Project overview and vision
The Roseburn to Union Canal link is a £12.5 million active travel scheme that will transform public spaces along a route between Roseburn and the Union Canal, creating a green corridor and cycleway and bringing disused areas back into community use.
It is a key part of the Council’s Active Travel Action Plan to encourage more people to make greener travel choices such as walking, wheeling* or cycling which was approved for consultation in February 2023. You can read the action plan online.
We have developed the project over a number of years, extensively consulting with local communities, including residents, businesses, ward councillors and Community Councils.
It reflects our ambition to be net zero by 2030 and the wider vision for the city as set out in our key strategies including
City Mobility Plan 2021-2030. A ten-year strategy to transform the way people, goods and services travel around the city.
City Plan 2030. The new Local Development Plan for Edinburgh which will set out policies and proposals for development in Edinburgh between 2020 and 2030.
City Centre Transformation. An ambitious 10-year strategy and delivery plan that aims to provide a people-focused city centre, which is a desirable place to live, work and visit.
Read more about how we are shaping our city for future generations.
*Wheeling refers to people using a mobility scooter, wheelchair, or other wheeled mobility aid, as well as people walking with pushchairs and prams.
Funding
The overall cost of the project will be approximately £12.5 million.
It is part of a multi-year funding agreement from Sustrans Scotland, who will fund 100% of design costs and up to 70% of construction costs through the Places for Everyone funding programme.
Places for Everyone is an active travel infrastructure fund supported by Transport Scotland which helps deliver walking, wheeling, and cycling improvements across Scotland. Read more about Places for Everyone.
The overall impact on the Council’s budget is expected to be approximately £3.75 million, and this will be met from funding approved for the delivery of the Council’s Active Travel Investment Programme.