Gordon MacDonald believes the acquisition of Balerno Police Station by Balerno Village Trust (BVT) is “fantastic” news for the area.
The MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands also urged local tradespeople to volunteer to help up-grade the building.
MacDonald was in a party which included Dr Scott Arthur, MP for Edinburgh South West, and Richard Henderson, chairman of Balerno Community Council, who were given a preview of ambitious plans to transform the former police station into a community hub.
Emma Galloway, the BVT chair and a leading player in the acquisition, showed the guests round and MacDonald commented: “Balerno Village Trust have done a tremendous amount of work here and I wrote a letter of support because I think it will be a fantastic asset for Balerno.
“We have seen how successful The Hub has been at Juniper Green and the community space which currently exists at Balerno is the small hall.
“This facility which provide child care and will provide meeting places for the community. There are a lot of clubs in the area looking for space.”
An after-school club features in plans and MacDonald said: “When my kids were young you only needed one person to actually work, nowadays, the cost of housing in Edinburgh means that both parents need to work and they can only do that if somebody looks after the children.”
He agreed that previously the local pub was a popular meeting place but MacDonald, who has represented Pentlands since 2011, added: “It is very important to have a meeting place.
“You build a community with a people coming together with a common aim, supporting each other, and that is what we need in this day and age.
“This facility is so central, it is at the heart of the village, the church is across the road, and the main street is nearby.
“The police station is within easy walking distance of the community of Balerno and we need to make sure we get it up and running as soon as possible.”
He added: “We need trades people in Balerno to come and give a hand.”
VISITORS: (left to right) David Spacey (BVT), Richard Henderson, Gordon MacDonald, Dr Scott Arthur and Emma Galloway. Picture by Nigel Duncan
