Welcome to our summer newsletter
The LHNCC is on holiday for the month of July, but we're back as usual in August. Meanwhile, this edition will keep you up-to-date with the latest events, activities and planning developments and a summary of activities since spring. We appreciate your interest and look forward to updating you again in the autumn. Please feel free to circulate this newsletter and encourage your Leith and Newhaven friends and neighbours to sign up! LHNCC newsletter sign up
This edition: the Newhaven Gala; Update on Trams to Newhaven; SS Explorer; Industry Lane; FlySpotting; Bike thefts; meeting dates, events and planning.
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The sun shone on Saturday 26 May while hundreds of Newhaven villagers, friends and visitors gathered around Newhaven Harbour to welcome the Gala Queen and Fisher King. They arrived in style from Granton Harbour on board the MV Conserver, bedecked with splendid bunting, and supported by a colourful flotilla.
This was followed with a ‘royal’ procession through the village and a crowning ceremony in the grounds of the local Victoria Primary School. Then it was time to enjoy the many different stalls selling toys, dvds, books and more, plenty of tasty treats and delicious food to enjoy, games to play, local choirs and much more.
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The public consultation on taking Edinburgh Trams to Leith and Newhaven ended on 29 April, after a series of local public information events.
The City of Edinburgh Council has since run a series of workshops with residents, traders, active travel organisations and community representatives to explore and develop the plans in more detail. The workshops focused on key themes raised during the consultation. The workshops began on 14 June with a focus on the section between Pilrig Street and Foot of the Walk. Four viable alternative layouts were presented, with one emerging as the preferred option by the attendees. The second workshop held on 27 June involved further discussion around the preferred design, including better siting of bus stops, additional crossing points, traffic flow management, better design of the central reservation and segregated cycle lanes. The remaining workshop in the series, held on 4 July, focused on public realm at Elm Row. The outcomes of these workshops will be communicated later this summer, when the public will once again be consulted on the updated plans. This is in advance of a final decision on whether to proceed with taking Trams to Newhaven, which will be made at a vote of Full Council in December 2018.
Since the public consultation closed the LHNCC has worked with the other three community councils (Leith Central, Leith Links, and New Town and Broughton) through whose areas the extended tram would run, if given the green light. The coalition ‘Community Councils Together on Trams’ (CCTT) approves the proposed extension of the tramline in principle, but urges caution and the need for improved communications. Four key areas of concern have been raised upon which it is seeking reassurances from the Project team and City Council, including the wider implications, detail, and timeline of the development. A joint statement and press release was issued by the CCTT on 29 June.
LHNCC has also made a request to the Project Team for a further workshop on the route and design of the tramline between Constitution Street and the Newhaven Terminus. This is still being negotiated.
See the project website for details of the project timeline, tram route and stops together with landscape and traffic management proposals. Further questions can be sent to newhaven.tram@edinburgh.gov.uk.
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LHNCC was lucky enough to be invited to view the SS Explorer at Edinburgh Dock in May. She is a relatively unknown part of our Maritime Heritage, now maintained by unpaid volunteers from the SS Explorer Preservation Society.
Built by A Hall and Company Ltd of Aberdeen, the SS Explorer was registered in Leith. She worked mainly out of Aberdeen, but returned to Leith between her working cruises. Launched in 1955, she was the last steam driven trawler to work in the North Atlantic, working solely as a research vessel. She played an essential role in the gathering of ocean and marine life data, upon which fisheries policy was based.
After de-commissioning in 1984 she was purchased by the Aberdeen Maritime Museum as a unique example of marine engineering and history. The unique form of her triple expansion steam engine and oil-fired 3 furnace Scotch boiler makes her a one-off worthy of saving! Unfortunately however, the Museum was unable to secure a berth in Aberdeen harbour, and the Explorer was towed out to a sea berth in the Cromarty Firth in 1989 and anchored there for 5 years. After vandalism and a collision, and no movement from the Maritime museum, she was sold for scrap.
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The story of the SS Explorer, now berthed in Edinburgh Dock, is one of survival.
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She was rescued at the last minute by a group of SS Explorer supporters from Aberdeen, who bought her and brought her back to Leith, where she remains. It is the aim of the restoration society to restore the vessel, with a view to it being used as a publicly-accessible educational resource and visitor attraction. The Society has been successful in attracting local volunteers with many skills but, like the ship, the Society will only survive with the help of individuals, organisations and businesses. If you would like to help save this fine old ship, information can be found at ssexplorer.org
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LHNCC support for Industry Lane residents
LHNCC has acted on the concerns expressed by residents attending our May meeting regarding the planning application for Industry Lane. The proposal involves the demolition of an existing car garage and the erection of a new residential block (19 modern flats and associated car parking and landscaping). The developer also attended the meeting to give a presentation on the proposals.
The current application (submitted in April 2018) is a replacement for the original that had been rejected by the CEC Planning Department in December 2017, much to the delight of the local community. Rejection was on the grounds that the development was not in character for the historic Madeira Quarter in the Leith Conservation Area and concerns relating to housing density, design and access.
The Developer failed to convince residents at the meeting that the amendments addressed their original concerns or potential issues with parking. After reviewing the application documents, LHNCC was agreed that the concerns were valid and that the revised application had not addressed the issues that led to previous refusal. A letter in support of residents was sent to the Chief Planning Officer on 29 May, citing the grounds for objection.
Residents are now considering further design-related documents added to the planning portal at the end of June – we will stay in touch and provide an update in the autumn newsletter. Meanwhile, you can keep an eye on the Save Industry Lane website and the CEC planning portal (use the reference 18/01876/FUL in the simple search box). |
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May saw the launch of the Flyspotting campaign in Leith, where Leith residents were invited to become ‘flyspotters’ as part of a new campaign to reduce the dumping of rubbish on local streets led by environmental charity Changeworks.
To tackle flytipping and make it a pleasure for people to be out and about in Leith’s streets and parks, Changeworks is working with the City of Edinburgh Council and a team of local organisations on a new project called Zero Waste Leith which is funded by Zero Waste Scotland and the European Regional Development Fund.
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Bike thefts on the increase
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Police have warned that bike thefts are on the increase in Leith. If you are a bike owner you should ensure that you:
- Securely lock your bike
- Record full details and a description of your bike
- Mark your bike with your details
- Remove expensive attachments on your bike
- Close and secure bike shed gates properly
- Report storage facility faults to premises owners/facility managers
Report all losses and suspicious activity to the police. Call your local police on 101 or Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111
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About Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council
LHNCC is made up of local people who care about our community and want to make it a better place to live. We are here to help and take forward your views, whether it is about a development or planning application near your home, a local community project or advice on a specific local issue.
Get in touch with for advice (email secretary@lhncc.org.uk) or even better, come to one of our monthly meetings if you live in the area (usually 7–9pm on the 4th Tuesday of every month). See www.lhncc.org.uk for more details.
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