Latest plans to aid social distancing around Edinburgh revealed

Social distancing measures will come into place around the city.
St John's Road, Corstorphine is one of the areas where changes will be madeSt John's Road, Corstorphine is one of the areas where changes will be made
St John's Road, Corstorphine is one of the areas where changes will be made

Detailed plans have been unveiled to widen pavements, restrict parking and provide more space for cyclists in local high streets across the Capital.

Street clutter will also be removed and bus stops and loading bays relocated as part of the drive to make it easier for people to distance from each other in line with coronavirus guidelines.

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Previous plans to suspend all parking places apart from loading bays and disabled spaces sparked complaints when they were published two weeks ago.

The latest plans set out more detail of changes in six of the nine local town centres which the city council is focusing on.

The measures are set to be implemented under powers delegated to officials but “key stakeholders” in each area, including councillors, community councils and business representatives are given five days to comment.

Transport and environment convener Lesley Macinnes said: “We’re working extremely hard to introduce effective temporary changes as quickly as possible to help people walk, cycle and wheel safely as we emerge from lockdown.

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“We’ve already implemented a range of measures in key locations, from segregated cycleways leading to our main hospitals to widened footways on East Princes Street. We’ll soon be closing Victoria Street and Cockburn Street to create a more relaxed, welcoming atmosphere for the public too.

“This next phase will focus on shopping areas around the city, with proposals for footway widening, temporary cycleways and the removal of street clutter supporting people to spend time in their local high streets as restrictions are eased.”

She said many people who made suggestions to the council called for more space to walk, cycle and queue outside businesses as they begin to reopen.

“We’re now seeking feedback on refined designs, and hope to have them in place as quickly as we can.”

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Lee Kindness, vice-chair of Portobello Community Council, broadly welcomed the plans.

He said: “It’s impossible for the community council to take a view because of the timescale.”

But he said the detailed plan seemed to take on board concerns people had voiced about loss of parking.

“Originally it was going to get rid of all the parking but it has kept the bay outside the town hall, which is where there is disabled parking too.”

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Steve Kerr, chair of Corstorphine community council, said there were different views in the area.

“Here, a lot of the pavements are quite narrow and it means people having to go into the road if they are trying to socially distance properly.

“From the residents’ point of view the changes are broadly welcomed; from a business point of view there are reservations, particularly because businesses are trying to get back on their feet and encourage people to come in and if there are restrictions on parking or they are having to make changes to delivery arrangements that’s where the tension lies.”

But Harald Tobermann of Leith Central community council, said the situation was “very disappointing”.

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He said: “Some of these measures are potentially quite attractive and deserve to be there for longer but the way they go about it discredits the very measures.

People will hate the council and hate the measures just because of the way they are introduced not because of the substance of them.”

Corstorphine

Retain many parking and servicing bays on St Johns Road.

Widen footpaths on both sides of St Johns Road where pavements are very narrow.

Street clutter and unnecessary pedestrian guardrail will be removed.

All Bus stops remain. .

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Widening of footway on north side from Templeland Road to Victor Park Terrace.

And on south side from opposite Templeland Road to Farmer’s Autocare, some loading bays retained.

Widening of narrow sections of footway on both sides between St Ninian’s Road and Station Road, 4.75m width running lane in either direction to provide additional space for cyclists .

Stockbridge

Intervention to widen footpaths on both sides of Raeburn Place, Deanhaugh Street and Hamilton Place adjacent to commercial properties.

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Additional parking/loading/unloading facilities will be provided on Cheyne Street, and other locations may be possible.

All bus stops remain.

Significant footway widening along the full length of the high street from Dean Park Street to Hamilton Place.

Loading places are retained in several places.

Widened footway on the north side of Kerr Street, including the narrow corner at St Stephen Street.

Portobello

Widened footways on the north-east side between opposite Fishwives’ Causeway and Beach Lane to provide additional capacity for social distancing and to aid businesses reopening.

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Retention of parking spaces outside the Town Hall and off-peak parking on the north east side of the High Street east of Brighton Place to support local businesses.

Significant widening of the south west footway from Brighton Place to Portobello surgery, including very narrow section outside numbers 225 - 251.

All bus stops are retained.

Morningside

Increased footway width between Holy Corner and Church Hill Place in areas of significant pavement queuing and pedestrian congestion.

Significant west-side footway widening to aid social distancing and business queuing, with cycle lane marking to support cyclists travelling uphill.

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East-side pavement widening between Falcon Place and Cannan Lane to aid social distancing and businesses reopening.

Loading places are retained at points throughout the area to provide space for deliveries from local businesses.

Gorgie/Dalry

Widened footways on both sides under the railway bridge at Robertson Avenue.

Relocated south side bus stop to aid queuing.

Extended footway on north side between Smithfield St and Wheatfield St, with the loading bay relocated eastwards.

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Increased footway width on both sides around the railway bridge at McLeod St.

Widened footway on the south side between Ardmillan Terrace and Gorgie City Farm.

Additional footway space at the Gorgie Road/ Dalry Road junction.

Widened footway adjacent to Dalry Cemetery.

Relocation of loading bay to widen footway on south side between Orwell Place and Orwell Terrace.

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Widened footways on both sides of the road from Dalry Gait to Haymarket with loading provision retained.

Great Junction Street

Intervention to widen footpaths where necessary adjacent to commercial properties

.Additional parking/loading/unloading facilities can be provided in adjacent side streets, and reintroduced where possible.

All existing bus stops will be retained.

Due to the limited width on the footway, and the presence of on street queueing significant footpath widening is necessary.

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Footways widened into the bus lane on both sides of the road from Leith Walk to Junction Place, to enable social distancing in the area of highest density business premises.

Remainder of bus lane outside of widened footway to be available for cyclists.

South west footway widened from Junction Place to Bangor Road to provide additional capacity for social distancing and to aid businesses reopening.

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