Category: Leith

Connecting Communites: Council partners with community councils to seek views on regenerating Seafield

A six-week consultation is asking residents, businesses and other interested groups how they think Seafield could be transformed and regenerated into a vibrant new 20-minute neighbourhood.

The consultation is being run by the City of Edinburgh Council and Seafield: Connecting Coastal Communities*.

The local community is being invited to attend two events where they can give their views in person. Those attending will be asked what they like best about the area just now, what kind of housing they would like built there in the future and how the existing promenade could be improved.

The consultation is also seeking to get views from the local community on what other facilities they would like in the area such as health centres, schools and shops as well as how public transport could be improved. 

There is an online consultation survey for those who are unable to attend the following events – 

Thursday, 27 April between 3pm – 8pm at The Ripple Project Cafe, 198 Restalrig Road South, Craigentinny. 

Saturday, 29 April Between 12:30pm – 3:30pm Bellfield (Celebration Foyer) 16B Bellfield Street, Portobello.

Cllr James Dalgleish Planning Convener said: “This part of our precious coast in Edinburgh has been highlighted as an area which can be greatly improved and regenerated in our draft City Plan 2030, currently with Scottish Ministers for approval. 

“We’re at an early stage looking at how we can use sustainable 20-minute neighbourhood principles at Seafield, a new way of thinking for us in Edinburgh. We want to make Seafield more sustainable, with improved access to quality services.

“This is the start of a conversation with the local community to empower them to help us to make this happen. A 20-minute neighbourhood in Edinburgh is about living well locally, giving residents the ability to meet most of their daily needs by walking, cycling, wheeling or taking public transport. Residents will be able to live, shop, work and travel more easily and enjoy well-connected spaces with and improved greener public transport. 

“I’d encourage everyone with a link to Seafield to come along and tell us how what kind of homes and other facilities they would like to see built at Seafield for future generations to come. If you can’t make the events please do fill out our short survey as it’s really important we hear from as many people as possible about this important regeneration project for the city.

“The next stage is for the Council to share a draft vision for feedback before consulting on a draft masterplan for Seafield this summer. This will then be presented to the Council’s Planning Committee for approval.”

*Seafield: Connecting Coastal Communities is a group made up of the following community councils:

  • Craigentinny and Meadowbank
  • Portobello
  • Leith Links
  • Leith Harbour & Newhaven

Leith Community Hub gets £8,000 energy-saving makeover

Innovative Scottish product brings modern solution to heritage building

DELIGHTED staff and users at a popular community centre have seen the historic-but-draughty building transformed, thanks to an innovative Scottish firm.

Duncan Place in Leith provides a host of activities, classes and shared workspaces, but managers were vexed by the skyrocketing costs of heating the B-Listed building, which was formerly part of Leith Academy.

Now the vital community and enterprise hub has been transformed thanks to an ingenious product invented by a former banker who was determined to develop an affordable solution for upgrading single-glazing windows.

A team from Gecko Glazing in Edinburgh have installed 63 Gecko Panes –  clever secondary glazing panels – in the building, instantly making it cheaper to heat while also reducing both condensation and noise.

Nicola Lamberton, Development Manager at Duncan Place, told how the charity faced significant costs to refurbish the existing, heritage windows, because of strict planning regulations – until they discovered Gecko Glazing.

She added: “Getting the windows removed and restored was never going to be a viable option for us. Duncan Place Community Hub is a charity and it would not have been possible financially.

“We would also have needed permission to put up scaffolding for months and would have been left without any windows while they were being refurbished, which would have added the problem rather than helping.

“Gecko Glazing was a fantastic and cost-effective option, allowing secondary glazing to be installed without obstructing the existing windows – you can barely notice they are there.

“The process was quick and simple with virtually no disruption and Gecko Glazing were a brilliant firm to deal with, making it a seamless process. “

Easy-to-install Gecko Panes cut window heat loss by up to 50%, helping customers to dramatically reduce both bills and their carbon footprint. They are a fraction of the price of double glazing, while delivering 80% of the efficiencies.

Originally designed for use in homes, custom-sized Gecko Panes can be fitted with minimal disruption. Unlike costlier alternative solutions, such as sliding aluminium frames or magnetic inserts, they do not prevent windows from opening or interfere with shutters.

Gecko Glazing is the brainchild of former banker, Gareth Claase who gave up his financial career to pursue his passion for finding an effective and environmentally friendly solution to upgrading single-glazed windows.

Gareth, a dad of two, said: “Scotland is full of listed buildings like Duncan Place, where the owners or tenants struggle to keep the buildings warm because of old windows that haemorrhage heat.

“The cost of living crisis on top of the climate emergency has now made that situation untenable because of both the financial and environmental toll. People need simple, affordable solutions and that’s what I was determined to develop. It is brilliant to see that our panes have been such a fantastic help for the team at Duncan Place.”

Since being launched In October 2021, Gecko Glazing has been widely praised in the booming retrofit sustainability sector. Unlike other methods of retrofit glazing, the Gecko Panes can be installed in minutes and cause no damage to existing windows or frames, making them ideal for tenants, owners and landlords of listed buildings.

Gareth added: “We’ve already proven how effective Gecko Panes are in people’s homes, but projects like Duncan Place show there is also huge potential in commercial properties. There are many museums, schools, hospitals and other community buildings across Scotland which could benefit in the same way.”

Duncan Place was owned by the City of Edinburgh Council, which closed it in 2014 and earmarked it for possible demolition. However, a vigorous community campaign was launched to save the building. It secured £1.2m of regeneration funding and it was handed over the Duncan Place charity and reopened as a community hub in 2020.

Now the thriving centre offers a host of groups, classes and activities from yoga and art to Tai Chi and children’s Lego sessions.

Manager Nicola Lamberton added: “People are really noticing the difference in temperature since we got Gecko Glazing installed. The transformation has been brilliant.”

For more information about Gecko Glazing, visit: https://geckoglazing.co.uk/

Missile warning ahead of today’s Edinburgh derby

Two men, aged 24 and 19, have been arrested and charged in connection with items thrown during a match between Hibernian and Heart of Midlothian in January.

The items were thrown during a match at Easter Road Stadium on Saturday, 22 January.

The men were arrested on Thursday (13 April) and are expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.

Chief Inspector Murray Tait, policing lead for today’s Edinburgh derby, said: “We take reports of missile throwing at matches very seriously and we work with clubs to identify anyone involved.

“The consequences of being struck by an item thrown from a stand can be severe and such behaviour will not be tolerated by our football clubs or Police Scotland.”

This weekend: Last chance to see Glacial Narratives – Cracks in the Ice

Glacial Narratives: Cracks in the Ice is on until Sunday (16 April) at Custom House in Leith (entry on the wharf side) from 11am until 6pm, as part of the Edinburgh Science Festival.

Glacial Narratives: Cracks in the Ice is an innovative and experimental multi-artform exhibition about ice from four artists who have spent considerable time in Arctic environments, and have developed a complementary series of artworks inspired by their experiences. These works will not only raise awareness of the wonder of ice as a material, but will also ask questions about its disappearance. The artists are:

Adam Sebire (https://www.adamsebire.info) – film-maker and video artist

Elizabeth Bourne (https://www.philotera.com/about/) – painter and photographer

Martin Disley (https://martindisley.co.uk) – sound artist, researcher and developer

Mary Walters (https://www.mary-walters.com) – print-maker, multimedia artist and producer of the exhibition

It has been funded by Creative Scotland’s Open Fund, and supported by Tinderbox Collective, University of Edinburgh Department of Geosciences,  Scottish Historic Buildings Trust and the University of Svalbard in Norway.

Historic tram cable wheels to be returned to original Leith site

A large pair of Victorian-era tram cable wheels discovered on the historic boundary between Leith and Edinburgh are to go on permanent public display.

The wheels, dated to 1898, are each 2.6m in diameter and were used in the underground cable-winding mechanism for Edinburgh’s original cable operated tram network. 

They were rediscovered at the Pilrig Street junction with Leith Walk in August 2021 during Trams to Newhaven excavations.

Work will now begin to install the wheels on the opposite side of Leith Walk, at its junction with Iona Street, which has been closed to traffic at its west end. As part of improvements to the newly pedestrianised area, the Trams to Newhaven team will also add benches, planters and an information board.

The wheels’ location was chosen in consultation with the local community and their placement side by side will reflect their arrangement when in use up until the early 1920s, when Edinburgh and District Tramways Company introduced an electric system.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “The presence of trams in Leith is part of its heritage, so it’s fantastic that we’ll be able to return these historic wheels to their home, for the community to enjoy and learn about.

“As we approach the completion of Trams to Newhaven, it’s touches like these that demonstrate that, as well as delivering a sustainable, high-capacity transport link between the city centre and the north, the project is transforming spaces along the route.”

John Lawson, City of Edinburgh Council Archaeologist, said: “I’m really excited that we’ll be able to showcase the Pilrig wheels close to their original location.

“Celebrating our archaeological heritage with the public is an important part of the project. The wheels are a unique part of Leith’s and Edinburgh’s heritage and provide a fascinating link between the old and new tram systems.”

Created in 1905, Leith Corporation Tramways pioneered electric trams, prior to Edinburgh switching from a cable-operated tram system.

During this time passengers travelling between Edinburgh and Leith would have to alight a cable-operated tram and board an electrified tram at the Edinburgh-Leith border. This became known locally as the ‘Pilrig Muddle’ and lasted nearly 20 years.”

Work on the improvements at Iona Street, including the installation of the wheels, will begin today (Tuesday, 11 April) and is expected to be complete in the next few months.

The Trams to Newhaven project remains on schedule for completion by spring 2023 and within the £207.3m budget, with all major construction now finished. A specific date for when the route will be open for passengers will be announced in due course.

As part of the commissioning process every aspect of the new infrastructure is currently being thoroughly tested to ensure it meets the required safety standards.

Find out more about Trams to Newhaven.

Public comes out in force to attend Emergency Services Open Day

LAST Saturday (25 March), 25 different organisations and hundreds of staff arrived bright & early at the Scottish Government Building, Victoria Quay, for our Emergency Services Open Day.

The day’s focus was to bring the community together with our emergency & other public services, as well as local charities and partner agencies, to acknowledge the vital role that we all play in community cohesion.

Some partners started early with Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team & Border Search and Rescue Unit travelling from the Scottish Borders. The Ministry of Defence Police came from HM Naval Base Clyde.

We had a #CHASHospice Stormtrooper & Spiderman entertaining us throughout the day. Lothian Buses brought a bus popular with big and little kids alike! Close contenders for the most popular attraction were the fire engines provided by the fire service & International Fire & Rescue Association.

Local charities on site included St Columba’s Hospice Care, Macmillan Cancer Support, St Andrew’s First Aid, British Red Cross, Scottish Charity Air Ambulance & Blood Bikes Scotland. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency had an impressive display of rescue kit.

Specialist police units included Police Scotland’s Operational Support Unit, Armed Policing, Police Partnerships, Wildlife Crime & British Transport Police – Scotland. The Civil Nuclear Constabulary came from Torness Power Station.

Local units from The Army in Scotland & 603 (City of Edinburgh) RAF Squadron supported our event. They provided everything from an ambulance through to a large army lorry.

Rapid Relief Team UK served an incredible 2000 free delicious meals and hot drinks during the event to both event staff and visitors.

In total, we welcomed close to 4000 people through the gates of our event.

A big thank you to our sponsors who helped make this event happen: The Scottish Government, Places for People Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Scottish Ambulance Service & The City of Edinburgh Council

Constituents meet Deidre Brock MP at Warm This Winter mass lobby

‘I felt that Deidre was listening to us and shared our concerns’

Edinburgh North and Leith constituents met with their MP Deidre Brock at Stockbridge Library as part of the nationwide Warm This Winter mass lobby yesterday.

Four constituents spoke to Deidre Brock MP during her surgery hours, and other locals and volunteers from Greenpeace Edinburgh came along to support the campaign for Government-funded insulation, investment in renewable energy and further assistance for vulnerable households during the cost of living crisis.

Volunteers also delivered messages written to Deidre Brock by her constituents over the past few weeks. This event was one of more than 80 taking place across the UK this spring [1]. 

Ian, a constituent from Leith said:  ‘People from Edinburgh North and Leith met Deidre Brock MP in Stockbridge on Friday and shared the messages we’ve collected from other local people about how they are experiencing the cost of living crisis and that they want solutions such as home insulation.

“I felt that Deidre was listening to us and shared our concerns. I voiced my exacerbation at the UK’s woeful record on insulating households – and she was very much in agreement. Deidre also provided helpful advice on an individual basis as to where we could go to access more support to deal with high fuel costs and insulate our leaky properties. 

‘We’re really pleased that, at the meeting, Deidre Brock MP pledged to call for the expansion of Government-funded home insulation schemes, heat pump installation, more investment in renewable energy, and further support for vulnerable households with their energy bills.

“We look forward to hearing from her soon about how they’re pushing for the Energy Bill to work for the constituents of Edinburgh North and Leith and make our homes warmer and bills cheaper.’ [2] 

The recent Spring Statement failed to commit any new money to keep homes warm, and the Government’s promised ‘Green Day’ [3] (30th March) turned into yet another failure on climate action.

Greenpeace Edinburgh volunteers are calling for £5.3bn in new cash for home insulation, £14bn of emergency support for households struggling with bills, and £3.3bn to roll out cheap, clean heating in our homes to get the UK off gas once and for all.

We also need to triple renewable energy by 2030, and stop new oil and gas extraction. The Energy Bill is the next opportunity to legislate for these measures and build a secure energy future, with cheaper bills and warmer, greener homes.  

  1. Map showing events organised in constituencies for the Warm This Winter mass lobby. 
  2. List of MPs who have pledged. 
  3. Read Greenpeace’s full ‘Green Day/ Energy Security Day briefing here. 

Big Book Sale and Family Fun Day at McDonald Road Library on Saturday

JOIN McDonald Road Library this Saturday 1 April 2023 for their Big #BookSale and Family Fun Day!

There’ll be #Bookbug sessions, an extended Lego Club, a sensory storytelling for toddlers and their grown-ups from Once Upon A Raindrop, competitions, crafts and more!

Oh, oh: Council to launch ‘Leith Connections’ active travel project

MORE DISRUPTION FOR BELEAGUERED LEITH BUSINESSES?

Work will soon begin on a scheme to create safer, more welcoming places to walk, wheel, cycle and spend time in Leith, the city council has announced.

The first phase of Leith Connections will introduce measures to limit through traffic and enhance streets for pedestrians and people cycling in areas around Constitution Street, Leith Links and the Shore.

Construction will begin in the week commencing 10 April and is expected to last until late June. Amongst the changes are improved pedestrian crossings, planting and seating in newly created pedestrian spaces, community-inspired artwork and pavement decluttering.

This is alongside new traffic layouts in several of the streets to prioritise people travelling by foot, wheel or bike. These include the closure of Sandport Place Bridge to motor traffic, bus gates at the Shore and Links Place and modal filters to prevent through traffic in some areas.

All residential and business properties will still be accessible by motor vehicle, while blue badge parking will be unaffected. Full details are available on the Leith Connections website.

Leith Connections designs draw from two years of engagement with the community and local stakeholders, encompassing online co-design workshops, public drop-in sessions and focused meetings. Some of the measures, those to the east of the Shore, will be implemented on a trial basis under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO).

The project is being funded through Places for Everyone, an active travel infrastructure programme funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Sustrans.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “Leith Connections is a really exciting opportunity to create safer, more welcoming spaces to walk, wheel and cycle in Leith, as well as for spending time with friends or visiting local businesses.

“These changes have drawn on feedback from the community, as well as the Council’s own monitoring. They will also provide better connections to popular walking and cycling routes nearby, like the north Edinburgh path network and the Water of Leith walkway and soon, protected cycle lanes on Leith Walk, delivered as part of the Trams to Newhaven project.

“The team has drawn up a robust monitoring and evaluation plan so that once it’s in place, they can understand the benefits and impacts of Leith Connections. I look forward to hearing what the community thinks too, as part of the ETRO process. I shall be watching this installation closely as I am keen to see more schemes like this in Edinburgh.

Michael Melton, Grant Manager at Sustrans, said: “We are pleased to be working with City of Edinburgh Council to make Leith a safer and more accessible place to walk, wheel, cycle and spend time. The Leith Connections project has been shaped by the local community, with changes including new traffic layouts, improved pedestrian crossings and community-inspired artwork.

Officers will closely monitor the impact of the project through automatic traffic counts, air quality monitoring, market research and focus groups. Information gathered will feed into recommendations for the future of the project.

Further phases of Leith Connections will deliver protected cycle lanes running from the Foot of the Walk to Ocean Terminal (delivered in parallel to the Trams to Newhaven project) and from the Hawthornvale path to Seafield.

These plans are still under development and will include additional improvements to the public spaces in the area.

Find out more about Leith Connections.

Greenpeace: Government can still do more to tackle soaring energy bills

New data reveals that Edinburgh North and Leith residents would be able to save an estimated average of £1,294 through Government-funded home insulation and heat pump installation 

On weekends throughout February and March, Greenpeace Edinburgh spoke to people in Edinburgh about their energy bills, and the solutions to the cost of living and climate crisis.

Residents wrote eight messages to Deirdre Brock, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, about their worries. These messages will be delivered next week, as part of the Warm This Winter mass lobby.

Local people also used the Affordable Energy Calculator [1] to see how much money they would save on their energy bills if our homes were well insulated and had cheaper, cleaner energy.  

Carrie from Newhaven wrote: ‘Help to combat energy costs has helped but costs are still too high. Funding for new home-owners to help insulate windows is needed.’  

Mark, a resident in North Edinburgh, wrote: ‘It would be great to see someone in the government stand up for lower energy bills and preparing homes for becoming sustainable and economical to maintain.’ 

Another local, Ros, wrote: ‘We need to prioritise those who need help during this time and make the cost of living crisis a lot more manageable than it currently is.’ 

Ian, a volunteer from Leith said: ‘The messages that people in Edinburgh North and Leith have written to Deirdre Brock MP show how people are still having to choose between heating and eating. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way. We need the Government to commit more money for home insulation and heat pumps to make our homes warmer, our bills cheaper and our carbon emissions lower.’  

Keeping the Energy Price Guarantee at £2,500 per month rather than raising it to £3000 is welcome but 7.5 million households in the UK will continue to be in fuel poverty from 1st April. If the Government makes the investment necessary to meet their currently unfunded 2030 targets for insulation, and support a UK heat pump programme, a typical UK home would see a difference of £1,832 a year, with savings ranging from around six hundred to several thousand pounds.  

Data from the Affordable Energy Calculator shows that people in Edinburgh North and Leith could save an estimated average of £1,294 on their energy bills by 2030.  

Hugh who lives in this constituency said: “‘I live in a rented flat in Leith and I was amazed to see that I would save £1,083 on my energy bill in 2030 if my home was properly insulated and was powered by a heat pump.

“I’d definitely recommend checking out the Affordable Energy Calculator to see how much you could save if the Government funded a UK-wide home insulation and heat pump programme.’  

Ian added: “On 31st March, Greenpeace volunteers and other constituents have invited Deirdre Brock to meet as part of the Warm This Winter Coalition’s mass lobby.

“We are asking Deirdre Brock to pledge to call for the expansion of Government-funded home insulation schemes, heat pump installation, more investment in renewable energy, and further support for vulnerable households with their energy bills.

“If you live in Edinburgh North and Leith, we’d love for you to join us in inviting Deirdre Brock to meet, or if you live elsewhere, check out the online map [below] to see if a meeting has already been organised with your MP.” 

  1. List of MPs who have pledged 
  2. Map showing events organised in constituencies for the Warm This Winter mass lobby