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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Kris Gourlay

Former Edinburgh First World War naval barracks to be replaced with homes and cafe

A former First World War naval barracks in South Queensferry is set to be replaced with 49 new homes.

Port Edgar, the marina on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, currently operates as a sailing base with up to 300 berths.

Lar Housing Trust have now submitted plans to deliver more homes at a mid-market rent, fresh from their project renovating a canalside industrial works in Ruchill.

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The B-listed buildings at Port Edgar have been derelict since 2011, having been used as storage spaces for the Museum of Scotland.

The array of red-brick barracks have actually been placed 'at risk' on the Buildings At Risk Register, although despite this, the buildings are assessed to be in reasonable shape structurally, easing the process of conversion and alternation to apartments.

Urban Realm reports that as part of the plans, the guard house will be preserved as a solitary serviced apartment and the old boiler house will be turned into a café.

Port Edgar, as well as operating as a marina, is home to water sports enthusiasts all over the country, with all sorts of activities and boat tours stemming from below the Queensferry crossing.

A further structure, identified as unsuited for habitation, would be turned into a meeting room, workshop or storage space. Replica plastic sash and case windows will replace the existing rotted single glazed frames.

In a statement Lar wrote: "With a presumption in favour of retaining the existing listed buildings and balancing this against viable future use of the site, the application meets the principles and requirements of the Edinburgh Design Guide for residential amenity, and meets the Design Guide recommendations generally, whilst balancing these against the presumption in favour of retaining the existing listed buildings.

As the site is so close to the water, a wave prevention wall could be built to combat adverse weather. (M J Richardson/Geograph)

"As a conversion of existing derelict buildings, this site can be delivered in much shorter timescales than new-build developments, which will assist in the much needed delivery of new, affordable, energy efficient homes, whilst delivering green homes by removing carbon emissions from construction by retaining the embodied carbon in the existing buildings rather than demolishing and constructing new buildings."

Concerns were heard in regard to water breaking the current barrier and to protect the area from storm surges and rising sea levels, with a 'wave return wall' proposals being considered.

Bought in 1916 by the Admiralty, the site was regularly used by Royal Navy ships since the 1850s. In 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War, Port Egar was commissioned as HMS Lochinvar, a training establishment for the Royal Naval Patrol Service.

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