The Edinburgh Reporter writes that Portobello residents who want to buy the former Portobello Parish Church and halls in Bellfield Street are a little closer to making the dream a reality with a grant from the Scottish Land Fund, theirs being the biggest award among 11 projects across the country.
The £647,500 will help them acquire and develop the property using the terms of the Community Empowerment Act to do so. This legislation allows urban communities to gain the right to buy in certain circumstances. The plan is to convert the buildings into a community hub which can then be used for meetings or a variety of purposes. It will allow a valuable building to be brought back into use for all in the community.
Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Roseanna Cunningham, said: ‘This is the first group to go through the revised Community Right to Buy legislation, which now allows urban groups to apply. I’m keen to see more urban groups take advantage of the opportunities that the extended legislation offers and I’m encouraged to see that the Land Fund is supporting the group to achieve their aims and ambitions.’
The Scottish Government’s draft budget for 2017 – 2018 includes £10 million for the Land Fund and an additional £3.4 million for other land reform measures. Groups considering applying should contact the Big Lottery Fund to discuss their idea at advicescotland@biglotteryfund.org.uk
