Breaking news

GIANT ON ITS WAY … BUT WHICH?

An unnamed ‘global technology company’ seeks permission to convert 42 Shandwick Place from retail use to a Class 10 training and education centre (Ref. 18/01596/FUL; 18/01597/ADV). 

Developers and local community members met last night at Out of the Blue to discuss proposals for major changes on Stead’s Place and Jane Street. Jane Carnall was there, and sent us this report. 

Chairing the event was Ben Macpherson, who is – as he reminded us – the constituency MSP for Edinburgh Northern & Leith (including Leith Walk).

City of Edinburgh Council has settled on a final design for Picardy Place. Enabling works are already in progress. Construction will begin next month and is scheduled to finish by the end of this year. 

Since the Transport & Environment Committee voted to go ahead with the gyratory in January, various tweaks to the plan have been agreed with community, pedestrian and cyclist groups. 

A CEC press release this morning said these alterations include: 

Members of City of Edinburgh Council’s ‘Tram Team’ met members of Leith Central Community Council's 'Tram Task Force' last night in a marathon 2.5-hour Q&A session in McDonald Road Library.

Open to the public, this was not a meeting to discuss the principle of extending the tramway from York Place to Newhaven. The aim was instead to gather sufficient facts for LCCC to assemble an informed, ‘constructive and relevant’ consultation response to the design proposal at a later date.

 COMMUNITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR ANSWERS 

Pressure mounted on Cllr Lewis Ritchie tonight following release of a highly charged letter from Leith Central Community Council.

LCCC’s Chair Charlotte Encombe wrote to the troubled Leith Walk ward representative on 12 April (for full text, see HERE and foot of page). 

Powys-based Notemachine UK Ltd is seeking three kinds of retrospective consent for an ATM it has installed at 20 Broughton Street (18/011343/FUL; 18/01344/ADV; 18/01345/LBC). 

There are many obvious pleasures to be had from heavy, cold and sustained rainfall over several days, such as noticing multiple flaws in the roof and getting to spend hours indoors with small children. 

But let us not forget the less obvious pleasures – such as encounters with marvellously strange creatures driven to the surface from the sodden bowels of the Earth. 

Caroline Roussot encountered this worm yesterday on the footpath/cycleway between the Rodney Street Tunnel and King George V Park.

City of Edinburgh Council has consulted the public today about the proposed layout of the (as yet unapproved) tramline from Broughton to Newhaven. 

The event, held in McDonald Road Library (10am–4pm), was well attended for the hour we attended, with enough staff on hand to answer questions. 

A Met Office Yellow weather warning is in place for Edinburgh and the Lothians (and elsewhere) until 11.59pm tomorrow. 

Police Scotland have therefore issued a Stage 2 ‘travel with caution’ warning, effective from midnight tonight. 

‘We are expecting snowy conditions over the next couple of days, especially on the higher level routes,’ said Supt Louise Blakelock, Police Scotland’s Deputy Head of Road Policing. At 6pm this evening, sleet had turned to snow in Bellevue.

Snow and spray from melting snow are the most likely challenges overnight.

 COMMUNITY APP TO FIX ROADS 

Cyclists and motorists could soon enjoy smoother journeys across Edinburgh thanks to a bespoke pothole-repair app going live tomorrow. 

UberHole is the brainchild of Broughton-based entrepreneur Bernard Dintman, who spots a gap in the market now that cash-strapped councils struggle to maintain roads across Scotland to acceptable standards.