Why is Edinburgh so filthy?

Went to the game today with a friend from France, who used to work at the Institute on George IV Bridge. He was keen to pop in to see a couple of his old colleagues so we had a wee stroll across the Meadows, stopping in for a pint at Doctor's on Forrest Road. He said to me the city seemed very dirty compared to when he lived here a decade or so ago and as someone who rarely visits the city centre I had to agree about that area in particular. Extreme amounts of graffiti covering numerous doorways and disused shop units, overflowing bins and just a general grime about the place. The Greyfriars Bobby statue is a tourist magnet yet again there's a graffiti-riddled, boarded-up unit right next to it along with a lampost covered in peeling stickers. The whole bridge is one big set of roadworks and that former Missoni hotel just seems to be permanently encased in cladding/scaffolding. Take a right at the High Street (where those ugly counter-terrorism bollards are also covered in graffiti, stickers and general dirt) and head down North Bridge and it's more of the same. As for Princes Street, it's not just the dirtiness but the crapiness of the shops and drabness of what was once a real showpiece street.

I'm probably just sounding like a moaning old bugger, but I'd go so far as to say the city centre is bit of a dump these days. What's the reason for this? Scottish government freezing the council tax for too many years but subsequently slashing council budgets? Less regular cleaning services? Lack of policing around vandalism etc? Or just a loss of pride in our city? I found it all a bit depressing.

😂😂

Its the trans’ fault

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Originally Posted by hibsbollah

Its the trans’ fault

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...and the immigrants.

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Originally Posted by Hibspur

Went to the game today with a friend from France, who used to work at the Institute on George IV Bridge. He was keen to pop in to see a couple of his old colleagues so we had a wee stroll across the Meadows, stopping in for a pint at Doctor's on Forrest Road. He said to me the city seemed very dirty compared to when he lived here a decade or so ago and as someone who rarely visits the city centre I had to agree about that area in particular. Extreme amounts of graffiti covering numerous doorways and disused shop units, overflowing bins and just a general grime about the place. The Greyfriars Bobby statue is a tourist magnet yet again there's a graffiti-riddled, boarded-up unit right next to it along with a lampost covered in peeling stickers. The whole bridge is one big set of roadworks and that former Missoni hotel just seems to be permanently encased in cladding/scaffolding. Take a right at the High Street (where those ugly counter-terrorism bollards are also covered in graffiti, stickers and general dirt) and head down North Bridge and it's more of the same. As for Princes Street, it's not just the dirtiness but the crapiness of the shops and drabness of what was once a real showpiece street.

I'm probably just sounding like a moaning old bugger, but I'd go so far as to say the city centre is bit of a dump these days. What's the reason for this? Scottish government freezing the council tax for too many years but subsequently slashing council budgets? Less regular cleaning services? Lack of policing around vandalism etc? Or just a loss of pride in our city? I found it all a bit depressing.

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It’s an utter hovel.

When the weather gets nice I like to walk to and from work. When I walked home the other night I lost count of the number of times I wondered “where’s that rank smell coming from”. Most often it was from filthy, overflowing bins. My walk home is one of the most beautiful commutes you could ever hope to have so it was really dispiriting. Looks like it will be the tram more often than not from now on.

There’s the faeces of any number of animals everywhere and most places are just neglected looking.

The decline is really quite depressing.

I’m bringing my kids up to get tf out of Scotland and never look back because when you take the property prices etc into consideration there’s just a feel of hopelessness and terminal decline everywhere you go.

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Originally Posted by Smartie

It’s an utter hovel.

When the weather gets nice I like to walk to and from work. When I walked home the other night I lost count of the number of times I wondered “where’s that rank smell coming from”. Most often it was from filthy, overflowing bins. My walk home is one of the most beautiful commutes you could ever hope to have so it was really dispiriting. Looks like it will be the tram more often than not from now on.

There’s the faeces of any number of animals everywhere and most places are just neglected looking.

The decline is really quite depressing.

I’m bringing my kids up to get tf out of Scotland and never look back because when you take the property prices etc into consideration there’s just a feel of hopelessness and terminal decline everywhere you go.

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****ing hell mate, if it’s that grim you might want to move yourself

It's a mess. No question. On a par with Glasgow for grubbiness. Princes Street's been a sorry state for years mind you. The Johnnie Walker thing is fine and the new Jenners development sounds promising but they should make most of the rest of it residential. The castle view would be spectacular (unlike the one from Tynecastle).

Has Edinburgh and Leith for that matter ever been anything above “hovel” level ? Granted the odd area gets a spruce up now and again but largely for as long as I can remember its been ****ing minging. We have crumbling pre victorian properties that are buttressed up for many years because of constant maintenance requirements, or replaced by ****ing pre fabricated efforts with life spans of 25 years, then raised to the ground and rebuilt, rinse and repeat.

Then theres the roads..

I was up in Shetland this last week and found it so refreshing.

No potholes. No litter. No dog ****. Clean, neat and tidy.

I know Shetland, and I know it’s ****ing grim in the winter and often not much better in the summer bar the longer days. Luckily enough I had some beautiful weather and swam in the sea twice and went for a couple of runs.

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Originally Posted by Jones28

I was up in Shetland this last week and found it so refreshing.

No potholes. No litter. No dog ****. Clean, neat and tidy.

I know Shetland, and I know it’s ****ing grim in the winter and often not much better in the summer bar the longer days. Luckily enough I had some beautiful weather and swam in the sea twice and went for a couple of runs.

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It baffles me how these idyllic rural areas manage to be free of litter, noise and pollution. Its almost like they have different pressures on their infrastructure than cities do :greengrin

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Originally Posted by Hibspur

Went to the game today with a friend from France, who used to work at the Institute on George IV Bridge. He was keen to pop in to see a couple of his old colleagues so we had a wee stroll across the Meadows, stopping in for a pint at Doctor's on Forrest Road. He said to me the city seemed very dirty compared to when he lived here a decade or so ago and as someone who rarely visits the city centre I had to agree about that area in particular. Extreme amounts of graffiti covering numerous doorways and disused shop units, overflowing bins and just a general grime about the place. The Greyfriars Bobby statue is a tourist magnet yet again there's a graffiti-riddled, boarded-up unit right next to it along with a lampost covered in peeling stickers. The whole bridge is one big set of roadworks and that former Missoni hotel just seems to be permanently encased in cladding/scaffolding. Take a right at the High Street (where those ugly counter-terrorism bollards are also covered in graffiti, stickers and general dirt) and head down North Bridge and it's more of the same. As for Princes Street, it's not just the dirtiness but the crapiness of the shops and drabness of what was once a real showpiece street.

I'm probably just sounding like a moaning old bugger, but I'd go so far as to say the city centre is bit of a dump these days. What's the reason for this? Scottish government freezing the council tax for too many years but subsequently slashing council budgets? Less regular cleaning services? Lack of policing around vandalism etc? Or just a loss of pride in our city? I found it all a bit depressing.

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And you witnessed that in an area that's 'looked after' by the council with more regular bin collections and street sweepers than the non city centre areas!

I have a friend who lives on Forrest Road. He and his neighbours could paint their stair door every week and it would be covered in graffiti the next. It's a good blue touch paper event for winding him up!

The state the roads are in is a disgrace and worse than most 3rd world countries I've been in.

The council need a good shake.

Whe did we stop clearing out the drains in the street? (Or they have certainly stopped clearing them in the schemie areas anyway). There is regular flash flooding near us now because the drains are absolutely clogged full of debris. I'm no climate change denier but this is definitely just because the water has absolutely nowhere to go rather than anything deeper.

Parks near us are rank as well. They cut the grass on the sports pitches but beyond that everything is overgrown, the paths are unmaintained, graffiti all over the changing rooms, litter bins are all damaged so unusable etc etc.

There is definitely an air of neglect about the place. Like the poster above I often walk or cycle to work and the bins en route are regularly overflowing and stinking. The roads are fundamentally unsafe to cycle on as well with the potholes and cracks.

When I was a bairn Edinburgh always felt a total *****hole to me. The areas I mostly encountered were all full of shabby rundown housing, minging bins, broken glass, dug *****, discarded needles, rusting playparks. Even the centre felt neglected and crap. Then there was a real period were it felt different. The high rises and crap housing in loads of places came down and were replaced by vastly improved stock. Community centres got tarted up, leisure facilities were improved, parks suddenly became clean with new play areas, trees, wildflower areas, whole blocks of flats and shops and so on got cleaned up and repainted. Now it feels like we are rewinding 30 years. The new houses have been allowed to decay to the same level as the ones they replaced. I'm looking out my back window now and there is a path with a rusting fence with 2 broken bins hanging off it, a 3rd bin on the path that is overflowing because it is the only one usable and a load of trees (that are the council's responsibility because we have checked) that are overgrown and block about 70% of the path. Best city in the world my erse.

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Originally Posted by hibsbollah

It baffles me how these idyllic rural areas manage to be free of litter, noise and pollution. Its almost like they have different pressures on their infrastructure than cities do :greengrin

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Fair point - I live in south central Scotland in a rural community plagued with dog ****, litter and potholes too though.

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Originally Posted by Jones28

Fair point - I live in south central Scotland in a rural community plagued with dog ****, litter and potholes too though.

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I know, slightly mischievous on my part!

Its a political discussion for me, and i don’t frequent the Holy Ground anymore so it may have been discussed before, but from my political standpoint if you cut funding to local authorities year after year for decades, the agencies who look after the public space, there is only going to be one outcome. Degrading the public space is a political choice.

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Originally Posted by Pretty Boy

Whe did we stop clearing out the drains in the street? (Or they have certainly stopped clearing them in the schemie areas anyway). There is regular flash flooding near us now because the drains are absolutely clogged full of debris. I'm no climate change denier but this is definitely just because the water has absolutely nowhere to go rather than anything deeper.

Parks near us are rank as well. They cut the grass on the sports pitches but beyond that everything is overgrown, the paths are unmaintained, graffiti all over the changing rooms, litter bins are all damaged so unusable etc etc.

There is definitely an air of neglect about the place. Like the poster above I often walk or cycle to work and the bins en route are regularly overflowing and stinking. The roads are fundamentally unsafe to cycle on as well with the potholes and cracks.

When I was a bairn Edinburgh always felt a total *****hole to me. The areas I mostly encountered were all full of shabby rundown housing, minging bins, broken glass, dug *****, discarded needles, rusting playparks. Even the centre felt neglected and crap. Then there was a real period were it felt different. The high rises and crap housing in loads of places came down and were replaced by vastly improved stock. Community centres got tarted up, leisure facilities were improved, parks suddenly became clean with new play areas, trees, wildflower areas, whole blocks of flats and shops and so on got cleaned up and repainted. Now it feels like we are rewinding 30 years. The new houses have been allowed to decay to the same level as the ones they replaced. I'm looking out my back window now and there is a path with a rusting fence with 2 broken bins hanging off it, a 3rd bin on the path that is overflowing because it is the only one usable and a load of trees (that are the council's responsibility because we have checked) that are overgrown and block about 70% of the path. Best city in the world my erse.

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In regards to the drains, I think they are currently trying to sort those out, few weeks back I saw the specialist van going about clearing them down by me in Leith, must be doing an area at a time, first time I had seen anything like that in years

I think the answer is mostly in the Glasgow slogan, "People make Glasgow!".


You could apply that to Edinburgh and a number of other places, e.g. "people make Edinburgh (a total *****hole)"

Paris, Barcelona, New York. Not just a Scottish issue. Although if you think Edinburgh is bad, Glasgow city centre is a total hole these days.

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Originally Posted by Jack

And you witnessed that in an area that's 'looked after' by the council with more regular bin collections and street sweepers than the non city centre areas!

I have a friend who lives on Forrest Road. He and his neighbours could paint their stair door every week and it would be covered in graffiti the next. It's a good blue touch paper event for winding him up!

The state the roads are in is a disgrace and worse than most 3rd world countries I've been in.

The council need a good shake.

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That was the issue which especially struck me. These are not the entrances to empty shops or abandoned/poorly maintained council properties. Many of the flats will be privately-owned homes, where the stair doors are presumably in constant use by the owners. The extraordinary level of graffiti there was something new to me and I'm not surprised your friend and his neighbours are furious about it. I'm guessing the police don't see it as a priority, but I'd imagine there must be CCTV cameras around that area?

As you say, for an area which you'd imagine gets 'cleaned' more than most it's depressing to see how unsightly it's become, especially with swathes of tourists in the city centre all year round these days.

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Originally Posted by hibsbollah

I know, slightly mischievous on my part!

Its a political discussion for me, and i don’t frequent the Holy Ground anymore so it may have been discussed before, but from my political standpoint if you cut funding to local authorities year after year for decades, the agencies who look after the public space, there is only going to be one outcome. Degrading the public space is a political choice.

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I'm not convinced lack of respect for other people's property has much to do with politics, but I did think the Scottish government's decision to extend the council tax freeze under Humza Yousaf was nuts. Councils had been starved of funds for long enough, although in saying that I'm not sure how much faith we can place in councils to invest the funds they do have wisely.

The answer to your question is the people of Edinburgh are responsible for the mess. I don't and never have dropped litter in any city anywhere as I dispose of it properly.

It has always been like this - travellers from the 1600's complained of the effluence around the High Street in particular. Dr Johnson's journals in 1773 noted the foul air and dirt

and general detritus and so on and so on.

Throwing sewage waste out of one's window has generally stopped but the devil may care attitude persists !

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Originally Posted by DH1875

Paris, Barcelona, New York. Not just a Scottish issue. Although if you think Edinburgh is bad, Glasgow city centre is a total hole these days.

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Glasgow's always had a grittier look/feel but you're right, the city centre's sunk to a whole new level now. I was there last week and attempted to take a short cut I used to use to get to my work by nipping along one of the lanes off St Vincent Street. I actually turned back and went the long way round, so disgusting were the underfoot conditions!

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Originally Posted by hibsbollah

I know, slightly mischievous on my part!

Its a political discussion for me, and i don’t frequent the Holy Ground anymore so it may have been discussed before, but from my political standpoint if you cut funding to local authorities year after year for decades, the agencies who look after the public space, there is only going to be one outcome. Degrading the public space is a political choice.

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While I generally agree with you I had a wee job driving a wee van around centralish Scotland; being retired my wife and I used to take day trips on the bus all over the place.

The difference between well looked after places and the grubbier ones is/was stark.

If some Councils can do it why can't others? I think there's more to it than Central Government funding.

If it's political then the cynic in me might think in Edinburgh it's a Labour council trying to embarrass a SNP Government on their own doorstep.

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Originally Posted by hibsbollah

Its the trans’ fault

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Do you mean the trams? That business-wrecking fiasco certainly didn't help.

Hopefully now that they finally reach Leith they'll prove to bring some sort of tangible benefit.

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Originally Posted by Hibspur

That was the issue which especially struck me. These are not the entrances to empty shops or abandoned/poorly maintained council properties. Many of the flats will be privately-owned homes, where the stair doors are presumably in constant use by the owners. The extraordinary level of graffiti there was something new to me and I'm not surprised your friend and his neighbours are furious about it. I'm guessing the police don't see it as a priority, but I'd imagine there must be CCTV cameras around that area?

As you say, for an area which you'd imagine gets 'cleaned' more than most it's depressing to see how unsightly it's become, especially with swathes of tourists in the city centre all year round these days.

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Herein lies one of the issues. The city is flooded with tourists. I was in town today and it was very busy, George IV Bridge, Princes St etc. I have no idea how large the city's population is at any given time, but the town centre is rammed. Bins are always overflowing, it's windy as and we have the resident gull population ripping into it all.

Out in the sticks (The Inch), there's dug **** all over the pavements, the same mutts and ignorant owners creating a depressing mess. Then there's the couldn't give a **** tramps, always determined to not care about throwing away their litter or tidying up after the bin lorries make a mess of the street.

The place is a ****hole, the council have no money for much other than Trams and it's not likely to change. As for council tax rises. No thanks, I pay enough on income tax and council tax as it is. Tourist tax would be a start.

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Originally Posted by Hibspur

Went to the game today with a friend from France, who used to work at the Institute on George IV Bridge. He was keen to pop in to see a couple of his old colleagues so we had a wee stroll across the Meadows, stopping in for a pint at Doctor's on Forrest Road. He said to me the city seemed very dirty compared to when he lived here a decade or so ago and as someone who rarely visits the city centre I had to agree about that area in particular. Extreme amounts of graffiti covering numerous doorways and disused shop units, overflowing bins and just a general grime about the place. The Greyfriars Bobby statue is a tourist magnet yet again there's a graffiti-riddled, boarded-up unit right next to it along with a lampost covered in peeling stickers. The whole bridge is one big set of roadworks and that former Missoni hotel just seems to be permanently encased in cladding/scaffolding. Take a right at the High Street (where those ugly counter-terrorism bollards are also covered in graffiti, stickers and general dirt) and head down North Bridge and it's more of the same. As for Princes Street, it's not just the dirtiness but the crapiness of the shops and drabness of what was once a real showpiece street.

I'm probably just sounding like a moaning old bugger, but I'd go so far as to say the city centre is bit of a dump these days. What's the reason for this? Scottish government freezing the council tax for too many years but subsequently slashing council budgets? Less regular cleaning services? Lack of policing around vandalism etc? Or just a loss of pride in our city? I found it all a bit depressing.

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Funny you mention this, but first I would say that part of the city has always looked a bit grubby, but I was coming down from the Royal about 5.30 this morning and street cleaners were everywhere cleaning and hosing the streets down and it’s not the first time I have seen it so I’m going to guess and say that area gets a good clean every morning, I would say from the Meadows down the bridges Lothian Road and all down the middle to Queens Street gets cleaned every morning, seems to be a boundary around that part of the city that is well looked after and it gets all done again the next day every day, it’s a big area, probably about the same size as Muirhouse and Pilton, I wonder how much council tax is collected from the city centre boundary compared to Muirhouse and Pilton who will be lucky if you see street cleaners in these areas once every 3 months, are the deprived areas paying for the upkeep of the city centre to look nice for the tourists but get very little spent doing up deprived ares in the city.

And give it a few weeks and the airport road both ways will get all spruced up for the tourists coming out the airport, the Gyle roundabout will get a makeover and any graffiti will be cleaned off all the way through to the city centre, but Pilton Niddrie and other poor areas will be left to be a dump.

Moan over. :greengrin

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Originally Posted by DH1875

Paris, Barcelona, New York. Not just a Scottish issue. Although if you think Edinburgh is bad, Glasgow city centre is a total hole these days.

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Couldn’t believe how filthy the Parkhead area was when at the cup game, it has had a fortune spent on it for the games and is a lot better than it was but for crying out loud the litter is a joke, doesn’t look like it has been cleaned since the Commonwealth games opened, 100 locals could try to clean it up a bit, yes I know it’s a council matter but it looks like the Parkhead area is an after thought by the council.

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Originally Posted by silverhibee

Couldn’t believe how filthy the Parkhead area was when at the cup game, it has had a fortune spent on it for the games and is a lot better than it was but for crying out loud the litter is a joke, doesn’t look like it has been cleaned since the Commonwealth games opened, 100 locals could try to clean it up a bit, yes I know it’s a council matter but it looks like the Parkhead area is an after thought by the council.

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My daughter has moved to the southside of Glasgow and my first impression was even though its a nice up and coming area it is way worse for litter and also potholes than Edinburgh. I cycle a lot and there is no way id cycle at night off the cycle paths there, just too many big cracks in the road.

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Originally Posted by hibsbollah

I know, slightly mischievous on my part!

Its a political discussion for me, and i don’t frequent the Holy Ground anymore so it may have been discussed before, but from my political standpoint if you cut funding to local authorities year after year for decades, the agencies who look after the public space, there is only going to be one outcome. Degrading the public space is a political choice.

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It is to a point. But people don’t fling litter out their windows because of a lack of bins to dump it in.

It’s something in the mindsets of the people that do.

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Originally Posted by silverhibee

Funny you mention this, but first I would say that part of the city has always looked a bit grubby, but I was coming down from the Royal about 5.30 this morning and street cleaners were everywhere cleaning and hosing the streets down and it’s not the first time I have seen it so I’m going to guess and say that area gets a good clean every morning, I would say from the Meadows down the bridges Lothian Road and all down the middle to Queens Street gets cleaned every morning, seems to be a boundary around that part of the city that is well looked after and it gets all done again the next day every day, it’s a big area, probably about the same size as Muirhouse and Pilton, I wonder how much council tax is collected from the city centre boundary compared to Muirhouse and Pilton who will be lucky if you see street cleaners in these areas once every 3 months, are the deprived areas paying for the upkeep of the city centre to look nice for the tourists but get very little spent doing up deprived ares in the city.

And give it a few weeks and the airport road both ways will get all spruced up for the tourists coming out the airport, the Gyle roundabout will get a makeover and any graffiti will be cleaned off all the way through to the city centre, but Pilton Niddrie and other poor areas will be left to be a dump.

Moan over. :greengrin

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I get what you're saying about the allocation of resources, but I'd be very surprised if many tourists would have described the city centre streets we walked along yesterday as looking nice. It was a foreign visitor who remarked to me how shabby it all looked and for me there's no question the maintenance has declined significantly.

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Originally Posted by Jones28

It is to a point. But people don’t fling litter out their windows because of a lack of bins to dump it in.

It’s something in the mindsets of the people that do.

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You mean like ‘gardyloo!’? There’s an historic element to this then, weve been like this for hundreds of years :greengrin

In terms of the council pressure, ill give you an example. Last week when we got unbroken sunshine and 20 degrees for a couple of days, i cycled theough the meadows in the evening and back to work again at 7 the next morning. There were many hundreds of people out after 8pm drinking barbecueing, mucking about and a lot of toffs and students and all sorts. There must have been many thousands there through the afternoon all told. By the next morning it was fairly bad with bins overflowing, litter piled on top of already filled bins, and probably an epic amount of work for the council teams. But it was already looking decent by the evening commute. I also doubt whether littering is that much worse now than it was back in the day. I remember’litterbug’ campaigns back when i was at school. Theres just more of us living cheek by jowl now, certainly more of us eating and drinking out of the home environment as well.

We've voted in governments which prioritise profit over any kind of social contract for 45 years. Of course places are going to be run down and neglected. Go to the North of England and places which don't have the benefit of tourism are totally ramshackle.

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Originally Posted by Kato

We've voted in governments which prioritise profit over any kind of social contract for 45 years. Of course places are going to be run down and neglected. Go to the North of England and places which don't have the benefit of tourism are totally ramshackle.

Sent from my SM-A528B using Tapatalk

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:agree: There’s a lot of different factors at play at the same time, but the main one is lack of investment/austerity for year after year. What do they THINK is going to happen?

I try and vote for who I think will be better for the country and all the people in it. There's a depressing lack of options really on that front and as others have mentioned, the consistent cutting to the bone of funding for local auhtorities is devestating to any town or city. The older I get though, the more I can't particularly be doing with other humans. A lot of what you see on the surface level is other people just being dirty minging barstewards.

Interestingly enough, after my earlier rant…

Chargers for electric cars are being installed at my flats (in itself, something that should provide an environmental improvement).

Whilst this is being done, we’ve got to shift our cars. When I was walking to the car this morning there was a council guy out, hacking away some weeds and generally tidying the place up. Fair play to him, and whoever sent him. It’s the first time I’ve seen anything like this in years, and it will have an impact.

The tales of similar happening elsewhere that were mentioned earlier in the thread felt like an world away so I felt it only fair to acknowledge the fact that this was happening, on my doorstep, just this morning.

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Originally Posted by Kato

We've voted in governments which prioritise profit over any kind of social contract for 45 years. Of course places are going to be run down and neglected. Go to the North of England and places which don't have the benefit of tourism are totally ramshackle.

Sent from my SM-A528B using Tapatalk

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They sweep the **** outwards and downwards, ye olde edinburgh

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Originally Posted by The_Exile

I try and vote for who I think will be better for the country and all the people in it. There's a depressing lack of options really on that front and as others have mentioned, the consistent cutting to the bone of funding for local auhtorities is devestating to any town or city. The older I get though, the more I can't particularly be doing with other humans. A lot of what you see on the surface level is other people just being dirty minging barstewards.

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Can't disagree with that.

When it comes to cutbacks though, for as long the Scottish government continues to convince itself that constituents care most about issues like net zero, gender identity and Islamophobia we might ultimately see them pay the price for excluding more pressing issues to voters from their policy making. Just look at the way Reform pretty much swept the boards in England last week. A pledge to kick some ass when it comes to wasteful council spending has clearly been well received. Swinney of course, is making all the right noises about being concerned by Farage & co, when in private he'll be welcoming them making their presence felt in Scotland as it will split his opposition - meaning we're probably lumbered with him for another few years :rolleyes:

I was working in a flat off Leith Walk yesterday, working at a window area in the afternoon, there's a guy coming up the street on the other side of the road eating out of some sort of plastic container.

He finishes eating and just drops the container on the pavement, five yards on and he uses a key to enter the stair door opposite where I am. I presume he lives there.

With ****my behaviour like this, what chance do you have of keeping anywhere clean.

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Originally Posted by Hibspur

I get what you're saying about the allocation of resources, but I'd be very surprised if many tourists would have described the city centre streets we walked along yesterday as looking nice. It was a foreign visitor who remarked to me how shabby it all looked and for me there's no question the maintenance has declined significantly.

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I really don’t think it has declined, simply there is now more people in the city centre nowadays mostly tourists, but I’m sure the council do there best to keep it as clean as they can but the volume of visitors has surged over the years that it makes it difficult but every morning it’s spotless clean.

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Originally Posted by The_Exile

I try and vote for who I think will be better for the country and all the people in it. There's a depressing lack of options really on that front and as others have mentioned, the consistent cutting to the bone of funding for local auhtorities is devestating to any town or city. The older I get though, the more I can't particularly be doing with other humans. A lot of what you see on the surface level is other people just being dirty minging barstewards.

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You're right!

I could write my thoughts on this all day but just don't have the energy as my ramblings won't fix one iota.

But, the issue, in my opinion, is simply two things. The nature of the people and the pressures on resources.

The dynamic of the make-up of the city has changed a lot in the last 30 years.
We've always been a tourist city but with the advent of cheap online breaks coupled with the Insta 24hr getaway this brings a lot more folk in to the city and this brings a massive amount of single use disposable packaging amongst other things. In the immediate environs of the City Centre, the bins are full to overflowing.
This also leads to higher transient numbers of city dwellers. It's easier to disrespect a place if you fly out on Monday.
It has been argued elsewhere that those who rent don't tend to have the same "community investment" as owner-occupiers.

This brings us to resources, our council (like every other) is stretched to breaking.
30 years ago there were guys out with their "dust carts", every inch of public grass was regularly mowed and the vennels like Fleshmarket Close and the Scotsman Steps were hosed down, top to bottom, 6 days a week.
Today, the council has a hit squad of a couple of guys in one motor that drive around all day targeting the overflowing bins (city centre only) but that's akin to painting the Forth Bridge. Not all grass fields or verges are maintained as regular. Generally only the sports pitches when in season and other areas left to "wild seed" for biodiversity and I genuinely can't remember the last time the city closes were hosed down to flush out the filth.
Where we once had general routine maintenance, we're now relying on individual issues (gulleys/bins/weeds/etc) being reported online/social media and the council targets in response. But this can result in an imbalanced approach, the "squeaky wheel" scenario whereby some areas will be highly targeted due to the noise created, but then in other place residents feel it's not "their job" to report leading to a decline in the immediate amenity which spirals to "the place was always a shïthole, what difference will a telephone call make!".

Ultimately, for those of us that do the city break, turn a blind eye and take no responsibility, this is an issue of our own making .

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by silverhibee

I really don’t think it has declined, simply there is now more people in the city centre nowadays mostly tourists, but I’m sure the council do there best to keep it as clean as they can but the volume of visitors has surged over the years that it makes it difficult but every morning it’s spotless clean.

---

I'm not expecting spotless clean. It wasn't so much the litter and grubby pavements which really struck me as much as the graffiti on numerous stair doors. They're quite literally covered in it. Somebody mentioned it's partly to do with gangs 'tagging' their territory. Whatever, it was new to me to see so much of that in the city centre.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hibspur

I'm not expecting spotless clean. It wasn't so much the litter and grubby pavements which really struck me as much as the graffiti on numerous stair doors. They're quite literally covered in it. Somebody mentioned it's partly to do with gangs 'tagging' their territory. Whatever, it was new to me to see so much of that in the city centre.

---

Tags are a graffiti ‘artiste’s’ name, or signature. Its not a gang thing, and its not an exclusively Edinburgh thing either, it’s borrowed from US hiphop culture, now global, have you been to Paris or Rome and seen all the graffiti there?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by speedy_gonzales

I could write my thoughts on this all day but just don't have the energy as my ramblings won't fix one iota.

But, the issue, in my opinion, is simply two things. The nature of the people and the pressures on resources.

The dynamic of the make-up of the city has changed a lot in the last 30 years.
We've always been a tourist city but with the advent of cheap online breaks coupled with the Insta 24hr getaway this brings a lot more folk in to the city and this brings a massive amount of single use disposable packaging amongst other things. In the immediate environs of the City Centre, the bins are full to overflowing.
This also leads to higher transient numbers of city dwellers. It's easier to disrespect a place if you fly out on Monday.
It has been argued elsewhere that those who rent don't tend to have the same "community investment" as owner-occupiers.

This brings us to resources, our council (like every other) is stretched to breaking.
30 years ago there were guys out with their "dust carts", every inch of public grass was regularly mowed and the vennels like Fleshmarket Close and the Scotsman Steps were hosed down, top to bottom, 6 days a week.
Today, the council has a hit squad of a couple of guys in one motor that drive around all day targeting the overflowing bins (city centre only) but that's akin to painting the Forth Bridge. Not all grass fields or verges are maintained as regular. Generally only the sports pitches when in season and other areas left to "wild seed" for biodiversity and I genuinely can't remember the last time the city closes were hosed down to flush out the filth.
Where we once had general routine maintenance, we're now relying on individual issues (gulleys/bins/weeds/etc) being reported online/social media and the council targets in response. But this can result in an imbalanced approach, the "squeaky wheel" scenario whereby some areas will be highly targeted due to the noise created, but then in other place residents feel it's not "their job" to report leading to a decline in the immediate amenity which spirals to "the place was always a shïthole, what difference will a telephone call make!".

Ultimately, for those of us that do the city break, turn a blind eye and take no responsibility, this is an issue of our own making .

---

Interesting post. I used to work night shifts at a bakery and as you've mentioned I'd see the city centre closes getting hosed down on regular basis on my way home.

Think you're also right about the vast increase in takeaway food outlets/mini supermarkets and the resultant packaging which fills the bins to overflowing. Take a walk down the Bridges and scavenging seagulls have pretty much colonised the place.

Further afield, the explosion in dog ownership coupled with fewer bin collections sees park bins quickly overflowing with poo bags. Great that the majority of owners are responsible but the sight of bags piled on top of already full bins ain't pleasant for anyone, including the refuse collectors who have to deal with it.

Edinburgh is looking so run down in a lot of places.

Princes Street is a disgrace, full of tat shops and money laundering businesses which seem to get ignored.

Graffiti just looks tacky. There's a guy in Portobello who is going around removing graffiti from bus stops and junction boxes but they'll likely just become a blank canvas.

People who throw litter on the street or fly tip are ****bags.

Mind set of modern society. They have a "do what they want" mentality. Challenge them and you end up appearing on social media for likes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hibsbollah

Tags are a graffiti ‘artiste’s’ name, or signature. Its not a gang thing, and its not an exclusively Edinburgh thing either, it’s borrowed from US hiphop culture, now global, have you been to Paris or Rome and seen all the graffiti there?

---

If you say so. It was the girl behind the bar at Doctor's who told us they're plagued by it and that it was 'gangs of neds'. Whatever, it would be a stretch to describe the mess sprayed across the doors around there as 'art'.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hibspur

If you say so. It was the girl behind the bar at Doctor's who told us they're plagued by it and that it was 'gangs of neds'. Whatever, it would be a stretch to describe the mess sprayed across the doors around there as 'art'.

---

Ever been to Barcelona? It's everywhere.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by speedy_gonzales

I could write my thoughts on this all day but just don't have the energy as my ramblings won't fix one iota.

But, the issue, in my opinion, is simply two things. The nature of the people and the pressures on resources.

The dynamic of the make-up of the city has changed a lot in the last 30 years.
We've always been a tourist city but with the advent of cheap online breaks coupled with the Insta 24hr getaway this brings a lot more folk in to the city and this brings a massive amount of single use disposable packaging amongst other things. In the immediate environs of the City Centre, the bins are full to overflowing.
This also leads to higher transient numbers of city dwellers. It's easier to disrespect a place if you fly out on Monday.
It has been argued elsewhere that those who rent don't tend to have the same "community investment" as owner-occupiers.

This brings us to resources, our council (like every other) is stretched to breaking.
30 years ago there were guys out with their "dust carts", every inch of public grass was regularly mowed and the vennels like Fleshmarket Close and the Scotsman Steps were hosed down, top to bottom, 6 days a week.
Today, the council has a hit squad of a couple of guys in one motor that drive around all day targeting the overflowing bins (city centre only) but that's akin to painting the Forth Bridge. Not all grass fields or verges are maintained as regular. Generally only the sports pitches when in season and other areas left to "wild seed" for biodiversity and I genuinely can't remember the last time the city closes were hosed down to flush out the filth.
Where we once had general routine maintenance, we're now relying on individual issues (gulleys/bins/weeds/etc) being reported online/social media and the council targets in response. But this can result in an imbalanced approach, the "squeaky wheel" scenario whereby some areas will be highly targeted due to the noise created, but then in other place residents feel it's not "their job" to report leading to a decline in the immediate amenity which spirals to "the place was always a shïthole, what difference will a telephone call make!".

Ultimately, for those of us that do the city break, turn a blind eye and take no responsibility, this is an issue of our own making .

---

I agree with a lot of what you say.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DH1875

Ever been to Barcelona? It's everywhere.

---

Not for many years. But compared to the scale of Barcelona, Paris, NYC etc Edinburgh's a wee village so I don't think the comparison stacks up.

That aside, just because graffiti's common elsewhere shouldn't mean residents should just accept their stair doors being spray painted as a fact of life, hip hop 'culture' or not. It's moronic, selfish behaviour pure and simple.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hibspur

Not for many years. But compared to the scale of Barcelona, Paris, NYC etc Edinburgh's a wee village so I don't think the comparison stacks up.

That aside, just because graffiti's common elsewhere shouldn't mean residents should just accept their stair doors being spray painted as a fact of life, hip hop 'culture' or not. It's moronic, selfish behaviour pure and simple.

---

Has anyone been saying graffiti is a good thing?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hibspur

Not for many years. But compared to the scale of Barcelona, Paris, NYC etc Edinburgh's a wee village so I don't think the comparison stacks up.

That aside, just because graffiti's common elsewhere shouldn't mean residents should just accept their stair doors being spray painted as a fact of life, hip hop 'culture' or not. It's moronic, selfish behaviour pure and simple.

---

I travel regularly to Terrassa and Viladecavalls in Spain. Terrassa, a city of c 180,000 people, is covered in graffiti, doors, shop shutters, bridges, bins...it's everywhere. Even in Vila, a small town, 8,000 folk, graffiti is ever present. I suspect it's the same everywhere.

In Edinburgh, residents are a moot point. The prevalence of so many key safes around the city centre tells me that many tenement flats are used for short term holiday lets. Absentee landlords are not so invested in the external fabric of their buildings. Even then, you could paint the doors, but they'll be tagged and graffitied within the week.

I have always liked the idea of "open spaces" for graffiti artists.... and that last word is used deliberately. Some graffiti art is stunning in its creativity and execution. (which opens up the whole debate about "what is art?")

There used to be one near Bristo Square, where people could exercise their craft, without fear of being lifted. From time to time, it would be wiped clean, so that people could start again.

I am not sure if it is there any more, or if there are others like it.

The argument against that, of course, is that a lot of tagging is done (and I know I'm showing my prejudices here ) by people who want to be the rebel, and have no interest in being "in the system".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CropleyWasGod

I have always liked the idea of "open spaces" for graffiti artists.... and that last word is used deliberately. Some graffiti art is stunning in its creativity and execution. (which opens up the whole debate about "what is art?")

There used to be one near Bristo Square, where people could exercise their craft, without fear of being lifted. From time to time, it would be wiped clean, so that people could start again.

I am not sure if it is there any more, or if there are others like it.

The argument against that, of course, is that a lot of tagging is done (and I know I'm showing my prejudices here ) by people who want to be the rebel, and have no interest in being "in the system".

---

I think the tunnel on the Innocent Railway might be one. It's certainly unofficially the case anyway as it's full of graffiti then the wall will be sprayed black in places again before the graffiti is replaced.

I think it must be the B team so to speak who operate there though as it's mostly pretty crap. I like graffiti if it's done well and the stuff there frankly isn't:greengrin

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CropleyWasGod

I have always liked the idea of "open spaces" for graffiti artists.... and that last word is used deliberately. Some graffiti art is stunning in its creativity and execution. (which opens up the whole debate about "what is art?")

There used to be one near Bristo Square, where people could exercise their craft, without fear of being lifted. From time to time, it would be wiped clean, so that people could start again.

I am not sure if it is there any more, or if there are others like it.

The argument against that, of course, is that a lot of tagging is done (and I know I'm showing my prejudices here ) by people who want to be the rebel, and have no interest in being "in the system".

---

There's one up near Chancelot Mill.

I love it, it looks fantastic.

It's on my daughter's walk home from school. My partner took an absolutely beautiful video of the kids running to each other on the walk home the other day and sent it on to the grannies. The graffiti suggested to my mum that it was some sort of urban hell hole and she's seemingly been doing a fair bit of soul searching that her offspring are having to live in such an area. After dark I'd probably take the main road rather than walk along there these days but I'm along there a fair bit and absolutely love it.

Big difference between areas like this which are designated to look just like that and the unnecessary tagging which seems to be cropping up everywhere. I don't even mind that in most places, but I think we should be making a concerted effort to prevent it from popping up in certain areas.

It's the general cleanliness I have the biggest issue with. There shouldn't be any excuse for overflowing bins or the place being stinking. I'm on board with the general concept of wild plants and flowers (and don't really want the place to be splashed and controlled with chemicals) and there's probably a tolerable level of general graffiti.

Funnily enough though, since this thread started I've started to actively notice more street cleaners out and about doing their thing than I've been aware of seeing for years.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DH1875

Paris, Barcelona, New York. Not just a Scottish issue. Although if you think Edinburgh is bad, Glasgow city centre is a total hole these days.

---

Not long back from Australia. I was in Perth a good few times and have to say it was immaculate. It may have been that I was lucky but it was spotless. I was eating Al fresco one afternoon in the Elizabeth Quay area and there was a council worker out polishing an aluminium bin. It can be done.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CropleyWasGod

I have always liked the idea of "open spaces" for graffiti artists.... and that last word is used deliberately. Some graffiti art is stunning in its creativity and execution. (which opens up the whole debate about "what is art?")

There used to be one near Bristo Square, where people could exercise their craft, without fear of being lifted. From time to time, it would be wiped clean, so that people could start again.

I am not sure if it is there any more, or if there are others like it.

The argument against that, of course, is that a lot of tagging is done (and I know I'm showing my prejudices here ) by people who want to be the rebel, and have no interest in being "in the system".

---

There's an outstanding one in London next to Waterloo Station. Leake Street Tunnel.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by greenlex

Not long back from Australia. I was in Perth a good few times and have to say it was immaculate. It may have been that I was lucky but it was spotless. I was eating Al fresco one afternoon in the Elizabeth Quay area and there was a council worker out polishing an aluminium bin. It can be done.

---

Ditto Abu Dhabi - and probably the UAE in general, although they have some specatular murals.

Mind you, I'm guessing you might be in danger of losing your hands if you were caught spray painting somebody's door there!

Another bugbear is things like this:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy7y3q5xzro

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq8k5e0dxjwo

North Bridge I can just about understand the difficulties due to the age of the structure, but for the budgeted costs to quadruple is Scottish government ferry fiasco type incompetence.

As for the 'old' Missoni hotel, how can a much-vaunted structure build only in 2009 require half a decade of 'remedial works'?!

Who is responsible for the city mess?
Look in the mirror.
If you see litter/ have weeds near your door etc Do something about it instead of hoping that “they will have to fix this mess”

If people start to own issues even in small ways then things will improve.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HibbyDave

Who is responsible for the city mess?
Look in the mirror.
If you see litter/ have weeds near your door etc Do something about it instead of hoping that “they will have to fix this mess”

If people start to own issues even in small ways then things will improve.

---

We have touched on the ‘weeds’ issue in a different thread but we are being encouraged to leave wild plants in urban environments untouched because we are living through a biodiversity crisis. Native plants (‘weeds’!) are good for pollinators so councils are under pressure to change their maintenance regimes. And having less money every year doesnt help. Of course if its next to your property and its looking unsightly from your point of view thats ok, weed it out but there needs to be areas in a city where we let grass grow long . Thats why the landscape say in the Bruntsfield Links where theyve not mowed patches of grassland and new species have reestablished themselves.

That’s different issue from retail/restaurant waste and litter IMO.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hibsbollah

We have touched on the ‘weeds’ issue in a different thread but we are being encouraged to leave wild plants in urban environments untouched because we are living through a biodiversity crisis. Native plants (‘weeds’!) are good for pollinators so councils are under pressure to change their maintenance regimes. And having less money every year doesnt help. Of course if its next to your property and its looking unsightly from your point of view thats ok, weed it out but there needs to be areas in a city where we let grass grow long . Thats why the landscape say in the Bruntsfield Links where theyve not mowed patches of grassland and new species have reestablished themselves.

That’s different issue from retail/restaurant waste and litter IMO.

---

I understand the biodiversity argument.
Litter, as you say is a different problem. Let’s start somewhere…… pick up a bit of litter everyday and put it into a bin.

Small steps.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HibbyDave

I understand the biodiversity argument.
Litter, as you say is a different problem. Let’s start somewhere…… pick up a bit of litter everyday and put it into a bin.

Small steps.

---

Yes, agree. I think will end up as one of these auld fellies who takes a litter picker and a binbag when i go for a walk :greengrin

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hibspur

I'm not expecting spotless clean. It wasn't so much the litter and grubby pavements which really struck me as much as the graffiti on numerous stair doors. They're quite literally covered in it. Somebody mentioned it's partly to do with gangs 'tagging' their territory. Whatever, it was new to me to see so much of that in the city centre.

---

Aye right enough I never seen YPD YMD YNT YCD and all the other gangs painted all over the city back in the day, away and have a watch of train spotting and tell me the city centre was a lovely place, it hasn’t changed it’s still a dirty looking place as it has always been, the big difference is the volume of tourists who will be making most of the mess and there is only so much the council can do, was in Milan a few years back, now that’s a dump.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WestStandWillie

Edinburgh is looking so run down in a lot of places.

Princes Street is a disgrace, full of tat shops and money laundering businesses which seem to get ignored.

Graffiti just looks tacky. There's a guy in Portobello who is going around removing graffiti from bus stops and junction boxes but they'll likely just become a blank canvas.

People who throw litter on the street or fly tip are ****bags.

Mind set of modern society. They have a "do what they want" mentality. Challenge them and you end up appearing on social media for likes.

---

I will give you Princes Street, depends what side of the street you walk along, if ever a street needed revamped it’s that street, bars cafes and restaurants should be all along most of it for the tourists and they have a great view as well.

Graffiti/vandalism call it whatever you want has always been about, telephone boxes were always spray painted and the likes.

You don’t think there was litter dog poo back in the day either, mind set of the modern society, deary me, nothing changes just the same crap over and over.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hibspur

If you say so. It was the girl behind the bar at Doctor's who told us they're plagued by it and that it was 'gangs of neds'. Whatever, it would be a stretch to describe the mess sprayed across the doors around there as 'art'.

---

Or just young people doing what young folk do.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CropleyWasGod

I have always liked the idea of "open spaces" for graffiti artists.... and that last word is used deliberately. Some graffiti art is stunning in its creativity and execution. (which opens up the whole debate about "what is art?")

There used to be one near Bristo Square, where people could exercise their craft, without fear of being lifted. From time to time, it would be wiped clean, so that people could start again.

I am not sure if it is there any more, or if there are others like it.

The argument against that, of course, is that a lot of tagging is done (and I know I'm showing my prejudices here ) by people who want to be the rebel, and have no interest in being "in the system".

---

Balgreen tunnel was just graffitied by some charity and looking very good.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by overdrive

There's an outstanding one in London next to Waterloo Station. Leake Street Tunnel.

---

Some good stuff in Manchester as well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by silverhibee

Or just young people doing what young folk do.

---

Nah, I think you're wrong there. I've seen the vandalism folk are talking about on that stretch near the uni and it's people's private homes. That's a new thing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by silverhibee

I will give you Princes Street, depends what side of the street you walk along, if ever a street needed revamped it’s that street, bars cafes and restaurants should be all along most of it for the tourists and they have a great view as well.

Graffiti/vandalism call it whatever you want has always been about, telephone boxes were always spray painted and the likes.

You don’t think there was litter dog poo back in the day either, mind set of the modern society, deary me, nothing changes just the same crap over and over.

---

They should make a lot of Princes St residential. No shortage of wealthy takers for that view.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hibsbollah

We have touched on the ‘weeds’ issue in a different thread but we are being encouraged to leave wild plants in urban environments untouched because we are living through a biodiversity crisis. Native plants (‘weeds’!) are good for pollinators so councils are under pressure to change their maintenance regimes. And having less money every year doesnt help. Of course if its next to your property and its looking unsightly from your point of view thats ok, weed it out but there needs to be areas in a city where we let grass grow long . Thats why the landscape say in the Bruntsfield Links where theyve not mowed patches of grassland and new species have reestablished themselves.

That’s different issue from retail/restaurant waste and litter IMO.

---

I don't buy the biodiversity argument to not cutting the grass. It's a cop out to save money.

If biodiversity is desired, it can be done in a way that is pleasant to look at. The botanic gardens is pretty biodiverse but manages to do so without looking like a garden in an abandoned property.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Speedy

I don't buy the biodiversity argument to not cutting the grass. It's a cop out to save money.

If biodiversity is desired, it can be done in a way that is pleasant to look at. The botanic gardens is pretty biodiverse but manages to do so without looking like a garden in an abandoned property.

---

The science that shows that leaving the grass grow long and reducing cutting height increasing species diversity is rock solid. No doubt that some councils use that as a excuse sometimes but it depends how its done. If ithe projects managed effectively and the community is kept informed its almost always massively popular by the 2nd year when the flowers start appearing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Speedy

I don't buy the biodiversity argument to not cutting the grass. It's a cop out to save money.

If biodiversity is desired, it can be done in a way that is pleasant to look at. The botanic gardens is pretty biodiverse but manages to do so without looking like a garden in an abandoned property.

---

Yes, I've seen the re-wilding/biodiverse initiatives done well in urban areas in the sense that they're an attractive feature which enhances the space, but I was with my family in the Princes St gardens yesterday (the Scott Monument section so I can't speak for the main gardens) and it just looks like a mix of untended, overgrown weeds coupled with tufts of uncut grass. The grass looks badly dried out and still knackered from the winter market stuff they must have had on top of it and for some reason the planting beds at street level have nothing in them. All a bit drab and sorry looking.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hibsbollah

The science that shows that leaving the grass grow long and reducing cutting height increasing species diversity is rock solid. No doubt that some councils use that as a excuse sometimes but it depends how its done. If ithe projects managed effectively and the community is kept informed its almost always massively popular by the 2nd year when the flowers start appearing.

---

I don't think by just letting grass grow it's going to improve the biodiversity of an urban area, something needs to be sown in those plots to encourage it in the first place.

Having diversity of species is one of the key elements, so it needs to be thought out and done properly and like you say if done well it can both look great and encourage wildife/insects.

Princess Street Gardens would be a great place to have these kinds of plots instead of the neatly planted flowers, put in species-rich grasses and wildflowers and do a little placard explaining the reasoning for doing so.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jones28

I don't think by just letting grass grow it's going to improve the biodiversity of an urban area, something needs to be sown in those plots to encourage it in the first place.

Having diversity of species is one of the key elements, so it needs to be thought out and done properly and like you say if done well it can both look great and encourage wildife/insects.

Princess Street Gardens would be a great place to have these kinds of plots instead of the neatly planted flowersP, put in species-rich grasses and wildflowers and do a little placard explaining the reasoning for doing so.

---

Mentioned it in my previous post that in the Scott Monument section of the gardens there are no longer any neatly planted flowers, while the re-wilding seems to consist of letting the grass and weeds simply grow as they please.

I had complimented the council earlier in this thread as I saw them cleaning out drains, now they have "fixed" the roads about me I'm taking it back, fixing them amounts to a thin layer of bitumen being rolled on the ground then layers of small stones being rolled into it, two weeks later and there are still stones everywhere, walked into people's houses, all over their tyres and cars, on the pavement

it's peeling up and cracking and the roads are actually in a worse state than the pre works condition, it resembles some random country lane rather than a road smack bang in the city, shambles

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mon Dieu4

I had complimented the council earlier in this thread as I saw them cleaning out drains, now they have "fixed" the roads about me I'm taking it back, fixing them amounts to a thin layer of bitumen being rolled on the ground then layers of small stones being rolled into it, two weeks later and there are still stones everywhere, walked into people's houses, all over Thier tyres and cars, on the pavement

it's peeling up and cracking and the roads are actually in a worse state than the pre works condition, it resembles some random country lane rather than a road smack bang in the city, shambles

---

Have seen that elsewhere. Takes about 6 months to compact/disperse

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mon Dieu4

I had complimented the council earlier in this thread as I saw them cleaning out drains, now they have "fixed" the roads about me I'm taking it back, fixing them amounts to a thin layer of bitumen being rolled on the ground then layers of small stones being rolled into it, two weeks later and there are still stones everywhere, walked into people's houses, all over their tyres and cars, on the pavement

it's peeling up and cracking and the roads are actually in a worse state than the pre works condition, it resembles some random country lane rather than a road smack bang in the city, shambles

---

Which streets are these, so I can try to avoid?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by babahibs

Which streets are these, so I can try to avoid?

---

Bottom of Balfour Street, no through way so you should be fine if you arent going there, but if this is their plan to fix all roads then soon to be seen everywhere

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mon Dieu4

I had complimented the council earlier in this thread as I saw them cleaning out drains, now they have "fixed" the roads about me I'm taking it back, fixing them amounts to a thin layer of bitumen being rolled on the ground then layers of small stones being rolled into it, two weeks later and there are still stones everywhere, walked into people's houses, all over their tyres and cars, on the pavement

it's peeling up and cracking and the roads are actually in a worse state than the pre works condition, it resembles some random country lane rather than a road smack bang in the city, shambles

---

I have never been able to work out how decisions are made about road resurfacing/repairs in Edinburgh. Two recent examples spring to mind:

They resurfaced Newcraighall Road and Niddrie Mains Road a few months back. Badly needed done, the road has taken a hammering from HGVs delivering to Fort Kinnaird, heavy machinery travelling to all the new houses being built at Newcraighall, The Wisp, Shawfair etc and the increased traffic that comes with that. Not long after they also resurfaced a big chunk of Duddingston Park South from the mini roundabout at the Jewel down towards Milton Road West. Again badly needed done. But for some reason I can't figure there is a big section between said mini roundabout and the crossroads at the Wisp that they have just left, not only left but because they used it to park all the plant machinery on it's actually in an infinitely worse state than when they started. I just don't get why you would resurface 2 long drags of road and leave a near half mile section between the 2 parts untouched.

Second one is my parents street got totally resurfaced a couple of years back. Road and pavements. It's a long street, just under a mile end to end, so the cost wouldn't have been insignificant and it did need done. However it's a road to nowhere really, a residential street that people only drive on if they live there or are visiting. The main road through the area is a busy road and a main thoroughfare to the Bypass and years later it's still untouched and it's like driving on the surface of the moon. I just don't get why a quiet residential street would be prioritised over a busy main route (not that my parents were complaining but even they were a bit baffled by the decision making).

And don't even get me started on the out and out corruption when it came to replacing the setts on Brighton Place in Portobello:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Pretty Boy

I have never been able to work out how decisions are made about road resurfacing/repairs in Edinburgh. Two recent examples spring to mind:

They resurfaced Newcraighall Road and Niddrie Mains Road a few months back. Badly needed done, the road has taken a hammering from HGVs delivering to Fort Kinnaird, heavy machinery travelling to all the new houses being built at Newcraighall, The Wisp, Shawfair etc and the increased traffic that comes with that. Not long after they also resurfaced a big chunk of Duddingston Park South from the mini roundabout at the Jewel down towards Milton Road West. Again badly needed done. But for some reason I can't figure there is a big section between said mini roundabout and the crossroads at the Wisp that they have just left, not only left but because they used it to park all the plant machinery on it's actually in an infinitely worse state than when they started. I just don't get why you would resurface 2 long drags of road and leave a near half mile section between the 2 parts untouched.

Second one is my parents street got totally resurfaced a couple of years back. Road and pavements. It's a long street, just under a mile end to end, so the cost wouldn't have been insignificant and it did need done. However it's a road to nowhere really, a residential street that people only drive on if they live there or are visiting. The main road through the area is a busy road and a main thoroughfare to the Bypass and years later it's still untouched and it's like driving on the surface of the moon. I just don't get why a quiet residential street would be prioritised over a busy main route (not that my parents were complaining but even they were a bit baffled by the decision making).

And don't even get me started on the out and out corruption when it came to replacing the setts on Brighton Place in Portobello:rolleyes:

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Same with pavements. CEC has been pretty keen on going the whole hog replacing them when there's no apparent need.

Outside my old house in Halmyre Street (and various nearby streets) was totally redone much to the surprise of those that lived there.

More recently Lochend Road pavements have been totally rebuilt. It wasn't perfect but it wouldn't take long to find other pavements or roads where the money would have been better spent.

As for muck ups there's no better example than the sort of pedestrianised section of Elm Row. Redone for the trams it's already been dug up numerous times and there's two big sections being done just now, again. And that doesn't take into account at least 75% of the slabs at the edge of the pavement are broken or moving.

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Originally Posted by Mon Dieu4

Bottom of Balfour Street, no through way so you should be fine if you arent going there, but if this is their plan to fix all roads then soon to be seen everywhere

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Cheers.

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Originally Posted by Jack

Same with pavements. CEC has been pretty keen on going the whole hog replacing them when there's no apparent need.

Outside my old house in Halmyre Street (and various nearby streets) was totally redone much to the surprise of those that lived there.

More recently Lochend Road pavements have been totally rebuilt. It wasn't perfect but it wouldn't take long to find other pavements or roads where the money would have been better spent.

As for muck ups there's no better example than the sort of pedestrianised section of Elm Row. Redone for the trams it's already been dug up numerous times and there's two big sections being done just now, again. And that doesn't take into account at least 75% of the slabs at the edge of the pavement are broken or moving.

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At the top of my street there was a textured slab (textured for blind pedestrians i believe) badly laid not flush so it created a permanent brutal trip hazard right next to a busy road. I reported it on the council website and when i went up there a few days later it had already been fixed. So there are some good examples of council responsiveness as well.