Mark Lazarowicz MP (Edinburgh North & Leith) has responded to the Council's Draft Local Development Plan consultation.
Those of his comments which relate in particular to Broughton include:
- possible introduction of further Air Quality Management Areas along Leith Walk and in parts of the New Town
- keeping traffic travelling to or from the newly industrialised docks away from residential areas, preferably by improved sea and rail links
- provision of green open space, including perhaps at Shrub Place/Shrubhill
- commitment to long-term housing mix, in terms of both type and tenure.
We reproduce the text of his submission, unedited and in full, below. (See also the New Town and Broughton Community Council's comments, Breaking news, 18.6.13).
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Comments on Local Development Plan
I wish to submit comments on the proposals contained in the Local Development Plan for Edinburgh. My comments are directed at those elements of the plan relating to the Edinburgh North & Leith Constituency.
The plan envisages continuing major redevelopment of the waterfront area from Leith to Granton. The new plan envisages a more extensive continuing use of Leith docks for port and industrial purposes than had previously been envisaged for the future. If that is to be the case, then it is essential that amenity is protected for neighbouring housing areas, particularly as many residents will have moved into the area on the basis that industrial activity would be reducing. In particular, steps should be taken to minimise the use of residential areas by heavy lorries, construction traffic, and general docks traffic. Similar measures should also be taken in other areas which suffer heavily from exhaust and/or noise pollution from vehicles.
I would like to see early consideration of whether there should be further Air Quality Management Areas, and implementation of measures to ensure existing AQMAs see a reduction in pollution. (Such an approach should also be followed in other areas with high traffic concentrations, such as Leith Walk and parts of the New Town and West End. The situation should also be monitored in areas with increasing traffic volumes such as Stockbridge, Easter Road, and Ferry Road).
There should be early provision of alternative access routes to the docks, particularly to allow access to the eastern section of the city bypass without that access in itself impinging upon other residential areas. The aim should be to keep such traffic away from residential areas and busy shopping streets, including where appropriate lorry bans and measures to exclude vehicles which cause heavy exhaust and/or noise pollution. I hope there will be consideration of upgrading existing rail access into Leith docks to allow more freight and industrial traffic to reach the docks area by rail and also measures to shift heavy traffic reaching the docks by road to travel by sea.
I welcome proposals for new parks in the waterfront area at Leith and Granton, and the creation of green space and pedestrian/cycle paths along the front in the Leith/Seafield area. The opportunity should be taken to create a major new network of paths of this type all along the waterfront, and steps should be taken to encourage this provision at an early date, rather than be dependent on other development proposals.
Steps should be taken to ensure that new residential areas are not left with their surroundings in an uncompleted and semi-derelict state pending further development, as has happened in the case of a number of existing developments along the waterfront. It is not acceptable for people to have to live in such conditions for many years, as has happened to many residents in these areas.
The increase in population in the Leith and waterfront area which is likely to come about if the Local Development Plan is implemented must be accompanied by the provision of the necessary social infrastructure. This includes facilities such as schools and local shopping centres as identified in the report, but it must also cater for all other aspects of community life. It is important that there is adequate provision of public community halls, public sports pitches, and other leisure activities, which could perhaps be provided through community facilities at new schools as well as through stand-alone sites.
Existing public sports and leisure facilities which serve the Edinburgh North and Leith area, such as Ainslie Park, Meadowbank, and local swimming pools should be retained and where possible enhanced to cater for the needs of a growing population.
Provision should be made to encourage the development of tourism and heritage facilities to serve both visitors and the local community, in particular to ensure the provision of a Leith heritage and maritime history centre, and other historic sites within the area.
The proposals to create further green space in other areas of the constituency, such as at Inverleith Depot, are also to be welcomed. Furthermore, as a general policy, the provision of publicly accessible green space should be considered, for example in the redevelopment of the Shrubhill/Shrub Place sites. Proposals which have been developed in recent years by the local community in Leith for development of ‘pocket parks’ and green routes in areas with a large number of tenements should be provided for in the new plan.
Finally, I note that the plan makes a commitment to ensuring a housing mix in terms both of type and tenure. I support that commitment and the Council should take the initiative through long term agreements with housing providers, central government, and developers to make sure that commitment is fulfilled.
I would be grateful if you would ensure that these comments are considered as part of the consultation process on the Local Development Plan, and would ask that they be taken into account when the final plan is produced.
Mark Lazarowicz MP
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