Social Bite seeks approval to move its homeless village due to lease end, despite city greenbelt concerns.
The charity hopes councilors will approve the move. However, council officers suggest rejecting the plans. The current site is next to Granton Castle. The city wants to build there.
The new site would replace the current hub. Showers, a kitchen, and common space are in the hub. Sixteen people live there currently. People move in as others find homes.
A report advises against the new site. Councilors will review this report next week. The report states it is on the city’s greenbelt. The new site is west, near Gypsy Brae grounds.
The charity seeks temporary permission for the project. They would move most structures from the old site. Josh Littlejohn emphasized the village’s value. It has aided over 100 people since 2018.
Littlejohn said the new site is close by. Residents find this important. Council officers say the site breaks city development plans. Housing could cause it to lose greenbelt status.
Social Bite wanted a ten-year occupancy. Officers deemed this not “temporary.” But, they didn’t reject the plan for this single reason. If approved, they’d build seven new single-bed units.
The updated hub would have kitchen, shower, and laundry services. They would also create allotment gardens. Residents could maintain these gardens. Like the current village, great views exist there of the Forth. The Forth Bridges are visible too.
Trees surround it on two sides. Currently, it is an extension of Gipsy Brae recreation grounds. Traveler communities sometimes utilize it.
Social Bite owns the existing site. Cyrenians, another charity, handles daily operations. Social Bite started in 2012. They give meals and raise money for homeless people.