Category: Granton

Tide of change set to sweep over Waterfront?

We recently published ambitious £1.3bn plans to transform Granton Waterfront into a new coastal town to bring back to life a huge piece of former industrial land (writes Councillor CAMMY DAY).
This follows extensive public consultation in the last couple of years, and is a big deal for the city and me personally because as well as chairing the group overseeing the work on this, I grew up in the area.
Two years ago we purchased the former gas works from the National Grid, which was the final piece in the jigsaw we needed to consolidate our land, and start working on an exciting new vision with the local community.
Granton has a rich history and heritage and will be at the heart of our plans. We’ve already agreed to restore the old railway station and light up the former gas tower.
The regeneration of Granton has given us the perfect opportunity to help us to meet our commitment to become a net zero carbon city by 2030 and we’re going to make this one of Scotland’s leading sustainable developments.
We plan to build around 3,500 homes of which at least 35% will be affordable, encourage new businesses, develop a cultural hub and provide new leisure, learning and employment opportunities.
We’ll make sure everything is built to an extremely high standard and along with our housing association partners we’re already delivering around 700 new homes for sale and rent in area.
We’ll also build a school, medical centre, new cycling and walking routes and there is a commitment to improve bus services and other forms of sustainable public transport. This will include looking at the business case for an extension of the tram.
A new coastal city park stretching from Granton Castle Walled Garden to Cramond and Lauriston Castle will re-connect the city with its waterfront and those using the route will get spectacular views across the Forth.

 

We’ve been working on a Development Framework with the local community and this is being considered by the Planning Committee. When agreed it will be used as a guide for developers when making future planning applications to make sure the needs of the local community and sustainability stay at the heart of any future proposals.

Along with sustainable transport links it also supports our draft City Mobility Plan with proposals for a vast network of new routes which promote walking and cycling over car use and car parking has been reduced to a maximum of 25% or less.

With an overall value of around £1.3bn, we’re committed to investing around £196m to accelerate the regeneration, this will help to attract significant public and private sector funding to deliver the vision.

We’re working with public sector partners National Museums Scotland, National Galleries of Scotland and Edinburgh College to make this one of the best places in Edinburgh to live, work, learn and visit.

While work is underway we want to make the best use of land available and so we have a programme of temporary uses for the site and early projects in vacant buildings or land awaiting development.

These will be great for locals and include projects such as an adventure playground, urban wind turbine and shipping containers on the shoreline to provide affordable space for cafes and leisure.

I’m hugely grateful for the wider community’s involvement so far. They have told us many times that they want to see the North Edinburgh’s waterfront transformed with new homes, jobs, providing a sustainable new future for Granton Waterfront.

Our plans will deliver this and I’d encourage you to go along and find out more about this exciting project. It will be on display at Edinburgh College Granton campus until Friday (6 March). The exhibition on the Development Framework has excellent imagery of how the site could look.

 

This article first appeared in the Evening News on 26th February.

It’s YOUR money!

Funds awarded to maximise benefit take-up

Organisations which will help to maximise the take-up of benefits and household incomes in Scotland have been awarded £600,000.

Twenty-six organisations from across the country received allocations to support hard to reach groups, single parents and people with particular barriers such as mental or physical disabilities to apply for Scottish social security benefits.

Two Edinburgh-based organisations – Big Hearts Community Trust (£11,860) and FAIR (Family Advice Information Resource) (£24,214) – are among the recipients.

The funding is part of the Scottish Government’s Benefit Take-Up Strategy, launched in October 2019.

Announcing the successful applicants at North East Sensory Services, a charity in Aberdeen awarded £42,665 to help people with hearing and sight impairments, Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “We believe social security is a human right and an investment in the people of Scotland. That is why everyone who is eligible to apply for benefits should have the support they need.

“Along with local delivery staff, we want third sector organisations to add their expertise and reach out to help those who need it most.

“This funding of £600,000 will be vital to support those who face barriers to access the financial support they are entitled to and increase their incomes. This includes the people with sight or hearing impairments who are supported by North East Sensory Services.

“This funding shows we are determined to do things differently in Scotland and create a new social security system that puts dignity, fairness and respect at its heart.”

Graham Findlay, Chief Executive of North East Sensory Services, said: “The support we provide reaches more than 6,500 blind and deaf people across the North East of Scotland.

“We are delighted that the Scottish Government has recognised the particular difficulties our service users have in finding out about and applying for crucial benefits that help them to live their lives as independently as possible.

“This funding is vital to upskill our staff team with specialist knowledge so we can provide essential support to those who need help navigating the benefits system.”

While no North Edinburgh organisations received income maximisation funding in the latest round, receiving the benefits to which they are entitled can make a huge difference for people who face a daily struggle to get by.

Granton Information Centre’s income maximisation work has seen an incredible £3.3 MILLION put into the pockets of local people over the last financial year – money that they were entitled to but had not been claiming.

“Despite local and national awareness campaigns we still see people every week who are not receiving their full benefit entitlements”, said GIC manager Caroline Pickering.

“There are a number of reasons for this – the benefits system is complicated and there have been a number of significant changes over recent years. It can be confusing and the complicated form-filling – or, worse still, lengthy telephone calls to government agencies – can put people off.

“We encourage clients to persevere, however, as we support them through the process. For some people, getting the money they are entitled to really can make a life-changing difference.”

First Aid Workshop for Men

Come along to a First Aid workshop specifically for Dads and Men, facilitated by First Stop Safety Training, on Monday 24th February at Granton Parish Church.

The session runs from 7 – 9pm and will cover the fundamentals of First Aid, with a particular focus on First Aid for children and Babies.

Previous First Aid sessions have proved popular, so please sign up as soon as possible.

You can read more about ‘First Stop Safety Training’ on their website: http://firststopsafetytraining.co.uk/

Whilst our workshops are free, we ask that attendees consider making a suggested donation of £10 to help cover costs.

You can pay on the night, or here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/DRWorkshops?utm_term=RPNWp8BEy

Council announces latest plans for Waterfront regeneration

The latest proposals to transform Edinburgh’s largest brownfield site at Granton Waterfront – this time into a new ‘coastal town’ – have been published.

With a rich history and heritage, this former industrial land is set to become one of Scotland’s leading sustainable developments, bringing new homes, business, culture, leisure, learning and employment opportunities.

The plans will be presented to the Council’s Policy and Sustainabiltiy Committee, which meets on Tuesday next week.

A new coastal city park linking Granton Harbour to Gypsy Brae will re-connect the city with its waterfront providing the opportunity for residents and visitors to enjoy spectacular views across the Forth while experiencing enhanced leisure and outdoor activity. The plan is also set to deliver on exemplar urban design centred around climate resilience, leading the way in future sustainable development and growing the economy in an inclusive way.

The proposals will bring around 3,500 new homes of which at least 35% will be affordable, a school, medical centre, new cycling and walking routes and enhanced sustainable transport connections with the city, making a significant contribution to Edinburgh’s target to become a net zero carbon city by 2030. With an overall gross development value of around £1.3bn, the Council is committed to investing around £196m to accelerate the regeneration, attracting significant public and private sector funding to deliver the vision.

The Council’s housing association partners are currently delivering around 700 new homes for sale and rent within the Granton Waterfront area with commitment by key public sector partners National Museums Scotland, National Galleries of Scotland and Edinburgh College to work in collaboration to make this one of Edinburgh’s best places to live, work, learn and visit.

Following extensive consultation with the local community and other key stakeholders, a Development Framework for Granton Waterfront will be published by the Council today.can b

This sets out the vision, key principles and design guidance and will be considered by the Council’s Planning Committee on Wednesday, 26 February. When agreed it will be used as a guide for developers when making future planning applications to ensure placemaking stays at the heart of any future proposals.

The Framework supports the Council’s  draft City Mobility Plan as it proposes a vast network of new routes which promote walking and cycling over car use. Car parking has been reduced to a maximum of 25% or less for the area and there is a commitment to improve bus services and other forms of sustainable public transport which will include looking at the business case for a future phase of the tram. Cultural hubs and business start-up space are also part of the framework to create a diverse place for people to live, visit and work in.

An exhibition of the Framework opens today at Edinburgh College Granton Campus and runs until Friday 6 March. Staff will be on hand to answer any questions at the exhibition today from 4 -7pm.

Cllr Adam McVey, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We’ve made a commitment to become a net zero carbon city by 2030 and the regeneration of Granton offers the perfect opportunity to showcase how this can be delivered.

“We are committed to working with the local community and partners to create vibrant new neighbourhoods where people live and travel and grow the economy in an eco- friendly way.”

Cllr Cammy Day, Depute Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council and a Forth ward councillor, said: “The regeneration of Granton will create hundreds of new jobs linked to growth of new services, business, leisure and creative industries and will strengthen the retail and small businesses that already exist.

“Our public sector partners Edinburgh College, National Museums Scotland and National Galleries Scotland, who all have land or buildings within Granton Waterfront, are committed to working collaboratively to maximise the impact of combining our resources.

“I’d encourage everyone interested in this exciting new plan for the area to go along to Edinburgh College and have a look at the plans which will be on display for two weeks from the 20 February.”

Following committee approval, the Council will work with the Scottish Government and other key partners to develop the funding strategy. A programme of temporary uses for the site and early action projects in vacant buildings or land awaiting development will also be taken forward to encourage community empowerment and activity aimed at enhanced social and economic growth and health and wellbeing.

The Council will shortly be bringing forward plans for an initial phase of development at Western Villages ahead of the wider transformation. Proposals for the development of around 400 new homes for sale and rent in the area will be out for consultation in Spring 2020.

Progress on site so far

• Over 700 affordable homes recently completed or under development within Granton  Waterfront by our RSL partners, Polha, Link and Places for People
• Council support for Friends of Granton Castle and Walled Garden and Granton Hub in Madelvic House – projects aimed at supporting community enterprise and health and wellbeing
• Lease granted to Edinburg Wake Ltd on the quarry pond for leisure use as a wake boarding park – site due to be operational spring/summer 2020
• Council appointed contractor to restore Granton Station – work due to commence in Summer 2020 to create a new enterprise hub, with completion due in early 2021
• Council contributed £100,000 towards the lighting of the Granton gas holder and a launch event. Work is continuing to seek additional funding to complete the project
• Promotion of temporary uses for empty buildings as a valuable resource for the local community while the site is being permanently developed – possible uses include
Urban Wind Turbine Pilot
Beach Box Granton – shipping containers on the shoreline to provide affordable space for cafes and leisure
The Platform – market and events at the station building and surrounding open space
Lighting of the gas holder
Adventure playground – outdoor learning space for children in collaboration with Edinburgh College
Hoarding exhibitions – animate the hoardings while showcasing work of partners and local people or organisations
Forthside festival – use the open space at Gypsy Brae for a range of outdoor activities set against the backdrop of coastal views

Students Go Over the Score!

Edinburgh College students wowed the judges in a regional heat of the UK’s largest student hairdressing and beauty competition – scooping 22 medals.

Students from the capital city college won seven gold, nine silver and six bronze medals as they showcased their talents at the South of Scotland heat of the Association of Hairdressers and Therapists (AHT) competition, held at the College’s Granton Campus for the second year running.

Edinburgh College also won the Rose Bowl trophy, awarded to the college with the most medal wins in the heat, for the second consecutive year.

Each of the student winners and their models will now head to the AHT’s showpiece national competition held at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool later this year.

The event saw students from the College’s Granton and Milton Road Campuses compete against peers from colleges across Scotland and Northern Ireland in a range of categories spanning the hairdressing, barbering and beauty disciplines.

Edinburgh College students of various course levels ranging from Schools College Partnership (SCP) to HNC picked up 21 individual medals across competition categories including: blow dry and finish; body art; ladies evening style; SCP; 1980s make-up; editorial make-up; and ladies hair conversion categories.

As well as individual awards, Edinburgh College students Amelia Forsyth and Harry Lyons won the Team Bridal category – impressing judges with their hair and make-up skills.

Hairdressing and Make-Up Techniques for the Hair & Beauty Consultant student Amelia Forsyth said: “It’s amazing to have won the team gold alongside Harry.

“The competition was brilliant fun, there was such a buzz when all the students were competing against each other, and the clock. I’m really proud to have won this heat and now I’m excited to head to Blackpool to try and be the best in the UK.”

Ladies conversion gold medal winner and Level 2 Hairdressing student Bobby Ray said: “It was an amazing experience competing in the AHT heats against students from all over Scotland and it’s even more amazing to have won gold.

“I want to thank my lecturers for giving me the skills and belief needed to be successful. Hopefully we can all bring home more golds from Blackpool!”

Ladies evening style gold medal winner Radost Staykova, who studies Level 3 Hairdressing, said: “It feels great to win this gold medal. There were lots of talented hairdressers in the room so I’m really proud to have been chosen as the winner in my heat.

“I’m looking forward to going to Blackpool to do it all again and hopefully myself and other Edinburgh College students can win more medals.”

Edinburgh College curriculum manager for Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy and Complementary Therapies Frances Bain said: “Congratulations to everyone who competed in the AHT competition at our Granton Campus. It was brilliant to feel such a buzz in the room and to see the commitment and talents of students from across Scotland and Northern Ireland.

“Well done to all medal winners, the level of skill and ability on show was amazing. “I’d like to thank everyone who took part, they worked tremendously hard in preparation and that hard work has certainly paid off.

“To win 22 medals and win the Rose Bowl for a second year is an astounding performance by our own college – everyone should be incredibly proud of themselves.”

Friends set for Walled Garden AGM

We are holding our AGM on Friday 28th February at 2pm at Madelvic House, Granton Park Ave, Edinburgh EH5 1HS

The community café at the venue is open until 2pm for those wishing lunch.

Isla Browning (Treasurer)

Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden)

c/o Social Bite Village
23 West Shore Road
Edinburgh
EH5 1QB