At 10am yesterday, a queue of lorries started to form in McDonald Place as they waited to gain entrance into Batleys cash and carry.
The Batleys yard was already full of HGVs, and at 10.15am – when the situation hadn’t changed – local resident Alistair Robertson began to take pictures. A parking attendant arrived to sort the problem out.
By 11am the attendant was still there and the situation hadn’t improved. It looked to Mr Robertson as though he was allowing them to park across driveways and parking bays on both sides of the street, narrowing access to a single lane.
He told the attendant that the situation was unsatisfactory, and that maybe he should book the drivers rather than let them sit in dangerous places blocking other road users’ views and obstructing pedestrians (including children).
City of Edinburgh Council confirmed to us today that complaints had been received from residents.
A spokesperson told us: ‘Some residents have reported problems with trade delivery vehicles causing access issues. This is due to inconsiderate waiting in McDonald Place.
‘It is an issue we recognise and we are engaging with neighbouring businesses to agree alternative delivery solutions.’
Everybody needs good neighbours
‘This parking problem could be avoided!’ fumes Mr Robertson. ‘Bad neighbour Batleys Cash & Carry shouldn’t be getting away with lorries overflowing into the street.’
He suspects the problem may be caused by the firm booking too many deliveries on one day of the week. Spreading out the deliveries over several days – with longer periods between each arrival – might be a partial solution to the problem.
Another might involve using a haulage company to ‘satellite hub’ part-loads into full-loads before bringing them into the centre of town.
Nice place, wrong kind of business
Leith Walk’s Councillor Nick Gardner has represented locals on this issue several times in the past, and has been back in touch with the Council’s Parking Manager today to secure a review of the latest developments.
This morning he told Spurtle: ‘I am pleased that the efforts of the local parking team so far have given residents some relief. I have thanked them for what they have done so far, and will continue to urge them to do what lies within their powers.
‘At the end of the day, this location has long been totally unsuitable as a location for a cash and carry – if indeed it ever was – and the sooner Batleys find a more appropriate spot for their business the better.
‘McDonald Place is a pleasant residential street, and I want to see the misery of my constituents brought to an end.’
Spurtle contacted Batleys for comments earlier today. We'll publish their responses as soon as we have them.
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Paul Burgess Tesco opposite Mcdonald Road on leith walk are the same with deliveries blocking the road. And don't get me started about the student flat construction across the road. Never bloody ending and taking out a lane of Leith walk.