Leith Walk Studios are set to receive a £1,280,000 boost to provide develop the space into workplaces for new businesses and creative entrepreneurs. The grant will also see the re-development of the derelict buildings into a new street market initiative, energising Leith Walk and creating a draw for residents and visitors alike.
The £750,000 grant has come from the Scottish Government and COSLA’s joint Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF), which has announced a total of 29 projects, engaging and involving local communities, awarded funding across Scotland. A further £530,000 is being provided by the Edinburgh City Council, which will enable work to start on the Leith Walk site later this year.
Another Edinburgh project, Broomhouse Community Hub, also received just over £800,000 from the fund.
Local Government Minister Kevin Stewart and Cllr Stephen Hagan, COSLA Spokesperson for Development, Economy and Sustainability, announced the funding on a visit to Out of the Blue in Leith yesterday.
Mr Stewart said: “I am delighted that 29 fantastic locally-driven projects will benefit from this major injection of funding. Spanning the length and breadth of the country, they will help regenerate local areas, stimulate economic growth and create new jobs.
“The focus of the projects range from tackling social isolation to services to address health inequalities, educational attainment, support ex-offenders and boost tourism. They are an excellent example of how national and local government are working together on shared priorities that benefit local communities.
“I’m also pleased to announce that RCGF funding has been confirmed until 2021 – and that a call for applications to the fund for 2018/19 will be made shortly.”
Cllr Hagan added: ““I’m very pleased to announce today the projects to be funded in 2017/2018 from the joint COSLA and Scottish Government RCGF. This fund is invaluable in helping to transform communities up and down the country and results in strong economic, social and physical regeneration outcomes.
“The diversity of the projects being supported is a testament to innovative thinking from local communities where regeneration activity is being tailored to local circumstances.
“The RCGF continues to go from strength to strength and the successful projects announced today reinforce local authorities’ commitment to regenerating their local communities for the benefit of local people.”
The Leith Walk regeneration project will breathe new life into the site, last used for trams 60 years ago, creating new jobs and training places. The project will bring an ‘at risk’ listed building at the front of the site in Leith Walk back into long-term productive use. It will deliver vitally-needed flexible, affordable workspaces for early-stage businesses as well as providing space to create a temporary community services hub for the voluntary and public sectors.
The Out of the Blue (OOTB) community and arts development organisation will partner with the Council to manage the business units to provide usable community space for artists and entrepreneurs. The aim is to bring back the site into meaningful use by recycling and upgrading sea containers and providing them for creative space until long term plans for the site are secured. The units could include studios for artists and other creative entrepreneurs, a social enterprise café providing employment and training opportunities and a community arts education/ retail facility.
Welcoming the news, SNP MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Ben Macpherson (pictured above with OOTB’s Rob Hoon) said: “It is fantastic to see Out of the Blue receive the funding support they need to develop Leith Walk Studios and turn the entire area into a hub for the whole community.
“It is such a great location, right in the heart of our community, and I am delighted that it will now be brought to life through the efforts of everyone involved in the Street Market and Community Partnership Service Hub project.
“Today’s announcement is a great example of local authorities and the Scottish Government working together to regenerate appropriate areas of our cities in order to improve our communities, help stimulate economic growth and create new jobs.
“The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund has now been confirmed until 2021, so I encourage everyone with ideas for local regeneration to apply for the 2018/19 fund that will be open shortly.”
Councillor Gavin Barrie, convener of the city council’s Economy Committee, added: “This is welcome funding from the Scottish Government and I am delighted that this project can now go ahead, providing new jobs and training places for local people.
“The community hub will deliver vital services to people in Leith Walk and the wider Leith area, which is one of the most densely populated and fastest growing places in Scotland.
“The business units and street market will create a real buzz on Leith Walk and will address the critical shortage of space for artists and other creative entrepreneurs in Edinburgh.”
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