WORK on a development in the Edinburgh area of Haymarket is causing loud and sometimes disgusting side effects for residents, according to councillors.
The part-complete project just west of the railway station already holds office and retail space, with ongoing construction set to bring yet more amenities.
But two Green councillors raised concerns about public urination in the area due to the loss of a public toilet, reported damage to structures in the historic colonies and persistent noise.
At a meeting last Thursday (25 June), councillors agreed to research whether the developers of the project, Qmile Group, were following the city’s code of conduct for responsible construction.
The developers told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that their contractors adhered to the council’s code of conduct and are registered with the Considerate Constructors Scheme.
They further state the contractor is assessed and audited on site for compliance with the scheme, and that they regularly engage with resident groups and produce a newsletter for the community.
On property damage, they state that they are not aware of any damage in the Colonies caused by the works, and that they carried out dilapidation studies on properties near the development.
And where concerns about damage were raised, they undertook investigations, which they say prove their development was not responsible.
One councillor, city centre councillor Claire Miller, claimed her constituents were dealing with public urination on their doorsteps due to the project not including a public toilet.
Public toilets used to exist where the development is being built, and when the council sold the land off for redevelopment, it included a requirement that any new construction include one too.
But in a 2020 planning permission grant, given after the land was sold on from the original purchasers, the burden to provision a public toilet slipped.
The nearest toilets are now well over a kilometre away, with the toilets in the station sitting behind the gateline.
Cllr Miller said: “Visitors in the area suffer from a lack of facilities, and residents around the Haymarket area suffer as a consequence of people relieving themselves in doorways and gardens.
“It’s frankly unsanitary and disgusting, and it’s particularly prevalent when there have been events taking place nearby, for example at Murrayfield.”
The council is currently exploring options for alternative public toilet provision in the area.
The LDRS previously reported on the impact of the shortage of toilets, with one cafe owner telling the service last year that he had to close his restroom to the public.
A modified version of Cllr Heap’s motion passed, after an amendment by the Labour administration stripped out several requirements.
Among these were an impact assessment of the ongoing development on the Colonies, and a review of operating hours of the scheme.
Cllr Heap wrote in the motion that an operating hours review could give residents nearby some respite from the construction noise.
It also stripped a requirement that an environmental impact assessment be carried out in the development area, and an investigation to confirm the developer’s commitment to green landscaping is upheld.
Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives backed the amended motion, while the Greens and the SNP supported the original text.
After the motion passed, Cllr Heap said: “I welcome the Council’s agreement with my call to investigate whether the Code of Conduct for Responsible Construction has been breached, but this Code is voluntary and not enforceable by the Council.
My constituents in the Dalry Colonies have suffered from excessive noise for 15 years from the development.
“It is remarkably callous of [councillors] to refuse some very modest requests to monitor site noise and respond to other complaints made by residents.”
A Qmile Group spokesperson said: “Our contractor, McAleer & Rushe, follows the guidance provided by the Council’s Code of Conduct, as is encouraged by the council, and is also a member of the Considerate Constructors Scheme.
“Being members of this scheme means McAleer & Rushe is regularly assessed and audited on site to ensure conformance with the scheme.
“In addition, our contractor holds regular meetings with various resident groups and also produces a newsletter for the local community.”
“At the start of the development, dilapidations surveys were undertaken on all properties surrounding Haymarket Square.
“We are not aware of any damage to properties as a consequence of the development’s construction. Where concerns were raised by residents, we carried out investigations which proved the issues were unrelated to the construction works.”
“There were no public toilets on the site which we acquired as they were demolished a number of years before we took ownership.
“There was also no requirement for new public toilets in the planning consent which the council granted in 2020.”
