Category: Newhaven

Hallelujah! Key section of Leith Walk to reopen on Monday

BUT TRAFFIC CHAOS IS FAR FROM OVER

Leith Walk will reopen to two-way traffic between Pilrig Street and London Road from Monday (18 July), marking a key milestone for the Trams to Newhaven project.

The main construction works between Montgomery Street/Annandale Street and Pilrig Street are now complete and fencing will be removed from outside businesses and homes.

The project remains on schedule for completion by spring 2023 and within the £207.3m budget, with all major construction anticipated to be complete by the end of 2022 ahead of a testing and commissioning period.

Progress to date includes:

  • Almost 3,900 metres of track laid, 84% of the total
  • Main construction works completed on three out of the eight new tram stops with works progressing well at the Balfour Street, Foot of the Walk and Newhaven stops
  • Over 4,000 metres of communications ducting installed (87% of the total) serving the tram and future communication requirements in the area
  • More than 4,000 metres of drainage installed (89% of the total)
  • Over 60,000 deliveries from the logistic hubs to local businesses
  • Almost 24,500 itison vouchers sold, generating over £240,000 potential spend in participating businesses on the route.
  • Over £175,000 spend on open for business campaigns
  • Main construction works complete on several sections, including Ocean Terminal to Rennie’s Isle and between Tower Street and Constitution Place and Tower Street and Baltic Street

However, the programme for some specific sections of the route has changed due to industry wide challenges with the availability of materials and skilled labour, as well as other issues including complex utility conflicts.

As a result, some stretches are scheduled to take longer than originally planned, including Melrose Drive and outside Ocean Terminal. Full details of the updated programme are available on the Trams to Newhaven website.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “It’s great news that this key section of Leith Walk will soon reopen and will start its transition to becoming a vibrant multi-modal transport corridor.

“Not only does it mark a major milestone for the Trams to Newhaven project but I’m sure it will be most welcome to businesses and residents along this part of the route. I’d like to thank all those living and working nearby for their patience throughout the programme of work.

“As the project nears completion, the progress made so far is clear to see. Once finished, it will be transformative for the area and beyond. As well as delivering a low-carbon, high capacity and clean mode of transport to this densely populated part of Edinburgh, it will create improved public spaces, active travel links and support future growth and development.

“I do of course recognise that changes to the programme, which are down to issues outwith our control, are likely to affect people and we’ll be working hard to share the latest information and will continue to look at ways in which we can mitigate against some of these delays. To ensure residents are kept safe, I have also asked that parking restrictions are robustly enforced along the route.

“I’d like to thank the Trams to Newhaven project team for all their hard work. Despite the pandemic and global logistics problems, the project is on track to welcome its first passengers in spring 2023 and will be delivered within budget.”

Maria Ortega, SFN Project Director on Edinburgh Trams York Place to Newhaven, said: “We continue to make excellent progress on this project on behalf of our client The City of Edinburgh Council and we are delighted to be reopening this key section of Leith Walk to two-way traffic.

“As contractors we are working hard to ensure that continued progress is made throughout the remaining section of works. Despite the challenges of the pandemic and industry wide issues, we are proud of the progress we have made by working successfully alongside our partners, supply chain and client.

“We look forward to this line being operational in spring 2023.”

Steve Jackson, Project Director, Turner & Townsend said: “As a project we have experienced numerous challenges, as well as industry wide issues, however collaborative working has played a key role to ensure that we have remained on track throughout the life cycle of the project.

“As we enter the final phase of construction works to deliver the Edinburgh Trams to Newhaven line, achievements such as this begin to bring the project together in real life and allow people to see the positive transformational impact this system will have for them.

“I would like to thank all project partners for their efforts to date and we look forward to making continued progress across the route.”

As part of the changes, there is no waiting or stopping between Pilrig Street and Annandale Street, though there is designated loading and parking provision on both the east and west side of Leith Walk.

Logistics hubs to support businesses on Albert Street and Montgomery Street with deliveries and dispatches will also remain on this section of Leith Walk.

MEANWHILE, there’s still no sign of the report into the Edinburgh Trams fiasco. Lord Hardie’s inquiry was set up in 2014 to establish why the Edinburgh Tram project incurred massive delays, cost massively more than originally budgeted and through reductions in scope delivered not a network but a single line, significantly less than promised.

Find out more about Trams to Newhaven, including landscape plans and timelines, online. Further information on bus diversions and timetables is available on the Lothian Buses website.

Heart of Newhaven June Newsletter

Welcome to your June Newsletter

First of all, we hope you enjoyed the Picnic in the Park on Sunday 19th June in collaboration with the Friends of Victoria Park and the Victoria Park Allotment Holders. There seemed to be hundreds of people there, all having a great time. We hope you caught up with some old friends and made some new ones.

Next in the calendar will be our second Annual General Meeting. This will be held on Saturday 2nd July and members will be receiving their own invitation to attend in person this year, now that Covid restrictions have been relaxed. There will be more details in the members’ invitations.

If you think you are already a member, but have not received the AGM invitation by email in the last few days, please do get in touch with us to check your membership status by emailing admin@heartofnewhaven.co.uk .

Just a reminder that receiving this newsletter does not necessarily mean that you are a member. You might just have signed up to receive the newsletter but not joined as a member.

Check out our website for membership conditions, which are purely geographical. If you live in our area of benefit (there’s a map on the website) then you can become a full member with voting rights.

If you live outside the area then you can still become an associate member but will not be able to vote at the AGM.

Joining is free. If you haven’t joined and wish to, then you can find the form under JOIN on the website.

The Trustees look forward to meeting members in person, many of them for the first time, and discussing our exciting plans for the future.

We would also like to use this newsletter to introduce you to a new member of our team. Bryan McCarthy joins us as our new Volunteer Coordinator.

One of our trustees, Christine McDerment has been on the other end of the volunteering email address up until now, but Bryan has stepped up and answered the call for some help.

Bryan is originally from Cork, Ireland, but moved to Edinburgh five years ago and has been living in Leith while working in criminal justice with Edinburgh City Council. “I have always enjoyed volunteering in my spare time and am excited to put my energy into coordinating the volunteering activities of Heart of Newhaven,” he says.

Now, a reminder: we are looking for volunteers to get involved in reminiscence training.

Sharing family stories is therapeutic and instructive, not to mention enjoyable. If you’re interested in helping to record people’s stories and memories, to then share with the community, then please get in touch. We have secured funding for this, so the training would be free for the participants.

Contact: judy.crabb@heartofnewhaven.co.uk

or Christine.mcderment@heartofnewhaven.co.uk

Remember to check the website regularly for blogs.

The month of May saw a visit to the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther, with whom we hope to collaborate on exhibitions and events in the future. As well as their regular collection they also offer temporary exhibitions and the current one runs until 19th June.

You can find the blogs, including Culture & Heritage and View From The Chair, under BLOGS on the website.

Jubilee Parade of Sail at Wardie Bay

Don’t miss out on this major Royal Forth Yacht Club event this weekend … the Platinum Jubilee Parade of Sail 👑

On the afternoon of Saturday 4th June, Wardie Bay will be filled with the Royal Forth armada of boats. To those members who haven’t signed up so far, don’t miss out on this unique occasion. To all our neighbours, do join in for what will be a fun afternoon both on the water and shore side.

RFYC seeks to create a colourful spectacle, inviting all boat owners to sail a short downwind course across Wardie Bay flying either a spinnaker or goose winged. For motor boats, the flying of flags is encouraged.

Depending on the wind direction, it involves sailing a short course from near the mouth of the harbour to Newhaven or the opposite direction.

We start from 2.30pm, when the launch commences, and the Parade begins at 4.00pm.

Throughout, within the club, our new BBQ will be fired up and the bar will be open. So, whether taking part or spectating, don’t miss out! We will be capturing the event with drone footage.

Every boat taking part will be entered into a Jubilee prize draw with a chance to win a sought after prize!

Follow the link below for more event info and it would be helpful if members could register your boat to take part:

https://www.royalforth.org/…/platinum-jubilee-parade-of…

#PlatinumJubilee

#HM70Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Make the Heart a Home: Heart of Newhaven launches crowdfunder

We’re moving in: help us make The Heart a home

Help us create a vibrant, welcoming, inclusive centre at the Heart of Newhaven, Edinburgh. We have the funds to buy the site, and the City of Edinburgh Council has agreed to sell it to us, and we will have the keys soon but we need your help to make the vision a reality.

The former Victoria Primary School site IS going to be the Heart of Newhaven Community. The Heart of Newhaven (HoN) will be a brand new intergenerational centre for the whole community to enjoy. The Scottish Land Fund (SLF) has awarded us £792,000 and we were given permission to purchase the site. Victoria Primary School has moved to a new building on a different site and we will be taking over the building SOON.

We will have the building soon but now we need YOUR help to refurbish, furnish and heat it and get it properly up and running, while we build sustainable fundraising and other income.

There is more information about how you can donate here: 

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/moving-in-2022. 

We are also looking for volunteers for people to help clear up so we can get ready to turn The Heart into a community hub. 

If you can help with the crowdfunder, clearing up the site or would like to get involved in other ways, there is information on the website: 

www.heartofnewhaven.co.uk

We need your support. Thank you for any help you can provide!

Best wishes,

CROWDFUNDER

Trams to Newhaven project ‘on track’

The majority of track has been laid to take the tram to Newhaven as the scheme enters the final phase of construction works.

More than 3km of track – 70% of the total to be laid – is now in the ground as part of the Trams to Newhaven project, which remains on schedule to begin revenue services in spring 2023, delivered within the £207.3m budget.

The main construction work on three of the eight new tram stops is also complete, while over 3km of drainage (66% of the total) and almost 4km of communications ducting (82% of the total) serving the tram and wider area has been installed.

Construction is ‘largely finished’ on several key sections of the route, other than some localised works, including Constitution Street, between Constitution Place and Queen Charlotte Street, and Ocean Terminal to Rennie’s Isle.

Next week, operational tram stops on Princes Street and St Andrew Square will reopen following their temporary closure. These were closed to allow for the removal of the York Place tram stop and installation of new infrastructure there connecting the existing line to the new one.

As we enter the final year of major civil work ahead of testing and commissioning this winter, a review of the specific completion dates for remaining sections has been carried out.

This has resulted in some changes affecting certain sections due to various unavoidable factors such as complex utilities diversions, archaeological finds and an industry wide shortage of materials, though this is not expected to affect the final completion date.

Full details of the updated programme are available on the Trams to Newhaven website.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “It’s clear that the Trams to Newhaven project is well on its way to completion, as these figures show, and before long we’ll be testing trams on the streets of Leith.

“Next week, we’ll also see the return of the existing service to the city centre, which I’m sure will be great news for many.

“Of course, while this project will bring significant benefits to the area, we know that its construction has impacted all those who live and work nearby, and I’d like to thank them for their patience during the last two years.

“As we enter the final year of work to deliver the tram line, we’ve had to make some changes to the programme due to issues outwith our control.

“I want to assure communities along the route that we’re doing everything we can to mitigate the impacts of this, and that we’re still on track to begin providing the service by spring next year.”

Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “This project will be transformative for the north of the city and it’s really exciting to see it take shape already.

“Once complete, it will play a key role in the future growth and development of the city. Delivering the tram line to Leith will unlock a large area of the city for housing and economic development, while providing a low-carbon, clean mode of transport to densely populated communities.”

The project team is working to mitigate the impact of changes to the programme, ensuring the scheduled spring completion date is met.

Based on lessons from the first tram line, and best practice from other major European construction projects, Trams to Newhaven focuses on large work sites, providing the flexibility to continue construction elsewhere on-site if issues are encountered.

In the coming months, localised works will continue on completed sections to resolve defects, carry out landscaping, install equipment to support the new tram line including tram communication systems, complete tram stop fit-outs and install overhead line equipment, street lighting and traffic signalling.

Since 2019 the project has provided significant support to businesses through its £2.4m Support for Business initiative. As part of this more than £100k has been spent on an ‘Open for Business’ campaign, 60k deliveries have gone through dedicated logistics hubs and 140 applications have been made to the business continuity fund. In addition, the extremely popular itison scheme has seen over 20k vouchers sold, generating £200k spend in participating businesses.

Additional milestones:

  • 90% of utility diversions complete
  • Substation at Melrose Drive complete and fit-out ongoing
    Lindsay Road retaining walls complete
  • All track crossovers, which allow the tram to turn back on itself, installed
    Constitution Street wall rebuilt following archaeological excavations
  • Archaeological excavations on Constitution Street complete, which saw more than 360 bodies exhumed, dating from between 1300 and 1650, as well as finding the apparent remnants of the original medieval graveyard wall.

Still no word from the long-running Edinburgh Tram Inquiry into the Edinburgh Tram project.

This inquiry,which was set up in 2015, aims to establish why the original Edinburgh Tram project incurred delays, cost massively more than originally budgeted and through reductions in scope delivered significantly less than oroginally promised.

The costs to taxpayers so far is an eye-watering £12.5 million …

Find out more about Trams to Newhaven online.

Heart of Newhaven March newsletter

Welcome to your March Newsletter.

“When are you opening?” we hear you ask. We can only repeat that the keys are on their way. We are still working towards a handover on 31st March, but legal processes can be lengthy as well as tiresome and frustrating and have to be gone through, whether we like it or not.

Even if the date does slip into April and the next financial year for some reason, we have been assured by the Scottish Land Fund that the allocated funds will be held for us and handed over as soon as the legal requirements are completed.

The Heart will spring to life soon.

Look out for the Heart of Newhaven Community banners which are now on the old school railings!

The City of Edinburgh Council has given us permission to display them on what is technically still its property, as its commitment to the handover process and hopefully the sight will reassure the whole community that plans for our collaborative, intergenerational community services and activities will start as soon as possible.

As we prepare to take over and operate the site, we are pleased to soon welcome three new trustees to the board. Mike Douglas, Emma Hendon and Layla Robinson have already been working hard with our current trustees and volunteers in our various working groups and have much to contribute. Between them, they bring years of experience in the world of business and finance, as well as the care sector and other charity work.

You can read more about them on the About Us page on the website soon.  

Have you visited the Restoration Forth exhibition currently on at the Botanic Gardens until 24th April? The Heart is one of five chosen local community hubs supporting the project and our information board is right at the heart of the exhibition.

On view are many of the wonderful squares that people have created, including Ian Marshall’s vision of Newhaven made with liner pen and watercolours.

We look forward to curating our own exhibitions and science-based projects once we are installed in the Heart.

Next stage for Trams to Newhaven

More traffic disruption inevitable

A new phase of work on the Trams to Newhaven project is set to begin, as the scheme continues to take shape along the route.

Significant progress has been made on several elements of the project, which remains on target for completion in spring 2023 and within the £207.3m budget. More than 60% of track has now been laid (2.8km), 85% of the necessary utility diversions have been carried out and construction work is complete on two new tram stops at McDonald Road and Ocean Terminal.

As part of the next stage of construction the temporary tram stop at York Place, built for the original tram line, will be demolished to allow for the installation of a crossover linking the existing line with the new route.

From 9 February until April the tram from Edinburgh Airport will stop at the West End stop on Shandwick Place. From April, the tram will terminate at St Andrew Square. Details of operational arrangements for this are available on the Edinburgh Trams website.

Construction work on a new, permanent stop at Picardy Place will begin in May. This will come into use when the line to Newhaven opens in 2023.

With construction works on the west side of Leith Walk nearing completion, February will also see changes to traffic management in the area. While traffic will continue to run citybound, from 2 February it will be moved from the east to the west side of the road so that changes to kerb lines, improvements to public realm and the creation of a new carriageway can be carried out on the east side.

This means Pilrig Street and Steads Place can reopen for southbound traffic. There will be some closures to side streets on the east of Leith Walk at certain times, with further details published on the Trams to Newhaven website when these closures are implemented.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We’re entering a significant phase of the Trams to Newhaven project, as we work to link the old line to the new. We are in the final year of construction for the project which will be followed by a period of testing and commissioning ahead of opening for service in Spring 2023.

“With 60% of track laid and main construction on two of the new tram stops completed, we’re making great progress and it’s exciting to be able to see elements of the new line in place, giving us an idea of how the route will look next year.

“Of course, as is expected of major infrastructure projects of this nature, there is bound to be some disruption, and I’d like to thank all those living and working nearby for their patience.

“We’re working hard to mitigate the impacts and will continue liaising with residents, businesses and public transport providers to keep them up to date.”

Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said:  “Delivering the tram line to Newhaven will unlock a large area of the city for housing and economic development, while providing a sustainable, reliable mode of transport to densely populated communities.

“We’re clearly making great strides towards its completion, and we’re making every effort to minimise disruption as part of this process.”

Logistics hubs on Montgomery Street, Albert Street, Dalmeny Street and near the Foot of the Walk will remain open for local businesses as part of the Support for Business package, which also includes a local voucher scheme and a business continuity fund.

As work on a bidirectional cycle lane continues the existing cycle diversion remains in place on either side of Leith Walk. Pedestrian footways and access to shops, hospitality and leisure venues on the east side will be maintained at all times.

The London Road to Crown Street section of the project is estimated to be complete by July 2022, while it is expected that the London Road to York Place section will be finished in September.

EIGHT years on, there’s still no sign of any report from Lord Hardie’s Edinburgh Tram inquiry …

Find out more about Trams to Newhaven online.

Heart of Newhaven’s New Year newsletter

Welcome to your New Year newsletter

It’s a new year and we hope you’re all raring to go. If you’ve made resolutions, we hope you stick to them!

HoNC certainly intends to. We won the right to purchase the building. We’ve been awarded enough funds from the Scottish Land Fund to pay for it. We have a business plan. We have architects. We have lawyers. We have volunteers at the ready.
What we need now are the keys and then it’s all hands on deck.

“So when will that be?” you ask.

Many of you have no doubt seen that the pupils and staff of Victoria Primary School have now moved into their new building and may be wondering when HoNC will be moving in to the old one.

Well the fact is that it probably won’t be until well into March. There are still formalities to be completed and final contracts to be signed, but the HoNC board is on the case and we’re hoping that there will be no hiccups before we can get started on the real work on the ground.

With the onset of Omicron some of our interim projects about which you might have been expecting news, had to be postponed, but they’re waiting in the wings for the right moment to get going again.

We’ll bring you news about them as soon as we have it.

In the meantime, sign up for free membership if you haven’t already done so, which will give you the right to have your say at the next AGM, (if you live in the area of benefit). Or sign up as a volunteer and offer your skills to the community.

Once we have the keys, we will need all sorts of practical help to get the Heart fit for purpose and operating the way the community would like to see.

We’ll need helping hands to clear any old school “rubbish” left behind, more to clean and paint, and repair and all sorts of things, so get ready.

We’ll be calling on you soon!