Read the story online here


Empty Macrae tenements that residents lived in until cleared in 2008

Published on Monday 28 November 2011 12:13 in the Edinburgh Evening News

The collapse of the Caltongate development has cost the city council more than £110,000 in lost rent, it emerged today.

Nine council-owned flats on the Royal Mile have been lying empty since November 2006 when occupants of the flats were rehoused to allow for the demolition of the building.

The one-bedroom flats would have brought in £110,176 but still lie empty and have now been vandalised. Concerns have been raised about the cost to the council of the flats sitting unused – and about missing a chance to provide short-term social housing.

Demolition of the flats was put on hold due to the collapse of developer Mountgrange in 2009, scuppering its site plans, which included hundreds of homes, offices, a hotel and conference centre, shops and cafes.

Councillor Cammy Day, housing spokesman for the Labour group on the city council, said: “It is a lot of money to lose and £110,000 could have been invested in repairs to people’s homes or even building new ones. It is also a shame ‘clean’ properties are sitting empty for five or six years while people can’t get houses, even though there is no real plan for what to do with that site.

“We have got such a shortage of housing in the city yet, for five years, we have had empty houses. I accept there was a plan for them at first but that is not now going ahead and even if it was for temporary accommodation then at least they could be used for something.”

Mountgrange bought the privately owned flats in the tenements facing demolition but the council still owns nine.

Council chiefs had agreed a deal to sell all the property it owns, including the flats, the C-listed Canongate Venture building and a series of archways on Market Street, but withdrew the assets amid concern about the amount of time it was taking Mountgrange administrator Deloitte to agree a sale.

It is now understood that Ronald Persaud, who was a director of the joint venture firm that announced £100 million plans for the New Street site in 2001, is heading a consortium of South African investors that is closing in on a deal to buy the site.

The council would then be expected to strike a separate deal for the property it owns.

City economic development leader Councillor Tom Buchanan said: “It is disappointing that we are not able to make revenue from rental property on the High Street but we have been working with the administrator to make sure a new owner takes over Caltongate and develops the site. There is a developer that is close to going public on a deal.”

Councillor Paul Edie, the city’s housing leader, said: “The accommodation is not fit-for-purpose. It is damp, and we could not house people there

Hidden Gardens of the Royal Mile - 27th October 2011, Out of the Blue, Dalmeny Street

JEAN BAREHAM launches her book, Hidden Gardens of the Royal Mile, at the 15th Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair

JEAN BAREHAM launches her book, Hidden Gardens of the Royal Mile, at the 15th Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair

JEAN BAREHAM launches her book, Hidden Gardens of the Royal Mile, at the 15th Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair

JEAN BAREHAM launches her book, Hidden Gardens of the Royal Mile, at the 15th Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair

Thursday 27 October 2011 at 7.30pm 

Venue:

Out of the Blue Drill Hall

30-38 Dalmeny Street

Edinburgh

EH6 8RG

Scotland

UK.

All Welcome!

Free! Donations welcome!

JEAN BAREHAM launches her book on these hidden gardens and discusses their history, new research on children's gardens created in early twentieth-century slums, and shares interviews with people who garden.

Jean Bareham founded Greenyonder Tours. Jean says: 'I love showing guests all kinds of green space, whether it's a beautiful historic site, a wildlife garden, or a spot of guerrilla gardening.  While researching Hidden Gardens of the Royal Mile I became inspired by Patrick Geddes - a century ago, believing that people in cities suffer from 'nature starvation', he created children's gardens in Edinburgh's Old Town. I've researched these sites and show them in the tour By Leaves We Live - at the same time showing what communities today are doing to create growing spaces around the city.'

Jean Bareham is a qualified English language teacher. 

 

JANE GARVEN, early years teacher at Cowgate Under Fives Centre, will join Jean will at the book event. Jane will talk about an innovative programme which introduces under-fives to nature in Johnston Terrace Wildlife Garden, right in the heart of the Old Town, using an approach called Forest School. 

Thursday 27 October 2011 at 7.30pm 

Venue:

Out of the Blue Drill Hall

30-38 Dalmeny Street

Edinburgh

EH6 8RG

Scotland

UK.

All Welcome!

Free! Donations welcome!

JEAN BAREHAM launches her book on these hidden gardens and discusses their history, new research on children's gardens created in early twentieth-century slums, and shares interviews with people who garden.

Jean Bareham founded Greenyonder Tours. Jean says: 'I love showing guests all kinds of green space, whether it's a beautiful historic site, a wildlife garden, or a spot of guerrilla gardening.  While researching Hidden Gardens of the Royal Mile I became inspired by Patrick Geddes - a century ago, believing that people in cities suffer from 'nature starvation', he created children's gardens in Edinburgh's Old Town. I've researched these sites and show them in the tour By Leaves We Live - at the same time showing what communities today are doing to create growing spaces around the city.'

Jean Bareham is a qualified English language teacher. 

 

JANE GARVEN, early years teacher at Cowgate Under Fives Centre, will join Jean will at the book event. Jane will talk about an innovative programme which introduces under-fives to nature in Johnston Terrace Wildlife Garden, right in the heart of the Old Town, using an approach called Forest School. 

Canongate Venture in need of TLC

School that saved lives of poorest children fights for its own survival

The New Street building has barely been used in the past four years. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Published on Friday 14 October 2011 02:54 in Edinburgh's Evening News

Campaigners trying to bring a neglected former school building in Edinburgh’s Old Town back into public use have published a major study shedding new light on its little-known key role in the history of education.

It is hoped the research will boost a campaign to rescue the listed building on New Street from demolition and have it turned into a new literary and publishing hub.

The building was brought back into use for the first time in four years in August when it played host to a major Edinburgh Art Festival exhibition.

But its future has been thrown into doubt after the city council, which owns the building, confirmed it is in talks with a prospective new owner which would see it demolished.

The former North Canongate Infant School, on New Street, where some of the poorest youngsters in the capital were taught, helped shape the crucial Children’s Act of 1908, according to the new research.

Its long-time headteacher, Andrew Young, who later became an MP, was a key witness to a House of Commons study which led to the ground-breaking legislation being introduced.

The study has also found that the building was designed by Edinburgh’s celebrated schools architect John Alexander Carfrae.

The building was turned into a vegetable market in 1938 and later became home to a crafts centre, offices and workshops before being vacated by the council in 2007.

It was due to be demolished, along with a nearby listed building, to make way for a five-star hotel and conference centre.

Although the development was approved by the council and the Scottish Government, the plans collapsed after the developers plunged into administration. However, the council still harbours hopes of reviving the development and is in talks with a potential buyer about taking on the previous scheme.

A conservation study on the former school carried out by Adam Dudley Architects, for the Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust, which wants the council to keep the building in public use, states it is “in danger of being demolished” despite being in “generally sound” condition and calls for action to be carried out as soon as possible to “ensure its long-term survival”.

Sean Bradley, chairman of the trust, said: “It is clear from this study that its historical significance is much greater than was previously known and it even appears to have been downplayed over the years.

“The idea we’re exploring is to bring it back into use as a publishing hub combined with a literacy centre, which would become a vital part of the jigsaw for a vibrant literary quarter in this part of the city.”

Edinburgh architect Neil Simpson, a board member of the trust, said “The school building is firmly embedded in the social history of the Canongate and will always remain a potent symbol of community focus.”

However, Tom Buchanan, economic development leader at the council, said any new owners would likely want to avoid going through a new planning process He said: “The most important thing for us is to avoid having a huge gap site in one of the most historic parts of the city.”

A council spokesman said: “We are currently looking into various options regarding the future use of the Caltongate site.”

Free Energy Efficiency Workshops

Thugs assault Old Towner

Don't want to cause a moral panic but this is an ongoing issue -I have had people injecting and smoking crack in my stair however not for a long time, the council and the police dealt with it well but not before two complete strangers walked into my house, surprisingly when I told them to go away they did and were very polite, however then checked my neighbours doors!!  Operation Armour tells Old Towners to make sure our stair doors are closed and not to let strangers into the stair but this is near impossible when in some tenements the majority of former homes are now holiday homes and holiday lets.

To read more about the incident read here

Hopefully this is not a massive issue and we hope the old Towners heals well and the problem is dealt with quickly.

If you have concerns you should always contact the police on 999 (if it is an emergency) and 0131 311 3131 to speak to a community police officer part of Safer Neighbourhood Teams

Acheson House Courtyard is coming on

 Acheson House Courtyard in April 2011

Acheson House Courtyard August 2011

Despite being rained off a few times the gardening project is going well at Acheson House at Bakehouse Close.  All the weeds are gone as well as the elder tree.  Weeding and removing roots are heartbreaking work but there are lots of worms to play with.  We hope to have the raised beds up in the next couple of weeks.  

Learning about compost - who need though it was a debating subject though?

If you want to get involved in the Patrick Geddes Gardening Club please email pggclub@yahoo.co.uk. All are welcome

Patrick Geddes Gardening Club Gardening Classes at Acheson House Community Courtyard

Gardening Workshop on soil - we hope to have lots of worms in our soil

The Patrick Geddes Gardening Club in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council, Bridgend Allotments and the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust are organising gardening classes at Acheson House Community Courtyard.

Google map can be found here 

 Acheson House Community Courtyard overgrown as it was used as a bit of a midden for 2 decades - Jean, Jean and Gordon hard at work

With a little help from the City Centre Neighbourhood Partnership it is cleared

The first gardening class is  on Thursay 21st July 2011 from 16:30 to 18:30 at the Acheson Courtyard, behind the Edinburgh Museum 142 Canongate.

The first class will be about soil and raised beds.

If you can come please do - don't worry if you can't make the full 2 hours.

If you are coming please ensure you have good shoes or boots on, bring gloves if you have them (but don't worry if you dont - we have some).  Expect rain.  Bring juice or water or a flask of tea/coffee.  Biscuits will be provided.

There is no cost for the class and all are welcome, though you will be expected to work in the garden on the basis of each according to their abilty, each according to their need.

The next classes are 4th August, 11th August 2011 and 18th August 2011 from 16:30 to 18:30.  

For further information please contact Chiara Ronchini on  0131 220 7734 or chiararonchini@ewht.org.uk

Everyone is welcome

Exhibition of Old Town Artists Nell Dunnand Kenny Skeel, Storytelling Centre

Kenny Skeel's painting he did for the Declaration of Calton Hill in 2004 - on display at the Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh

Kenny Skeel, this picture was taken after waking from Cranston Street to Musselburgh in a downpour (photo by Eddie Truman)

In 2009 the Old Town recieved a shocking blow when both Kenny Skeel and Nell Dunn died of cancer.  Both were artists, beautiful artists.  They had lived in Cranston Street since 1974 however Kenny was born in Drummond Street in 1948 delivered by his next door neighbour, where ever he went in the world he would proudly claim he was "fae Drummond Street" regardless whether he was in Leith or Kabul.

I didn't really know Nell, only to say hello to her in the street as she was a close neighbour, but I was a good friend of Kenny's - he was not only a friend and neighbour but an activist in Save Our Old Town and previous to that for the Campaign for Democracy on Calton Hill.

Their work is currently on display until 26th July 2011 at the Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High street, open 10-6 Saturday to Sunday covered a wide creative spectrum: paintings, etchings, prints, exquisite pen and ink drawings, sculptures, banners, graphics, murals, sign-writing, shop fronts, specialist interior decoration, private and public commissions. Nell travelled the length and breadth of Scotland, and overseas, undertaking her very versatile and personal style of painting and interior decoration, leaving her mark on many private homes and public spaces. Kenny, well known for his distinctive shop fronts and murals, a ‘free-thinker’ and great raconteur, he was a Jack of all trades and a Master of many. This exhibition pays tribute to their achievements and memories.

Alongside the paintings and etchings are photos of Nell and Kenny going back to their childhoods - Kenny fae Drummond Street attend Jimmy Clerk's on St John's Hill and Nell from Airth.  Kenny sported the most glorious of beards throughout his life, a beard that would make Karl Marx jealous.

So if you have time come and pop in to the exhibition whether you knew Kenny or Nell or not you will love their work.

Obituries to Kenny here and here