Pentland View Court 'Pocket Park' will create a tiny urban greenspace - connecting the community of Currie at its centre with trees, play opportunities, wildlife habitats and climate education.
Pentland View Court is a parade of shops/food outlets/pharmacy located on the main Lanark Road adjacent to the Pentlands Medical Centre in Currie, a suburban area in southwest Edinburgh. This 'Pocket Park' will propose several new features to improve the local 'concrete desert' environment:
Mature productive Scottish native fruit trees with educational signage: to improve air quality, absorb carbon dioxide, inform the local community, offer wildlife habitats, shade and free local healthy fruit;
Bird and bat boxes erected within the trees to further offer wildlife habitat;
Shaded benches engraved with climate protection messages to encourage environmental awareness, social interaction within nature, combat loneliness and protect against climate change related adverse weather such as heatwaves;
A 'lion's head selfie' child's play panel to create an intergenerational space, and inspire future generations of planet protectors!
How will the local community be involved?
A full public consultation is costed within the budget, to ensure all local voices are heard, and the design will be drawn by a local architect. Local primary schools have agreed to adopt the trees and harvest the fruit to share within the community, to avoid wastage and mess. The local high school children will be invited to contribute to the tree choice and signage, to encourage their buy-in to the project and limit vandalism. A local blacksmith will be creating the benches.
Who will benefit from this project?
Those that will hopefully benefit include:
Users of the shops and GP surgery, especially older and younger people;
Local high school children, who use the area during lunch and after school;
Local workers, especially keyworkers from the GP surgery;
Local wildlife, especially bats and birds, will enjoy a green oasis;
Local community members will gain a focal point for Currie, that offers direct education about climate change and the environment, but also provides indirect education through enjoyment of a greenspace.
Please vote for our 'Pocket Park'!
Thank you
Location: Pentland View Court, Currie
Proposed on behalf of: Pentlands Eco Network (https://www.facebook.com/pentlandseconetwork/) is a grassroots community environmental organisation.
Fantastic proposal which is long overdue. Given that the whole community uses this area to access the doctor's surgery - it's about time that it was regenerated as a green meeting space - a community hub with benches for people to sit and chat to promote health and well being. This community deserves so much better than the current concrete desert - which quite honestly is depressing and does nothing to engender an attitude of community spirit or care for humans or for nature. When it comes to climate action we need to act locally by encouraging care and respect for our local environment, before we can start to think globally. With the opening of a new Dominos in this area - will the proposal include new, attractive and user friendly recycling bins?
Might there be scope for urban style picnic benches with additional bins for the weekday school / worker lunch visitors instead of the proposed metal benches? Wil the lion head have long term appeal after the first few weeks of it being installed, and will it wither over time? I'd reinvest the budget from the lion head into more functional seating (benches and tables that are wheelchair accessible) and trees/plans as well as reimagining and repairing the surrounding concrete steps and walls, which are now crumbling. The sustainable messaging an important one but will static messaging be future proof?
More bins are needed. Also all shop owners should be made accountable for picking up litter around the car park and pedestrian areas. There is always litter lying about from Baynes, Sofias and Scotmid. It really lowers the tone.
Fantastic proposal which is long overdue. Given that the whole community uses this area to access the doctor's surgery - it's about time that it was regenerated as a green meeting space - a community hub with benches for people to sit and chat to promote health and well being. This community deserves so much better than the current concrete desert - which quite honestly is depressing and does nothing to engender an attitude of community spirit or care for humans or for nature. When it comes to climate action we need to act locally by encouraging care and respect for our local environment, before we can start to think globally. With the opening of a new Dominos in this area - will the proposal include new, attractive and user friendly recycling bins?
Exciting! Hope to see this take shape for the local environment and community 🤗
Sorely needed. This plan is superb. And hoping it happens very soon. Being disabled a resting place after shops much needed.
Might there be scope for urban style picnic benches with additional bins for the weekday school / worker lunch visitors instead of the proposed metal benches? Wil the lion head have long term appeal after the first few weeks of it being installed, and will it wither over time? I'd reinvest the budget from the lion head into more functional seating (benches and tables that are wheelchair accessible) and trees/plans as well as reimagining and repairing the surrounding concrete steps and walls, which are now crumbling. The sustainable messaging an important one but will static messaging be future proof?
Brilliant idea and will improve a frankly horrible concrete jungle
Great project
This project would enhance and refresh tired looking area. We need more trees!
More bins are needed. Also all shop owners should be made accountable for picking up litter around the car park and pedestrian areas. There is always litter lying about from Baynes, Sofias and Scotmid. It really lowers the tone.