An aerial view of the land where the relief road is planned to be built.
This View has been written by the Damhead and District Community Council
Midlothian Council have submitted their £55 million plans for reliving congestion at Straiton (25/00521/DPP. The Council claims a number of benefits ALL of which are either reliant on other developments and/or planning or based on inaccurate out of date information.
Benefits claimed:
– It will ease congestion around the Straiton Junction. FALSE
These claims are reliant on the delivery of the Sheriffhall level separation. This development at Sheriffhall is highly contested and does not as yet have planning permission. Even if Sheriffhall were to proceed, congestion modelling shows that traffic at Straiton Junction would worsen, not improve, under the Relief Road proposal.
– It will boost the local economy by £189 million (the timescale for this is not given). FALSE
This estimate is based on data including the roundabout between the A702 and Bush Loan, which already has planning permission (24/00520/DPP) and has funds available. The estimated boost has not been revised and as this new junction overcomes the restriction on development at Easter Bush, it is likely to have a considerable effect on the estimated boost from the Relief road. Neither has it been updated given the spiralling costs of the project.
– Will improve active travel. FALSE
The “Sustainable Travel Corridor” is independent of the Relief road, that aims to deal with the “issues with congestion on the route had impacted on local communities and pedestrians and cyclists”, and t is hoped that Midlothian Council deliver this in a way that overcomes the “Existing active travel routes are of poor quality, and safety issues have been identified for cyclists and pedestrians at numerous locations along the corridor.”
– Allow for the continued expansion of Midlothian Science Zone and the University of Edinburgh’s Easter Bush. FALSE
This has already been accomplished by the Council through the roundabout between the A702 and Bush Loan and is not reliant on the Relief Road.
Midlothian’s plans, we have compiled a list of the negative impacts of the Relief road that are likely to affect the local communities and the City of Edinburgh, as noted in the submitted plans.
Negative impacts:
– Increased traffic at the Straiton roundabout with or without the Sheriffhall level separation.
– Increased congestion at the Straiton Retail Park.
– Increased congestion at the A701/Burdiehouse junction and increased traffic at the A702/A703 traffic lights.
An almost doubling the number of vehicles on Old Pentland Road and the introduction of a staggered junction with the Relief road. This will be a high accident risk.
– Almost double the number of vehicles on the A703, directing traffic passed the planned Beeslack Replacement High School (24/00415/DPP).
In excess of 6,000 additional cars will be expected to drive through the school site which spans the A703. This section of road is at high risk of flooding and not suitable as a route robust to climate change. A road far narrower than the A701.
– Increase the risk of flooding in vulnerable high risk water courses, Boghall Burn (that feeds into the Esk) and Pentland burn (that feeds into Niddrie and Burdiehouse burns). This is as a result of unrestricted piping of surface water from the Relief road into both these water systems. This is highly likely to increase flood risk in both Biston and Burdiehouse.
– Remove prime agricultural land from this greenbelt area negatively effect the surrounding rural businesses. Impacting food security and climate resillience.
Result in loss of vulnerable wetland/marsh habitat and destruction of a valued ecological system. The resulting loss of green space has known welfare implications.
It is a missed opportunity to develop active and green travel options/networks including to the expanding Easter Bush Economic Area. It has no provision for buses and will separate the new housing in Bilston and Loanhead from Easter Bush.
Social media sites indicate little to no support for this development in the local communities of Bilston, Roslin, Loanhead or Penicuik.There is no evidence that this planning application for the Relief road has support from the businesses at Straiton and Loanhead or the University of Edinburgh. It will divide the rural communityof Damhead and restrict houses development in the sites for housing put forward in the MLDP2.
At a time when money for essentials such as the replacement Beeslack’s High School is so tight, why is Midlothian Council pursuing this?
Among the eight community councils without enough nominations is the one in Old Town.
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan
An Edinburgh councillor has made a call for reforms to community councils amid fears eight of them might not run for the next four years.
Among these are the community councils at risk are Old Town, Portobello and West Pilton / West Granton.
The eight community councils did not receive enough nominations for community members to take part in them. A second nomination period will run from 31st March until 17th April, but if not enough interest is received these community councils will not operate.
Labour councillor Margaret Graham has filed a motion for the next full council meeting asking officers to understand how community councillors felt about the last election process, and explore how community councils can be given more powers.
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I’m looking to give community councils more power and impact within the local community – give them something more to do than licensing and planning, which is their statutory role at the moment.
“With participatory budgeting, it’s looking to have them integrally involved in the process, and how the money for the TVL levy is going to be distributed, because each ward is going to be able to get a certain amount of money.”
Cllr Graham also said she worried about the stability of some community councils, as several are just one seat over the limit.
She said it was possible that some could disappear over the course of the next term, running for four years from 28 March, if any members on them resign.
The community councils in Craigmillar, Davidson’s Mains and Silverknowes, Firrhill, Hutchison / Chesser, Muirhouse / Salvesen, Old Town, Portobello and West Pilton / West Granton did not receive enough nominations to be established.
Some 39 other community councils received enough nominations to operate.
Culture and Communities convener, Labour councillor Val Walker said: “I’m really pleased that the vast majority of community councils have now been formed and will begin their work on March 28.
“I’d also encourage all residents in the remaining 8 community council boundaries to consider becoming a community councillor in the next nomination period.
“For further information on community councils and how to get involved please visit our website.”
Locals can also contact community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk for more information on how to get involved.
You can watch the discussion of the full council motion on Thursday, 20 March, which can be viewed HERE.
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Stuart Sommerville
A push for more power over vital decision that affect local towns and villages to be handed over to community councils, is set to be made at a national conference.
The Joint Forum of Community Councils in West Lothian said this week the time has come for community councils to have a greater say in issues which affect communities. and should have powers over planning decisions, town centre development as well as handling grants and other financial support for community groups.
There’s no reason, the Forum believes, that community councillors cannot take on many of the decision making responsibilities currently held by the 32 local authorities in Scotland.
The devolution of responsibility would be a boon in communities which have strong local identity and long established and active community councils, in towns such as Bathgate and even small villages such as Dechmont.
While the growth of community councils has been positive across West Lothian, there are some areas where it has been hard to sustain councils.
Critics say that in many areas, as with other elements of civic life, the “pool” of interested people willing to play an active role in the community tends to be small and distinct.
The Forum has invited community councils from across Scotland to join an online conference to look at ways in which the bodies, first set up fifty years ago can take on more powers to further localise decision making.
Launching the conference date for 10 June the Forum said: “West Lothian Community Councillors had an in depth debate at a conference on the subject and that produced a Blueprint for Future Community Councils calling for more responsibility and powers to be devolved to communities.
“We discussed the Blueprint with our local Council Officers and COSLA officials and put it forward as a contribution to the then ongoing examination of new arrangements for local democracy. The pandemic brought all that to a shuddering halt in 2020.”
The Forum added: “We think that it’s time to resuscitate the discussion particularly in the year when we will be celebrating the 50 year anniversary of the birth of Community Councils. In fact, we cannot think of a better subject for this anniversary year. So, we thought that we should make it a Scottish wide discussion for all Community Councillors, hence this invite.”
Community Councils have survived for 50 years, having been established in 1973, with little or no change to their powers or responsibilities since then. In that time local Councils have undergone a massive reorganisation from 9 regions and 53 districts and 3 Island Councils in 1973, into 32 unitary Councils in 1996.
A Forum spokesman said “No change was made during that reform to Community Councils, which in retrospect is surprising. This is an invitation to join us and Community Councils from all over Scotland for a discussion online on whether or not Community Councils should be part of a new system of devolved government and if we should form a Scottish Community Councils Forum group.”
The Forum has also invited COSLA, the umbrella organisation for the 32 Scottish local authorities and the Scottish Government.”
To register an interest in the conference, email westlothiancc@gmail.com.
