CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

"Cyclists’ joy at St James Quarter route plans"

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Plans to make the £850 million St James Quarter a cycle-friendly hub have been praised by campaigners, who say the development will help link-up disjointed city-centre bike routes.

    Developers behind the massive retail and leisure complex set to replace the St James Centre have pledged to create a cycle corridor through the complex, as well as dedicated facilities for riders.

    Secure parking, showers for commuters and even a “cycle garage” are all being put forward by TIAA Henderson Real Estate following talks with charity Spokes.

    The move has been hailed as a chance to link up new and proposed cycle routes on Princes Street, George Street and Leith Walk.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/cyclists-joy-at-st-james-quarter-route-plans-1-3597737

    Posted 9 years ago #
  2. chdot
    Admin

    OK, so what is a realistic through route that doesn't include Multrees Walk (cycling banned)?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  3. wingpig
    Member

    "...corridor through..."

    Presumably permeable, as well as a handy cut-through, though at some point the norh-east end of any such corridor is going to dump people somewhere between the uckjunctions of Leith St/Princes St or Picardy Place?

    "OK, so what is a realistic through route that doesn't include Multrees Walk?"

    Divert around West Register Street/James Craig? Not really any possible route, other than around Queen St to the north, which avoids the East Register House corner of Princes Street when getting from George to the St James Zone. Multrees is a sensible place for a north-west pedestrian entrance to the St James Zone, seeing as there's the bus station just to the north of it.

    Maybe the northbound lane of Leith Street could be diverted underneath the St James Zone, splitting in advance of Picardy Place to join up with Broughton Street or Leith Walk or the bus station or the St James Zone car parks, which would take a bit of pressure off the junctions and make it easier to add a nice segregated southbound cycle lane up Leith Street.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  4. chdot
    Admin

    "Divert around West Register Street/James Craig? Not really any possible route"

    Unless you can go through someone's wall/land?

    http://www.cyclestreets.net/journey/42883051

    "Multrees is a sensible place for a north-west pedestrian entrance to the St James Zone"

    Yes and virtually no chance of cycling being allowed EVER.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  5. wingpig
    Member

    Does that statue outside East Register House need to be there? If that was shifted there'd be space for a bike lane around that corner.

    Whose is this? Would they be amenable to letting people through to get into the St James Zone without having to brush past Princes Street? Perhaps a nice wee cyclo/ped bridge over the Register House car park from here?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

    Nice setts.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  7. chdot
    Admin

    Aren't 'we' important enough to knock down a few more buildings??

    Posted 9 years ago #
  8. cb
    Member

    Going around the north side of the Royal Bank would only require knocking a wall down. It's not even a very nice wall.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  9. chdot
    Admin

    @ cb

    YES

    and WE own most of that wall!!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  10. neddie
    Member

    All this seems like a smokescreen to the real issue, which is the reluctance to take away any road space from cars (to create a decent segregated cycle route along main roads where people actually want to go rather than go through some zig zaggy dog leggy mish mash of a muddle)

    Sorry for the long sentence - couldn't be bothered to split it up

    Posted 9 years ago #
  11. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Whose is this?

    That's the access to the car park and annexxe building behind RBS. There was discussions with the council about opening up a through-route here as the annexxe building is due for demolition. I think it's ongoing negotiations.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  12. chdot
    Admin

    "I think it's ongoing negotiations."

    Pity CEC doesn't use compulsory purpose more often, it would make negotiations quicker...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  13. gembo
    Member

    Compulsory purpose we should all have that.

    THis Development is so keen at the moment, paying for tram line extension, helping cyclists. Let's compel them to stick to this purpose and deliver.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  14. chdot
    Admin

    "Let's compel them to stick to this purpose and deliver"

    And get CEC to force it be public - unlike Multrees and QuarterMile.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  15. mgj
    Member

    There are plans for the area behind the RBS, so that is a non-runner.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  16. chdot
    Admin

    "There are plans for the area behind the RBS, so that is a non-runner"

    Except that planning permission will be required, so obviously CEC will do the right thing...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  17. crowriver
    Member

    It seems there is permission for pre-planning consultation on a new development nearby, not sure if this is the RBS building. Currently about to go to consultation (Council notified by developer TODAY!)

    "Further to our earlier discussion I confirm that the public exhibition will take place on 27th November from 3pm until 8pm. The venue is likely to be the Café Royal, however the precise details are being finalised. I will inform you as soon as we have the detail available, and the event will be advertised in the Edinburgh Evening News and through a leaflet distribution within the statutory timescale."

    From: 14/03550/PAN | "Mixed use development including residential, office, hotel, serviced apartments, class 1, 2 & 3 uses and involving partial demolition, refurbishment and new build. | 41 - 42 St Andrew Square 9-19 South St Andrew Street 28-50 West Register Street Edinburgh EH2 2AD"

    Might be a good idea to attend and press for cycling access corridors?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  18. chdot
    Admin

    Don't forget the east west 'route' map -

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12044

    Posted 9 years ago #
  19. kaputnik
    Moderator

    @Crowriver - those are former RBS buildings, but not the ones most commonly associated with it on the square.

    41-42 SAS is the vacant former bank HQ next to the Bank of Scotland / British Linen Bank office. It was built as the HQ of the National Bank of Scotland. Commercial Bank of Scotland was where the Dome now is. These later merged as National Commercial Bank of Scotland, before being taken over in 1969 by RBS.

    9 - 19 South St. Andrew Street are 60s or 70s offices for RBS, linked to 41-42 SAS by the walkway over West Register Street.

    28 - 50 West Register Street incorporates I think that whole seemingly abandoned block between Greggs and Cafe Royal. It is was built as a paper warehouse for the Cowans (perhaps the same paper lairds of Penicuik), for which purpose it is ridiculously elaborate, must have some of the finest facade carvings in Edinburgh on it. It later became RBS's central stationary warehouse, but I don't think it's been occupied or used by them for many a year.

    The first two parts of the site have been vacant since RBS decamped to Gogarburn. Vladimir Romanov attempted to turn it into a hotel at one point and got nowhere. Apparently Fred didn't want to go to Gogarburn, preferred the idea of buying New St Andrew a.k.a. St James House (which they did) and building himself a monument to delusions of grandeur there. The council made sure that never happened. Not sure if that's a good thing or not, it could have prevented building an enormous "drive to" office beyond the green belt city limits and would have gotten shot of New St Andrew House ~ 10 years ago. I suppose it depends if you think a bank HQ would be more or less offensive on the site than the current offerings of unaffordable housing, shops and boutique hotels.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  20. mgj
    Member

    St Andrews House is riddled with asbestos. It is owned by the Coal Board pension fund. The value of the building with no asbestos and the land including costs to clear it have fluctuated over the last 20 years since the civil service moved out. It is the worst building I have ever worked in.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  21. chdot
    Admin

    TIAA Henderson Real Estate developed Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  22. chdot
    Admin

  23. gembo
    Member

    @mgj - New St Andrews House - was a terrible building to work in. Did not know it was owned by the Coal Board Pension fund. Wonder how many miners are left drawing pensions?. Gordon our concierge from Westwood House (another bad building) receives £1.47 a month from them. He was only a miner for four years.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  24. chdot
    Admin

    "

    And they also made clear that the £61m being loaned to St James Quarter developers TH Henderson Real Estate “will not be used to fund trams”, despite the city’s ambition to create a transport interchange next to the £850m development.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/council-anger-at-no-new-tram-line-funding-1-3699638

    And there was me thinking SG was giving money to make this city-changing development happen.

    Certainly the developers/CEC had been 'considering' extending the tram line down to around McDonald Road. It will be interesting to see how SG makes sure that 'government' ('our') money isn't used - or maybe tram plan will be cancelled?

    The SJQ development may also involve CEC allowing 'too much' car parking and not adequately improving Leith Street for people on bikes.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  25. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Getting the tram as far as McDonald Road? For all the distance that is, you might as well not even bother if you're not going to go all the way to at least the Foot of the Walk.

    If the council wants to extend the tram, they're going to have to do it more than 1 stop at a time.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  26. PS
    Member

    I'm sure it wouldn't be hard for St James Quarter developers TH Henderson Real Estate to allocate the £61m being loaned to it by SG to bricks and mortar (sorry, limestone and plate glass) whilst at the same time the loan freed up some other funds to contribute to a tram fund [if it really wanted a tramline to Leith as part of its prestigious development].

    Posted 9 years ago #
  27. crowriver
    Member

    I really wonder why Derek Mackay felt it necessary to issue this rather petulant statement? Is he perchance indulging in a spot of populist rabble rousing ahead of the coming election? Surely not!

    What next? Rhetoric about the 'war on the motorist'? Bloody cyclists getting the way'? Re-announcement of funding for more dual carriageways?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  28. kaputnik
    Moderator

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-31728877

    St James Centre in Edinburgh: Images of new hotel released

    Unpeeled orange, anyone?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  29. chdot
    Admin

    "

    "The final hotel design is likely to be influenced by the operator and given Edinburgh is continuing to prove a highly attractive destination with a growing tourist economy and strong finance market, we are encouraged by the response we have received from interested parties so far."

    "

    Whatever.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  30. wingpig
    Member

    They forgot the wee studs on the seating-slabs to stop skateboarders.
    Presumably they'll not bother with that trailing end of peel tailing off to touch the ground when they realise the many terrible things which could happen to it.

    Posted 9 years ago #

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