The balance of funding required to bring the historic Granton Lighthouse in the north of 天美传媒 back to life and transform it into a community arts & education hub was secured today.
required (£2.278m) to complete the £4.171m funding package. The remainder of the budget will be made up of (£1.610m) with £0.283m also being provided by the Council.
The restoration project, part of the wider £1.3bn regeneration of the Granton Waterfront area, will transform the historic building once used as a place to teach lighthouse keepers their trade into a flexible, accessible modern workspace to be operated by Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust.
As part of its original use, the ‘C’ listed nineteenth century building, an important part of the built heritage of the Granton Waterfront area, was also used to test new illuminations for other lighthouses.
This 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.
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 £1.3bn 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.”