So here's my update on what I have found out so far, it's a bit long and rambling so please send me requests for clarification. I emailed Cala, Barrat, the cycling team and the architects involved in planning the site.
The architects haven't acknowledged my email.
Cala got back almost immediately and said they would go and speak to the site team and get back to me, 3 weeks later I haven't heard from them again.
Barrat Homes took a while to get off the mark but phoned up for more details last week and then phoned back yesterday. They made it clear that Cala have been contracted by them to provide the infrastructure for the whole site. They can obviously provide some pressure if the infrastructure doesn't meet the contracted standard and he left a phone number for me to discuss any further concerns. He has spoken to Cala homes and provided me the email address of the person he dealt with. Cala's response to him was that they had designed the cycle path in accordance with LTN 02/08 (http://www.ukroads.org/...pdf). I'll paste the relevant section in the next post to save space here.
The Council then emailed a few minutes later and have sent the same email today:
Thank you for your e-mail on 15 July 2016 highlighting your concerns about the cycle control measures on the rerouted section of NCN1 that passes through Dalmeny Park.
Having liaised with the local inspector for the scheme, I can confirm that the timber barriers installed are a temporary measure to prevent vehicles using this path during the construction process. Any permanent measures will comply with both City of Edinburgh and Transport Scotland’s guidelines.
So the good news is that the temporary wooden barriers might be just that, temporary and removed when the site is finished. Cala will be as aware as anyone that sub contractors can ruin their reputation while not all maintaining the strictest adherence with traffic laws. I will need to email Cala to clarify.
I'm a little confused by these responses though as Cala appear to be using a DoT document which I assume is irrelevant as transport is devolved. Unfortunately Dot guidlines are rather tighter on chicanes than cycling by design (2m rather than 3m).
The permanent barriers they have installed also don't meet either set of guidelines, although they are spaced wider than the temporary ones (3m+ I guess) they should be set back 5m from the road to allow groups to reform before crossing.
My next comments are more about my experience of the path so far. I haven't used the northern stretch of the path and probably rarely will because the infrastructure encourages me onto the road at the chicanes, my comments are therefore aimed and the longer southern stretch. The dropped kerb is poorly aligned which means you can't approach/ depart from the chicanes along the line of the path on the road side without dropping down a slopping kerb. The actual dropped kerb is about 6 £1 coins high so between 15 and 20mm. It seems quite high but I can't remember what the requirements for new dropped kerbs are, I will ask if this is the final road surface although it looks like it is as manholes are flush.
I don't personally dislike the monoblock as much as others seem to. It is a lot smoother than badly laid tarmac such as the meadows to innocent route and I don't think will frost as badly as the tarmac on the exposed parts of the A90 path. Although we will need to wait until winter to find out. It's also very wide currently although there is plans to install benches and other street furniture on it if I remember correctly. The southern road crossing appears to be designed to offer visual priority to the path rather than the road which is a huge positive.
@scotti, Although I hadn't seen an exact date, the closure wasn't entirely without warning. The developers applied for a stopping up notice or whatever it is called last year. More recently there has then been a couple of small signs on the path itself. The new signs being installed at the southern end were the final warning that it was imminent.
@deckard, the line of the old path will become back gardens for the housing so unless you fancy riding it like the grand national...
Incidentally does anyone choose to follow the official route from there to the bridge. Plenty people opt for Scotstoun Avenue or Station Road but Rosebury Avenue seems to combine the worst parts of both.