We asked residents for their views on plans to fell 35 trees on the Queensgate roundabout in order to progress the first phase of the scheme, known as City Link.
City Link will improve connections from the station through Queensgate roundabout into the top of Cowgate. It will create a positive gateway into the city centre by removing southern and western subways (the northern subway near the Perkins Yellow Car Park will remain) and improving the landscaping to make the area feel safer and more attractive.
We reviewed all the consultation responses and will be progressing with the City Link works, which are due to start before the end of March. As part of the consultation, officers reviewed whether any of the 35 trees could be retained. Unfortunately, this will not be possible due to engineering requirements that are necessary to construct the new footpaths and make improvements to the landscaping to transform the area. The individual tree decision notices can be viewed below.
The future landscaping proposals will see 49 new trees planted, a net gain of 14 trees. In addition to the 49 new trees, there will be 7 additional small trees / shrubs as well as a rain garden and Gabion walls. In the consultation it was suggested that more replacement trees should be planted. Although this will not be possible within the roundabout, we are looking at other areas close by where additional trees could be planted.
We have a statutory 28-day notice period to remove the 35 trees, with the notice commencing on 19 February 2026.
You can view the landscaping proposals below, along with the Arboricultural Impact Assessment and the Tree Felling Plan.