Trams to Newhaven: Notification of First Round of Public Consultation

Beginning 19 March, the City of Edinburgh Council will undertake six weeks of public consultation and engagement on taking Edinburgh Trams to Newhaven. This will provide the public, local business and stakeholders with general information on the project, specific details around traffic management during construction and the proposed permanent design. We will also outline our current proposals on how we aim to support local business during the construction period. 

During consultation your views will be sought on traffic management and phasing. This includes proposals for the closure of Leith Walk to all northbound traffic, with a single city-bound lane remaining open and the phased closure and reopening of Constitution Street. Work in these areas is expected to last for up to 18 months.

These and wider plans for traffic management during construction have been drawn up following in-depth traffic modelling and discussions with key partners and stakeholders.

We also intend to communicate our plans to help support local businesses who will be most affected by the works. This includes provision for parking and loading between work sites, an open for business campaign, on-street customer service staff, logistics hubs and financial support. 
Your opinions will also be sought on the plans for the permanent design of the street along the route. This includes a dedicated public transport-only lane on Leith Walk for tram and bus during the morning and evening rush hour. During off peak time the outside lanes will close to traffic and provide essential parking and loading areas for local business.

This is the first stage in a consultation process that is scheduled to continue through to the end of 2018.

Consultation 1 Begins: 19 March 2018 

  • 28,000 letters delivered to residential addresses in the area surrounding the planned tram route
  • 4 public information events:
    • Thursday 22 March: Leith Theatre, 11am – 6pm
    • Tuesday 3 April: McDonald Road Library, 10am – 4pm
    • Thursday 12 April: Leith Community Education Centre, 3pm – 9pm
    • Saturday 21 April: Ocean Terminal, 12 noon – 5pm
      • 4 local business forums
      • 4 community council briefings 
      • Online feedback via Consultation Hub from 19 March
      • A dedicated Trams to Newhaven website to keep you up-to-date

      Consultation 1 Ends: 29 April 2018
      As part of our consultation the project team commissioned an independent survey to understand local behaviours and attitudes towards Trams to Newhaven. The research was carried out by Progressive Partnership – an Edinburgh-based market research company. This involved a ten-minute on-street interview carried out with representative sample of 368 individuals at three locations along the proposed route.

      Below are some of the key findings:

      • 59% agreed that the line would benefit Leith with 58% saying it would be easier to get around and 42% saying it would be good for local business
      • 91% were satisfied with current transport provision on Leith Walk 
      • When asked what would improve public transport provision in Leith Walk, the most popular response at 38% was ‘introduce a tram service’ NB most respondents currently used buses or walking to get to and around Leith
      • 56% said they were likely to use the new line
      • Among those who did not think Leith would benefit, concerns focused chiefly on disruption, delays and congestion resulting from construction works 

      If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

      Trams to Newhaven Project Team

Cleanup along the Water of Leith

Please come along this Sunday 25th February to help with a joint cleanup with the WoL Conservation Trust..
I hope you will be able to spare a couple of hours to come along and enjoy yourself and at the same time pick up some of the plastic and litter that has collected since our last cleanup..
Very sorry for the short notice this time, however the weather looks good with some sunshine so hope to see you there.

We are meeting at Coalie Park at 10.30am. See the link below if you are not sure were we are meeting.

http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=326616&Y=676474&A=Y&Z=106

If you do manage to join us please come and say hello

Next Meeting Leith Links Community Council; Monday 26th February 2018

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be held on Monday 26 February

at 7pm, in the Shore Room, Leith Community Education Centre, New Kirkgate

Our guest speaker is from Port of Leith HA to give an overview of their proposals for the Porthaven House site.

All welcome

Agenda26.2.18   LLCC Minutes Jan 2018 Draft3

£EITH CHOOSES voting!

Applications are now closed for £eith Chooses. Thank you to all applicants for choosing to participate and for making the effort to meet the somewhat tight deadline.

The next bit is the really fun bit!  Come along to the Leith Community Centre (Kirkgate) on Saturday 3rd March, meet the applicants, hear/chat informally about all the great projects on offer, and cast your votes for your favourites!  We also have free food and refreshments, face-painting, glitter tattoos and balloon modelling to tempt all the family to come and join in. (Leithers over 8 can vote)

VERY IMPORTANT – YOUR VIEWS COUNT!

Decisions are being taken very soon on three very important issues facing Edinburgh, and Leith in particular. The outcomes will affect us all for many years to come. City of Edinburgh Council has opened these to consultation. Your view, as a citizen, a voter and a Council Tax payer, really does count.  Please will every one of you take a few minutes to fill in the surveys (they are actually not very long or complicated) and send in your views.

(1) Massive cuts to Council services  (otherwise known as ‘Budget Savings’)
The Council aims to cut £21 Million from the budget for 2018/19. Every single one of us will notice effects of these cuts, every day, in things like bin collection, parking charges, Edinburgh Leisure facilities, libraries, school transport, services to disabled people, and much more. This is your chance to speak out.

Read more information here: Budget Leaflet

Send in YOUR views: Council Budget survey

(2) Proposed new arrangements for Picardy Place

Picardy Place at the top of Leith Walk is a key junction connecting Leith to the rest of the city. As the new St. James Quarter is developed, there is an opportunity to improve Picardy Place. Do we want a vehicle dominated multi-lane gyratory, maybe a hotel in the middle, or can we keep our street sculpture, make space, plant trees and improve pedestrian, cyclist and public transport access, while also future-proofing for any extension to the tram? Are the Council taking local peoples views into account enough? Will they reach the right decisions? Many think not…..

Read more information here:  Council proposals ; Broughton CounterProposal  ; Other Views ; Dirty Work at the Crossroads?

Send in YOUR views: Picardy Place Survey

(3) Licensing Board (alcohol) policy

The Licensing Board (which is actually separate from the Council) is reviewing its policy. A lot of people believe that one reason for the relatively high rate of violence and crime in Leith is over-provision of alcohol in the area. A recent survey by the Leith Neighbourhood Partnership confirmed this position. This is a chance to revisit the issue.

Read more information here: alcoholLeith – revised Feb 2015

Send in YOUR views: Licensing Policy survey 

 

Leith to become Zero Waste Town

Press release from Changeworks

Leith to become Zero Waste Town

Leith is set to lead the way in becoming a zero waste town for residents and workers and drive forward Scotland’s waste-free revolution, as part of an initiative led by local environmental charity Changeworks.

Leith, along with Perth and central Edinburgh have been selected as the locations for Scotland’s third Zero Waste Town projects. Each will receive a share of nearly £900,000 in funding from Zero Waste Scotland and the European Regional Development Fund to ‘make things last’ in their communities.

Changeworks’ ambitious plan is to develop zero waste approaches to life and business in Leith working with community groups and partners and contributing to Scotland’s growing circular economy. Activities include using area-based street approach to tackling waste to develop a best practice model to roll out beyond Leith, engaging all stakeholders in school communities, a Zero Waste business charter, community clean up and campaigns to improve repair and reuse and cut fly tipping and food waste.

Changeworks’ plan will build on work already underway in the area, with benefits and legacy which go well beyond the funding end date of March 2020.

Teresa Bray, Chief Executive, Changeworks said:

“We’ve had such a positive response to Zero Waste Leith from community groups, businesses, schools and residents across the community. We engaged with people living and working in Leith earlier in the year to inform plans for what will happen to tackle waste reduction – Leith is very much at its heart.

“We’re hugely excited to be working with the Leith community to cut litter, fly tipping and food waste and improve recycling, repairing and reusing to get the most out of what we have. We’re building on what’s already happening – adding capacity, resource, support and energy – to ensure Leith leads the way in becoming a new Zero Waste Town. This is a united front by businesses, community groups, schools and residents to improve quality of life and create better places to live and work.

“Leith will be part of a bigger Zero Waste Town movement, working alongside the Zero Waste Perth consortium and SHRUB, and learning from the previous experiences of Zero Waste Towns Dunbar and the Isle of Bute. We’ll see lots of opportunities for people to get involved and make a difference locally, as well as contribute to Scotland’s ambitious targets.”

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland, said:

“Communities are right at the heart of delivering real, lasting behaviour change. With their new Zero Waste Town status these three areas will have new tools with which to build on their zero waste work – while contributing to coordinated action across the country to drive a more sustainable, circular, economy.”

Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, said:

“Re-using and recycling more, and making the most of the food we buy and grow, is something we can all do to reduce waste and keep products and materials in high-value use for longer.

“In Scotland we are working towards ambitious targets on waste, with 70% recycled or prepared for re-use by 2025, and a commitment to reduce food waste by a third by the same year.

“Action from households, communities and businesses is crucial for us to achieve this. That is why I am delighted to announce this funding which will help Scotland’s Zero Waste Towns come up with new and innovative ideas to bring these targets within reach.”

The Zero Waste Towns initiative forms part of the Resource Efficiency (Highlands and Islands and Lowlands and Uplands Scotland) operations of the £73 Million Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Accelerator Programme, funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

 

Cleanup Water of Leith Sunday 19th November 2017

Friends of Water Leith Basin (Fowl) have organised a joint cleanup with the WoL Conservation Trust  this Sunday 19th November and we hope you will be able to spare a couple of hours to come along and help. Very sorry for the short notice , however the weather looks good with some sunshine so hope to see you there.

We are meeting at Coalie Park at 10.30am. See the link below if you are not sure were we are meeting.

Seafield Consultation

Last week we attended a meeting with the consultants, amec foster wheeler and Cranfield University who had been appointed to carry out the strategic odour review of Seafield Wastewater treatment works. The community now have until 12th January to make comments. LLCC will be meeting with Leith Links Residents Association and elected City councillors to formulate our response. Members of the public can also make their thoughts known directly to the consultants but the CC would welcome any comments to be included in our submission and these would be treated in confidence

The full draft report has over 100 pages but the consultants also prepared a summary which I’ve also attached. Seafield summary

The summary includes short, medium and long term recommendations which we will be commenting about after discussion with LLRA.

The Draft Report is available on the Scottish Water website, accessible here: www.scottishwater.co.uk/seafield

Comments should be submitted by e:mail to seafield-draft@cranfield.ac.uk no later than Friday, January 12, 2018.

LEITH LINKS CC NEXT MEETING MONDAY, 30TH OCTOBER 7PM

Your Community Council

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be on Monday 30 October, at 7 pm in the Shore Room, Leith Community Education Centre, New Kirkgate  All Welcome.

Did you know you can go and talk to one of your local Councillors, if you have a private matter you need to discuss (just turn up, no need to ‘book’):

  • Councillor Chas. Booth (Scottish Green) Termtime Tuesdays 5:30 – 6:30 Leith Library , Ferry Road.
  • Councillor Adam McVey (SNP) 3rd Wednesday of month, 6pm Leith Library, Ferry Road.
  • Councillor Gordon Munro (Scottish Labour) 1st & 3rd Mondays of month 6:30 – 7:15 Leith Community Education Centre, New Kirkgate

Agenda Monday 30 October 2017         Draft Minutes September 2017

Edinburgh’s only elected Community Council celebrates a busy year.

Since being elected in October 2016 Leith Links Community Council (LLCC) has worked hard for the local community and our AGM was an opportunity to recognise that work by publishing our annual report. Click here to download a copy: LLCC Annual Report 2016 2017.

 

The LLCC AGM was also an opportunity to elect our office bearers, who for the next year will be;

 

We hope you enjoy reading our annual report and welcome your feedback.

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