Portobello revamp: Make sure to tell councillors what you think about 20-minute neighbourhood plans – Steve Cardownie

Councillors up at Edinburgh’s City Chambers continually bend our ears about how much they value feedback from the public and how much they value hearing the views of local people.

This, they tell us, is important, as it helps them to make informed decisions and avoid establishing policies that are unpopular and which fuel resentment.

There are, of course, several examples where councillors have turned a deaf ear to opinions that did not conform to their preferred strategy – “Spaces for People” and the extension of on-street parking charges to name but two. And, mindful of this, members of the public could be forgiven for thinking that such consultation exercises are futile, which although understandable, would be a shame.

Councillors should take on board all the facts, figures and expressions of opinions at their disposal prior to reaching decisions. They would argue that it is impossible to please everyone all of the time. That being said, however, it still should not provide them with an excuse to impose unwanted initiatives that fly in the face of the results of a consultation exercise.

I say all this because this week the council embarked upon another such exercise, titled “Portobello – Living Well Locally”, which will stay open until April 14 this year. It forms part of the council’s 20-minute neighbourhood strategy which is designed to enable everyone to be able to access services and meet most of their daily needs within a short walk, wheel or cycle from their home.

We are told that the questionnaire aims to: understand what people think is important for the streets and public spaces in Portobello town centre and the local area; identify opportunities to improve access to local facilities and amenities; identify anything that limits people walking, wheeling and cycling to and within the town centre; and identify opportunities to improve the public realm.

The council hopes that the survey will provide an opportunity for people to bring forward their views and ideas to help inform the development of an initial plan for how the town centre and local area could be improved. And it promises to work with the local community and businesses as the plan develops.

Not being a resident of Portobello but a frequent visitor, I will be interested to see how all this pans out and whether or not local views will be respected. In this case, there is no reason to think that the council will be antagonistic to proposals that emerge as the objective is to improve what is already there.

Edinburgh Council is holding a consultation exercise on its plans for a '20-minute neighbourhood' in Portobello (Picture: Dan Phillips)

There is no doubt that cost will be a major factor and some people’s aspirations for the area may prove to be too expensive to realise but there is no harm in setting longer term goals, so long as they are coupled with some realism. So, the public have two months to let the council know what it thinks about Portobello, which is undoubtedly an important part of the city’s landscape and which welcomes thousands of visitors throughout the year. This is too good an opportunity to miss.