Cala Homes has notified us of their plans to submit a planning application for new housing on the land between the existing Springfield estate and the Queensferry Crossing/M90.
This area of land was zoned by SNP and Labour councillors for new housing back in 2016.
Cala has organised two public drop in information events, both at Echline Primary.
Please note that no formal application has yet been lodged so there is no current process of objection. However, we would encourage residents to come along to one of these sessions to learn more and ask questions.
As local councillors, we want to see the detailed plans. However, with the South Scotstoun housing development already underway and the detailed plans for Echline expected soon, the Ferry is already being expected to absorb huge amounts of new housing.
We believe there are serious questions around how much more can be accommodated given the existing pressures.
Local Liberal Democrat councillor, Louise Young has pushed for a solution to address the planned extended closure of Queensferry High 31 Mar-3 Apr.
The new Queensferry High building is to be open from 30 March. However, as part of the transition, parents have been told the school will be closed for an additional four days before the start of the Easter break.
There was no engagement or consultation with parents about this before it was announced.
The transfer of the school community into the new building is a major logistical undertaking. However, many parents have been in touch concerned about the four additional days of closure and the challenge this creates for working parents who need arrange alternative childcare or take annual leave/unpaid leave.
There will be no pre-existing ‘holiday clubs’ in place to provide an alternative option, as this is normal term time for other schools.
Louise successfully took a motion to the Council’s education committee on the issue. This means parents will be surveyed on their ability to accommodate these four days without financial or other loss. Her motion also seeks proposals for an additional holiday club type service (or alternative solution).
The results of the traffic study at the Kirkliston cross roads has now been published. You can see it here.
Securing the study was one of our very first acts as newly elected local councillors. It came after increasing concern over the congestion at the cross roads and inactivity from the SNP led Council administration.
Whilst the main purpose of the study was Kirkliston, the monitoring was opened to a wider area to get a broader picture of where vehicles were coming from and going to.
Thousands of vehicles movements through the village cross roads were recorded as part of the study. The results confirmed that the vast majority of traffic comes from the local area although the work did identify significant through traffic from West Lothian in particular.
The north / south traffic results have been looked at in detail and shows the overall split.
The report includes a number of recommendations / options.
Using housing developer money to further assess how the junction through put can be made more efficient.
A possible reconfiguration of the junction to to either east/west or north/south (as shown in the following images). This would require more feasibility work and impact analysis.
There is obviously a lot of data and information here to digest. Both of us spoke as local councillors when the report came to the Transport Committee. It was agreed that a further report would come forward in six months providing more information on the follow up actions.
Liberal Democrats have criticised Edinburgh Council’s ruling SNP/Labour administration for a “botched” roll out of the city wide 20mph project after an official review found average speeds to have reduced by only 1.34 miles per hour.
The report on Edinburgh Council’s 20mph project has been published today, Monday 7 October. It follows a formal review of scheme which was introduced across the city from May 2016 to March 2018.
The review found that;
– Speed monitoring at 66 locations before and after the project showed average speeds had reduced by just 1.34 miles per hour.
– Despite a major marketing campaign, 40% of people in the city said they had not seen any information about the 20mph roll out.
Only one in five people in Edinburgh (21%) believed traffic speeds have actually reduced in their area.
– Police officers have issued less than 100 fines in the three years since the roll out project began, averaging just three fines every month.
– The final total cost of the project was £2.96m, 34% more than originally envisaged.
Liberal Democrat transport spokesman, Councillor Kevin Lang said,
“It is clear this 20mph project is still struggling to get out of first gear.
“After soaking up almost £3 million of public money, average speeds have fallen by just 1.34 miles per hour. Only a fifth of people say traffic speeds have reduced in their area.
“It is obvious that SNP and Labour councillors have botched what should have been a positive and transformative project. Their major advertising campaign failed to connect with the public. They relied on cardboard cutouts of police on street corners to change behaviour whilst real police officers said enforcement was not a priority.
“It shows much more work is needed if the promised improvements in road safety are going to be delivered. There is simply no room for complacency from the administration.”
Council education officials have been looking at changes to the primary school catchments in Queensferry. This is in light of the major housing developments and the plan for a new primary school in Echline
After discussing issues with parents before the summer holidays, the officials have shared a specific proposal for the catchment arrangements in the town for when the new school is operational.
They held three drop-in information events in August which we know were well attended.
The current catchment map can be seen here.
The officials’ proposed new catchment map is the following.
Officials plan to report a draft statutory consultation paper to the Education, Children and Families Committee in October. If the paper is approved by Committee, there will then be a six week formal consultation period before a decision is made by the Full Council.
If you have any comments about the proposals, then please email them to us at either kevin.lang@edinburgh.gov.uk or louise.young@edinburgh.gov.uk and we will make sure to pass them onto the officials.
We are pleased to say our pressure to get action on the dreadful state of Burnshot Road has paid off.
Ever since the construction of the new Burnshot Bridge got the go ahead, we have been pushing hard to get the connecting road from Craigies Farm to Craigiehall resurfaced. After all, Burnshot Road has to be one of the worst roads anywhere in west Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Council roads officials have now responded and agreed that resurfacing work *will* take place. This will be completed in time for the opening of the new Burnshot bridge in Spring 2020.
Meantime, we are pleased that after much work, we’ve managed to finally get action on this trouble spot at Burnshot.
Liberal Democrat councillors have described parts of Edinburgh as resembling the horror film “The Day of the Triffids” after uncovering new figures showing a massive fall in the level of weed control across the city,
Cllr Kevin Lang challenged the Environment Convener after complaining the weeds situation across the Capital was getting out of control.
Answers to Kevin’s questions at this month’s full Council uncovered that the percentage of Edinburgh streets treated for weeds in the first six months had fallen in 12 of the 17 Council wards when compared to 2018.
In Corstorphine / Murrayfield ward, Colinton / Fairmilehead ward, and Fountainbridge / Craiglockhart ward, no weed control has been carried out at all this year. In the main city centre, only half of streets had been treated.
Cllr Kevin Lang said, “The weed situation is so bad that’s parts of the city are beginning to resemble the horror film, Day of the Triffids. It is little wonder the problem is worse when these new figures show a massive fall in the level of weed control compared to last year.
“Residents pay a lot of money each year in Council tax. It’s reasonable for them to expect the Council to clear weeds from their streets. It should not be complicated but it’s just the latest example of how this SNP, Labour administration running the City simply cannot get the basics right.”
The percentage of roads in each ward treated for weeds this year is shown below with the change from 2018.
Last month, we reported the frustrating news about the decision of SNP and Conservative councillors to approve building 650 new homes on the Cammo fields. The Lib Dems opposed the development.
We explained how our focus now would be on doing what we could to mitigate the impact. Wet met with Cala and David Wilson homes today to discuss next steps.
The developers expect to start work on site later this year with the first homes being occupied in late 2020.
Access to the construction site will be via Maybury Road. There will be no access via Cammo Walk.
The developers will be contributing almost £500,000 to public transport infrastructure such as new shelters and turning circle inside the site. They are prepared to subsidise a new bus service and we are pushing to get this in place as soon as possible.
Work is now ongoing to include a new nursery within the north east of the site as well as meeting space for use by the wider community.
Almost £70,000 will be provided for improved health care. At this stage, it is not clear whether this will involve an extension to the Parkgrove Medical Centre or go towards a wholly new practice at Maybury.
We have agreed to hold regular meetings and updates with information we can pass on to our constituents.
We are also continuing to press Council officials about capacity improvements at the Barnton junction. We will keep local people posted.
