{"id":1441,"date":"2026-09-04T18:23:49","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T17:23:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grantoncc.scot\/?p=1441"},"modified":"2026-09-04T18:27:33","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T17:27:33","slug":"trams-to-from-granton-statement-to-tec","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grantoncc.scot\/index.php\/2026\/09\/04\/trams-to-from-granton-statement-to-tec\/","title":{"rendered":"Trams to\/from Granton: open letter to the TEC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>We have submitted the following statement to the City of Edinburgh Council Transport and Environment Committee (TEC) , in relation to item 7.6 on the <a href=\"https:\/\/democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk\/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=136&amp;MId=8122&amp;Ver=4\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk\/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=136&amp;MId=8122&amp;Ver=4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">agenda<\/a> for its meeting on 10 September 2026. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dear Committee,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most recent Granton and District Community Council meeting on Monday 31 August included a lengthy discussion about the prospect of the Granton to City Centre section of the Tram development being de-prioritised or even shelved at the TEC meeting on Thursday 10 September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a Community Council, we have engaged in two decades of masterplanning, place planning and numerous consultations. We are in regular dialogue with the Waterfront Development Team and have held specific public meetings about changes to our communities. Throughout these decades, it has always been predicated on the delivery of a public transport or tram connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We are unanimous in our belief that future construction of the Granton section is vital in bringing much-needed economic, social and environmental benefits to the communities of North Edinburgh. As you know, our part of the city faces significant socio-economic challenges, along with imminent population growth resulting from the Granton Waterfront development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Development of a rapid transport link is essential to improving quality of life for those already living here and ensuring that the new Granton Waterfront precinct becomes a thriving, sustainable community, rather than an isolated ghetto at the northern edge of the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We urge the Committee to prioritise the Granton phase of the tram and ensure that it does not get de-prioritised or shelved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reasons for promoting the Granton spur as the next phase of the tram project are well known:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The tram is key to achieving the net-zero aims of the Granton Waterfront development \u2013 the most ambitious new urban quarter being developed in Edinburgh and Scotland at present. In fact, the Granton Waterfront masterplan for this new urban quarter is predicated on the future existence of a tram connection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Providing a rapid transit solution between this new quarter and the city centre is absolutely essential to ensuring it becomes a sustainable, thriving, well-connected community.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Connecting the Western General and RIE hospitals will bring significant health and wellbeing benefits to Edinburgh residents, and savings to the NHS.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Council has been accepting tram contributions from developers for the last ten years or so. What will happen to these?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Granton, Pilton and wider Waterfront area has the lowest level of car ownership in Edinburgh and the new developments have been designed to continue that trend.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We are particularly concerned that a vocal campaign \u2013 largely led by residents in more affluent areas \u2013 has persuasively argued against the Roseburn corridor option. However, most of us feel the narrative of the campaign is based on a false choice between either a tramway or retention of the Roseburn Path as a cycle\/walkway. It contends that a tramway will destroy the amenity of the path completely, which is not the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, it is likely that the opinions and wishes of Granton residents are under-represented in the public consultation responses, as less affluent communities are less likely to engage or have the means of doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The officers\u2019 report includes a perfectly feasible proposal to develop a tramway along the Roseburn corridor, while retaining a cycle path and walkway, with single track options at pinch points. There has been a failure to champion this solution as a viable compromise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both route options for the Granton leg have their merits and drawbacks. However, we fear that the complexities and public controversies around both have led to a position where it may seem easiest for Councillors simply to \u2018kick the can down the road\u2019 and de-prioritise the Granton leg in principle \u2013 without due consideration of the socio-economic impact on present and future communities here in North Edinburgh and will be reneging on two decades of promises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We urge you to ensure that the Granton leg is not de-prioritised or shelved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yours sincerely,<br>Granton and District Community Council<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We have submitted the following statement to the City of Edinburgh Council Transport and Environment Committee (TEC) , in relation to item 7.6 on the agenda for its meeting on &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58,28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-posts","category-transport"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grantoncc.scot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grantoncc.scot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grantoncc.scot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grantoncc.scot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grantoncc.scot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1441"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/grantoncc.scot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1441\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1445,"href":"https:\/\/grantoncc.scot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1441\/revisions\/1445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grantoncc.scot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grantoncc.scot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grantoncc.scot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}