Progress made in securing Gorgie Farm's re-opening in Edinburgh despite setbacks

An update has been issued on the future of Gorgie Farm with the advisory board in charge of the site saying they have taken a ‘significant step forward’ despite several ‘setbacks.’

The potential reopening of the site has been derailed by dangerous buildings, frozen pipes, flooding as well as the barn roof being partially blown off and the collapse of a ceiling.

When a survey was carried out, structural damage was discovered and this resulted in the Farm site having to remain closed to the public for safety reasons.

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This has halted the board’s ability to make progress with the site with an eye to reopening in some fashion in the near future.

Despite the hiccups, those looking after the site have continued to make progress, with a new Company Limited By Guarantee being formed which will lead to an application for charitable status in the near future.

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This has been supported by EVOC (Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council) alongside an advisory group.

The new company will lead on future development on the site, and local people will play an important role in progressing medium and long term ambitions for the Farm.

Locals have already contributed their desires and opinions for what a future Gorgie Farm will look like through an extensive community consultation exercise that was led by project partner Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership.

Farm site manager Suzanne Campbell said: “The Farm has a very special place in the hearts of the people of Gorgie, Dalry and the wider city, and the input of local people to what the site might look like in the future has been outstanding. It’s taken longer than we hoped to start to put together options for its future, but we are now in the process of preparing a report which will be presented to the Council in August.”

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The report will outline four fully costed options for the future of the Gorgie Farm site and will be presented to Edinburgh City Council’s culture & communities committee on August 24 2024.