CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Date set for Cockenzie chimney demolitions

(62 posts)
  • Started 9 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
  • Latest reply from crowriver

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  1. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I went to the ash lagoons at Musselburgh and had a good view of the chimneys coming down. I was otherwise engaged this afternoon though - have they brought down the turbine hall yet?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  2. crowriver
    Member

    I saw it from Portobello Prom, along with many. many others. The beach was mobbed!

    They took down the turbine hall shortly afterwards, not visible from where I was but the reddish/brown dust cloud was. Also a very audible rumble from the explosive charges. The boiler house (really big building) is still standing.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  3. biketrain
    Member

    Watched this from a sailing boat, just outside the exclusion zone, on the Forth with about 100 other boats.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  4. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    The group beside me on the Fa'side road were convinced the chimneys were supposed to have fallen across the main building bringing it down with them.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  5. gibbo
    Member

    I watched it from Holyrood Park. (About 60% of the way up the road from St M to Dunsapie.)

    You wouldn't believe the number of cars that were on the road. Practically bumper-to-bumper all the way up, and cars parked on the grass etc.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  6. Arellcat
    Moderator


    The grey man of Cockenzie

    Only about half a dozen people cycled to the ash lagoons. As I made my way to the Innocent path from Portobello Prom I laughed at how many people had driven to see the event, and were completely jamming the roads when all trying to leave at once.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  7. crowriver
    Member

    "As I made my way to the Innocent path from Portobello Prom I laughed at how many people had driven to see the event, and were completely jamming the roads when all trying to leave at once."

    Also on the way there, apparently, according to a friend who was stuck on a bus in a traffic jam...

    In comparison, the Restalrig path was fairly quiet.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  8. Greenroofer
    Member

    @Arellcat - that is a rather splendid picture

    Posted 9 years ago #
  9. wingpig
    Member

    Hopefully my car-entitlement-afflicted wife will think twice next time/heed warnings about the many similar people who would predictably be thinking they could just pop to Mussey at twenty past eleven, rather than feeling the need to sample the blocked road from two directions before giving up and continuing on foot to close to where I would have cycled to with the large child had I been quick enough to get out of the house with him after swimming before she came back with the smaller one from somewhere else.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  10. fimm
    Member

    Yes, nice picture Arellcat.
    I didn't bother going to see it. I've seen a few videos on the web...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  11. chdot
    Admin

    "nice picture Arellcat"

    Good choice of location and 'moment'.

    Makes you look to see what's actually happening too.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  12. gibbo
    Member

    "As I made my way to the Innocent path from Portobello Prom I laughed at how many people had driven to see the event"

    I had a laugh at the number of cars still driving up the hill in the park to get to their viewing position... after the towers had come down.

    Drivers ruining things for drivers...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  13. chdot
    Admin

    "after the towers had come down"

    It's all about timing! (See photo above.)

    Just come back from a trip. Train to London was more than 1/2 hr late so missed 'booked' connection- got one 1/2 hr later.

    Compensation is for 1/2 hr late (or more) - not 'more than 1/2 hr', so should get 1/2 money back.

    If connection had 20 min service might not have(?)

    Posted 9 years ago #
  14. kaputnik
    Moderator

    We didn't get out to see the demolition (or doors open day) as the boy had been sick and we were removing mushrooms from his bedding and teddies...

    Anyway. We did sit at the table and wonder why London Road was absolutely heaving in one direction (townwards) at about 1245 on a Saturday.

    I can hazard a guess why having read above posts.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  15. cb
    Member

    We watched from Portobello prom. Quite a nice crowd atmosphere there.

    After the chimneys came down we hung around for a bit waiting for the turbine hall to come down, assuming that the main building was the turbine hall.

    I guess that a lot of other people were thinking the same.

    Left before most of the crowds to have a nosey round someone's house using the Doors Open Day excuse.

    Then back over the footbridge to look at trains and back to the car (ahem!).

    Driving was ok, just park far enough away and walk/buggy/buggy-board the rest of the way.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  16. chdot
    Admin

    [+] Embed the video | Video DownloadGet the Video Widget

    Posted 9 years ago #
  17. chdot
    Admin

  18. acsimpson
    Member

    That video shows biketrain's flotila nicely.

    cb, I was also down the prom. Although running very late so only just saw the chimneys go. The turbine hall was obscured from there so we along with many others spent a while waiting for the boiler house to go before giving up when Scottish power tweeted the details. The car owners at the Seafield entrance hadn't just decided to park on the pavement but even managed to double park on the pavement :-(

    Looking at Arthurs Seat many people had managed to get up there and enjoy the view too.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  19. chdot
    Admin

  20. chdot
    Admin

    Backers say the move would open the door to new ferry services to northern Europe, create much-needed jobs for young people in the area and boost the economy.

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/plans-to-make-former-cockenzie-power-station-a-new-cruise-port-1-4722482

    Posted 7 years ago #
  21. stiltskin
    Member

    Electricity substation it is then.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  22. neddie
    Member

    It could always be for a ferry service to our new trading partners in India, the US and the Cook Islands...

    I mean if wooden canoes were good enough to cross the Pacific, why not?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  23. dessert rat
    Member

    also close enough for a canoe to get to the new Dogger Bank island.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  24. amir
    Member

    It's a prime area for overwintering ducks and waterbirds, including some that are quite rare

    Posted 7 years ago #
  25. crowriver
    Member

    Can you imagine what the traffic would be like in East Lothian if those pie-in-the-sky cruise terminal plans ever came about? Orkney is being ruined by the huge influx of visitors who spend little (most are full board on the floating hotels), and they only create a handful of jobs for bus drivers.

    I'd rather see the substation frankly.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  26. paulmilne
    Member

    Orkney has a reason for tourists to get off though. I could see a ferry terminal, but not a cruise ship terminal. You need attractions of the touristic variety. I think EL is lovely but as daytrip destination from a cruise ship, no.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  27. jonty
    Member

    I think the idea would be coaches to Edinburgh and other destinations would it not?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  28. chdot
    Admin

  29. paulmilne
    Member

    I expect the impact would be on a local workforce building and working at any cruise ship terminal. As @jonty says, coaches would most likely run from there to Edinburgh. Not further, I'd guess. And it's unlikely that beyond employment at the terminal and increased traffic between there and Edinburgh there would be much impact on the rest of East Lothian. So agreeing with @crowriver here about that.

    But aren't there facilities at the Port of Leith for cruise ships? Are they at over-capacity? Is there demand among cruise ship operators for another terminal to serve Edinburgh?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  30. urchaidh
    Member

    East Lothian Courier article says Scottish Government have called in a planning application for a large substation on the site.

    Since the sub-station is in support of off shore wind generation I suspect it will be declared of national importance and given the go ahead, despite the local opposition.

    Posted 7 years ago #

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