According to Leith councillors the benches which were removed from the Foot of the Walk a few weeks back will be replaced there on Friday.
The benches were taken away by the council during August, apparently in an effort to bring to an end the anti-social behaviour which had become a regular happening.
But local councillors say this move was taken after discussions with the local MSP’s office and Police Scotland, and there was no discussion with councillors or thought as to the impact on older people or people with disabilities.
This announcement that the benches will now be put back in place followed an outcry in Leith and those who shop at the Newkirkgate centre.
Leith Ward councillors
Leith Ward councillors have united to put pressure on council officers to return the benches and had intended to table an emergency motion at Thursday’s full council meeting before they heard the welcome announcement from senior council officers.
In a statement the three Leith Ward councillors Cllr Katrina Faccenda, Cllr Chas Booth and Cllr Adam Nols-McVey said: “This decision-making process was deeply flawed and by ignoring longstanding protocols of how local members are consulted on local changes the council has further damaged confidence.
“We have already complained in the strongest terms to those responsible and will continue to seek assurance that this kind of action does not happen again. While recognising that there are long-running problems with anti-social behaviour in this area removing a community asset like these benches is not the answer and unfairly impacts those who need a seat on the way to or from the shops.
“We are extremely concerned that the council has not adequately considered the impact on disabled people and those with reduced mobility on the decision to remove the benches and believe that the council may have breached its public sector equality duty. There are complex social issues within Leith of drug and alcohol addiction and bench removal does nothing to solve those or, as we have seen in the last week sees those same people with problematic behaviour sitting on the ground where the benches once were.
“There are no easy answers or quick fix solutions and as a council we need to engage constructively in how this space could work better for everyone and how we can make people feel safer within their community.
“We intend to bring a motion to the November meeting of Full Council in the hope of involving key local stakeholders and those already involved in outreach work in these discussions. People in Leith often feel the council as an institution does not have the same concern for them as other more affluent parts of Edinburgh and we need to prove otherwise.”
A City of Edinburgh Council spokesperson said: “This decision was originally taken following discussions with Police Scotland on antisocial behaviour in the area. However, following feedback from local elected members the benches will be reinstated by September 1.
“We’ll continue to engage with Police Scotland and other partners to addresses the wider concerns of the local community.”
Distress for old people
Cllr Susan Rae, Green Councillor for Leith Walk told The Edinburgh Reporter that while this was not actually in her ward it still caused difficulties for people living nearby. She said: “A lot of people who live in the Leith Walk ward go there a lot. Some of them use the community centre and the cafés there. They are distressed about it because a lot of the older people are upset because they used to use the benches.”
Cllr Rae admitted there had been anti-social behaviour but said that to be fair “those indulging in anti-social behaviour have been very polite and they have always made way for people who needed the benches”. She did not think that the way to deal with the anti-social behaviour was simply to remove the benches.
Those people left without a seat had simply carried on with their drinking or other anti-social behaviour sitting on the ground or carrying seats from cafés nearby. A wag drew an outline of a bench on the ground, designing it like a crime scene and people started to gather there.
The Edinburgh Reporter spoke to passers by while the benches were “missing”. One couple who have lived in the area for many years said that the anti-social behaviour was a “really bad advertisement for Leith” particularly as there are now many tourists visiting on cruise ships. Although they would not have used the benches themselves they did feel for older people who simply needed a seat.
The couple added they had witnessed fighting among people around the benches and had noticed ambulances there on several occasions while walking to the shops. While the benches were removed they had seen people drinking and sunbathing at the Foot of the Walk or propping themselves up against the chemist shop window.
A 75-year-old woman who has lived in Leith for around 45 years said she had previously used the benches but was put off by the people who came to sit on them regularly while smoking and drinking. But she defended the police saying police officers have tried but they “have no chance” against the anti-social behaviour or the shoplifting in the area which she said is a real issue.
When the benches were first moved Cllr Katrina Faccenda said she had been informed officially on 13 August by council officers that the benches had already been removed.
She was told they were removed to Taylor Gardens and she was disappointed not to have been contacted or consulted about the move and said: “As Leith residents know the anti-social behaviour is not new but these benches are not the cause of the alcohol and drug addiction problems that fuel the behaviour we see around those benches.
“We already have considerable drinking and drug-taking issues in the churchyard and also around Sandport Bridge before the roadworks and in my opinion removal of the benches takes away an asset from the entire community and just displaces the anti-social behaviour to someone else’s front door or stair. Many people might want a wee seat on the way to or from the shops and this has been removed from them.
“More police and better funded mental health and addiction services would go a long way to better community safety in Leith.”
Where were the benches?
Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “We took the decision to temporarily remove these benches following feedback from Police Scotland on antisocial behaviour in the area. I appreciate this decision may be disappointing to some residents but ultimately this was taken with the best interests of everyone in mind.
“We’ll monitor the situation alongside Police Scotland and in the meantime the benches have been relocated to Taylor Gardens.”
Although we were told by several sources that the benches were moved to Taylor Gardens they were nowhere to be seen there, and we were advised unofficially they were in council storage.
There are however many other benches in the gardens which have been there for some years in memory of a various local people – including former Chief Constable Willie Merrilees.
