Author Archives: Leith Central Community Council

Latest Splashback News

Splashback! is a group of Edinburgh residents seeking to reopen Leith Waterworld, which closed on 8 January 2012.

Splashback! is stepping up its campaign to save this amenity for the people of Leith and Edinburgh.  The pool might be closed, but the focus is now on seeing the pool re-open.  They are currently working on a feasibility study to see if the pool could be run by the local community.

The Splashback team have now lodged a proposal with City ofEdinburgh Council for the transfer of LWW (Leith WaterWorld)  to community ownership.  They are proposing that a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation will be set up with a Board of Trustees formed by members of the community, who in turn will appoint an operating company.

Their vision for Leith Waterworld is:

A leisure destination:

Edinburgh’s tourism strategy specifically seeks to develop family friendly attractions that will enhance the city’s offer  and also wants to spread the tourism footprint towards Leith.

A hub for health and well being:

74% of 800 survey respondents stated they swim less often now the facility has closed.  Splashback! also think that the facility has a lot more to offer for those with special needs, kids and older people due to its warm water and easy ‘beach’ access.

A stable business:

Leith Waterworld will require ongoing financial support from the Council, but at a lower and reducing level. The business plan highlights ways to diversify, and there are significant savings to be made on LWW energy costs.

Splashback! are looking to get as many letters of support from our community as possible.   They would be grateful if you could write or email a letter addressed to City of Edinburgh Council sent to them in the first instance so they can collate them and pass them on.

The full business case is being made available to the local Councillors shortly. If you have any questions, please get in touch:

Splashsplashbackedinburgh@gmail.com

Twitter: @SplashBack

Pilrig Park is looking for a Friends Group

At the last meeting of the Leith Central CC the need for a Friends Group for Pilrig Park was discussed.  The Neighbourhood Partnership is keen to carry out maintenance and improvements and would like to see more involvement of the local community.

Is there anyone out there who would be willing to start a Friends of Pilrig Park group?

At the moment any issues regarding Pilrig Park are discussed during our monthly meetings, so if you have any views on how Pilrig Park should be developed or would just like more information, please come to our next meeting on Monday the 17th of December at 7.00pm at Macdonald Road Library or email contactleithcentralcc@gmail.com .

LEITH WALK IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME

On 31 July 2012, the Council’s Finance and Resource Committee agreed a budget of £5.5 million to upgrade roads and pavements and carry out a range of environmental improvements along Constitution Street, Leith Walk and Picardy Place.

Preliminary design is now ready for consultation

Based on stakeholder feedback from a range of previous consultations (carried out by the Council and by community organisations), a preliminary design for these streets has now been developed for consultation.

The preliminary design and a survey on the proposals will be available online from Saturday 24 November 2012, athttp://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/leithimprovements . Hard copies will also be available for viewing at McDonald Road and Leith Libraries.

Consultation – your chance to have your say

Please take part in the survey which will be available online from Saturday 24 November 2012 to Sunday 13 January 2013, from http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/leithimprovements ; or in hard copy at McDonald Road and Leith Libraries or by phoning 0131 529 7061.

Drop in Event:

Officers will be in attendance at a drop in event to discuss the preliminary designs and gather people’s views at McDonald Road Library on Monday 3 December, from 10am to 8pm.

Your feedback will help develop a final design that will balance the range of needs of those who use these streets. The final design will be reported to the Transport and Environment Committee on 19 March 2013

Key elements of the preliminary design

An integral element of the works will be to resurface roads and tidy up and even out pavements. There are also a number of additional elements that are proposed which will be central to the consultation survey. These include:

Improvements for pedestrians – proposals to make junctions at Kirkgate, Annandale and Baltic Street easier and safer to cross, proposals for a number of new islands in the centre of Leith Walk, and resurfacing the raised road areas at the side streets.
Improvements for cyclists – proposals for a combination of cycle lanes and segregated cycle ways at Picardy Place and London Road roundabouts, reducing the number of traffic lanes on the roundabout approaches and addition of advanced stop lines at signalled junctions.
Improving the appearance of the streets by replacing Leith Walk pavements with new grey slabs, relocating large domestic waste bins into road lay-bys and removing unnecessary signage; we will also seek people’s views on additional planting.

Wheels in motion make dangerous walkways

CYCLISTS and pedestrians don’t seem to mix, certainly not on pavements anyway. Walking along a path and minding your own business could seriously damage your health according to some Leith Walk pedestrians.

Complaints were heard at the April community council meeting about the dangers posed by cyclists who whizz past pedestrians on pavements and don’t even use cycle bells to warn of their approach.

“I thought it was illegal to ride bicycles on paths anyway,” said local resident Anne Finlay, who claims that she has almost been run down by speeding cyclists on the Walk on more than one occasion. “Pavements are for people, why are cyclists allowed to ride on them at all?”

Edinburgh Council is clear. “We don’t allow cyclists on pavements,” a spokesperson said. “Though we don’t have powers to charge anyone, this is a police matter. There are some blue signs installed in Edinburgh which denote shared use of the path, but these are not displayed on main footpaths. They are more likely to be found on promenades.”

Lothian and Borders Police say: “It is against the law to cycle on pavements and this is enshrined in legislation [Section 64 of the Road (Scotland) Act 1984].”

The spokesman added: “It is a matter for discretion by the police as to whether charges would be brought. Our current Drive Safe/Cycle Safe campaign focuses on education and certainly safe cycling is part of that campaign.”

Keen cyclist, owner of Leith Cycles and a father of two daughters, Richard Dowsett (pictured left with secretary to Leith Central CC Roland Reid) sees cyclists pass the window of his shop on Leith Walk. “No-one can predict what a dog, or a small child is going to do,” he says. “If a cyclist is anywhere near pedestrians, he or she needs to be able to stop instantly. I’m surprised that there are not more accidents actually.”

Richard hires bikes to tourists who are looking for a day out. They always ask if they can cycle on the pavements. Richard says no. “We need a better cultural understanding about the safe use of cycles here in Britain,” he says.

The community council has learned that Edinburgh Council doesn’t have ‘No cycling’ signs and it would require a TRO (Traffic Regulation Order) to make some, a lengthy process and one unlikely to be agreed. Installing these would mean that a toddler on a trike would be breaking the law. But the council could put up posters on display boards along the Walk to remind inconsiderate cyclists that riding on pavements is against the law.

Cyclists cite recent serious accidents as proof of the dangers to their own health and safety of cycling on the road. Edinburgh Council claims that there isn’t enough space on the Walk for separate bus and cycle lanes. In the meantime, neither cyclists nor pedestrians feel safe. Surely this issue needs a rethink.

To market, to market, it’s much more fun


OUT in all weathers and always on hand to help, Vicky MacDonald does it all for the love of her brainchild social enterprise Edinburgh Markets. Stalls of all kinds set up their weekend wares on dinky covered tables and include crafts, speciality soaps, jewellery, snacks, fruit, vegetables, meat, clothing and cosmetics, to mention a few.  Currently trading on Saturdays from 10am to 3pm for now, in August the stalls will be open on both Saturdays and Sundays from 11am until 6.45pm during a Festival Market.  A Christmas market operates in December from the 1st to the 23rd.

Set at the bottom of Leith Street, in front of St. Mary’s Cathedral, between Little King Street and Cathedral Lane, the Market attracts the attention of the huge number of people who pass by from up the Walk, Broughton and surrounding areas.  There’s a lot of footfall and the market is becoming an established weekend attraction as people stop and browse, buy, snack and chat, before going on about their business uptown.

‘The traders give each other a lot of support and my goal of getting local people more involved in their area is starting to show results,’ says Vicky.  ’I know that a lot of this goes on in Leith already and I want to bring some of that Leith flavour up here.  I hope that Leithers will support our market and get involved here themselves. ’

An event organiser before branching out on her own with a First Port government funded grant last March, Vicky is able to guide and support new traders, some of whom include college graduates wanting to start their own businesses or others who have been made redundant.  “We are interested in helping start-ups and business incubators,” says Vicky,.  Her pitches also attract more experienced traders who bring quality goods like meat from Ayreshire, fruit and vegetables from Macmerry and bread from the Borders. Edinburgh Markets is not just about profit, some of the return is ploughed into community work in Edinburgh. “We want to support organisations that work with young people and those who work with the homeless,”  says Vicky.

You can find out more at www.edinburghmarkets.co.uk and contact Vicky about taking a stall yourself at hello@edinburghmarkets.co.uk  There is also a Facebook page Edinburgh Markets.