Tag: Ocean Terminal

Next stage for Trams to Newhaven

More traffic disruption inevitable

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 …

Find out more about Trams to Newhaven online.

The Leith Collective tackles hidden poverty with ‘no questions asked’ coat exchange

Locals urged to donate as cost of living soars

It has been a relatively mild winter so far, but those familiar with Edinburgh weather know that could all change in a heartbeat. Sadly for many locals, a cold spell could prove to be their breaking point.

With fuel bills soaring and the cost of essentials massively increasing, many city residents are feeling the pressure of the rapidly rising cost of living. And so, The Leith Collective has introduced a ‘no questions asked’ coat exchange to give a helping hand to those who might need it.

Situated outside The Leith Collective shop at Ocean Terminal, rails of good quality coats are available for collection now – at no cost and with no questions asked.

And locals are being urged to donate. Coats of any size can be dropped off at The Leith Collective at Edinburgh’s Ocean Terminal where they will be quarantined for 72 hours, in-line with covid safety guidance. They will then be displayed outside the store for anyone to collect.

The idea behind the coat exchange is two-fold, as The Leith Collective founder, Sara Thomson explains: ‘The nation is currently facing a poverty crisis, with the cost of living rising faster than ever, and job insecurity resulting from the pandemic still affecting many.

“Edinburgh is not immune to this and we’re witnessing the damaging effects here in Leith and beyond. Coupled with the climate crisis, we felt we had to take action and try to help. And so the coat exchange was born. Not only is it a sustainable solution that keeps quality clothes out of landfill and in use, it also provides a valuable opportunity to kit out families in genuine need.”

The coat exchange is the latest in a series of initiatives launched by The Leith Collective to simultaneously support locals and promote a circular economy, following their hugely successful Christmas tree exchange in December 2021. 

As a Community Interest Company, all profits from the shop go towards supporting the community and promoting sustainability through the arts.

The Leith Collective actively supports individuals with mental health or support needs to grow in confidence and gain experience in the workplace, and offers business mentorship to any members of the Collective.

It is hoped that by hosting the coat exchange in an accessible location such as Ocean Terminal, those currently experiencing difficulties will be able to receive a helping hand.

Donations to the coat exchange can be dropped off at The Leith Collective during opening hours, Monday – Saturday 11am – 6pm, and Sunday 11am – 5pm. Coats should be clean and in good condition.

Crosslane Developments propose new residential serviced living development for Ocean Terminal

Crosslane Residential Developments (Crosslane), part of the Crosslane Property Group, is pleased to announce proposals to deliver a new form of residential living to Edinburgh.

Plans aim to introduce a new, innovative, renting concept to local residents, referred to as residential serviced living.

Residential serviced living is a new type of fully furnished accommodation, with shared social spaces focused on creating a vibrant sense of community and all-inclusive rents, covering utilities and other living costs.

Proposed plans are for a new residential development located at Ocean Point 2, next to Ocean Terminal in Leith, just two miles from Edinburgh city centre. The scheme will comprise of 293 units providing a mix of studio, 1, 2 and 3-bed apartments with 74 of these offered at affordable intermediate rent levels.

The proposed high-quality, new development will be entirely different to other residential accommodation. The entire building is designed to be the living environment. The principle is that residents sleep in their room but ‘live’ in the building, by taking advantage of the wide range of shared communal space and facilities available, generating a real sense of community within the development.

With many young professionals currently priced out of an expensive and highly competitive apartment- based rental marketplace in Edinburgh, this new concept provides affordable, accessible accommodation for local residents.

In addition to high-quality, fully furnished studios and apartments, residents living in the new development can enjoy the opportunity of making new friends and feeling part of a collaborative community by taking advantage of social spaces throughout the building.

Large, fully fitted shared kitchen and dining rooms on each floor, onsite cinema, relaxing drawing room and well-equipped onsite gym, are just a few examples of the facilities residents can use alongside their own room and ultra-fast WiFi.

Outdoor areas such as a courtyard and terrace area with fantastic views across the Firth of Forth promote an environment for improved wellbeing and mental health. Proposals also include study and working areas with office space for new business start-ups, entrepreneurs, SMEs and home working, providing a more flexible home/work/life hub, something which has become more important as a result of the pandemic.

The location of the development is just two miles from Edinburgh city centre and will provide convenient accommodation for those working in the capital.

A large cycle storage facility will be provided to encourage residents to cycle to work, or take public transport, helping to discourage car ownership. The extension of the tram line between Edinburgh and Ocean Terminal will provide connectivity between the development and Edinburgh city centre within 20 minutes, making it the ideal affordable accommodation choice for young professionals.

The development is also likely to be attractive to those seeking to live and work within Leith itself, taking advantage of local shops, bars, restaurants and cafés.

A Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) has been submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council, and a public consultation event will be held on Thursday 10th February 2022 between 3pm and 7pm to present details of the new development and give the public the chance to provide views, ask questions and comment on proposals.

This will be held digitally via www.oceanpoint2.com with a second event planned for March.

Mark Hughes, Managing Director at Crosslane Residential Developments, said: “Crosslane Property Group is an experienced developer and operator having already delivered more than 7,000 units across 30 previous developments.

“With our new and unique ‘residential serviced living’ concept, we aim to be the leading provider of community living in the UK and Europe. We have already secured a future pipeline of 3,000 units across six schemes for our new concept and continue to grow this to work towards our goal of delivering 5,000 units by 2025.

“Our Ocean Point 2 development in Edinburgh is incredibly appealing for both Leith and Edinburgh as a whole. Residential serviced living represents an innovative housing solution at a time when rental accommodation prices in the capital are soaring, and there are serious demands on housing supply.

“This development represents a commitment to provide affordable housing with a full range of shared communal amenities. Our concept of residents sleeping in their rooms and living in the building, will ensure they enjoy a more rewarding, holistic way of life, with improved social, mental and physical health and wellbeing.

“We have received very positive feedback from key stakeholders to date and look forward to presenting full details of proposals to the public to obtain their comments as we continue to incorporate feedback into our final plans.

“We are committed to ensuring the long-term success and integration of this project into the neighbourhood and look forward to the opportunity of working with local businesses to encourage residents to shop and eat out locally within the area.”

Ocean Terminal to update local community on development of centre & waterfront

Ambassador Group, owner of Ocean Terminal, is showcasing new details of its vision to transform the centre and open up the waterfront ahead of a second public exhibition, held both online and in person with the design team at the centre tomorrow – Thursday 9th December.   

The public exhibition will continue to be available for visitors to drop in between 10th-31st December during centre opening hours, review the redevelopment plans and share their views.

Attendees will have the opportunity to understand how community feedback has been incorporated into the plans for the development of the centre and surrounding waterfront. In particular, the new layout and bold design will open up views, including new aspects on to Royal Yacht Britannia, providing waterfront seating areas and creating an unobstructed promenade along the water’s edge.  

The mixed-use offering, made possible by the demolition of the existing east-end carpark, will combine essential retail with tourism, leisure, workspace for small businesses and residential accommodation.  

The aim is to shape dynamic ways for the community and visitors alike to continue to enjoy the shopping, leisure and community amenities they currently value at Ocean Terminal, while also providing active public realm spaces as part of a visually dramatic destination.   

Sustainability is key to the development and has been placed at the heart of the design to ensure the project is in line with the City of Edinburgh Council’s net-zero targets for 2030.

This ties in strongly to connectivity, whereby creating an effective design for the new Ocean Terminal will meet the needs of the 20-minute neighbourhood.

Accessibility to buses, trams and cycle paths in the area will also strengthen the proposed physical access around the wider development, enhanced public realm and the waterfront. 

Chris Richardson, Managing Director at Ambassador Investments said, “We have said from the beginning we want to work closely with the local community and stakeholders, to make sure that together we create a sustainable and attractive waterfront experience for the people of Leith and Edinburgh, that introduces more interaction with the space than it’s ever experienced before.

“This is an exciting new chapter for Ocean Terminal as we embark upon significant change that will future proof its place on the waterfront. Through the diverse retail, tourism, leisure and wellbeing offering it will become the place to be.”  

Betty the basking shark takes up residence at Ocean Terminal

Edinburgh artist Johnathan Elders illustrates the scale of Scotland’s electronic waste
with powerful installation

Reindeer, penguins, and polar bears are the sort of animals you would usually expect to see taking pride of place in a retail display at this time of year. However, one Edinburgh shopping centre is adding a little more ‘bite’ to its seasonal offering with the installation of a powerful new sculpture – Betty the e-waste shark!

The work of Edinburgh artist Johnathan Elders, Betty is a life-sized basking shark which aims to illustrate the sheer scale of Scotland’s electronic waste problem.

The sculpture was created using a range of second-hand electrical devices including more than 200 keyboards and water cooler panels, all of which have been saved from landfill, plus two projector lenses and TV screens which display a hard-hitting film about the true impact of e-waste.

Previously displayed at the National Museum of Scotland, local sustainability campaigner Sara Thomson of The Leith Collective has successfully secured Betty a residency at Ocean Terminal, and the artwork is available to view now.

Created in response to a call-out from the Edinburgh Science Festival, Jonathan had a clear vision of what he hoped the artwork would achieve. Firstly, it needed to demand attention.

He was determined to craft something that was simply too big to be missed, and instantly recognisable in order to create a reaction. Secondly, it needed to be engaging – something that people would want to touch and interact with.

It was also important that the piece was inclusive and accessible in its entirety to people of any height or level of mobility. Finally, it needed to inform viewers of the immense problem of e-waste faced by Scotland. 

Commenting on the piece, Jonathan Elders explains: ‘I chose the basking shark, native to Scotland, as I encountered one as a child whilst on a boat trip to Bass Rock in North Berwick. This moment had a huge impact on me, and it has stayed with me ever since. 

‘I didn’t want to be subtle. As a nation, we have so much to be proud of – like these magnificent creatures – but we also have a massive problem that we’re just not doing enough to address. Like producing such vast quantities of e-waste. 

‘As the footage shows, much of this waste is shipped away to other parts of the world so that we can forget about it. But that needs to stop.’

When asked about the name, Jonathan said: “Betty is the name of a lovely local lady – a total character who knows everybody. She lives overlooking Newhaven Harbour but won’t go anywhere near it because she is scared of the sea. Hence the reason I called the shark Betty, because like the real-life Betty, this shark will never go to the sea!’

Betty the e-waste shark is available to view now at Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh. Guided tours and talks about the artwork are available upon request for schools, clubs, and organisations.

If you are interested in giving Betty the e-waste shark a home after her residency at Ocean Terminal ends, please email info@theleithcollective.com to discuss.

National Lottery winners deliver festive cheer to Leith’s Living Memory Association

Christmas has come early for a group of elderly residents from Edinburgh after a group of big-hearted National Lottery winners donated a wealth of festive goodies to a local National Lottery-funded charity.

Six winners visited The Living Memory Association in Leith yesterday, hand delivering a Christmas tree and luxury gift hampers to be distributed among local people who rely heavily on the support the charity offers. 

Armed with Santa hats and Christmas jumpers, the winners got to work putting up and decorating the tree, as well as putting finishing touches to the hampers which included everything from individual Christmas puddings to Fortnum & Mason tea bags. 

As part of the festive surprise The National Lottery winners, who have a combined worth of more than £62 million, spent the morning with charity staff at its Wee Museum of Memory at Ocean Terminal. 

Based in Edinburgh, The Living Memory Association was established in 1986 and uses the power of memory and reminiscence to bring people together, regardless of their background or age. 

The charity has received over £1M in National Lottery funding since 2005 with much of this used to involve and empower older people throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians who have been badly affected by loneliness and isolation, particularly during the pandemic.

This includes those living with dementia and their carers. Using the evocative powers of sight, sound and smell, staff encourage visitors to recall past memories with many people spending hours browsing the museum’s displays and artefacts.  

The charitable National Lottery winner group included Fred and Lesley Higgins, originally from Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire, who won £57,975,367 on EuroMillions in July 2018.

The couple, who have supported a number of deserving causes since their win, were also joined by fellow Dundonian Ray Storey who won £1,050,000 on EuroMillions in 2014. 

Also visiting the charity yesterday was Libby Elliott from Fife, who won £2,159,664 on Lotto in 2012, alongside East Lothian couple Alan and Claire Gray who scooped £1,000,000 on EuroMillions in 2019.

Alan Gray, who visited the charity with wife Claire, said, “We had a really lovely time visiting the Wee Museum of Memory. 

“The team at The Living Memory Association really do some amazing work and we feel proud to have played a small part in supporting its work with elderly and isolated people. We hope our donations mean local residents can still enjoy a special Christmas treat on us!”

Miles Tubb, Project Coordinator at The Living Memory Association, said, “Everyone has had a tough time over the past 18 months but for elderly and isolated people it’s been particularly difficult. We are passionate about tackling loneliness and a big part of this is getting people together and reliving memories of days gone by.

“We are so grateful to players of The National Lottery for their continued support and to our new friends who visited us. What they have donated is incredibly generous. Despite the restrictions and challenges these hampers will provide some much-needed festive cheer.

“We are lucky to have previously received funding support from The National Lottery, so we are delighted to be able to continue our great relationship.”

The Christmas season has always been a special time for National Lottery winners with many coming together during the festive season to support charities across Scotland. However, COVID-19 restrictions have meant that The National Lottery has had to think differently over the past couple of years.

With safety and wellbeing paramount, all winners and wider team members adhered to safe working practices, following current guidelines and with face masks and regular hand washing mandatory.

By playing any National Lottery game, players generate more than £30M each week for National Lottery-funded projects. This money helps support everything from the local charity making a difference where you live through to helping our nation’s athletes win Olympic and Paralympic gold medals.

To date, over £45 BILLION has been raised and distributed to National Lottery Good Causes through more than 660,000 individual grants.

Thanks to National Lottery players, over £1.2bn. is being used by charities and organisations affected by the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, which includes over £600M in funding support from the National Lottery Community Fund which is being used to help groups best placed to support people and communities through the crisis.

Donate a Christmas tree and help rewild the Scottish Highlands


The award-winning Leith Collective reveals their plans to give back this Christmas with the launch of their ‘Relove, Rewild Christmas’ and ‘Secret Seasonal Sculptures’ initiatives

The Leith Collective has had an incredible year, adding a string of awards and accolades to their name, so this Christmas they’re going all out to give back – to the people of Edinburgh and to the environment.

And they’re calling on locals to join them by putting sustainability at the top of their wishlists with the launch of their ‘Relove, Rewild Christmas’ and ‘Secret Seasonal Sculptures’ initiatives. 

Got an unloved Christmas tree languishing in your attic? Take it to The Leith Collective where they will be rehoming trees throughout the festive period, spreading Christmas cheer to those who can’t afford to buy one. What’s more, for every Christmas tree donated to the Edinburgh store, a real tree will be planted right here in Scotland. 

The Leith Collective will be donating to Trees for Life which aims to rewild the Scottish Highlands and restore the Caledonian Forest. Native trees such as Scots Pines and woodland plants will be planted in the quest to reduce our carbon footprint, and to provide space for wildlife to flourish and communities to thrive.

Commenting ahead of the launch of the ‘Relove, Rewild Christmas’ initiative, The Leith Collective founder, Sara Thomson said; ‘For anyone who has a tree or decorations gathering dust in their loft, this is a great way to ensure they continue to spread Christmas cheer.

“We understand many people have had it tough throughout the pandemic, therefore we will be giving away the donated trees and decorations completely free of charge to anyone who requests one, no questions asked”.

And to spread that Christmas cheer even further, The Leith Collective has called upon some of their resident artists to create a series of 24 seasonal sculptures – each lovingly reimagined and handcrafted from old wooden fixings – and they will be hiding one each day in the run up to Christmas throughout the city centre. 

Discussing the advent surprises, Sara commented; ‘The secret seasonal sculptures are a fun way to show people what can be created using materials that would otherwise be discarded. We hope they encourage more people to get creative this Christmas and keep sustainability at the forefront of their mind’. 

The first secret seasonal sculpture will appear somewhere in Edinburgh on Wednesday 1st December and anyone who finds one can take it along to The Leith Collective where they will receive an additional festive surprise.

The ‘Relove, Rewild Christmas’ and ‘Secret Seasonal Sculptures’ initiatives are just two ways The Leith Collective plan to give back this Christmas after what has been a phenomenal year for them.

In January 2021, The Leith Collective became the UK’s first single-use plastic free shop of its kind and was later crowned runner up in the Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Awards.

In July, owner Sara Thomson took her message of sustainability west-side, opening The Clydeside Collective in Glasgow’s St Enoch Centre, followed by The Camdentown Collective in London’s Buck Street Market in September. Later that month, Sara was specially selected to become a UK ‘One Step Greener’ ambassador and showcased her story of how she is tackling climate change at COP26.

From Sara’s role as a One Step Greener ambassador and the inspirational work The Leith Collective is doing to showcase sustainability, the Prime Minister chose Sara to become the UK’s 1772nd Point of Light.

As a result, Sara met Boris Johnson at 10 Downing Street and enjoyed a video chat with the Queen. On returning to Edinburgh, Sara received the news that she had won two awards at the Creative Edinburgh Awards – The Leadership Award and The Social Award.

New drop-in vaccination clinic open at Ocean Terminal

A new vaccination clinic has opened this week in Ocean Terminal, making it even easier for you to get your first and second dose of the COVID vaccine.

The clinic is open seven days a week, from 11am to 7pm. You don’t need to make an appointment to attend, and you don’t need to be registered with a GP to get a jab.

Anyone over 12 can drop in, just make your way to the clinic which is on the first floor of the centre. If you’re coming to get your second jab, you must have had your first jab at least eight weeks ago.

To find out more about the COVID vaccine, visit NHS Inform.

Heart of Newhaven update

Welcome to your November Newsletter

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:

Seagrass meadows and oysters being restored in major Firth of Forth marine restoration project

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-herald-1130/20211027/281797107205661

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.

Forth Reflections at Ocean Terminal this Friday

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.