Ten-year masterplan for Leith Links - your views online

A new consultation has been launched, seeking the views of residents on a masterplan for Leith Links for the next ten years. An outdoor gym, an activity park and a bandstand are among the suggestions for changes.

Kirsty Simpson: Leith Links is fab and the addition of the new playpark has been a great improvement. How about you spend the money on areas of need? I have banged on for years the lack of safe play spaces in and around Westburn/Wester Hailes. No money been put into this area for years and it’s shocking. Edinburgh Council seen to favour areas that are already thriving over those in need.

Karolina Pam: Build student housing and Airbnbs. Definitely not enough of tho se.

Annie Welsh: Annie Welsh: I love Leith Links and some of the proposals sound good, but I would prefer to see more investment in education, health and roads first. Get the basics a bit closer to being sorted.

Crowds enjoying the Edinburgh Mela festival held on Leith Links in 2018

Yvonne Fawkes: Leave it as it is. Anything new anywhere in Leith or Edinburgh gets vandalised anyway, so it will be a waste of money as usual. Leith has been through enough over the years. Give us a break.

Malcolm Montgomery: Cut the grass, sweep the paths, empty the bins. Do that all regularly and property year- round.

Scott Rankin: I hope that they include Leith Athletic Football Club and their requirements so they can continue to be allowed to offer facilities to all the boys and girls who want to play football. LAFC have been custodians in the Links for 30 years with the initial ideas of giving young boys something to do, and have grown into one of the biggest and best run clubs in Scotland.

Tia Stockdale: Why can they not just leave things alone? I wonder how much it will cost and how long we will be without the park as they move in to do the work and then charge us dearly and stop dogs because they won’t be allowed in the park trampling the gardens? It all comes at a cost.

Karol Mason: Never say the word “masterplan” – it always ends up in disaster.

Pete MacDhùghaill: Not really true. The Saughton Park restoration project started with a masterplan and just look at it now – magnificent. The Links could do with a proper plan for improvement.

Rose Ann Crawford: Since the roundabout was taken away it’s been a huge pocket of pollution, with nose-to-tail traffic in all directions. I feel for the owners on the main road.

Brian Kitt: Leave it as it is but add some more waste bins. It’s ridiculous how few there are.

Gareth Cranston: Build a bigger and better park, get a skate park in it and build an indoor activity club. There is plenty of space in the Links to make it more worthwhile to the community.

John Smith: Ripe for development. The sale of land would allow the council to borrow even more money for future generations to deal with. I recon they’d get at least £2bn for the Meadows. Clear their debt overnight…

John Rushbrook: The idea that a “bandstand” is a great use of taxpayers’ cash is vomit-inducing.

Underbelly’s time up

Unique Events, the founders of Edinburgh's official Hogmanay celebrations are set to win back the right to run the event from rival firm Underbelly. The Edinburgh-based company, collaborated with the council to launch the Hogmanay event 29 years ago.

Mandy Garden: Time to start celebrating New Year at the Tron as it used to be before the money-makers got involved.

Clara Macleod: You've nearly always had that option for the past 25 years. Yet hardly anyone takes that option because they prefer the organised event.

Renée La Racineuse: Underbelly were so hated that folk would have cheered if they had given it to the Taliban.

Graham Rodger: For a capital city we are very keen to pay others and let them profit. There is nothing to stop the council expanding to incorporate a division to take this on. Seems to me they're happy to throw money on other projects but not far-sighted enough to see how Edinburgh could benefit by employing the right people. A capital city but a small-minded council.

Tricia Forbes: Why are they not doing the Christmas festival as well and keeping all the profits in Scotland?

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