Tag: Leith Links area

Communal Bin Hubs – have your say!

Communal Bin changes – tell the Council what you think by 18 December, via https://bit.ly/bin-hubs-survey

Do you use communal bins?  Have you noticed the changes the Council has made recently to your bins? The Council has been creating ‘bin hubs’ providing new bins, more bins, some different bins and – they say – more frequent collections. In some places they have moved the location of the bins. The overall aim is to improve the amount of waste which can be recycled, though it is also expected to improve street cleanliness if bins are emptied more regularly, and overflow less.

The Council now wants to know what you think about these changes, and whether your recycling habits have been affected. A short online survey has been set up by the charity Changeworks (posters about it have been placed on the inside stairwell doors of over 500 buildings across 96 streets in the Leith area). Residents can access the survey by scanning the QR code on the poster or typing the web address (https://bit.ly/bin-hubs-survey) into a browser. (Anybody can participate and input their views, you don’t necessarily have to have a poster.)

Please use this chance to have your say – the deadline has been extended to 18th December

Survey questions cover communications about the changes and whether you think things like street cleanliness have improved as a result of the new bin hubs. The survey does not ask directly if you are happy with the location of the new communal bin hubs, but there is a ‘comments’ box that you can use to say what you think about where the Council chose to locate the bin hub. Is it in a sensible place that you can access easily? Is it too close to windows or doorways? Are there problems with noise, or smells, or parking? The Council did not consult people prior to installing them in Leith. If you are unhappy with the location of your bin hub, write the details into that comments box AND don’t hesitate to contact one of your Councillors and the local Community Council and we will see how we can help.

Tell your Councillors

If you miss completing this survey, or find it inaccessible, you could also contact any of your local Councillors about this issue and/or let the Community Council know your views – we would all love to know what you think about the changes. Contact details:

Elected City Councillors:

Cllr Chas Booth – chas.booth@edinburgh.gov.uk

Cllr Katrina Faccenda – Cllr.Katrina.Faccenda@edinburgh.gov.uk

Cllr Adam McVey – adam.mcvey@edinburgh.gov.uk

Leith Links Community Council – contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk

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The Council say they will share the findings of the Survey with us in the New Year. The Community Council also monitors the state of communal bins and suggest improvements. Any additional information or views from local residents is really helpful for us, to be able to represent your views and experiences of this important local service, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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O Christmas Tree O Christmas Tree

In last weeks Evening News, there was an article detailing where the council would be installing Christmas trees around the city this year. Leith wasn’t mentioned.

Last year because of ongoing tram works the council decided not to put one at the usual central Leith spot at the Kirkgate.  I know we all have enough on our minds with fuel and food costs going through the roof but a bit of Christmas cheer would be welcomed.

When I asked why another location couldn’t be found to place a tree, I was informed that the council had planted one in Taylor Gardens.

Exhibit 1

The council did eventually install a full size tree, which we welcomed, but could have been placed more centrally possibly at the Shore outside Malmaison or outside Bank of Scotland in the Kirkgate where many more tourists and Leithers pass during the day.

This year we had the same excuse about tram works for no tree at the Kirkgate but the council told us they had planted a tree beside Leith Library.

Exhibit 2

The council also intend to install a full size tree in Taylor Gardens but when I passed there yesterday there was one Christmas light from the bottom of Leith Walk stuck on a lamp post.

Why have I decided to moan? Because I feel the people of Leith deserve better and have stoically put up with continual disruption to their lives from ongoing tram and road works.

Having had a year to investigate alternative sites, it should have been simple for the council to find somewhere for a tree in Leith’s historic centre where more people pass including much welcomed visits from tourists.

Rightly or wrongly it does give the impression that the council really don’t care.

From an environmental point of view I applaud them for their tree planting but it could be 20 years before these trees are mature enough to be decorated.

After all Leith has been through over the last few years surely it’s not a lot to ask for a Christmas tree to be located in the heart of the community to be enjoyed by all.

Jim Scanlon MBE

Chair, Leith Links Community Council

 

 

 

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Remembering Lost Leithers

It’s always a shock when you hear about the death of a much loved Leither. 

This week has been particularly bad with the deaths of three people who contributed so much to our community.

The Queen of Leith, Mary Moriarty died last week and her funeral is on Tuesday 25th October. A service will be held in South Leith Parish Church at 12pm then on to Seafield Crematorium (limited spaces). You will then have the chance to raise a glass to Mary in The Dockers Club and share your memories with friends.

Mary was well known in Leith, not only as the owner of the famous Port of Leith pub where many a fun night was had, but also for her many years of hard work with Leith Festival helping it survive through good times and bad.

From my window I remember that on the day before the gala Mary would be out on the Links spraying and numbering the pitches for the gala day stalls.

She was always there at the crack of dawn on the Saturday and still there hours after the last stall had left with a litter picker and black bin bag making sure the park was cleaner than how she had found it.

I’m proud to say that I knew Mary for many years, and she will be sorely missed by many of us in the Leith community who will all have our fond memories of her. She could always make you smile even when you were feeling down.

I also lost another friend, Jim Tweedie recently who died over a week ago and his funeral is on Friday, 28 October, Warriston Crematorium at 2pm. 

Jim was a hard working member of the Leith Community and Chair of Leith Local History Society preserving our history and informing new residents about our rich past.

The society continue to meet on the third Tuesday in the month in the community centre and with a series of monthly talks.

Jim and I were also on the steering group to save Custom House for the people of Leith and with the help of local councillors, especially Councillor Gordon Munro the city council was persuaded to purchase the building using Common Good Funding. Work to establish a heritage display in the building is ongoing.

Finally, Davie Jeneil who ran a successful jewellers shop in Great Junction Street for over 30 years providing gifts for the many birthdays, weddings and celebrations of Leithers.

I also knew Davie as a great supporter of Leith Rules Golf Society. His family always put in a team for the Foulis Medal. A fun competition on the Links every year using hickory golf clubs which is open to local Leith businesses and community groups.

When Davie’s son in law turned up to play, I always thought we would be quicker just handing him the medal because he is such an excellent player.

Davie also supported the society by providing the quaichs and engravings for our other team events and again he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

On behalf of Leith Links Community Council, I would like to extend our condolences and best wishes to the family and friends of all these great Leithers who we will all miss.

Jim Scanlon MBE

Chair 

Leith Links Community Council

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The bus saga –

It seems clear by now, from the many responses sent back in via this website, and FaceBook,  ‘I Love Leith’ etc. that NOBODY received a leaflet about the bus route changes. A mystery.

So this is the latest message that Leith Links Community Council has sent to Lothian Buses. We are still awaiting a reply.

23 September

To: Lothian Buses

Dear Ms Marshall

Thank you for your most recent message.

I wonder if I could ask for clarification?

You say “We appreciate that some of our customers are unable to access our digital platforms and so in addition to bus stop information being refreshed to reflect the changes we reached out to approx. 22K households (in the EH6 6. EH6 7, EH6 8, EH7 6) areas with detailed information on Monday 12 September and Tuesday 13 September.”

May I ask you to clarify exactly what “reached out…to..households” means? On a first reading, we understood you to mean that you had leaflets delivered through the door of 22K households. However, this does not seem to be the case. Have we misunderstood you? Did you reach out in another way, and if so, can you explain precisely what form this took?

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We understand that the period since the Queen’s passing has, unexpectedly, been a very demanding period for Lothian Buses across the city and that it may take a while before things get back to ‘normal’, so we do not wish to be overly demanding. However, we would like to reiterate our request / invitation to meet with someone representing LB at some point soon, to discuss constructive ways in which we (i.e. the community council, as members of the local community and representing the local community) can collaborate and work with you and help to monitor the new services over the next few months, as you have stated you intend to do. You will obviously have access to passenger numbers and other objective data. And presumably, reports from drivers. We have access to ‘soft data’ in the form of the views of passengers as to how well the services are functioning, and meeting peoples’ needs, any important needs that are not being met, and so on.

Thank You

Sally Millar

Secy, Leith Links Community Council

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Leith Links Community Council received the following message from Lothian Buses, in response to our earlier email correspondence.

16.09.22

From: Gaynor Marshall, Communications Director, Lothian Buses

Thank you for your further email.  All comments and feedback are duly noted.

In terms of our communicating the change I can advise that information was published in advance of the changes on 11th September.  We appreciate that some of our customers are unable to access our digital platforms and so in addition to bus stop information being refreshed to reflect the changes we reached out to approx. 22K households (in the EH6 6. EH6 7, EH6 8, EH7 6) areas with detailed information on Monday 12 September and Tuesday 13 September.

Attached is a copy for your reference – it may be helpful for you to host it on LCC website. 

I can also confirm that all decisions were made with the information available at the time following dialogue with colleagues at CEC (TTN).  

The changes that came into place on 11th September will be monitored over the next few months with our immediate priority being stabilising the longer term commercial viability of the network and subsequent economic recovery of our business.

In terms of your further comments I refer you back to all previous communication which has provided our rationale and reasoning underpinned by commercial data and operational feasibility.    

In closing I would add that Lothian strive to deliver for customers in continuing exceptionally challenging circumstances.  We pride ourselves in being a part of the communities we serve and we will only endeavour to engage in meaningful and relevant dialogue when conducted in a professional and constructive manner.

Kind regards

Gaynor Marshall
Communications Director, Lothian Buses

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We will be responding in due course.

In the meanwhile, we would be interested –

  1. to know more about the leaflets. Please can you let us know if you got a leaflet through your door (or if you didn’t, but you think you should have, as you live along the bus routes). It would help if you added your street name and/or postcode.
  2.  to hear more about your experiences with the new bus routes. Last week was highly untypical, but starting from this week – how is it going for you, so far?

Please write a comment below or email contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk

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Buses at Leith Links

Monday 12th September – Due to the momentous events today, causing massive traffic congestion,  buses are being delayed all throughout the city.

We have so far still not been able to meet with Lothian Buses to discuss our local bus route changes, but have continued to press for a meeting. UPDATE – new Managing Director Sarah Boyd has now been in touch to indicate that a conversation may be possible next week sometime, after this period of exceptional transport arrangements, in which Lothian is heavily involved of course, surrounding the death of Her Majesty the Queen.

What we know –

  1. The changes did start on Sunday 11th September  – i.e. the 25 and 21 using Lochend Road, and the 34 and 49 using Restalrig Road. The bus stops reflect this change and provide some basic paper-based information.
  2. For the moment, the 34 will go from Restalrig Road to Ocean Terminal (and same route coming back from OT into town) via Links Gardens, Salamander Place, Baltic Street, Bernard Street, Commercial Street.

See https://www.lothianbuses.com/live-travel-info/service-update/?alert_id=22a9ec20a664161cd55de74b43ab75f9

Apparently Lothian Buses DID NOT CHECK with Trams to Newhaven that the route they wanted to use, i.e. Constitution Street and Queen Charlotte Street, would be open for traffic on 11th September. (Of course, those of us who live here always knew it would not be ready.) In our view, this reflects a shocking lack of coordination between key transport operators (and overseers) in our city.

The Salamander Place route will be used until Constitution Street is available, which Trams to Newhaven tell us may be some weeks away.

Since congestion on Baltic Street (& Bernard Street, Commercial Street) is already horrendous, and the road surface in Salamander Place is in extremely poor condition (understatement!), passengers are in for a slow and bumpy ride. We also feel that the junction at the top of Salamander Place, turning in and out of Links Gardens, is potentially problematical, even dangerous.

So how’s it going so far? One day into the new service, we’ve seen buses letting passengers off on Links Gardens (presumably because the bus stops at the top of Salamander Place are awkwardly placed), and several occasions of buses stopped at the junction, ‘negotiating’ with other drivers as to who would go first through the narrowed turn. And the poor lollipop man at this junction has seen his job suddenly get a lot more complicated!

We’ve also seen at least one No, 21 sail on down Restalrig Road as previously, instead of crossing into Sleigh Drive, much to the distress of passengers waiting to board the new service along Lochend Road, who had a very long wait for the next bus. Was the driver not told about the change?

And we have received a number of emails from members of the local community finding the changes difficult.

We would be grateful to hear from any of you (in the comments below) of any problems you experience or observe in that area, and/or photos, so that we can pass these on to Lothian Buses (in Comments, below, or send to contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk).

You can read the entire correspondence here (start from the bottom and read upwards, to get correct order) between Leith Links Community Council and Lothian Buses. All correspondence has been copied to our Leith Ward Councillors, and Craigentinny / Duddingston, and to the Convenor of the Transport and Environment Committee.

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Changes to Bus Routes around the Leith Links Area

You may have seen a notice about proposed changes to bus services around Leith Links, due to start on 11th September. Click here to read the proposals.

Lothian Buses make it sound as though this is what Leith Links Community Council asked for, but that’s really not true – or only very partially true (Yes, we think people DO want a bus to run through the Links). But in fact neither the Community Council nor local residents were consulted about any of the details and received no prior warning of these proposals. We have some concerns about the scope of the changes.

Click here to read or scroll down to see the letter that we have sent today to Lothian Buses about the proposed changes.

We have asked Lothian Buses to meet with us and to attend the next meeting of the Community Council (which is next Monday, 29th August). We’ll keep you posted about the response we receive to this letter.

 

To

Lothian Buses

23.8.22

Dear Sirs

I am writing on behalf of Leith Links Community Council, with regard to the imminent proposed changes to bus services in our area.

As you are aware, we have been campaigning for a new bus service to run through Leith Links to serve the large population in the growing number of new housing developments on the north side of the Links. We were looking for a new service, to replace the No. 12 service that was summarily removed a couple of years ago. We were NOT looking for a revamp of several well-established and well-used bus services in the wider area beyond the Links – that, while it could benefit some residents (nearest to the Links), could significantly disadvantage many others in our community (residents along the Restalrig Road and Lochend Road corridors).

In the discussions we have had most recently, with Ian Bieniowski and later John White, and Ben Ritchie, we were led to believe that prior to a new service being, hopefully, introduced in due course, Lothian Buses would continue holding discussions with the community, as regards the needs of local people. Also we were expecting to see proposals that would be presented with a view of how local bus routes are expected to link to / work with the tram service, and with some data on actual and projected usage, and catchment area, including the catchment numbers still to be built along Seafield Road.

So while we appreciate that Lothian Buses has, in one sense, ‘listened’ and been willing to act promptly, we are however very disappointed that you have autocratically introduced sweeping changes without any consultation with the local community, and with no transparency, or presentation/communication of evidence. Also with very little notice and a lack of information about the existing and proposed new frequency of the relevant services.

Can we meet as soon as possible, please, to discuss this? And please will you send a representative to our next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council, which will be online on Monday 29 August at 6:30 pm, to explain the proposed changes and to answer questions? That meeting will be open to the public.

The immediate response to the proposed changes from our local community has been mostly negative, as far as we can establish so far. (Our efforts at consultation will continue.)

On the positive side, a bus running through the Links, and access to Aldi and Ocean Terminal, will be welcome, so thank you for that. But overall the 34 is probably the least popular bus that could possibly have been chosen, as it is relatively infrequent and a very slow route into town because it follows a circuitous route. Therefore it is perhaps not likely to attract much of a ridership going south into town (which may be used as an excuse to later axe it again…?). However the wholesale swapping over of Lochend Road buses with Restalrig Road buses has met with some horrified hostility. Why is this necessary? The 25 and 21 are both much needed routes, well-used by residents around the Links as well as further up Restalrig Road, and losing those is a very high cost for the local population.

This is not just a minor adjustment, though it may look like that to fit young people sat in front of a big map onscreen. On the ground, in real life, the distance between Restalrig Road and Lochend Road is too far to ‘just walk through’ for older and less able people. People adapt and develop their lives – and often make momentous decisions about their jobs, and house purchases – around the bus services that are available to them. Sudden changes to bus services can be traumatic and life changing. Also, having to take two buses instead of one can be unaffordable for many, especially in the current cost of living crisis.

The changes you are proposing (swapping 25 & 21, for 34 & 49 which, aside from their routes, are both less frequent services), seem to be maximally disruptive to both local communities (Restalrig Road and Lochend Road) without actually addressing any of the other main issues with bus services in Leith (no bus to Western General, concern over the loss of the No. 22, traffic congestion in Great Junction Street etc.).

We look forward to hearing from you, urgently, on this matter.

Jim Scanlon MBE, Chair

Leith Links Community Council

 

Cc

Scott Arthur, Transport for Edinburgh, Convener, Transport & Environment Committee

Elected Councillors

(Ward 13) Booth, Faccienda, McVey

(Ward 14) Aston, Griffiths, Staniforth, Whyte

 

 

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More new flats at Leith Links / Salamander – online consultation 28 April

Cruden Homes are planning a new development of 99 flats at 124 Salamander Street & 1-3 Salamander Yards (redevelopment of the Edinburgh Carpet and Flooring Warehouse). view / download introductory leaflet here

Please view the plans, ask questions and make comments at an online consultation event on Thursday 28th April (3.30pm-7.30pm, ‘drop-in’) at www.orbitconsultations.scot/salamanderstreet/

 

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Next Meeting, Monday 25th April 6:30 online. Come and ask questions!

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be held on Monday 25th April at 6:30pm, online (Microsoft Teams). We have interesting guest speakers – do come along!

Leith Connections / Low Traffic Neighbourhood – what is happening?

We will be hearing from Miles Wilkinson of Edinburgh City Council about the current state of the plans for Leith Connections / Leith Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN). Do you know how this scheme is likely to affect you?

We need a bus for Leith Links!

And we have John White of Lothian Buses also attending the meeting to discuss bus route issues, in the context of the tram, and the proposed LTN. How do you feel about the fact that we don’t have ANY buses just now on the north side of Leith Links (where many hundreds – eventually thousands – of new residents are moving in)?

This is a great chance to ask questions and also to let these people know what members of our local community think, and need / want.

Would you like to join the meeting?

As always, our meetings are open to interested members of the public. If you wish to attend, please email contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk and you will be sent an invitation / link for the meeting.

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Papers for the meeting can be found here:

1. Draft Agenda Meeting 25 April 22

2. Minutes of Meeting 28 March 2022 (draft until adopted)

 

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Leith Links Community Council next meeting Monday 28th February 6:30 online

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be held on Monday 28th, February at 6:30pm, online (Microsoft Teams)

The Agenda for the next meeting and minutes of January’s meeting will be issued shortly

As always, our meetings are open to interested members of the public. If you wish to attend, please email contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk and you will be sent an invitation / link for the meeting.

Thank you for your support

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Next meeting of Leith Links Community Council, 29 November 2021, 6:30pm

The next meeting of the Leith Links Community Council will be held on Monday 29 November 2021 at 6:30pm, online (Microsoft Teams)

Papers for the meeting can be found here:

  1. Agenda for the Meeting
  2. Minutes of Meeting on Monday 25 October 2021 (draft until adopted)

(These are also stored for access at any time in our online Library.)

We have an interesting Guest Speaker coming, from Living Rent Edinburgh / Leith, and we will also have updates and discussion on ongoing topics of local importance including: Controlled Parking Zone for Leith, Seafield sewage plant and sewage outflows into Water of Leith, City Plan 2030 and more.

As always, our meetings are open to interested members of the public. If you wish to attend, please email contact@leithlinkscc.org.uk and you will be sent an invitation / link for the meeting.

We tend to alternate between using Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Both platforms have their pluses and minuses. Officers and elected representatives of Edinburgh City Council are not ‘allowed’ to use Zoom with/on Council IT, so if we hope to have input from those people, we need to use Teams.

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