Edinburgh bar manager hits out after council cycle lane project fences in pub for 240 days
An Edinburgh bar manager has taken aim at the council after being ‘fenced in’ since the beginning of the year.
Graham Parsons, who runs the Roseleaf Bar Café with his wife Kylie, said ongoing works in Sandport Place in Leith have led to a decline in passing trade which he described as ‘the lifeblood’ of the hospitality sector.
The ongoing works form part of the Leith Connections project to deliver ‘new community spaces’ and provide improved environments for walking, wheeling and cycling in the Leith area. The project includes a new pedestrian and cycle link between the Foot of the Walk and Dock Street which got underway in November.
But when fences were erected outside the Roseleaf Bar on January 6, Graham said he was ‘assured’ they would be removed within a few months. And now, nearly eight months on, the bar manager is becoming increasingly frustrated.
Speaking to the Evening News, Graham said: “It's made it very difficult for us to attract passing trade, which in hospitality, is our lifeblood. It's difficult for people to actually figure out how to get in and we’ve had potential customers tell us they couldn't actually navigate the fence. So that's the biggest challenge for us.
“Prior to the work starting I was assured it's not as bad as it seems, and the fencing would have moved down towards the bridge by the end of February. But the fences are still here and we're almost in September.
“It's really frustrating because it’s a difficult time for the industry. Hospitality is really struggling at the moment because of overheads in other areas in the business, so this is like one more nail in the coffin for us because it’s difficult for people to access our bar.”
Graham, who is a member of the Shore Business Collective, a group of around 100 local businesses, said the Leith Connections project has also had a detrimental impact on other businesses. He said: “The Barologist went out of business two months ago and Mimi's Bakehouse had to sell half their premises because of the challenges presented by this. Other businesses have taken loans out to reinvest just to stay afloat.
“One of the most damaging things to happen was when bus services to The Shore were completely taken away for two whole months in January and February. I think that's when we all felt the biggest pinch because there was no way for people to get down to us by public transport and drivers found it really difficult to get anywhere near us.”
The council’s transport and environment convener said it is with regret that the works in Sandport Place have ‘taken longer than initially anticipated’ and are now expected ‘to be completed in the next few weeks’.
Graham first learned about the project during the Covid pandemic, and in December last year he was notified that works would begin outside the Roseleaf Bar Café the following month. He said: “I was all in favour of the Leith Connections project and I still am, but the execution in terms of engagement with local businesses and how it’s been implemented is what I have an issue with.
“I'm a local resident, I run a business here and my son goes to school here, so anything that makes the area greener, more pedestrian friendly, I’m all for it. But it would have been really easy for the council to have a meeting with businesses prior to starting the work and instead we were having meetings afterwards. If they were talking to people beforehand, I think they'd get a better result.”
Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said, transport and environment convener, said: “I appreciate the concerns of this particular business, and I regret that these works have taken longer than initially anticipated. They have my continued thanks for their patience. The works at Sandport Place are due to be completed in the next few weeks.
“The Leith Connections project team have been in touch with residents and businesses in the area since before construction commenced, along with other key stakeholders. Our site teams are in regular discussion with local businesses and will continue to support them in every way possible.
“We’ll continue to promote the Shore alongside Leith and the north of Edinburgh more widely as a fantastic place to live, work, visit and do business in. Since the completion of the Trams to Newhaven project we’ve seen significant economic, social, and environmental benefits to the communities along the line.
“The wider project is about making it easier and safer for walking, wheeling and cycling in the north of our city – whilst improving our streets and community spaces for the benefit of all.”