An Edinburgh community and enterprise hub once earmarked for demolition is set to re-open under community ownership.

Duncan Place in Leith has been refurbished following a successful partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council and the Leith based charity. Together they have attracted almost £1.5m of funding from the Scottish Government and the National Lottery Community Fund.

The Community & Enterprise Hub, which is set to open its doors in January 2020, will offer rooms for community use as well as workspace to lease. The workspace is targeted at charities or enterprises that work to reduce social inequality and improve health and wellbeing in Leith. The building will be fully accessible and is equipped with the latest technology to minimise energy  consumption.

Local council representatives visited the Duncan Place building to see the progress being made and learn more about the charity’s future plans.

Councillor Cammy Day, Depute Council Leader, said:

It’s great to see that another community hub is being brought back to life. This project is an excellent example of what collaboration and partnership working between the public and voluntary sectors can achieve. Our officers have worked well with the community taking forward this project and I’m delighted that this much loved community asset, which was facing demolition, will now be here to benefit Leith for many decades to come.

Councillor Chas Booth, Green Councillor for Leith, added:

I’m delighted to have supported the Duncan Place charity in their achievements to date. Charities, Social Enterprises and community groups in Leith will all benefit from being in Duncan Place and will be able to work together to make a difference in the area.

Nicola Lamberton, Development Manager for Duncan Place, commented:

It is wonderful to see this old and much loved building come back to life. The partnership working with the council has been crucial and the support from individuals and organisations based in Leith has been tremendous.

Many organisations are paying private landlords in the area and recognise that their rents could actually be going back into community activity rather than into a remote landlord’s bank account. Many groups have registered interest for space and we look forward to bringing them on board in the coming months.

For more information about the spaces available to community groups, visit  www.duncanplace.org.

Photo: Councillors and Nicola Lamberton outside Duncan Place