THE historic Granton Lighthouse in Edinburgh is to be fully refurbished into a community arts and education hub.
The news comes following the City of Edinburgh Council securing £2.278 million in funding from the Scottish Government to reach the required £4.171 million for the project.
Forming part of the wider £1.3 billion regeneration of the Granton Waterfront area, the project will transform the building – once used as a resource to teach lighthouse keepers their trade – into a flexible, accessible modern workspace to be operated by Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust.
The historic building will be fully refurbished to create a learning, enterprise, and exhibition/cafe space. As well as restoring some original features such as the lantern, the outside space will be transformed into a social space for people to sit and relax and enjoy some greenery. Disabled parking and cycle storage will also be provided.
A planning application to carry out the work has been submitted and work could start as early as next year, the local authority said.
The City of Edinburgh Council leader Jane Meagher said, “I’m delighted the funding is now in place to restore this historically significant building to be enjoyed by the local community for generations to come. The former lighthouse building is a strong visual reminder of the area’s history. It will now start a new chapter as it continues to be a place of learning and creativity as well as a focal point for the local community to meet. Arts and Education Trust Out of the Blue were selected as a suitable operator to lease the building following feedback from local people who told us they need a flexible, accessible work and events space for arts education.
“It’s also another great milestone reached for our £1.3 billion regeneration of the wider area and follows our announcement at the end of last year that the Council had been successful in securing funding for this and several other heritage buildings. This includes funding to refurbish and restore structures such as Madelvic House, Granton Castle Walled Garden and the platforms in Granton Station Square, the latter of which are located beside the beautifully restored former Granton Station building.”
