Tag: streets

We’re Hiring!

We have two vacancies in the planning service for:

  • Street Naming Technician
  • Development Management (Planning) Technician

Both have a closing date of 5 March 2023 – apply online via myjobscotland

Edinburgh Council is Scotland’s busiest planning authority, handling over 3,000 applications a year, in a city with internationally-valued built and natural heritage.

The Council is also the Statutory Addressing authority and responsible for the naming of streets in new development and the numbering of any new properties being created. 

For both roles we are looking for individuals who are committed to delivering an efficient, effective and customer-focused service.

You will be responsible for handling a varied and challenging range of statutory duties for either the process of validation and handling of information for planning applications, or for naming streets, numbering properties and related services.

Find out more:

www.edinburgh.gov.uk/planningjobs

Removing ‘A’ boards from our pavements & reducing clutter

 

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Since November, a citywide ban on ‘A’ boards and other temporary adverts has been in force. This is primarily to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility on our streets. It is part of wider efforts to help create a more welcoming, clutter-free city for everyone.

Environmental Wardens are working closely with businesses and are reporting good results across the city. Businesses have adapted to the ban in a variety of ways, including by incorporating advertising into barriers around tables and chairs (for which they have a licence) or putting a sign on their walls or windows (if allowed).

There are lots of places to go for businesses looking for more information on advertising or guidance to help them through this ongoing change;

As you can see from our photo gallery above, removing A-Boards can help make a huge difference for people with mobility issues getting around Edinburgh. By removing barriers on our pavements, it is hoped that people can move more freely across the city and businesses will feel the benefit from shoppers attracted by better pavements.

If you wish to report any A-Boards which you feel should be looked at by an Environmental Warden, please email us at aboards@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Housing Land Audit and Delivery Programme 2017

The Supply of Land

The Council use something called the Housing Land Audit and Delivery Programme (HLADP) to assess the supply of effective land for housing in Edinburgh.

What is effective land?

Effective land must be free of any constraints that could prevent the building of homes. These constraints can include:

  • who owns the land;
  • contamination;
  • how easily the land can be sold;
  • infrastructure (including roads and schools for example) and;
  • how the land is currently used or has been used in the past.

The Strategic Development Plan for South East Scotland sets out how many new homes the city needs. This figure is currently 20,222 to be built by 2026.

Our latest housing land assessment in October was the 2017 HLADP. We have identified effective land for 23,329 houses on a mix of both brownfield (55%) and greenfield (45%) sites.

Sites included in the 2017 HLADP are in the Local Development Plan or have planning permission.

HLADP MAP

The Delivery of Homes

The HLADP examines the supply of land and the expected delivery of new homes.

table for blog

The output target is a five-year segment of the housing land supply target. The delivery programme is the number of homes likely to be built over the next five-years. We calculate this figure in agreement with Homes for Scotland.

Accelerating Delivery Rates

Many factors, including the strength of the economy and the demand for housing, can affect the construction of new homes. Even if we have enough land, it won’t always mean that houses will be built.

The credit crunch has affected the construction of housing in recent years. Although the country is still recovering from this, completions have doubled in the last four years. Current build rates in the city are steadily growing.

We are working to find ways to further speed up build rates in the city. The diagram below highlights some of the factors we have identified.

HLADP table

What’s next for the HLADP?

We will be using the HLADP to update our next Local Development Plan Action Programme. We’re also doing work to identify potential interventions to increase the delivery of housing. That will be reported next year.

Look out for our next blog post about a housing site currently under construction in the city.

 

Strategy for Setted Streets

Stone setts add significant historic and cultural value to the streets of Edinburgh and are an important feature of our cityscape.

The City of Edinburgh Council has a duty to protect the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site, Conservation Areas and other historic parts of the city. This protection includes the setting of Edinburgh’s many listed buildings, where setted streets are an integral part of their identity and authenticity.

Setted surface looking West along Dean Park Crescent
Setted Comely Bank Avenue looking South
Setted surface looking East along St. Bernard’s Crescent

When they are not properly maintained, setted streets can have implications for walking, cycling and driving. Damaged setts are often replaced with alternative materials like tarmac as a temporary solution. This can result in an unsightly and uncared for appearance.

Tarmacked corner of Learmonth Place and Comely Bank Grove
Setted surface looking West up Dean Park Crescent
Tarmacked surface looking West towards Edinburgh Castle on Market Street

We are working in partnership with Edinburgh World Heritage and Historic Environment Scotland to develop a strategy for the protection and maintenance of setted streets.

Have your say

To help inform the strategy we’d like to know what you think about setted streets and their value to the city. We are also interested to know what issues you think setted streets can have on our movement.

You can give us your views until Wednesday 11 October 2017.

What’s in a street name?

We rely on addresses every day.  Whether it’s registering to vote, ordering something online, visiting a place you’ve never been before or just getting a takeaway delivered, a unique address is essential.

Edinburgh street names
Edinburgh street names

The Council is responsible for issuing addresses to all properties within its boundary.  To assist in doing this, the Street Naming Team has a name bank which contain potential names to be used for new developments.  We encourage people to suggest potential street names, usually via local Councillors, local community council, neighbourhood networks or by emailing streetnaming@edinburgh.gov.uk

The Street Naming team’s primary consideration when issuing new addresses is public safety as, in an emergency, it is important that a specific address can be identified quickly and easily.  For this reason we no longer duplicate street names with different suffixes (such as Eyre Place and Eyre Crescent) due to the potential for confusion.

Generally, street names are selected that commemorate people, places or events connected to the city, with a view to preserving local history and reinforcing our sense of place. Potential names should meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • commemorate local history, places, events or culture, and in particular any that relate to the site
  • honour and commemorate noteworthy persons associated with the local area, or the City of Edinburgh as a whole
  • celebrate cultural diversity in the City of Edinburgh
  • commemorate national and international noteworthy persons, who have been deceased for five years or more
  • commemorate national and international events
  • strengthen neighbourhood identity
  • recognise native wildlife, flora, fauna or natural features related to the community or the city as a whole.

Baron Maules Close
Baron Maule’s Close (refurbished sign)

Old Infirmary Lane
Old Infirmary Lane (a recently repainted sign)

Lang Rigg - new street name plates in South Queensferry are blue with white lettering
Lang Rigg – new street name plates in South Queensferry are blue with white lettering