Drum Brae / Gyle ward
Drum Brae/Gyle ward covers the communities of Barntongate, Bughtlin, Clermiston, Clerwood, Drum Brae, East Craigs, Forrester Park, North Gyle, Parkgrove, South Gyle and West Craigs.
Working as a team with Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP and Christine Jardine MP, local councillors Robert Aldridge and Ed Thornley are strong voices for the area and fight hard to get things done locally.
You can contact them at:
cllr.robert.aldridge@edinburgh.gov.uk / 0131 529 4992
cllr.edward.thornley@edinburgh.gov.uk / 0131 529 4152
Latest news
Meadow Place Road Closure
The works on Meadow Place Road have caused long tailbacks of traffic along St John's and Glasgow Roads, sometimes reaching queues of up to 40 minutes at the busiest times.
The work is to connect the new West Point housing development to the utility mains, and will take place in two stages.
Stage 1 is currently ongoing, with the southbound closure of Meadow Place Road expected to last two weeks. The No. 1, 12 and 21 buses are being diverted during the work, and details of that can be found here.
Stage 2 will consist of contraflow, and is expected to last another six weeks.
This was yet another occasion where roadworks have begun on incredibly short notice. Some measures were suggested by councillors to improve the traffic flow problems, but so far thse have not been undertaken.
Local Lib Dem councillor Ed Thornley said, "We know this is incredibly frustrating for local residents, and many people have been in touch with us about the apparnet lack of joined-up thinking around roadworks.
"Between Meadow Place, Queensferry and West Approach Roads, and of course Roseburn Terrace, there is now not a major route heading west from the city centre that doesn't have substantial roadworks on it.
"There simply needs to be better planning of roadworks, and how they affect other routes and works too."
Councillor Robert Aldridge
Robert has been a councillor for Drum Brae/Gyle for over 30 years and he lives locally in Barntongate.
Robert was unanimously elected as Edinburgh's Lord Provost, meaning he chairs meetings of the Council and is also the civic head of the city and the ex-officio Lord Lieutenant of Edinburgh.
Robert has a long record of service and action for and with the local community and he has a strong reputation for getting things done.
- He campaigned successfully with local residents for the Drum Brae Leisure Centre and for the Drum Brae Library Hub, which have both been hugely successful.
- He chaired the Neighbourhood Partnership’s Environment Committee leading to improvements in parks across the Drum Brae/Gyle area and targeted anti-litter campaigns.
- He has championed more local decision making – especially in promoting the Youth Decides initiative locally, where young people recommend local projects for funding.
- He championed the new gym hall at East Craigs Primary school and the development of the new Buttercup Farm Park.
For all his time as a councillor, Robert has fought to protect local green spaces from development. Most recently he opposed the recently rejected development proposals for yet more housing on greenbelt at Cammo.
Councillor Ed Thornley
Ed believes in ensuring our communities across Drum Brae / Gyle ward receive the best possible Council services. A well-known face on the doorstep, Ed has been standing up for West Edinburgh and has helped ensure local people are listened to at all levels of government.
Together with Councillor Robert Aldridge, he is campaigning for:
- Action to tackle the terrible state of local roads, paths and pavements
- More investment in our parks and green spaces
- Better lighting in green spaces so people can feel safe when walking
- A lights-controlled crossing at the junction of Drum Brae North and Drum Brae Drive
- Improvements to the reliability of the 31 bus
He sits on the Culture and Communities and Governance, Risk and Best Value Committees.
