Rewilding fast becoming a no-brainer like the benefits of cycling. There's a current stink in Borrowdale Lake District where the National Trust have bought a farm which it intends to rewild, but is meeting fierce resistence from locals including (Lord) Melvyn Bragg who would prefer the totally unnatural sheep farming which requires high levels of subsidy, and doesn't contribute as much to the local economy as people think. Same principles apply in Roseburn, both in the park and the Terrace.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Roseburn Park - shared path closed (now open!)
(246 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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"doesn't contribute as much to the local economy as people think"
You got EVIDENCE for that??
Or are you an expert...
Posted 8 years ago # -
@chdot I'm not an expert. Just what I've read. Do your caps indicate you don't agree? I admit it would be interesting to see a proper economic analysis.
Posted 8 years ago # -
There was some level of evidence during the Foot and Mouth episode (2001?) that recreational access in Scotland generated far more money than farming.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@ IH
DON'T WORRY
Just an attempt at satire or irony or something...
Posted 8 years ago # -
DUH. Sorry for humour bypass.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"Melvyn Bragg who would prefer the totally unnatural sheep farming which requires high levels of subsidy, and doesn't contribute as much to the local economy as people think."
Such things are a real problem in many areas of life - including traders and cycle routes - and particularly the whole business of whose interests should trump others.
It's clearly not possible to produce unequivocally evidence in advance of a proposed change.
With Roseburn there are people who believe 'shops will go out of business' and 'local businesses will benefit'.
Both are probably right.
With upland hillfarming v wilding, just because the sheep created landscape is traditional (beyond living memory) doesn't mean that it is still appropriate (if it ever was).
With the Pentlands/WoL it may well be better/cheaper to reconfigure the way water is able to run off the hills - and of course the acres of tarmac/'hard landscaping' within the city.
Developing a "flood prevention scheme" involving tree removal, walls etc. represents a different tradition of 'interests'.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"DUH. Sorry for humour bypass."
Apology not required (accepted anyway).
Blame the Internut.
Posted 8 years ago # -
There was some level of evidence during the Foot and Mouth episode (2001?) that recreational access in Scotland generated far more money than farming.
Not sure about *more* money than farming, but it certainly highlighted just how significant recreational use of the land is to the rural Scottish economy. People in rural communicates noticed.
The F&M epidemic was indeed 2001, right in the middle of the consultation on the first draft of the Land Reform Bill. Many people, including myself, who were pushing for better recreational access (the first draft was pretty thin on that) felt thatthe F&M epidemic, tragic as it was, strengthened the case for better recreational access.
Aside from the economics, it also demonstrated that the public could be trusted to act responsibly when needed, i.e. by staying off the land.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Arellcat, @Stickman, thanks! I guess we'll risk it :)
Posted 8 years ago # -
Am I bad / downright naughty / evil / mischievous for sometimes NOT dismounting for the 6ft pavement build-out blocking the temporary cycle space by the fence any more?
After the behaviour of CarsNotKids and his acolytes, I began to think 'sod 'em' and now sometimes cycle (carefully & at walking pace or by partially dismounting and scooting) through if it's quiet. Of course if it's busy and there are peds or others walking bikes or cycling through the space, I get off and push.
Is this setting our cause back, or cheekily cocking a snook at the "B off, you're not local!" brigade?
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Three the del monte bit is only because of the pavement build-out there (some flawed and ineffective previous attempt at "traffic calming" I think). Would be better and reduce conflict if they just popped in a few temporary ramps of tarmac as they so often do.
Posted 8 years ago # -
http://www.friendsofroseburnpark.org.uk/2016/10/04/council-consultation-on-park-cycling-management/
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1758964994368850&id=1430808027184550&__tn__=%2As
Rather marvellously someone has said on the Facebook post that cyclists should use the bus lane.
Posted 8 years ago # -
There's a buslane in R Park??!
Posted 8 years ago # -
'Electronic signs reminding cyclists to slow down' will likely work as well as they do on roads asking drivers already exceeding the speed limit to slow down.
In the 10 years I've been commuting by bike and coming through Roseburn park, I think I can honestly say that I I could count the number of cyclists "tearing through with no consideration for children or animals" on the fingers of one hand which has had two of its fingers removed ;-)
(Locals letting their dogs run free to foul the grass & path without picking it up is incredibly prevalent though, especially in the early morning when they think no-one is around to see it. It's not referred to as 'Poo Park' by my cricketing colleagues for nothing!)
Posted 8 years ago # -
Those two fb posts are not entirely without merit; they say there's too much signage clutter already; the anti-social people will ignore it anyway; segregation in the path (white line down the middle) isn't the answer; educate people. I think there's stuff there to work on. Even the buslane comment refers to the road where fast cylists could ride. This comment completely misses the point however that buslanes are now rush hour only, and that option A would encourage more people to choose the road rather than the park.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"option A would encourage more people to choose the road rather than the park"
Yes.
CEC missed a serious opportunity to make A the easier option to agree about. It failed to make it clear that the plan was to extent along the main road westwards.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Two guys on MTBs going full-pelt as if racing each other on the 'please dismount' section of Riversdale pavement this morning around 6.20am.
Lunatics.
Actually felt sorry for the old boy waiting with his dog to get out of his gate there.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Works complete and road reopened today.
No expense spared on the flood wall which has some nice brick facing. There's a new smooth pavement as well, which won't last long once the local pavement-parkers set about it.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I am right in thinking there were signs at the buildings in the park saying the old route is closed?
Nothing there now. No diversion signs, nothing.
Posted 8 years ago # -
There was nothing there on Thursday either...
Posted 8 years ago # -
just tried to go through there yesterday as the path is open from the ice rink car park along towards Roseburn St - them i cam across the fence at the far end- no signs telling you it's no though way right enough. Had to go across the grass and retrace to the diversion path.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Posted 8 years ago #
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Works ahead of schedule apparently:
http://www.waterofleith.org.uk/blog/2016/10/31/floodworks-ahead-of-schedule-at-murrayfield.html
Posted 8 years ago # -
A new bit of temporary path is being put in. It's a small straight section across the grass which will remove the bad double 90 degree turn round the bin and earthworks.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Any sign of diversion signs?
Posted 8 years ago # -
No
Posted 8 years ago # -
I seen that new path being constructed last night Stickman. What that bit also really needs is some sort of lighting - or perhaps pedestrians wearing anything other than dark colours.
I had to take evasive action one night last week when a ninja couple veered from the darkness across the path section with the trees just before the temporary path...if they couldn't see my double front and rear lights, I'm not sure how they expected me to see them in the pitch black in stealth mode...
Posted 8 years ago # -
The path around the buildings is now dug up and fenced off. A path of the plastic sheeting has been put across the grass, although it is only one panel wide and it doesn't seem to have been laid very well at each end.
No need for diversion signs now.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Oooooo - plastic sheeting down again just in time for winter, just like last year. Dreadful, slippery stuff when damp or wet - as evidenced last year when I saw a few cyclists come off heavily when they made the mistake of braking and turning slightly at the same time.
Posted 8 years ago #
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