Edinburgh's East London Street: Residents to be asked if they back asphalt instead of setts to beat bus noise

Four-year wait likely for any resurfacing of East London Street

Residents in a New Town street at the centre of complaints about bus noise are to be asked if they would back replacing setts with asphalt – but they are likely to face a four-year wait for any such a change to happen.

People living in East London Street have claimed their sleep is regularly disturbed by buses going to and from the nearby Annandale Street garage late at night and early in the morning. And the street is also used as a diversion route for traffic when there are roadworks nearby.

A report to the city’s transport committee said the cost of replacing setts with asphalt would be up to £1.3 million, but also noted council policy was to protect and retain setted streets. And officials told the committee the budget available allowed for only one setted street to be renewed each year. East London Street was currently fourth on the list.

Residents in East London Street have complained about the noise from buses using their cobbled street early in the morning and late at night.

Mike Birch from New Town and Broughton community council urged the committee to progress the resurfacing of East London Street as a matter of urgency.

He said: “Although the latest data does show some reduction in westbound traffic the remaining numbers are staggering for a residential street. There are over 4,000 vehicles using this street every day – more than five times the number of vehicles using similar setted streets in the area that were also surveyed last year.”

He said although the report effectively ruled out replacing the setts because it was against the council's policy, several other streets in the New Town – including adjacent London Street – had seen the setts in their "central running lanes" replaced by asphalt.

Questioned by councillors, Mr Birch said in a survey of 230 residents in 2022, more than 80 per cent had supported resurfacing. “There is an overwhelming majority in favour of resurfacing the central running lane in exactly the same way as has been done in London Street.”

The report to committee recommended no further action on the issue, but the SNP proposed an amendment, arguing there could be merit in setting aside the council’s policy on setted streets in this case and calling for officials to launch an engagement exercise with heritage bodies and residents.

City Centre SNP councillor Finlay McFarlne pointed out that as well as being close the the bus garage, East London Street was near a fire station and a police station and was an important through route whenever there was anything wrong on Leith Walk. He said: “I don’t know whether it’s the right or wrong thing to move from setted to asphalt carriageway, I just think it’s a potential solution for a street that’s always going to have these problems with noise.”

Transport convener Scott Arthur said the bus garage has been there for 100 years and traffic levels were now lower than previously. But he accepted the SNP amendment and also an amendment from the Greens which welcomed the possibility of Green Street, on the other side of the bus garage, as an alternative route for buses, while noting it would lead to an increase traffic near Drummond High School and the need to ensure road safety.