Victoria Park’s Bowling Greens
Community Garden and Cafe at Victoria Park
In 2023, Edinburgh Leisure returned several disused bowling green venues to the City of Edinburgh Council, including two in Victoria Park. Following this, the Parks and Greenspace team has been exploring opportunities to re-purpose these venues. Community consultation revealed a strong interest for both a community garden and a cafe.
Ongoing consultation identified that a community growing space, sensory garden, and cafe are key priorities.The feedback period for the Consultation and Engagement Hub closed on 8 June 2024. We received a total of 271 responses to the survey on the Consultation Hub, showing overall support for the proposal. Most respondents felt that the proposed design would make the park feel more welcoming and accessible, benefit both people and nature, and meet the community's needs. On the Consultation Hub you can find detailed information about the consultation.
Following co-design work with the Friends of Victoria Park, Trinity Community Council, Trinity Academy, and the wider community, we have developed several ideas for how these spaces could be improved and re-integrated back into the park. Our landscape architects at Atkins Realis have visually developed these ideas further, and you can see here the Re-Imagining Victoria Park Bowling Greens Report – Thriving Greenspaces.
Since then, we have been exploring the next steps to take this work further. This includes a comprehensive review covering cost estimates for reopening facilities like the toilets and pavilion, as well as exploring options to activate these spaces in a way that benefits the community. We have been working with the community throughout this to ensure that we are aligning with their needs, and to agree priorities together.
In January 2025 we invited interested parties to submit an expression of interest for either or both the community garden (the middle bowling green) and the pavilion (the exterior bowling green).
What's next
- EOI closed: January 2025
- Partner selection and financial checks: February - May 2025
For further details, please contact thrivinggreenspaces@edinburgh.gov.uk.