THURSDAY 24th MARCH – ALL WELCOME
Open afternoon at Granton Castle Walled Garden
Tag: Granton Castle Walled Garden
Play together: Outdoor adventures at Granton Castle Walled Garden
Mums/carers and their under 5s are coming along to @grantoncastle to meet us and @trees_seas for more Play Together Outdoor Activities.
Lots of fun to be had – some of it’s messy but who cares !
BOOKING ESSENTIAL
Creative Celebration coming up at Granton Castle Walled Garden
Saturday 4th May: 1 – 4:30pm
Good news for Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden
Hi friends and supporters,
The action group has been busy over June and July meeting with and lobbying many politicians for support. We have had some good news. After two years of campaigning to have the walled garden protected we received the news we have been waiting for – the Local Development plan has been thoroughly examined and a decision issued by national planners that it should be kept as Openspace!
So what now?
- Making the garden accessible for the first time in over ten years.
Our group has been invited to take part in the new ‘Masterplan’ creation for Granton’s Waterfront and we hope that architects will help to make the garden accessible in the future: enabling community members to begin its restoration and return it to productivity.
Three of us will be attending the developer’s architects meeting in August on behalf of the group.
Openspace designation in the Local Development Plan may not necessarily deter the developers from submitting new planning applications to build in the B-listed garden, but we hope that common sense will prevail and a council owned company will not go against the council’s approved plans and abide by national planning policies and guidelines.
Alternatives to housing in the garden?
Our real work begins now, following the overwhelmingly positive response to a survey of Friends Group ideas for the garden we are now looking at ways to fund these dreams.
We have been invited to present our ideas to the board of Waterfront Edinburgh Limited and hope to reach an agreement with the company that respects local opinion and planning guidelines for best land use. We intend to get across the idea that this late medieval walled garden, the oldest built structure in Granton, is precious to all as a unique, fertile & unpolluted historic garden.
Petitioning the council to have the garden protected properly for posterity
Earlier this week Group members met with MSP Andy Wightman (above) and were glad of helpful advice and support shown for our ideas. Our petition is open until the 25th August and must gain 500 signatures for us to be heard. Please sign and share:
Many opportunities have now arisen to raise awareness of the garden and involve a wider audience in the future. The possibility of funding to build a new low impact access to re-open the garden this winter if the company can be persuaded of the value of the garden to local people and visitors.
Best wishes,
Kirsty Sutherland
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Down to Earth(y)?
Officials recommend Earthy should be demolished
Planning officials have recommended that the popular Earthy shop and cafe on Canonmills Bridge should be demolished to make way for a new development. Councillors will discuss the issue at a meeting this morning.
Three local issues feature on today’s Development Sub-Committee agenda.
Reports on Granton Castle’s Walled Garden, the controversial demolition of Earthy at Canonmills and the ongoing saga of the proposed housing development on Trinity Road will all be tabled at the meeting. which takes place at 10am in The Dean of Guild Court Room in the City Chambers.
While councillors will be asked simply to ‘note’ the council’s current position on Granton Castle Walled Garden, where plans remain in place to erect 17 luxury townhouses, officials are recommending that the proposed demolition of Earthy on Canonmills Bridge is given the go-ahead.
Officials also recommend that the proposed demolition of the existing garage building at 127 Trinity Road – and the development of five new houses there – should be granted.
Members of the Save 1-6 Canonmills Bridge campaign plan to lobby councillors before the meeting, which is open to the public.
Related papers:
Item_6.3____GRANTON_CASTLE_WALLED_GARDEN___03_04595_FUL
Item_8.1____1_CANONMILLS_BRIDGE___15_01786_CON
Item_8.4_a_____127_TRINITY_ROAD___15_01788_FUL
Item_8.4_b_____127_TRINITY_ROAD___14_05070_CON
DM_Sub_29_July_2015_Full_papers
Walled Garden: growing hope
B-list boost for Friends campaign
A deputation representing The Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden will attend today’s Planning Committee meeting with renewed optimism thanks to an imminent report from Historic Scotland.
Friends group organiser Kirsty Sutherland explained: “Just two days before our Friends Group deputation to the City Chambers we learned from Historic Scotland that they have almost completed the review of Granton Castle Walled Garden – and the great news is that they want to upgrade its status to B-listed!
“We hope this groundbreaking news will help convince the city council’s planning committee members to support our Friends Group aim of safeguarding this historic garden from a luxury housing development.”
The recent Historic Environment Act and planning guidelines issued for Historic Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Edinburgh all recognise the significant contribution heritage landscapes & greenspaces make to our communities sense of place, cultural identity & understanding of history.
Friends Group members and supporters feel that one of the oldest walled gardens in Scotland deserves to be safeguarded, cherished and restored.
Kirsty added: “We’re really excited by the Historic Scotland news – I’m bubbling over! It’s a bit like David and Goliath, trying to stop a multi-million pound business from building houses in the garden.We’d like to thank everyone for their support – the more people that speak up and send in a wee message of support, the better.”
Deputation Letter to Planning Committee 14 May