On 27 September 2019 we made you aware that City of Edinburgh Council were considering an application to allow the Lady Boys of Bangkok to use Leith Links as an event site in 2020.
Our original post can be found here.
We have today been informed by City of Edinburgh Council that they have secured an alternative location, no further information has been provided to us.
On 23 August 2019 we let our community know that an application had been received & was being considered by City of Edinburgh Council for Tom Kerridge Presents Pub In The Park Leith Links 2020 to be held in Leith Links in June & July 2020.
Earlier today we were advised by City of Edinburgh Council that the event will not take place in Leith Links as the application has been writhdrawn. No further information was provided.
On 30 October 2019 we let our community know that an application had been received & was being considered by City of Edinburgh Council for Gung Ho 2020 to be held in Leith Links over three days in May 2020.
Earlier today we were advised by City of Edinburgh Council that the event will not take place in Leith Links, instead it will be held in Holyrood Park. No further information was provided.
Leith Community Crops in Pots have lodged a planning application with City of Edinburgh Council to transform the Leith Links pavilion into a community hub.
The planning application, which was lodged with the local authority on 24 December 2019, should be determined by 9 March 2020.
Members of the local community can view the planning application on the local authorities website by clicking here, with comments to be submitted by 14 February 2020. 
Today [17 January 2020] the Edinburgh Evening News published an article online about the proposals which can be viewed by clicking here.
Leith based charity Projekt 42 provides accessible, inclusive and affordable health & well being services in Leith. 
The charity, led by Sara Hawkins, has requested a Community Asset Transfer from City of Edinburgh Council of the old pavilion at Leith Links with a view to using it to provide their services.
The building is currently not in use and has recently attracted graffiti & vandalism.
Re-post of message from Projekt 42 published on Facebook:
Projekt 42 needs a little help 🤗
Projekt 42 submitted a community asset transfer request in August 2019 to the Edinburgh Council for the Leith Links Pavilion, and the Edinburgh council has ignored our request.
The charity has plans to bring the area back to life. We want to rebuild the pavilion and create a space for family activities, yoga and meditation classes, and space to extend our mental health services. Our plans include partnering with the Judy Murray Foundation who will provide the support we need to launch family tennis activities and we hope to bring other activities to the space including volleyball, outdoor fitness and yoga.
We’re a great fit for the area. All the profit we make goes back into leith through providing training opportunities and funding towards qualifications, free and subsidised counselling, free activities for seniors, a youth fitness academy and support for people undergoing cancer treatment. Nobody personally profits from anything we do.
We’re under a really tight deadline. If we don’t receive the support of the Edinburgh Council by the 24th December, the charity loses the funding opportunities we need to renovate the space.
We need your help.
⭐️If you have Twitter, login and RT the @projekt42edi messages to the Edinburgh council.
⭐️If you can, email the local councillors and ask for their support for the community asset transfer (Chas Booth, Adam McVey and Gordon Munro).
⭐️Email the Edinburgh council and ask for an explanation to why they are not creating a safe space for families in this area, why they’re not processing our community asset transfer request and ask what their plans are.
We really need the communities support.
Photographs of the pavilion:
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.”
Earlier this year the John Rattray statue and the associated landscaping & information signage was officially unveiled. This was a project delivered by Leith Rules Golf Society.
Since then the area has remained fenced off but we can provide the community with the following update:
The plan was for the mounds to be a mix of maritime grasses that would be found on a links course. Marrim grasses were planted and to support their growth a selection of other grasses was seeded on the mounds. Unfortunately this mix included poppy seeds which dominated the mounds and although very attractive was not what was proposed and suffocated the grasses.
The landscaping company will rectify this error but the results won’t be known until next summer. The city council museums department appear to be ready to accept the statue when they’re paid £6000 but the parks department aren’t prepared to take ownership of the mounds until the landscaping is sorted. This means that the fencing currently round the whole site will be moved to allow access to the statue but still be in place round the landscaping.
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.
Leith Links is an valued greenspace within the Leith community. The land is managed by City of Edinburgh Council who from time to time consider applications by businesses, community groups & third sector organisations to hold major events on the greenspace.
The City of Edinburgh Council is looking to gather your views around specific major efforts in greenspaces across the City including Leith Links. They are also asking your views in relation to adding Leith Links to a list of greenspaces where the Council promote & adverse a greenspace as a location for commercial activities.
It is important that our community take the time to complete the consultation in order that the Council can get as many views, questions & suggestions in relation to Leith Links so that they can find a way forward to appropriately managed Leith Links.
City of Edinburgh Council are considering an application to hold the 2020 ‘Gung Ho!’ event on Leith Links.
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 11 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 midnight on Wednesday 6 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.
*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).
Suggested 5k route.
Update as of 7/11/19: Web form deactivated as deadline for submitting responses to us has expired.
