Communities across Scotland are to benefit from a share of £26 million to support local regeneration – and Edinburgh’s share goes to Duncan Place Resource Centre project in Leith, which will receive £1.2 million. Continue reading Boost for Leith as £26 million allocated for local regeneration
The regeneration of Edinburgh’s Meadowbank has taken another step forward with planning applications submitted on Friday. Continue reading Meadowbank redevelopment moves forward
Community projects from Argyll and Bute to Shetland will share around £312,000 to regenerate their neighbourhoods, Local Government Minister Kevin Stewart announced today. As part of the Making Places Initiative, 19 projects will receive funding to bring people together to agree priorities for their area and shape future planning and design. Projects from Leith, Portobello and Wester Hailes are among the successful bidders.
The funding will support events that bring local people together with design professionals to identify how their places and communities can be improved. The 19 projects awarded funding include workshops to develop physical and environmental improvements to the Woodside area of North Glasgow, creating a development plan for Scalloway in Shetland and a plan to improve a shopping centre in Wester Hailes in Edinburgh.
Three Edinburgh initiatives have received the green light:
Leith £35,000 Proposed by Citizen Curator & Leith Creative
To develop and pilot a People’s Place Plan for Leith, following the successful Leith Blueprint which created a community report.
Portobello: Westbank Street Placemaking Project, £12,000 Proposed by Action Porty
To produce a community led, mixed use development masterplan for council owned land at Westbank Street, Portobello.
Westside Plaza, Wester Hailes £20,000 Proposed by Wester Hailes Community Trust
Charrette to develop a masterplan for Westside Plaza with the aim of creating a civic square at the heart of Wester Hailes town centre.
Minister for Local Government, Kevin Stewart said: “I am pleased we received so many applications from a mixture of local authorities and community groups, keen to get local people involved in plans to improve their area.
“This scheme and every project supported by it creates more opportunities for communities to choose what works for them.
“Each project has its own design challenge, whether it is a plan to regenerate an area of a city centre or looking at a smaller site in a rural community. All of these projects should lead to improvements that will create benefit for hundreds of people.”
Making Places expands on the Charette programme, offering end to end support for community capacity building, design events and project delivery. The successful projects sharing a total of £311,890 are:
Ayr North £25,000 Proposed by South Ayrshire Council
Design workshops to develop a community action plan and vision, including development of play space and community garden on site of Whitletts Primary schools.
New Cumnock £4,005 Proposed by New Cumnock Development Trust
Community design events to develop a regeneration masterplan within the New Cumnock Community Action Plan.
Carlibar Park, Barrhead £6,000 Proposed by East Renfrewshire Council
Design workshop to create a masterplan for the town centre greenspace.
Mayfield £13,400 Proposed by McSence Ltd for In It Together Partnership
Series of workshops to involve the community in developing a masterplan for Mayfield & Easthouses.
Westside Plaza, Wester Hailes £20,000 Proposed by Wester Hailes Community Trust
Charrette to develop a masterplan for Westside Plaza with the aim of creating a civic square at the heart of Wester Hailes town centre.
Woodside Improvements £30,000 Proposed by Queens Cross Housing Association
Workshops to develop an action plan for physical and environmental improvements to the Woodside area of North Glasgow.
Scalloway £15,000 Proposed by Shetland Islands Council
Design workshops to consider the future development of Scalloway and develop a Local Place Plan.
Foxbar £15,000 Proposed by Renfrewshire Council
Workshops to support the local community to develop a Local Place Plan.
Dunfermline £24,810 Proposed by Carnegie Dunfermline Trust
Community led event to develop a masterplan for a key area in Dunfermline town centre.
Maryhill & Ruchill £5,000 Proposed by Maryhill Housing Association
Walking events and place workshops to identify community priorities and improvement projects.
Leith £35,000 Proposed by Citizen Curator & Leith Creative
Develop and pilot a People’s Place Plan for Leith, following the successful Leith Blueprint which created a community report.
Helensburgh £15,000 Proposed by Argyll & Bute Council
Community consultation to create a vision and masterplan to inform the future planning process.
Inverkeithing £15,000 Proposed by Fife Council
Community activities to deliver a Master Plan for Inverkeithing, focusing on community assets, strengths, interests and values.
Kirriemuir £10,000 Proposed by Kirriemuir Community Council
Develop an architectural plan for the Gairie Works site, a key priority identified in the Kirriemuir Charrette funded by Angus Council.
Clydebank £20,000 Proposed by West Dunbartonshire Council
Design-led project concentrating on Forth & Clyde canal and connection to Clydebank town centre.
Falkland £25,175 Proposed by Falkland & Newton of Falkland Community Council
Charrette to develop a vision and design statement for Falkland and its immediate environs which will combine spatial, social and economic strategies and solutions.
Glasgow, Phoenix Nursery, Test Unit £9,500 Proposed by Agile City Community Interest Company
Project to progress ideas generated by Charrettes into physical prototypes that test assumptions and engage with local audiences.
Pollokshields: Mark Makers, £12,000 Proposed by The Pollokshields Trust
Develop plans for the creation of the ‘East Pollokshields Urban Common’ on the site of a derelict bowling green.
Portobello: Westbank Street Placemaking Project, £12,000 Proposed by Action Porty
To produce a community led, mixed use development masterplan for council owned land at Westbank Street, Portobello.
Further details of the Making Places Initiative and how to apply for support is available online
CAN Community Action North drop-in event at North Edinburgh Arts
Friday 24 November 12 – 1pm
All welcome
nov 24th regen drop in
Aspiring Communities Fund support for local project CAN
Community and third sector projects have been allocated a share of £29 million, to find new ways to tackle poverty and improve people’s lives. Among them is North Edinburgh’s Community Action North (CAN), awarded over £200,000 from the Aspiring Communities Fund. Continue reading Can we tackle poverty? Yes, we CAN!
It’s not only Muirhouse that’s changing – the regeneration of Craigmillar continues apace …
Glasgow-based construction firm CCG (Scotland) Ltd is continuing to deliver affordable housing for the city of Edinburgh with a sustained focus in the east of the city where the company is currently building 111 new affordable homes as part of the first phase of the Craigmillar Town Centre Masterplan on behalf of Dunedin Canmore – part of Wheatley Group. Scheduled for completion in summer 2018, sites 19 and 20 will consist of 54 new homes for social rent and a further 57 for mid-market rent.
The Craigmillar Town Centre Masterplan will see this entire area in the East of the city transformed through the creation of more affordable homes and a new retail centre, along with a public square and neighbouring community play park.
The new development at sites 19 and 20 builds on other work CCG has delivered in the area over the past three years, including the development of the former Niddrie Mill Primary School into ‘The Schoolhouse’ – a mixed-tenure development of 66 homes, as well as the creation of the Thistle Foundation Centre for Health and Wellbeing.
CCG Director, Calum Murray said: “These 111 new homes will provide high quality, affordable housing for the community of Craigmillar as well as contributing toward the city’s affordable housing supply. These are not the only benefits as through this development CCG is also creating valued work placements and apprenticeships with four trade apprentices currently based on site, as well as donating money and resources to local initiatives such as the Craigmillar Literacy Trust, Grass Roots Clothing and the Castlebrae School Memorial Garden.”
The new homes are being constructed using a timber frame system that is manufactured in CCG’s bespoke off-site manufacturing facility in Cambuslang. Delivered to site complete with insulation, internal wall linings, windows and doors pre-installed, the system brings assurances of quality and a faster speed of construction – the entire development was completed wind and water tight in just 29 weeks. Also highly energy efficient, the thermal performance of the timber frame system will bring long-term energy savings for future residents who will begin to move in early 2018.
As Craigmillar 19 and 20 has progressed, CCG has also worked with the City of Edinburgh Council on an additional development in Craigmillar, sites 12-15, as well as a new 75-home residential development in Greendykes.
Mr Murray continued: “The Craigmillar Town Centre Masterplan is a project for the long term as we hope to deliver a further 194 homes at Craigmillar 12-15 in 2018. In addition, we are continuing to work in other areas of the city and the new development at Greendykes will bring much needed affordable housing to the area. Our developments team has worked tirelessly to bring this site forward and we hope to have our spades in the ground in summer 2018.”
Housing and Economy Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, Cllr Gavin Barrie added: “These new developments at Craigmillar town centre will provide much needed new housing in the east of Edinburgh, with homes for social and mid-market rent.
“The developments in Greendykes and Craigmillar are a brilliant example of how the Council and our housing association partners are delivering on the joint commitment to build 20,000 new affordable homes in Edinburgh over the next 10 years.
“The Council’s commitment alongside Dunedin Canmore won’t just deliver new homes – we expect our investment to deliver community benefits, provide opportunities for local businesses as well as allowing apprentices to continue their training.”
With demolition across the £1 billion Edinburgh St James site progressing well, TH Real Estate, alongside main contractor Laing O’Rourke, has reaffirmed its commitment to Edinburgh by announcing new investment figures. Continue reading St James Centre redevelopment ‘already making positive economic contribution’
People to have say in the design of their area
Communities across Scotland can bid to take part in a new £325,000 scheme to regenerate their neighbourhood, Local Government Minister Kevin Stewart has announced. The Making Places Initiative will help bring communities together to agree improvements for their area based on local need and priorities.
The expanded scheme has grown from the success of a previous Charette programme which teamed local people with design professionals to look at what would improve their places and communities. This new initiative will continue to offer support for events of this type alongside more comprehensive support to deliver on these ideas.
Minister for Local Government Kevin Stewart said: “From the Borders to the Western Isles, the people who live, work and socialise in our communities have the best local knowledge to consider how that place should evolve and regenerate and I would encourage people across the country to consider applying.
“This new Making Places Initiative allows more opportunities for communities to choose what works for them. It takes the success we’ve seen through community collaboration and increases the focus on encouraging and enabling more and more people to become involved.”
Muirhouse Walkabout
Tuesday 8th August, 1 – 3pm
THE HOARDINGS PROJECT EXHIBITION
Wednesday 28 June 3.30 – 5.30pm
North Edinburgh Arts
