Case Study: Granton Castle Walled Garden

Local activists in the Granton area of Edinburgh campaigned to take control of the medieval walled garden from City Properties / Edinburgh Council.  Once they succeeded they started to utilise the large site which needed significant investment and are working towards securing longer term control of the site.

The need

They realised that they needed to consider the issue of sustainability in the future through trading so as not to lose the asset once developed.

What Accelerate did

The group plans to develop jams and chutneys when the site becomes productive and were keen to learn how to protect any brand they developed.  Accelerate undertook research into intellectual property and developed with the group a report and action plan to develop and protect their brand.

They were an unincorporated group so needed to formalise their legal structure.  Accelerate helped them work through an options appraisal to ensure that the structure they chose was relevant to trading activity.

Quote: “Our organisation really appreciated, and benefited from, the speedy support that we needed at a crucial time. Thank you.”