Work has begun on site to breathe new life into the old tram depot on Leith Walk.

The £1.3m regeneration project will bring an at risk building back into use as well as providing much needed space for artists and other creative entrepreneurs.

The project, being funded by the Scottish Government (£750,000) and the City of Edinburgh Council (£530,000) is being delivered for the Council by Development Partner Hub South East.

The at risk building on 165A Leith Walk is being stripped back to its shell internally and will be refurbished to create a temporary community services hub for the voluntary and public sectors. NHS Lothian and Capital City Partnerships are set to move in this Autumn.

The shipping containers, to be used by local artists and entrepreneurs, arrived this week. They will now be fitted out by social enterprise, Rebuild. The project is therefore providing much needed training opportunities during the construction phase.

When the containers are occupied, Art and Education Trust, Out of the Blue, will partner with the Council to manage them as well as the community hub.

Work on the project, which is expected to be complete in the Autumn, will provide quality community space until a longer term plan for the site is found.

Cllr Kate Campbell, Housing and Economy Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This is an amazing project which has had a huge amount of community involvement.

“Leith Walk is one of the most densely populated and fastest growing places in Scotland, with a strong sense of identity and an incredibly engaged community. This project will create much needed space for local artists and other creative entrepreneurs as well as providing valuable community space. It is also great to see training and job opportunities as part of the project.”

Marcus Weurman, Hub South East’s Development Manager said: “Hub South East has been involved from the very start, proposing ideas for the development and helping the Council secure funding, so it’s exciting to have followed the journey this far and to see work start on site on the Leith Meanwhile project.  

“This is true partnership working in action. It’s a real opportunity after 60 years to turn this site back into a space that can be used meaningfully for the benefit of the local community and we’re incredibly proud to be involved.”