Tag: green spaces

Have your say on North Edinburgh’s active travel connections

Residents in north Edinburgh are being invited to help shape a key project to improve connections and public spaces in their local community.

The city council is asking people from across Muirhouse, Pilton, Granton and Drylaw to contribute to the future of Pennywell Road and its links to existing paths at Crewe Toll, Gypsy Brae, Silverknowes and West Granton Access Road.

Through the North Edinburgh Active Travel (NEAT) Connections scheme we’re proposing changes to Pennywell Road and the surrounding area. These include increasing space available for walking, cycling and wheeling, making it easier to access local shops and community spaces without the use of a car and working with members of the community to improve public areas and green spaces.

We’re seeking feedback from residents via a dedicated Commonplace map, a tool recently used as part of Spaces for People engagement, which attracted more than 4000 comments.

This will help to identify existing problem areas and opportunities for new crossings, green spaces or where other improvements could be made.

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: This project will create a much more welcoming, relaxed environment for those travelling on foot, bike or wheelchair.

“We’ve already seen how temporary Spaces for People initiatives across the city have encouraged people to walk, wheel or cycle and we want to see this happen long-term, with the associated benefits to health and the environment.

“Of course, we want any changes to work for all the people who live and spend time in this area, which is why we want to hear what they think and where improvements can be made. By sharing their thoughts and ideas they can help shape the final design, which will make travel to nearby schools, shops and local areas much easier and safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

Interim Head of Infrastructure Delivery for Sustrans Scotland, Chiquita Elvin, said: “Despite being close to existing walking, cycling and wheeling routes, such as the North Edinburgh Path Network, it can be challenging to access them for Muirhouse and Pilton due to the volume of traffic and the focus on roads in the original design of the area.

“We want the local community to tell us how we can make walking, cycling and wheeling easier for them, be that with new path connections, wider pavements, dedicated space for cycling or new crossings. These changes have the potential to transform how people get around North Edinburgh and every opinion matters.”

As well as benefiting local residents, changes could make it easier for travel to Craigroyston Community High School, Craigroyston Primary, Oaklands Primary, Forthview Primary and the new civic centre being developed at the former Muirhouse Shopping Centre.

In addition to the Commonplace website locals can leave their feedback on maps displayed in the North Edinburgh Arts centre café. 

NEAT Connections has been funded through Sustrans’ Scotland’s Places for Everyone programme, with support from Transport Scotland.

Separate temporary measures to make cycling safer and easier on Pennywell Road, Muirhouse Parkway and Ferry Road are currently in place and have been implemented through the Spaces for People programme.

Share your views on our precious greenspaces

Dear North Edinburgh News readers,

Working in a small group with the University of Edinburgh, we are conducting research into the relationship between greenspaces and socioeconomic levels in Edinburgh.

We will be investigating a number of areas in the city including Wester Hailes, Drylaw, Trinity and South Gyle. 

If you live in any of these areas or are familiar, we believe you will have a valuable opinion for our survey.

Using the surveys, we want to gain people’s perspective about the quality and access of greenspace in these areas. It is short and will take roughly 5 minutes.

Our findings are hoped to make an impact upon the greenspaces in Edinburgh, especially if any inequalities are revealed.

Here is the link to the survey below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeV6uzv5QBW2A2E3Q2p5qrpKKfvt26jFutXdMcjFJHR6D8C8g/viewform?usp=sf_link

Thank you for taking the time to read this message.

Kind regards,

Abbie, Nuria, Lucy and Pia

Record number of Edinburgh parks win Green Flag awards

Thirty-four of Edinburgh’s parks have achieved Green Flags in the 2020 national competition, which recognises high quality green spaces.

The city received almost half of the 77 flags issued in Scotland. Two city parks, Saughton Park and St Katharine’s Park, received the status for the first time in 2020, joining the other 32 parks already waving their Green Flag.

The Green Flag Award is the UK’s national standard for parks and green spaces and is administered in Scotland by Keep Scotland Beautiful. To make sure the Capital’s parks are kept to a high standard, each year the Council checks all its parks and gardens using Green Flag Award criteria. This inspection is carried out by formal Green Flag judges along with other Council officers, Council partners and members of the public. From this assessment, each park is given a parks quality score.

Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Donald Wilson, said: “The awards are given to those parks that give everyone access to a safe, clean and pleasant green space where they can relax, play and exercise and I’m delighted that so many of our parks have achieved this important and much sought after recognition. 

“The quality of Edinburgh’s parks continues to improve in spite of these challenging times. I am very proud of all our award winning parks and of those who work all year round, and in all weather to keep our parks beautiful.”

Culture and Communities Vice Convener, Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, said: “This is fantastic news, parks have proved to be real havens this year and my thanks to our hardworking parks staff for their continued care for our much-loved parks through challenging times. My thanks also to dedicated Friends of Parks groups for everything they do. I would encourage everyone to explore our parks this Autumn.”

The Council has been taking part in the Green Flag Award scheme since 2007, when two Green Flags were achieved.

Our Green Flag Parks are:

  • Braidburn Valley Park
  • Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park
  • Corstorphine Hill
  • Craigmillar Castle Park
  • Easter Craiglockhart Hill Local Nature Reserve
  • Fairmilehead Park
  • Ferniehill Community Park
  • Ferry Glen & Back Braes
  • Figgate Park
  • Hailes Quarry Park
  • Harrison Park
  • Hermitage and Blackford Hill Local Nature
  • Hopetoun Crescent Garden
  • Inverleith Park
  • King George V & Scotland Yard Park
  • Lauriston Castle
  • Lochend Park
  • London Road Gardens
  • Morningside Park
  • Muir Wood Park
  • Pentland Hills Regional Park
  • Portobello Community Garden
  • Prestonfield Park
  • Princes Street Gardens
  • Ravelston Woods Local Nature Reserve
  • Rosefield Park
  • Seven Acres Park
  • Spylaw Park
  • St Margaret’s Park
  • Starbank Park
  • Station Road Park
  • Victoria Park

Let’s Grow a Garden Here to launch on Leith Walk


Edinburgh based Community interest Company Edible Estates is launching a new community growing project in Leith and is inviting everyone to join in to grow food and community in Leith. 

Edible Estates is building on it’s ‘Leith & Lochend Home Grown’ initiative over the past 6 months to launch a new community growing and green space project in Leith.

In partnership with the Leith Walk Police Box, Out of the Blue, Foundation Scotland, Port of Leith Housing Association and Action Earth the ‘Lets Grow a Garden Here’ initiative aims to encourage community growing projects led by local people this autumn and winter.

The project has also been supported by Ocean Outdoor (advertising) to promote the project on the big screen on Leith Walk and expect that to encourage local people to want to get involved. The advertisement is live until 11th October.

Patrick Dunne, who is co-ordinating the Lets Grow a Garden Here project, wants to see as many people as possible sign up, join in and develop a new grassroots, local, urban food growing initiative including everything from edible streets and doorstep planters to skill sharing and community meals over the next year. 

Patrick explained: “We are really excited to have a chance to develop an emergency Covid response into a new and exciting opportunity for community growing in Leith.

“We hope to be a part of the local food networks and community activity in the winter. Leith has so many great ideas and resourceful and creative people and is full of interesting projects. We are really proud to be a part of it ”

If you are keen to grow your community, learn new skills, improve your local environment and have fun, contact patrick@edibleestates.co.uk to get involved.

Help shape the new vision for Edinburgh’s parks and Greenspaces

The city council is leading on a project to develop a new vision for the Capital’s green spaces which will ensure their ongoing enhancement, protection and care – and they want your views.

The Thriving Green Spaces project will shape an ambitious new vision for Edinburgh’s natural environment and produce a 30-year strategy and action plan to deliver that vision. 

The next stage for the project team is to ask residents and visitors how they use our parks and green spaces and, importantly, what their aspirations are for them. Launched yesterday, the team have three short, interactive surveys for anyone who lives or works in Edinburgh. 

How do you use and what do you think of Edinburgh’s green and blue spaces?

Active commuting in Edinburgh

Using quiet routes after dark 

These surveys have been developed with the help of a number of masters students from the Landscape and Wellbeing programme at the University of Edinburgh, one of the partners working with the Council on this project. 

The project has been made possible by a £899,500 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) and the Natural Trust (NT), who have joined together to provide funding to local authorities to enable them to develop bold and innovative financial and management solutions for their green spaces against a backdrop of financial uncertainty. 

Alongside the Council, bid partners are: Greenspace Scotland, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust, University of Edinburgh and the Edinburgh Green Spaces Forum (the umbrella group for Edinburgh’s friends of parks groups). 

City of Edinburgh Council Parks Leader and Project Champion, Amy McNeese Mechan, said: “Edinburgh is already a wonderfully green city – the UK’s greenest, in fact – and we want to ensure it remains that way for generations to come.

“Thanks to this much-sought-after funding we’ve been able to get to work on our approach to this challenge. I’m excited that we are ready to launch this stage of the project and open dialogue with the public, together with our partners, to explore what it means to be a thriving green city.

“The data gathered in these surveys will be key information which we will use to inform the new 30-year strategy for the Capital’s parks and greenspaces. It will determine how we change and adapt the ways in which we manage our outdoor spaces, to make sure that they continue to play an active role in delivering benefits in areas such as health and wellbeing, active travel, biodiversity, recreation and social cohesion.

“I would encourage everyone to learn more about the project through the website and share your views in our surveys.” 

Dave Gorman, Director of Social Responsibility and Sustainability at University of Edinburgh, said: “The Covid19 emergency has demonstrated in the most tangible way possible the vital importance of nature and green space for everyone’s health and wellbeing.

“We are delighted to support this ground-breaking project as it moves into its public dialogue phase. I’m particularly pleased to see that our students and staff are supporting the work and urge people to take the chance to give their views.” 

Simon Bell and Catharine Ward Thompson, of the OPENspace Research Centre at University of Edinburgh, said: “We are very pleased that we can contribute, especially to the three surveys being launched today which are also part of research being carried out by masters students on our Landscape and Wellbeing programme.

“We want to help ensure that the health and well-being of the citizens of Edinburgh and those who work and visit here can be promoted through the provision of the best green and blue spaces the city can offer in the long term.” 

John Kerr of Edinburgh Green Spaces Forum said: “There is an army of volunteers across the city who work alongside the Council to support our parks, green spaces and cemeteries.

“They are passionate about our green spaces, and now, as more people begin to realise how important these green spaces are to the health and wellbeing of all our residents and visitors, they look forward to this project creating a sustainable long term environment for managing and supporting our green spaces into the future.”

Princes Street Gardens: Quaich-ing in our boots?

Culture and Communities Convener Cllr Donald Wilson says too many people are currently unable to make the most of one of Edinburgh’s finest greenspaces.

“Princes Street Gardens is one of our city’s greatest green assets and quite rightly holds a special place in the hearts of Edinburgh residents and visitors. 

“Our ambition is for this to be a place for people of all ages to enjoy, now and in the future. We are clear that the Gardens will remain a publicly owned and managed treasure for generations to come.

“However, if you’re a wheelchair user or pushing a pram, access to West Princes Street Gardens is currently extremely difficult from most entrances, meaning untold numbers of residents and visitors are effectively excluded from spending time in this magnificent green space.

“The Ross Theatre is no longer fit for purpose and there is too much concrete and not enough greenery. Community use of the facility, meanwhile, has dramatically reduced from its peak in the 50s and 60s.

“Rather than continue with patchwork improvements to West Princes Street Gardens on our own, we welcome the Ross Development Trust’s (RDT) support and funding approach, which allows us to set our sights much higher. It’s important to stress that while the Trust leads on delivering the project and sourcing funding, executive control and governance remain with the Council.

“Edinburgh has long benefited from the philanthropy of generous benefactors – the Ross Theatre and nearby Usher Hall being prime examples of this – and the Trust’s philanthropic giving fundraising strategy for the Quaich Project is looking to harness these benefits to continue this fine tradition.

“The project has already seen the Ross Fountain returned to its 19th Century glory alongside the complete renovation of the Gardener’s Cottage and, should the Trust reach its fundraising target, West Princes Street Gardens would again be transformed into a space for everyone to enjoy in the heart of the city.

“We share residents’ desire to reduce the disruption of the gardens due to major events and have already announced a cap on the number of event days in West Princes Street Gardens. It’s worth remembering, of course, that income raised through events already supports the maintenance of our green spaces and other important Council services.

“In line with our Development Agreement with the Trust, councillors and officers have been closely involved with the Project throughout and the model of seeking donations has underpinned the Project since it began, with councillors agreeing this approach in June 2016.

Any significant corporate donation proposals would of course be subject to the Council’s policy on advertising and sponsorship and would have to be sanctioned by the Council through our committee process – just as the initial £5m contributed by Norman Springford was.

“And to be absolutely clear: there are no proposals to sell off any part of the gardens or for sponsorship deals which impact negatively on Common Good Land, and there never will be. 

“The Quaich Project is providing us with an outstanding opportunity to invest in and enhance one of the most stunning settings in Scotland. We look forward to continuing our support for this – and the huge benefits it could bring to the people of Edinburgh and beyond.”

 

Is your neighbourhood made for walking?

  • Ramblers launches search for Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood
  • Call for people in Scotland to nominate their neighbourhood 

The Ramblers organisation is calling on people in Scotland to nominate their area for Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood Award. The walking charity is searching for the places that put pedestrians first and lead the way in enabling residents to walk every day for transport or leisure.

 Now in its second year, Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood Award celebrates local authorities, developers, individuals and communities that have made positive changes to help make neighbourhoods more walkable – from making routes and public spaces greener, to building mixed-use developments that encourage active travel, to improving the way local streets connect people to the places they want to go. 

Vanessa Griffiths, Ramblers chief executive, said: “We have a vision of a country designed for walking, in the open countryside, and close to where we all live and work.

“By making it easy for people to walk their everyday local journeys, we help them live more active, healthier lives. Not only that, we help tackle some of society’s biggest problems including growing levels of obesity, social isolation, congestion and air pollution.  Sadly, for many of us the areas we live in have been designed to favour cars rather than people, making walking unsafe, or unpleasant. 

“With this award, we want to highlight the places and people already doing a great job to make walking easier in their local neighbourhoods.

“We also want to encourage others to think about the small changes they could make to improve the walkability of their neighbourhoods and health and wellbeing of their residents, while creating more vibrant communities.” 

The Ramblers believes that one of the most important features of a walking neighbourhood is its ‘greenness’ or how well it connects people to the natural environment.

Local green spaces and routes make areas more attractive to walk and provide opportunities for physical activity as well as to relax, recharge and connect. 

People living near green spaces are more likely to be physically active [1], with research showing that those who live within 500m of accessible green space are 24% more likely to meet recommended levels of physical activity.[2]

Vanessa added: “The majority of us live in built up areas, and evidence shows that communities highly value green spaces and routes in their neighbourhood and hugely benefit from having regular contact with the natural environment.

“We are keen to hear about neighbourhoods that have improved or created new green routes, spaces or features, because we know that these make neighbourhoods more appealing for walking, whether it’s for leisure or as a means of getting from A to B.” 

DG1 in Dumfries made it to the final of last year’s award. The once a run-down and neglected neighbourhood was transformed by an injection of funding. The community developed their own innovative solutions to problems they had identified in the area. This included the creation of five civic spaces with street furniture, cycle parking, noticeboards and planters; street lighting upgrades; new street signs and the addition of places for people to stop and rest. 

A neighbourhood is any district, community or area where people live and work – it could be the heart of a big city, or a small village with just a few streets and houses. 

The finalists will be chosen by an expert panel and the winner will be decided by public vote in summer 2019. 

To nominate your neighbourhood, visit 

www.ramblers.org.uk/nominate 

and tell us about the changes that have made it into a great place for walking.

The deadline for nominations is 3rd March 2019.