Ashley Lloyd has written and spoken in the past on behalf of the Moray Feuars in Edinburgh's West End. However, in Issue 184 we reported his contentious belief that traffic displacement will affect all communities adjacent to the route of the tram.
Lloyd starts from the premise that the city has evolved around a well-planned, intuitive and clear distinction between commercial, business and residential areas, allowing the city to serve a number of interests simultaneously.
'Pollution,' he says, 'is only one aspect that appears to have been overlooked by the Council, and by itself raises such significant concerns that we need to think again about how we integrate/develop our transport system.'
To raise awareness of these concerns, he and like-minded residents have set up a website: 'Deconstructing Edinburgh'. Specific links he recommends are:
The latter notes the impact of displaced traffic on the ability to walk safely from one part of town to another, highlighting Stockbridge Primary's alleged decision that it is no longer possible to crocodile from Stockbridge to Charlotte Square to attend this year's Children's Book Festival.
'As we learn more about the tram project and its potential impacts at a time when public finances are so constrained,' says Lloyd, 'we see direct impacts that are very worrying, and indirect impacts that could leave Edinburgh a much poorer, less healthy and less competitive place.'
Not everyone shares Lloyd's conclusions, but his raising of awkward questions is certainly very welcome.