A lease has finally been agreed for a troubled community centre in Dumbiedykes almost four years after it shut down.
A previous deal to lease the Braidwood Centre collapsed after a dispute with the council over meeting the cost of repairs.
But after a second marketing process, the building will now be leased to the School of Ancient Crafts (SAC), a charity which specialises in living history workshops for schools and community groups.
The council say SAC provided a “strong” business case outlining how community access will be maintained throughout the year. The group will take over the site at a £1 per annum peppercorn rent for 10 years.
The centre closed in December 2022 when its management committee, made up of local volunteers, disbanded.
While parts of the centre were used by Canongate Youth as a temporary base while their South Bridge home was refurbished, the council sought a permanent tenant.
The Greyfriars Charteris Centre in the Southside was in advanced negotiations to take over the site in 2024, but there were concerns that open community access could be restricted.
The deal eventually broke down over who would cover repair costs, with the community group refusing to cover the costs of any repairs over £5,000 in each year of the lease.
The School of Ancient Crafts has agreed to cover the costs of all repairs and promised to maintain open access to the centre year-round.
Dr Romain Viguier, 56, an SAC trustee, says this will be achieved through a “balance” between allowing private bookings for classes at specified times to maintain income and opening the space for free community use.
He explained that local luminaries, charities, and community groups will soon be invited to a meeting of the new steering group to determine how the space can meet the needs of locals.
Dr Viguier said: “Our priority is to reopen the doors and create a welcoming place where local people can meet, take part, share ideas and help shape what happens there.
“We want the Centre to grow with the community and to reflect the interests, needs and creativity of the people who live locally.”
He added plans include arts and language classes, wellbeing sessions, environmental activities, education, volunteering and skills development.
There will also be space for local groups and organisations to meet, run activities and develop their own ideas.
The business plan includes free and low-cost community provision alongside income-generating activities, with the aim of keeping the Centre accessible while supporting its long-term sustainability.
Dr Viguier added: “We already have many ideas, but the most important thing is to listen and build the programme together.
“We want Braidwood to be a place where someone can come for a coffee, join a class, meet neighbours, volunteer, organise an activity, learn a new skill or simply feel part of the community.
“We are very excited about the next stage and look forward to working with local residents to bring the Centre back to life.”
City councillors, when the lease was approved by the Finance and Resources Committee on Thursday, were particularly keen to ensure that local residents be involved in the centre’s governance going forward.
The Greens and the SNP Group in the City Chambers also requested a report in 12 months’ time to assess how well the SAC is meeting their obligations to provide free or low cost activities for the community.
The School of Ancient Crafts has been involved in a number of high-profile projects, but has not had a permanent home, instead making use of different spaces in Edinburgh on an ad hoc basis.
In one of their recent schemes, they recruited more than a dozen people to create an exact replica of an Iron Age log boat.
Six volunteers then paddled the boat across the Forth to Fife and back before the vessel was donated to the Scottish Crannog Centre on the banks of Loch Tay.
Another project saw the group create a reproduction of 37 embroideries originally made by Mary, Queen of Scots, which are now on permanent display in the Royal Apartments at Edinburgh Castle.
Dr Viguier said the aim is to engage people in large, complex projects to facilitate “learning through doing”.
The group aims to continue this work through a variety of initiatives focused on Holyrood Park – just next to the Braidwood Centre – which the group say is of “worldwide importance” to geology and natural history.
They believe the Braidwood Centre, sitting at the intersection of Holyrood Park, the working class area of Dumbiedykes and The University of Edinburgh, could provide the “perfect catalyst” for their educational missions.
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