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Edinburgh Live
5 days ago
- General
- Edinburgh Live
Terrifying moment blaze tears through Edinburgh banana flats as locals watch on
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Edinburgh locals captured the terrifying moment a fire tore through the iconic banana flats on Friday night. Cables Wynd House saw a large fire break out around 10.50pm on June 6, with fire services battling the blaze for over eight hours. Video footage shared with Edinburgh Live shows flames pouring from the windows of a flat near the top floor. Some residents filmed from the ground while others captured the chaos from inside Cables Wynd flats across a courtyard. Smoke can be seen billowing into the air from the scene. Police Scotland confirmed the flat was empty at the time and no one was hospitalised following the incident. All residents, bar two households, have been allowed to return to the building. A message on Cables Wynd House's Facebook called the fire "heartbreaking" and said residents are "waiting for answers" following the "scary experience". (Image: Supplied) Locals and politicians took to social media offering words of support to those impacted by the blaze. Tracy Gilbert, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, announced: "I can confirm that three people were treated at the scene last night for smoke inhalation but thankful did not require hospitalisation. Can I thank the Fire Services, Police Scotland and Edinburgh Council for the response last night. I'm so glad that everyone is safe." Chas Booth, a city councillor for Leith, said: "Very concerned to hear about this and my thoughts are with all those affected. I'm in touch with council officers about this and I understand staff are in the building this morning helping residents affected." A concerned local shared: "I wonder how it started and where. Very sad for the people affected. I've never heard this before in 50 years living in Leith." One resident of Cables Wynd House who captured the shocking footage told Edinburgh Live: "It was bad. I was a scared if someone was in the flat and I thought we were going to have to leave the building in case it started spreading more. "It was like something exploded. I feel bad for the people [who live there], they have lost all their stuff in the house fire." The message on the Cables Wynd House Facebook page read: "So tonight has been a really scary experience of a fire in the building, a fast evacuation and worries of lives of those anywhere near those flames. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. "This is a time for all of us to pull together & support each other. In kindness, respect & neighbourly solidarity. "We are waiting for answers but right now we're focusing on our neighbours who've all been through such a scary experience and those whose homes were damaged in the flats." A spokesperson from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: "We were alerted to a fire at Cables Wynd House, known locally as the 'banana flats' at 10.49pm on June 6. "We dispatched nine appliances and departed just after 7.00am on June 7. There are no casualties that we were made aware of." A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 11pm on Friday, 6 June 2025, police were advised by SFRS of a fire at a flat in Cables Wynd House, Edinburgh. "The flat was empty at the time. No one required to be taken to hospital. All residents, bar two households, have been allowed to return to the building. Enquiries into the cause of the fire, which at this time is not being treated as suspicious, are ongoing." Cables Wynd House was made famous by its appearance in the 1996 film Trainspotting. Built in the 1960s, it has since become an Edinburgh landmark. In 2017 it was given top listing by Historic Environment Scotland - the same level as Edinburgh Castle.
Edinburgh Reporter
22-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Edinburgh Council explores congestion charge for cars entering capital
Edinburgh is to explore bringing in a congestion charge for cars entering the capital, over 20 years after a similar proposal was defeated at the ballot box. The city will begin having conversations with Glasgow, which is also interested in introducing a congestion charge, and with other local authorities in the Lothians. In February 2005, a referendum was held on introducing a congestion charge in Edinburgh, which was roundly defeated. But some councillors feel that the time is now appropriate to start exploring such a scheme again. Green councillor Chas Booth, speaking at the council's Transport and Environment Committee, said: 'There is an opportunity today to start a conversation about road user charging. Let's start that conversation.' At present, London is the only city in the UK to have introduced a congestion charge. Introduced in 2003, the scheme charges motorists £15 to enter the core of the city. Under the scheme proposed in 2005, drivers in Edinburgh would have been charged £2 (£3.50 today) to enter the capital. However, it was roundly defeated, with the postal ballot seeing 74% of voters rejecting the proposal. Under an amendment to the City Mobility Plan, which was passed at the Transport and Environment Committee on Thursday, the council will begin exploring the plans with other councils. The city will seek to work with Glasgow, Sestrans and several local authorities around Edinburgh to develop a common framework for how congestion charging could work in Scottish cities. Any scheme may face an uphill struggle, as the legislation for enabling a road pricing scheme does not fully exist. London's scheme was introduced using powers specifically granted to the city by Westminster in 1999. However, the Scottish Government will soon discuss legislative changes that could make congestion charging possible. Cllr Booth said that the money could go towards funding local infrastructure projects, dozens of which were paused on Thursday due to a lack of available cash. Cllr Booth told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: 'I'm delighted Edinburgh has agreed to start conversations about congestion charging with other councils. 'It's absolutely clear that Edinburgh will not meet its commitments to address the climate emergency unless we take bold action to encourage people to choose more sustainable alternatives to the private car. 'While the council doesn't yet have the full powers to introduce congestion charging, and any Edinburgh scheme is likely to be many years away, it is nonetheless right that we start talking about what a scheme might look like. '[We will explore] whether we have any common ground with Glasgow which is also considering a scheme, and with surrounding councils about how we can ensure an equitable distribution of any income from the scheme to support sustainable commuting into Edinburgh.' The council's new City Mobility Plan sets out Edinburgh's infrastructure priorities for the next ten years. More than 70 active travel, public transport and regeneration projects will be taken ahead under the project. Among them are the long-promised transformation of George Street, an active travel link between the Meadows and the Union Canal and public transport and active travel works in the Granton Waterfront. More than 50 other projects were paused, the vast majority of which were already on hold before the report or had not yet been started. Labour councillor Stephen Jenkinson, who convenes the Transport and Environment Committee, said: I'm really pleased that we've agreed this bold programme for our city. 'Prioritisation allows us to work smarter with the resources we have available – making sure we have a clear and achievable path to achieving our objectives. 'This programme follows the successes of major infrastructure projects such as Trams to Newhaven and active travel projects including the City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL), Roseburn to Union Canal and Leith Connections. 'This is an extensive piece of work which allows the City Mobility Plan to be agile, and able to adapt in the future as necessary. 'However, one key element in this conversation is the fact that we remain dependent on external funding for many projects, particularly from the Scottish Government and by extension Transport Scotland. 'Complex projects which take years to plan and complete but which are subject to annual external funding decisions make this situation inherently difficult. 'We need commitment and stability from the Scottish Government if we're to deliver the changes which our city needs and deserves. 'We'll now take forward these projects which will keep Edinburgh moving and make our city a safer, more sustainable and accessible place for all.' Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Live
22-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh congestion charge to be explored, 20 years after previous scheme rejected
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Get the latest Edinburgh Live breaking news on WhatsApp Edinburgh is to exploring bringing in a congestion charge for cars entering the capital, over 20 years after a similar proposal was defeated at the ballot box. The city will begin having conversations with Glasgow, which is also interested in introducing a congestion charge, and with other local authorities in the Lothians. In February 2005, a referendum was held on introducing a congestion charge in Edinburgh, which was roundly defeated. But some councillors feel that the time is now appropriate to start exploring such a scheme again. Green councillor Chas Booth, speaking at the council's Transport and Environment Committee, said: 'There is an opportunity today to start a conversation about road user charging. Let's start that conversation.' At present, London is the only city in the UK to have introduced a congestion charge. Introduced in 2003, the scheme charges motorists £15 to enter the core of the city. Under the scheme proposed in 2005, drivers in Edinburgh would have been charged £2 (£3.50 today) to enter the capital. However, it was roundly defeated, with the postal ballot seeing 74% of voters rejecting the proposal. Under an amendment to the City Mobility Plan, which was passed at the Transport and Environment Committee on Thursday, the council will begin exploring the plans with other councils. The city will seek to work with Glasgow, Sestrans and several local authorities around Edinburgh to develop a common framework for how congestion charging could work in Scottish cities. Any scheme may face an uphill struggle, as the legislation for enabling a road pricing scheme does not fully exist. London's scheme was introduced using powers specifically granted to the city by Westminster in 1999. However, the Scottish Government will soon discuss legislative changes that could make congestion charging possible. Cllr Booth said that the money could go towards funding local infrastructure projects, dozens of which were paused on Thursday due to a lack of available cash. MORE TO FOLLOW ...
Edinburgh Reporter
06-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Vehicle miles target cut deserves ‘condemnation'
The news that the Scottish Government is dropping its targets to reduce car usage in the country deserves 'condemnation', according to an Edinburgh councillor. In 2018, the Scottish Government put forward a target to cut the number of kilometres travelled by car by 20% by 2030. But, late last month, Scottish Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop told a parliament committee that the target would be dropped. Green co-convener councillor Chas Booth has put forward a motion to Thursday's Edinburgh Council meeting criticising the step, and asks the council leader to write to Hyslop expressing displeasure with the change. The target has been used to support several traffic reduction schemes in the capital, including the low traffic area in Leith. A report by Audit Scotland in January of this year found that the country had made 'minimal progress' in achieving the target since 2018. It found that, since 2018, the number of kilometres travelled by car in Edinburgh had decreased only 5%. Across the country, car kilometres travelled decreased steeply during Covid, but the report shows that levels have returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, it did find that Edinburgh still has the third highest number of households without cars, at 37%, beaten by Inverclyde and Glasgow. And it has the second lowest number of households with more than one car, beaten only by Glasgow. Cllr Booth's motion asks the council to note that recent Scottish Government changes have made 'investment in sustainable transport extremely challenging'. It cites uncertainty over funding for bus priority works, and poor funding for both trial and permanent schemes that promote walking and cycling over driving. He noted the Audit Scotland report in his motion, calling out that it identified transport as the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country. By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
