Dr Bells Greenspace Survey

Dr Bells Family Centre undertook a consultation involving 100 people this September. They focussed on two main topics. Firstly they asked people about how they felt about the centre itself. They also asked people about their perceptions of the green spaces in Leith. Here's the main points of the green space part of the consultation:

Key Positives

• Well maintained Good place for walking and exercise
• Good place for kids to play Clean
• Good place for sports The Links is good
• Convenient link to city Good for cycling
• Leith festival

Key Issues

• Lack of toilets Dog litter
• Drunks/Alcoholics Poor maintenance
• Litter Youth Disturbances
• Vandalism Drug use
• No police presence Fear of Crime
• Poor drainage Not enough bins and seating

Key Points to be taken forward

• More seating Specific ‘dog zones’
• More dog ‘facilities’ More CCTV/better lighting
• More facilities e.g. toilets, cafes Develop cycle paths
• Increase police presence/park wardens (Improve safety and security)
• Better maintenance(cleaning, play areas)

To some extent these results echo some of the findings of the Leith Links Ask. It's clear that people value the green spaces of Leith as places to exercise and play. People are keen to see better facilities in the parks, and better infrastructure. However, it's clear that there's a perception that the council are not getting some of the basic maintenance right, particularly with regards to play parks and community safety. Overall the consultation notes that a majority of people are broadly happy with the Dr Bells Centre, and indeed the quality of life that Leith provides.

It's great to see a commitment from Dr Bells to work to represent the interests of children and families in this area and Greener Leith has already had some contact with them on this issue. Hopefully, we'll end up working together to try to tackle some of these points.