Scotland: Edinburgh Gorgie Farm: Operators locked in stand-off with council over lease of city centre farm
The company that runs Gorgie Farm is locked in a stand-off with Edinburgh council over the lease of the farm.
By Jolene Campbell
Edinburgh News
Jan 15, 2023
Excerpt:
Current operators the Love Group claim the charity is being ‘forced’ to remain in lease by the council, after announcing it would close next week due to ‘serious financial challenges’.Following a last-ditch meeting on Friday (January 13), the company said it was told it is in breach of its lease.
But the boss of the Group said the council doesn’t have grounds to keep them in a lease – and it has no choice but to press ahead with plans to close the farm next week and rehome animals.
The council said it was ‘encouraging’ that it has had several organisations express interest in taking over the site and was looking into keeping the animals on the farm in Gorgie until its future was agreed. Local councillors, MSPs and a community campaign group have rallied around to help find cash to save the farm from closing its gates next week.
But Love Group Director Lynn Black said the planned closure would go ahead as they had been told by the council there was no money to keep it going until a takeover was finalised.
She claims the council accused the company of being in breach of its lease and branded it a ‘slap in the face’. Ms Bell said she believes the Group has adhered to the contract by giving one month’s notice after three years. She stressed the company will do what they can to help save the farm – but refuses to be locked into a lease if there’s no immediate financial support available.
