Improved public space, a transport interchange and better pedestrian links are all options the public are being asked to consider for the Haymarket area to tie-in with the redevelopment of the train station.

With almost four million people passing through each year, Haymarket has become one of the busiest train stations in the country. This growth is only set to continue with passengers set to more than double in the next 20 years. Improvements are vital if the station and surrounding area are to meet these increasing demands.

There are further developments planned for the Haymarket area which will place extra demands on it. These include the redevelopment of the Morrison Street car park, the continued growth of the nearby Exchange financial District and the introduction of trams. The revamp of the wider Haymarket area is essential to ensure it works effectively as a public space and a gateway for trains and buses.

The City of Edinburgh Council, funded by Transport Scotland, has been working on a feasibility study into developing the area and has now established three conceptual ideas which they are putting out to public consultation today.

The views on the options will help form plans to improve the way that people, public transport and general traffic move, interact and link. This would include enhanced pedestrian access, including direct, covered pedestrian links between different transport modes and key developments. Train, tram, bus and taxi facilities would be co-ordinated and integrated enabling Haymarket to become a great choice for anyone requiring access to the city’s transport network. Changes to the station area would ensure that it was compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act, with safe and comfortable waiting areas for all station users. It is also intended to improve the overall quality of public space making the whole area more accessible and assisting the Council’s efforts to boost economic regeneration of the area.

The three proposals are:

• Option A would work with the existing character of the area and retain the listed buildings, creating a new user friendly, purpose-built facility to enable and encourage the use of, and interchange between, all forms of public transport. Full use would be made of the wider site - including expansion to the south and west - to the benefit of the city economy and local community.
  
  
• Option B would see the whole site cleared enabling a purpose built multi- modal transport interchange to be built as the focus of a much wider and larger development which would extend over the entire site and the existing rail tracks. This option is a more ambitious plan than Option A or C, as it proposes removing all listed buildings and involves a major interchange and comprehensive development above the rail tracks.
  
  
• Option C focuses entirely on the interchange addressing transport objectives and improving the operational efficiency for users of all modes of transport. This option is at a lower cost but allows for fewer wider opportunities for related development in the area.

Andrew Holmes, Director of City Development at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Edinburgh’s Haymarket is already a key local and national transport hub for people using buses, trains, cars, bikes and taxis. The station is getting busier and busier and changes are needed to ensure that this space can accommodate the growing demands and that it is compatible with the proposed tram scheme. The three proposed options cover a wide spectrum, from the limited development of the transport interchange to the full redevelopment of the whole site. Our goal is to make sure that any works are effective for the area and the people who use it, which is why we are seeking your views on what should be done. I would urge people to get involved and let us know how they would like the area to look, and how to get the best use from it, in years to come.”

The consultation with the public will last until 22 June. It will include briefings with local residents and businesses, public exhibitions at Haymarket Station from the 31st May - 4th June and meetings with focus groups. There will be wider publicity to get the views from the wider public, including a dedicated website www.haymarketinterchange.com. The results of the consultation process will be fed into the design development process. From there a single option will be chosen and developed as the preferred option. Further consultation on the development of the preferred option will be conducted in autumn 2007.

This study is expected to continue until the end of 2007. There are other transport improvements planned in the Haymarket area which will take place during 2008 – 2011. If one of the project options was to be taken forward, construction would be expected to start around 2014. For more information, visit www.haymarketinterchange.com

The project takes into account other known transport and development projects within the area, including the tram project and the station accessibility project and is working closely with these projects.

Further Information:

• 1) The following organisations are represented on the study’s Board and Steering Group: City of Edinburgh Council, Transport Scotland, Network Rail, First Scotrail, tie Ltd, Transport Edinburgh Limited and Terry Farrell (Edinburgh’s City Design Champion).
  
  
• 2) Since the Haymarket Interchange study was commissioned in December 2005, the project team have been investigating ways in which the objectives of the Haymarket Interchange study can be met. Stage 1 of the study brought forward 12 options for the area ranging from small scale refurbishment of the station, through to enhancement and expansion of all public transport facilities to the comprehensive redevelopment of the interchange and the wider area. These were short listed to six options in Stage 2 of the study, and have been subject to feasibility investigations, further refinement and more detailed development in Stage 3.
  
  
• 3) The project team have already undertaken a user survey of public transport users and pedestrians at Haymarket Station and the surrounding area. The survey questioned over 1,200 people on their reasons for using Haymarket and attitudes towards the area and its facilities. Participants were also questioned on what they thought were important station attributes and were asked to rate the current facilities at Haymarket. With few exceptions, most participants rated the current facilities poorly.
  
  
• 4) Artists impressions of the concepts are available at
  www.haymarketinterchange.com [3]