in 2020 as part of Leith Festival.

We invited our community to submit to us their views, suggestions & questions on the application.

The event application has been considered by the Leith Links Community Council Sub Committee on Parks & Greenspaces, who have submitted the below response to the City of Edinburgh Council.  This application specific response is our addition to our standing policy on requests for events on Leith Links.


Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to give the response of both Leith Links Community Council and the members of the public who responded to our asking for comments on our website.

Firstly, LLCC is happy for this event to proceed. The fair has been setting up on the Links during around the time of Leith Gala Day for a long time and their has never been a problem with that. Our only concern is around the short timescale initially given for consultation. As you will know, there are a lot more events that are being planned for the Links and we would ask yourselves to give us and the public sufficient time to respond to these.

Regards,

David Igoe

Leith Links Community Council

Comments Received on the Leith Links Community Council Website

“Is this around the same time as the Chef Food Fair that you advised us of? The consultation is insulting to the intelligence of the interested parties. There is insufficient information given here about:

Where exactly on Leith Links the Funfair will be located.

How many rides and stalls it will consist of and what their nature will be.

Hours of operation.

Sound/music/noise nature and volume during operation.

Management of the site including rubbish and recycling.

Charges and revenue that will be generated and how that money will be used improve Leith Links

Making good any damage after the event.

Also I suggest all properties facing Leith Links are distributed with information about the proposal, they are the most likely to be affectedly noise etc and better effort should be made to inform and consult them

Unless better information is provided to consulates, no decision to approve this should be made

It should also be clearer what the Councils decision criteria are in these cases.”

“It’s a simple ‘no’ from me. For the last four years a resident I’ve had to put up with road closures, building works and noise. I’ve simply had enough.”

“The level of information provided is very poor and not enough to form any decision.

There is not enough information about numbers expected, how the crowds will be managed, how they will protect the grass etc, what their plans are to fix any damage, how they will manage any additional traffic etc. How will they manage the impact of music and noise on other park users, local residents and local businesses etc.”

“I am supportive of this application, provided that the event organisers minimise vehicle use on the Links (i.e. only for set up and take down, no driving on and off/around in between times) ensure scrupulous litter prevention/collection and cease noise by 1pm or midnight if not before.

This is a traditional event linked to a community event that has been coming for many years. Local residents enjoy it and is good for young people, unlike any of the events that want to use the Links, it does not last long, local peopler used to it, it does not generally attract young people from outside the area so no problems with traffic congestion, parking problems,ms etc.”


 

Leith Festival Funfair plan being considered by City of Edinburgh Council

City of Edinburgh Council are considering an application to for a funfair to be brought to Leith Links in 2020 as part of Leith Festival.

Leith Links Community Council will, as always, include a copy of our policy on events held on Leith Links.

Unfortunately, the Council provides a very short window to consider & respond to applications, with the Community Council response to be submitted by Friday 29 November 2019.

Leith Links Community Council would ask our community to submit their views, concerns and / or suggestions in relation to this current application to us by noon on Wednesday 27 November 2019, this will allow us to take them into account & include them in our formal response to the application. To submit your views, concerns and / or suggestions please use the form at the end of this post.

To keep up to date with progress of the application subscribe to our website as we will post updates as & when we receive them.

*Please note that we have published all the information that has been made available to us by City of Edinburgh Council.

*Please note that your responses will be sent to City of Edinburgh Council Parks & Greenspaces Service, and Councillors Adam McVey, Chas Booth & Gordon Munro, as well as being published on this website (with the exception of your post code & email address).

 


Web form removed at 21:30ish on 27 November 2019.