March 2026 news from Councillor Kevin McKay
Improving the Canal & Lochrin Basin
I have been meeting with Scottish Canals, Vastint (developers), FCCT (community Trust) and others to try and breathe new life into the somewhat unloved Lochrin Basin as well as improve other areas of the canal, such as towpath lighting and widening.
As a result of these meetings I have put forward a motion to develop a budget and a plan to bring forward the canal strategy. For more information click the links below:
Edinburgh Union Canal Strategy: www.scottishcanals.co.uk/business-governance/strategy-planning/edinburgh-union-canals-strategy-2024-2029
Fountainbridge Masterplan: https://www.7narchitects.com/projects/fountainbridge-masterplan
WWCT's project review on the recent Fountainbridge improvements: https://www.walkwheelcycletrust.org.uk/our-blog/projects/canalside-improvements-in-west-edinburgh-are-making-local-journeys-smoother/
You can see my proposed motion here.
Davidson House
The former residential carehome for the elderly and older people with dementia along Colinton Road, has now been completely demolished and the site cleared. So far I have not received any notification of planning application, although I expect something before my next e-news.
Lockharton Parking
The Traffic Regulation Orders Sub-Committee is due to meet on Tuesday 17th March to discuss the proposed priority parking at Lockharton and other areas. You can follow the committee meeting online by registering here.
Plans for Scottish Water’s Fairmilehead site
A pre-planning application has been submitted for Scottish Water’s site at Fairmilehead. The plan is to demolish the offices and create a residential-led mixed-use development. More information is available here and at two drop-in events at Fairmilehead Parish Church on 11 and 25 March, 3-7pm.
Also check out the recently published planning reference 26/00798/PAN - this is the link to the Council's Planning portal where the plans can be found https://citydev-portal.edinburgh.gov.uk/idoxpa-web/search.do?action=simple&searchType=Application.
Compulsory Owner's Association
Late last year the Scottish Law Commission reported back to the Scottish Parliament on proposed changes to the law in order to establish compulsory owners’ associations for tenement properties.
The condition of Scotland’s tenements has been in decline for many years. The key purpose of the association would be to manage maintenance and repair of the building fabric. The association would have legal personality (separate from the flat owners) enabling it to contract for maintenance work and hold funds in its own name.
I welcome the report. However it has yet to be accepted and promulgated into law by the Scottish Parliament. More information can be found here.
Road Disruption
It often feels like there are roadworks everywhere.To find out exactly where there are roadworks and when they might be happening, the Council publishes real-time updates on its Edintravel X account and also a weekly list showing planned roadworks. More information is available on the council website here Also check out the Scottish roadworks website: Roadworks Scotland https://www.roadworksscotland.org/ or the Tell me Scotland Website which covers public notices such as traffic orders.
Mobile Phones in Schools
As reported in the press there is broad support to restrict the use of mobile phones in schools following the consultation period. You can read the report here.
Andy Williamson - our Lib Dem candidate for South Western (see below) - has been a leading voice in the movement to remove smartphones from schools across Edinburgh and Scotland, working with Edinburgh councillors, speaking at the Scottish Parliament, and advocating for students in national and local media.
Andy was recently interviewed on BBC radio Drivetime about this. To hear Andy comment on phones in school you can listen here at the 1:22 time slot.