The third part of Your Big Ideas on the blog – leading up to the display at the Meals and Wheels events on Saturday and your mapped suggestions for the village next week.
On Wednesday 2nd March we spent 45 minutes talking to Balerno High School pupils who live in Kirknewton. This event took place at a drama studio in the school. 26 pupils participated. We also captured children under 15 at the Village Hall Kosy Kafe. Their top priorities are listed below
1 Skate Park – because of transport to other venues, lack of things to do, opportunity to ‘design’ it
2 Improve bus service (with suggestions made), particularly to Balerno
3 Park Improvements (ie skate park, lights on football pitch, rugby posts/football goals etc.)
4 Flowers in areas
5 Cleaning up areas – graffiti, poor tarmac
6 Older students were interested in the community, being involved in change & interested in helping people.
What about a massively improved cycle route to Balerno. The Long Dalmahoy Road which, along with Station Rd and the High Street are on Sustrans national route 75 is gobsmackingly dangerous. It’s enclosed on both sides by stone walls, has no centreline and is entirely unlit. In winter its unusable by cyclists who don’t have several hundred pounds worth of off-road lights on board.
A safe off-road route to Balerno could reduce car and bus commuting to Balerno Community High School, saving carbon emissions and improving the health and fitness of the cyclists.