Power cable could lead to garden rails return

Published on Monday 31 March 2008 10:18

A SHARED garden in Fountainbridge will be closed for nine months while Scottish Power runs a power cable under the area.

The Friends of Gardners Crescent are hoping the work will help them win back the garden's railings, which were melted down during the Second World War.

The community group wants to secure thousands of pounds in funding to pay for the return of the historic railings. They already have 5000 from the South West Neighbourhood Partnership to fund an architect's study on the restoration of the garden.

A meeting today at Tollcross Community Centre, at 7pm, will let residents discuss the scheme.

Chairman Derek Ainsley said: "I am hoping to get as many local people as possible to our next meeting when Scottish Power is to tell us of their plans to run a large cable through the garden, as this will mean it will be closed for nine months. Their work will involve a significant amount of demolition, but this may work to our favour as we will be asking them to repair sections of the wall to a higher standard in preparation for the return of the railings."

Last week, Friends of the Meadows won 50,000 funding from the city council and Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd to replace railings on the Meadows.