A CHARITY shop and beauty salon on a brand-new Edinburgh roundabout were flooded after rainwater on the pavement was sent flowing inside by a blocked drain.
Both businesses have been closed for days now, while locals have accused the council and its contractors of a “dangerous, shoddy job” in its redesign of the roundabout.
The council first began works on Davidson’s Mains roundabout in April this year as part of a drive to make the junction safer and more accessible after a string of accidents.
The roundabout was supposed to be reopened in June, but months of delays meant that it was not able to fully reopen until August.
Now, however, locals claim that the council’s changes not only make the roundabout more dangerous but have also caused flooding and potentially “thousands of pounds worth of damage” to a local charity shop.
The council first announced changes in 2023 after five injuries in six years on the roads surrounding the roundabout.
Footways around the roundabout were widened, with roads reduced to one lane from two on approach, while pedestrian islands between the lanes were removed.
The widened pavement has been constructed over drainage gullies, while the surface, at the Main Street section of the roundabout, is at a slight decline in the direction of shopfronts.
This design quirk has allowed water to pool on the pavement and flow into the local Chest, Heart and Stroke charity shop while a new drain placed in the middle of the pavement was blocked.
Craig Duncan, 41, who lives in the area, said: “There’s only one drain, and leaves were caught, blocked the drain, and then that’s that. Every bit of water started coming into the shop.”
Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland and the next door Sparkle beauty salon were both forced to close their doors on Wednesday, 23 September and do not expect to reopen until next week.
“Businesses are going to fear any time there’s a bit of rain; it was a large volume of water in a very short space of time, but it wasn’t torrential,” Craig added.
“You would never have imagined the shop to be flooded the way it’s been, and if the drains were working properly and were designed correctly, then that would never have happened.”
“It’s just the icing on the cake of all of it.”
In addition, it appears the council was warned about the potential for flooding on Main Street.
A Road Safety Audit carried out by AtkinsRéalis on the roundabout – obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request – concluded: “Drainage gullies are located where footway widening is proposed around the junction.
“In the absence of new / relocated drainage facilities, there is potential for surface water to gather on the carriageway and at crossing facilities.
“Water pooling may contribute to: pedestrian injury from slips and falls; and cycle and vehicle collisions from loss of control due to reduced tyre grip and potential skidding.
“These risks may be exacerbated during colder temperatures when standing water may form ice.”
In response, the council pledged to introduce appropriate drainage and gullies.
Contractors also allegedly admitted to faults in the construction process, contributing to delays.
Further FOI disclosures, released by the council on 23 September 2026 to local Paul Walton, revealed that there was “no written record” of discussions between road safety and active travel colleagues in the council regarding Davidson’s Mains.
Craig added: “I’m appalled, to be honest with you. It’s caused an untold amount of disruption for all the local businesses, and ultimately has caused the junction to be more unsafe.
“Without a doubt there’s going to be an accident on there very shortly.”
He concluded: “All that disruption to then have a dangerous, shoddy job, which is not fit for purpose and has cost local businesses a lot of money.”
Craig’s wife Judith, manager of the Chest, Heart and Stroke shop gave a statement on behalf of staff, saying:
“The Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland Davidson’s Mains shop was sadly affected by flooding on Main Street, resulting in the shop having to close from Wednesday 23 September.
“We are currently assessing the extent of the damage and whether any repairs will be required.
“While it is disappointing to have to close our doors, we are hopeful the closure will only be temporary.
“We know how much the shop is valued by our customers, volunteers and the wider community, and we’re hugely grateful for everyone’s kindness, understanding and continued support.
“We hope to welcome you back through our doors very soon.”
Edinburgh Council Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said:
“I’m sorry to hear about the flood damage suffered by businesses in Davidson’s Mains, which has forced two to close temporarily.
“I appreciate how disruptive this is for the owners and their staff.
“Council teams cleaned the road gullies and jetted their connecting pipes yesterday afternoon.
“We are now arranging for the wider drainage network to be surveyed and cleaned to check for a potential blockage.”
