Action Porty are celebrating as the Scottish Land Fund (SLF) has agreed to give them 100% funding to acquire the former police station in the High Street.
SLF announced the £499,570 funding as part of a suite of awards to preserve several properties in various parts of Scotland for community use. In all they have given 16 grants totalling £2,164,121 to projects, and this is one of the biggest.
With their background in procuring and running Bellfield Parish Church – the first Community Asset Purchase in Scotland – the development trust says it will learn from their experience. The trust have also confirmed that this building will be run quite separately from Bellfield so that they are complementary and not competitors.
The group will use the space to create new studios and workspaces for artists, community organisations and community activities in a central, high-street location.
Justin Kenrick, Chair, Action Porty, said: “We are overjoyed to have secured this crucial funding from SLF. It will enable our community to bring this iconic building back to life as an engine of economic, social and cultural life on our High Street.”
Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary, Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, said: “These latest projects to be supported by the Scottish Land Fund show the incredible variety in the way community ownership can enhance an area, by preserving much loved land or buildings or maintaining vital services. I know this investment will make a real difference right across the country.”
Cara Gillespie, Scottish Land Fund Committee Chair said: “From saving iconic buildings and giving them a new purpose, to providing communities with the backing to take over village shops and to purchase land on which they can build essential housing, the Community Land Fund continues to support projects that enhance lives in both urban and rural areas of Scotland.”
Sandra Holmes, Head of community assets at HIE, said: “These projects highlight the incredible impact of communities taking charge of their own future. By securing vital assets, they’re safeguarding essential services while creating places that support jobs, attract visitors and bring people together. Community ownership is a powerful tool for lasting change, strengthening the local economy and building resilience for generations to come. We can’t wait to see what these inspiring ventures achieve next.”
Portobello is just one station in Edinburgh being sold by The Scottish Police Authority. Others include Balerno sold earlier this year and the former HQ at Fettes.
The move has been made over the last fifteen months since Action Porty held a “well-attended discussion” of concerns about the future of the former Portobello Police Station, which Police Scotland had declared surplus to their needs. The outcome of this discussion was an agreement that the Police Station should be retained by the community. The SPA agreed to accept an offer during the summer.
The trust said they will now progress the planning application with a view to completing the purchase by March 2026.
