Lothian MSP Miles Briggs and Edinburgh Councillor Nick Cook have launched a campaign for Edinburgh Council’s SNP/Labour administration to immediately reopen Braid Road.
In May, the Council rushed through the closure of Braid Road under the auspices of Covid-19 emergency powers. They did so without any substantial consultation with residents or local Councillors, leading to strong protest from Cllr Cook.
There may have been a case, during the early phases of lockdown, for a strict time limited closure of Braid Road to aid social distancing. However, it is clear that with many restrictions eased and children back at school, the road needs re-opened immediately to reduce inconvenience for residents and re-route the traffic that the closure has displaced to nearby streets, including outside South Morningside Primary on Comiston Road.
The Edinburgh Conservatives have consistently voiced concerns at the impact of this closure and have led the opposition to the move in the City Chambers.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“It is clear to me from the number of local residents who I have been contacted by that Braid Road needs to be reopened without delay.
“As lockdown restrictions have eased and schools have returned, the level of traffic that these closures have created on Comiston Road is insufferable for commuters.
“Whatever political party you support, please sign now to add your support to this campaign to get Braid Road reopened.”
Edinburgh Councillor, Nick Cook, said:“In contrast to my Morningside ward colleagues who either dithered or waved their lycra aloft in support of the Braid Road closure, I have voiced robust concerns at the Council’s bungled closure of Braid Road from the outset.
“The inconvenience to drivers, coupled with displaced traffic being funnelled outside South Morningside Primary School demands the Council finally listen to the public and reopen Braid Road immediately.”
Silverknowes Golf Club issued the following statement last night:
We found out this morning that a member entered the clubhouse on Saturday morning for a very brief period of time, after having returned from Spain. He did not self isolate and we have been left with no other option but to close the club.
Myself and the staff have santised all of the clubhouse today but as a precautionary measure, we are closing the club for 72 hours. If you were in the clubhouse on Saturday and show signs of Covid please contact us as soon as possible so we may inform the track and trace team.
The club will be open for business on Thursday unless there are any repercussion from this.
Thank you for your understanding in this matter and I hope you appreciate that your safety and the staffs are paramount to us.
Regards
Carol
The Norhet Bar in Davidsons Mains has appealed to any customers who visited Silverknowes Golf Club on Saturday to stay away as a safety precaution.
Meanwhile, life in Aberdeen will begin to get back to something like normal this week ….
Following a SGORR meeting yesterday (Sunday 23 August) the First Minister has set out a timeline for the lifting of travel restrictions, limits on indoor meetings and the opening of hospitality.
A number of restrictions were lifted at midnight tonight so that today (Monday 24 August) Aberdeen will be broadly in line with the rest of Scotland. The five-mile travel limit, restrictions on gatherings and limitations on hospital and care home visits will be lifted.
Businesses due to open in line with the national route map can also reopen, with the exception of cafes, restaurants or any hospitality element within them.
These, along with restaurants, pubs, casinos and other hospitality premises, will be able to open from Wednesday 26 August, only once an environmental health check has been completed.
Hospitality business owners are being urged to get in touch with Aberdeen City Council if they have not already had an environmental health check.
The SGORR meeting included partners from Aberdeen City Council, NHS Grampian and Police Scotland, and heard the latest update from the Incident Management Team on the level of the virus and its transmission in Aberdeen.
The latest figures show a total of 427 cases have been identified in the Grampian Health Board area since 26 July. Of these 259 are associated with the same cluster linked to Aberdeen pubs, and 1,258 contacts have now been identified from those.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am grateful to people in Aberdeen – the local authority and health board, local businesses, and everyone who lives there – for complying so well with the rules that were put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In particular I am grateful for the understanding of the businesses that were required to close in order to help beat the virus.
“It’s due to the commitment of people in the city, as well as world class contact tracing that means we are now able to lift some of these measures from Monday and then again from Wednesday, but it is vitally important that everyone follows the FACTS rules in order to prevent an outbreak of this scale occurring again.
“That way we can move forward and get our economy, our society and our lives generally back to as much normality as possible.”
Susan Webb, Director of Public Health for NHS Grampian said: “We must be cautious to ensure the progress we have made is maintained.
“Crucially, we must all be observing physical distancing from those not in our immediate household; whether at work, meeting socially, in a supermarket or out for exercise and recreation. It is also vitally important that anyone identified as a close contact of a detected case follows the guidance on isolating for 14 days.”
The Scottish Government has not ruled out extending restrictions if necessary to protect public health.
Remember FACTS for a safer Scotland:
F – Face coverings. These should be used in shops and on public transport (buses, trains and taxis) A – Avoid crowded places. C – Clean your hands frequently, using water and soap whenever possible. T – Two metres – observe physical distancing. S – Self-isolate and book a test if you are suffering from COVID-19 symptoms.
PoliceScotland works extremely closely with HM Coastguard to jointly keep people safe on our coastline and beaches.
Ssee some safety tips (below) from our Coastguard colleagues on how to keep safe this summer:
Check the weather forecast & tide times Read local hazard signs Leave inflatables at home – as they can very easily drift out to sea Keep a close eye on your family Have a fully charged mobile phone Have a meeting place if you get separated
Lastly – consider taking a photo of your family or group at the start of your seaside day. Should a family member go missing, you will have an up-to-date photo including an accurate clothing description.
In a coastal emergency, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Her Majesty’s (HM) Coastguard are urging every parent to be aware of the potential dangers of rip currents to be beach safe.
Be beach safe this summer
On Sunday 26 July, seven people, including five teenagers were lucky to be rescued after being caught in a strong, fast moving current in Wales.
And at the start of the month, RNLI lifeguards leapt to the rescue of 12 unsuspecting bathers who were swept off their feet by a rip current into rough seas at a beach in Cornwall.
Last year, RNLI lifeguards dealt with more than 1,500 incidents involving rip currents, saving the lives of 95 people caught in them.
Gareth Morrison, RNLI Head of Water Safety, said: ‘Our coastline is a fantastic place to spend time together as a family but there are also plenty of potential dangers, especially for those who aren’t fully aware of their surroundings.
‘The main one is rip currents which cause most incidents in the water that RNLI lifeguards deal within the UK.’
‘We are seeing a spike in incidents this summer involving these potentially deadly currents, which move even faster than an Olympic swimmer and can quickly drag people into deep water a long way from the shore.
‘It’s important that anybody venturing in or near the sea knows, not just what rip currents are, but how to react if they are caught in one or see someone else in trouble.
‘They are difficult to spot and even the most experienced and strongest swimmers can find themselves caught out so it’s important where possible to use beaches that have lifeguards patrolling on them.’
If you find yourself caught in a rip current, try to remember the following key safety advice:
Don’t try to swim against it, you will quickly get exhausted.
If you can stand, wade don’t swim.
If you can, swim parallel to the shore until free of the rip and then head for shore.
If you can’t swim – FLOAT to live by leaning back in the water, extending your arms and legs, and resisting the urge to thrash around to gain control of your breathing.
Always raise your hand and shout for help.
If you see anyone else in trouble, alert the lifeguards or call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.
Off-duty Aberdovey lifeboat crew member Arwel Jones was one of those who sprang into action on Sunday afternoon after his wife spotted two teenagers struggling in the water.
Together with some lifeguard friends and former lifeboat crew who happened to be wind and kitesurfing, they pulled seven people to safety.
‘They were just so lucky the right people happened to be in the right place at the right time,’ said Arwel. ‘There was even a doctor on the beach by chance, when we got them out of the water.
‘It’s a scary thought but a few seconds here or there and it could have been a very different outcome.’
While rip currents are not the only danger at the coast with tidal cut-offs and inflatables also the cause of many emergency calls, they make up the majority of incidents in the water for RNLI lifeguards and are a major cause of accidental drowning across the world.
The RNLI and Coastguard strongly advise against taking inflatables to the beach and urge people to be aware of the tide times and local hazards to avoid getting into trouble.
Director of HM Coastguard Claire Hughes said: ‘We’ve seen so many times how easy it is to get caught out by the sea.
‘That is why it is important to swim or bodyboard on lifeguarded beaches, stay within your depth, swim parallel to the shore and keep a close eye on friends and family at the beach and in the water.
‘Make sure you are always contactable at the coast by carrying a fully-charged mobile phone and if you get into trouble or see someone else in trouble, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’
A new online platform enables people to share suggestions for creating safer spaces for walking, cycling and wheeling safely in Edinburgh as the current restrictions begin to be lifted – but one local business owner says the city’s plans are ‘a disgrace’.
Mapping tool launched to help people suggest improvements to make active travel easier and safer
£5m funding from Transport Scotland via Sustrans will support changes across the city
Package of measures already underway to help people walk, cycle and wheel as restrictions are lifted
In collaboration with Sustrans, the city council has launched the Commonplace mapping tool, which, throughout June, will allow residents to highlight ‘pinch points’ where emergency measures could help people maintain physical distancing safely on foot, bike or wheelchair.
Earlier this month the city council announced a package of suggested interventions to make it easier and safer for pedestrians and cyclists to move around the Capital.
As well as providing extra space, the proposals recognise a rise in active travel since lockdown began and aim to facilitate this as the phased lifting of lockdown continues. On Wednesday, Edinburgh was granted £5m Transport Scotland Spaces for People funding, administered by Sustrans, to help deliver measures to achieve this.
Over recent weeks the council has received many suggestions for road closures, widened pavements, segregated cycle lanes and other possible actions from across the city.
Now, the public will be able to highlight specific areas on an interactive map and provide feedback on barriers experienced, as well as identifying improvements. This, along with ideas already shared, will help shape council efforts over the coming weeks and months.
Cllr Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We’ve hit the ground running with an extensive programme of measures to help people observe physical distancing while walking, cycling and wheeling, and to support them to continue to do so once restrictions are eased.
“We’ve seen a real increase in cycling and walking since the beginning of lockdown and we want to help this to continue as we return to a sense of normality.
“We’ve already had an incredibly enthusiastic response from residents who also want to see calmer, safer conditions maintained as we return to normal. This new tool is a great opportunity to involve the very people who use our streets to help shape our plans.”
Cllr Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice-Convener, said: “Our transport officers are working extremely hard to implement these changes as quickly as possible, and we’re delighted that the measures already in place have received such a great response from residents.
“We’ve received lots of ideas from across Edinburgh for further interventions, and this tool will help even more people highlight areas for improvement. We’d also like to reassure everyone who has already submitted suggestions to us that there is no need to resend them via this new tool, as we are reviewing all suggestions collectively no matter how they come to us.”
Dave Keane, Infrastructure Manager, Sustrans Scotland, said: “The City of Edinburgh Council has shown great ambition to make it easier for people to get around safely on foot, by bike or wheelchair during Phase 1 and beyond.
“We hope people living in Edinburgh will engage with the Commonplace mapping tool – it’s really simple, clear and easy to give feedback. Most importantly, it will help the council get a clear picture of where temporary interventions are needed most.”
Responses received through the Commonplace platform will be recorded and used to inform plans, though temporary interventions that will have the greatest benefit to public health and can be delivered in a short timeframe will be prioritised. The website will close for comments on 29 June.
A council spokesperson said: “While we welcome every response, we won’t be able to deliver all the improvements suggested, with any work dependent on available funding, procurement of materials and the availability of contractors.
“We’ll soon be sharing information on schemes that have been suggested alongside those that are being progressed on our website.”
A programme of changes is already underway across the city. The latest measures to be implemented include the partial closure of Stanley Street and Hope Lane (between Stanley Street and Christian Grove) and the closure of Warriston Road to through traffic.
The first will provide a low-traffic corridor for people to walk and cycle and access nearby green spaces like Figgate Park while the latter will create a wide pedestrian and cyclist-friendly space leading to access to the North Edinburgh path Network.
The council says existing temporary road closures in Silverknowes, Greenbank, Cammo and Leith have been welcomed by community members, creating welcoming and safe spaces for pedestrians and cyclsts of all ages and abilities – but at least one business owner is furious over ‘bungling council road closures’ (see below).
The Council’s overall approach will be implemented to support the Scottish Government’s phased approach to lifting lockdown.
All measures that are introduced will be closely monitored and refined or adapted in response to any issues, where necessary. The design process for any intervention will consider all road users, particularly people with mobility or visual impairments, and will seek feedback from organisations including RNIB, Edinburgh Access Panel and Living Streets.
At least one less than complimentary suggestion will be winging it’s way to the council. Boardwalk Beach Club, located on Silverknowes foreshore, is furious over a council decision to close local roads and is calling for consistency across the city.
In a statement on Facebook, Boardwalk Beach Club said:
*** COUNCIL BUNGLE WITH MISMANAGED CLOSURES DISCRIMINATING AGAINST DISABLED, ELDERLY, YOUNG FAMILIES, BUS USERS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES ***
“Road of Cramond Glebe Road and Silverknowes Road and closure of Cramond Car Park leave only one road access to Silverknowes and Cramond Beaches via 50 Marine Drive EH4 5es accessible via Silverknowes Parkway/Pennywell Road/Lower Granton Road).
“A disgrace and terrible for businesses and disabled, elderly people and young families in the area. Expect Cramond to have no businesses or services very soon. The village has been dying with less shops and businesses than the 1960’s and this will continue with the loss of Cramond Car Park.
“A total disgrace to businesses who didn’t open during Lockdown to help the community and who are now being hit with a double whammy as this disgraceful council discriminates against Cramond Beach/Silverknowes Beach while Portobello Beach is huge crowded with people and cars with little or no traffic restrictions.
“It doesn’t make sense that elderly, disabled people, young families and others can now not access two major roads leading to the safest, widest, most beautiful Promenade in Edinburgh within the second largest park in Edinburgh and largest coastal park and deny them access to buses within one mile (removing the 29 Lothian Bus from Silverknowes Promenade).
“And removing more than half of the free car parking at a time when Lockdown was lifted and Phase One measures allow people to meet in parks and on beaches in groups of up to eight people when people are travelling by car to congested garden centres and supermarkets.
“Please can The City of Edinburgh Council explain why Cramond Beach and Silverknowes Beach continue to be discriminated against when other beaches are accessible and open?
“Ten years without a bus, three years with no JustEat Hire Bicycles on a 3 mile promenade which is now flooded with people cycling, Noddy small roadside bins which constantly overflow with rubbish, six cycle racks along a 3 mile promenade when 15 were put in outside small shops elsewhere, uncut grass, roads closed in order to cause traffic jams to justify more roads being closed.
“The Council is a disgrace discriminating against elderly, young families and disabled people wanting to enjoy the amazing Cramond Beach and Promenade. Marine Drive is now fully open but disabled people have to search for a place close to the entry and for some this is too much.
“Please reconsider for beach access for all, especially since the 29 Lothian Bus service to Silverknowes Promenade was removed due to your closure of Silverknowes Road.
“It looks like the monies from The Scottish Government will be going DOON THE PAN!
“Edinburgh Council are turning the situation into “Go oot, dinnae go oot”. Why deny access to amazing safe social distancing setting and shoehorn people into tight areas? It makes no sense, especially when people are allowed to cram into small garden centre car parks and rammed supermarket car parks.
“It’s utter nonsense. Let’s make this place awesome. Please contact your Councillors, MP and MSP to make your voice heard. Live the dream.”
Submit suggestions on the Commonplace tool online, by 29 June.
The City of Edinburgh Council is set to introduce emergency measures to help pedestrians and cyclists to travel safely while observing physical distancing guidance.
The council has been working closely with Transport Scotland and Sustrans to develop an approach to re-designating road space. This will benefit from support from a £10m fund to help local authorities introduce temporary active travel solutions, announced by the Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson on Tuesday.
Over the coming weeks Edinburgh will be implementing several changes to help prioritise walking and cycling. Immediate actions will tackle areas highlighted as pinch points for pedestrians and cyclists and will include some road lane closures and the implementation of temporary cycle lanes.
There has been significant, understandable public demand for action to help facilitate safe daily exercise and the movement of essential workers.
In the medium term, as lockdown measures continue and are eventually eased, the council will develop a citywide approach to more significant changes, such as expanded cycle lanes and the creation of bus gates.
Longer term, it is proposed that progress on more permanent schemes under the Active Travel Programme is brought forward.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: The way we move around the city has changed significantly over recent weeks and it’s clear that we need to respond to this.
“We’ve been working closely with the Scottish Government to develop measures to help pedestrians and cyclists travel safely while remaining socially distant, so we’re delighted that Transport Scotland has confirmed funding to support local authorities to meet this challenge.
“Our commitment to encouraging and facilitating safer, more convenient walking and cycling in Edinburgh remains as strong as ever. We want to ensure that our city can support essential journeys and let local people access their local open spaces by creating safe, accessible routes to do so.”
Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “As we plan for the city’s recovery, we must consider ways in which we can help people make daily journeys while limiting the potential impact of coronavirus, and maintaining physical distancing is essential to this.
“We’re going to be making changes around the city over the coming weeks to achieve this, as well as progressing plans to further improve infrastructure as we emerge from the crisis.”
Immediate measures will include the closure of the following roads:
Silverknowes Road (implemented by today – Thursday, 30 April)
Braid Road (implemented by Sunday, 3 May)
Links Gardens (implemented by Sunday, 3 May)
These locations have been identified in close dialogue with relevant Council services and Police Scotland who have expressed concerns in each area.
Further emergency measures are being investigated for implementation in the weeks beginning 4 May and 11 May and these will be communicated as soon as possible.
The council will continue to address other ‘pinch points’ and local issues, making use of Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders where necessary, which allow urgent amendments to be made to road layouts to help create more space for people on foot or bike.
The next steps will see a report brought to the Policy and Sustainability Committee in May outlining a citywide plan for more significant changes to the road network to create additional space for walking and cycling.
Alongside this, council officers will be investigating early delivery of some of our more ambitious active travel projects which will help people to make essential journeys safely and quickly as we move towards a new normal.
Further information on the Council’s response to the coronavirus outbreak is available online.
Civil Service Strollers Youth FC have secured a grant from the City of Edinburgh Council to purchase new training equipment.
Forth and Almond Community Partnership allocated £1,249 to ensure the club can continue to deliver high quality coaching to over 120 local children each week.
Club Treasurer, Claire Kidd, said “We are very thankful to the council for this grant. With all clubs like ours fundraising is so important so that we can continue to keep our monthly costs to parents one of the lowest across the area.
“This grant will be used to purchase much needed new equipment and will be well used by the youth section. I would like to thank the Council and in particular, Elaine Lennon, for her assistance and guidance.”
The Strollers Youth section offers weekly football sessions for children and young people aged 5-19.
Two people in Edinburgh are celebrating today after winning £1,000 each thanks to their lucky postcodes.
EH3 6NE (Bellevue) and EH4 5HL (Silverknowes) were both anounced as winners with People’s Postcode Lottery yesterday. There was one winner at each postcode.
People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador Judie McCourt (above) sent her well-wishes to the winners. She said: “What great news to get along with your breakfast! Congratulations to our winners.”
A minimum of 32% of ticket sales goes directly to charities and players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised over £500 million to date for thousands of good causes in Britain and beyond.
This draw was promoted by the Wildlife Trusts which have received over £11.3 million in funding from the players of People’s Postcode Lottery. The Wildlife Trusts look after more than 2,300 nature reserves and operate more than 100 visitor and education centres across the country. The Trusts work to make life better for wildlife, people and future generations.
Many good causes close to the winners have also benefitted from players’ support, and local charities can next apply for funding in August.
