Leith low traffic neighbourhood: Councillors accused of dismissing local people's experience

Leith Links community council welcomed the fact that measures which had been found beneficial would be kept, but argued more consideration should have been given to the impact of the bus gate at Links Place and increased traffic on some roads just outside the low traffic neighbourhood (LTN).

The city council’s traffic regulation order (TRO) sub-committee agreed on February 18 to make the scheme permanent as it stands, though council officers are proposing a new TRO process to move the bus gate from Links Place to Links Gardens.

There is a proposal to move the bus gate from Links Place to Links Gardens | supplied

Community council secretary Sally Millar claimed the community council had been painted as “negative and reactionary” but said they were trying to represent the views of local people

A survey by the community council found residents in the area were more or less evenly divided about the future of the LTN - which is part of the wider Leith Connections project - with those inside the LTN more likely to back the measures than those living around the perimeter.

A statement from the community council said: “The role of a community council is to keep local residents and businesses informed about matters that will affect them, in the area, and to consult members of the local community for their views, and to represent those views to the council, and elsewhere, so that the ‘voices’ of local people are heard. That is our job, and that is what we have been trying to do, over the LTN issues.

“Although we had suggested that the bus gate should be excluded from the approval, the community council is happy that the effects of Leith LTN which benefit many within the area have now been permanently established, for example quieter safer roads that encourage active travel, especially for children. Naturally, we want the best for our area and its residents.

“However it was disappointing that members of the TRO sub-committee apparently made no serious effort to understand or analyse the traffic monitoring figures (or lack of figures in many cases, such as no baseline measures to allow true comparison).

“Overall the committee just accepted unquestioningly what the Leith Connections team told them, and dismissed the experience of the people who live in the area, who consistently report evidence of displaced traffic causing increased congestion on the boundary roads, and correspondingly reduced quality of life for many who live and work just outside the LTN. The community council would like to see a better scheme for traffic monitoring in future.”

Ms Millar said: “We’re disappointed they did not question the bus gate. They could have taken a decision to accept the LTN, just excluding the bus gate. We feel that would have been a more appropriate decision given that even the Leith Connections team admit the bus gate isn’t really effective as it stands. We were disappointed they didn’t explore that option.”

Rachael Revesz of campaign group Liveable Leith, which backed the LTN, said they were pleased with the decision to make the scheme permanent.

She said: “If you look at the data across six months and 12 months, the results have been broadly very positive. There has been a lot of talk about pollution on boundary roads but the data doesn’t back that up. There’s one area on Great Junction Street near the foot of the Walk that has seen an increase.”

And she said most of the time there were baseline figures to compare the six-month and 12-month findings with. “There’s only a minority of cases where there wasn’t a baseline.”

Chas Booth, Green councillor for Leith, said: “As a local ward councillor, I took the views of everyone who commented on this application into account, including everyone who supported and everyone who opposed the scheme.

“No views were dismissed at all, but when the majority of constituents support a scheme and a smaller number oppose it, a decision needs to be made which some people will be unhappy with.

“I also took into account the considerable amount of monitoring which the council undertook, including on air quality and traffic counts, which showed an improvement in air quality all around the boundary of the scheme with the exception of one location on Great Junction Street. That data also showed that total traffic counts were down across the scheme, with the exception of on Duncan Place.

“I want to reassure residents that I will continue to listen to all views about this scheme, and in particular will listen to any concerns that residents have as the council considers possible future improvements to the scheme, such as moving the bus gate or changing the traffic calming on Duncan Place.

“Overall the vast majority of constituents who contacted me about this scheme were in favour, and the evidence collected by the council suggests it has been incredibly successful at reducing traffic. But I will continue to scrutinise any future traffic counts or other data produced by the council about this scheme.”

TRO sub-committee convener Councillor Margaret Graham said: “When taking this decision last week we carefully considered all of the views that were expressed on the matter – including both those who objected and were supportive.

“These were considered in conjunction with the monitoring work that the council has undertaken. In this we can clearly see the positive impacts on air quality, traffic counts, pedestrians and cyclist numbers. There has also been a majority in favour of the scheme when it comes to the Council’s market research, responses to the consultation and the community council’s own survey.

“We will continue to listen to the views of residents on this issue and make the best decisions possible with the evidence that we have.”