The Transport and Environment Committee meets today
There are many deputations which will be heard first on Thursday morning before the rest of the committee business. Two of these relate to the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) as the council is determining whether to make the Leith Connections permanent today.
Liveable Leith is a relatively new formally constituted group representing a variety of active travel organisations including Living Streets, Spokes, and Friends of the Earth, which aims to do just what its name says. The body is keen for the council to bite the bullet and make the Leith LTN permanent and point out that it works, it is popular and it has transformed lives.
The deputation states that the council’s own evidence shows that the scheme “has successfully reduced traffic on every street monitored except for one”. The group cite comments from locals in support.
The council published the results of its year-long monitoring here. This finds that traffic has reduced on every road except Duncan Place. The report finds that: “Duncan Place has seen an increase in traffic volume of just under 19%, given the restriction of use as a through route of Wellington Place to the west. The total of two-way traffic on Duncan Place and Wellington Place together has seen a drop in traffic of just under 14% suggesting that not all traffic previously using Wellington Place has diverted via Duncan Place.”
New Town and Broughton Community Council has raised the matter of the temporary ramp in Charlotte Square asking the council what the interim solution is intended to achieve and “whether the money spent represents good value for the city”.
The community council also raises the proposals to introduce cycling against the flow of one-way traffic on Young, Hill and Thistle Streets – all narrow cobbled streets with narrow pavements and the introduction of a two way cycle lane on Rose Street which has a very uneven surface, and the area is pedestrianised.
The papers for the meeting are at this link
At the Heart of Newhaven
ON Friday 31 January at 3pm there will be a talk by Gerard McEwan of Edinburgh, Lothian & Borders Police Historical Society Email admin@heartofnewhaven.co.uk to book a place.
Bridgend Potato Day 2025
For the gardeners among you… you will know what this is about. Get your seed potatoes at Bridgend on 9 February.
Edinburgh Airport draft Noise Action Plan
There is only a week left to have your say about the airport’s draft Noise Action Plan.
Edinburgh Airport is seeking feedback people living in the vicinity on the ways that it plans to manage and mitigate noise caused by aviation operations.
The airport, now part of the VINCI Airports network, has launched its draft Noise Action Plan (NAP) for 2024 to 2028 and in the weeks and months ahead will discuss the plan with those living in areas most impacted.
This comes as EDI continues to build on the Trusted Neighbour pillar of its Greater Good sustainability strategy, with an emphasis on ensuring the airport collaborates closely with its neighbours and minimises any negative impacts caused by its operations.
The airport already engages with communities each month through the Edinburgh Airport Noise Advisory Board – Scotland’s only community noise board – while the airport’s interactive noise lab allows members of the public access to aircraft noise data in almost real time.
A number of measures are in place at the airport to manage noise including:
- Penalties for airlines whose aircraft exceed certain noise levels.
- Noise Insulation Scheme for properties most impacted.
- Installation of fixed noise monitors and public access to this data.
There is more information on Edinburgh Airport’s Noise Action Plan webpages.
Gordon Robertson, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer at Edinburgh Airport said: “It’s extremely important to us that we listen to and work with those living in areas most impacted when formulating our plans around noise management and mitigation.
“At present we have a host of measures in place – including penalties for airlines whose aircraft exceed certain decibel levels – however we are always looking at how we can better develop our plans to further reduce the impact on local communities.
“Key to this will be input from residents, community groups, and other key stakeholders and we look forward to engaging with them on this draft Noise Action Plan.”
Edinburgh Airport
Picture Alan Simpson
New school opened at Maybury
A new primary school has opened part of the way through the academic year with 25 Primary 1 children welcomed into the new building this week.
The children have been learning at East Craigs Primary School since beginning school last August. They are now the first pupils to attend the new school which has space for 630 primary pupils and 128 children in nursery. The school’s catchment area includes the new housing developments in Cammo and West Craigs. The school is built to Passivhaus standard – a method which regulates the air temperature in the classroom and reduces energy consumption.This school will be the first in the city to share a campus with a medical practice at the new Maybury Community Hub.
Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener said: “It is great to see that the new Maybury Primary School has welcomed its first group of learners into the building. The head teacher and her team have worked hard to ensure that the transition from East Craigs Primary School into the new school is smooth for the P1 children and I know that they are all excited to get settled into their new school environment.
“The new building has been constructed to be fit for the future and the ‘hub’ model means that the building can be used by the whole community, which is fantastic. The construction of Maybury Primary School is part of a broader initiative to meet the needs of new families who have moved into the area, alongside working to achieve the Council’s ambition to meet future demands and support community growth.”
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