Plans for big changes in how people travel around the city, proposals for a new high school in Kirkliston and a new primary in Greendykes, as well as the regeneration of Granton waterfront and new rules about houses in multiple occupation – all are matters which the public is being invited to comment on before final decisions are made.
The council’s consultations on the two new schools end this week and several others within a week or two, but online questionnaires on the council’s consultation hub make it easy to respond to the proposals. And there are more consultations which people can take part in on there too.
5. Niddrie Mains Road
Residents and visitors to Craigmillar and Niddrie are being invited to give their views on improving the look and feel of Niddrie Mains Road and its high street. It's part of the latest project based on Edinburgh’s 20-Minute neighbourhood strategy, which aims to ensure people can meet most of their daily needs within a short walk or cycle from their home. The project in Craigmillar and Niddrie is to establish convenient walking and cycling options and also develop the high street into a more relaxed and attractive setting for residents to socialise and spend time in. The consultation is linked to the one on a new Greendykes Primary school. Education convener Joan Griffiths said: "Craigmillar has benefitted from some fantastic regeneration in recent years, but the high street still has a lot of potential to become a more vibrant, attractive and inclusive space for everyone. We are calling for local people and businesses to share their views so we can develop a plan for school provision in the area, improved public spaces and to encourage people to access the high street, local facilities and greenspaces by active and sustainable travel." The consultation opened on May 10 and closes on Friday July 7. Photo: Edinburgh council
6. Nature conservation in Leith Parks
The council has secured funding from Greenspace Scotland to draw up plans and designs for nature conservation in parks in Leith. Six parks have been identified for the project and there have already been workshops with community groups, but now the council is asking people more widely for their views on the ideas put together by landscape architects in an overall plan. For the park at Tolbooth Wynd, the plan proposes creating a woodland garden with timber boardwalks, "bug hotels" and bird boxes. At Mill Lane Park, there could be a joint effort with Edinburgh Gurdwara to create a "Gurdwara Garden". Taylor Gardens could see wildflower planting around its margins, the creation of play mounds, fruiting trees, bug hotels and bird boxes, a trim trail and a café extension with seating. At Keddie Gardens, where there have been anti-social behaviour issues and the playground is prone to vandalism, the proposal is to make it "a robust natural play and exercise park with biodiverse planting". There could be a new entrance and mural, play mounds and basins, big stones and logs and wildflower planting around the margins. North Junction Street Park could be recast as an "art park" with spaces for outdoor performance/pop up events, the restoration of the existing memorial, new sculptural installations, mosaic feature at the gateway and artistic bird boxes and bug hotels. And Dalmeny Street Park could see the inclusion of a community garden, formal in style, with outdoor performances/exhibitions, raised planters, fruiting trees, pollen-rich flora, bird boxes and bug hotels, and a segregated area for dog exercise. People are asked to give their views by Wednesday July 12. Photo: Unknown
7. The Union Canal
The Union Canal runs through the heart of the city from the Lochrin Basin at Fountainbridge all the way out to Ratho and beyond. The city council and Scottish Canals are working together to update the Edinburgh Union Canal Strategy, originally produced in 2011 to guide its development and to promote a vision of what it could be. The consultation asks a series of questions on what would improve people's experience of the canal, with suggestions including wider towpaths, improved links to neighbouring streets, enhanced vegetation and wildlife, more safety features such as lighting and CCTV, more pontoons and access to the water for water sports, additional moorings for canal boats, more signage and information panels along the canal, better accessibility and more information of the heritage of the canal. It also asks what facilities people would like to see provided along the canal, such as toilets, coffee pods and places to sit. And it asks if people have recently spotted otters, bees, butterflies, toads, sparrowhawks, swifts, water voles, bats or fish. The consultation opened on June 5 and will close on Monday July 17. Photo: Lisa Ferguson
8. St Catherine's RC Primary School
St Catherine’s RC Primary School in Gracemount is in poor condition and is now to be rebuilt after the council decided it was "no longer economically prudent" to continue investing in the fabric of the existing building. The consultation offers three potential sites for the new school, but also gives people the chance to name an alternative. Option A is to redevelop the existing St Catherine’s Primary School site. Option B is the redevelopment of the pitches behind Gracemount Leisure Centre. And Option C is to redevelop the South East Neighbourhood Office. The council says it would also like to explore how the new school can support wider use, benefiting the community and the local area. The consultation opened on May 29 and will close on August 7. Photo: Edinburgh council