Help us create a vibrant, welcoming, inclusive centre at the Heart of Newhaven, Edinburgh. We have the funds to buy the site, and the City of Edinburgh Council has agreed to sell it to us, and we will have the keys soon but we need your help to make the vision a reality.
The former Victoria Primary School site IS going to be the Heart of Newhaven Community. The Heart of Newhaven (HoN) will be a brand new intergenerational centre for the whole community to enjoy. The Scottish Land Fund (SLF) has awarded us £792,000 and we were given permission to purchase the site. Victoria Primary School has moved to a new building on a different site and we will be taking over the building SOON.
We will have the building soon but now we need YOUR help to refurbish, furnish and heat it and get it properly up and running, while we build sustainable fundraising and other income.
There is more information about how you can donate here:
The majority of track has been laid to take the tram to Newhaven as the scheme enters the final phase of construction works.
More than 3km of track – 70% of the total to be laid – is now in the ground as part of the Trams to Newhaven project, which remains on schedule to begin revenue services in spring 2023, delivered within the £207.3m budget.
The main construction work on three of the eight new tram stops is also complete, while over 3km of drainage (66% of the total) and almost 4km of communications ducting (82% of the total) serving the tram and wider area has been installed.
Construction is ‘largely finished’ on several key sections of the route, other than some localised works, including Constitution Street, between Constitution Place and Queen Charlotte Street, and Ocean Terminal to Rennie’s Isle.
Next week, operational tram stops on Princes Street and St Andrew Square will reopen following their temporary closure. These were closed to allow for the removal of the York Place tram stop and installation of new infrastructure there connecting the existing line to the new one.
As we enter the final year of major civil work ahead of testing and commissioning this winter, a review of the specific completion dates for remaining sections has been carried out.
This has resulted in some changes affecting certain sections due to various unavoidable factors such as complex utilities diversions, archaeological finds and an industry wide shortage of materials, though this is not expected to affect the final completion date.
Full details of the updated programme are available on the Trams to Newhaven website.
Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “It’s clear that the Trams to Newhaven project is well on its way to completion, as these figures show, and before long we’ll be testing trams on the streets of Leith.
“Next week, we’ll also see the return of the existing service to the city centre, which I’m sure will be great news for many.
“Of course, while this project will bring significant benefits to the area, we know that its construction has impacted all those who live and work nearby, and I’d like to thank them for their patience during the last two years.
“As we enter the final year of work to deliver the tram line, we’ve had to make some changes to the programme due to issues outwith our control.
“I want to assure communities along the route that we’re doing everything we can to mitigate the impacts of this, and that we’re still on track to begin providing the service by spring next year.”
Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “This project will be transformative for the north of the city and it’s really exciting to see it take shape already.
“Once complete, it will play a key role in the future growth and development of the city. Delivering the tram line to Leith will unlock a large area of the city for housing and economic development, while providing a low-carbon, clean mode of transport to densely populated communities.”
The project team is working to mitigate the impact of changes to the programme, ensuring the scheduled spring completion date is met.
Based on lessons from the first tram line, and best practice from other major European construction projects, Trams to Newhaven focuses on large work sites, providing the flexibility to continue construction elsewhere on-site if issues are encountered.
In the coming months, localised works will continue on completed sections to resolve defects, carry out landscaping, install equipment to support the new tram line including tram communication systems, complete tram stop fit-outs and install overhead line equipment, street lighting and traffic signalling.
Since 2019 the project has provided significant support to businesses through its £2.4m Support for Business initiative. As part of this more than £100k has been spent on an ‘Open for Business’ campaign, 60k deliveries have gone through dedicated logistics hubs and 140 applications have been made to the business continuity fund. In addition, the extremely popular itison scheme has seen over 20k vouchers sold, generating £200k spend in participating businesses.
Additional milestones:
90% of utility diversions complete
Substation at Melrose Drive complete and fit-out ongoing Lindsay Road retaining walls complete
All track crossovers, which allow the tram to turn back on itself, installed Constitution Street wall rebuilt following archaeological excavations
Archaeological excavations on Constitution Street complete, which saw more than 360 bodies exhumed, dating from between 1300 and 1650, as well as finding the apparent remnants of the original medieval graveyard wall.
Still no word from the long-running Edinburgh Tram Inquiry into the Edinburgh Tram project.
This inquiry,which was set up in 2015, aims to establish why the original Edinburgh Tram project incurred delays, cost massively more than originally budgeted and through reductions in scope delivered significantly less than oroginally promised.
The costs to taxpayers so far is an eye-watering £12.5 million …
“When are you opening?” we hear you ask. We can only repeat that the keys are on their way. We are still working towards a handover on 31st March, but legal processes can be lengthy as well as tiresome and frustrating and have to be gone through, whether we like it or not.
Even if the date does slip into April and the next financial year for some reason, we have been assured by the Scottish Land Fund that the allocated funds will be held for us and handed over as soon as the legal requirements are completed.
The Heart will spring to life soon.
Look out for the Heart of Newhaven Community banners which are now on the old school railings!
The City of Edinburgh Council has given us permission to display them on what is technically still its property, as its commitment to the handover process and hopefully the sight will reassure the whole community that plans for our collaborative, intergenerational community services and activities will start as soon as possible.
As we prepare to take over and operate the site, we are pleased to soon welcome three new trustees to the board. Mike Douglas, Emma Hendon and Layla Robinson have already been working hard with our current trustees and volunteers in our various working groups and have much to contribute. Between them, they bring years of experience in the world of business and finance, as well as the care sector and other charity work.
You can read more about them on the About Us page on the website soon.
Have you visited the Restoration Forth exhibition currently on at the Botanic Gardens until 24th April? The Heart is one of five chosen local community hubs supporting the project and our information board is right at the heart of the exhibition.
On view are many of the wonderful squares that people have created, including Ian Marshall’s vision of Newhaven made with liner pen and watercolours.
We look forward to curating our own exhibitions and science-based projects once we are installed in the Heart.
A new phase of work on the Trams to Newhaven project is set to begin, as the scheme continues to take shape along the route.
Significant progress has been made on several elements of the project, which remains on target for completion in spring 2023 and within the £207.3m budget. More than 60% of track has now been laid (2.8km), 85% of the necessary utility diversions have been carried out and construction work is complete on two new tram stops at McDonald Road and Ocean Terminal.
As part of the next stage of construction the temporary tram stop at York Place, built for the original tram line, will be demolished to allow for the installation of a crossover linking the existing line with the new route.
From 9 February until April the tram from Edinburgh Airport will stop at the West End stop on Shandwick Place. From April, the tram will terminate at St Andrew Square. Details of operational arrangements for this are available on the Edinburgh Trams website.
Construction work on a new, permanent stop at Picardy Place will begin in May. This will come into use when the line to Newhaven opens in 2023.
With construction works on the west side of Leith Walk nearing completion, February will also see changes to traffic management in the area. While traffic will continue to run citybound, from 2 February it will be moved from the east to the west side of the road so that changes to kerb lines, improvements to public realm and the creation of a new carriageway can be carried out on the east side.
This means Pilrig Street and Steads Place can reopen for southbound traffic. There will be some closures to side streets on the east of Leith Walk at certain times, with further details published on the Trams to Newhaven website when these closures are implemented.
Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We’re entering a significant phase of the Trams to Newhaven project, as we work to link the old line to the new. We are in the final year of construction for the project which will be followed by a period of testing and commissioning ahead of opening for service in Spring 2023.
“With 60% of track laid and main construction on two of the new tram stops completed, we’re making great progress and it’s exciting to be able to see elements of the new line in place, giving us an idea of how the route will look next year.
“Of course, as is expected of major infrastructure projects of this nature, there is bound to be some disruption, and I’d like to thank all those living and working nearby for their patience.
“We’re working hard to mitigate the impacts and will continue liaising with residents, businesses and public transport providers to keep them up to date.”
Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “Delivering the tram line to Newhaven will unlock a large area of the city for housing and economic development, while providing a sustainable, reliable mode of transport to densely populated communities.
“We’re clearly making great strides towards its completion, and we’re making every effort to minimise disruption as part of this process.”
Logistics hubs on Montgomery Street, Albert Street, Dalmeny Street and near the Foot of the Walk will remain open for local businesses as part of the Support for Business package, which also includes a local voucher scheme and a business continuity fund.
As work on a bidirectional cycle lane continues the existing cycle diversion remains in place on either side of Leith Walk. Pedestrian footways and access to shops, hospitality and leisure venues on the east side will be maintained at all times.
The London Road to Crown Street section of the project is estimated to be complete by July 2022, while it is expected that the London Road to York Place section will be finished in September.
EIGHT years on, there’s still no sign of any report from Lord Hardie’s Edinburgh Tram inquiry …
It’s a new year and we hope you’re all raring to go. If you’ve made resolutions, we hope you stick to them!
HoNC certainly intends to. We won the right to purchase the building. We’ve been awarded enough funds from the Scottish Land Fund to pay for it. We have a business plan. We have architects. We have lawyers. We have volunteers at the ready. What we need now are the keys and then it’s all hands on deck.
“So when will that be?” you ask.
Many of you have no doubt seen that the pupils and staff of Victoria Primary School have now moved into their new building and may be wondering when HoNC will be moving in to the old one.
Well the fact is that it probably won’t be until well into March. There are still formalities to be completed and final contracts to be signed, but the HoNC board is on the case and we’re hoping that there will be no hiccups before we can get started on the real work on the ground.
With the onset of Omicron some of our interim projects about which you might have been expecting news, had to be postponed, but they’re waiting in the wings for the right moment to get going again.
We’ll bring you news about them as soon as we have it.
In the meantime, sign up for free membership if you haven’t already done so, which will give you the right to have your say at the next AGM, (if you live in the area of benefit). Or sign up as a volunteer and offer your skills to the community.
Once we have the keys, we will need all sorts of practical help to get the Heart fit for purpose and operating the way the community would like to see.
We’ll need helping hands to clear any old school “rubbish” left behind, more to clean and paint, and repair and all sorts of things, so get ready.
Time to reflect on what we have achieved this year with all your help, and to look forward to the next stage of our journey.
The BIG news – We secured the funding from The Scottish Land Fund to buy the school, amazing!
But that was hugely helped by the support we could show from you – the community, not least through our crowdfunder ‘Kick Start the Heart’ in February. Showing such support was and is essential.
Victoria Primary School is moving to their new site over the Christmas period in what will be an exciting step in their long history.
The next step for HoNC is to take vacant possession of the current site and buildings although the actual sale process is in the hands of Edinburgh Council. We anticipate by the end of March but as soon as possible we hope the Heart will begin to beat.
We are working with our architects and Planning Aid Scotland (PAS) to bring all potential tenants and users together to try and ensure that the spaces work to mutual benefit.
In the meantime watch this space for news of initial programmes of community activities and for ways in which you can help us to raise further funds to now keep The Heart beating.
Please continue to spread the word– and if you think you can help us to do that and have skills and experience to offer in communications and marketing, please get in touch!
Don’t forget to follow us on our social media or get in touch via the website and to the read the various blogs!
Finally, have a safe, healthy and happy Christmas and all best wishes for the New Year.
The Scottish Youth Parliament election results 2021 were announced on Monday 22 November. Eleven new Members of the SYP will now represent young people in Edinburgh.
Ten of those elected are from state schools in the city, seven are young women and three are from a Black and Minority Ethnic background.
One remaining seat, in Northern and Leith, will be contested in the new year.
Edinburgh registered the highest number of expressions of interest in Scotland from potential candidates and fielded the most candidates (26) of any local authority.
We also achieved the highest voter turnout in Edinburgh since 2015, despite many of the usual campaigning activities being curtailed because of the pandemic.
Councillor Ellie Bird, Young People’s Champion, said: “I want to commend the astonishing achievements and contributions of all 26 candidates that stood across Edinburgh in the Scottish Youth Parliament election, and warmly welcome the eleven new MSYPs into our city’s elected member family.
“The success of this year’s election is a testament to the commitment and passion of everyone involved in prioritising the voice of young people, at a time when it’s never been more important.
“Due to the restricted access to schools, youth clubs and community centres, candidates have had to rely on their own ingenuity, creativity and sheer dogged persistence to get their message, and their vote, out.
“The determination that these young people have demonstrated in standing up for what they believe in by putting themselves forward for election and to be accountable to their electorate, especially during such a challenging period for young people, is nothing short of inspirational.
“I know they all have a lot to offer their communities and the causes they care about most, and I can’t wait to see what they do next and look forward to working with Edinburgh’s newest group of elected representatives to place young people at the heart of policy and decision making.”
For more information about the election and the successful candidates, please see @edinburghMSYPs
For those of you expecting to hear more about the Friendship Benches project, and perhaps even see some of the finished benches, prepare to be disappointed. Bad weather on the chosen weekend meant the decorating work could not go ahead outside as planned and has had to be postponed.
We’ll keep you updated on a revised timetable and let you know when the results can be seen.
Talking of delays, yet more problems with getting the new Victoria Primary School building ready for pupils, has meant that the earliest the Heart can expect to be in possession of the keys to the old site is now January 2022. We will of course update you when we have a more concrete timeline to share.
In the meantime however, time does not stand still. There is always work going on behind the scenes with the Trustees and volunteers, and new Working Groups are being formed to help make the transition from community vision to community reality.
These groups will be dealing with practical working arrangements for the site, community projects, and communications and marketing. If you would like to help out in any way, please use the Volunteering page on the website to get in touch.
Projects of course are always underway, despite Covid, especially as we ease out of full lockdown.
We recently collaborated with an exhibition entitled Forth Reflections, which was held in Ocean Terminal. Collaborators were Edinburgh Wellbeing PACT and the Forth/Edinburgh Shoreline Project.
This was an exhibition of crafted calico squares made by local residents, who used the squares to highlight a particular stretch of the Forth coast that meant something special to them.
They were used creatively to highlight concerns about pollution but also to illustrate the importance of living near water and how it helps individual well-being. On hand to talk to visitors were some of the Heart’s Trustees and collaborators, who discussed what well-being, one of the Heart’s main community objectives, means and how it can be improved.
Here’s what some of the visitors said:
“Living near the sea, walking, wandering with that Scottish sea breeze, gives me life and energy and reminds me to breathe.”
“I love to look at the ocean because you can lose yourself there.”
“Such pleasure taken in lockdown walking by the sparkling sea, such sadness at the pollution.”
There was more support also, for the Heart of Newhaven Community project as a whole:
“I think the Heart of Newhaven is a very good idea for people to have somewhere to go after we have all been in isolation for so long and it will be very positive to move on.”
“There is a great need of places to go that are suitable for people with disabilities. During lockdown there was nowhere to go and it’s taking time for people to feel comfortable about going out again.”
“The Newhaven area needs a community centre – there is nothing like that here.”
It is exciting to be able to report that the Heart is one of six designated community hubs along the banks of the Forth chosen to host exhibitions and activities associated with the wider Restoration Forth programme.
Restoration Forth has obtained a substantial grant for the many facets it involves, including the restoration of seagrass beds which provide the right habitat for, among other things, the oysters that used to be so plentiful in the Firth.
You can read more about the project and the new funding here:
Heart of Newhaven Community is happy to be actively collaborating with such exciting initiatives and even more will be taking place once we’re in our new home.
Remember as ever, to check the Heart of Newhaven Community website and social media for any updates or news.
Curious about plans for a new multi generational community hub (The Heart) in Newhaven?
Join The Heart of Newhaven at Ocean Terminal on Friday 22 October 2-4pm for a chat and an exhibition called ‘Forth Reflections and Expressions of Wellbeing.’
The art work, produced as part of the Edinburgh Shoreline project, is created from the passionate responses of over a hundred people to a 1km stretch of the Forth coastline that is special to them.
A storyline of memories and visions of the Forth has emerged, linking the Fife, Edinburgh and East Lothian coasts, biodiversity, people and communities.
On October 8th, a group of older and younger people from the New Spin intergenerational project at the Citadel will decorate the first of our six friendship benches, all of which have been made by Mens Shed.
The New Spin group will be working with local artist Johnathan Elders to create patterns for the backs of the bench. Further benches will be decorated in further sessions, so each will be unique. The project is being run with the help of Thrive, to celebrate World Mental Health Day on 10th October.
Fruit tree planting in Victoria Park
Our Greening Team have been busy with plans for the area and pupils from Trinity High and Trinity Primary Schools will be helping to plant some young fruit trees in Victoria Park this winter to enhance the area, by adding beauty, interest and biodiversity.
There are already a couple of small trees in situ, so those will be added to, to create a mini orchard. The trees will be Scottish heritage fruit trees, specially chosen for the site, and will include apple, pear and plum.
Each one will have its own protective cage, provided by Edinburgh City Council, and the pupils will learn from a Royal Botanic Gardens representative how best to plant and care for them.
We hope to work on more tree-planting and wilding projects in the future, not just in the parks but in the more built-up parts of our neighbourhood, where urban nature needs some encouragement.
Keep abreast of the latest news on our Greening Page
The Heart of Newhaven Community was assessed by It’s Your Neighbourhood, part of the Keep Scotland Beautiful charity recently, and despite it only being the first year of our association with them, we have scored a Level 3, (out of five) which means we are “advancing”.
The score was helped by having achieved our goal of funding from the Scottish Land Fund to acquire the site, as well as successfully engaging with a variety of local communities and groups. Well done everyone involved. The next level is “thriving” and the top level is “outstanding”. How long will it be?
Forth Reflections
On October 22nd from 2pm – 4 pm we are collaborating with an exhibition in the main entrance to Ocean Terminal called ‘Forth Reflections and Expressions of Wellbeing’. The event is being organised in conjunction with the Edinburgh Wellbeing PACT and the Forth/Edinburgh Shoreline Project.
Conceived during the dark days of winter lockdown this project is the passionate responses of well over a hundred different people to a part of the Forth coast that is special to them.
A long storyline of enmeshed crafted memories and visions of the Forth has emerged, linking the Fife, Edinburgh and East Lothian coasts, biodiversity, people and communities.
Each participant expressed their response to their chosen 1km of coast on a calico square and many people have focused on the coast’s local history and wildlife, its beauty and diversity and the many species and memories that have been and are still being lost. While frustration and anger can be seen in many pieces about marine and intertidal pollution, there is also heartfelt hope for the future.
We hope that as many people as possible will call in and have a chat. Not only will it be an opportunity to talk to us about our plans for the Heart in general but we also want to have conversations about wellbeing and what it means to each of us in our community. As inspiration we will be displaying a selection of the calico squares created by local people.
Call in to see the display and have a chat.
Keep watching our website and social media platforms for the latest news, as we await the move of Victoria Primary School pupils to their new home and the handover of the keys for the site from Edinburgh City Council to the Heart.
