Construction traffic causes concern for children’s safety

Residents in a North Edinburgh community have this week hit out at the local Housing Association who is building new homes in the area. Residents from Muirhouse claim that the safety of their children is being put at risk as heavy goods lorries are reversing without banksmen, while over two hundred schoolchildren make their way to Craigroyston Primary School.

Prior to the building work starting residents were reassured that construction traffic would not use certain parts of Muirhouse and would come from Ferry Road into the site. At a meeting in December 2012 Springfield, the company building the homes, told the meeting that they would always use banksmen when vehicles were reversing.   There have now been two incidents when large lorries have reversed along Muirhouse Avenue and directly past the entrance gate to Craigroyston primary School at 08:40, the busiest time for children arriving at school.

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Springfield issued an apology on 26 April 2013 to the residents association and yet the company’s vehicles (as pictured) were in the same street on Wednesday of this week.   Eileen Carr from Tenants & Residents in Muirhouse said:- “We have now lost confidence in the organisation concerned, and will be taking this further. We don’t want any more empty promises, pointless assurances or insincere apologies – we want the large vehicles to stop using Muirhouse Avenue as they agreed and to stop treating the community of Muirhouse with flippant disregard.”

Brenda Tonner, Director at Muirhouse Housing Association said:- “We do apologise for these two incidents and we have been in touch with the contractor to ensure this is resolved. We will now begin discussions with the council to seek permission to put up more signage.”

Local councillor Cammy Day said:- “I have today taken this up with MHA. It’s totally unacceptable. I have asked to meet the developers as a matter of urgency.”

Some residents will still remember the horror in August 1999 when two local children died following an accident with a lorry that was delivering materials to a shopping centre building site. It is believed the children hid under the lorry when it was stationary with its engine running. They were then trapped under the wheels when it reversed.