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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Regeneration plan for Seafield 'unrealistic' landowners say
The authority's latest 10-year development plan, running through to 2032, designates the 40-hectare area as a 'potential housing site' and a masterplan has now been drawn up. Alongside new properties, a school, GP surgery, shops and cafes, it shows a new waterfront park and promenade to connect with the one at Portobello. Hundreds of new affordable homes at Seafield will 'help address the city's housing emergency' amid a record 5,000 homeless households in the capital, council planning convener James Dalgleish said last year. Read more from our new investigation, The Future of Edinburgh: However the ambitious project is unlikely to come to fruition for decades yet, largely due to a number of hurdles. Chief among them is landowners unwilling to sell up. The relocation of Lothian Buses' Marine Depot, at the east of the site, also poses a significant challenge. 'They don't necessarily want to move' Iain Whyte, the Conservative councillor for Craigentinny-Duddingston, which includes Seafield, told The Herald: 'The biggest blocker, frankly, to anything happening there is the landowners of a significant chunk of it have tenants in place, a steady income, that suits their financial and business model and they don't want to change that. 'When they speak, they speak on behalf of some of the others that are there as well and I think that means this, if it's a plan that's going to work, you're probably talking 20 years before you see anything significantly change there. 'I just think the biggest problem the council has got is that it allocated that site for nearly 3,000 houses in its plan for the city, the 2030 City Plan for development, to try and find the housing numbers that are needed for the growing population. 'Doing things like that when there's no prospect of it being developed within the timescales they're talking about gives you an indication of why we're not meeting the housing numbers needed — and is the real reason, if any, why they're having to declare a housing emergency.' He added: 'I don't know if anyone's ever asked Lothian Buses where they think they're going to move their depot to. Because I don't think it's easy for them. It's fine for the council to sit there and say 'oh well, car showrooms aren't a very good use of the land' but there's an awful lot more in there and they don't necessarily want to move.' 'Their land should not be considered for housing' Council documents reveal some developers hold concerns about 'timescales and the difficulty of delivering a masterplan when such a small area of the plan is actually capable of coming forward in the short/medium term'. They also show that Royal London, which owns Seafield Industrial Estate covering a large part of the proposed development site, 'do not support proposals for residential development on their site'. In their response to a consultation on City Plan 2030, an agent representing the pensions and investment giant warned that the site 'does not present a realistic option for residential development'. They said: 'The owner [...] has no intention of releasing the land for housing use over the Plan period and their land holding should not be considered for residential or urban area housing led mixed use.' The response went on to say Royal London was not approached by the council prior to the land being identified for consideration for redevelopment. 'The identification of their land holding for this purpose is considered to be inappropriate,' it said. Proposed redevelopment site at Seafield (Image: City of Edinburgh Council) The estate, consisting of 18 fully let industrial units, has been under the company's ownership for over 25 years, is 'one of the larger complete industrial holdings' within their property fund. The agent said 'significant capital investment' has been directed into the industrial units in recent years including 'acquisition of adjacent holdings, replacement roofs, cladding renewal, unit subdivision and road/service yard replacement ensuring the accommodation is fit for modern requirements'. They added: 'Tenants undertake a range of business operations comprising urban industry, trades, distribution and local services which support their local market, of which a significant proportion comprises the established urban area of north east Edinburgh. 'The removal of an established employment area against a backdrop of limited industrial supply and constrained demand will only serve to exacerbate poverty rates in the local area.' Royal London was contacted for comment. Read more from The Future of Edinburgh series: Councillor Whyte compared the plan to proposals for the local authority's ongoing regeneration of Granton Waterfront 'which we were talking about developing 30 years ago and is only now starting to come to fruition'. He said: 'I think this will take a very long time indeed.' Asked about the prospect of the council using Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) in a bid to accelerate work, he said: 'That would be incredibly expensive and the council doesn't have much money. 'We're in the top five most indebted councils in the UK, so would it make sense to go further into debt and have the interest payments to CPO land that private individuals and companies are making best use of in the market at the moment?' However, he added it was 'useful to have a masterplan so you don't get piecemeal development along there'. 'Fabulous opportunity' Cathy Maclean from Action Porty, the community group behind Scotland's first ever urban community land buy out in Portobello, agreed it would be 'quite a while before things get going' as 'a lot of the people who own those sites don't want to sell and have no plans to sell'. But she stressed the site presented a 'fabulous opportunity' as there were so few capital cities with 'a brownfield site right on the beach to develop". Seafield is currently mostly car showrooms and industrial units (Image: Google) She said more housing was badly needed and 'so much' had been built in Portobello in recent years 'with a dramatic loss of amenities at the same'. This led Action Porty to successfully complete a community buyout of Portobello Old Parish Church after the Church of Scotland announced its intention to sell the property. It reopened as Bellfield, a community centre, in 2018. Maclean said if the Seafield redevelopment ever goes ahead it would be 'welcome from Portobello as a sort of sister community, rather than particularly part of it,' however added: 'In practice it will become a part of Portobello because that's the way people are, they enjoy walking along the Prom. 'At some point it's all going to join up between Leith and right the way along Seahaven.' 'There has to be continuity between the two areas' While Seafield's regeneration is clearly still a long-way off, some details in the masterplan are already raising eyebrows. The council's visualisation of what the area could look like one day shows people enjoying the would-be promenade and leafy waterfront park. 'If you look at it it looks amazing,' said Kirsty Pattison, chair of Craigentinny and Meadowbank Community Council, whose boundary includes Seafield, 'but if you dig into the details and look at what the masterplanning is and the height of the buildings proposed, it doesn't correlate with that picture at all.' A visualisation of the council's Seafield masterplan (Image: City of Edinburgh Council) She said in terms of the height of the buildings there is 'tension between what it's supposed to look like and what is actually being proposed'. 'What they're proposing, from the top of the prom if you're looking south-east it gives you expansive views of the beach and you can see Joppa. Some of that might be lost, so it's important to preserve this place.' Ensuring the new neighbourhood is well connected with adjacent communities will be crucial, Ms Pattison said. 'We want to make sure there's improved landscape connections between Craigentinny and Seafield, because Seafield is part of our district. 'There has to be continuity between the two areas so we can preserve popular beach walks. 'There's a beach walk that connects Craigentinny to the western part of the beach and we want that put into the masterplan to make sure it's preserved. That is vital. People use it all the time - it's such a popular connection.' 'There's also issues around rising sea levels, it's all fine and well saying we're going to redevelop Seafield - but what are we going to put in place for flooding?' Ms MacLean similarly raised concerns over the impact of climate change in the future. 'I don't think you can say any flood defences are going to be effective when you don't know what's coming,' she said. 'A lot of the standards these environmental consultants look at are based on what used to be called once in every 200 year chance of flooding. That's changed quite dramatically. Nobody really knows, if the truth be told.' Edinburgh Council said the risk of coastal flooding 'is increasing due to rising sea levels and coastal erosion caused by climate change,' adding: 'This is a key consideration in the redevelopment of Seafield.' Since initial engagement about the plans in 2023 'we have needed to take additional time to engage with a range of stakeholders,' it said. 'This is to ensure that places are developed along the coastline that are resilient in the face of climate change impacts'. Read more: Now, the authority is preparing a Coastal Change Adaptation Plan and said it will 'update the draft masterplan in line with the recommendations'. The 'Seafield stench' One of the biggest constraints historically associated with making the area residential has been the 'Seafield stench' from the waste water treatment plant to the west - the largest of its kind in Scotland. Odours emitting from the works are a longstanding issue. Between 2022 and 2024 Scottish Water and Veolia invested over £10 million to add additional capacity and address concerns around the smells. However, the council said last year the issue 'has not been fully resolved at this time'. It said: 'The Council, along with SEPA, carry out ongoing monitoring of odours relating to the Works. However, the council does not have the ability to force all odours to be stopped. 'Scottish Water has committed to developing a new facility to replace the Seafield facility after 2030. This should be considered alongside the timescales of the masterplan as it is likely to reduce the impact of odours around the facility. 'Odours relating to the Works are not a significant issue for the bulk of the masterplan area. However, if odours persist, this is likely to shape how development of the northernmost part of the area comes forward.'
The Herald Scotland
19-05-2025
- The Herald Scotland
We try out the new Edinburgh Trams 'tap on, tap off' system
Entertainingly, the system's launch featured a trio of ToTos, there to add a cuteness to the promotion of an otherwise bland electronic process. 'Tap on, tap off' is also a key moment in the bringing together of the two parts of Edinburgh's public transport system, its buses and trams. The Foot of the Walk tram stop was sparsely populated, mid-morning on the Victoria Day holiday, with only a few passengers plus a couple of 'trambassadors', there to guide nervous users through the tapping process. The tap on, was straightforward – that 'seamlessness' is the point - involving just a pressing of a card or phone to a panel. But one tram user told me she wouldn't trust herself to tap off, so was not going to use it. It's this fear of not tapping off, that is the chief passenger insecurity about the new system - and it is a potential for confusion partly exacerbated by the fact that the existing system on Lothian buses is just tap on, but trams are tap on and tap off. This is also why Leah Harrison, managing director of Edinburgh Trams, at the launch of the system, is so keen to emphasise it as his main message, 'Please, tap off!' The system works thus. Customers can use their contactless-enabled card or device to Tap on using the existing platform validators before boarding the tram. They will then need to tap off upon reaching their destination station, using the platform validators on that stop. Whilst on the trams, their contactless cards or devices can be checked by ticket officers. When one of them passed a reader over my 'tapped on' credit card, it felt like a marvel that it worked and had registered. 'Tap off,' said Leah, in his arms a dog so trained he can swipe a card, 'is the message we're really driving home a the moment. It's making sure people do tap on, tap off to get best value. The way it works, when you tap on, it allocates you an airport single and you need to tap off to get the discount for the journey that you make.' ToTo the dog promotes 'tap on, tap off' (Image: Greg Macvean) Harrison was joined for the official launch this morning by David Thompson, General Manager-Transport for Flowbird, Lothian Buses' Head of Product Strategy Stevie Chambers, and the City of Edinburgh Council's Deputy Leader, Councillor Mandy Watt. David Thompson said: 'At Flowbird, we're proud of our partnership with Edinburgh Trams, alongside Lothian Buses, in developing and delivering Scotland's first multimodal, multi-operator account-based ticketing system. Edinburgh is a true 'world' city and so it is fitting that its people, along with millions of visitors, should benefit from technology that makes travel on the tram and bus network seamless, easy to use and cost effective.' For Edinburgh Trams, the chief drive behind this shift, Harrison explained, is that 'it removes another barrier to travel and it creates a further integration with the bus service.' 'Also it creates a capping mechanism with Lothian buses, so you can move freely now between the tram and the bus, tapping on on the bus, tapping off on the tram and the computer in the early hours of the morning will work out what was the best value ticket for you. Once again, you don't have to plan your journey at 7am in the morning. You can then think you just do what you need to do.' But, as the woman on my morning tram illustrates, one of the fears is what will happen if a passenger fails to tap off – how much will they then be charged? If the same card or device is not used to tap off, the journey is registered as incomplete, and customers will be charged the full Airport Zone fare of £7.90. Edinburgh Trams' Lea Harrison, Flowbird General Manager David Thompson and Lothian Buses' Sarah Boyd (Image: Greg Macvean) And how will the system calculate out our fares? 'Eventually,' Harrison explained, 'it will cap out at a day ticket which was probably the one you should have bought in the morning, but didn't think you were going to do that. It does the thinking for you.' It's a significant step towards more a integrated public transport system in terms of user experience. 'One of the purposes," said Harrison, "was to create integration which you see with the bus company and also remove a barrier to travel. 'It's not for everybody because you need to be an adult as well and also if you're moving with a family that's a different ticket as well, but it will reduce a lot of people waiting at ticket machines and enable the people that need to be there to get quicker access to the ticket machines also.' This system works alongside Lothian Buses' existing TapTapCap system to cap bus and tram travel across the city at the Cap rate, aligning Edinburgh Trams with services offered by its sister company. Sarah Boyd, Managing Director of Lothian Buses said: 'Lothian is delighted to work with Edinburgh Trams to further enhance our TapTapCap solution which now offers integrated payment for journeys across the city's bus and tram network. But also, this system is going to give the tram operator a more advanced set of data on where people are travelling to, what stops they are getting off at, than it has had previously. There's no doubting the system is easier – and as a first experience, certainly beats, in its freedom, using the app, which for me was also a major step up from waiting at ticket machines as a tram glides past. For a short while the 'trambassadors' are likely to continue to be out on the route. Harrison said: 'We'll have them as long as we need them. Until we see the results we see. All the office staff are out. It's a big thing for the tram company, so we're going to make sure that we educate the people of Edinburgh. And obviously we're getting to the festival season and we'll have to look at how we man the busy stations to make sure the visitors get the same level of information.' READ MORE But for Harrison, it's also about data. 'What," he said, "it will give me is destination data and I'll get to know where people get off. At the moment we just assume and we look at CCTV. So in the future start to inform what service patterns I can provide, so we can put the trams where the people are. Tap off, although it's a little bit of inconvenience for people, it gives the operator data. So I can start to understand people's travel patterns.' Making payment easier, he pointed out, removes a barrier to travel. 'We will get more travellers this way. . One of the many reasons we are doing it is that it should remove a barrier and more people should travel. I takes a split second to do a transaction.' Was it 'totolly' easy? It seemed so, but the proof will be in our card statements. The good news, meanwhile, for those who fear forgetting the tap off, is that all the previous payment methods are still in use: tickets, the app, national entitlement cards. If you want, you can ignore ToTo, and choose not to 'tap on, tap off' at all.
STV News
19-05-2025
- Business
- STV News
Edinburgh Trams launch ‘tap on, tap off' contactless payment system
Passengers travelling on Edinburgh Trams will now be able to 'tap on' and 'tap off' when using the public transport system. From Monday, customers will be able to tap their contactless card or device when using the capital's tram network. Customers will need to tap their device onto the existing Platform Validators when they begin their journey, then tap off on the platform after they have disembarked the tram. The tram operator says the new system calculates the cheapest fare based on the number of journeys made then charges the card in the early hours of the next morning. The system works alongside Lothian Buses' existing TapTapCap system to cap bus and tram travel across the city at the day ticket rate. Additionally, weekly travel will also be capped at the weekly rate, so customers can travel as much as they like within the City Zone, and only pay the weekly cap fare. To benefit from the caps, the tram operator said the same card or device should be used every time customers tap on and tap off to avoid journeys mistakenly being registered as incomplete. Sarah Singh, head of service delivery, said they were 'delighted' to share the launch date of the new payment system. She said: 'The delivery of this project reflects months of hard work from colleagues across the business and Lothian Buses, to fully integrate ToTo into their existing system, and we're pleased to be offering our best-ever service to customers across Edinburgh.' Transport convener for Edinburgh Council, councillor Stephen Jenkinson, said the ingregration of the system marked a 'significant milestone' for the city's public transport network. 'This will allow residents and visitors to travel more efficiently and at the best value with ticket prices automatically capped at the cheapest daily and weekly rate,' he said. He added: 'Our excellent public transport services is the most inclusive form of travel; it provides an alternative to car use especially for people on lower incomes or with mobility issues.' 'Our integrated public transport system is something we're very proud of here in Edinburgh – compared with similar sized cities we are an example to be celebrated and followed.' He continued: 'Low carbon travel is also a key element of our wider climate ambitions and I'm sure this development will encourage greater use.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scotsman
05-05-2025
- Scotsman
Edinburgh trams: How does the Tap on, Tap off system work? When does it go live?
The 'tap on, tap off' system going live on Edinburgh's trams will work in conjunction with Lothian Buses Sign up for the latest news and analysis about Scottish transport Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, 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... Dubbed 'ToTo', the payment's official launch date has been confirmed for a fortnight's time, on Monday, May 19. A tram on Princes Street in Edinburgh | PA Here is how the ToTo system will work. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad How will tap on, tap off work for Edinburgh trams? Under the system, customers can pay for travel by tapping their contactless card or relevant device onto 'platform validators' to start their journey. The person then taps off using the same technique after getting off the tram when they have finished their trip. Like the contactless payments already accepted in the city by Lothian Buses, the new system calculates the cheapest fare based on the number of journeys made and then debits the card in the early hours of the following morning. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There is also a weekly cap based on the number of trips taken over a seven-day, Monday to Sunday, period. Why do I tap off after getting off the tram? Unlike buses, when using the tram, customers will need to 'tap off' using the platform validator when they reach their destination. This is because the network is split into two fare zones. One of Edinburgh's trams. Picture: Lisa Ferguson This makes sure they will only pay for travel on sections of the tramway they have actually used. Can I pay for more than one fare on a single contactless card? No - each contactless card or device can only be used for one standard adult fare. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If customers travelling in groups or with children, they will should need to use the ticket vending machines on tram platforms, or pre-purchase tickets on the app. Does the system also work for Lothian Buses travel? In short, yes. The ToTo payment method will work in conjunction with Lothian Buses' existing TapTapCap system, allowing integrated travel across Edinburgh. This means bus and tram travel across the city will be capped at the day ticket rate. What has been said about the 'tap on, tap off' system? ToTo is the first system of its kind in Scotland and has been developed in collaboration with payment provider Flowbird. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sarah Singh, head of service delivery, said: 'We are delighted to be able to share the launch date for this new payment system, two weeks from today. 'The delivery of this project reflects months of hard work from colleagues across the business and Lothian Buses, to fully integrate ToTo into their existing system, and we're pleased to be offering our best-ever service to customers across Edinburgh.' Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, transport convener for Edinburgh Council, said: 'Integrating this new TOTO system across both Edinburgh Trams and Lothian Buses is a significant milestone for our public transport network and I'm excited that we're only a couple weeks away from launch. This will allow residents and visitors to travel more efficiently and at the best value with ticket prices automatically capped at the cheapest daily and weekly rate. 'Our excellent public transport services is the most inclusive form of travel; it provides an alternative to car use especially for people on lower incomes or with mobility issues. Our integrated public transport system is something we're very proud of here in Edinburgh - compared with similar-sized cities, we are an example to be celebrated and followed.
