Tag: Fountainbridge

Fountainbridge set for new council housing

Over 100 new council homes have been approved as part of Edinburgh’s major regeneration of Fountainbridge.

Formerly the site of the Fountain Brewery, the huge number of new homes for social rent will feature in a 49,000 square metre redevelopment overlooking the Union Canal.

The area will be transformed as part of a development called Leamington Square – a joint venture between the City of Edinburgh Council as landowner and a partnership between Cruden Homes (East) Ltd and Buccleuch Property. They will deliver around 464 homes alongside landscaping and infrastructure improvements, over 2,700 square metres of retail space supporting the creation of a 20-minute neighbourhood approach and new local jobs.

The Council will own 115 homes for social rent and 71 homes for mid market rent as part of the plans and support the delivery of additional, affordable new homes. It will also spearhead the creation of a community growing space and new integrated cycle ways. Over 1,000 cycle parking spaces are planned for the development in total.

The Union Canal is a Local Nature Conservation Site and landscaping is planned to create a biodiverse area in harmony with the character of the waterway. Generous use of trees of varying species is also planned while the development will be designed to minimise greenhouse gas emissions and incorporate low carbon technologies, in line with Edinburgh’s ambitious net zero aims. Historic elements of the adjacent North British Rubber Factory will also be preserved and incorporated into the designs.

It is envisaged that work will begin in 2024 and be fully built-out by 2027.

Councillor Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “For years, Edinburgh has desperately needed more new social housing. This council is determined to tackle that shortfall and I’m delighted that we’ve secured space for over 100 new homes for social rent at Leamington Square.

“Just a stone’s throw away from the Union Canal, with great cycle links and amenities on the doorstep, the regeneration of the old brewery site is sure to prove a really popular place to live.

“The demand we are seeing for affordable and social homes is only going to increase as our city grows. And, while the future is challenging, together with developers and others we are doing everything within our powers to make it fairer on residents and on our environment with high quality, affordable, sustainable homes.”

 Carlo D’Emidio, Project Director of Cruden Homes, said: “This is a significant milestone for this flagship new development, which will see the transformation of this former brownfield site in Fountainbridge into a vibrant new community. 

“Subject to our development agreement with City of Edinburgh Council, Cruden and Buccleuch will deliver highly sustainable, Net Zero homes which will sit amongst a wealth of new amenities and community spaces in the Capital’s newest neighbourhood.”

Ewan Anderson, Managing Director, 7N Architects, said: “7N Architects are delighted that planners have approved our latest plans for this new, mixed use, neighbourhood at Fountainbridge in Edinburgh.

“The development will provide 464 mixed-tenure homes, 30,000 sq.ft of mixed-use space and people friendly public realm which will reinvigorate this important canalside site. We now look forward to taking the project onwards with Cruden Homes, Buccleuch Property and the City of Edinburgh Council.”

Fountainbridge plans consultation

Join us for an online information event about a planning application for a major development at Fountainbridge. This exciting project involves the landmark regeneration of a brownfield former brewery site, which is uniquely positioned on the Union Canal in Edinburgh.

The online community event is on Thursday 30 June, between 3pm and 7pm.

The development team, including representatives from Cruden and Buccleuch Property, will be available online to answer your questions and listen to your views through a dedicated chat system https://orbitconsultations.scot/fountainbridge/

Police appeal for information after motorcycle fails to stop for officers

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information after a motorcycle failed to stop for officers on Sunday (26 June, 2022).

Around 12am, officers saw the vehicle, which was later identified as a stolen orange KTM motorcycle, being driven at speed along Leamington Terrace.

The motorcycle was signalled to stop by officers but was driven off down Gilmore Place, towards Viewforth.

The motorcycle was then driven along Dundee Street and towards Fountain Park, in the Fountainbridge area, down Drysdale Road and onto the West Approach Road. It was last seen in the Gorgie Road area.

Extensive enquiries are ongoing to trace the driver, passenger and the vehicle. No one was injured during the incident.

The motorcycle’s driver and passenger are both described as wearing dark clothing and balaclavas.

The motorcycle had earlier been reported stolen from Spittal Street, between 7.30pm and 8.30pm on Monday 20 June 2022.

Detective Sergeant Ross Dunn, of Drylaw Police Station, said: “Our enquiries to trace the driver and vehicle are ongoing.

“We believe the area would have been quite busy with members of the public and are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident to get in touch.

“If you were in the area at the time, please think back and get in touch with us if you have any information which may be able to assist our investigation.

“From our CCTV enquiries, we believe a woman may have filmed the incident in the Fountainbridge area. I am particularly keen to speak with her and would ask her to contact officers as soon as possible.

“I would also ask anyone with dash-cam footage to come forward, you may have captured something which could assist us in our enquiries.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident 0008 of Sunday, 26 June, 2022.

Greenpeace Edinburgh volunteers target Tesco

On Friday morning, 5 stencilled messages, revealing that ‘Tesco meat = deforestation’ appeared outside the supermarket’s branches in Broughton Road, Earl Grey Street, Fountainbridge, Great Junction Street and Duke Street as part of an escalating nationwide protest before the supermarket chain’s Annual General Meeting.  

Delegates arriving for Tesco’s Annual General Meeting were greeted by activists holding giant letters spelling out the words ‘FOREST CRIME’ 10 metres wide at Tesco’s Welwyn Garden City headquarters on Friday morning.   

Thousands of personal, passionate and urgent pleas from Tesco customers for the supermarket to end its part in deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and other areas of Brazil were handwritten on the 1.5 metre high letters.

Two activists also read messages through loud hailers outside the meeting. In total 10,000 messages – many threatening a boycott of the supermarket if action wasn’t taken – were received by Greenpeace and delivered to Tesco as part of the peaceful direct action. A further 250,000 people have signed a petition calling on Tesco to drop forest destroyers. 

Throughout May and June, Greenpeace volunteers also left stencilled messages outside more than 270 stores. More stores will be targeted with a series of peaceful direct actions over the coming months calling out Tesco’s role in deforestation and fires across Brazil to cut through the supermarket’s greenwash.  

Ellie said: ‘“When you buy a chicken from Tesco Duke Street in Leith, it won’t mention the forest crime that took place to produce it. Tesco’s chicken supplier is owned by a company notorious for destroying the Amazon rainforest.

“And Tesco’s chicken is reared on soya that’s driving deforestation and fires across Brazil.  

“Indigenous peoples are facing an assault on their rights as forests like the Amazon are being slashed and deliberately burned for industrial meat production. It’s killing wildlife, the risk of future pandemics is increasing and it’s playing havoc with the climate.  

“10,000 shoppers have sent personal pleas for Tesco to drop forest destroyers from its supply chain – many threatening a boycott if it doesn’t. Tesco can’t afford to ignore them and we won’t stop campaigning until Tesco stops greenwashing and takes action.” 

Despite Tesco claiming to have met its deforestation targets, its meat is not deforestation-free. It buys British chicken and pork from suppliers owned by notorious rainforest-destroyer, JBS. 

JBS recently admitted it would accept deforestation in its supply chain for another 14 years. And Tesco continues to sell more soya-fed, factory-farmed meat than any other UK supermarket.

It has already failed to keep its promise of zero-deforestation by 2020 and its plans to buy soya ‘only from deforestation-free areas’ by 2025 are meaningless given the complete collapse in 2019 of talks involving traders like Cargill to agree protection for whole areas from soya.  

Ellie continued: “Are we really willing to let Tesco get away with such blatant greenwash when doing a weekly shop? Join us to take part in the protest from home by calling Tesco’s head office to demand it stops greenwashing and drops forest destroyers from its supply chain.“

People who would like to take action at their local Tesco store can also apply for a free action pack at act.gp/tesco-pack to receive a whole host of resources to help them get Tesco’s attention. 

Fountainbridge regeneration ‘on the way’

7N Architects are delighted that our proposals for Edinburgh City Council’s flagship regeneration project at Fountainbridge have taken another major step forward with Cruden Homes and Buccleuch Property confirmed as preferred developers for the site.

The project will deliver a vibrant, liveable, neighbourhood that will reinvigorate the canalside and will include new affordable and private homes, commercial, social enterprise and community spaces alongside a new 1,000 sq ft office building for early-stage tech companies to ‘scale up’.

It’s been a long road since the community workshops that we facilitated in 2013, but we are excited that the original community vision will now be delivered.

Read more about Fountainbridge here.

www.edinburgh.gov.uk/fountainbridge

Two charged with attempted murder

TWO men aged 26 and 29 have been arrested and charged in connection with an attempted murder in Edinburgh.

The incident happened around 6.45pm last Sunday (13 September) when police and emergency services were called after a 34-year-old man was seriously injured during an altercation in Panmure Place. His condition is currently described as stable.

Both men are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday (21 September). A report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Council to commit £ millions to ‘Green Corridor’

A multi-million-pound scheme to ‘transform walking and cycling connections’ between Dalry and Fountainbridge will take a big step foward if plans are approved this week.

The city council’s Roseburn to Union Canal Active Travel Route and Greenspace Improvement project aims to fill a ‘missing link’ in the walking and cycling network by connecting Roseburn path to Fountainbridge via a new off-road cycleway and pedestrian paths.

The associated benefits of this, alongside substantial enhancements to surrounding woodland, to the environment and also by encouraging travel choices, is set to contribute to our carbon neutral goals. 

The council wants to create a ‘green corridor’ by planting nearly 5000 trees along the route, contributing to Edinburgh’s target of becoming a ‘Million Tree City’ by 2030.

As part of this they’ll be revamping open spaces along the route which are currently unusable or inaccessible for the use of the community and revitalising Dalry Community Park too. 

On Thursday (6 August) members of the Policy and Sustainability Committee will consider the latest designs, which have been refined in response to feedback received during consultation with local residents, and proposals to begin enabling works to progress the project. 

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: This is an extremely exciting project which will deliver real benefits to the local community, and anyone travelling by foot or bike in the area, by providing an essential link in our walking and cycling network. 

“Our plans to plant almost 5000 trees will have a significant impact, not only on the area’s amenity but by encouraging wildlife diversity, providing educational opportunities for local children and reducing the city’s carbon footprint as part of our wider tree-planting strategy.”

Transport and Environment Vice Convener Karen Doran said: “This project will breathe new life into these underused spots, which have the potential to become a haven for wildlife and a relaxing environment for residents and visitors.

“By both encouraging walking, cycling and wheeling and planting thousands of trees in the area, it’s helping drive us towards our carbon neutral goal.”

Proposals include:

Active travel route: Our proposed creation of a shared-use pedestrian and cycle path, including new bridge crossings over the Mid-Calder railway line and Dalry Road, would connect the North Edinburgh Path Network to Fountainbridge, where onwards travel to the Union Canal will be provided via a separate active travel project currently under development. 

Green corridor: We are planning to overhaul existing areas alongside the route, including spaces adjacent to Russell Road/Sauchiebank and West Approach Road/Duff Street Lane, which have fallen into disuse. Our enabling works will result in the loss of some trees, though almost 60% of these are of low or extremely poor quality, and we’ve developed a long-term strategy for creating and managing a healthy and diverse tree population.

As part of this, we are proposing the planting of 4,795 woodland and semi-mature trees across the site, with landscaping and ecological issues managed to ensure the project results in a higher quality, more varied and better maintained woodland. As well as encouraging wildlife, the improved woodland will provide better access for amenity and education, including its potential use by Dalry Primary School for ‘forest schools’. 

Dalry Community Park improvements: Redesigning the park to renew the existing playpark with equipment for all ages, resurfacing the sports pitch, installing lighting seating and wayfinding, improving landscaping and creating shared-use paths and better access points. 

The latest project designs build on our consultation with the local community in 2015/16, when 95% of respondents expressed their support for the measures, and subsequent engagement carried out in 2019.

Amongst the changes we’ve made to the initial proposals as a result of feedback are the development of a tree protection strategy, improved access points and the increase of path widths to 4m, providing additional space for both pedestrians and cyclists. 

If approved, enabling works are expected to start in September and will comprise of site clearance, ground investigation and excavations.

Alongside this a protected species/habitat survey will be carried out, and we will be working with contractors to explore ways of minimising the loss of trees as a result of the project. 

Read the full report, Roseburn to Union Canal Active Travel Route and Greenspace Improvement.

Fountainbridge Fire: police confirm fatality

Police have confirmed that a person has died following a fire at a tenement flat in Fountainbridge.

Officers and emergency services were called following a report of an explosion and fire within a four-story tenement building on Fountainbridge at around 5pm yesterday.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service worked to extinguish the blaze and conduct a search of the building. During this time, a person was found dead within the second floor of the building.

No further information is available on this person until officers have worked to ensure all relatives are aware.

Due to the structural damage caused, emergency services have had to retreat from the scene whilst a thorough buildings assessment is carried out, which remains ongoing.

Local road closures are currently in place and Fountainbridge will remain closed until the building assessment has been completed.

Chief Inspector Scott Richardson said: “Our thoughts at this time remain with the relatives of the person who has sadly passed away. Officers and firefighters remain at the scene whilst the building is assessed for structural damage.

“The explosion and fire has caused significant damage to the building and Fountainbridge will remain closed for the foreseeable. I would ask that members of the public avoid the area, where possible.

“A joint investigation will be carried out in due course by police and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to determine the cause of the fire, which is not currently thought to be suspicious.”

The road remains closed from Gardner’s Crescent to Ponton Street, and the public should avoid the area, where possible.