THE appointment of Dave Anderson as Edinburgh's new head of city development looks set to herald a different approach to building prosperity and already the signs are that he is very much his own man who is unlikely to hang about waiting for marching orders from a group of ruling councillors who have yet to display any real sense of vision or direction.
For some councillors this might come as a shock, but in the current climate the city badly needs someone to take hold of the reins and a person with a focus on developing the city's prosperity is exactly what's needed. If the councillors can't fil
l that role then it is up to the officers to take the lead and at least the elected members can scrutinise what senior officers like Mr Anderson propose. Whatever happens, the current vacuum cannot go on.
In a recent newspaper article, Mr Anderson wrote: "Addressing the issues and opportunities facing us will call for strong civic leadership." But that seemingly obvious statement may well have raised eyebrows amongst his political masters, for it is not difficult to interpret that as inferring that he recognises that such leadership is presently absent.
But in SNP Councillor Tom Buchanan, the economic development leader, he may have a natural ally anyway, someone who has already impressed city business leaders with his understanding of the issues facing the city.
And if Mr Anderson can provide the direction behind the scenes and the politicians argue the case publicly, then everyone will be a winner.
From where the real impetus comes does not matter as long as it exists. He has already demonstrated strong views on a variety of subjects and if they can be taken up by the administration then so much the better.
In particular his view that the A8 corridor is ripe for development will put him at odds with the conservation lobby and potentially into conflict with local representatives, but it is good that a senior council representative has come out so firmly on this side of a key issue. With the tram link to the airport going through what is largely open space between the new Gogar depot and the airport, it is important to develop in that area – not just because it will be where people and businesses will want to be, but because more passengers will further improve the viability of the tram system.
He is off to a good start and is on target with his vision for the future. Let's hope he gets the back-up to make it a reality.
