Residents in Leith are up in arms at the action taken by Forth Ports – during the holidays, and apparently in breach of a planning application which has not yet been granted.
Workmen were spotted the other day replacing a bollard and chain beside Albert Dock with a modern metal railing. The bollard and chain is B listed as you can read here on Historic Environment Scotland. The proposed new barrier design is shown on the planning application which has been submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council, but there has been no determination as yet.
Albert Dock is also part of the Leith Conservation Area. The conservation area character appraisal can be found here.
The planning application was lodged with the council on 11 December to “Install protective barrier along the south of Albert Dock at Stevedore Place, Leith.” You can see or comment on the application here. We have copied the Design Statement from the planning application below.
We approached the council for comment. A City of Edinburgh Council spokesperson said: “An application has been submitted to the Council which is still being considered with no decision taken yet.”
FORTH PORTS
A spokesperson from Forth Ports said: “Following the recent incident involving a young child who fell into Albert Dock, Forth Ports undertook an urgent health and safety review of the areas that the public have access to in and around the Port of Leith. This review identified that urgent attention was required to make the area around Stevedore Place safe. This work started this week.
“We have submitted a planning application to Edinburgh City Council but we are undertaking these safety measures as a matter of urgency. The Council are aware of our actions.
“The chain of the existing fence is being upgraded with bespoke panels that are in keeping with the surrounding environment and also which do not require modification to the dock edge or existing posts. All original materials removed will be safely stored.”
One resident who prefers to remain unnamed said that the child referred to had jumped in months ago – possibly in the middle of September, and so the fact that Forth Ports say this is ‘urgent’ is questionable. There have of course been other incidents with people falling in the water, but other barriers elsewhere in Leith have not been changed. At the CALA Waterfront development for example, the barrier is much lower.
Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council (LHNCC) spokesperson, Jennifer Marlborough told The Edinburgh Reporter: “LHNCC is disappointed by the lack of engagement shown by Forth Ports and its approach to implementing these works. There has been no consultation with the local community, including Albert Dock residents, who are keen to discuss more appropriate solutions. Work to alter the listed dockside started on the day residents received the notification of the applications for Planning and Listed Building Consent – in spite of the fact that the closing date for public comment is not until 29 January 2021 – and it is only after that the council will make its decision.
“This would appear to be a second recent breach of the planning process; we lodged an official complaint about unauthorised works at the A-listed bridge near Teuchters Landing in November. These issues are a cause for concern for the LHNCC and the Leith Harbour community. There is potential for this work to set a precedent for piecemeal and hastily installed safety measures that are detrimental to the amenity and historic character of the dock basins (which are not all in the same ownership) and the wider Shore area.
“We are aware of the health and safety aspects and that is one of the considerations the planning process takes into account. The Listed Building Consent will assess whether the works will affect the historic interest of the listed dock and preserve or enhance the special character or appearance of the conservation area. LHNCC believes that a more considered and strategic approach to improving safety should be adopted, that does not negatively impact on the character of the Old Leith and Shore Area.
“LHNCC is a statutory consultee and it will be fully engaging with the planning process. We understand from Forth Ports that the recently installed fencing panels are temporary. We therefore look forward to engaging with Port staff, CEC, relevant statutory authorities and the community to agree and take forward a more appropriate and permanent solution in due course.”
LOCAL RESIDENTS
We have also heard from the local residents whose properties look out to the dock. They told us: “The residents of Stevedore Place feel very strongly that the proposed replacement barrier panels are completely out of keeping with the historical quayside setting of Albert Dock. We do appreciate the intent by Forth Ports to improve pedestrian safety around the dock, however we feel there are more sympathetic ways of achieving this.
“We are keen to work constructively with Forth Ports to suggest some alternative ideas. One sure area which could be a model is Albert Dock in Liverpool. This is an extremely high footfall tourist area, and yet they have managed to retain their post and chain barriers around the dock perimeter:
“We strongly believe this could be a good example for Albert Dock in Leith to adopt. One idea would be to increase the number and thickness of the chains (from 2 currently to 3 or 4 (as per Liverpool)), along with making the chains much tauter. This would dramatically improve the pedestrian safety aspects of the dock edge, preserve the historical dockside setting with the bollard and chain fencing (as per listing status) and ultimately meet with the intent of what Forth Ports are trying to achieve in improving safety. We also believe that it would meet with the requirements of the Health and Safety Executive’s Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and guidance covering safety in dock operations.”
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
