Tag Archives: Leith Walk

Leith Programme Stakeholder Update 64 – Works Progress and Weekend Working 13 December

(Please note that this statement was  circulated by Alan Dean, CEC Partnership Development Officer (Stakeholder Liaison and Engagement) on 12 December 2014 at 15:30

Dear Stakeholders,

Leith Programme Stakeholder Update 64

Progress Update

Although some time has been lost due to the recent weather conditions, Crummock (Scotland) Ltd are still anticipating that the main contracted works will be completed by 19 December with any remedial works being carried out after the New Year. It should be noted that the completion of certain parts of the remaining contracted works are weather dependent such as the installation of road markings and anti-skid treatments. The contractors will continue to monitor the weather forecasts and endeavour to get everything completed as planned.

Summary of Progress

Section 6b West (Balfour Street junction northwards)

  • Minor pointing and road sign installation to complete

 Section 6b East (Lorne Street junction southwards)

  • Pointing and road sign installation to complete

 Section 8b West (Jane Street to Casselbank Street)

  • Minor pointing and road signs installation to complete

 Section 8b East (Manderston Street to Crown Street)

  • Minor pointing and road sign installation to complete

 Section 8c West (Casselbank Street area)

  • Minor pointing and road sign installation to complete

 Section 8c East (Crown Street northwards):

  • Minor pointing and road sign installation to complete

 Carriageway

  • Raised tables at junctions complete with exception of Jameson Place, Smith’s Place and entry to current site compound

 Weekend Working – 13 December

The contractors will be carrying out footway works on Saturday 13 December 2014.

 Looking ahead for next week:

  • Continue with footway inspections and remedial works
  • Container bin recess north of Pilrig Street junction
  • Concrete under slabs at area north of Iona Street junction
  • Asphalt works at Arthur/Balfour Street
  • Complete raised tables at Jameson Place, Smith’s Place and entrance to current site compound
  • Testing and commissioning of lights and crossings
  • Installation of poles and road signage
  • Complete road line markings and anti-skid treatment

 Bus diversion or traffic delay information reminder:

For the most up to date information regarding any bus diversions and any traffic delays affecting Leith Walk please visit either of the sites below:

https://twitter.com/on_lothianbuses

https://twitter.com/edintravel

Regards

Alan

Alan Dean BA (Hons) MSc PGDip I Partnership Development Officer (Stakeholder Liaison and Engagement) I Services for Communities I City Centre Leith Neighbourhood Team I 249 High Street I Edinburgh I EH1 1PN

Tel: 0131 529 7519        Mobile: 07739 188 438

alan.dean@edinburgh.gov.uk

 

Alex Wilson – RIP

Leith Central Community Council member Alex Wilson died from cancer last week.

LCCC wishes to express condolences to Alex’s family and his close friends. Alex became an elected member of LCCC in the 2013 Edinburgh CC elections, having previously served as Leith Business Association’s representative to LCCC. He brought his energy and wit to our proceedings ever since. Before that he had become a well kent face in the local community, widely appreciated for his ideas and desire to improve things locally. He chaired the Leith Business Association, played a crucial role in the reinstatement of a Lord Lyon sanctioned official Leith Flag and, latterly, became involved in the campaign to turn the Leith Custom House into a heritage centre.

LCCC members worked most closely with him on the long road to getting Edinburgh Council to fix the devastation wreaked on Leith Walk and Constitution Street when the tram works were abandoned so disastrously five years ago. He pursued this goal, along with many other campaigners, with passion and the dogged patience that this campaign seemed to require. While he saw the work completed in Constitution Street, it is perturbing to note that he died before Leith Walk has returned to any semblance of normality.

Poor mapping? Poor Planning? HMO & homelessness issues?

Increased pressure on Leith Central area is not welcome

Leith Central’s planning subcommittee (PSC) is probing whether Edinburgh Council is using inaccurate maps in its consultation on Edinburgh Planning Guidance: Student Housing – Issues Paper. The PSC has asked the Edinburgh Councillors for Leith Walk to investigate some potential errors in maps used in the consultation paper:

  • Map 1 (Operational student accommodation 2014) stops at (obscured) Picardy Place
  • Map 2b (Student concentration by data zone, 2011) shows different scale from map 2a (2001) which is used for comparison, and fails to take account of post-2011 changes (e.g. student accommodation in McDonald Rd and off Montgomery Street)
  • Map 3 (Student housing developments by number of beds and planning status since August 2010): Map extract is poorly chosen – it does not show all applications in the pipeline: Haddington Place, Shrubhill, Bothwell Street

LCCC does not want to delay matters, so it has asked for the maps to be amended without holding up the consultation.

There is a high correlation between the distribution of students (in the 2011 census) and the distribution of HMOs, according to Edinburgh Council’s own House in Multiple Occupation Market Review. The background to this is ‘transient pressure’ that might be created by HMOs being used as temporary housing for homeless people (including emergency cases, such as domestically abused women and their children; but also ex-prisoners). In Edinburgh, there are high densities of HMO properties in the Meadows and Bruntsfield links areas of the city, with notable concentrations at either end of the Marchmont area, Bruntsfield, Dalkeith Road, Leith Walk, the New Town and Pilrig.

LCCC is not against housing homeless people and does not cry ‘NIMBY!’ But it argues that its area is the mostly densely populated area of Scotland and any extra stress needs to be carefully assessed. If possible, it needs to be ameliorated or avoided, especially in the context of increased pressure on the dilapidated southern end of Leith Walk which may not be repaired for years to come. This dilapidation cannot be tolerated, in LCCC’s opinion.

Sheila Gilmore, Labour MP for Edinburgh East, has argued that Edinburgh Council may be taking an incorrect approach to limiting HMOs, noting that Dundee Council has adopted a policy that, in certain defined areas, more than 12·5 per cent of properties being HMOs is over-provision. Closer to home, Midlothian Council has approached homelessness/HMO issues by converting properties it already owns to house homeless people – and has saved money into the bargain.

November LCCC meeting minutes DRAFT

Click to download: 2014_11_17 draft

Please note that these are draft minutes and so may change when considered at the next meeting. If there are any queries, please contact LCCC – see our contacts page.

Topics discussed included

  • planned Shrubhill development
  • feedback on trade waste pilot scheme
  • obstructive/illegal parking
  • Leith museum
  • Leith Walk repairs
    • progress and alleged quality issues (Pilrig St to Crown Place)
    • potential delays (south of Pilrig St)