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PHOTO - ELGT
Playtime at the park
Westfield House acquired for the local community
By STAFF REPORTERTHE COUNCIL PLANS to spend £600,
creating new permanent toilet facilities
in three parks - The Meadows, Inverleith
Park and Leith Links - with new buildings
expected to be in place by the school
summer holidays.
The structures will be modular, and
will not be the same portable temporary
units provided in past years. The council
says these will be a “viable and attractive
solution” and that they can be fully
customised to each location.
There will be at least one wheelchair
accessible toilet, a changing places
facility and a gender-neutral toilet
incorporated in each location. Local
communities have been involved in
identifying the most suitable sites and it
is expected a contractor will be
appointed by the beginning of April.
The council will also discuss installing
lighting and other groundworks such as
paths around the toilets with the
successful contractor.
Discussions have also taken place with
Edinburgh Leisure on the possibility of
incorporating publicly accessible toilets
in works which are to be carried out at
Portobello Swim Centre, although this
part of the project may not be feasible
until next year.
The cost is expected to be in the region
of £220,000 and although funding is still
to be allocated, there was around £4.
million set aside for parks in the last
financial year.
The proposal includes provision for
male and female toilets, baby change
facilities, disabled facilities and external
showers. The council says it is likely to be
cheaper than providing a standalone
facility planned for Straiton Place Park.Delight from Montgomery Street friends group and local kids
By STAFF REPORTERTHE HUB which has become
home to Corstorphine
Community Centre (CCC) after it
lost its previous building in a fire
more than a decade ago is now in
community ownership.
The building, formerly an office
known as Westfield House on Kirk
Loan, has been bought from The
City of Edinburgh Council.
A spokesperson for CCC said:
“It has been a long journey to
secure a new home for a
community centre in the heart of
Corstorphine following the fire in2013 which devastated the
Public Hall.
“We are more than grateful to
the individuals and organisations
who have got us to this point,
offering invaluable expertise and
time, and raising and awarding
funding over the 10 plus years it
has taken.
“We now have a building,
which is situated in the heart of
Corstorphine which will be
devoted to promoting both
community wellbeing and our
activities. We will do this by being
the home for organisations
needing a local base, bydelivering a growing programme
of activities in-house, by
providing letting space for groups
and organisations to deliver their
activities within Corstorphine,
and by offering space for events.
“The next big task, so that this
all becomes a reality, is to make
the building fit for purpose by
ensuring it is fully accessible,
inviting to use, and
environmentally sound. It will be
a major works programme and
plans are already in the making.
“We want to ensure that the
end result is a community centre
for the 21st century, with a viablebusiness model, which serves and
enhances life for folk in our
community.”
As the council approved the
transfer last year Cllr Mandy Watt,
council Finance and Resources
Convener said: “The centre put
forward a really detailed and
community-focused bid for the
building which will now offer a
wide range of activities, promote
health-wellbeing and ensure
social interaction for local
disadvantaged groups. This is a
real win for the area and will be
an important community hub for
the citizens of Corstorphine.”By STAFF REPORTERFRIENDS OF MONTGOMERY STREET
PARK were happy when the ribbon was cut at
the new play park at Montgomery Street
following its £315,000 refurbishment.
Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust
(ELGT) worked with the Friends and local
residents to identify the best play equipment.EQUIPMENT
A local landscape architect produced a design
that also included green space improvements.
A variety of equipment to cater for all ages
has been installed including:- A standing rope swing, a trunk pile, swings, a
Huck climbing rocket, a climber for all unit
and sloping monkey bars for junior ages - A dragonfly see-saw, and a magnify post for
toddlers- A trampoline and a roundabout for
wheelchairs users
TREES
Twenty large trees were also planted through
Tree Time which will help towards Edinburgh’s
Million Tree City Initiative.
Cllr Val Walker, Convener of Culture and
Communities, performed the ceremony and
said: “It was an absolute pleasure to open the
new play park at Montgomery Street Park. I’d
like to thank Edinburgh and Lothians
Greenspace Trust for all their fantastic work on
this. I have many fond memories of bringing
my son and his friends to this park over the
years, and I’m sure this will be a great asset to
the local area.”
Charlie Cumming, ELGT Chief Executive,said: “We have helped the local community
deliver the upgraded play area at Montgomery
Street Park along with the Friends and the
council. The play equipment will help meet the
needs of the local children now and for future
generations and will encourage greater use of
the park for local families”
A spokesperson for The Friends of
Montgomery Street Park, said: “The Friends are
love seeing children and families enjoying the
new facilities in the play park.
“Not only that, the new wheelchair friendly
and all-age adapted activities allow children
with disabilities to be included in the fun.
“The old play park has been loved by
generations of local children but was showing
its age, so it is great to see our newly upgraded
play park come to life with the help of the
council and ELGT.”Pennies to be
spent in lieu
Cllr Walker at
Montgomery
Street ParkGET IN TOUCH
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