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Edinburgh Reporter
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Edinburgh Reporter
City mobility plan passed despite concerns
A new scheme to prioritise Edinburgh infrastructure projects has been approved by councillors, despite some of them holding concerns over several issues. The new City Mobility Plan aims to determine which projects the city will prioritise working on in the next decade. Officers recommended that councillors accept a priority list which saw 73 projects approved to go ahead, and 61 others paused – with most either not having been started yet or having already been paused before the plan's release. Labour councillor Stephen Jenkinson, who convenes the Transport and Environment Committee, heralded the plan, saying the time to take action was now, and that it is a 'a necessary piece of work.' But some councillors raised concerns over the priority list, questioning the system used to select projects to carry out or pause and the geographic distribution of projects. Infrastructure projects were scored on a matrix which judged elements of each, such as cost effectiveness and benefit for public transport – but some projects with higher scores were paused, while others with lower scores were approved. Liberal Democrat councillor Kevin Lang said: 'Coming into this committee meeting, I feel like I had two fundamental issues with this report. Now I feel like I'll leave with three. 'The first is around what has been quite a complex scoring matrix. I don't think it's an unreasonable question to ask, [why do] you get a project scoring 20 paused when a project with 10 is proceeding? 'My second worry is around deliverability. I completely admire and respect the optimism that exists. Let's be frank, this is a council that can take three years to change a speed limit and six years to put in a speedbump.' Lang's third concern was about developers' compliance with section 75 orders, which involve developer contributions to infrastructure projects. Earlier in the meeting, a council officer said that most projects were continued or paused based on their score, but that some broke from this pattern due to extenuating circumstances, such as projects being eligible for certain bespoke funding. The Liberal Democrat group had lodged an amendment calling on the report to be paused, giving councillors and officers more time to look at it. Meanwhile, the Conservative group put forward their own list of projects to be continued and paused, using different scoring criteria. Conservative councillor Neil Cuthbert, representing Colinton/Fairmilehead, asked officers: 'It does feel like a report for lovers of spreadsheets. Just looking at the different projects, I don't think it's any surprise that the ward with the most projects is the city centre. 'The wards with the second and third most projects are Forth and Almond. I don't want to go through the list, but Colinton/Fairmile is at the bottom of the list. There's two [projects]. 'I wondered if there's any comments about why there does appear to be quite a disparity in a lot of different areas?' Council officer Sheila Paton said: 'This is a long legacy and history of projects that have come forward over the years. We haven't deliberately tried to exclude any geographical areas, as I'm sure you can imagine. 'In terms of the focus on the city centre, we have a sense of how much of the proposed ten year programme would potentially be dedicated to the city centre. 'And we feel like it's in proportion with how complicated the city centre is, how important it is.' Interim Executive Director of Place Gareth Barwell added: 'This list here hasn't added new schemes. This is officers broadly trawling through the commitments of this committee. 'A lot of these are actions we've inherited due to growth and development.' The SNP group put forward an amendment adding three projects to the 'proceed' list, while the Green group wanted to see council officers begin looking at a congestion charge in the capital as a possible infrastructure funding source. At a vote, seven councillors supported a joint Labour, SNP and Green position, while two supported the Conservative position and two supported the Liberal Democrat position. Cllr Jenkinson 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.' Three projects were added to the list after amendments by political groups, and a fourth was added pending further work on how to fund it. Among these was the Causey project, which seeks to turn the traffic island at the junction of West Crosscauseway and Buccleuch Street into a public events space. The project, which campaigners have spent over a decade seeking funding for, was added to the priority list as a result of an SNP amendment. The group also got the Portobello Town Centre project, which seeks to widen footways and reduce road traffic in the area, and a new cycle link over the bypass near Heriot Watt, over the line. An amendment by the city's Labour administration, meanwhile, got approval for the funding of more toilets for bus drivers at the ends of routes, pending finding a funding source. Cllr Jenkinson said: 'The project which I've identified as part of my amendment is a very particular project. It is currently marked for pause, but just for this financial year. 'The topic itself of provision of bus driver toilets at key locations, which are predominantly the terminuses for buses, is a very important one. 'Personally, and I hope the committee will agree, that it's a project that, once the uncertainty around funding is clarified, is unpaused.' Graeme Smith, an industrial officer for Unite, which covers Lothian Buses, said: 'Access to a toilet at work is a basic right so it is important that the Council gets this right for our members in passenger transport. 'This is a matter of health and safety. It is also an equalities issue, more acutely impacting workers who are older, pregnant or have a health condition.' By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Live
23-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Live
Massive Edinburgh infrastructure plan approved despite concerns
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 A new scheme to prioritise Edinburgh infrastructure projects has been approved by councillors, despite some of them holding concerns over several issues. The new City Mobility Plan aims to determine which projects the city will prioritise working on in the next decade. Officers recommended that councillors accept a priority list which saw 73 projects approved to go ahead, and 61 others paused – with most either not having been started yet or having already been paused before the plan's release. Labour councillor Stephen Jenkinson, who convenes the Transport and Environment Committee, heralded the plan, saying the time to take action was now, and that it is a 'a necessary piece of work.' But some councillors raised concerns over the priority list, questioning the system used to select projects to carry out or pause and the geographic distribution of projects. Infrastructure projects were scored on a matrix which judged elements of each, such as cost effectiveness and benefit for public transport – but some projects with higher scores were paused, while others with lower scores were approved. Liberal Democrat councillor Kevin Lang said: 'Coming into this committee meeting, I feel like I had two fundamental issues with this report. Now I feel like I'll leave with three. 'The first is around what has been quite a complex scoring matrix. I don't think it's an unreasonable question to ask, [why do] you get a project scoring 20 paused when a project with 10 is proceeding? 'My second worry is around deliverability. I completely admire and respect the optimism that exists. Let's be frank, this is a council that can take three years to change a speed limit and six years to put in a speedbump.' Lang's third concern was about developers' compliance with section 75 orders, which involve developer contributions to infrastructure projects. Earlier in the meeting, a council officer said that most projects were continued or paused based on their score, but that some broke from this pattern due to extenuating circumstances, such as projects being eligible for certain bespoke funding. The Liberal Democrat group had lodged an amendment calling on the report to be paused, giving councillors and officers more time to look at it. Meanwhile, the Conservative group put forward their own list of projects to be continued and paused, using different scoring criteria. Conservative councillor Neil Cuthbert, representing Colinton/Fairmilehead, asked officers: 'It does feel like a report for lovers of spreadsheets. Just looking at the different projects, I don't think it's any surprise that the ward with the most projects is the city centre. 'The wards with the second and third most projects are Forth and Almond. I don't want to go through the list, but Colinton/Fairmile is at the bottom of the list. There's two [projects]. 'I wondered if there's any comments about why there does appear to be quite a disparity in a lot of different areas?' Council officer Sheila Paton said: 'This is a long legacy and history of projects that have come forward over the years. We haven't deliberately tried to exclude any geographical areas, as I'm sure you can imagine. 'In terms of the focus on the city centre, we have a sense of how much of the proposed ten year programme would potentially be dedicated to the city centre. 'And we feel like it's in proportion with how complicated the city centre is, how important it is.' Interim Executive Director of Place Gareth Barwell added: 'This list here hasn't added new schemes. This is officers broadly trawling through the commitments of this committee. 'A lot of these are actions we've inherited due to growth and development.' The SNP group put forward an amendment adding three projects to the 'proceed' list, while the Green group wanted to see council officers begin looking at a congestion charge in the capital as a possible infrastructure funding source. At a vote, seven councillors supported a joint Labour, SNP and Green position, while two supported the Conservative position and two supported the Liberal Democrat position. Cllr Jenkinson 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." Three projects were added to the list after amendments by political groups, and a fourth was added pending further work on how to fund it. Among these was the Causey project, which seeks to turn the traffic island at the junction of West Crosscauseway and Buccleuch Street into a public events space. The project, which campaigners have spent over a decade seeking funding for, was added to the priority list as a result of an SNP amendment. The group also got the Portobello Town Centre project, which seeks to widen footways and reduce road traffic in the area, and a new cycle link over the bypass near Heriot Watt, over the line. An amendment by the city's Labour administration, meanwhile, got approval for the funding of more toilets for bus drivers at the ends of routes, pending finding a funding source. Cllr Jenkinson said: 'The project which I've identified as part of my amendment is a very particular project. It is currently marked for pause, but just for this financial year. 'The topic itself of provision of bus driver toilets at key locations, which are predominantly the terminuses for buses, is a very important one. 'Personally, and I hope the committee will agree, that it's a project that, once the uncertainty around funding is clarified, is unpaused.' Graeme Smith, an industrial officer for Unite, which covers Lothian Buses, said: 'Access to a toilet at work is a basic right so it is important that the Council gets this right for our members in passenger transport. 'This is a matter of health and safety. It is also an equalities issue, more acutely impacting workers who are older, pregnant or have a health condition.'
Arab News
15-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia's industry development creating great opportunities, say experts at trade show
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's development and adoption of modern technology was creating significant opportunities for foreign investment and economic growth, experts in the industrial and logistics sectors told Arab News on Thursday at the Riyadh International Industry Week 2025. The RIIW25, which ends today, featured four industrial trade shows: Saudi Plastics and Petrochemicals, Saudi Printing and Packaging, Smart Manufacturing, and Saudi Smart Logistics. Kevin Lang, general manager at China Bentae Industry Group, praised Saudi Arabia's government for attracting and establishing factories within the Kingdom, emphasizing that such steps provide strong incentives for foreign investment in the industrial sector. Participating in the event for the second time, Lang noted a surge in the presence of Chinese and international companies in the Saudi market, which he said was a sign of growing investor confidence in the Kingdom. 'We aim to leverage Saudi Arabia's push for economic openness and its efforts to attract foreign investment. We see significant growth potential, particularly in sectors that align with Vision 2030, such as industry and sustainability,' Lang said. Lafi Al-Dhafiri, commercial director at Alkharj Steel Co., said the show was an exceptional platform for bringing together global expertise, forming partnerships and shaping the future of the sector. 'The event highlighted the promising opportunities within the Saudi industrial sector, especially in light of the unprecedented government support that aligns with the goals of Vision 2030,' Al-Dhafiri added. Ahmed Sobhi Badran, sales manager at Derbn Trading Co., noted the emergence of Saudi brands that are increasingly positioning themselves on the global stage. 'The exhibitions feature a strong presence of international companies seeking to strengthen their foothold in the Saudi market, creating a healthy competitive environment driven by quality standards and marketing excellence.' Ratheesh NS, deputy manager at Windsor Machines Ltd., said the company was eager to explore business opportunities in the Kingdom. 'We are looking forward to the vast opportunities in Saudi Arabia, driven by its vibrant transformation under Saudi Vision 2030 and the FIFA World Cup 2034,' he said. 'We are confident that this market boom will help us explore and engage with this ambitious region.' Fahad Al-Thenayan, a logistics advisor, said the event was 'a great opportunity for visitors to explore a wide range of innovative solutions.'
Scotsman
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Edinburgh traffic bans in city centre to be made permanent following trial
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now Traffic bans on several city centre streets are to be made permanent after being trialled over the past year and a half. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... During Covid, the council rolled out many impromptu changes to Edinburgh's road network to promote cycling and walking. Many of these changes were later formally trialled through Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders, which allow the council to amend how streets work. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The trial, which remains in effect until 18 August of this year, involved a ban on most or all road traffic on Cockburn Street, part of High Street, Victoria Street and West Bow, as well as on part of Waverley Bridge. The traffic ban in Edinburgh's Cockburn Street's, which is in effect during certain times of day, has been made permanent | Google Maps It also introduced waiting restrictions on Cockburn Street, Victoria Street, West Bow and Waverley Bridge, with the Waverley Bridge restrictions being in effect 24 hours per day. At a meeting of the Traffic Regulation Orders subcommittee on Monday, councillors agreed to make the changes permanent. Officers also asked councillors to make trial measures to the east of the city centre, which expire in October, permanent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The changes were tried on London Road and along the A1 corridor, on Duddingston Road, Duddingston Road West, King's Place, Seafield Street, Seafield Road East, Hope Lane and Stanley Street. However, councillors chose to defer that decision until a later meeting, in part due to uncertainty over how quickly permanent infrastructure can be built. Liberal Democrat councillor Kevin Lang said his personal support for deferring the decision came due to safety risks, as he said some people had tripped on the temporary infrastructure in place, causing them to be injured. Councillors also considered a range of minor amendments to parking rules in parts of the city. The officers recommendation, which was to take up all of the proposed changes minus the loss of one parking space on Eildon Terrace, was approved by the sub-committee.
Edinburgh Reporter
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Edinburgh Reporter
Traffic bans on several Edinburgh city centre streets to be made permanent
Traffic bans on several city centre streets are to be made permanent after being trialled over the past year and a half. During Covid, the council rolled out many impromptu changes to Edinburgh's road network to promote cycling and walking. Many of these changes were later formally trialled through Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders, which allow the council to amend how streets work. The trial, which remains in effect until 18 August of this year, involved a ban on most or all road traffic on Cockburn Street, part of High Street, Victoria Street and West Bow, as well as on part of Waverley Bridge. It also introduced waiting restrictions on Cockburn Street, Victoria Street, West Bow and Waverley Bridge, with the Waverley Bridge restrictions being in effect 24 hours per day. At a meeting of the Traffic Regulation Orders subcommittee on Monday, councillors agreed to make the changes permanent. Officers also asked councillors to make trial measures to the east of the city centre, which expire in October, permanent. The changes were tried on London Road and along the A1 corridor, on Duddingston Road, Duddingston Road West, King's Place, Seafield Street, Seafield Road East, Hope Lane and Stanley Street. However, councillors chose to defer that decision until a later meeting, in part due to uncertainty over how quickly permanent infrastructure can be built. Liberal Democrat councillor Kevin Lang said his personal support for deferring the decision came due to safety risks, as he said some people had tripped on the temporary infrastructure in place, causing them to be injured. Councillors also considered a range of minor amendments to parking rules in parts of the city. The officers recommendation, which was to take up all of the proposed changes minus the loss of one parking space on Eildon Terrace, was approved by the sub-committee. By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
