Edinburgh residents demand end to three year road closure which is 'causing fear and alarm'
Closure means emergency services vehicles are being delayed when attending to incidents
Residents have called for an end to a “ridiculous” three-year-long road closure after they said it was causing “fear and alarm” in the local area.
With some of the old buildings at Edinburgh’s Trinity Academy currently being demolished, Craighall Road, between Stanley Road and Ferry Road, has been closed since June 2025, with the closure expected to last until at least August 2028.
But locals are calling for the closure to be ended after they said it had caused an increase in traffic, travel time and even crime in the area since it started.
Resident Emma Kemp set-up the ‘Re-open Craighall Road’ petition on Change.org with fellow local James Robertson last week, with the petition having already received nearly 400 signatures.
She said: “We want to get out there the problems that we are having due to this road closure. There’s increased traffic including HGVs - it’s just ridiculous and an accident waiting to happen.
”Some of the traffic coming down past Victoria Park is going straight to Whale Brae, and that road is not equipped for that amount of vehicles, including coaches and HGVs, coming down there. It has been damaged by the extra traffic.
“Someone is going to get killed, something bad is going to happen. Three years is a long time to be closed. We still don’t know who made the decision to close the road. We can’t get any answers.”
She added that the closure means emergency services vehicles are being delayed when attending to incidents in the area.
“The biggest concern for us is the extra time this closure adds to emergency services responding to incidents locally. That added time could make a difference to saving someone’s life or not,” she said.
There is also concern among residents and business owners that the road closure has seen an increase in anti-social behaviour, with teenagers on electric bikes wreaking havoc, and even crime.
“People have been telling me about a rise in teens going around on electric bikes, as this road closure has really helped them as the police can’t chase after them, they are using this closure as an escape route from getting caught,” said Emma.
“I think locals are concerned about an increase in crime locally since the closure. It gives them a better chance to commit crime, as they know they can get away and they are using it to their advantage.”
Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, transport and environment convener at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I appreciate that this closure is disruptive for local residents and businesses, and they have my thanks for their patience and understanding.
“Throughout the project our primary concern is for the safety of residents, particularly young people attending school.
“Due to the complexities of the work being undertaken the contractor has concluded that it is not possible reduce the scope of the closures currently in place. This view is shared by the council, and an update was provided at January’s meeting of the Transport and Environment Committee.
“Separately, the council’s Corporate Health and Safety team have been asked to carry out an independent review of the current site access arrangements. This will allow us to properly assess the situation in full.
“We have also introduced new signage on Whale Drive to manage displaced traffic which is regularly reviewed to ensure effectiveness.
“We’ll continue to engage with local stakeholders and make wider traffic management improvements as the work progresses. Ultimately, the complex refurbishment and expansion of Trinity Academy will bring positive benefits for the whole community, but this will take time.”