Residents’ anger over plans to bulldoze bungalow

Plans to raze a bungalow on a residential street to build an access road for new homes are facing stiff opposition from neighbours who fear their quiet community will be ruined.

Residents of Allan Park Crescent protest about the proposed demolition of a house to create an access road. Picture: Ian Georgeson

Residents in Allan Park Crescent, Slateford, say they will lobby hard to stop plans for a care home and houses on land behind Meggetland Sports Complex.

Councillors and MSPs were told at a public meeting that the development would shatter the peace of the cul-de-sac, with increased traffic making it more dangerous for children too.

Neighbour Gail Redpath said: “It’s not a suitable site. Allan Park is a really quiet residential area. There are no through-roads. Residents are really concerned about the impact on the community, particularly the excess traffic.

“This new road would also go over a footpath and a cyclepath. Our kids are out there all the time and there are a lot of people using it. Allan Park as a community is very strongly against it.”

Developer Allan Park Ltd wants to build a 44-bed care home and 14 townhouses between Meggetland and railway lines near Slateford station.

However, the derelict patch of land has no road access and is completely surrounded by the railway to the north-west, houses to the south and sports pitches to the east. The firm behind the plans wants to bulldoze number 25 Allan Park Crescent to create a road serving the proposed development.

Residents say streets in the area won’t be able to cope with the additional traffic and claim the access road would also cut across a busy cycle route that connects Slateford Road with the Union Canal towpath.

An outline of the planned road has been chalked on to the path as a warning to cyclists about the proposed development, a picture of which was retweeted by Olympic cycling hero Sir Chris Hoy.

Green councillor Gavin Corbett, who is backing the residents, said it was “time to say enough is enough” to new development in the area. He said: “Meggetland has shrunk in size over the past 20 years and this new proposal flattens a perfectly good bungalow, runs right over a popular footpath and cycleway and eats up yet more open space.

“Most damaging of all is the extra pressure which a new road would put on the existing playing fields to be sold and developed.

“With a growing population of children and an urgent need to encourage active lifestyles that is the last thing we should be doing.”

The owners of 25 Allan Park Crescent said they were in the process of selling their property to the developers.

No-one at developer Allan Park Ltd was available for comment.

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