As reported here on 20 October, Leith Central Community Council and New Town & Broughton Community Council are dissatisfied with Edinburgh Council's closure and subsequent management of Powderhall Footbridge.
This morning, they jointly published an open letter to the top official and elected members concerned: Gareth Barwell (Corporate Director of Place), Cllr Margaret Graham (Convener, Culture & Communities Committee) and Cllr Stephen Jenkinson (Convener, Transport & Environment Committee).
We publish that letter below, unedited and in full.
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Dear Gareth, Margaret and Stephen,
Mandated by our well-attended October meetings, New Town & Broughton Community Council (NTBCC) and Leith Central Community Council (LCCC) are writing jointly to convey our profound dismay and deep frustration regarding the ongoing closure of the St Mark's Footbridge.
This vital active travel link normally connects some of the most densely populated communities in Scotland to the North Edinburgh path network. It serves as an essential, high-volume artery for daily commuters, families, school children and visitors to Warriston Crematorium.
1. Demand for Accelerated, Solution-Focussed Progress
We are seeking immediate, accelerated, and solution-focussed progress from the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC). Specifically, we urge CEC to commission and publish an independent engineering report by early December. This report should assess the technical feasibility of potential interim measures while long-term permanent solutions are explored, specifically:
(a) In-situ repairs, using tie-plates and gussets to restore functionality; and
(b) deploying a prefabricated, off-the-shelf ‘drop-in’ bridge mounted on the existing piers – with or without prior demolition of the existing bridge
2. Unacceptable Timelines and Lack of Urgency
This vital travel corridor has now been shut for 123 days since 24 June 2026 and yet there is still no properly signposted diversion route in place. Furthermore, it took nearly four months for CEC to produce a briefing note for Councillors and Community Councils.
Despite this leisurely timescale, the briefing note raises as many questions as it answers. Notably: why was the Principal Inspection recommended in July 2022 never conducted?
Our communities are completely dismayed by the apparent absence of genuine urgency from CEC. A vague timeline pointing towards a distant re-opening in 2028 is entirely unacceptable for an active travel route of this importance. Allowing a primary pedestrian and cycling artery to remain severed for years without exhausting every interim engineering intervention fundamentally flies in the face of CEC’s stated commitments for net-zero, active travel, and community wellbeing. This is in stark contrast to the urgency with which the Council responds to motor vehicle road closures.
We urge you to intervene and reject the passive 2028 timeline, and drive forward a pragmatic, expedited engineering solution for the St Mark’s Footbridge. In addition, CEC must immediately establish a fully signed, accessible diversion route for the duration of the closure.
Finally, for accountability and expedited progress, this project requires a designated point of ownership within CEC responsible for driving these actions to completion.
We look forward to your urgent response.
Best wishes,
Mike Birch and Harald Tobermann
For New Town & Broughton Community Council and Leith Central Community Council
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