WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS!
SATURDAY 4th MAY 11am – 2pm
The future is exciting for Granton Waterfront, we want to share plans and capture ideas for your heritage buildings.
Please share your ideas at our:
Drop-in event THIS SATURDAY 4th May
Granton Station, Waterfront Broadway
11am – 2pm
Or ONLINE from the 1-29 May
We want your thoughts!
The future is exciting for Granton and we have big building and repair plans.
Please share your ideas at our drop-in or by scanning the QR code from 1 May 
WEDNESDAY 14th DECEMBER from 6 – 7.30pm
Get into the festive spirit with some free mulled wine and mince pies at our carol concert organised with @edinburghcoll next Wednesday from 6pm to 7.30pm at Granton Station Square, Waterfront Broadway.
The area outside the former Granton Station, being built for local people and visitors to enjoy community events and recreation, is to be named … ehm, Granton Station Square!
The square, together with the restoration of the building has agreed funding of up to £4.75m, with part of this being provided through the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund support and town centre funding.
This restoration forms part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s wider £1.3bn regeneration project for Granton Waterfront.
The name was chosen following consultation with local residents and groups as well as the Council asking people for suggestions online.
Cammy Day, Council Depute Leader, said: “Thanks to everyone who took part in the consultation for the new name. It’s really important to us that local people are involved in every step of the process as we progress our £1.3bn regeneration of the area creating homes, jobs and new communities.
“The name is important as the refurbished Granton Station and new Square will be a focal point in the area for the community and visitors to enjoy for generations to come.”
Arts and social enterprise charity, Wasps, is to breathe new life into the former Granton Station after the Finance and Resources Committee approved their lease yesterday.
The Edwardian former station is to be transformed into a cultural and creative hub by Wasps, Scotland’s largest provider of studio space for artists and creative industries.
The first spades were put in the ground in June to bring the historic former Granton Station back to life as a high-quality creative workspace within the community, with a new public square in front of the building for pop-up events and recreation.
At a cost of around £4.75m, the project is being part-funded through Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund support and town centre funding. This project is part of the Council’s £1.3bn wider regeneration of the area.
Wasps is set to move into the building in 2022 to create the cultural hub, providing space to support around 40 jobs, as well as helping around 100 people each year with creative business development opportunities.
The Glasgow-based social enterprise charity will deliver a heritage programme for local people and railway enthusiasts on the unique history of the location, as well as providing exhibition space to showcase local talent. They’ll also host workshops and a series of outdoor and online events for locals, with the potential to attract thousands of visitors to the area.
Councillor Rob Munn, Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee, said: “I’m delighted that the Committee has approved the lease for this historic building so Wasps can now start putting their exciting plans into place to bring this fantastic piece of Edwardian architecture back to life.
“The arts and cultural activities and events planned by them will attract thousands of visitors to Granton Waterfront, as well as nurturing artistic and cultural talent in the local area.
Depute Council Leader Cammy Day, said: “In June, we saw the first spades going in the ground to create this fantastic new space for artistic and cultural talent and we’ll soon be announcing the name of the new square being developed in front of it.
“The new hub run by Wasps will be a key focal point in our wider £1.3bn regeneration of the local area, creating new homes, jobs and communities. I’ve met with Wasps recently and I’m keen to see them work with existing local community groups.
“I’m very much looking forward to working with Wasps as they move forward and develop their exciting plans for the building and the wider Granton Waterfront area and beyond.
Audrey Carlin, Wasps’ Chief Executive Officer, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Wasps and for the area, as part of a wider cultural regeneration initiative. Wasps already supports 180 artists in Edinburgh, and this new facility, at the gateway into Granton, will incubate more digitally based creative people.
“On completion it will attract a diverse and vibrant community to the heart of Granton, and provide new opportunities for established communities in North Edinburgh, while acknowledging the heritage of the building and its connection to the city.
“The project also offers new employment and community engagement opportunities, something we have helped to foster successfully at other locations across Scotland.”
The first spades were put in the ground today to bring the historic former Granton Station back to life as a high-quality creative workspace at a cost of up to £4.75m.
The project will be part funded through the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and Town Centre Fund.
The derelict land in front of the building will also once again be used as a public square for community events and recreation to be enjoyed by residents and visitors.
The station site, due for completion by early 2022, is part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s Granton Waterfront project, a key sustainable £1.3bn regeneration of this area, which will make a significant contribution to Edinburgh’s target to become a net zero carbon city by 2030.
Kier, appointed to carry out the work by the Council in March this year, has undergone health and safety training with local schools. They ran a poster competition and the best ones are being placed on the site hoarding.
The Council has also been working with the Granton History:Hub to create a temporary exhibition on the hoarding detailing the history of the building and Granton Gasworks.
Cllr Cammy Day, Depute Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I’m pleased to see work starting now as the wider Granton Waterfront project is really taking off.
“We’ve already got three affordable housing sites underway and the former gasholder is illuminated now as a beacon of light for the project for everyone visiting the area to see.
“This is shaping up to be one of Scotland’s leading sustainable new districts and being built at the Waterfront it really will be another fantastic place to live, work and visit in Edinburgh.
“We’re speaking to the local community every step of the way on the Granton Waterfront regeneration and we’ve just finished consulting on a new name for the new public square outside the former station, which we’ll be announcing shortly.”
Cllr Adam McVey, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “It’s great to see work starting to bring this much loved Edwardian building back to life to serve the community it’s central to once again.
“The former Granton Station has a rich industrial heritage which we’re going to display on the site hoardings while work continues. The project will provide a number of jobs while construction is ongoing and the future new enterprise will generate valuable quality local employment opportunities for Edinburgh.”
Phil McDowell, Regional Director at Kier Regional Building North & Scotland, said: “Granton station dates back to the Edwardian times, it’s an important historical building for Edinburgh and we are proud to be renovating it into a modern work space that will once again effectively support the local community.
“We will work collaboratively with Edinburgh Council and our local supply chain partners to deliver this important project which will support the wider transformation of Granton Waterfront.”
The Edwardian B-listed former Granton Station, set in the heart of the city’s planned new sustainable Granton Waterfront district, is to be restored by the Council at a cost of up to £4.75m.
The council’s Finance and Resources Committee yesterday appointed Kier Construction Ltd to carry out the work.
The project will be part-funded through Scottish Government regeneration capital grant funding and town centre funding. The latter was previously agreed by the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee in June 2019 and by Council in November 2020.
Work will commence to bring the historic former Granton Station building back into use by early 2022 as a high-quality creative workspace and the derelict land in front of the building will once again be used as a public square for community events and recreation to be enjoyed by residents and visitors to the area.
The station site is part of Granton Waterfront, a key sustainable £1.3bn regeneration project for Scotland, which will make a significant contribution to Edinburgh’s target to become a net zero carbon city by 2030.
Work has already begun to provide around 450 homes for sale and affordable rent at Western Villages and at the end of last year construction firm Hart Builders was also appointed to begin work to design around 150 brand new affordable homes at the former Silverlea care home site in the area.
Cllr Rob Munn, Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee, said: “Granton Station is an important link to the rich industrial heritage of the area, and I look forward to seeing it back in use once again.
“As it did in Edwardian times, the building will serve the local community but now as a vibrant and modern business hub with open public space outside for everyone to enjoy.
“The project will provide jobs while being constructed and long after completion, as a new enterprise hub generating local employment opportunities for the area and our citizens throughout Edinburgh.”
Cllr Cammy Day, Depute Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Regenerating Granton Waterfront is no longer just a vision. Spades will soon go in the ground to turn this historic building into a gateway for one of Scotland’s newest sustainable districts for people to enjoy for decades to come.
“With work progressing well on two affordable housing sites and plans underway to illuminate the former gas holder in the area with Edinburgh College, we’re making great progress to build a sustainable new district where people will be proud to live, work and visit.
“And we’re speaking to the local community to make sure the new district enhances and blends well into what is already a well-established area surrounding the site.”
More than £25 million is going to disadvantaged and remote communities around Scotland to support regeneration and employment projects. Two Edinburgh projects, Granton Station Enterprise Hub (above) and Nourishing Leith Hub, will receive funding of over £2.2 million.
The money from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) will go to 26 projects all over Scotland to tackle inequalities and deliver inclusive growth.
Over 400 business and organisations will benefit from the projects which will support or create more than 1220 jobs as well as thousands of training places by refurbishing and bringing back into use 26 empty buildings to provide space for community enterprises.
Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “Together with COSLA we have invested almost £200 million through this fund since 2014 in support of locally-led regeneration projects which help to build the resilience and wellbeing of communities. I am pleased that a further 26 projects will benefit from the fund as we look to a period of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have had to lead our lives locally, pulling together more as communities, to see off the many challenges arising from coronavirus. This latest round of investment into local projects continues our ongoing support for vibrant and accessible town centres and communities.”
Earth in Common (formerly Leith Crops in Pots) were delighted to hear that their funding application has been successful at last. The Leith initiaitve recieves £944,744.
A spokesperson for the community project said: “Our team are over the moon with this news today! After many years and huge effort we finally done it. Our pixies went on one small outing today and look what they managed to achieve. Must have been all that fairy dust. They ‘Saved the PAV’!”
COSLA’s Environment and Economy spokesperson Councillor Steven Heddle said: “This work has never been more important as we look to rebuild from the devastating impact of COVID-19. Recovery from the virus must be fair to our communities and promote inclusivity, growth and wellbeing.
“The innovative projects announced today can empower our communities to deliver better places to live and work.”
While many of the awards are for projects based in urban areas, there’s funding for initiatives in some far-flung communities too
Among the projects being funded this year is The Old Clyne School Redevelopment Project in Brora, Highland. It will redevelop a derelict C-listed building to become a community-owned museum and heritage centre, and to be a base for the Clyne Heritage Society.
Dr Nick Lindsay, Chairman of the Clyne Heritage Society said: “This is the best news that we could have hoped for, in what has been a very difficult year. This should unlock the final ‘brick-in-the-wall’ funds from other funding partners, so we can deliver this major development for Brora.
“We can now fulfil our dreams by regenerating the Old Clyne School into a must-visit destination, transforming a current eyesore into a welcome attraction for the whole community and future generations.”
Hart Builders have been appointed to lead work to design around 150 brand new affordable homes at the former Silverlea care home in Salvesen. The Council-led development is expected to start on site next summer.
Hart is working with designers Smith Scott Mullan; Will Rudd Davidson; Hulley and Kirkwood and Hardies to bring forward proposals for the site as part of the £1.3 bn Granton Waterfront regeneration project.
The site will provide net zero carbon homes for social and midmarket rent as part of Edinburgh’s ambitious 20,000 affordable homes target as well as a new home for Craigroyston Community Youth Football Club.
Residents will benefit from improved energy efficiency and savings on fuel bills, helping to halt our impact on climate change. Residents will have access to high quality green space and links to the promenade and shoreline.
In addition to delivering the project, the contractor will provide a range of community benefits for surrounding residents including apprenticeships and mentoring programmes as well as supporting local organisations.
The £18m investment will be funded by the Council and grant funding from the Scottish Government.
Councillor Kate Campbell , Convener of Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work, said: “Granton is a site of national importance – recognised by the Scottish Government as strategically significant. To us it’s an opportunity to provide a large number of the much-needed affordable homes, and to open up a beautiful part of our city’s waterfront so that residents can live there, work there and enjoy it.
“The views are amazing, the history is rich – and it’s our job to build homes and community spaces so that we protect and enhance that history and make it a fantastic place to live.
“I’m delighted that we have approved significant funding for Granton Station, one of the most important historical buildings, and that we now own, and are working to light up the gas holder. It’s critical that new development grows up around these buildings respecting, and enhancing, the history of this important part of Edinburgh.
“We’ve also got plans for a coastal park linking Granton Harbour, Cramond and Lauriston Castle, which will be one of the largest coastal parks in Europe.
“Residents told us during consultation on the masterplan that they wanted to see things happening on the ground, not a document sitting on a shelf.
“Appointing a contractor for these 150 new homes at Silverlea demonstrates clearly that we’re listening, and that we will get things moving so that our collective vision for this special part of our city can be realised.”
Councillor Mandy Watt, Vice Convener, added: “All of the steps we’re taking to make homes – new and existing council owned – more sustainable are also making them warmer and more cost efficient. This helps us to tackle poverty by making the running costs of a home more affordable as well as helping us meet our targets to tackle climate change.
“Already under way is our extensive £350 million investment programme in council housing which will, over the next 10 years, make them more energy efficient, help tenants save money on their energy bills and ensure more generally they are comfortable to live in.
“The appointment of a contractor is great news as this development will not only deliver much needed affordable homes but the project will also boost employment and help our economy recover from the challenges of the pandemic.”
Gill Henry, Business Development Director for Hart Builders, part of the Cruden Group said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been selected to deliver the Silverlea project in partnership with The City of Edinburgh Council.
“This landmark development will not only deliver one of the first net zero carbon home initiatives to the capital, it also provides the opportunity to really focus on placemaking and designing homes for the future and will address many of the issues highlighted throughout the pandemic in terms of homeworking, home schooling and the importance of accessible green spaces.
“Importantly, we are looking forward to engaging with Craigroyston High School and Edinburgh College to encourage more young people into the construction industry and offer first-hand experience of a live project being constructed on their doorstep.
“We will also be offering training and employment opportunities for local SMEs; supported work placements and employment opportunities for members of the community and sponsorship for local organisations to ensure the community benefits as far as possible from this new development.”
Five projects across the city are to benefit from the city council’s Town Centre Fund. Gracemount public realm, Craigmillar town centre, Westside Plaza Phase 3, Granton Station, Pentlands Community Space and Pennywell Hub have all been chosen to receive a share of the £1.454 million being allocated.
The funding for all of these local projects was passed at today’s City of Edinburgh Council full council meeting.
The money is part of £3.567 million of total investment that the City of Edinburgh Council received, over two rounds, from the Scottish Government Town Centre Fund. The funding seeks to drive local economic activity and invest in inclusive growth which supports town centres to become more diverse and sustainable, creating more vibrant, creative, enterprising and accessible places for their communities.
Local MSP, Ben Macpherson, has said that “the £747,000 investment for the Granton Station project will create a new destination in the heart of North Edinburgh for locals and visitors alike, and is an exciting aspect of the wider Waterfront development.”
Edinburgh Pentlands MSP, Gordon MacDonald, was also delighted to see “two brilliant local projects in Edinburgh Pentlands receiving the backing they need to take them another step closer to becoming a reality” as Westside Plaza Phase 3 and Pentlands Community Space were confirmed as they received £300,000 and £75,000 respectively.
The projects receiving funding also includes the Craigmillar town centre project and their bid to receive £170,000.
This funding will support them to turn a vacant site in the heart of the Craigmillar regeneration area into a hub for the local community and provide spaces for new and existing businesses.
The Edinburgh East MP, Tommy Sheppard, has said “This is an imaginative project that can help stimulate business in Craigmillar in a way that works with the grain of social distancing. It’s the kind of smart, targeted investment we need to bounce back from the pandemic.”
Commenting on the city wide funding, Convener of Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work, Cllr Kate Campbell, said: “We know that the impact on businesses from the pandemic has been especially hard, and that jobs and livelihoods are at risk. It’s important that we are doing everything we can to boost economic activity in our town centres so this allocation of additional funding to the Town Centres fund could not have come at a better time.
“We’re investing in public realm in areas of the city that we know have high levels of poverty. These are communities that need this investment.
“Most of these projects focus on transforming public realm. At Granton and Craigmillar this is going further, and creating a space that can be used for outdoor markets and pop up food and drink stalls.
“I’m really pleased that we are creating economic opportunities in the communities that will really feel the benefit. It’s about quality of life – creating public space that is safe, well designed, pedestrian and cycle friendly, and a place that people want to be. When we create spaces like this, we encourage people to use their local town centres in a way that’s good for the community and good for local businesses.
“The other benefit of these projects is that they all involve construction – so at the same time as benefiting communities, and improving public space, we’re also creating jobs at a time when they are desperately needed.”
