January 2026 news from Councillor Kevin McKay
Happy New Year to All!
Snow and ice actually made a nice change but also nice to see it warm up a bit.
There is NO full council meeting till 5th February. However, there is feverish activity in the Chamber behind the scenes as the budget is being pored over before coming to full council to be agreed. It is a bit late this year – a knock on effect from the dates of the UK and Scottish governments budgets, as funds trickle down through the system.
However you will have noticed that Scottish Parliamentary elections are on Thursday 7th May 2026 and campaigning has started.
Harrison Road update
I have received the following update from the council:
For Harrison Road Bridge, our contractor has already initiated the process of ordering the new precast concrete beams, which will form the new bridge deck structure, and the design by our consultant has progressed, allowing the council to move into the next phase of the project. The engineers expect the beams to be delivered in early 2026 and this will trigger the next stage of the works, which will include demolition activities, installation of a temporary system to safely support utilities over the bridge, bridge bearing installations, and the closure of the footpath both above and below the bridge until the project's completion.
Regarding the canal bridge, the engineers have completed laboratory tests on the buckle plate on the underside of the bridge deck to confirm the material properties. Once the designer verifies the structural assessment with this new information, the engineers will start planning the strengthening works. At this stage, the focus is on developing a strengthening solution that achieves a weight limit capacity of 7.5 tonnes. This approach balances safety, technical feasibility, heritage constraints and available funding. To implement the weight restriction, a TRO (traffic regulation order) is required including a statutory consultation phase, which may take additional time to process.
New crossing at Craighouse Campus
Following emails from residents which highlighted the issue, the Council has agreed that a pedestrian crossing is required at the Craighouse Campus (Sasson Grove) on Craighouse Road.
The entrances are currently placed near a 90° bend in the road on a steep hill completely hindering visibility on both sides. On the left hand side going down the hill from the campus there is no pavement which requiries pedestrians to cross the road to walk on the otherside. This means that residents and visitors including dog walkers are forced to take a big risk crossing the road. Subject to funding, the council are hoping to deliver a suitable crossing in the next financial year.
Four month disruption to Bus 10 & 27 service
Due to resurfacing works, Gilmore Place will be closed from Monday 19th January for approximately 4 Month disrupting services 10 & 27 - between Colinton Road and Home Street. Buses will be diverted via Colinton Road and Bruntsfield Place in both directions.
Great news about some improvements in the road surface but 4 months is a long time!
For information about upcoming road works check out the Event List
Water of Leith flooding risk map
With climate change, more extreme events are predicted from floods to droughts. The Environmental Agency (SEPA) has issued information with the headline ‘One in eight properties across Scotland at medium risk of flooding’ which is quite a worrying statement.
Read the report here: https://beta.sepa.scot/flooding/flood-risk-management-planning-in-scotland/national-flood-risk-assessment/
You can check the flood map here to see if you are at risk: https://map.sepa.org.uk/floodmap/map.htm
You can also get advice to help prepare against floods and to sign up for alerts here: https://beta.sepa.scot/flooding/prepare-for-flooding/
