Edinburgh's historic Granton station to be transformed into enterprise hub

£1m refurbishment plans submitted
The station was built in 1903 to serve Granton gas worksThe station was built in 1903 to serve Granton gas works
The station was built in 1903 to serve Granton gas works

PLANS have been submitted to refurbish Granton’s historic railway station and turn it into an enterprise hub for new businesses.

The council-led project, part of the area’s £1.4 billion waterfront regeneration scheme, could create 70 jobs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And it also includes turning the old railway yard next to the station into a civic square which could host markets and events.

Artist's impression of the new-look stationArtist's impression of the new-look station
Artist's impression of the new-look station

The project has already been awarded £1 million from the Scottish Government’s town centres fund, which will help refurbish the station building.

The B-listed former station, was built in 1903 to serve the Granton gas works. It closed in 1942 and has been largely disused since.

Depute council leader and Granton councillor Cammy Day said he hoped the new hub would attract start-up businesses especially from the creative sector.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I would like to see the creative industries come and be based in North Edinburgh and this is just the start of it.”

A sketch of how the refurbished building will lookA sketch of how the refurbished building will look
A sketch of how the refurbished building will look

He said he was delighted the council was progressing its plans for the project.

“This is a really interesting part of the regeneration of the Granton waterfront. It’s a historic building and it will be brought back into modern life.

“And I hope we will see the creative and technical people of the future bring more jobs to North Edinburgh - and this alone looks like it’s going to bring 70-odd jobs and mean revival for a part of North Edinburgh which has been long-awaited.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We’ve got the BioQuarter at one side of the city, we’ve got a tech base emerging on the south side. Can we say the creative side of the city should be in the north? That would be fantastic.”

The waterfront regeneration could see 3,500 new homes, retail and cultural offerings built over the next 15 years.

Cllr Day said consultations on the station project had been positive and Historic Environment Scotland was involved in the design work.

“There will be flexible, affordable work space for start-up businesses.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“And the outside area will be turned into a waterfront plaza which could host open-air markets and outdoor performances. It will completely change the feel there.

“It’s a small part of the overall regeneration, but an important part because it’s historic and it’s at the heart of where a lot of people will be.”

If planning permission is granted, it is hoped work will start on the station refurbishment towards the end of this year with completion scheduled for the middle of next year.

“There is a demand for this type of facility in the city, so heopefully that will breathe a bit more life into it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I also hope when the current phase of the tram extension is finished, or in parallel with that, we can start talking about how we bring the tram along to Granton, finishing the original Line 1b and bringing more transport options into the north of the city.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.