New homes in Niddrie
Great Saughton Teddy Bear Hunt
Be green this Easter
Busking Bikes
Award for the Grove Community Garden
Work is now underway at a new housing development in Niddrie as the first home arrives on site at the development of 66 new homes.
The photo above shows L-R
• Norrie Davies, Chair, Craigmillar Community Council
• Mark Harris, Head of Development, EDI Group Ltd
• Alister Steele, Managing Director, CastleRock Edinvar Housing Association
• Bruce Lindsay, Development Manager, CCG (Scotland) Ltd)
• Councillor Mike Bridgman, Member of Parc Craigmillar Ltd Board
• Janet McKay, Chair, Niddrie Mill Residents Association
• Calum Murray, Director, CCG (Scotland) Ltd)
• Carole Clydesdale, Niddrie Mill Residents Association
• David Harrold, Regional Director, Halliday Fraser Munro
‘The School House’, which is on the site of the former Niddrie Mill Primary School, will mean that construction and manufacturing specialist CCG (Scotland) Ltd can use the latest off site construction methods to build high quality and environmentally efficient homes in the quickest time possible. The School House will comprise 66 residential properties including 34 flats for social and mid market rent and a further 17 flats and 15 houses for private sale. The sale of private homes will be available with support from the Help to Buy (Scotland) scheme and prices will be released shortly by sales agents, Savills .
The development will sympathetically retain the frontage of the original school building and create vibrant new green space including around the Category C listed memorial for Major General Andrew Gilbert Wauchope of Niddrie Marischal House which will remain at its original location in front of the school building.
The School House forms part of the regeneration programme for Craigmillar being delivered by PARC Craigmillar Ltd. that will see 2,000 new homes, built in the area.
This is what the building looked like on a sunny April day last year, but planning permission was granted to PARC in 2010 to redevelop the former school.
***
The popular Great Saughton Easter Teddy Bear Hunt will take place this Saturday, 4 April in Saughton Park.
Thirty teddies will be hidden throughout the grounds, with prizes awarded to the children who manage to track down all the bears. There will also be lots of art and craft activities and storytelling at what is sure to be a fun day for all the family.
The hunt will start at 12 noon in the Park’s Winter Gardens and children of all ages are welcome to take part.
The last Teddy Bear Hunt attracted hundreds of people and organisers are hoping that this weekend’s event will be every bit as popular.
Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “This is a fantastic day out and a great example of the many events and activities that take place in Edinburgh’s parks throughout the year.
“We are very lucky to have so many wonderful outdoor spaces and I would encourage people to visit their local parks and make the most of them over the Easter holidays.”
The event will also be an opportunity for people to take part in the Saughton Park Consultation, which closes on the 6 April. The historic park is set to undergo a £5.3m renovation to restore some its original 17th century features and members of the public are being asked to comment on the proposed master plan.
Questionnaires will be available at the Bear Hunt and can also be found online.
***
Zero Waste Scotland’s top tips to being greener this Easter:
- When you’re choosing Easter eggs, think about how much packaging they have and check if the packaging can be recycled before you buy.
- Consider a homemade alternative to Easter eggs, such as chocolate nests or brownies – you might even be able to use up some ingredients lurking at the back of your cupboard.
- Make sure packaging is recycled where possible – you can check the on-pack labelling to find out if it can be recycled. www.recycleforscotland.comhas a handy postcode finder to show you where you can recycle it. Or why not keep colourful foil for arts and crafts? The plastic shell for your Easter egg can be kept and used as a mould for next year.
- If you’re making an Easter meal, make sure you check the cupboards and make a list before shopping – this will stop you buying more than you need. Leftover ingredients can be used again the next day – why not make stock from your chicken bones or hash browns from excess potatoes?
***
Spectacular street science is expected to attract large crowds to Edinburgh’s town centres this weekend.
The ‘Busking Bikes’ project is part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival and the City of Edinburgh Council is supporting six performances from 4-14 April.
Each trike carries a box full to the brim with impressive, explosive, messy, and down-right weird science experiments. From the power of water to finding out how carbon capture could save the planet, each demo will explain some of the most interesting science happening today.
As well as watching expert performers do some unforgettable demonstrations, the audience can get stuck in too and learn their own science tricks, from skewering a balloon to launching a rocket.
Councillor Frank Ross, the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This is a really exciting project as we expect the bikes to draw large crowds to each area creating a vibrant atmosphere, colour and life where ever they go. The ‘Busking Bikes’ project is being funded as part of the Council’s Town Centre Strategy to build stronger town centres by driving up footfall to support local businesses.”
Programme:
Saturday April 4 – Portobello Market
Sunday April 5 – Gorgie City Farm
Friday April 10 – Stockbridge Library
Friday April 10 – Morningside Library
Friday April 10 – Costorphine Library
Tuesday April 14 – McDonald Road Library
***
A total of 25 community gardening groups across Scotland have been awarded grants totalling £30,000, by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). This is the second part of a three-year funding programme designed to support community growing across Scotland.
Over 70 groups applied for grants from the charity to help fund local projects. The RHS awarded up to £2,500 to 14 projects and a further 11 projects received small grants of up to £300.
Projects supported by the scheme include The Grove Orchard Project in Edinburgh, awarded £1,500 which will help the group to create a mini orchard on an area of wasteland near the City Centre, as part of a vibrant community growing project using portable planters and recycled materials to transform the site.
We took these photos just after it had opened.03
Sign up here for a daily email from The Edinburgh Reporter !
[mc4wp_form]
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
