Hello everyone.

Many thanks to you all for coming down on this damp and dreich evening to discuss
this old farmhouse and tremendous property behind us. It's brilliant to see such a variety of people here
and really hope that we can gather together our different views and ideas about its possible preservation
and re-development and how that could taken forward after today. I know that there are a variety of
local residents here, as well as representatives from the Bridgend Cottages Association, Craigmillar
Woods Action Group, the Bridgend Community Allotments, Health-in-Mind, Enable, the
Developments Trust, Moray House for Education, EVOC, Richmond Cafe and food co-op, Transition
Edinburgh South, Craigmillar Ability Network, and hopefully many others, as well as local councillor
Tom Buchanan.

We are also very fortunate to have with us hear David Jenkins who is the Chairman of the Board of
Governors of DunEdin school, who bought out an old historic building in disrepair in Liberton called
Liberton Bankhouse and through much renovation and work re-generated it into a small independent
specialist school. We are also in the company of the couple who last owned this farmhouse and cottage
before the council purchased it in 2000, Doris and Harry Darling

First let me say that I am not originally from this area, but first noticed the building in February this
year through participating at the community allotments here. It always seemed like a fantastic space
and presence in the area, which seemed to hold so much potential for developing some of these local
projects. As I began to speak to more people about it I found the interest was quite substantial, and had
in fact been there for along time, but as of yet there hadn't been anything definitive that had consulted
the local people in working out what needs it could help serve. We therefore arranged this public
meeting to see what a vision might be for it, how viable this might be, and what available support there
could be. Before we seperate into groups to discuss our ideas though I would first like to give you a bit
of information I have gathered on the property.

The property of Bridgend Farmhouse has a long history reaching far back to at least the 15th century
when it was said to have been the site of a hunting lodge and the 'Lady of Bridgend' chapel built by
James V and inherited by Mary Queen of Scots. Since then these have disappeared but the farmhouse
was then built and used as a dairy farm and horticultural nursery, with the peasents and workers
housing as part of a small surrounding hamlet for the farm, historically connecting Craigmillar Castle,
Inch House and the encompassing land that leads from Craigmillar Castle Park down to what we see
here inside the sandstone wall, which were all owned by the Gilmour family from the 17th century.

As far as I have been able to gather, the farmhouse was bought with what is now the surrounding
Craigmillar Castle park land, with accompanying cottage and dairy farm barns in 2000 by the council
using National Lottery funding as part of the Urban Forest programme. Over this period since 2000 I
understand from neighbours and previously interested parties that the building has fallen into severe
disrepair. It initially suffered a lot of vandalism, burglary and break-ins including at least 4 different
fires, one of which was part of the demolition of the barns along the front, and another very recently
which led to the holes in the roof. It is now in need of serious maintenance and work both on the
interior and exterior. Also the cottage, as I have mentioned has since been demolished and now so too
have the surrounding barns, leaving only the sandstone walling that originally enclosed the barns.

No exact structural survey has been done in recent years, as far as anyone I have tried to speak to is
aware of, and thus it is hard to gauge exactly what would be involved in bringing it back to full repair
and structural security, and what the costs would be. However, last year the architects Cooper and
Cromar produced a conceptual design and feasibility study of the farmhouse and surrounding property
based on a basic visual inspection, which you can see over by the information desk. This also included
some rough projected high-level costings which can act as a very rough guide at this stage also
available over there.

As you may or may not be aware the farmhouse is within Craigmillar Castle Park which has a large
woodland area including Hawkhill Community Woodland, a recycling centre, a bio-medical park being
developed and an adventure playground (all of which you can see on the map by the information and
out by the front of the allotments on the stonewall). It is also across the road from Inch Park and near to
Peffermill Playing field just over there. It has direct links from the A7 connecting into Edinburgh city
centre and the other way towards Liberton and Gilmerton, and through the Sustrans bike paths it has
direct access to Craigmillar and also to the Royal Infirmary Hospital on the other side of the park.

It lies on the boundary of Craigmillar/Portobello area and Liberton/Gilmerton, and is now officially in
the Liberton and Gilmerton ward. According to the Castle Park plan of 2005 47% of the Craigmillar
population were economically inactive, and the estate over the road in the Inch is considered in the top
5% most deprived areas in Scotland. There are therefore a lot of people in very close proximity who
may be looking for a resource that allows them the opportunity to develop certain skills and knowledge
and interaction with others, that they otherwise might not get access to.

It is obviously a very difficult time economically to attempt any kind of public services project and we
want to be wary that other provisions in the area may well be under economic tightening and threat,
however it may be possible that a re-development here could try to help enhance and connect with
some of these local groups and projects. Ties could also be made with other institutions and
organisation in the city through different out-reach and interconnecting services and events. It also has
the opportunity to link up with volunteering organisations providing long term substantial opportunities
for people to get involved in a variety of ways.

The state of the current farmhouse is of a detriment to the surrounding area. It acts as a dump for waste
and rubbish, has attracted a great deal of anti-social behaviour, which disrupts many local residents and
the local police, and creates greater local insecurity. There is little sign of repair to maintain it and with
such great potential it is being wasted, and as I understand from the Head of Assets management in the
council they have 'no plans to sell the property and are actively looking for an appropriate
use.'. This space and property then is currently both a problem and an opportunity that in looking to
bring about its re-development with a community driven focus and aim would help try to solve these
problems whilst creating greater services for the local population.

The cottage was originally a non-statutory C listed building but is no longer listed but is on greenbelt
land. This means that officially this land must 'preserve predominantly its open and rural character, and
promote greater recreational use and access to the countryside, and will enhance its amenity and
biodiversity value. For more information on the rules regarding Greenbelt land please see the
information area. The Castle Park plan also openly states that 'undertaking the works detailed in
the Plan will not, on their own, and in the absence of community support, fully deliver the
stated aims and objectives. (and ) As a consequence, it will be necessary to integrate this
Plan with other initiatives and Plans'.
It is clearly possible then that a community use of this space could help very constructively with those
aims, developing local care, preservation and protection of the woodland space. Example adventure
playground.
t could also be incorporated into and help with part of the cities current project to create a 'green
corridor' to the Pentland Hills from Craigmillar and Portobello. The site is also one in which awareness
and engagement in sustainable and alternative technologies could be slowly developed and made
available to local people, and of which there quite possibly would be funding and support available.

The council though have indicated that there would not be any financial support for any development
or project on the space and have to treat the property like any other asset, and clearly this is a very
difficult time to raise funding and capital for any possible venture however there are possibilities if
there is a real need identified and the right ingredients are there for the re-development. This may mean
that further action may need the formation of a community association or trust, quite possibly in
connection with another group or organisation which can also help act as a lead tenant or anchor in the
acquisition and initial capital for any possible development.

There are two possible current plans for the property from the council's perspective as far as I have
been able to get information on. One is for a residents parking in the area to the front here where the
cottage used to be. This is something which needs to be considered in any proposal, and being there
would not be of direct affect on the building, however, it could well be incorporated in a proposal for
the whole space. For more information on this speak to Dougie Barnett, and the most recent plans for
this are included in a drawing on the information table.

As a future planning proposal though there is also suggestion that if Tramline 3 was to go ahead then
the road would be extended outwards and would reach almost out to the side of the farmhouse and as
such run through the current barnspace. This is signed off by Royal Assent and thus must take place if
Tramline 3 is to ever go ahead, and the barnspace would have to sold by compulsory purchase. This
may also be a reason the council may not be able to, or reluctant to sell the property, This obviously has
a big affect on what could be done and developed on this space, and whether the council would allow it
to be sold. All information in these matters can be openly accessed via the local council structure plan
and buildings standard portal via the council website.

What however is not given is any pending planning requests or approaches. I am under the impression
from the Estates department that there are also other private interested parties looking at the property
and as such any approach to re-develop it would need to be considered alongside these. I am unable to
gather any other information at this stage on what these are and whether they could work on
collaboration of any suggested use or approach we could take to the council

We need to quickly demonstrate to the council that there is significant interest in developing this
project and that there may also be some community, institutional and financial support to help with it. It
may be therefore needed to form some sort of steering group of all interested parties who could
contribute to plans and suggestions of how the farmhouse and property could be developed, for what
purposes, and with what support. It is

In my personal opinion, and that is all, there is an incredible opportunity here for many people to be
directly involved in preserving and re-developing a disregarded and diminishing historic property that
is available and is geographically very well situated to help act as a hub and base for many local
educational and health focused projects and to enhance and develop their services. Through a
community space that would help foster a practical hands-on and experiential education and
understanding of local geography, rural crafts, cooking and technology, it could help provide many
resources and opportunities to increase knowledge, well-being, and skills for better employment
chances, and to bind together many local people and organisations who could co-operate around one
space to be a vibrant and positively constructive addition to the social, cultural and geographical
landscape of South Edinburgh.
There are numerous possibilities for the spaces but what we want to try to ascertain is what the
community here would like to see, and what would be most appropriate and beneficial to all concerned.
Following on from David's presentation on the Liberton Bank House project we would like people to
divide into small groups of approximately 5 or 6 people to discuss and identify, first the needs and
wants for this area and community, secondly the the possible opportunities and uses Bridgend
farmhouse could develop and create using the categories on the sheets provided, and finally, drawing
on the different backgrounds and fields you are coming here from, looking at the ways that this could
be undertaken or moved forward in action, and the possible problems or difficulties that need to be
considered and addressed.

Then we would like one representative from each group to give a brief summary to the group as a
whole. It is from this that we could look to identify the end-user for a re-development of the
farmhouse, and a specific use or function for the property and how this is not accommodated elsewhere
in the area, and to discuss what next possible stages and actions there could be depending upon what
sort of visions people have. Any questions and suggestions can then follow from this in a final
discussion.

But before this, I will pass over to David Jenkins here, as I mentioned earlier, to talk about the Liberton
Bank House and Dunedin School project and the vision they had and processes that were taken to bring
this from a run-down derelict building into a restored and fully active school.