CITY councillors will meet tomorrow to vote either to approve or reject planning permission for the regeneration of Leith’s “pride bridge”.
The bridge near Lindsay Road has been an “LBTQ+ landmark” since its inception in 2021, when community members painted it with a pride flag.
The bridge itself has existed since the 1930s and was originally used for traffic before being closed to cars in 1998 and becoming a walkway.
It was then closed late in 2021 with concerns for its safety being raised before councillors successfully applied for funding to regenerate the bridge, being awarded £232,700.
A designer was appointed and worked with stakeholders and the community to regenerate the construct with councillors offloading the cost to charity Sustrans, which saw the bridge deck replaced.
The bridge has since come into disrepair again with new proposals being submitted to the city council to “undertake a full decking replacement”, which could mean the demolition of the old bridge and the creation of a new, improved option.
The development management sub-committee will now meet tomorrow to vote on whether to approve or reject planning permission for the new works.
City council planning officers recommended the councillors vote to grant the planning permission for a variety of reasons including: “The proposals will improve the appearance and usability of the area of public open space, resulting in community benefits.
“The proposals are compatible with policy priorities that include sustainability in terms of climate change mitigation and adaptation, restoration and enhancement of biodiversity and materials use.
“The proposals comply with National Planning Framework 4 and the Local Development Plan (Cityplan 2030), as well as the Edinburgh Design Guidance.
“There are no detrimental impacts on equalities or human rights. There are no other material considerations that outweigh the presumption to grant planning permission.”
Leader of the Save the Pride Bridge campaign Róisín Therese Reardon said: “I am looking forward to the next phase in the new year which will involve finalising the details of the planning permission and putting together funding applications.
“If all that goes according to plan, then hopefully 2025 will be the year that we see actual work commence on the demolition of the old bridge (RIP) and construction of the new and improved next generation Pride Bridge.”
