Leithers see red over Orange walk

AN Orange walk which is set to begin before 9am on a Saturday morning has provoked anger among residents of Leith.

Community leaders and councillors say it is unfair that residents should be awoken when the John Knox District Lodge no.5 holds its parade in June.

The walk will see 420 marchers, including three bands, assembling in Academy Street from 8.45am, before walking up Leith Walk and joining the rest of the annual march in the city centre.

But Leith councillor Gordon Munro said he felt the event was kicking off too early.

He said: "It's very unfair on residents who wouldn't normally be getting up at that time on a Saturday.

"The organisation behind this isn't even based in Leith so I would have to question why there, and why at this time?

"No other marches in the area start this early. Even the Leith Gala parade doesn't assemble until 10.30am and leaves at 11am. The Leith BB march starts at 10am, and when the local Sikh community have their parade it starts at a reasonable time.

"I think Leithers will be questioning why it is starting in their area when many of the participants don't even come from the city."

The march on June 28, which has the blessing of both the city council and police, will end up in the Grassmarket, where a short service will take place at the Martyr's Memorial.

Coaches will then take participants to an event in Grangemouth, before they return to resume marching at 4.45pm through the centre of Edinburgh to King's Stables Road. Speeches will then ensue, followed by the national anthem.

A spokeswoman for Leith Links Residents' Association also wanted to know why such an early start time had been chosen.

She said: "I would have thought that it's not in their interest to start so early and upset people.

"I would like to know why they have to start so early, do they have to be somewhere at a certain time or attend a specific event which means they can't begin later?

"No other organisation seems to have to begin at that time and I think this could prove disruptive."

However, chairman of Leith Central Community Council, Roland Reid, said the issue of noise at antisocial hours was not a new one for residents.

He said: "There is so much noise and disruption in the area just now that I'm not sure this is as pressing as things like the tram work and noise from karaoke bars late at night."

March organiser Ronnie Arthur could not be contacted last night, but a spokesman for another district lodge in the city said: "This march has been going since before the Troubles in Northern Ireland and that was 1969, so it is well established.

"I'm not aware of having this complaint before. We have to be in Grangemouth for the main parade for 12 so the only option is to start at that time."