Extract from article in Gorgie Dalry Gazette, November 2005

OLD SCHOOL GETS NEW LEASE OF LIFE

Artist's Impression of Orwell Place
The proposed extension will provide a dining area and a space for possible community use.

Following its closure last year many feared that Orwell Primary School would be sold off for development into more flats in what is already a densely populated
area.


However, news that the school has been bought by the Garvald Edinburgh means that the building will resume its role as an education facility.

Councillor Kingsley Thomas said: “I was delighted when I heard that Garvald Edinburgh had acquired the old school building. I know through my work as executive member for Health and Social Work that Garvald Edinburgh has been looking for new premises for some years now, but they’ve always had the problem of being outbid by private developers, so as the local member I’m doubly pleased that they’ve decided to move into Orwell Primary School.”

PLANNING APPLICATION

Garvald Edinburgh, which provides a range of education and training opportunities for people with learning disabilities, has submitted a planning application to adapt the building to their needs, including the installation of a lift, interior remodelling, and the construction of a single story extension.

Andy Hunter, day services manager at Garvald Edinburgh’s Horne Terrace building, explained: “We moved into Horne Terrace in the 1970s and at the time it was very good, but 35 years on, both our expectations of what we can offer and other people’s expectations of what we should be able to offer have changed.

“The building at Horne Terrace is cramped and there’s nowhere to put a proper lift, and it’s not at all accessible for anybody with any level of physical disability. There’s no room for a receptionist or admin worker and there’s no private meeting space, so that’s why we had been looking for another building for about five years.

“We had made offers on other properties but were always outbid by developers, which looking back may have been a happy chance as this building is ideal for our purposes. Luckily for us it was the Scottish Episcopal Church who were selling it and they were very interested in what we were going to do with it.

BETTER SPACE

“The new building will probably give us something like three times the floor area we have at present which as well as providing better workshop space for our pottery, glass and weaving, will also allow three more staff to be based there:
myself, an administrative worker and a college liaison worker.

“As well as our core workshops there’s painting, music, education work, which is very broad and can be reading writing, numbers, money, but it can also be learning to go to the library, use the buses, gardening — depending on what skills someone wants to develop.

“We will also have a room where therapists can work, which is great because at the moment folk have to walk up the road with people to our office in Montpelier, so more will be happening in the building. A number of things which happen at different locations will be brought under one roof, which means more
time being spent on direct work and less on travelling to and fro.”

EXTENSIVE WORK

Following extensive work on the building Garvald Edinburgh are hoping that it will be ready for use by Easter 2007.

Andy Hunter said: “There is a considerable amount of work to be done, including the installation of a lift, and we’ve applied to build a single story extension in part of what is the playground at the moment.

That will be the dining area, and is the space that we hope other people will be able to use as well. We’re very open to the possibility that local groups might want to use it for meetings, classes etc. The area around the extension will be paved, with a garden at one end.

“I think it’s a really exciting prospect because this building gives us the opportunity to develop what we’re doing and provide a much better service — and also be able to offer it to a wider range of people.”

Elaine Brand of the Gorgie Dalry Partnership said: “I think it’s wonderful news that Garvald Edinburgh has bought Orwell Primary. Many local people were so disappointed when both the school and Dalry House closed, and with Dalry House now being turned into flats a major community facility was lost to the area, so it’s good to see Orwell Primary will continue to exist as an education centre.”

Plans for the redevelopment of the school are currently on display at the Gorgie Dalry Partnership office at 258 Dalry Road.

OPEN EVENING

Garvald Edinburgh will be holding an open evening at the school on Thursday 17th November, from 5.30 - 7pm, and anyone who would like to find out more about Garvald Edinburgh and their plans for the school is welcome to attend.