An Edinburgh mum with a disabled teenage daughter has spoken of her fear that the businesses her family relies upon may have to close due to the Roseburn roadworks.
The roadworks are part of Edinburgh City Council's EastWest Link project that has been years in the making.
Corrina Kelly, 50, who lives with her 14-year-old son as well as her 19-year-old daughter who suffers from a variety of complex health issues, says that she is also concerned for her elderly neighbours.
Her daughter suffers from Arfid, a rare condition that means that she will only eat certain foods.
She also suffers from severe autism, OCD and rarely leaves her bed due to her various health issues.
Corrina says that her daughter can only eat certain meals, some of which are supplied by businesses that have been hammered since the WestEast Link works took place on Roseburn Terrace.
These include potato scones from the Roseburn café, cheese paninis from the Vigo Delicatessen and Bhuna soup from a nearby takeaway.
As well as this, her daughter will only drink water from certain bottles sold in the Co-Op, which has been forced to close, alongside the aforementioned companies, on several occasions due to roadworks that have gone over their designated deadline.
She said: “I worked as a lollipop lady for years and personally have nothing against cycling but it puzzles me as to why we are not adding to the existing cycling infrastructure behind our home.
“Our flat sits atop the Murrayfield Bar and faces onto Roseburn Terrace as well as Roseburn Gardens.
“The roadworks have been a nightmare. I understand they have to be carried out and have been planned for years but they have gone on for nearly three months now.
“It has really disrupted our ability to get around the community and access the businesses we rely on.
“My daughter rarely leaves her bed and can only eat certain foods provided by local businesses due to living with Arfid.
“On some occasions the shops have been left without stock, unable to get deliveries or have been forced to close due to the ongoing works.
“I really worry that the longer the works go on and with them returning in September, we may end up losing the foods that my vulnerable daughter relies on.”
Corrina added that she is confused as to why the works could not have been completed sooner and why they are pausing only to return before the vital Christmas period.
She says that she not only fears for the loss of vital businesses but that their ability to live in the flat has also been hampered by the council roadworks.
The roadworks can at times make her entire flat shake and the use of vulgar language can be heard from within their home regularly.
Alongside this, their windows have been damaged by the debris that has been strewn up into the air as workers try to complete the EastWest Link.
The caring mother continued: “Residents can find it difficult to access their homes and it can be quite difficult for us with the noise that has been going on for months now. The delivery lorries will park right below my window and a lot of the time their engines are left running.
“Sometimes the flat is shaking when they are digging and scraping outside. It can also be difficult to hear the vulgar language which is pretty non-stop.
“A lot of the debris from the works has impacted and damaged our windows as well.”
Corrina also has concern for the elderly in her community and she says that it is a matter of time before a collision takes place between two vehicles or a car and an immobile pedestrian.
She continued: “We have a lot of elderly people in various homes around us. I sometimes see them struggle to navigate the new routes they have created. I saw someone almost come out of their wheelchair because of it.
“A lot of the elderly rely on the shop owners for a chat and to grab their essentials. We are a proper tight knit community.
“The congestion caused by the roadworks has led to cars driving over the bollards to try and escape and there have been a few close misses.”
She adds that she is concerned about the roadworks returning in September and says that more care and thought must be given to her elderly neighbours.
Edinburgh City Council were contacted for comment.
You can read our exclusive interview with Roseburn business owners from this morning here.
