Review of powers of communities to acquire land or buildings
A review of Community Rights to Buy will begin this summer to look at how effective current powers are.
Community Right to Buy has now been in use for 20 years. During that time, there have been several additions and amendments to the original rights in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, and various reports and recommendations on how to improve and amend them further.
Speaking during a visit to the Heart of Newhaven, a community facility which was bought by the community in 2021 through the Asset Transfer process, Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “Ownership or control of land and buildings – both urban and rural – is a powerful tool for communities to drive change and achieve their goals. It can help to develop the local economy, provide activities and services, and boost community identity.
“We want to increase community ownership as an important way of delivering our vision for Scotland and our three central missions of equality, opportunity and community.
“This review will begin in Summer 2024, following introduction of the Land Reform Bill and report at the end of 2025 and will cover all the current rights to buy and will look at legislative and procedural aspects of the rights to see if new legislation is needed.”
Background
The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 introduced the first two community rights to buy. The Community Right to Buy (Part 2) gave rural communities the right to register an interest in assets. Should the owner choose to sell, the community could then be granted the right to buy that asset without it being offered to anyone else. The Crofting Community Right to Buy (Part 3) gave communities in crofting areas a right to compulsory purchase of assets, whether or not the owner wishes to sell.
The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 then amended the Community Right to Buy to widen the rights to urban communities. It also introduced the Community Right to Buy Abandoned, Neglected or Detrimental Land (Part 3A). This is a compulsory purchase right for land that is abandoned, neglected or detrimental to the environmental wellbeing of communities.
The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2018 introduced a further compulsory right, the Right to Buy Land to Further Sustainable Development (Part 5). This compulsory right does not need land to be in a certain condition and allows communities to nominate a third party purchase on their behalf.
New Scotland Office minister Donald Cameron included the Heart in his first official visit on Thursday 22nd February.
Mr Cameron, now Lord Cameron of Lochiel, has sat in Holyrood since 2016 but quit the Scottish Parliament in February for the House of Lords and a position in the Scottish Office at Westminster.
As well as the Heart, he also visited Granton’s historic gas holder, which is being restored as the centrepiece of a new public space in the regeneration of the waterfront and Portobello Town Hall, recently rescued for the community by a local charity much like ourselves here at the Heart.
All three projects have recently received much-welcomed funding from Westminster’s Levelling Up Fund.
Lord Cameron met many of the Heart’s Partners and users, including the Ukranian Spiders, Mwamba, Vintage Vibes, Robert Furze and some of the History of Education volunteers who were coincidentally hosting a visit from Primary 7 pupils from Victoria Primary School.
He also spoke to Alex Bird from Tortoise in a Nutshell, Charlie Traylor from Men of Leith’s Shed, volunteer Judy Gray hard at work on our knitted Christmas Tree project, and artist Jill Boualaxai, so he got a good overview of the many skeins bound up within the Heart.
Building work at the Heart
The emergency conservation works including roof and window repairs are being undertaken by a team from our contractors, Ashwood, led by site foreman, Findlay and should be finished by the end of March.
Ashwood will then return in April to fit a couple of stones and install some new windows that are being cut or made off site. (Did you know that when you need to replace stone, a stone “library” is brought to site so that the stone can be matched?)
Most of those repairs won’t be visible, but were very necessary to get the building wind and water tight, before we embark on future works to bring the building into the 21st century in terms of repair and energy efficiency for the comfort and use of all.
In the meantime, people might see safety scaffolding going up in the atrium for a few weeks, and our apologies in advance to our Partners and user groups who may experience some disruption as windows are repaired.
We must give a huge shout out to our funders without whom we couldn’t have done all this; The Department of Levelling Up, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and The Pilgrim Trust and of course there’s also the Design Team who specialise in the conservation of listed buildings in community use, led by John Gilbert Associates.
Hear About… talks
Our Hear About… talks taking place in the Heritage Suite on Friday afternoons have been proving very popular, with up to three dozen people attending each of the various events.
They will continue to run until the first Friday in April and then we will pause them over the summer and restart them in the autumn.
Here are the next scheduled talks …
Friday 8th March – Bill Hall on the Newhaven fishing industry
Friday 15th March – Kenneth Williamson on the old Caledonian Railway between Leith and Granton
Friday 22nd March – Niall Campbell on birds of the Isle of May
Friday 5th April – Anna Inman on the Restoration Forth project
More details on the website.
Volunteer to help and get a guaranteed place in the action!
We are keen to recruit a team of volunteers to help with the logistics of the talks. We need to set up the chairs (and rearrange them again at the end) in the Heritage Suite as well as welcome attendees and then serve teas and coffees at the end.
It may be the end of the Spring talks in April, but we already have talks lined up for the autumn, including one on the Hill & Adamson photographs of Newhaven fishwives, from Louise Pearson of the National Portrait Gallery and another on Celtic folklore and the mythical sea creatures of Newhaven. Watch this space!
Death Cafés at the Heart of Newhaven
A death cafe is described as a safe place where people can feel free to talk about anything they wish, to do with death and dying.
On Saturday morning, 27th January we held our very first death café when fourteen people attended and the feedback was very positive. The discussions were enjoyed by all and there was delicious cake.
There will be more death cafés at the Heart on Saturday mornings of April 27th, July 27th and October 19th, all 10.00 am to 12.00 noon. Please arrive around 9.45 for welcome and coffee.
Remember our regular Events
Monday lunch club
The Cyrenian Lunch Club takes place at the Heart every Monday from 12.30 until 2pm. The lunches are free and open to all (advise in advance if you have allergies)
They’ll be serving a nutritious two-course meal along with tea/coffee. Some weeks there will also be entertainment to enjoy!
Sharing the Pastmeetings at the Heart are now taking place on the last Thursday of every month and the next one will be on Thursday 28th March.
Come along and reminisce with our Reminiscence volunteers. The topic changes every time. All on a Thursday at 10.30 -1130 am.
Keep up to date with all the regular events and activities by checking our website or following us on social media.
Oyster Mural
Remember too to get involved in the Restoration Forth project to create a mural for one of the outside walls of the Anchor Building. There will be a get-together to discuss plans, with coffee and cake at the Heart on Saturday 23rd March at 10am.
You can find out more on our website or follow the link below:
The Friends of Western Harbour Ponds have asked us to help raise awareness of their fight to save the re-wilded space now home to numerous bird species and a precious haven for humans too.
A petition calling on The City of Edinburgh Council and The Scottish Government to “recognise the value of the self-willed wetland habitat for nature and for people, and to help save it from development” has so far gathered more than 3,000 signatures.
If you’re keen to help document the biodiversity of the Ponds and other spots in Edinburgh, pop 26 to 29 April in your diary!
The City Nature Challenge is an annual worldwide bioblitz to record wildlife and plant life in cities, with the Edinburgh project coordinated by RSPB Scotland.
The Leith community is being called upon to help design a replacement for the Lindsay Road Bridge, also known as Pride Bridge.
The local landmark was a popular walking, wheeling, and cycling route over Hawthornvale Path and in 2021 was painted in rainbow colours, leading to it being named locally as the ‘Rainbow’ or ‘Pride’ Bridge.
the bridge, which is at the end of its lifespan, was closed due to concerns around health and safety, sparking a local ‘Save the Pride Bridge’ campaign. Council officers have since made a successful application for Transport Scotland funding through Sustrans for the design of a replacement bridge deck, with £232,700 awarded.
Now a designer, Mott McDonald, has been appointed and, along with the Council, they’re looking to work with the local community to develop proposed designs. Two information sessions and an online consultation will help the team to better understand everyone’s needs and gather feedback on proposed designs.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “The Pride Bridge has been such a well-loved landmark and thoroughfare for the local community, it’s only right that we involve them to develop a replacement.
“I was delighted last year when we secured funding to design a new bridge deck, which would once again provide a safe and convenient walking and cycling route between North Fort Street and Newhaven area.
“The strength of feeling amongst local people for this bridge, and its celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride, has been inspiring. I’d like to thank those who campaigned to protect it.”
Kasper Schwartz, Grant Advisor for Sustrans, said: “We’re excited to see how designs for the new Pride Bridge come together over the next year, and are immensely grateful to the local community for their enthusiasm in seeing this vital active travel connection reinstated for North Edinburgh.
“The Pride Bridge is not only a key walking, wheeling and cycling link for communities surrounding the Hawthornvale Path, it is also as an iconic symbol of enduring support for LGBTQ+ people everywhere.”
Róisín Thérèse, who leads the Save the Pride Bridge campaign, said: “The Save The Pride Bridge campaign has worked closely with the Council and design team to communicate the wishes of the local residents in terms of preserving an accessible route, a community space, and an important LGBTQ+ landmark.
“We are excited to participate in the public consultations to reimagine this space and secure it as a valuable community asset for years to come.”
This process is expected to last a year and once it’s complete officers intend to apply to Transport Scotland for between 70 and 100% of the construction funding required to build the bridge.
The work will be delivered alongside the Leith Connections project which is making improvements to community spaces and providing better connections for anyone walking, wheeling or cycling through the streets of Leith.
Lindsay Road Bridge information sessions will take place at the following locations and times:
Thursday 7 March, 6pm – 8pm: Dreadnought Leith, 72 North Fort Street
Saturday 23 March, 11am – 1pm: The Heart of Newhaven Community, 4-6 Main Street
Victoria Park’s Bowling Greens Consultation Workshop!
Come and talk with us at our in-person workshop at the Pollock Pavilion, The Boys’ Brigade, located at 227 Ferry Road, EH6 4SP, on Monday 26th February from 6pm to 8pm.
This is a fantastic opportunity to delve deeper into proposals discussed at our previous event, share your valuable ideas, and actively contribute to the thriving green spaces in Victoria Park.
Our next ‘Supporting your child in grief’ session takes place on Thursday 8th February at 11am.
The session offers an opportunity for you to join other parents and carers to talk, share feelings and connect with one another. You can simply say it how it is, seek advice and hopefully pick up some tips from each other.
Our first Afternoon Tea was a resounding success last Friday, and spaces are filling up for the next one! So much so that we’ve added a new date on Saturday 17th February!
These delicious teas are made by our chefs in house, and as well as being a delicious treat to brighten up any weekend, they also raise funds for the Hospice!
You can book yours today by emailing iona@stcolumbashospice.org.uk , booking in person in the Iona Cafe, or by going to our online shop!
Happy New Year to you all. We hope you celebrated in style.
Hear About…
We’re kicking off this year with a series of talks at the Heart.
“Hear About…” all sorts of things, will begin on Friday 26th January and run into the spring at 3pm on Friday afternoons. Come along, have a cup of tea or coffee, chat with old friends and make some new ones. The talks will be free but donations would be welcome for the tea/coffee.
They may take place in different areas of the Heart depending on how many people are interested and what the topic is. Some for example, might take place in the hall, others in the Anchor Building and others upstairs in the Heritage Suite.
All we ask is that you register your interest in attending in advance with admin@heartofnewhaven.co.uk to give us an idea of numbers, and check with reception when you arrive to find out exactly where the talk will be.
Here are the first five talks, each starting at 3pm:
Friday 26th January – our very own Chair, Judy Crabb will explain the ups and downs of how the Heart has come about and what we hope for from the future.
Friday 2nd February – John Lawson, Museums & Galleries Edinburgh’s archaeologist will talk about what came to light while the Newhaven tram extension was being built.
Friday 9th February – Heart volunteer, researcher and writer Jane Evans will tell us about the, perhaps not so famous, Newhaven witches.
Friday 16th February – From the Heart to hearts, Gillian Gray, Heart volunteer and recently retired Emeritus Professor of Cardiovascular Pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh, will talk about what the heart does, what commonly goes wrong and how current drugs are used to prevent and treat disease.
23rd February – Archaeologist Rob Engl of AOCArchaeology will tell us all about the excavation that took place in the school playground before the Anchor Building was built. Although the schoolchildren of the time like to refer to the skeleton found as a pirate, the reality may be a little more prosaic, but exciting nevertheless.
See you there, and watch out for more talks to be announced soon. If you would like to give a talk or have a topic to suggest for which we could find a speaker, then contact gillian.bannantyne@heartofnewhaven.co.uk
Keep the dates free
Watchout for our two forthcoming Coorie-in for Winter events, coming up on the evening of Tuesday, January 16th from 7- 8.30 and again on the afternoon of Monday 5th February from 2- 3.30. More details nearer the time.
The Evening event will include some Ukrainian food tasting and a chance to meet and speak to some of our building creatives.
The afternoon will allow visitors into the different spaces and find out more about what is on at the Heart for you.
Keeping green and beautiful
Hot on the heels of our Lottery funding for greening the Heart, announced in our December newsletter, we are proud to present our new certificate from Keep Scotland Beautiful.
Really great news!
We’re also thrilled to announce that we have secured a major new National Lottery Heritage Fund grant.
The £200,000 will be divided between further renovation and conservation work on the old Victoria building and an intergenerational community heritage project: Our schooldays – memories and legacies, Heritage tales from Newhaven, Trinity and Leith Harbour.
The project will involve some of our Heart Partners as well as the schools in our area of benefit and will leave a lasting legacy for the future. The news of the award arrived immediately before Christmas – what a great Christmas present!
Watch this space for more details in the coming months.
Dementia Meeting Centre
We have also secured 12 months funding for the further development of our Dementia Meeting Centre from Age Scotland.
From February, this will take place every Wednesday from 1.30 – 3.30 in the kitchen/lounge.
has had an incredible year! You can watch a few special moments along the way, in their new Youtube video. Together with other participating hubs, we at The Heart are excited to share the highlights of 2023.
Thanks to everyone who has been involved so far in this truly important project. If you’d like to play a part in restoring marine habitats and coastal environments in the Firth of Forth, find out more and sign up to the Restoration Forth newsletter HERE.
Reminiscence
Remember when? Our reminiscence volunteers will be ready to welcome all-comers at their first session of the new year, on Thursday 18th January,10.30 – 11.30. Themes change at each meeting so what will it be this time? Come along and find out.
New logo
The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that a new logo has appeared on our website. This is to signify that we are registered members of the recently formed Edinburgh Local Heritage Network.
This is an umbrella organisation for all local heritage groups who can use it to exchange ideas, advice, information and even exhibitions and events.
There’s so much coming up this year. Why don’t you get involved? It’s your community, your Heart.
Remember to watch our website and social media for news of events and classes.
We are thrilled to announce that we have received just over £7,000 from the National Lottery towards the greening of the Heart grounds.
The aim is to bring together people of all ages and from all walks of life to help not only with the greening work itself, but also to improve their own physical and mental wellbeing by being involved in the creation of a green and welcoming space.
Not only will the space look more attractive to visitors and local residents alike, but all the new planting will contribute to the “green lungs” of the city.
The first stage of the project, beginning on 1st March, engagement, gardening and landscaping opportunities as well as harvesting produce for use in the community teaching kitchen, is expected to last one year, but we have loads of plans for future improvements, which would involve more trees and reducing the amount of hard playground surfacing.
More good news on the conservation works on the Victoria Building
As we have previously reported, funding has been awarded to us over the past year for significant conservation repairs to the Grade B Listed Victoria Building. As good stewards, we have prioritised some of the more urgent repairs to the stonework, roof, rainwater goods and windows and having tendered the project, we hope to start Phase 1 of the works in the New Year. So watch out for the scaffolding going up and the work beginning.
Of course we’re always on the lookout for more funding, or sponsorship, so spread the word, or if you can help our Operations Group with managing the upkeep or health and safety of the Heart, please get in touch as we would love to hear from you.
On the warm front…
Recent visitors may well have noticed a welcome rise in temperature inside the Victoria Building, especially with the cold weather outside. Repairs have been successfully carried out on the boiler which had originally been installed in 1983 and we are now feeling much warmer as we go about our work. We were even able to find the original engineer who installed the old machine and he was more than happy to come and look after it for us. Enjoy the warmth!
The Heart’s Christmas tree project
What would Christmas be without a tree? You may have heard that at the Heart we are planning to knit next year’s Christmas Tree!
The year-long project was unofficially launched this month (watch out for the official launch in January) as we decorated the Heart for this Christmas.
The idea came originally from a tree that was knitted in Norwich in 2012 and was displayed in prominent buildings to raise funds for Livability, a charity which cared for people in John Grooms Court in Norwich. Such was the success of the tree that they achieved enough money to provide a second lift for the building as well as an extension.
Now the Heart of Newhaven also needs a lift to provide access to the upper floors of the Victoria building, but we will similarly be partnering with local charities and are beginning with the announcement that Homestart, which helps families give children a good start in life will be one of our beneficiaries.
More will be announced in due course.
We’re going to need at least 5000 six-inch squares knitted or crocheted in any shade of green, as well as colourful decorations and adornments for the tree.
You have twelve months to get knitting, so don’t say we haven’t given you enough warning!
Talking of knitting, there are three new knit and natter groups starting at the Heart next month from 9th January.
Bring your own knitting or crochet, or join in with the Heart of Newhaven’s exciting new project to knit the 16ft Christmas tree to go on display next year and raise money for our chosen projects. We’ll give you more details next month.
The groups will meet on Tuesdays at 7.15 till 8.30 pm, Wednesdays from 9.30 till 12 noon and Saturdays from 9.30 till 12noon.
Start of regular Heart talks in January.
From local archaeology discoveries to water purity, from Newhaven witches to how to look after your own heart, watch out for an announcement on a new seasonal series of talks at the Heart. We’re creating a schedule of what we hope will be interesting talks which will take place on Friday afternoons in the spring beginning on the 26th January. Come and be enlightened and entertained. More news to follow.
Reminiscence
The next reminiscence sessions with our trained volunteers will be taking place on 21st December and 17th January, 10.30 – 11.30, and will then move to a regular day each month. Watch this space for further details.
Thinking of running away to the circus?
Why not try out some practice sessions first?
The Kids Circus (thinkcircus.co.uk) has found a new home at the Heart, so young people between the ages of 5-8 and 8-11are invited to explore the world of juggling, hula hoop, poi, flower sticks, plate spinning and many other tricks while developing their balance, coordination and confidence.
We now have two Youth Circus Clubs, Teen Circus, running every Tuesday and Friday at the Heart: bookwhen.com/thinkcircus Further classes soon.
Looking back
Remembrance weekend
Two events were held on both the Friday 10th Saturday 11th November
Fair Saturday
Back on the 25th November we got together to celebrate community and culture.
Interested in caring for old heritage buildings?
Lastly, join us in creating a safe, welcoming hub for the whole community. We’re always on the look-out for new trustees and consultants, but we’d like to extend a special welcome to anyone who is interested in the maintenance in an old heritage site such as the Victoria Building.
It has so many special needs and with frequent changes in legislation, we could do with an extra pair of hands for advice or practical help.
If you have even one hour a week to spare and you could walk around the site and lend a hand on health & safety issues, please contact linsay.miller@heartofnewhaven.co.uk.
This might suit anyone from a retired surveyor to a student studying estate maintenance, so come and talk to us if you think you could help.
Finally may we wish everyone a happy festive seasonand a very Guid New Year!
Make some New Year resolutions and join us in January.
In 2024 98% of Scotland’s bathing waters will again meet or exceed the Sufficient classification – with 84% achieving the higher standards of Excellent or Good, says the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
This long-term positive trend for Scottish bathing water quality has been demonstrated in sampling and analysis carried out by Scotland’s environment regulator over the summer.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) work with regulated operators and stakeholders across the country and have driven millions of pounds of investment to bring about changes needed to make our bathing waters a success story.
In 2024 98% of Scotland’s bathing waters will again meet or exceed the Sufficient classification. ✅84% Good or Excellent ✅Wardie Bay and Fisherrow Sands, both added this season, will achieve Good. ➡️Read more in our media release at https://t.co/pLdeSfjIoP ➡️Check the… pic.twitter.com/KFMeDbD3PG
— Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) (@ScottishEPA) November 21, 2023
For the 2024 bathing season Scotland’s bathing water classifications will be:
38 (43%) Excellent
37 (42%) Good
12 (13%) Sufficient
2 (2%) Poor
Ruth Stidson, SEPA’s Principal Scientist for bathing waters, said: “Scotland started this bathing water season with more bathing waters than ever and a record-breaking number rated excellent. I’m delighted to say we’ll start next year just as strongly.
“Our bathing waters have the best water quality since 2015, when tighter standards first came into force. We now have an additional five designated bathing waters where we monitor water quality to protect human health. Over this time those with the highest excellent classification has increased from 17 to 38, and the number with a poor classification has fallen from 17 to two.
“Being outdoors can provide many physical and mental health benefits. Our beaches offer opportunities for physical activities and social interaction and earlier this year I saw personally how much having a designated bathing water meant to the local community at Wardie Bay.
“SEPA’s monitoring data has provided crucial evidence to drive millions in investment and we’ve worked with businesses, farmers and land managers across the country to help them understand how they can make changes to protect water quality.
“All these successes show that, while it can take time to see big improvements, they are possible – and SEPA will keep monitoring, reporting, enforcing, encouraging and challenging for the future of our water environment.”
Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan said: “Scotland now has the highest number of designated Bathing Water sites ever, with the vast majority classified as good or excellent.
“This demonstrates the benefits of our continued investment in protecting and improving bathing waters across the country. However we are not complacent and will continue to work closely with SEPA and Scottish Water to monitor and improve water quality, to make sure that as many people as possible are able to enjoy them.”
Success stories for 2024
Scotland’s newest bathing water, Wardie Bay in Edinburgh, will be rated as Good for its first classification in 2024. The location was designated by Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition, Màiri McAllan, following an application from Wardie Bay Beachwatch and The Wild Ones
Just along the coast in East Lothian, the first bathing water in Scotland to be re-designated will also be classified as Good. Fisherrow Sands was de-designated in 2020 following five years of Poor classifications.
It was re-designated following work between SEPA, the Scottish Government, Scottish Water, East Lothian Council and wider stakeholders to drive improvements. Over £3 million has been spent on works to upgrade wastewater pumping stations, resolve multiple misconnections and make improvements to the sewer network to reduce spills.
Future challenges
Pressures on bathing waters can include overflows from the drainage network and misconnections from homes and businesses.
Agricultural run-off and bacteria from dog fouling and gulls can also be factors. Some sites have a legacy of complex inter-linked issues that need individual assessments and unique solutions.
The two bathing waters with a Poor classification, Kinghorn (Harbour Beach) and Lower Largo, both have ongoing improvement plans in place.
Kinghorn (Harbour Beach) had been achieving Sufficient after previous work was carried out by Scottish Water. Following a Poor classification last year, an enhanced monitoring program has been carried out to identify potential sources of pollution, SEPA will continue to work with regulated operators and stakeholders to explore solutions to improve water quality at this location.
At Lower Largo, SEPA has required Scottish Water to conduct comprehensive studies into the sewerage infrastructure to identify any necessary upgrade requirements.
Surveillance and monitoring has included CCTV and flow surveys of the sewer network; intensive water quality sampling of the sea and watercourses; a survey (via boats) to map the seabed; tidal current profile and dispersion testing to understand how discharges disperse to the sea and nearby rivers.
This work also identified some misconnected properties, which have now been connected to the public sewerage system correctly.
Significant further work and investment are ongoing towards achieving the infrastructure improvements in the Lower Largo area necessary to bring about improved bathing water quality.
Victoria Park’s Bowling Greens Consultation Workshop! 
Review of previous proposals
Brainstorming and idea-sharing session
Comprehensive discussion
Confirm your attendance by sending an email to: 
