Forth waterfront walkway may be capital's answer to the boardwalk

IT IS to be modelled on the sun-kissed waterfronts of San Tropez and Nice. Now council leaders in Edinburgh hope the city's tourism fortunes will be transformed – with the creation of a continental-style promenade along its shoreline.

Long-awaited plans to transform Edinburgh's waterfront with a ten-mile walkway were unveiled yesterday. Twenty key areas will be linked by a promenade expected to create around 1,000 jobs and generate more than £12 million a year for the city's economy.

It is hoped the "Edinburgh Promenade", as the project has been branded, will become a magnet for cyclists, wildlife enthusiasts, and families.

New public parks and piazzas, barbecue areas, cafés and restaurants and works of art are planned to be created between Cramond and Portobello.

Landmarks, sites of historic interest, wildlife-spotting areas and cultural attractions will be promoted under one banner.

Neglected areas such as Granton, Silverknowes and Portobello are among those expected to be transformed under a campaign to be launched within the next few months.

Officials at Edinburgh City Council, who unveiled plans for the venture yesterday, have studies the waterfronts of Copenhagen, Nice and Hamburg in planning for their own venture.

It is hoped Edinburgh Promenade will become Scotland's answer to the South Bank area of the Thames, where thousands flock every day.

Edinburgh Promenade will be promoted alongside the Fife Coastal Trail and John Muir Way, in East Lothian to form part of a North Sea Trail.

However, the success of the project rests on developers helping to pay for the creation of sections of the promenade, and the council admits it could take up to 30 years for it to be completed.

A key goal is to ensure that a high-quality walkway is created along the entire length of the route, accompanied by new promotional signs and interpretation boards, while each section should boast its own identity.

The first new section has already been completed, between Silverknowes and Granton, and a section of Granton Harbour will be overhauled over the next year.

Project manager Steve McGavin said: "The promenade is more than just a cycleway and footpath. It is a key ingredient in making the waterfront an attractive and high-quality visitor destination.

"Experience elsewhere points to a promenade being a crucial ingredient in making a successful waterfront. Annual expenditure associated with the Fife Coastal Path is estimated to be between £24m and £29m."

Councillor Tom Buchanan, the city's economic development leader, said: "This project will rejuvenate the whole waterfront and utilise coastal areas which have been lying dormant. The promenade will help connect the unique communities along our city's coastline and will provide an inspiring location for people to exercise, explore and enjoy the beautiful scenery."

However Ross McEwen, of the Leith-based campaign group Jump (Joined Up Master Planning), said: "There has been a lot of talk about this project over the years and very little progress.

"It's vital for the council to take the lead on this and ensure developers and landowners get the whole thing moving. Edinburgh's waterfront is very poor compared to other cities across Europe."

SITES ON THE SHORE

Cramond: Popular thanks to its historic sites and attractions, there is already a large stretch of walkway in place linking Cramond with Silverknowes.

Granton: Although there are coastal walkways, some of them are unlit and access to part of the shore is blocked by industrial units.

Newhaven Harbour: Although rich with maritime history, the council admits the current environment is "potentially intimidating". The area would be linked to a planned new lighthouse park.

Leith Docks: Home to Ocean Terminal and the Royal Yacht Britannia, public access is barred along its waterfront.

Portobello: By far the biggest section of existing promenade and already boasting several works of art.