Leithers Join Forces On Harbour Plans

Greener Leith, Leith Links Community Council and Leith Central Community Council have joined forces to send a strong message to the planning committee and Forth Ports about local residents concerns over Forth Ports 'Edinburgh Harbour' proposals.

In a week when thousands of Leithers signed up in just one week to protest against the rebranding of the Port of Leith, our statement calls for:

• The renaming of the Edinburgh Harbour plans to make sure Forth Ports really does live up to its stated intention of putting "Leith on the map."
• A greater commitment to promoting active travel in the proposals. Currently the proposals are too 'car focussed', and give no indication how key interchanges and routes will be designed to maximise green travel.
• Forth Ports and the council to make sure that the development really will be heated, powered and cooled as sustainably as possible.
• A re-examination of the housing and buisiness mix to favour larger more family oriented homes and more 'live/work' units suitable for artists and small creative businesses.
• Greater support for the restoration of Leith Theatre, as the premier cultural venue in Leith.
• A ban on all tall buildings to protect views in and around Leith and the Edinburgh World Heritage Site.
• Larger parks that are built earlier, not built as an afterthought.
• Clear plans for the long term maintenance of all open spaces.
• An end to misleading imagery and terminology in the application documents.

You can download the whole statement by clicking here (pdf).

Alastair Tibbitt, Chair of Greener Leith said "Together volunteers from all three organisations have gone through the Forth Ports proposals with a fine tooth comb, and whilst we are wholeheartedly in favour of the regeneration of the Leith Docks area, we have some serious reservations about many aspects of the "Edinburgh Harbour" proposals. We hope both Forth Ports and the City of Edinburgh council planning committee take on board what Leithers would like to see from the regeneration of their neighbourhood."