Consultation and Engagement Hub

We undertook a consultation to determine the level of support for a range of proposals to be included within the Activity Hub re-development of the disused bowling greens at Leith Links. This consultation also explored feedback and opinions towards transforming the pavilion into a café, toilet and community space. Prior to the survey on our consultation hub we delivered an activity hub consultation day at the bowling greens at Leith Links where we engaged a range of groups and local people and publicised the activity hub development. Some of these organisations and groups based in and around Leith included:

• Community council
• YMCA
• Earth in Common
• Primary and Secondary schools
• Area Councillors
• Local residents

This consultation progresses the original 2022 Leith Links masterplan which proposed the re-development of the bowling greens into an Activity Hub.

We held a public consultation on the proposed designs for the Activity Hub between 6 September 2023 and 21 October 2023.  

• Over 100 people attended our Activity Hub consultation day at the Leith Links bowling greens on 9 September 2023.
• 1082 people responded to our consultation via the hub.
• 92% of responses strongly agreed or agreed with transforming the vacant pavilion into a café with community space and toilets.
• 51% of responses strongly agreed or agreed that the café should have multiple levels.
• 84% of responses supported the proposed designs for the activity hub.
• 90% of responses strongly agreed or agreed that the activity proposals suit a range of user groups of different ages, abilities and interests.
• In addition to the skatepark which was already consulted on as part of the Leith Links Masterplan, the top 3 ranked activities for the hub were a pump track/bike trail, bouldering rocks and roller rink, respectively.
• Significant themes from feedback stressed the importance of incorporating biodiversity elements, including social seating, managing noise and ensuring that the space can be used for adults as well as children.

We would like to thank everyone who responded to the consultation.

We have already considered the comments and how to reflect them in the design. Where this is not possible, we will explore how other areas of the park can be adapted to accommodate some of these suggestions.

Our next step is updating the plans to take to Planning Committee early next year. After planning consent our focus will be on securing funding to take forward detailed designs and deliver the scheme. Further updates on this will be published on www.thrivinggreenspaces.scot

We asked

For your views of the impact, both positive and negative, that busking in Edinburgh has on you.

The survey

Told us that the majority are supportive of buskers and liked to hear them around the City, but are not OK with very loud buskers, or buskers performing the same thing, in the same place, for a long time.

We did

We are using your feedback and comments with the aim to better manage busking. The report ‘Amplification of Sound in Public Places’, including a summary report of the survey, is considered at Culture and Communities Committee on 5 October 2023. You can see the report, Item 7.1 here:

https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=139&MId=6781

The City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Canals are working in partnership to update the Edinburgh Union Canal Strategy.  Originally produced in 2011, we asked for views to help inform the updated strategy.

The consultation received 604 responses, with 599 from the Consultation Hub plus 5 additional responses via email.

• 90% of respondents are using the Union Canal to walk or wheel and 55% to cycle.
• Many respondents are using the Union Canal on a weekly (41%) or daily (36%) basis.
• The most common type of journeys completed are leisure journeys (93%), travelling to the shops (35%), and travelling to work (28%).
• Respondents enjoy the Union Canal due to the access to nature (54%), the path being away from traffic (43%), and that it is quiet (28%).
• Improvements that were most strongly supported: widening towpaths (74%), enhancing vegetation and wildlife (46%), and introducing safety features such as lighting and CCTV (42%).
• The most popular facilities to be integrated are places to sit (60%), toilets (57%), and coffee kiosks (38%). Some flagged that having toilets in coffee facilities would be helpful.
• Respondents would feel safer using the Union Canal given management of cyclist speeds (30%), lighting at night (17%), and widening of the towpath at bridges (11%). Antisocial behaviour in different formats was also flagged as a risk to individual safety.
• 80% of respondents felt that biodiversity along the Union Canal was very important.
• 51% felt the Union Canal’s biodiversity benefited their wellbeing and /or mental health.
• Pollinators (73%), butterflies (67%), and birds (61%) were the most spotted species along the Union Canal.

Thank you for responding to this consultation.

The project team, which is made up of officers from Scottish Canals and the City of Edinburgh Council, will integrate responses and feedback into the refreshed Edinburgh Union Canal Strategy.

Updates and progress will be available in the refreshed Edinburgh Union Canal Strategy as well as on https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/unioncanal.