‘Craigmillar Niddrie Connections’: comments by Living Streets Edinburgh

This is the formal response by Living Streets Edinburgh (LSEG), the local campaign for everyday walking and wheeling, to the current consultation on the ‘Craigmillar Niddrie Connections’ proposals: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/cycling-walking/craigmillar-niddrie-connections.

Our understanding of the proposals

It is often difficult to understand the most significant features of proposals like this from visualisations and drawings. From looking at the plans and from correspondence with council officers, we understand that key features are:

• a continuous two-way cycleway from Prestonfield Avenue to Fort Kinnaird;

• space for the cycleway on Peffermill Road to be taken from what is currently the carriageway;

• space for the cycleway on Niddrie Mill Road Road to be taken from what is currently the northern footway;

• the southern footway along the route will be largely unchanged;

• a number of bus stops to be merged and all to have cycle bypasses (floating bus stops);

• new bus lanes eastbound approaching the junction with Duddingston Road West and westward, for example from Hay Drive;

• junction treatments to be altered to favour pedestrian movement (corner ‘tightening’,  continuous footways, etc) and more significant re-design to reduce motor traffic priority at key junctions like Greendykes Road and Craigmillar Castle Road;

• public realm improvements and new paths, for example at Cairntows Park, Castleview school etc.

Overall concept

This project originated as a ’20 minute neighbourhood’ project:

“We want to revitalise the area around Niddrie Mains Road by creating better spaces for recreation and socialising alongside safe, high-quality walking, wheeling, and cycling routes. Our plans also include improving access and amenities around Cairntows Park.”

https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/cycling-walking-projects-1/20-minute-neighbourhood-projects

Responses to the consultation broadly appear to have endorsed the followine objectives:

“When asked about what could improve the experience of spending time on the High Street, most comments were about maintenance, safety, environment, and amenities, such as:

• Better care and maintenance of public realm around shopfronts, more bins, and upgraded street furniture.
• More greenery, benches, better pavement, and less traffic.
• More police presence to deter antisocial behaviour.
• More local shops, family friendly cafes, pubs, and better leisure facilities.”

https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/craigmillar/

We are therefore disappointed to see little emphasis on many of these issues. What was originally envisaged as a ‘placemaking’ exercise appears to have transformed into an ‘active travel scheme’ on a two mile long travel corridor from Prestonfield Avenue (or Cameron Toll as originally planned) to Kinnaird Park.

We understand that the Council’s 20 Minute Neighbourhood team has been disbanded; the reduced emphasis on ‘place’ is evident in these proposals which appear to prioritise the introduction of a continuous segregated cycleway. An emphasis on place would require not only changes to road design but also economic and social interventions, for example to enhance the commercial viability of local shops, tackle anti-social behaviour, etc.

Pavements

Craigmillar and Niddrie are unusual in that there are several extremely wide footways, as a result of major changes introduced before 2000. Normally, we would object in principle to conversion of pavements to other uses (road, cycleway, etc.) as being contrary to the sustainable travel hierarchy which puts pedestrian movement first. However, we accept that a lot of pavement space in the area is poor quality and in places excessive, adding little to the quality of the area, so consideration of alternative use of some space (e.g. for cycleways or bus lanes) could be justified.

Nevertheless, more new quality space with greenery should be integral to the scheme; as it stands, we understand that sections of the northern High Street pavement will be reduced to narrower than the ‘desirable’ 3 metre standard set out in the Edinburgh Street Design Guidance. Adequate pedestrian space should be the top priority in any scheme prioritising ‘place’ over ‘movement’.

Other comments

We welcome a number of specific features:

• the junction treatments at side roads giving step-free access and emphasising pedestrian priority. However, many of these (King’s Haugh, Dunkirk Road, Hay Avenue, Blackchapel Close) do not promote the natural direction of travel for pedestrians and also deviate the cycleway.

• the simplifying of the Duddingston Road West junction; we hope that pedestrian phasing of the signals is optimised.

• the redevelopment of Cairntows Park, where street trees are proposed along the high street and the Castleview school proposals.

We suggest:

• consideration is given to enhancing some of the uncontrolled pedestrian crossings over Niddrie Mill Road in particular by adding zebra crossings.

•  extending the 20mph speed limit from Niddrie Mains Rd (where it currently ends) all the way to Fort Kinnaird.

We have concerns at:

•  the closure/merger of several bus stops, which is likely to make it harder for people with limited mobility to use local bus services.

• the routine installation of ‘floating’ bus stops; we receive regular feedback that these are a problem for older and disabled people, especially visually impaired. We consider that the description of these stops in the consultation is misleading (“creating a safe place for people to wait for the bus whilst also providing continuous safe cycling.”)

Conclusion

While there are certainly aspects of the proposals which would improve the Craigmillar/Niddrie area and its travel links, we would like to see the Council sponsor fewer big expensively-engineered active travel schemes like this. Instead, there should be greater emphasis on smaller, local schemes especially to enhance pedestrian spaces, neighbourhood shopping centres, schools, health centres, etc. These interventions would benefit more people at reduced public expense.

Living Streets Edinburgh

June 2026