What the candidates are saying - Liberal Democrats

We asked all political parties to set out their position on the future of the Roseburn Path ahead of the Scottish elections, and we welcome the responses received.

Several candidates have given strong, clear commitments to protect the path as a valued green corridor and safe, accessible route for walking, wheeling and cycling. These responses recognise the path’s importance to the local community and align closely with our call to safeguard it for future generations.

We were delighted to receive commitment from the Liberal Democrats that no tram will be built on the Roseburn Path, should they be elected.

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Liberal Democrat candidate for Edinburgh Northern

"The Liberal Democrats are firmly opposed to the extension of the tram on the Roseburn path. We have been vocal in our opposition from the start and ran a petition which was signed by over 3,000 residents. We are extremely concerned about the loss of an important green space and nature corridor, and the impact on those who currently use this beautiful route to walk, wheel or cycle safely away from traffic. 

Below is a section of my speech to the Council’s Transport Committee in February 2024, when we succeeded in removing the ‘preferred option’ label from the Roseburn path route in last year’s consultation:

“The Roseburn path has been described as a well-being route, a linear park, an important green space loved by many, many people in north and west Edinburgh and beyond. It is a nature corridor and a home to wildlife in the heart of our city - an amazing example of a rewilded industrial space. It’s a lifeline for city kids and a tram through it will forever alter that.

The path network is honestly one of the best things about living in north Edinburgh. It is now a completely traffic-free connection from Leith and Newhaven to Haymarket (and now the canal).  And as with any network - to lose even just a section of it is to diminish all of it.”

At Transport Committee, I also asked for a cheaper and more flexible rapid bus (BRT) option to be investigated as an alternative to a tram on the northern corridor, but this request did not receive enough support from other councillors. 

While Liberal Democrats are open to the extension of an on-road tram network, this cannot be at any cost or using Council tax funds to pay for it (and right now, there is no serious prospect of Government funding for the extension.) But we want to be really clear; the Lib Dems do not support a tram on the Roseburn path."

Photo: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, photo source