A campaign to change the space at the junction of West Crosscauseway, Nicolson Street, Chapel Street and Buccleuch Street has been running for just short of two decades – and, eventually, the first phase is underway.
The Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) will be implemented next week when capital works begin to reverse the flow of traffic, rubber kerb partitions and wands will be installed on the road with signage and road markings to reduce through traffic. Two -way cycling will be introduced and residents parking outside Buccleuch Church will be instated at Buccleuch Place forming a protected triangular pedestrian zone.
These will be the first steps to change the space into an area which prioritises people. This is an opportunity to show how the space will function without traffic passing through while taking forward plans for permanent place for people transformation that is safer for everyone.
Sarah Drummond, Chair of Causey Development Trust, (CDT) said: “This is a moment we have been working towards for nearly two decades. The community has always known that The Causey could be something extraordinary – a place for people, for culture, for connection and community events – and this first phase is proof that the case has finally been heard.
“We are enormously grateful to everyone who has supported us, from the Causey Steering group, Southside Ward Councillors and others from across the political spectrum, to those who have shown up on a Saturday morning, or simply believed that a traffic island could become something much more.”
Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “I recognise the strength of feeling surrounding The Causey and welcome the fact that we’re seeing progress.
“These changes will help people get around easier, whilst making the area safer. I’m looking forward to seeing these plans develop over the coming months and wish the Trust all the best.”
The road to this point has not been straightforward. A permanent TRO was approved following a public hearing in 2021, with Scottish Ministers confirming it without modification in June 2022. Design proposals, developed with Ironside Farrar Landscape Architects on the basis of community consultation, were agreed. Yet funding challenges – including the withdrawal of Place Based Investment Programme money and continued pressure on council budgets – meant that physical transformation remained out of reach.
The implementation of this Temporary TRO now delivers the first physical stage of the agreed scheme. It gives the community what it has long needed: real-world evidence of how the space works with limited through-traffic, while continuing to build the case – and secure funding – for the full £1.6m permanent transformation.
The Causey has recently been name-checked at Edinburgh’s Visitor Levy funding forums as a project deserving of support. Edinburgh’s Visitor Levy – the UK’s first scheme of its kind, coming into effect on 24 July 2026 – is projected to raise up to £50 million a year for investment in city infrastructure, culture, heritage and destination management.
The site sits on a well-used route through the Southside, within walking distance of major festival venues including Bristol Square (Underbelly), George Square (Assembly and Underbelly), Summerhall and Assembly Roxy, as well as the Edinburgh Futures Institute, the new home of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Adjacent to the University of Edinburgh campus, it is used daily by students, staff and visiting families as well as festival audiences.
Its transformation aligns closely with the priorities of the Levy, which aims to enhance the experience of both residents and visitors while supporting sustainable tourism. By improving walkability, reducing congestion and creating a high-quality civic space for cultural and community use, the project would support the distribution of footfall beyond the core World Heritage Site and encourage people to spend longer in the surrounding neighbourhood. In doing so, it contributes to a more balanced, people-centred visitor economy while protecting the liveability and historic character of the city.
CDT believes The Causey is precisely the kind of community-rooted, heritage-rich, people-centred project that the Levy was designed to support, and is hopeful that future funding will enable delivery of the full scheme.
