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
Parkgrove Drive
For years, the state of the road surface on Parkgrove Drive and Loan has been truly awful – and it has been the single issue that residents in Parkgrove have raised with us most frequently.
That’s why we are so glad to see repair works have been undertaken on the Drive, as a result of continuous pressure from both the community and local councillors.
Local Lib Dem councillor Ed Thornley said, "We have been working hard to push this forward. Resurfacing works have now taken place over lots of Craigmount, but Parkgrove desperately needs them too – and that’s what we are now fighting for. We all know from experience that temporary repairs can last as little as a fortnight – we hope that will not be the case here, but these are a sticking plaster over the problem.
"This patching work is in no way a permanent fix, and a full resurface is still needed on many roads in the area, not just the Drive. That’s why the Lib Dem proposals for the Council budget included millions of pounds more to fix our crumbling roads, paths and pavements.
"We were delighted to see these proposals passed by the Council and £11 million of extra funding made available for this sort of work. We will now be fighting to see it invested in our area, and pushing for the proper repairs and serious investment that these roads so desperately need.
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.
