Joy for Walled Garden campaigners but Granton sur Mer is sunk once again
There were contrasting fortunes for two community organisations yesterday when EDI Group – the city council’s arms-length property development and business organisation – announced their latest review of the Granton waterfront master plan. Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden heard that their campaign to save the historic walled garden has been successful while Granton Improvement Society learned that their plans for community enterprises – including an artist’s village and garden festival on the waterfront – have been rejected.
It was great news for the Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden Group, who have fought a dogged campaign to save the historic site from redevelopment. Developers had planned to build luxury townhouses on the walled garden site, but the Friends group have now persuaded EDI to rethink that idea and develop the space for community enterprises instead.
Kirsty Sutherland, who founded the Friends group and who has been at the forefront of the campaign throughout, told supporters: “A quick and overjoyed e-mail today with the latest from our Friends Group follow-up meeting today with the owners of Granton Castle Walled Garden.
“The long-awaited and very good news from the EDI group: their decision is to keep the walled garden as a heritage destination and market garden for the community in their new Masterplan for the waterfront regeneration, as outlined in our presentation on the 5th October dreams-of-a-heritage-gateway-to-the-waterfront-in-granton.
“The Friends Group desire is to move forward positively, working in partnership with other groups to the benefit of local people, visitors and the environment alike.
“Now for the best bit – and a lot of hard work ahead to make the dreams of restoring the historic garden sustainable. Putting together ideas and working out how to do them in reality, with as many local people involved as possible and making decisions.”
EDI’s Operations Director Eric Adair explained: “Over the last five months EDI has undertaken a review of it’s land at Granton waterfront. As part of this review EDI has considered the long term use and aspirations for the walled garden site. To help us achieve this EDI asked two interested community groups (GIS and FoGCWG) to meet with our team of designers and then present ideas for how this space could be utilised were it not to be utilised for housing as was previously proposed.
“One aspect that was garden particularly interesting was a proposal for a community market on the existing walled garden site. This particular proposal would allow public access to the garden as well as introducing a cafe and shop, allowing the walled garden to become a destination and community facility. This was deemed to be very attractive and we recognised how this could work with ou existing aspirations for Granton, and could over time become a unique and special facility for the local community.”
EDI now plans to retain the walled garden and will work with the Friends group to support them to draw up a sustainable business plan for the initiative.
Local MP Deirdre Brock has welcomed EDI’s decision to retain the Granton Castle Walled Garden as a community green space and incorporate it into their plans for the area.
The medieval garden – once a hunting lodge for James IV – looked set to have 17 new townhouses built on it, before community groups stepped in and campaigned for it to be conserved. After meeting with the groups, council-owned EDI agreed to retain the site as a community market garden as well as a café and shop.
Ms Brock supported the campaign to save and regenerate the historic garden. Commenting on the decision, the Edinburgh North and Leith MP said: “It’s great for Granton that the future of the historic walled garden looks more secure now. The walled garden has a fascinating history but has been a wasteland for too long. We still have to see the final shape of the plans, but credit goes to EDI for listening to the community and taking on board their concerns.
“Both the Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden and the Granton Improvement Society came up with fantastic – albeit very different – visions for the use of this land. Now it looks as though there may be a way forward to retain the site and I hope everyone can work together to make sure the plans for the garden are as strong as they can be.
“Granton needs new homes but it also needs to protect its social history and green spaces. We must all work to ensure this hidden gem of Granton is returned to its former glory for the whole community to enjoy.”
EDI’s decision has come as a bitter disappointment to Granton Improvement Society, who’s proposals had included an annual garden festival, an artists village, community workshops and even a lido. The group describes EDI’s vision for the waterfront as ‘dull and uninspired’.
In a statement issued on behalf of GIS by administrator Ross McEwan, the group said: “Granton Improvement Society (GIS) received the decision today that the Directors of EDI had declined GIS’s plan for an International Garden Festival in North Edinburgh.
“The whole project Granton on Sea with the aim of creating economic benefit through the creation of jobs education and training and leisure and to create an income to be distributed within an area blighted by deprivation for decades.
“The project which has the support of hundreds of local people and beyond was to a provide a destination attractive to locals and tourists linking the City to the Waterfront.
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