HERITAGE leaders have taken the unusual step of joining forces to call on Scotland's second largest councils to suspend plans for a new “Gateway to the New Town”.
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The Cockburn Association, Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, residents and cyclists are asking Edinburgh City Council to go back to the drawing board over plans for the Picardy Place junction as it is prepared for a revamp.
They claim council transport committee plans for the traffic hub fall short in key areas including to “improve the character of this Gateway to the New Town in line with the best practice requirements of a World Heritage site, create a high quality public place designed around the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, parishioners, visitors and for those for whom this area is part of their local neighbourhood, and reduce traffic pollution in the area".
And they said: "For these reasons, we request collectively that the committee does not decide to proceed to a decision on the future of Picardy Place.
"Instead, we ask that the Council undertakes a formal and open review of alternative designs to the gyratory to bring the design within the council’s own policy aspirations, and maximises the opportunity to improve the public realm and avoids a design excessively dominated by traffic considerations."
Read more: Edinburgh Council's claim 20mph roll-out will combat loneliness branded 'ridiculous'
The council, which will debate the issue today, said feedback from around 1,000 responses demonstrated a strong desire for improved public realm in the area, which has been reflected in proposals for the island site, as well as plans to further increase pedestrian space outside St Mary’s RC Cathedral and at the foot of Little King Street.
It said calls for further improvements to provision for pedestrians and cyclists also featured heavily and have been incorporated into the designs as far as possible.
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Lesley Macinnes, transport convener, said: "I believe this design addresses many of the concerns that have been raised and gives a balanced solution to competing demands from residents, businesses and stakeholders."
Signatories include: Terry Levinthal, director, Cockburn Association; Adam Wilkinson, director, Edinburgh World Heritage; Dr Richard Dixon, director, Friends of the Earth Scotland; Harald Tobermann, Leith Central Community Council; David Spaven, convener of the Living Streets Edinburghgroup; Martin McDonnell and Peter Williamson, of the Picardy Place Joint Campaign; Dave du Feu, Spokes; Monsignor Patrick Burke, administrator, St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral; Ann Laird, Scottish Civic Trust; and David Jamieson, partner, Zone Architects, Edinburgh.
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