Refined placemaking plans to enhance the Roseburn area will go on display next week following extensive engagement with the local community.
The ‘Rejuvenating Roseburn’ project aims to make a range of public realm improvements along a section of the City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL), a major new cycle route which will connect the Roseburn path to Leith Walk via the city centre.
A public consultation on the completed designs launches on Tuesday (2 April), with two drop-in sessions being held on-site at the Old Coltbridge from 1pm to 6pm on 2 and 30 April, where people can speak to the project team and find out more about proposals. Designs are also available online for comment.
These include improved footway surfaces, play features integrated into the streetscape, a viewing platform over the Water of Leith and more greenery, and have been developed in response to suggestions from local people.
Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Macinnes, said: “We have been working closely with the community since the inception of the ‘Rejuvenating Roseburn’ project to make sure proposals reflect the needs and interests of local people, so it’s exciting to see designs come to life.
“These kinds of public realm improvements are integral to our pioneering CCWEL project, which intends to significantly boost walking and cycling along the route by providing a largely protected cycleway from Leith Walk to Roseburn, as well as enhancing the pedestrian environment along the way.”
John Yellowlees, chairman of Murrayfield Community Council, said: “Murrayfield Community Council are pleased to see this continuing progress in accordance with our long-term aim of improving the local environment, and hope that there will be a good response to this latest consultation by residents and businesses.”
The family-friendly City Centre West to East Cycle Link and Street Improvements Project was approved in December 2016 and aims to install a largely protected cycle way to and through the city centre, providing a crucial link from existing QuietRoutes in north and west Edinburgh to Leith Walk.
The scheme intends to encourage more commuters to choose to travel into the city by bike or on foot instead of by car, reducing congestion and contributing to improved air quality while boosting healthy, active travel.
The Council has been working in partnership with Murrayfield Community Council since 2017 to develop proposals, engaging with community members, including local school pupils, to source ideas for initial designs for improving public realm in the area.
Detailed plans, which focus on four themes – Heritage, Nature, Community and Recreation – were subsequently created following a period of public consultation in spring 2018.
Statutory processes for Section 1 of the CCWEL (Roseburn to Haymarket) are currently underway, with a final report expected to be delivered to Transport and Environment Committee in autumn, subject to the outcome of a public hearing. If approved it is intended that construction on this section, including Rejuvenating Roseburn, will begin early next year. During the construction period the Council will provide a package of support to help promote local businesses.
The Traffic Regulation and Redetermination Orders for Section 2 (Haymarket to Randolph Place) are due to commence in the coming weeks, when plans for this section will be made public.
Find out more about the project online.
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