Leith Business Association

The welcome announcement that Constitution Street would be re-opened to traffic during the Christmas period was reported on the BBC website on 2 December:

Christmas opening for Leith tram road

The delay in re-opening the road means that the remaining utility works and preparation works for track-laying will now recommence on 9 January 2010.

tie have acknowledged that there are numerous issues which remain to be resolved on Constitution Street before track-laying will start. A number of bodies are still to be exhumed. the churchyard wall needs to be made safe and additional utility works have been postponed until the New Year to allow the businesses and residents some respite over the Christmas period.

A report prepared for the City of Edinburgh Council has revealed that formal dispute papers have been lodged against the tram consortium, according to an article on the BBC website:

New row threatens tram project

The tram consortium had previously been in dispute with tie and the Council in February, and at that time claimed there were a further 100 issues still to be resolved.

Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, the council's transport convenor was quoted as saying, "We are unhappy with the progress of the tram project.", which seems at odds with recent press coverage stating that Princes Street work would be completed earlier than intended.

A group of Leith traders have circulated a petition calling for compensation payments for business losses incurred as a result of the Edinburgh Tram Project, as reported on the STV news on 22 July:

STV evening news - video

Several of the affected traders were interviewed and pointed out the problems being experienced: the inability to receive deliveries, the inability for customers to access the services and with the corresponding downturn in business, the loss of jobsand closure of businesses.

Anyone wishing to sign the petition should contact Sandra Majdoub at Royal Artizana before the petition is presented to the Council offices on Friday 24 July.

In what must be the most misleading headline of the tram project to date, the stv website carried an article on 8 June about the forthcoming track-laying on Princes Street under the headline:

Edinburgh trams project back on track

Both Steven Bell, tram project director and Gordon Mackenzie, the new Transport Convenor were suitably gushing in their comments regarding this significant event.  No mention was made of the fact that the track-laying should have started in Leith early in 2009 (so how can the project be 'back on track') and that the MUDFA utility diversions on Leith Walk are fast approaching a full one year delay in completion (so how can the project be 'back on track').

Although the focus of attention has moved to the city centre, Leith continues to suffer.