OVER £188 million is to be invested in improving public buildings in Edinburgh over the next 10 years, the capital’s local authority has announced.
Dozens of schools, libraries, offices, museums, and monuments are to be brought up to a better standard, with £20 million worth of works set aside for the next 12 months.
In a report to finance and resources committee today, City of Edinburgh Council councillors heard how £113.7 million has been invested since 2018 – with 90% of the local authority’s estate now in a good or satisfactory condition.
In the last 12 months, the asset management works programme has successfully upgraded several schools including Parson’s Green Primary, where a new air source heat pump is helping to provide a low carbon heating system, in addition to new roofing with solar panels and LED lighting.
This year, improvements are planned at a further nine schools and early years settings, including the Victorian-built Stockbridge Primary and to Tollcross Nursery, where new windows and improvements to roofing will reduce heat loss.
Notable upgrades have also taken place at the Nelson Monument and Usher Hall, where acoustically designed seating has replaced all 2,200 seats in the 111-year-old auditorium.
Councillor Mandy Watt, finance and resources convener at the City of Edinburgh Council, said, “This is a huge programme of work to make our schools warmer and our community spaces more welcoming. We have close to 600 buildings in the Council estate, some of them up to 200 years old, so it’s important that we maintain these spaces and make them fitter for the future.
“As a result of the investment we’ve made to date, facilities are in a better condition and our carbon footprint has reduced. I’m pleased that we’ve managed to bring over 90% of our estate up to a good or satisfactory standard – up from 83% in 2018 – with further significant improvements planned in the coming year.”
