Latest news with #StephenJenkinson
Scottish Sun
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Busy road in major Scots city to close for THREE YEARS
PLAN AHEAD Busy road in major Scots city to close for THREE YEARS Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DRIVERS have been warned that a busy road in a Scottish city will be closed for three years. Motorists in Edinburgh will be faced with major disruption that is set to last until the summer of 2028 as works get underway at a local high school. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 It comes amid ongoing construction works at Trinity Academy in Edinburgh Credit: Andrew Barr - The Sun Glasgow Construction works are being carried out at Trinity Academy on Craighall Avenue as part of an ongoing project by the local council. The project has already seen a new recreation and sports facility built at Bangholm, which opened in 2022. And now the latest phase will see most of the building demolished and rebuilt in a bid to increase the school's capacity. It will mean the number of pupils will increase from 950 to 1,200, even though the building itself will take up a smaller space. This will leave an empty space, which is expected to be used as an area for both Trinity Primary and Trinity Academy to share a campus. However, the works will cause a stretch of the road near Trinity Academy to shut down until the summer of 2028. I appreciate this closure will be disruptive for local residents and businesses – they have my thanks for their patience and understanding Councillor Stephen Jenkinson A section of Craighall Road officially closed to drivers on Tuesday morning, with residents given little notice. According to the Edinburgh Evening News, the road has been closed in an effort to separate the public from the construction works. Locals received a newsletter about the latest updates on the construction works. And it explained that the road closure will help make sure that materials and equipment will be delivered to the site safely. Major Road Closure: 200-Mile Detour and Traffic Updates (1) It added that it will "ensure the clear segregation between construction activities and all members of the public". The closure stretches from Craighall Avenue to Grandville, however, the footpath opposite Craighall Avenue will remain open. The school will also remain open while the works are carried out. Pupils located in the areas of the building which are affected by the works are being relocated to other temporary classrooms. Green councillor and co-leader Kayleigh Kinross-O'Neill told the Edinburgh Evening News that many locals have contacted her about the sudden road closure. The complex refurbishment and expansion of Trinity Academy will bring positive benefits for the whole community, but this will take time Councillor Stephen Jenkinson She said: 'I've been contacted by several constituents who learned about the road closure near Trinity very suddenly. 'We want to ensure safety and mobility as a priority, and residents should also be given the opportunity to give feedback on changes on their doorstep.' Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, told the Scottish Sun that the works will "take time" and thanked locals for their patience. He said: 'I appreciate this closure will be disruptive for local residents and businesses – they have my thanks for their patience and understanding. 'Throughout the project, our primary concern is for the safety of residents, particularly young people attending school. 'We'll continue to engage with local stakeholders as the work progresses. "Ultimately, the complex refurbishment and expansion of Trinity Academy will bring positive benefits for the whole community, but this will take time.'
BBC News
01-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Edinburgh's 12-hour bus lane pilot delayed by a year
A pilot as part of plans for the 12-hour extension of bus lanes in Edinburgh has been delayed by about a agreed last year to a pilot of the 7-7-7 scheme, where bus lanes operate from 07:00 to 19:00 seven days a week - on the number 44 route from Juniper Green to was to get under way earlier this year but was held up due to traffic it is hoped the pilot will be up and running by February 2026. Travel patterns Currently most bus lanes in Edinburgh only operate during peak hours of 07:30 - 09:30 and 16:00 and 18:30 Monday to Friday, with cars able to use them outside of those since the Covid lockdown it has been argued that travel patterns have changed and therefore the restrictions need to cover a larger part of the agreed on a trial on one bus route rather than an immediate roll-out after a consultation found mixed 2015, many bus lanes across the city operated 07:30-18:30 Monday to Saturday or 24 hours a Jenkinson, City of Edinburgh Council's transport and environment convener, said: "Making public transport more efficient, reliable, and reducing journey times, are key objectives for us."I share the frustration over the delayed rollout of this trial."Officers are working with transport partners to secure the necessary funding and progress experimental traffic orders to deliver improved bus priority infrastructure."
Scotsman
26-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Bid to halt Edinburgh George Street revamp defeated
A bid to scrap the £35 million plans to revamp Edinburgh's George Street has been rejected by councillors. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The city's transport and environment committee voted down a Tory proposal that because of the lack of any confirmed funding for the project, the council should opt for a maintenance-only approach instead. The George Street plans are to remove parking and reroute buses, turning it into a pedestrian and cycle zone with vehicles excluded for most of the day. Pavements are to be widened and trees planted at each end of the street, along with planters and benches. The full revamp of George Street would see the current parking down the centre of the street removed, buses rerouted, the pavement widened and vehicles excluded for most of the day. | supplied Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad City Centre Tory councillor Joanna Mowat said: 'The elephant in the room is we still don't have any money and are reliant on applying to third parties and having this money granted to us before we can put a single shovel in the ground.' She said a report to the committee made clear it would cost £10.5m to carry out maintenance to bring George Street up to standard. And she argued that could be paid for with the parking revenue from the street of £3.2m a year. 'We should just be realistic - that's what we've got, that's what we can afford, let's do the maintenance schedule from the parking income rather than having a £35m fantasy budget. 'I don't see, given the financial climate we're in and the pressures on government funding, that we're suddenly going to get this money.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But officers said a 'do minimum' scheme would not meet the criteria for external funding. And committee convener Stephen Jenkinson said: 'It's perfectly normal not to have all the funds sitting in a bank account ready to be spent. As you move through developing a project, at various different stages you will draw down funding both internal and external.' Some of the money for the George Street revamp is likely to come from the city's planned Visitor Levy; there could also be contributions from developers; and the main source is expected to be various Scottish Government and Transport Scotland funding channels. The committee agreed to proceed with the full scheme to the next stage, advertising the road traffic orders, while keeping options open for future cost savings, for example by changing some of the materials. But it was agreed to rule out two 'do minimum' options - the maintenance-only proposal advocated by the Tories and another which would include the removal of parking. However, SNP transport spokesman Neil Gardiner said: 'This project needs a lot of scrutiny. Until we understand the money side of it we should not be taking any of the options off at this stage.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He said it was possible the money could be better used elsewhere. "We will make our decision on whether to proceed or not on the basis of future reports." Lib Dem councillor Hal Osler said she was ' deeply concerned' about the level of funding. She said: 'Of course, as a council, we should have aspiration and we should bring forward something that isn't just a 'do minimum' approach. But we have to be realistic about the situation we're in and this is public funding. We do have to make a decision whether it is actually going to be worth spending £35m on something.' Green councillor Chas Booth said: 'We share a lot of people's concerns about the cost of this project but the question is: What do we do about that? 'The Conservative position is to say 'Scrap the whole scheme' - but we've heard from officers that might actually increase the financial exposure of the council. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We've heard there is the potential for external funding if we proceed with this scheme and I think that's the right thing to do. And we've heard from officers that, if that financing is not available they will come back to us for a further decision.' The George Street Association, which represents the street's businesses and other organisations, gave its backing to the full revamp. In a written submission, association chair Dr William Duncan said the other options simply deferred essential infrastructure work that will need to be done He said: 'George Street should look and operate very much better than it currently does. Planning its transformation has been under discussion for far too many years and it needs to move forward at pace to deliver the high-quality changes needed for the future success of this iconic 'go to place,' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We do not agree with those who might want to put this project on hold or not to proceed, because the physical condition of the public realm in George Street has deteriorated due to lack of investment for decades, meaning that status quo is not an acceptable or credible alternative. 'The need has gone beyond a facelift – the street needs major work done and the longer this is delayed the more extensive and expensive it will be.' Afterwards, Cllr Jenkinson said he was pleased the committee had agreed to move forward with the project. "This is a unique opportunity to bring one of Edinburgh's most important streets into the modern world whilst still maintaining its unique history and features. "The wider potential improvements are vast, from benefits to local residents and businesses to enhancing Edinburgh as a visitor destination, and beyond – we're on our way to delivering a bold new vision for George Street and our city centre.'
Scotsman
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Edinburgh's George Street revamp includes £4.8 million for anti-terrorism measures
The revamp of Edinburgh's George Street as a largely pedestrianised area will include £4.8 million worth of reinforced bollards and super-strong planters to stop terrorist attacks by vehicles being driven into crowds. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The "Hostile Vehicle Measures" (HVM) will be installed at all junctions along the street. And the bollards on the carriageway will also double as a method of controlling access, being raised or lowered to allow vehicles into the area at the permitted times. The move follows government anti-terrorist advice and is designed to prevent incidents like the attacks on Christmas markets in Europe, when people were killed by vehicles driven into crowds. The bollards and planters at the junctions are reinforced in case of a terrorist attack | City of Edinburgh Council Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The bollards and planters will look like normal street furniture but they will have reinforced foundations so they can block even heavy vehicles. Transport convener Stephen Jenkinson said: "If someone decides to drive a car into one of these planters, it's going to wreck the car." Councillors will this week be urged to back the £35 million George Street scheme - which would see parking removed, vehicles excluded from the street between 10.30am and 7pm Monday-Saturday and 12.30-7pm on Sundays and trees planted at each end of the street. But they will also be asked to keep options open for potential future savings. However, there appears to be consensus that the anti-terrorist measures must be kept as a crucial part of the plans. Cllr Jenkinson said: "We're all aware of the terrorist incidents there have been, and it's the one aspect of the project that unites all the parties - that we need to ensure, whatever we do with George Street, that it is safe. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Unfortunately we live in a world these days where we have to consider hostile vehicles and ensure we have mitigation in place. 'The pavements are going to be significantly widened on both sides and the concept design is that it will be a much more outdoor cafe type culture in George Street, so the street will be used in a different way and there will be people not just walking, but also sitting enjoying George Street. 'An assessment of the plans has been done by officials in the Scottish and UK governments and the Home and this is the recommendation that's come from above - that when we design streets we have to ensure we are protecting pedestrians and taking these issues into consideration." In London in 2017, eight people were killed and 48 injured when attackers ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge in a hired van before launching a deadly knife attack in nearby Borough Market. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad On 20 December 2024, an SUV was driven into a crowd at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing five people and injuring around 300 others. And there had been previous Christmas market attacks in other European cities, including Berlin in 2016, when a truck was deliberately driven into the crowd, leaving 12 dead and 56 others injured. Lib Dem transport spokesman Kevin Lang agreed the HVM measures were essential for George Street. He said: 'One area we definitely o not want to be scrimping and saving on is the security measures planned at the junctions, which would effectively prevent vehicles from driving through what is going to become a pedestrianised area. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Given the events we have seen, not just in the UK but in other parts of the world, I think we need to recognise that this is a high profile street in Edinburgh and as part of the improvements there is significant investment planned in these measures to stop heavy vehicles from getting access. 'When we are looking at how to save money, which is a legitmate thing to focus on - we're very keen we get absolute value for money, one area we definitely don't want to see being removed are these safety measures. 'Whatever way you look at it, the number one most important thing is protecting the safety of the people who are using George Street. 'I think we need to recognise that if we're investing in George Street there is always the potential it becomes a high profile target and if we are moving forward with pedestrianisation that every measure is taken to ensure pubic safety comes first.'
Scotsman
23-06-2025
- Scotsman
Council chiefs looking at road safety measures after incident near Edinburgh school
Council chiefs are to consider a series of safety improvements near an Edinburgh school after a boy was reported to have been hit by a van and knocked off his scooter. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The incident happened in September last year, near the junction of Comiston Road and Morningside Drive, as the boy was on his way to South Morningside Primary School. His mother petitioned the council's transport and environment committee in December, calling for immediate safety measures to stop a child being killed. Nadia Cunden, who has two children at the school, said many parents were frightened every day when they took children to school. South Morningside Primary School Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She claimed the daily journey to school was unsafe, with signs hidden by bushes, bins blocking drivers' and pedestrians' view and a shortage of lollipop patrols. A site visit involving officials and ward councillors was held last month and an update to the committee sets out a number of observations. 'The crossing patrol guide's visibility is obscured by buses waiting at the stop on Comiston Road. The bus shelter at Braidburn is obstructing the footway. The location of this bus stop also obscures visibility of traffic signals. 'Signage located in front of a set of traffic signals is obscuring visibility. A green lamp is not operating at one set of signals, a 20mph sign is obscured by a bus stop and the signpost is loose. A school warning sign is misaligned. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Suggestions include a zebra crossing at Comiston Drive/Road, continuous footways at Greenbank Avenue and Comiston Gardens, and buildouts for Greenbank Drive and Crescent. 'Some footways are narrow or uneven. The yellow box junction markings are faded, and road markings overall require to be refreshed. 'Residential parking around Craiglea Drive should be reviewed with consideration given for installing red lines. 'Overhanging vegetation is obscuring signage at one location. Hedge encroachment is reducing footway width on Comiston Road. A bin hub is causing an obstruction and impeding pedestrian access on footway.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And the update concludes: 'Officers from the Road Safety team will liaise with colleagues to consider these observations as part of the School Travel Audit process.' The update also notes that as part of the council's approved Road Safety Delivery Plan, new 'pedestrian facilities' are already planned at the junctions of Morningside Drive and Comiston Road, and Craiglea Drive and Comiston Road this financial year. Committee convener Stephen Jenkinson said: 'It is important when there has been any incident involving children near school, or on their way to school or their way home, that the road safety team do a thorough investigation and then liaise with the school community to see what steps can be put in place to see that it doesn't happen again. 'I'm really pleased that members of the committee, officers and the school community have got together to discuss this. A lot of issues have been highlighted and I'm sure the discussions and recommendations made as part of those sessions will be considered carefully by officers as they develop school road safety initiatives, not only in South Morningside but across the city.'
