Muirhouse and Silverknowes will NOT be divided by barriers, the city council’s Transport, Infrastructure and Environment (TIE) committee has decided. The committee agreed to officials’ recommendations that ‘notes and agrees that closure of the access routes should not be supported as this would impact on safe routes to schools.’
In a report into antisocial behaviour in the Silverknowes area prepared for the committee, Services for Communities director Mark Turley concluded: ‘There are widely divergent but strongly held views within the community, split by Council ward, on the best course of action to take. Officer recommendations based on existing policy is that the blocking of access would be unacceptable given the adverse effect on safe routes to school used by a number of children in the area, in addition to the other policy and social concerns. The root cause of this problem is the anti-social behaviour of the individual’s concerned and it is this which requires to be addressed. Such behaviour is unacceptable, regardless of where it occurs.”
Longstanding community activist John Davidson is delighted with the news and he has today spoken to the NEN. Click on the link below to listen to what John said.
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The NEN broke the story last November when these issues were raised with the Council and police and at that time Inspector John Cooper from Lothian and Borders police told us “The main issues are youths passing through Silverknowes to congregate in the Davidson’s Mains area and this has led to a number of minor vandalism’s such as car windows being smashed and cars being scratched.”
Rod Alexander chairperson of the Davidson’s Mains Silverknowes Association is expected to make a statement later today.
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This is absolutely fantastic that the committee seen common sense when deciding on this. I believe this issue has been blown well out of proportion. Rather than a community wanting access closed they should be working together.
I also hope the council do NOT waste money investigating the survey which was put out regarding this issue, I would suggest that the council put the money to better use, like spending it on the community.
Well done to the NEN for keeping all of us to speed on this matter, hopefully this will finally be the end of this.
Robert Pearson
Sent from my iPad