Category: Waterfront

Waterfront Walks with St Columba’s

Join our next block of Waterfront Walks each Monday in May to discover Edinburgh’s new memorial art installations, located between McKelvie Parade and Granton Harbour.

Each week, our Community Artist Isla Macleod and Emma Ritchie from Caledonia Funeral Aid and Caledonia Cremation will lead the group to see a new element of this historic installation.

Isla and Emma will facilitate conversations and creative activities around bereavement, change & loss, and how we can make sense of these feelings through the arts.

This group is open to people who have been bereaved in the past year, and who are seeking a creative minded space to be amongst peers with similar shared experiences.

Limited places available – booking essential!

Please email Isla on imacleaod@stcolumbashospice.org.uk or Emma emma.kelso@funerals.scot to register.

New park opens within former Granton gasholder

A new public park officially opened in Edinburgh today as part of the £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront to become a new environmentally friendly coastal town. The Gasholder 1 Park sits within the completely restored gasholder with views over the Firth of Forth.

Council Leader Jane Meagher was joined by Minister for Employment and Investment Tom Arthur, representatives from the main contractor McLaughlin & Harvey, as well as volunteers from Granton Hub and members of Pianodrome, Scran Academy and Craigyroyston Youth Football Club to mark the opening of the park ahead of a family fun day and ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday 5 April.

A club member of the Craigroyston Youth Community Football Club will join the Council Leader to cut the ribbon and officially declare the park open for residents and visitors to enjoy for decades to come.

The entrance of the park is marked with large Hollywood style lettering making it more visible for local people and others visiting to enjoy its open green space and play equipment. It has six different zones including three play areas with a wide range of play equipment.

There is plenty of outdoor space to explore and an inner ring walk going round the outer edges of the frame with a range of places to sit and relax. An outdoor exhibition has also been created which showcases the history of Granton gasworks as well as the restoration process.  

The 1.2 hectare park, set within the restored iconic gasholder frame, was created using £1.2 million from the Scottish Government’s Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme. 

This work followed refurbishment of the frame as well as removal of the historic bell using funding from the UK Government.  The restored and repainted gasholder frame is also now a beacon of light in north Edinburgh as it is lit up permanently after dark.

 A new sculpture now also takes pride of place at the centre of the park, commissioned by the Council last year following input from the local community. Svetland Kondakova Muir designed the piece to portray one of the Firth of Forth’s most special visitors – the humpback whale – the recently completed artwork was put in place last week.

Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “The Gasholder 1 Park opening is a huge milestone reached for the £1.3bn Granton Waterfront project. It is really inspiring to look out over this important piece of coastal land for our Capital city and see these much needed homes and other facilities literally springing up out of the ground.

 “The new park is a fantastic addition for local communities and the hundreds of new tenants including families who have recently moved into the homes we have built for social and mid-market rent in the area.

“Many of these are on land immediately surrounding the new park and I’m delighted to say that many more homes are being planned or under construction which will be ready for hundreds of new tenants in the next few years.

 “The historic gasholder gives the new park a unique look and feel and it will also be seen for miles around as the restored frame is lit up after dark.

 “This exciting opening follows the restoration of the former Granton Station building and the new public square also created to provide a sense of place for the local community which opened to great fanfare in March 2023. 

“I’m delighted to cut the ribbon on Saturday to open this exciting new space for the local community as well as the thousands of other visitors I’m sure it will attract from Edinburgh and beyond in the years to come.”

 Investment Minister Tom Arthur said: “We have contributed £1.2 million towards transformation of Granton’s Gasholder from a derelict site to a vibrant and accessible space for people to enjoy. 

“This is part of wider efforts to regenerate the Granton area, including a recent project supported by the Scottish Government to transform derelict industrial units at Granton Waterfront into communal spaces. 

“To help communities thrive, we are providing £62.15 million towards regeneration in 2025-26. This will support projects which revitalise green spaces, town centres and derelict sites to benefit people across Scotland.”

UK Government Minister for Local Growth, Alex Norris, said:  “Having visited Granton earlier in the year, it is wonderful to see the new Gasholder 1 Park will be opening this week. This green space will really bring the community together, from young families to elderly residents and visitors to the City.  

 “The refurbishment of the derelict gas holder structure has provided a real beacon of light to Edinburgh, retaining its unique history and character, while wider transformation work is underway to Granton Waterfront.

“This is exactly the kind of collaboration and locally led growth we want to see all across Scotland and the UK in our mission to boost growth and renewal as part of our Plan for Change.”

Graham Brown, Senior Contracts Manager at McLaughlin & Harvey, said: “Gasholder 1 Park was a unique restoration project to deliver for the City of Edinburgh Council.

“In deconstructing the old bell, refurbishing the listed steel structure, and repainting the frame, we have solved complex engineering challenges.

“The ribbon cutting ceremony is a brilliant opportunity for McLaughlin & Harvey to celebrate the vast civil engineering experience of our team as well as the success achieved in our collaboration with our client and supply chain partners.”

The family fun day will include

  • Community singalong with Pianodrome at 11am
  • Ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11.15am with Council Leader Jane Meagher
  • Family arts and craft activities
  • Penalty shoot-outs with Craigroyston Community Youth Football Club
  • Free ice cream
  • Free face painting
  • Exhibition stalls

Granton Whale sculpture takes pride of place in new public park

Whale scultpure

A design portraying one of the Firth of Forth’s most special visitors – the humpback whale – has been commissioned by the Council to be displayed in the new Gasholder 1 public park.

The piece of public art by Svetlana Kondakova Muir has been put in place to take centre stage in the new park which opened at the end of last year as part of the £1.3bn regeneration of the wider area.

Visitors will be able to enjoy the new piece of art at the park’s official opening on Saturday 5 April.

Last February the Council invited locally based artists and creative practitioners to develop ideas for a new artwork to be co-created with the local community.

Locals and visitors to Granton Waterfront were then given a sneak peek of six shortlisted designs for the new piece exhibited at Granton Station.

Ideas for the selected pieces were taken from community interests and themes connected to Granton and the artists provided opportunities for the local community to participate in the design process. A panel of experts then selected Svetlana Kondakova Muir’s whale as the winning design in Summer 2024.

By portraying the whale, the artist is celebrating the local natural environment. The sculpture is a galvanised steel and aluminium life-sized head of a humpback whale appearing to emerge vertically from underwater.

At four metres tall, it is an awe-inspiring size, allowing visitors to experience the full might of this incredible creature. To complement the gasholder structure, it was made in a contemporary polygonal style using simple, flat shapes with straight edges, a style that is both minimalist and striking.

Aluminium-cast artworks created by local school children and college students, including an oyster reef, barnacles and other wildlife as well as textured panels created by pupils who have complex support needs from Oaklands School, will be added to the structure in summer 2026.

Culture and Communities Convener Cllr Val Walker said: “The new park – Gasholder 1 – officially opens on Saturday 5 April and I’m really looking forward to hundreds of visitors joining us that day and being able to see this this beautiful piece of art which is a spectacular focal point.

“I’m sure it will become a huge draw for local people and those visiting the area in the future months and years ahead. I’m hoping those who haven’t already explored the new green space will have the opportunity to do so at our official opening or in their own time at some point soon.

“The gasholder has always played an important role in Granton Waterfront and it is fantastic to see it has been completely restored and is now lit up as a permanent feature after dark.”

Artist Svetlana Kondakova Muir said: “It was a great honour to be awarded the Gasholder Public Art Commission and I am excited to see the sculpture complete.

“The best part about this project has been working with the local community to come up with ideas – it was them who chose the whale – and to create elements of sea life which will be cast in aluminium and added to the sculpture.

“I feel privileged that my artwork will be housed within such a distinctive landmark in Edinburgh’s landscape.

“Most importantly, I hope that Granton Whale will highlight the importance of marine conservation and the value of our relationships with the natural world.”

North Edinburgh Community Benefits Fund is OPEN

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS is FRIDAY 25th APRIL

YESTERDAY (Wednesday 26 March) we launched the first North Edinburgh Community Benefits Fund. This is a flexible fund aimed at local third sector organisations working in North Edinburgh to help support their services.

There is a total of £10,000 available which has been provided by Cruden Group as part of their contract to deliver the Silverlea development, which will see 143 new homes for social and mid-market rent built on a site off Muirhouse Parkway.

Application Deadline: Friday 25 April 2025

You can find out more on the fund page: https://yourvoice.edinburgh.gov.uk

Or attend one of our drop in sessions either in person or online:

Tuesday 1 April, 2.00pm – 4.00pm – Application Support Drop in – Granton Library

Tuesday 22 April, 10.00am – 11.00am – Online information session – Please email Granton.Waterfront@edinburgh.gov.uk for an online link.

Tuesday 22 April, 6.00pm – 7.00pm – Online information session – Please email Granton.Waterfront@edinburgh.gov.uk for an online link.

Thank you to R2 for their support and guidance in setting up this fund.

Juliet Henderson: A Sense of Place

Juliet Henderson 

A sense of place 28-30 March 2025

Finding my place

In this exhibition I share oil paintings that are part of getting to ‘know my place’, Granton, after moving here in November 2023. Its harbour, seascapes, and community mean a lot to me. Touch me deep in a place called ‘home’. 

Home to gusty winds ruffling waters, to wild swimming in Wardie bay whatever the weather, to boats rowing or sailing on the Firth of Forth, to bonfires on the beach under a full moon, to romantic strolls to Cramond, to families and folks playing, smiling, taking dogs out, meeting friends, working, and much more. 

I hope these depictions of Granton, seen through my eyes, heart, and brush, are ones in which you recognize parts of the place and community that touch you too. Or, if you are not local, that they convey their particular beauty and energy.

(half of proceeds to be shared between Medical Aid for Palestine and Granton Hub)

Artist

Juliet Henderson

www.juliethenderson.co.uk  @juliethenderson_artist

Location

Granton Hub, Maldevic House, EH5 1HS

Opening night: Friday 28 March, 6-8.30pm

Saturday: 10-4pm

Sunday: 10-4pm

(Short term parking beside and beyond Granton Hub)

Three for the sea: dance performance and workshop

Sunday 30 March: 1.30 – 4pm

This event forms part of an ongoing movement inquiry into local coastal environments, and the emotions, histories, futures, stories, bodies, and ecosytems they create. It will be led and performed by Monica de Ioanni, Alena Ageeva and Juliet Henderson.

Final phase of Granton Station View ‘net-zero ready’ development begins

The development of 75 affordable, ‘net-zero ready’ homes at Granton Station View, led by the City of Edinburgh Council, has reached its final phase now that rigorous testing is underway to validate performance standards. 

Across three pilot projects, including the Granton site, the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator (EHD) programme is set to deliver 324 homes designed to achieve a ‘net-zero ready’ standard. This is achieved by improved building fabric performance that exceeds the current Building Regulations coupled with a zero-emissions heating system. Granton Station View was built by construction and manufacturing group, CCG (Scotland). 

The University of Edinburgh is now conducting detailed, in-situ performance tests to measure and monitor the performance standard before occupancy, with results expected in Spring 2025. The University is measuring the u-value and airtightness of the buildings as well as thermal imaging the homes, to name a few.  

A 12-month monitoring period following occupancy will further assess the homes’ performance. During this time, occupants will also be asked to participate in surveys to understand behaviour that influences energy efficiency and to capture insights into the impact of and experiences with zero-direct-emissions heating systems.

The University will also be capturing the electricity usage via the property distribution board, monitoring the efficiency of the communal heating system and internal air temperature analysis using surface-mounted sensors.  

Now that the EHD programme is well underway with the delivery of its pilot projects, the six local authority partners of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City region Deal have committed to establish and manage the Regional Delivery Alliance (RDA) to apply the lessons learned from the EHD programme to refine and scale the performance standard.

By consolidating outputs from the EHD programme, the RDA is applying a cohesive approach to procurement, housing typologies, and performance specifications across the six local authority areas.  

The Regional Delivery Alliance has secured funding and endorsement from regional partners for an initial two-year term, running until March 2026. The RDA will play a vital role in supporting local authorities, registered social landlords, and the private sector in the South East of Scotland, ensuring the successful delivery of affordable, energy efficient housing. 

City of Edinburgh Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, Lezley Marion Cameron said: “Thanks to the collaborative efforts with our partners at the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator programme, we’ve been able to deliver high-quality, energy efficient homes that will provide much needed housing for individuals and families.

“The testing being performed will verify that the homes achieve the high standard expected and I look forward to seeing the results. 

“The homes at Granton Station View are designed with the latest technology to keep energy bills low, ensuring that families can live comfortably while benefitting from a sustainable, future-proofed living environment. Not only will they reduce carbon emissions, but they also provide another avenue for tackling the housing emergency.” 

Dr Julio Bros-Williamson, Chancellor’s Fellow in Net Zero Buildings at the University of Edinburgh said: “The evaluation of the homes is the culmination of a lot of hard work from the stakeholders of this pilot project, from the initial design and energy aspirations to the construction and delivery on site.

“The tests we are conducting will help to verify and provide in-depth knowledge of the initial performance of a sample of flats representative of the whole development. Projects like this provide a beacon of knowledge to transition to net zero homes of the present and future.” 

CCG Managing Director, David Wylie, said: “Granton Station View is a pioneering development that will help to shape the future of affordable, net zero housebuilding in the Edinburgh and South East City Region.

“As main contractor, CCG led its delivery through use of our advanced, offsite methods of construction – a key strand of the EHD initiative’s philosophy and an integral component to achieving the rigorous design standard and future operational net zero carbon capability. 

“We look forward to receiving the results and once again give thanks to The City of Edinburgh Council, the design team and wider delivery partners for their support throughout the project’s journey.” 

To keep up to date about the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator and Regional Delivery Alliance, follow the EHD LinkedIn page:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/edinburgh-home-demonstrator 

Social Bite Village on the move?

COUNCILLORS APPROVE RELOCATION TO NEW WATERFRONT SITE

Social Bite, renowned for its ground-breaking efforts to combat homelessness, has welcomed Edinburgh City Council’s approval of the relocation of the charity’s supported accommodation facility to a new site at Granton Waterfront.

Councillors voted in favour of the move, ensuring that support can continue for up to 16 residents at any given time. Each person who finds a home at the Village has experienced homelessness, and the supported accommodation aims to break the cycle by providing round-the-clock support and reintegration into community living.

Despite a recommendation by the Housing and Planning Committee to reject the proposal due to concerns about the site’s alignment with Edinburgh’s greenbelt targets, councillors unanimously overturned this recommendation.

They cited the charity’s excellent use of greenspace for community gardening—with 50% of the site committed to such purposes—noting that the Social Bite Village contributes to the city’s efforts to effectively use greenspace. Other comments of support highlighted the project’s “overriding benefit to the community and public.”

This significant vote to overturn the recommendation means the proposal will now be submitted to Scottish Government Ministers for a final decision.

The new site, which will continue to be managed by fellow homelessness charity Cyrenians, is less than a mile from the current Village in Granton.

It was selected following a resident survey that identified local amenities and greenspace as important factors, enabling residents to carry out daily tasks such as shopping and commuting to work. The proximity to the Granton seaside was also a key consideration.

The relocation will bring a refresh to the Hub, a communal area where residents can cook, gather, and relax. Additionally, the new location will introduce seven redesigned and improved one-bedroom “Nest Houses,” developed in response to resident feedback.

Social Bite and Cyrenians, which has managed the Village since its inception in 2018, have collaborated to ensure a smooth transition for current residents.

The decision to relocate was prompted by the planned end of the current lease on land donated by Edinburgh City Council, which is part of phase one of the Granton Waterfront development plans. The original lease term was five years and later extended by an additional two years.

The pre-fabricated houses were designed for easy relocation, allowing the charity to make use of a “meanwhile site” that would otherwise have been unoccupied. This adaptability is a key part of Social Bite’s innovative approach.

Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of Social Bite, said: “We’re thrilled that Edinburgh City Council has approved our planning application for the Social Bite Village today.

“We’d like to thank the councillors for visiting the proposed site and for suggesting a hearing to learn more about how this valuable project will contribute to the Granton regeneration programme.

“We look forward to the next stage and to working with Edinburgh City Council to make a real difference for people experiencing homelessness in Scotland today.”

At the end of their stay at the Village, residents receive support transitioning to permanent accommodation and employment. To date, the Edinburgh Village has helped over 120 residents, many of whom have secured jobs and moved into their own homes.

For more information on the Edinburgh Village, visit: 

https://www.social-bite.co.uk/what-we-do/the-edinburgh-social-bite-village/

Hundreds more tenants move into environmentally friendly homes on Granton waterfront

The first tenants have moved into ‘net zero ready’ affordable homes delivered by the Council at Western Villages in Granton Waterfront. Once fully occupied the site will deliver 388 affordable homes, a mixture of social rent and mid-market rent. 

Housing Convener Lezley Marion Cameron and Housing Minister Paul Mclennan visited the partially completed affordable housing development yesterday. 

This follows the first tenants moving into Granton Station View where 75 energy efficient homes for social rent and mid-market rent were delivered in October last year. Work is also well underway to deliver a further 143 affordable ‘net zero ready’ homes at nearby Silverlea. 

A housing emergency was declared in Edinburgh in November 2023 and so the affordable homes at Western Villages built by CCG (Scotland) Ltd on behalf of the Council are much needed.

The homes at Western Villages consist of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments, including wheelchair-accessible ground-floor dwellings that will each benefit from stunning parkland and sea views. 

To achieve net zero carbon, the homes were constructed using advanced construction methods to improve thermal performance (and reduce heat loss).

Delivered with an on-site energy centre containing air-source heat pumps and renewable technologies such as solar PV panels, this low carbon heat system and zero emissions strategy was supported by £4.1m of funding from the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme. 

Sustainability credentials will be further enhanced by limited cark parking spaces within the development, provision of Electric Vehicle charging and an increased emphasis on active travel, all in a bid to promote the use of more sustainable modes of transport.

Other innovative features in the development include an underground waste collection system, cycle parking twice the capacity of the residents living there and links to existing and established walking, cycling and wheeling routes. 

This housing forms part of the council’s wider £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront.

The next stage of delivery will get underway later this year with plans for a further 847 net zero ready homes, a new primary school, a low carbon heat network, commercial and retail space and new and upgraded active travel network.

A grant of almost £16m was announced by the Scottish Government last week from their Housing Infrastructure Fund to help part fund some of the upfront site wide infrastructure and enabling required for the next phase.

Housing Convener Cllr Lezley Marion Cameron said: “We’re in the midst of a housing emergency so I’m delighted to see real progress being made to address it with these much-needed homes being delivered in Granton.

“These homes will not only ease our housing shortage, but they will provide individuals and families with comfortable modern homes using the very latest technology to keep energy bills down. 

“I wish everyone moving into Western Villages well. It’s encouraging to know that hundreds of other individuals and families will be moving into these new homes at Granton Waterfront in the months ahead.”

Housing Minister Paul McLennan said: “It was good to see the first residents at Western Villages moving into their new highly energy efficient social and mid-market rent homes. These have been supported with over £15 million in funding since 2020 from our Affordable Housing Supply Programme. 

“As the First Minister announced last week, a further £15.86 million grant to the City of Edinburgh Council will be provided from our Housing Infrastructure Fund to help support the building of net zero homes at Granton Waterfront in further phases.

“Since 2007, we have delivered more than 135,000 affordable homes including 95,000 for social rent and 26,306 council homes.

“Furthermore, our budget of £768 million for 2025–26 will help to tackle the housing emergency as well as move towards our target of providing 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.”

CCG Director Calum Murray said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the Housing Minister to Western Villages today, Scotland’s largest net-zero ready residential development. 

“Not only is the project a flagship for sustainable, all-tenure housing delivery in Edinburgh – including the city’s first-ever, net-zero ready homes for sale by CCG Homes – but it is also a leading example of what can be achieved through collaboration and partnership working. 

“With the use of pioneering construction standards and a legacy of jobs and training, the positive impact of Western Villages will transcend the Granton Waterfront Regeneration, and we look forward to the weeks ahead as we welcome tenants and homeowners alike to this new, coastal community.”

Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home thanks Morrisons Granton shoppers

A huge thank you to everyone who donated to our Pet Food Drive at Morrisons Granton last weekend!

Because of your generosity, we collected enough food to provide 2,385 meals for pets across East and Central Scotland. 🤩

Pet food banks are a lifeline for so many pet owners.

Thanks to you, we can help keep pets where they belong – at home, with the families who love them 💚