Towards the end of 2024, Edinburgh Council commissioned Edinburgh Lothian Greenspace Trust (ELGT) to construct a boardwalk at Cramond.
It has since transpired that not only was there no planning permission, the structure was built partly over a high pressure gas pipeline without prior consent.
It has become clear from responses to a Freedom of Information request that no utility checks were conducted by the council or its contractors ahead of the build starting. This means that part of the boardwalk was installed over a high pressure pipeline, and that part had to be removed.
The council admitted that work had already begun before anyone was aware of the SGN (Scottish Gas Networks) pipeline, meaning the boardwalk had to be reconfigured while the matter of the pipeline was explored further. At that point the boardwalk was disconnected from the promenade although timber steps have been built from the prom where a hole was punched through the low wall. There is an open area over the route of the pipe marked with one warning sign.
Gas pipe
After the boardwalk was built, the council officer in charge of the project asked SGN about a gas line he had only just been made aware of in January 2025 – the Grangemouth to Granton gas main. He said in an email dated 13 January 2025: “I’m hoping that the pressure can be checked to make sure we haven’t hit the line and caused a leak. We’ve halted installation currently.”
There are four pipelines in the vicinity. When alerted to the structure, the SGN Pipeline Officer explained: “These are Major Accident Hazard Pipelines, pressures are above 20 bar. They may not be leaking but could well be damaged”.
The SGN Pipeline Engineer said that SGN could not permit the structure to cross the lines. He wrote: “There can be no structures erected within a 40 foot strip of land (20 feet either side of the pipeline). The boardwalk cannot be constructed in this area.” He then added: “This structure will need to be removed at your earliest convenience.” He also said later that any removal work would have to be done with SGN supervision.
The boardwalk had already been constructed when council officers approached SGN about the pipe, and by February 2025 ELGT was proposing practical solutions for completing the final section following a meeting on the ground. An email from SGN said in March 2025 that “no mechanical excavation work can take place within 3 metres of the gas pipeline”.
The gap remains between the prom and the end of the boardwalk, and no remedial work has yet been undertaken. The council says it has plans for more boardwalks in the area.
Local expert
Hector Black, a Cramond resident and architect with Edinburgh firm, covellmatthews, lodged an enforcement notice with the council last March. Some ten months later that has not been complied with.
Mr Black said: “When this project appeared it took everyone by surprise. Many people walk dogs and take walks across the grassland. The stated aim of this proposal is to block these routes. It does not have Planning Permission, Conservation Area Consent. The area is zoned as Green Belt and a Local Nature Conservation Site. Apart from all of that it is Common Good Land, which requires public consultation.
“The increased footfall from curious users of the incomplete boardwalk, and people trying to get round it is actually resulting in damage and erosion to the existing dune system. The most concerning aspect is that Edinburgh and Lothian Greenspace trust have proceeded to build the boardwalk without carrying our due diligence and checking for underground utilities. My understanding is that had the high pressure gas pipe been ruptured it could have exploded.
“It seems like a bit of a vanity project when much more important facilities are needed in the Cramond area, for example an accessible public WC. This City of Edinburgh Council funded project has been poorly conceived and negligently implemented. Luck seems to have prevented a serious accident. Had a suitably qualified professional, such as an architect, led the project then these shortcomings would have been avoided. I am surprised that City of Edinburgh Council do not make it a mandatory requirement for public funding that suitably qualified professionals, such as architects, should be involved in such projects.”
Retrospective planning application
The council has confirmed it is making a retrospective planning application, and a Planning Officer confirmed the application is in the process of being validated.
Transport and Environment Convener, Cllr Stephen Jenkinson said: “Construction on the Cramond Boardwalk project began in early 2025 and is now largely complete. However, we’ve since identified an issue with planning permission, and a retrospective planning application to correct this has now been submitted.
“We’re also reviewing our existing processes to avoid any similar mistakes occurring in future.
“Once planning permission is granted, we will complete the final stage of work which involves connecting the promenade with the new structure.
“We’ll continue to work with the local community and other key stakeholders as we proceed.”
Site of Special Scientific Interest
The structure is built on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), although NatureScot, who manage these specially designated areas, say that they are not too troubled by the structure.
A NatureScot spokesperson said: “Part of the recent Cramond boardwalk installation sits in the Firth of Forth Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the Special Protection Area (SPA). NatureScot visited the site retrospectively and checked the condition assessment reports for this area of the coast. It is potentially an offence for such operations to be carried out without first notifying NatureScot and obtaining prior written consent. This is to prevent damage to the SSSI features during construction.
“The dune system isn’t of particularly high quality, so we don’t consider the SSSI feature to have been damaged, however it will be important to ensure that future management of the boardwalk has a positive impact on its surrounding habitat. Likewise, while there may have been some disturbance to the SPA birds during construction, it will not have had an adverse effect on the integrity of the SPA, largely since the work was carried out without the use of machinery.”
