TRADERS on a prominent Edinburgh street that endured years of chaos as part of unfinished tram works are set to face 18 months of fresh disruption amid plans to extend the line.
READ MORE: Tram inquiry - Former Edinburgh council leaders to give evidence
Residents and businesses on Leith Walk faced years of roadworks across the north of the city following preparatory works to introduce the tram network before the second half of the tram line was scrapped amid a funding crisis and contractual dispute.
VIDEO: Edinburgh Trams fiasco will not be repeated with new line, pledges leader
New blueprints to take the line from York place to Newhaven have now been unveiled with the council insisting the tram will provide a vital public transport link between areas of deprivation and the city centre.
Artist's impression
A document outlining the business case for the 2.8-mile extension claims that "for every £1 spent the economic return to the city is £1.64". It also reveals the new tram line will break even by 2029 while the overall costs of the project including financing is calculated at £286 million.
READ MORE: Tram inquiry - Former Edinburgh council leaders to give evidence
The council said the "business case is self-financing and modelling shows that these costs are more than offset by projected income for the 30-year period".
VIDEO: Edinburgh Trams fiasco will not be repeated with new line, pledges leader
But the news will concern many traders in the Leith area who saw demand for their businesses shrink during prolonged roadworks.
It is believed around 300 business will be affected by the next phase of works.
Above: Elm Row
Edinburgh Council leader Adam McVey said: “Edinburgh is growing faster than any other city in Scotland and our current road network and public transport provision simply aren’t sustainable given the number of new residents we’re expecting to welcome here over the next two decades.
READ MORE: Tram inquiry - Former Edinburgh council leaders to give evidence
“Rather than exacerbating traffic problems on our already congested roads, trams allow far greater numbers of people to travel, while creating employment during construction, boosting development along the route and connecting people to centres of employment, leisure and retail.”
VIDEO: Edinburgh Trams fiasco will not be repeated with new line, pledges leader
Lesley Macinnes, Edinburgh transport convener, said: “Given the experience of the last tram project, we’re acutely aware of the need to scrutinise this business case as rigorously as we possibly can – residents deserve nothing less.
"We won’t take any decision on completing the line to Newhaven until we are 100 per cent confident that the project can be delivered, financed and managed effectively.
Above: Ocean Drive
“Councillors from all parties have been taking up the opportunity to fully examine the business case over the past weeks and will use this special meeting of the Transport and Environment Committee to quiz officers further on the detail and make a recommendation on whether to progress to the next stage.”
Over the next decade, Edinburgh and surrounding areas are to be home to a faster-growing population than anywhere else in Scotland.
READ MORE: Tram inquiry - Former Edinburgh council leaders to give evidence
National Records of Scotland projections published in 2016 suggest Edinburgh should be planning for an additional 47,000 people by 2024 and additional 102,000 by 2039 – a 20 per cent increase.
Tram passenger numbers are forecast to almost double in the opening year to 14m, reflecting "high population densities along the route".
VIDEO: Edinburgh Trams fiasco will not be repeated with new line, pledges leader
Leith is said to have one of the most densely populated postcodes in Europe.
There is an estimated three-year construction period – including the 18 months on Leith Walk – followed by four months of testing and commissioning on new line.
Above: Original works on Princes Street
The plan has been available for councillors to scrutinise in a specially set up "data room" at the City Chambers, with officers and an independent advisor on hand to provide further information or clarify points.
The report now seeks authority to start a procurement exercise to identify a potential contractor for the project, with a decision on whether to go ahead with taking the tram to Newhaven, and with which contractor, due to follow in autumn 2018.
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