The bell that floated up as water filled the gasholder has been taken apart and removed, preparing the iconic structure for restoration
The frame of the historic Granton Gas Holder will remain as part of the city skyline, but serving a completely different purpose as part of the ongoing £1.3 billion restoration project for the Granton Waterfront.
The land will be used to create a new high quality park including dedicated space for public art, a relaxation area and a large outdoor space for events. Trees, shrubs and wildflowers will be planted to improve biodiversity and local habitat in the area.
Work is being carried out on behalf of the Council by McLaughlin & Harvey, using £16.4m from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund and an additional £1.2m from the Scottish Government.
Commenting on the removal of the bell, Council Leader Cammy Day said:-
“Now the bell has gone the contractor can get on with the exciting work to transform the frame back to its original glory which will be seen for miles around.
“The scale and ambition of the gasholder nicely mirrors that of this £1.3bn regeneration project where we are using brownfield land to build a new sustainable 20-minute neighbourhood which is well linked to surrounding communities and is somewhere residents will be proud to live.
“We’ve already started building some of the thousands of environmentally friendly affordable homes planned and active travel routes, along with recently completing the restoration of the former Granton Station building to become a modern workplace and cultural hub, with public square.”
UK Government Minister for Levelling Up, Dehenna Davison, added:
“The Granton gasholder has been part of Edinburgh’s skyline for over 120 years, and will soon be brought back to life as a real community asset.
“We’re delighted to have supported this project through £16.4 million from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund which will ensure this iconic structure will serve as a beacon to people in the area for many years to come.”
Originally opened in 1901 at a cost of £18,968, Granton’s Gas Holder was one of 12 gas storage tanks for the greater Edinburgh area. Measuring 76 by 46 metres, the structure is held together by over 100,000 rivets and has been painted 72 times.
