As part of the Leith Connections project changes were made to how traffic moves around North Leith, including removing non-residential through motor traffic, adding new pedestrian and cycle routes and helping buses travel through the area.  This has created a Liveable Neighbourhood, also known as a Low Traffic Neighbourhood.

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From Leith Links to Sandport, the project monitoring generally shows reduced motor traffic and slower average traffic speeds, better air quality, quieter streets, and more people walking and cycling.  In a survey of people in the area, 74% think these changes have made the area better.  Only 6% don't like them.

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The Council have funded a 6-month monitoring report and a 12-month monitoring report.  

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The Council is about to decide whether to make these changes permanent.

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The decision on what will become permanent and what will be undone will be made by the Traffic Regulation Orders Sub-Committee on the 18th February.  If, like us, and like most people in Leith, you think the Low Traffic Neighbourhood has been a big success and should be made permanent, please email the Councillors on this sub-committee, in your own words to ask them to make the scheme permanent.  You can write to all the Councillors on the sub-committee.

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They are:

• Cllr Margaret Arma Graham 

• Cllr James Dalgleish    

• Cllr Sanne Dijkstra-Downie    

• Cllr Fiona Glasgow    

• Cllr Tim Jones    

• Cllr Kevin Lang    

• Cllr Lesley Macinnes    

• Cllr Kayleigh O'Neill    

• Cllr Norman Work 

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Their email addresses are:

Cllr.Margaret.Graham@edinburgh.gov.uk, Cllr.James.Dalgleish@edinburgh.gov.uk, Cllr.Sanne.Dijkstra-Downie@edinburgh.gov.uk, Cllr.Fiona.Glasgow@edinburgh.gov.uk, Cllr.Tim.Jones@edinburgh.gov.uk, kevin.lang@edinburgh.gov.uk, lesley.macinnes@edinburgh.gov.uk, Cllr.Kayleigh.ONeill@edinburgh.gov.uk, norman.work@edinburgh.gov.uk

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You can also copy in your local ward councillors, to ensure they know how many people find the changes to be beneficial. Although your local ward councillors don’t make the final decision, their opinion will be valuable to the councillors on the committee. You can find who your local councillors are by inputting your postcode here: https://www.writetothem.com/ 

 

What can I say?

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You should use your own words, and make your email as long or as short as you like, but shorter is usually better.

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Always include your name, address and postcode so councillors know that you are a resident of Leith or Edinburgh.

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Councillors on the TRO sub-committee aren’t allowed to comment on the scheme, but they are allowed to acknowledge your email. Your local councillors *can* express a view on the scheme (as long as they’re not members of the TRO sub-committee) so you can ask them for their views.

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We are encouraging residents to specifically ask councillors to agree to make the low traffic neighbourhood permanent. 

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You might also want to include your personal reasons that you support the scheme. Does it make it easier to walk to school with your kids? Have you noticed the air is cleaner? Do you appreciate the benches or street art that were included in the scheme? 

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The Council's Transport and the Environment Committee heard about the Liveable Neighbourhood when it met on the 30th January.  Although they do not make the final decision on the scheme, they heard a presentation from Liveable Leith.  You can see the written submission we made here.​

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Thank you for taking action which will help make Leith a more liveable place !