Petitions Committee will hear case by the Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden tomorrow

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There are only two petitions being heard tomorrow afternoon by the Petitions Committee and one of these has three times the number of supporters it needs to be valid.

This may show the passion which the campaigners have, or it may show the desire in the locality for more to be done with a green area of land which has been closed off to the public for at least 10 years.

In any case the campaigners choose to see the fact that the council’s petitions committee has brought forward their hearing as very good news indeed.

We met with them earlier in the week when they were busy compiling their case for the committee. They were quick to point out that the reason they want to preserve the garden is partly for reasons of heritage, but also to provide food for people in the area. This group has been constituted for some time and they are confident that there will be funding opportunities for them to tap into if they can only get the legal title to the ground sewn up in some way, whether as a lease or a sale by the council who own it. In particular they have a source for funding to create a new access gateway. They explained that the castle was ‘mistakenly’ demolished in 1920 with the stone being used for building. Part of the stone is used on Nelson’s statue in London’s Trafalgar Square. The land which the garden is set out on has been closed to the public for ten years.

You can watch the committee live here.

They issued a statement tonight : ” Our committee decided at the end of August monthly meeting to take action quickly and focus our efforts.

“We now have cross party support from local MSPs, community councils, many local community groups and other expert organisations for the safeguarding of the walled garden from unnecessary housing development.

“The petitions committee meets tomorrow at 2pm in the City Chambers when we hope to represent the views of the Friends Group members and supporters despite the short notice given of the petition hearing tomorrow. We have an outline plan which we have drafted showing the possible uses of the 2 acre garden. Outline design is based on the survey results from the Friends Group, ideas questionnaire, the topography, aspect and historic features of the walled garden.”

The campaigners say that they have until 5 October before the developers who want to build in the area (perhaps no longer on the site of this garden as it has just been zoned “Open Space” in the Local Development Plan approved earlier this week) will make a choice on the garden’s future use.

Taking too long?

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Aerial photo courtesy of the Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden