Tag: 2026

Controlled Parking Zones in the pipeline…

The Council is currently consulting on proposed parking restrictions all around the Easter Road / Albion Road / St. Clair area. If approved, it means that permits will have to be bought by local residents and businesses, and otherwise parking will have to be paid for, 8:30am-5:30pm Monday-Friday.

Before this scheme is opened for ‘formal’ consultation, feedback is being sought informally from local residents and businesses. I’m assured that the current map and plan is not carved in stone, and that changes to the plans can/will be implemented if local people ask pertinent questions, raise meaningful objections, make sensible suggestions. There is one more drop in session at Norton Park Business Centre, 57 Albion Road, on Thursday 27 August 2026, 2-7pm. Please do go along to find out more and make your views known on the scheme.

There are relatively few residents in the area which is largely occupied by Hibs stadium and Lochend Park, but those that are there are finding it very difficult to park anywhere near their homes due to  – apparently – commuter parking and people from out of the area (possibly from the nearby Leith Walk area and Abbeyhill  colonies area, which now have a CPZ).

I went along to the drop-in session earlier this week and found it very helpful to talk to the Council officers there about how the whole process works (which will be useful to prepare us for later). At this early stage, the proposal is not a ‘done deal’, it is an information seeking exercise. I found the staff ready to discuss wider / future issues such as knock-on effects on nearby areas, and open to hearing views on these, sooner rather than later. (I was also reassured to hear that although some of the original planning designs were done by a London consultant, the current detailed plans are all done in-house by prople who know the area well, and that they are trying hard to reduce the overall use of consultants.)

There are 6 different local schemes in the same pipeline (known as Phase 2), being dealt with in batches of 2 at a time (priority given to those with highest ‘occupancy’ rate (of available parking spaces, as measured by earlier surveys. ‘High’ occupancy means over 70% of available spaces occupied, ‘Low’ is below 40% of spaces occupied. Averaged across the whole area)

  1. Easter Road / Albion area and Bonnington Road area
  2. Willowbrae area and Roseburn area
  3. Lochend area and Restalrig area

They won’t get around to the third batch (our area) until about February 2027, but it will be helpful for us all to be well prepared in advance. I believe they said that even the first areas on the list won’t be implemented until all 6 have been consulted on, which is helpful as it means that the later ones will not have a slow sequential knock-on effect of overflow parking from the earlier ones (they’ll all have a sudden onslaught at the same time!)

It is really important that residents in the Leith Links area all pay attention to this and have a say in the planning at early stages,  so we should pay attention to all of the information and consultation sessions from now on, over the next year.

Leith Links Community Council will be working on behalf of local residents to find out more about peoples views (possibly confusingly mixed…) and potential issues that need bringing to the Council’s attention, so please do get in touch with your thoughts and ideas at any time, via Email: contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk

Read more here: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/parking/strategic-parking-review-1/3

Sally Millar, Secretary, LLCC

Invitation to businesses in Leith affected by the tram failure

The Community Council received the following letter. Please reply to Rebecca’s invitation directly if you wish to participate (i.e. not to the Community Council).

Following the fire at the former Debenhams building on Princes Street and the resulting disruption to travel and footfall, recovery funding has been made available to support businesses and encourage activity across Leith, The Shore and Newhaven.

More By The Shore is a new Forever Edinburgh destination campaign designed to support recovery by encouraging residents and visitors to explore the area, stay longer and spend locally.

We’re now inviting businesses across Leith, The Shore and Newhaven to get involved completely free of charge.

We’re also asking our partners and stakeholders to share this opportunity with businesses and organisations across your networks to help us reach as many local businesses in these areas as possible.

Want to find out more?

We know this is relatively short notice, but we’re keen to get the campaign moving and start getting the message out to businesses as quickly as possible.

We’re holding an online business briefing on Wednesday 26th at 10am, where we’ll provide more information about the campaign, the opportunities available and how businesses can get involved.

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/310013494453184?p=UlLK70oo5AACNmOTrH

Meeting ID: 310 013 494 453 184

Passcode: eh38zV36

Depending on attendance and feedback from Wednesday’s session, we may also arrange a further online or face-to-face session at a later date.

What is More By The Shore?

The campaign will showcase the businesses, experiences and places that make Leith and Newhaven special through a programme of seasonal activity, incentives and storytelling.

Whether you’re a restaurant, café, bar, shop, attraction, beauty business, accommodation provider or experience business, there are opportunities to take part.

There’s no cost to participate, and businesses can choose the opportunities that work best for them.

How can businesses get involved?

Leith Leisure Trail (working title)– launching this year

A new trail celebrating the businesses, flavours and experiences that make Leith and Newhaven unique.

Businesses could get involved through:

  • Leith Exclusives – unique products, dishes, drinks or experiences.
  • Offers and incentives – special offers or added-value experiences.
  • Things to see, do and experience – helping visitors and residents discover more of the area.

More By The Shore at Christmas – November/December 2026

We’ll showcase the best of Leith and Newhaven through festive content, offers and incentives.

Businesses can get involved through:

  • More By The Shore for Less – joining the festive voucher scheme.
  • Christmas offers and experiences – sharing your festive activity with us to be featured in campaign content.
  • Forever Edinburgh promotion – opportunities to be featured in festive guides and wider campaign activity.

More By The Shore in 2027 – January/February 2027

We’re also developing activity for the New Year, including:

  • Resident voucher activity – exploring a Resident Rewards Edinburgh voucher scheme for EH postcode holders, subject to final confirmation.
  • After 5 – showcasing Leith and Newhaven after dark, including evening dining, entertainment, live music, screenings, workshops and other winter experiences.

We’re also developing a business toolkit that businesses will be able to use to help promote the campaign themselves.

Why get involved?

  • Reach new audiences and get your business in front of residents and visitors looking for things to do, eat, drink, shop and experience.
  • Help drive footfall and be part of activity designed to encourage more people to visit and spend locally.
  • Showcase what makes you different and highlight your products, experiences, events and offers.
  • Participating businesses will receive free promotion and benefit from campaign content, digital promotion, social media, PR and wider Forever Edinburgh marketing activity.
  • Be part of something bigger and join a collective campaign showcasing Leith, The Shore and Newhaven as one of Edinburgh’s most exciting destinations.

Find out more and sign up for free: MORE BY THE SHORE – Forever Edinburgh

Please share this opportunity with businesses in your networks and encourage them to get involved.

Business engagement taking place across the area

From this week, a team of Council officers will also be visiting businesses across Leith, Newhaven and The Shore.

The purpose of these visits is to better understand the impact businesses are experiencing, hear directly from local businesses and make sure they are aware of the support and opportunities available. If a member of the team visits your business, we’d really welcome the opportunity to speak with you.

We’re looking forward to working with businesses, partners and stakeholders across Leith, The Shore and Newhaven to help make More By The Shore a success.

Warmest wishes

Rebecca Burnett

Rebecca Burnett |Business Growth Talent Development and Lead| | The City of Edinburgh Council | Waverley Court, Level 1:4, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG | Tel 0131 529 6649 | Mob 07710385214 | Fax 0131 529 6207 | rebecca.burnett@edinburgh.gov.uk |  www.edinburgh.gov.uk 

 

 

 

 

 

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Next meeting Leith Links Community Council, Monday, 31 August, 6:30pm, Duncan Place

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be next Monday, 31 August at 6:30pm at Duncan Place, in-person.

All members of the local community are welcome to attend these meetings.
There will be a link published here nearer the time for anyone needing to join remotely.
BUT BEFORE THEN  – Big new things are starting to happen in our area, please go along if you can to two Council consultations aiming to collect feedback and local people’s views on: 
1. re Two proposed new Controlled Parking Zones (CPZ) in the Easter Road area and the Lochend/Restalrig Road area.(These would also have a knock-on effect on the area further east – Claremont, Pirniefield, Prospectbank, all around Restalrig, into Craigentinny)
To find out more and to give your views, drop in to Norton Park Business Centre, 57 Albion Road, on one or other of the following days:

  • 25 August 2026, 2-7pm
  • 27 August 2026, 2-7pm
2. re A large new housing block (previously intended for student accommodation) purchased by Council to house 200+ homeless people on Manderston St./Halmyre Street. The council will be consulting local people, at a drop-in session at Classroom 1, Leith Academy 6-8pm, on Tuesday August 25th.
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Beautiful Toilets!

The public toilets on Leith Links are now delightfully transformed! (And, importantly,  actually open and functioning properly at last!) Make it your mission to drop by and see Leith’s latest artwork as soon as you can. This beautiful mural was painted by Leith artist Shona Hardie, and funded largely by the Council, with a significant contribution from Leith Links Community Council with money donated by the film-makers of Dept.Q TV series, who filmed there (and closed the road for a day!).

 

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Please tell us about your travel, since the Princes Street fire….

If you live or work in the Leith Links area, or own/run a business here, please tell us how you have been affected by the fire on Princes Street, and getting around the town since then? For example, getting to work? Do you use bus/car/ bike/walking more, to replace tram? What is bus travel like, for you? Getting to social/leisure activities? Are customers reaching your business? Or anything else you want to tell us about? Please get in touch asap, so we can pass this on to the Council. Email: contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk

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Controlled Parking Zone, Easter Road Area?!

The Council is moving forward with proposed parking restrictions all around the Easter Road area. It means that permits will have to be bought by local residents and businesses, and otherwise parking will have to be paid for, 8:30am-5:30pm Monday-Friday.

Before this scheme is ‘formally advertised’, feedback is being sought from local residents and businesses. There will be two drop in sessions at Norton Park Business Centre, 57 Albion Road, on:

  • 25 August 2026, 2-7pm
  • 27 August 2026, 2-7pm

Please go along and make your views known on the scheme. It’s not just ‘for?’ or ‘against?’ (inded there is already a presumption it will go ahead – unless, presumably, there is a Portobello-sized backlash against it from the community…), it is about studying the plans carefully and spotting any mistakes or things that will not work, on each specific street, and making suggestions for improvements.

Read more here: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/parking/strategic-parking-review-1/3

If this scheme goes ahead, parking will inevitably be displaced into the streets in the immediately adjoining area, i.e. Lochend/Ryehill (mysteriously referred to as ‘West Leith’ by the Council) and then pressure will be on for a Controlled Parking Zone to be brought in there as well (it is next on the list for this  ‘Phase 2’ of new CPZs, marked in blue on the map below)  – and then the next again area, and on it goes……  so it is really important that residents in the Leith Links area all pay attention to this and have a say in the planning.

Please go to one of the drop-in sessions to inform yourself, and to make your views known!

     

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Latest news about THAT bus-stop!

From the City of Edinburgh Council, Leith Connections team leader

Dear ward and adjacent Councillors, Convenor and Community Councillors,

Please accept my apologies for the delay to bringing the Kirkgate bus stop on Great Junction Street into use following completion of works on that street at the end of last year. Further work will commence on Monday 29 June meaning the bus stop will be able to be brought into use before the end of July.

A number of you have been in contact with me and Lothian Buses about this stop on behalf of residents. (YES, WE JOLLY WELL HAVE!!!!!!)

Following construction, Lothian Buses raised concerns about the communal bin hub being located on the approach to the bus stop in this location. I was keen to avoid re-work to our installed works and explored various alternatives with Lothian Buses and waste colleagues. We will reposition the hub slightly, locally reducing the width of cycle track. We will also install an additional surface water gully to remedy some minor areas of ponding noted due to the shallow gradient of the street.

The footway will remain open throughout the work but the cycle track will be closed with signage back at relevant junction. The carriageway will be locally narrowed during the works.

The attached leaflet has been distributed to business and residents fronting on this stretch of Great Junction Street.

Apologies again and thanks for your patience.

Regards,

Miles

Miles Wilkinson
miles.wilkinson@edinburgh.gov.uk

Senior Project Manager

Tel: 07563 376595

Active Travel Team, City of Edinburgh Council

G.4 Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG

Long overdue playpark repairs coming….slowly……

Much to the distress of local families, the state of the childrens playpark on the Links has been extremely poor for some time, and is deteriorating. Complaints have been pouring in, demanding repairs and restoration of favourite play equipment but the Council seems to have taken its eye badly off the ball on this one. Leith Councillor Katrina Faccenda, having escalated the matter on our behalf and on behalf of the many frustrated local parents, has recently received this reply from the Parks Technical Manager:

Dear Cllr Faccenda,

Thank you for your email to Gareth (Corporate Director of Place) regarding the ongoing issues with the play equipment at Leith Links and which has been passed to me for a response. I fully appreciate the frustration this situation has caused for residents and park users, particularly given the length of time these matters have remained unresolved.

There have unfortunately been prolonged difficulties in progressing these repairs. This has been caused by a combination of staff shortages within the service, wider supply chain issues affecting the availability of specialist parts and equipment, and the complexity involved in working with suppliers to identify solutions that are both safe and cost-effective for the specific faults affecting the units.

I do however understand that a series of repair solutions has now been agreed and that the necessary equipment and components have now been sourced. I have discussed this directly with the outsourced maintenance provider, who has assured me that the required works are expected to be completed within the next two to three weeks.

This situation has very much highlighted the need for the service to improve responsiveness to play area repairs. We are currently progressing recruitment to several vacant posts within the play park maintenance team to help address both these issues and wider repair backlogs currently being experienced across the service.

In addition, where agreed targeted repair programmes are not being delivered within expected timescales, we will also look to engage additional external support to help accelerate delivery and improve overall performance.

I appreciate the continued patience of local residents while these matters are resolved and apologise for the delays experienced.

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Hhhmmm. Could do better, let’s hope they do!

 

 

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We hate the sewage smell – but that’s not the end of it…….

Sorry if this is depressing, but this needs to be more widely known……

We all know about the offensive stench that frequently blights the lives of us locals living near the Seafield Sewage Treatment Centre. (And our ongoing fight to stop or at least reduce it! There is some good news on that, by the way, as work has apparently FINALLY started on building new undergound storage tanks, using the ‘no regrets funding’ provided by Scottish Government some considerable time ago…..)

But what happens next to the sewage? At our recent Community Council meeting, we listened with horror to our visiting speakers, long time campaigners Jo Hirst and Doreen Goldie who talked about the dangers to human health, to animal health, and to the soil and the environment, when the processed sewage leaves the plant in the form of ‘sludge cake’ and is spread across local agricultural land as a fertilizer. There is growing research evidence that this sludge is toxic, and causes an extremely serious public health risk, but it seems that the Scottish Govenment does not want to hear that, nor do anything about it.  The practice of dumping sewage sludge at sea is now banned, and a number of countries have also banned spreading it on farmland. But not here. In fact, the Netherlands, who have banned it there, actually export their sewage sludge to the UK for dumping here!

See this recent article which summarises the situation, and if you wish to follow up further, see this comprehensive reading list of links

A campaign has been launched to have this practice ‘paused’ until the full facts are made known. At the very least a much more stringent system of monitoring, testing, regulation and enforcement is urgently needed, as very little of any of those is currently done.

The Leith Links Community Council will continue to participate in the Seafield ‘stakeholder meetings’ and will be keen to add this issue to the list of important considerations facing SEPA and Scottish Water as the time for handing over running of the Seafield plant from Veolia to Scottish Water draws closer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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What news of the Leith Links toilets?

We have been asking!

A message has recently been received from the Council, providing an update regarding:

Leith Links Public Toilets

Drainage remediation works have begun on site during the week commencing 4 May 2026. The construction works are expected to take approximately 3 to 4 weeks, followed by reinstatement of the surrounding area and testing of the drainage system before reopening. We are currently targeting completion by the beginning of June 2026, subject to final testing and verification.

The toilets were temporarily closed in December 2025 after issues were identified with the drainage system. Investigations found that the service disruption was caused by a combination of foreign objects entering the drainage network and a construction fault which needs to be rectified to ensure the system works reliably. Since then, the Council has been working with our contractor Healthmatic to develop a solution that addresses both issues and ensures the facility can operate effectively in the long term.

The temporary chemical toilets were removed during the week commencing 14 April 2026 and replaced with a new set of temporary toilets, which will remain in place until the drainage works are completed.

 We understand that this has caused inconvenience for park users and the local community, and we appreciate your patience while we work to resolve the issue properly. We look forward to bringing the new public toilet facility back into operation as soon as possible and will continue to provide updates as works progress.

Marco Galli
Green Space Development Officer
City of Edinburgh Council – Parks and Greenspace – Place
Waverley Court – 4 East Market Street – Edinburgh – EH8 8BG

Tel 07709720833  Email: marco.galli@edinburgh.gov.uk

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