Tag: waterfront

Forthquarter Park remains open while investigations continue

Forthquarter Park open as usual while environmental officers carry out tests at old gasworks site

Investigaations into contamination on the former Granton gasworks site are underway after local residents raised concerns over an unusual number of pet dog deaths following visits to Forthquarter Park. Environmental health officers are working with National Grid, the owners of the park, to investigate the reports but the park remains open while the tests are ongoing. Continue reading Forthquarter Park remains open while investigations continue

Carols by Candlelight on the waterfront

CAROLS by CANDLELIGHT

church

 Sunday 18 December 5pm
Destiny Church North 
7 Waterfront Broadway, EH5 1SA (Morrisons complex)
We invite you to an unforgettable Christmas experience packed with carols and led by a live band and choir. Mulled wine and mince pies will be served. All welcome!

For further information contact:

Destiny Church North

7 Waterfront Broadway, EH5 1SA
(Morrisons complex)

0131 555 2707

Admission free

Walled Garden campaigners to state their case

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The Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden will be laying out their plans to landowners later today. Developers plan to build housing on the waterfront site, but the Friends group argues that the historic garden should be brought back to it’s former glory for the use of the local community.

A Friends group delegation will set out their vision for the restoration of the garden as a focus for community renewal in a presentation to  the EDI group’s management team this afternoon.

Granton Castle Walled Garden is currently owned by the EDI Group, an ‘arms-length’ development compnay wholly-owned by the city council, who previously submitted a planning application to build luxury houses on the garden site.

However The Friends group argue that the garden should be:

a garden for all to enjoy, with a range of learning growing and arts activities and a diverse events programme.

a restored market garden run by the local community, supplying organic produce directly to local people, businesses and schools, and

a living heritage garden, serving as a gateway to the waterfront development and a social hub for existing and future communities.

At the meeting, FoGCWG will stress that all local community groups share the aim of retaining the garden as open space.

The Friends prepared specific proposals for the development of the walled garden as a community asset after the EDI Group appointed architects to prepare a new masterplan for Granton Waterfront. FoGCWG are keen that their proposals for the garden should be incorporated in the new masterplan.

Specific features of the proposals include a visitor centre and cafe, a kitchen garden, a heritage orchard, a workshop and demonstration area, a sanctuary garden. a medicinal and pigment garden, a restored glasshouse and a polytunnel.

Friends chairperson Kirsty Sutherland said: “With these proposals, an important part of Granton’s heritage can become a catalyst for development and community renewal on Edinburgh’s Waterfront. They offer a wide range of benefits in terms of health and wellbeing, social cohesion, cross-cultural integration, community education and local capacity-building.

“The restoration of Granton Castle Walled Garden as a community asset is supported by a wide range of local stakeholders and national organisations.”

You can contact the Friends group by email at grantoncastlegardengroup@gmail.com

The group also has a website at https://grantoncastlewalledgarden.wordpress.com/

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Good news for Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden

Hi friends and supporters,
FG logo circular
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
4th August meeting with Andy Wightman
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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Growing hope for Walled Garden

Good news for Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden

Friends

Hi everyone,
Some startling news has been confirmed by the planning department: Waterfront Edinburgh Limited have officially withdrawn their 2003 planning application to build inside the Walled Garden (writes Kirsty Sutherland)!
Some of you will have heard this miraculous news already as committee members, but I felt this news had to be confirmed by the planning department before sharing with everyone.

Continue reading Growing hope for Walled Garden

Friends to hold first AGM

A year of growth for Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden

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Hi folks,
I can’t believe it has been a year, and it is time to take stock of the year’s events and achievements, and look forward to what we could do together.
  • Latest news, chance to discuss ideas and ask questions, and find out about events upcoming with our Scotland’s Urban Past project being supported by Historic Environment Scotland.
  • Apples and a few other surprises from Eve’s Apple Shack!
Hope to see you at our upcoming AGM – help us raise awareness of our campaign to save the last of Scotland’s Lost Gardens.
Kirsty Sutherland, Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden