Edinburgh locals 'alarmed' over large sinkhole outside primary school, says councillor

As reported in the Evening News, Beach Lane in Portobello was cordoned off on Tuesday, April 1 after the sinkhole opened up in the middle of the street, right beside the Towerbank Primary School.

It is understood that the sinkhole was only repaired a couple of months ago.

The sudden reappearance of the sinkhole, has left residents aghast, with many locals taking to social media to vent their anger.

SNP Councillor Kate Campbell wants to know what Edinburgh City Council plans to do about the sinkhole and has called for a safety assessment.

Speaking to the Evening News, she said: “I can really understand why local people are alarmed. I’ve contacted council officers and asked for confirmation of the cause of the sinkhole, and also a safety assessment as soon as possible.

“We do need that reassurance that the area is safe, alongside an understanding of what the next steps will be.”

Green councillor Alys Mumford echoed those concerns, saying: “While we’ve been assured that the hole will be fixed soon, it’s understandable that people are feeling frustrated given the repeated issues in this area.

“This just speaks to the need for increased investment in Portobello’s infrastructure, particularly around our schools where we need to make sure people can walk, wheel and cycle safely. I’m keen to make sure we see long-term, sustainable solutions for this street, and the wider prom, not just a sticking plaster when things go wrong.”

The Conservatives’ Tim Jones has urged the Council to make the issue a priority. He said: “Parents are very worried about the safety of their children and need to be reassured as soon as possible that action is being taken by the Council to investigate what has happened.

“I want the Council to treat this as a priority and have asked to be kept updated until the issue is properly resolved.”

Transport and Environment Convener, Stephen Jenkinson, said: “Our Roads Operations team was alerted to this incident yesterday evening and made the area safe.

“We will now assess the site, investigate the cause and process any necessary repairs.”

The sinkhole sparked anger among locals earlier this week.

One local, who did not wish to be named, told the Evening News: “It's absolutely shocking. This was supposed to have been fixed and now it's just completely collapsed again. It's as if they just covered it up with a layer of tarmac.

“It's right outside the school, for heaven's sake. A child could easily fall into that hole. All they've done is put a plank of wood over it and a couple of road cones around it.

“It's all the kids are talking about outside the school this morning. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the boys want to investigate later. This needs to be fixed ASAP before someone has a serious accident.”

Posting on Facebook, another concerned resident called it “a serious health and safety hazard”, adding, “those friggin cones will get kicked away later on.”

Another person said: “Obviously they didn't do a decent repair last time this happened.”