Our Consultation Response
Edinburgh Council has published its consultation into a north/south tram route, which is heavily focused on the two options put forward by the Council for the north route to Granton: the Roseburn Path or Orchard Brae.
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We have carried out an initial review of the consultation documents provided by the Council. The Council has attempted to address some of the concerns previously raised by us with their re-design of the route using the Roseburn Path, by reducing it to a single track and maintaining some walking, wheeling and cycling provisions directly alongside the tram tracks.
Our view
It is clear that even with the changes made to the design there is no workable compromise that can adequately protect the Roseburn Path as a fantastic green space, linear park, active travel route and wildlife corridor.
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The Council recognises (as shown in the quotes used below which come directly from the Consultation documents):
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1) there will be a “permanent loss of woodland and habitat” to a designated Local Nature Conservation Site and Biodiversity Site, with significant negative impacts on ecology including the many species of bats, birds, amphibians and small mammals that live on or use the path. “Despite proposed mitigation, it would weaken ecological connectivity and resilience.”
2) that with this loss, the City will also lose the precious greenspace and amenity value of the linear park, together with all the social physical and mental wellbeing benefits that come with it. “Tranquility and informal ambience of the current corridor may be diminished” and it will affect the “landscape quality and environmental character of the city.”
3) that the plan would fundamentally alter the nature of one of Edinburgh’s most popular active travel routes, making it a less attractive option for travel or leisure activities like jogging or dog walking: “it will feel different and busier, and may impact on how certain population groups use this corridor e.g. children, older people.” “transformation into a tram route will alter the landscape from semi-natural green-space to a more structured multi-modal corridor (with less vegetation)
In addition, questions remain over the design of the active travel provision that has been proposed, particularly at the southern end of the path. Cycling campaign Spokes have highlighted “the position from Roseburn Terrace bridge to Russell Road is confused.”
Most concerningly, the Council accepts the negative impact this plan could have on our community in several places in the documentation. The Council’s advisors Jacobs specifically reference the more notable impact of the construction phase on children.
The plan put forward by the Council is unjustified, unwanted and unfundable. It fails on major areas of national policy, on which we will provide more information to Councillors as part of our more detailed submission mentioned below. ​​
The Dean Bridge?
The choice presented between a tram on the Roseburn Path or a tram on the Dean Bridge is a false one. Other route options can and should be explored. The suggestion that the Dean Bridge could be demolished has been widely publicised - we are clear that we could never support a plan which involved such a brazen destruction of the city’s heritage. A core value of our campaign is focused around defending the spaces that matter to people. The Dean Bridge and the Roseburn Path both matter.
Costs
The council has stated that the costs of the scheme could reach £3bn. This is at a time when vital public services are being cut due to a lack of funds. The financing of this plan will affect city wide spending for generations with effects on schools, social care, roads and other important council services. We must hold politicians to account:- given the sums involved, any material investment in our city’s infrastructure must deliver fundamental benefits to the people that live in South East Scotland as a whole.
What Next and How You Can Help
We will prepare a fuller and detailed response which we will submit to Transport Scotland and discuss with Councillors and MSPs.
In the meantime, we urge all Edinburgh residents to respond to the consultation and consider our Consultation Guidance when doing so.
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Please also consider writing to your MSP. This project also has a national significance outside of Edinburgh, and those who are resident outside of the city can also make their views known to their MSPs.