COUNCILLORS have voted against proposals to open up some of Edinburgh’s biggest private gardens to the public.
The Scottish Greens proposed setting up a voluntary scheme for some of the larger private shared gardens in the city to allow public access.
The party suggested the council could help owners’ associations with any additional maintenance, cleaning and insurance requirements.
Councillor Dan Heap, who put forward the motion, said the rejection was a “missed opportunity” for Scotland’s capital.
“Our proposal was modest, practical and rooted in common sense,” he said.
“We were not asking the council to force gardens open. We were asking officials to explore how a voluntary scheme could work, with proper support for owners around maintenance, cleaning and insurance.
“St Andrew Square is a private garden, but the public have rightly had access to it since 2008. It shows that this kind of approach can work and it is disappointing that councillors have chosen not to even explore it.
“Edinburgh should be a city that works for everyone, not just those wealthy enough to live beside park-sized private gardens. Greens will keep working for a fairer city where access to nature is based on need, not property wealth.”
Lorna Slater, Green MSP for Edinburgh Central, said councillors had “chosen to protect exclusive access for some of Edinburgh’s wealthiest residents, rather than even explore a modest proposal to share more of the city’s green space”, before adding: “The Scottish Greens will keep working for a city that works for everyone, not just those with the wealth to live beside park-sized private gardens”.
Labour councillor Margaret Graham, convener of the culture and communities committee, said it “wouldn’t be right” to open private gardens up to the public.
She said: “I am pleased that committee agreed no action on this. I appreciate there are a variety of views on this subject but these gardens and green spaces belong to residents in these areas, and are treasured and well-looked-after private gardens.
“For some who live in our city centre, these green spaces are, for all intents and purposes, their back garden. It wouldn’t be right to open these green spaces for all.
“Edinburgh is one of the greenest cities in the UK and Europe, and every community in our city has access to world-class parks and green spaces on their doorstep – which are open and accessible to all.”
