An Update By Coucillor Max Mitchell

Inverleith Park

Since the first lockdown eased, Edinburgh’s parks and greenspaces have seen a surge in popularity and usage. This has sadly also seen a rise in antisocial behaviour with litter being a major issue as well as the lack of public toilets available. Councillors of just about every political affiliation have highlighted these issues over the last year. Successful lobbying, and a better financial situation than expected, has seen £450,000 made available to create three ‘pop-up’ facilities in three popular parks – including Inverleith Park! The other two parks are The Meadows and Leith Links. These will be available from the end of June until the end of September to support the more popular summer months. In Inverleith, the Council is also investigating how to create a permanent solution for public toilets in Inverleith as well as finally fixing the long-running drainage issues. Certainly, since I became a councillor, and even before then, the lack of toilets in Inverleith Park and the constant drainage problems have arisen again and again.

Hamilton Place Toilets

Over in Stockbridge, after 14 months of closure, the public toilets on Hamilton Place reopened on 31st May. Concerns about their continued closure were frequently raised with me by residents and visitors of Stockbridge. It wasn’t for lack of trying that they weren’t opened sooner. Attempts were made on numerous occasions over the last year to open them, but the Council was unwilling to dedicate the resources and funding needed to get them open again. As a local resident, I have regularly seen how busy the area can be. For those with ‘hidden’ conditions or illnesses, older people or even just those looking to spend the day outside with friends or family, not having access to café or restaurant toilets has been incredibly problematic. The Water of Leith path passes through Stockbridge, there are nearby parks, the local town centre itself and, of course, the Sunday market, so it makes complete sense to reopen them.

Dean Path Slip and Footbridge

Although outwith the Stockbridge and Inverleith area, residents near and far have asked and continue to ask about the landslip and closure of Dean Path as well as, more recently, the closed footbridge between Hawthornbank and Damside. The Dean Path first closed in 2012 about two and half years ago. It reopened briefly before closing again in early 2016 when the remedial works failed and there was a lot of slope movement. The pathway was deemed entirely unsafe. After delays from a liability dispute and the pandemic, the land slip and the pathway are now on track to be repaired and reopened in October 2021. A tree survey is about to begin as part of the planning application to ensure only necessary trees are removed and no nesting birds or other wildlife, including the otters, are disturbed. Downstream, in April 2020, the footbridge between Hawthornbank Lane and Damside had to be closed due to safety concerns. Initially, it was thought to be just a broken step that could be quickly fixed. Unfortunately, after an inspection, the entire decking was found to be rotten and required substantial investment to fully repair the bridge. Work finally began in mid-May 2021 and was completed at the start of June. It’s a small but important and well-used link across the Water of Leith. Please don’t hesitate to contact Inverleith Ward councillor Max Mitchell by email, max.mitchell@edinburgh.gov.uk, or by phone 0131 529 4409, with any local issues or questions.

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