Tag: Broughton Street

Council moves to address Picardy Place traffic shambles

Changes proposed to ease congestion around Picardy Place

Plans to re-introduce the left turn from Leith Walk onto London Road in Edinburgh will be considered by the Transport and Environment Committee on Thursday (23 May).

After the completion and opening of the new Trams to Newhaven line the project team has continued to monitor a number of issues raised along the route including the lack of left turns and accessibility from Leith Walk heading east which has resulted in increased congestion in and around the Picardy Place area causing delays to public transport.

Following the period of monitoring and public feedback the report to the Committee next week proposes re-introducing the left turn which will include these measures:

  • A minimum of 10 seconds for traffic to use it
  • When the left turn goes off the ahead signal will remain on allowing pedestrian and cyclists to come over from London Road and
  • The overall time for the two stages would be the same as currently operating for the ahead only and pedestrian stage

The proposed changes are not anticipated to have any impact on Elm Row bus stops and will benefit the overall traffic flow around Picardy Place, Leith Street and Broughton Street.

Cllr Scott Arthur, Transport Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “It was important for us to give the successful new tram line to Newhaven time to bed in, and, as with any major transport infrastructure project we continued to review the traffic management arrangements in the area. 

“After this monitoring process, and in response to public feedback (i.e. complaints? – Ed.) and discussions with Lothian Buses, we’re proposing to re-introduce the left hand turn from Leith Walk onto London Road. Importantly thanks to the plans we’re also maintaining single phase crossing for both pedestrians and cyclists crossing over from London Road.

“The overall positive impact of these changes will support Lothian Buses and their operations while also easing congestion in and around Picardy Place and associated streets.

“The previous Transport and Environment Committee made the decision to close the turn in good faith some time ago, but it is now clear the prohibition has been detrimental to the flow of public transport through the area.”

If the plans are approved next week then the statutory process will begin under the Trams to Newhaven Temporary Traffic Regulation Order.

Mental health charity launches new not-for-profit coffee shop in Broughton Street

Where there is coffee, there is hope. Introducing Hopetown Coffee – Edinburgh’s new not-for-profit safe space café raising awareness of mental illness and mental health across Scotland.

National mental health charity Change Mental Health has opened its first not-for-profit mental health coffee shop, Hopetown Coffee, on Edinburgh’s thriving Broughton Street.

The new enterprise arm of the charity, which is Edinburgh’s first coffee shop raising awareness of mental illness and mental health, provides the highest quality coffee and food after partnering with local suppliers. It allows people to purchase their daily coffee and cake knowing that their money is going directly to helping people affected by poor mental health.

Nick Ward, CEO at Change Mental Health, said: “Hopetown Coffee is everything that Change Mental Health is about: providing hope and support in communities in a non-stigmatising way.

“When creating Hopetown Coffee, we wanted to shift the dial on what a not-for-profit coffee shop should be like. We won’t compromise on quality of coffee, food or ambiance and every single penny made will be reinvested back into helping people across Scotland who are needing support with their mental health.”

Customers will enjoy great coffee, locally sourced food and a welcoming service and environment – feeling good knowing that that they have contributed to a worthy cause. By enjoying a coffee with Hopetown Coffee, customers can look after both their own and other’s mental health.

The new coffee shop will raise awareness of Change Mental Health and the work that it does supporting over 7,000 people across Scotland every year.

As well as changing attitudes and fighting stigma around mental illness, the charity will reinvest profits from Hopetown Coffee back into providing mental health services to more people across Scotland.

Hopetown Coffee believes in supporting local businesses and works with local suppliers such as Santu Coffee and Brose Oats to provide great, high quality artisan coffee with an emphasis on sustainability.

This new venture ensures that it’s a tempting place to visit no matter what drink is ordered, with milk alternatives and a diverse range of other tasty offerings.

The coffee shop also offers a ‘one on us’ policy where customers can purchase a coffee for someone that might be having a difficult time with their mental health, as well as a loyalty scheme and lots of information about mental illness and mental health.

Change Mental Health provides mental health support on the same street, at their drop-in community hub called the Stafford Centre, and works across Scotland to improve the quality of life for those affected by mental illness.

Capital estate agents join forces

Broughton Property Management becomes part of Braemore brand

AN EDINBURGH estate agency, which has helped thousands of people find new homes since launching 24 years ago, is itself on the move – after joining forces with another agency.

Broughton Property Management, formerly based on Broughton Street, has been acquired by the growing Braemore brand, whose local roots also span more than two decades.

The agreement has seen its whole team of six staff, and its portfolio of 290 rental properties, transfer seamlessly into Braemore’s flagship branch on Morningside Road.

“We are delighted to welcome Broughton’s clients and all its team members into the Braemore Edinburgh family,” said CEO of Braemore, Andrew Seldon.

“This is a great opportunity for Braemore, allowing us to extend our footprint in Edinburgh and further progress our ambition of being the number one agency in the region.

“We inherit a prime portfolio of properties, ranging from modern city flats to leafy detached homes across all of Edinburgh’s most sought-after areas.

“It is a great people fit too, as we welcome a team brimming with the same local knowledge, industry insight, and high customer service standards on which we pride ourselves.”

He added: “Between both home-grown success stories, we pool almost half a century of Edinburgh expertise in meeting the needs of tenants and landlords, sellers and buyers.

“This creates a strong platform on which to innovate and strengthen our customer service, as well as expand further through more acquisitions in and around the capital.

“As lockdown restrictions begin to ease, this acquisition is a timely signal of our continued confidence in Edinburgh and its all-year-round appeal as a place to live, work, study and holiday.”

The deal is the second this year for Braemore, which also has a branch in St Andrew’s. In April, it strengthened its specialism in managing Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) after acquiring the student rental portfolio of 90 HMOs in Edinburgh managed by Complete Letting (Scotland) Ltd.

Braemore is part of the Edinburgh-based Lomond group of residential letting and sales agencies across England and Scotland, and is the sister agency of fellow Scottish chain Stonehouse, which operates out of Aberdeen and the surrounding district.

Police seek witnesses to Broughton Street collision

Police Scotland is appealing for information after a cyclist collided with a car in Edinburgh on Sunday afternoon.

Around 4.40pm on Sunday (21 March), a 32-year-old woman was cycling a white Specialized road bike on Broughton Street, near to Forth Street, when a collision occurred involving a silver coloured Volkswagen car.

The driver of the Volkswagen stopped, but was not present when police arrived.The woman was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary to be treated for minor injuries.

Sergeant Jill Kirkpatrick said: “We are trying to establish exactly what happened here and would appeal for anyone with any information to come forward.

“Did you see this cyclist, or vehicle prior to the collision? Or were you driving in this area of Edinburgh and could have dash-cam footage that can help us? We urge you to get in touch.”

Anyone with any information should contact Police via 101, quoting incident number 2942 of Sunday, 21 March, 2021.