The Edinburgh Reporter April 2022

9
Low Traffic
Corstorphine
Safer streets, less vehicle pollution and better
access to shops is campaign ambition
By OLIVIA THOMAS
WHO ARE YOU?
Low Traffic Corstorphine is a group of
Corstorphine residents and local businesses
who share a vision for an improved,
healthier and more inclusive environment:
a neighbourhood with quiet streets for
playing, for socialising, thriving local shops
and businesses, traffic-free zones around all
schools, less polluted, cleaner air for everyone,
and many more routes for safe walking
and cycling.
We are a diverse group with lots of ideas that
we want to collaborate on to improve the
places we live, work, travel through and enjoy
for leisure in our community. Importantly, we
believe that working together, sharing our
ideas and using our different strengths to
campaign can help speed along changes to
benefit everyone who lives and works in
Corstorphine.
Low Traffic Corstorphine is a constituted
voluntary association. Our co-chairs are Janis
Ross-Williamson and Chris Young.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE?
We have identified a number of key aims that
we support by:
• Promoting facts and evidence-based benefits
of a more equitable balance between the
needs of pedestrians, wheelers, cyclists and
drivers.
• Responding to The City of Edinburgh
Council consultations to help ensure walking,
wheeling and cycling are given priority in our
community.
• Encouraging local residents/businesses to
respond to consultations to make their
concerns known to The City of Edinburgh
councillors, MSPs and Corstorphine
Community Council.
We aim to provide a focus and support
for residents, school children, parents
and carers, business owners, people who
work in the area and regular visitors who
want safer, healthier, less congested
streets. We want to see traffic free
streets around all local schools,
safer and connected walking
cycling and wheeling friendly
streets, much improved air
quality, a 20mph default
speed limit throughout
Corstorphine and low
traffic neighbourhoods
for all residential streets.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
More people walking and wheeling around
Corstorphine would have great physical and
mental health benefits through exercise and
reduced pollution from vehicles. It would also
mean that people are more likely to use local
businesses and have improved connection with
each other through incidental meetings and
more opportunities for social engagement.
Poor air quality has been proven to have
many detrimental health impacts and
disproportionately impacts the very young, the
elderly and those with pre-existing medical
conditions and disabilities. We want
Corstorphine to be a neighbourhood that
ensures a healthy environment, especially for
our more vulnerable people.
We would like to see the streets surrounding
all schools open for walking, cycling, wheeling
and residents vehicles only to allow safe and
healthy journeys to schools for all pupils,
parents, carers and staff.
Quiet residential streets filtered to allow only
people walking, wheeling and cycling along
with good cycling infrastructure on arterial
routes would encourage many more people to
choose to walk or cycle the many short
journeys that are currently taken by car. This is
important not only for everyone’s’ health but
also for the environment when we know we are
in a climate crisis.
Arterial routes such as Glasgow Road,
Corstorphine Road, Drum Brae with fast and
busy traffic, create a disjointed neighbourhood
and make it difficult for those walking,
wheeling and cycling to visit friends, amenities
and workplaces. Reducing the speed limit to
20mph on all Corstorphine streets would
create safer, calmer and more pleasant
environments for people using the pavements
as well as those using the roads.
WHAT FORM DOES YOUR
CAMPAIGN HAVE?
We choose to be a positive voice for
change in Corstorphine.
Corstorphine has a great community
spirit and we want to nourish that
community and help to challenge
the vehicle domination that
fractures our area.
As with many, due to
the pandemic our
meetings have been
Co-chair
Chris Young
predominantly online
but we have more
recently met with
Co-chair
Janis Ross-Williamson
our local MSP as well as other groups who
share some of our aims face to face. As
restrictions ease we intend to do more in
person community meetings and activities.
One project we are we are currently working
on is with the Cargo Bike Movement to create
an event where people can try out different
types of cargo bikes, trailers and other
equipment so that they can see how they might
be able to undertake different types of journeys
like the school run or shopping trips without
having to use a car. That will be held on
We also help to promote ‘Playing Out’ and
similar intergenerational community events
where people can see the benefit of having
informal outdoor spaces to meet and connect
with neighbours and friends.
HOW CAN PEOPLE READING
THIS ARTICLE HELP?
Join us in whatever way you can. Share your
ideas, however big or small, if you are
interested in reducing motor traffic in
Corstorphine to improve the area for our
health, our community and the adverse effects
of climate change.
We are a friendly bunch and always very
keen to hear new ideas and positive
contributions. Look out for our latest news
updates or sign up for our newsletter for
prompts on how you can help.
You can get in touch at
www.lowtrafficcorstorphine.org.uk/contact
Mast plans
taken down
TWO REPRESENTATIVES from
Morningside Community Council and Cllr
Mandy Watt attended a site meeting with
Cornerstone and Galliford Try, agents for
Vodafone to discuss the proposal to put
up a 20 metre high mast.
Two possible alternative sites were
discussed and the agents said that they
were minded to withdraw their application
whilst they investigated the viability of any
other suitable locations.
The planning status of 22/00407/FUL is
therefore Withdrawn, not Refused,
meaning that Vodafone would be able to
make another application for the same
site, if the alternatives are not viable.
Local councillor Mandy Watt said: “It’s
excellent news that Vodafone have
withdrawn their application to put a huge
mast and telecoms equipment right
beside the iconic Morningside Clock. Their
decision to consider alternative sites is
very welcome; however they have not
ruled out the possibility of reapplying. I
made it clear to the agents that a further
application would not be well received by
local residents and urged them to find a
way to make one of the alternatives work.”
Lothians MSP Miles Briggs said he was
pleased to hear that plans for the 5G mast
next to the clock had been scrapped.
Demand for
path pledge
EAST LOTHIAN campaigners are calling
on political parties contesting May’s
council elections to include a manifesto
pledge to build a cycle and walking path
between Drem and Gullane.
The resident led campaign is now in
its 17th year making it the longest
running of its kind in Scotland for an
active travel route.
In the run up to the election,
candidates are being asked to commit to
funding and building the path so as to
provide a safe and green route for all
ages between the two villages.
Drem-Gullane Path Campaign
spokesperson Iain V Monk said:
“We challenge all political parties to
include a manifesto commitment to fund
building of the Drem-Gullane path.
“In midst of a climate emergency, and
as East Lothian recovers from the impact
of a Covid pandemic, it is important that
politicians lead a cycling and walking
revolution in the county.
“Residents in our coastal communities,
and visitors to the area, deserve a safe
cycling and walking path that will
connect not only these villages but also
link a rail station to the coast and
enhance the existing network of green
routes across the county.”