September 2026 news from Councillor Neil Ross

Boroughmuir High School capacity issues

Boroughmuir High School’s roll has been steadily increasing since the school opened in 2018. It now stands at around 1700, compared to a notional capacity of 1560, and is projected to rise further to a peak of around 1800 by 2029 and then to start falling. Works are currently underway to increase capacity to 1610 and a further capacity addition has been agreed by the Council this week via temporary classrooms in the playground by August 2027. Although these plans are welcome, the Council has been too slow to address capacity concerns and to install temporary classrooms, much to the frustration of the school community. More information is available in a report to the Council’s Education Committee at item 8.3 here.

South Sub Tram Train Feasibility Study

Transport Scotland is carrying out a feasibility study in conjunction with Network Rail to identify the technical requirements of tram train services on the South Sub line and assess the feasibility of integrating these services with other rail passenger and freight services and the wider public transport network. The study started in August and is likely to take nine months. More information about the study is available on the website of the campaign group Tram Trains for Edinburgh here, along with information about the group here.

Astley Ainslie Place Brief

In advance of carrying out a public consultation, a draft Place Brief for Astley Ainslie is to be considered by the Council’s Planning Committee. Consultation responses and further assessment will then be used to finalise the Place Brief for adoption.

While the NHS may retain part of the site, a significant part is likely to be sold for development. The site has been formally recognised in City Plan 2030 as having the potential to be re-developed into a residential-led mixed-use neighbourhood, with an indicative capacity of 500 homes.

The report and appendices are at item 7.3 on the meeting agenda here. The meeting on Wednesday next week can be viewed on the Council’s webcast or in-person at the City Chambers.

The Astley Ainslie Community Trust is holding a site visitor count on Wednesday 16 and Saturday 19 September and needs more volunteers. If you can help for an hour or two at one of the entrances, please email michael.hall (at) aact.scot. The latest newsletter is available here.

Polwarth and Merchiston Road Safety Schemes make progress

Good news! Merchiston and Districts Community Council is making significant progress with its pedestrian priority projects at Polwarth Roundabout and also at junctions on Merchiston Avenue.

The Polwarth Roundabout transformation is advancing towards potential delivery in early 2027 with news about additional raised crossings, on-street cycle storage, benches and greenery. The community council wants to hear your views on new proposals for the junction of Merchiston Avenue at Merchiston Place/Rochester Terrace and also on the junction with Colinton Road. More information is available, along with the chance to provide feedback, here.

Speeding in Braidburn Valley Park

In response to concerns raised by local residents about speeding cyclists in Braidburn Valley Park, we contacted the Council’s Parks team to ask for additional signage. They offered to add ‘SLOW’ markings on the main path and the park’s Friends group suggested suitable locations. We were told recently to expect markings to appear soon.

Action on speeding on Braid Road

Good news! The Council has, at last, installed battery-powered temporary speed signs on Braid Road. They were operating for two weeks in August until they ran out of power. The Council's Road Safety team is rotating these signs around speeding hot spots across the city, so we expect they will return to Braid Road periodically. Traffic often approaches the crossroads with Braid Hills Road going too fast, resulting in frequent incidents and dangers to pedestrians and other road users.

Midmar Paddock - Asserted public right of way (PRoW)

Council officers are working with Scotways on updating the Public Right of Way database to show the paths across the paddock.  

Road safety on the Quiet Route

The modal filters on Cluny Drive at Braid Avenue and Hermitage Gardens have been removed and priorities at these junctions have reverted to the pre-2021 arrangements. Now that the rest of the quiet route is being made permanent, at a cost of £240,000, local residents have raised safety concerns about speeding traffic through the area and dangers to all road users at the three blind corners at Braid Crescent/Hermitage Gardens, Corrennie Drive/Hermitage Gardens and Braid Avenue/Corrennie Drive. We have asked the Council about vertical ‘Give Way’ signs at these junctions and note that speed checks are part of a programme of on-going traffic monitoring. The latest Council report on the quiet route is at 7.3 on the agenda here.

Two local events in September

An exhibition is running in Morningside Library on the History of Morningside & its Victorian Builders. It lasts until 14 September.

James Naughtie will give his insights into American Politics at 7.00pm on Sunday 20 September at Greenbank Church and by livestream.