St Margaret's Park Community Garden Brief and Expression of Interest Form

Community Garden at St Margaret’s Park 

In 2023, Edinburgh Leisure returned several disused bowling green venues to the City of Edinburgh Council, including the one in St Margaret’s Park. Following this, the Parks and Openspace Development Team have been exploring opportunities to re-purpose these spaces. Community consultation revealed a strong preference for a garden which includes community growing areas and sensory planting (more information available here) and we are excited to announce an opportunity for local organisations to lease the disused bowling green for this purpose. This initiative aligns with the Council’s ambition to increase community food growing opportunities, alongside aims to enhance community engagement, promote sustainability, and provide a green space for all residents to enjoy.  

There are also other features that we aim to introduce into the bowling green in the future using a phased approach. This may include a pétanque court, trim trail, etc. If the tenant is particularly interested in any of these features, or any similar aspects which could improve the park, there is the possibility to fundraise together with the Council to progress these aspects further.  

Please download the Expression of Interest form for St Margaret's Park Community garden

Location 

The bowling green is within St Margaret’s Park, Corstorphine (outlined in yellow below). The bowling green includes a perimeter, with one side including mature trees. The bowling green is approximately 2800m2. St Margaret’s Park is a well-used park, featuring a play park, tennis courts, and the Dower House Cafe. It is in close proximity to residential houses, care facilities, local schools, and a scout centre. The park has a strong history, from Roman times to witch trials, which is valued by the community (information here: History – Improve Corstorphine). St Margaret’s Park is Common Good Land and is also protected by Fields in Trust. It has an active Friends of greenspaces group with over 100 members.

Current status  

The re-purposing of the bowling green has been developed to a concept stage, where we know the size and location of the site, and some features which should be included (e.g., accessible paths, seating, community growing, sensory planting). We have some ideas and suggestions regarding the layout of the space, however, there is significant flexibility in the design of this space, and the Council expects to work in partnership with the tenant to agree a final design. The concept designs can be viewed on our website.  

The leaseholder may choose to only use part of the site if preferable. To activate the space as soon as possible, we appreciate that the tenant may wish to set up a shorter term or meanwhile use of the space more immediately, with plans in place to develop the site fully over time. 

 Additionally, the existing pavilion on the bowling green is included in the lease and can be used as part of the facility. The pavilion previously served as St Margaret's bowling green clubhouse and has the potential to be a valuable community resource, providing space for storing tools and other communal needs.  

The structure is predominantly timber-framed and clad in vertical timber cladding boards, with a rendered masonry element to the rear. It features a monopitch roof that is felted, with timber fascias and soffits. The building comprises male and female changing accommodation, two individual toilets, an equipment/plant room, and a small admin space. Generally, the structure is in reasonable condition. Internally, the building is wind and watertight, with walls and ceilings that are generally clean and unmarked. The condition of the internal fixtures and fittings is acceptable for the intended purpose. However, the pavilion may require some minor repairs before it is fully operational, depending on the tenant's requirements. For example, the roof should be improved within the next 5 years (estimate of £5,000-£10,000), some repair to the exterior of the building is needed (estimate of £3,000-£5,000), and toilet refurbishments, though not immediately essential, are an estimate of £15,000 upwards. These costs are purely illustrative. Further information regarding the condition survey is available on request.   

Notably, the toilets are located inside the pavilion and in the future need to be upgraded to meet operational standards, including the addition of an accessible toilet.  

As the consultation with the local community demonstrated a need for accessible public toilets, the Council wishes to consider whether part of the pavilion could be converted for this purpose with access directly from outside without having to enter the main pavilion. 

Support available 

A package of support measures from the Council is on offer to help establish the new community garden. This may include the following: 

• Although not guaranteed, the Council may be able to allocate a small amount of funding to help the tenant convert the space for community growing. In exceptional circumstances, up to £30,000 or £40,000 may be awarded. 

• The Council can use their Procurement Framework to appoint contractors to carry out any work that the successful tenant is not able to carry out themselves, subject to funding. 

• The Council’s Nursery may be able to help provide advice on planting and cost-effective plants.  

• The Council’s Parks and Openspace Development Team can provide support such as project management and advice for design and layout of the site, and how to maximise the ecology of the site to improve biodiversity. They are also willing to collaborate with the successful tenant to fund-raise to help deliver the proposed ambitions for this space. 

The role of the leaseholder 

In addition to collaboratively designing the space, we expect the tenant to use the space to deliver the following:  

• Food and sensory growing components. 

• Community engagement, including activities and programmes to activate the garden space. 

• Work with established community groups such as the Friends of St Margaret’s Park and sports clubs to establish how the pavilion could be a shared resource to benefit all park users. 

• Provide public access; as the space is located in a public park, it is important that members of the public are welcome in the whole or part of the space (subject to opening hours).  

• Ensure the garden design and activities are inclusive and accessible to everyone, including those with different abilities. 

• Have plans to activate the space in the short term if funding is not immediately available to implement the full proposal. 

• To have a flexible approach. We aim for other improvements to be made within the bowling green, such as a trim trail, social seating, pétanque, etc. Depending on funding, we may need to build these in a phased approach, meaning the tenant will need to expect nearby construction and sharing the bowling green with these features.  

The pavilion is expected to serve as a resource for the garden, providing community storage for tools and materials, and a space for hosting activities and gatherings. This multifunctional use will enhance the overall utility of the garden, fostering a stronger sense of community involvement and stewardship. Ideally, the pavilion can be adapted to also provide a publicly accessible toilet facility (to be managed by the Council).  

Power and services 

The garden space will be self-contained. Storage space and water access can be organised via the pavilion. If necessary, any utilities required should be arranged independently by the leasing organisation. 

Terms  

The space is offered for an annual lease starting from February/March 2025, with the option for a lease term of up to five years. It may also be possible to extend this in the future, and specific requirements can be discussed to accommodate the tenant's needs. 

The tenant must obtain all necessary consent from relevant authorities. The unit's appearance must be approved by the City of Edinburgh Council (Parks and Greenspace) and in keeping with the surrounding area.  

The tenant must have the following insurance: 

• Employer's liability insurance (minimum of £5 Million) - if applicable 

• Public liability insurance (minimum of £5 Million) 

Timeline for Expressions of Interest 

• EOI Announcement: 1st week of December 2024 

• Submission Period: 1st week of December – 12th January (6 weeks) 

• Evaluation & Selection: Mid-January 2024 – February 2025 

• Lease development begins: February 2025 

Council officers are available the week of December 16th to answer questions and organise site visits.